In a significant policy shift, the Israeli government has approved a proposal by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to establish an inter-ministerial team under the Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and the Struggle Against Antisemitism to oversee the registration of international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) focused primarily on providing social welfare assistance to Palestinian Authority residents.

The new regulations outline specific criteria for registering organizations and approving their employees’ work visas. Among the considerations is the organization’s stance on Israel, particularly regarding its involvement in activities such as calls to boycott the State of Israel or efforts to delegitimize the country’s existence.

The move is expected to have far-reaching implications for both Israeli-Palestinian Authority relations and the operations of international NGOs. Organizations that align with the new criteria will be able to continue their work, while those considered problematic under Israel’s new framework may face more stringent restrictions. It’s certainly time for this type of action!

Source:
Israeli Government Approves Plan to Oversee Foreign NGOs Aiding Palestinians, by Hana Levi Julian/Jewish Press, December 9, 2024

The number of new illegal Palestinian Arab building starts in Judea and Samaria is down sharply this year, according to a new report released by Regavim, which follows a period of increased enforcement efforts against unauthorized construction.

The study found that there was a significant decrease in the number of new illegal structures completed in 2024, with a monthly average of 260 buildings completed during the last survey period — down from 608 new completed buildings per month in 2023 and 547 in 2022, marking a drastic reduction compared to the previous five years.

“This is a refreshing shift in the battle for land,” said Regavim director Meir Deutsch. “While the State of Palestine is being established de facto through construction and infrastructure, the Israeli government is finally responding to voter mandates by addressing these developments. We hope to see this trend continue and even intensify.”

Israel also began razing Palestinian buildings built illegally inside a nature reserve on Thursday. Nearby residents hailed the move as “historic” saying the illegal Palestinian construction has been unchecked in the Judean Desert Nature Reserve in the Gush Etzion region.

“For years, the reserve has been systematically destroyed by illegal construction. This construction harms nature and creates a stranglehold around nearby Jewish communities,” Yaron Rosenthal, head of the Gush Etzion Regional Council, told The Press Service of Israel. “Today, for the first time since the Oslo Accords, we are witnessing the enforcement of law in this regard. This is a crucial step towards restoring the desert and preserving the Judean Desert—a Jewish desert.”

Sources:
Illegal Arab construction in Judea, Samaria plummets amid stricter enforcement, World Israel News Staff, December 12, 2024

Israel Cracks Down on Illegal Palestinian Construction in Nature Reserve, by Svetlana Listratov/TPS, December 12, 2024

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz visited Mount Bental in the Golan Heights Sunday morning. It is an observation point facing the Syrian border.

Netanyahu referred to Assad’s downfall as “a historic day in the history of the Middle East. The collapse of the Assad regime, the tyrannical rule in Damascus, offers great opportunity but also is fraught with significant dangers. This collapse is the direct result of our forceful action against Hezbollah and Iran, Assad’s main supporters. It set off a chain reaction of all those who want to free themselves from this tyranny and its oppression.”

He added: “But it also means that we have to take action against possible threats. One of them is the collapse of the Separation of Forces Agreement from 1974 between Israel and Syria. This agreement held for 50 years. Last night, it collapsed. The Syrian army abandoned its positions. We gave the Israeli army the order to take over these positions to ensure that no hostile force embeds itself right next to the border of Israel. This is a temporary defensive position until a suitable arrangement is found.”

With that said, Defense Minister Israel Katz has ordered the Israel Defense Forces to create a secure area free of “heavy strategic weapons and terror infrastructure” beyond the buffer zone with Syria, the Defense Ministry announced Monday.

Katz said he had instructed the IDF to establish full control over the demilitarized buffer zone in the Golan Heights, which was established by the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement between Damascus and Jerusalem and ended the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

We are following the situation closely. This is a time of great opportunity as the Islamic Republic in Iran has been weakened severely by the loss of its Syrian ally. However, times of chaos can be fraught with danger. We are heartened by Israel’s moves to secure adequate buffer zones to protect herself from the Sunni rebel forces.

Sources:
Netanyahu on northern border: ‘Assad’s fall opens new opportunities for entire region’, by Israel National News, December 8, 2024

Katz orders IDF to create security zone beyond border with Syria, by Akiva Van Koningsveld, Amelie Botbol/JNS, December 9, 2024

Israeli troops defended United Nations troops from armed rebel forces late Saturday afternoon near the town of Hader, on the Syrian side of the border in the Golan Heights.

“An attack was carried out by armed individuals at a UN post in the Hader area in Syria. The IDF is currently assisting the UN forces in repelling the attack,” the IDF said in a brief statement early Saturday evening.

Yes, you read the above report correctly and don’t need a new pair of eyeglasses. The United Nations, the world body obsessed with hating and demonizing Israel, along with promoting anti-Israel judgements and votes day in and day out is now being protected by the IDF. While we are at a loss for words, we expect nothing less of the IDF, the most moral army in the world. Hey, United Nations, let that sink in.

Source:
Israel Defends UN Forces from Syria Rebels, by Hana Levi Julian/Jewish Press, December 8, 2024

In a significant development for the settlement movement, 24,000 dunams (approximately 5,930 acres) of land in Judea and Samaria have been officially designated as state land, first reported by Eliya Aviv on November 14

The announcement follows a comprehensive planning process spearheaded by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. It is expected to pave the way for major community expansions, infrastructure development, and long-term growth in strategically significant areas.

This announcement is part of a broader strategy to strengthen Israel’s presence in Judea and Samaria. Since the Oslo Accords in 1993, only 50,000 dunams were declared state land until last year. The current decision, involving almost half that amount in a single move, underscores the government’s commitment to expansion in this area.

Source
Breaking News:24,000 Dunams in Judea an Samaria Declared State Land, by Jewish Press News Desk, December 5, 2024

The evolving situation in Syria demands scrutiny, especially regarding its repercussions for Israel’s security and the stability of the broader Middle East. Syria has become a focal point for the intensifying Sunni-Shi’ite struggle, a development with profound regional consequences. While the weakening of Iranian influence represents a potential strategic advantage for Israel, it simultaneously introduces heightened instability in a volatile region.

Central to the Syrian conflict is the gradual erosion of President Bashar Assad’s regime, driven by the ascendance of Sunni military factions. This shift directly undermines Tehran’s long-standing strategy of maintaining a Shi’ite axis of power that spans from Iran through Iraq and Syria and into Lebanon. Historically, the Assad regime served as a linchpin for Iranian influence, facilitated in part by Hezbollah’s role in suppressing the Sunni opposition. However, Israel’s decisive blows against Hezbollah in Lebanon have significantly diminished this alliance’s effectiveness. The empowerment of Sunni forces in Syria not only weakens Assad but also disrupts Iran’s broader hegemonic ambitions, with potential reverberations in other Iranian-influenced territories, such as Iraq.

Join AFSI on Wed, Dec. 11 @ 7:30pm to hear Avi Abelow live and in-person! RSVP here.

Source:
Syria’s current conflict and its implications for Israel, by Avi Abelow/JNS, December 5, 2024

Research by the Ad Kan organization has revealed that the upcoming Solidarity Festival at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque (a government-funded institution) plans to screen films promoting military service refusal, anti-IDF content, and disputed Palestinian Arab narratives.

This Saturday, the film “With a Clear Conscience” will be shown, in which filmmaker Uri Barbash follows “five reserve soldiers who refused to serve in the IDF as long as it operates in Judea and Samaria citing moral objections.”

In an urgent letter to Culture Minister Zohar, Ad Kan CEO Gilad Ach demanded the minister’s intervention, stating, “It’s unthinkable that during wartime, we’re seeing screenings of films about draft dodging, the conditions of terrorists in prison, and fictional stories about a 5,000-year-old Palestinian city. The Cinematheque receives Israeli government funding – this funding must be suspended until these inflammatory films are pulled!”

Join AFSI on Monday night, December 9 @ 8:30pm at Chabad of the Beaches in Long Beach, NY to hear Major (Res.) Gilad Ach and Brigadier General (Res.) Ofer Winter discuss “Israel’s Roadmap to Victory.” AFSI is a proud co-sponsor of this program.

Source:
Appeal to Minister Zohar: ‘Stop screening of libelous films against IDF soldiers’, by Hezki Baruch/Israel National News, December 4, 2024

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon held a press briefing on Wednesday.

“Today, in the General Assembly, I will be providing examples of how the PA and UNRWA educated hatred and glorified terrorists. I saw a tweet from UNRWA a few minutes ago that they are actually worried about their reputation. But it’s too late. They should have been taking action against Hamas a while ago. They shouldn’t have allowed UNRWA to be infiltrated by Hamas. Today, when they care about their reputation, I tell them it’s too little, it’s too late. We will not cooperate with UNRWA,” Danon declared.

“Israel will always be committed to peace, but the UN must not be mistaken. We will never waiver in our determination to defend our people, protect our future, and bring all of our hostages back home,” the Ambassador concluded.

Source:
Danon: ‘It’s too late for UNRWA, we won’t cooperate with it’, by Gary Willig/Israel National News, December 4, 2024

Hezbollah fired two missiles at Mount Dov, an area of northern Israel where the borders of Israel, Lebanon and Syria converge on Monday. The barrage was the first since a ceasefire took effect last Wednesday morning.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the barrage, calling it “a warning” to Israel.

The rocket fire came as the United States and France claimed that Israel was violating the ceasefire.

According to Hebrew media reports, the issue is Israeli surveillance flights over Beirut, which Washington and Paris claim breaks the ceasefire.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar responded, saying,” “The opposite is true – Israel is working to enforce the agreement in response to violations by Hezbollah, which require immediate action. For example, when armed Hezbollah terrorists are identified in southern Lebanon or when an attempt is made to transfer weapons.”

Sa’ar warned his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot that Hezbollah must move its forces north of the Litani River or Israel would take further steps.

Hezbollah found any petty excuse to violate the ceasefire and shift the blame to Israel. As long as Hezbollah continues to position itself south of the Litani River, Israel has the right to self defense at all times, including when a ceasefire is violated.

Source:
Hezbollah Fires First Missiles Since Ceasefire Took Effect, by Pesach Benson/TPS, December 2, 2024

Israeli leaders are closely watching the dramatic events unfolding in Syria, where opposition forces launched a surprise offensive on Wednesday, leading to the fall of Aleppo and Hama.

Kurdish forces also began to mobilize over the weekend to defend sections of Aleppo where Kurds are the majority population following the sudden conquest of the city Friday evening by the forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, formerly the Jabhat al-Nusra Islamist group linked to Al Qaeda.

“We are constantly following the developments in Syria. We are determined both to protect the vital interests of the State of Israel, and to preserve the achievements of the war,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a brief statement last week.

Israeli security and defense officials meanwhile are watching the situation closely, while preparing for the possibility that important strategic assets could fall into the hands of Islamist rebel forces.

Source:
Israel Watching Syria Closely as Kurdish Militia Mobilizes, by Hana Levi Julian/Jewish Press, December 1, 2024