Terrorists in Gaza fired rockets toward Israel for the third night in a row on Sunday and early Monday. The Iron Dome system intercepted two of the five projectiles.

Four people, including a pregnant woman, were lightly wounded after falling while running to bomb shelters early Monday, medics said.

A first projectile was detected by the Israel Defense Forces, which said it only set off red alert sires in an open area where it evidently fell. A second rocket landed inside Gaza near the security fence.

Palestinian terror groups said that the weekend’s rocket attacks were in response to ongoing unrest in Jerusalem. Arab residents have demonstrated for several days against Ramadan restrictions on congregating near Jerusalem’s Damascus Gate. This is how a ‘peace partner’ expresses their freedom of worship.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Saturday for the military to “prepare for any scenario” with Gaza. Defense Minister Benny Gantz similarly said that the Israel Defense Forces “will do what is necessary so the calm is preserved,” following security consultations at defense headquarters in Tel Aviv.

Also, after an emergency situational assessment meeting, Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi, decided to postpone his forthcoming trip to the United States. Kohavi was to be part of a team who will meet with US officials about the US’s dangerous intent to re-enter the Iran ‘deal’.

The threat that Israeli residents are under right now cannot be imagined unless one is in their shoes. AFSI received a first hand voice message yesterday from Dan Luria, executive director of Ateret Cohanim and spokesperson, who detailed the ongoing attacks, which began on Shabbat. He tells us that, “for 48 hours the ugly head of Arab hatred and the Ramadan riots was raised…with ‘convenient targets’ being Jewish families in the old Yemenite village of Shiloach. But we are resolute and no amount of Arab violence will drive us (the rightful heirs of this land) out of our homes.”

Sources:
Rockets fired from Gaza for 3rd night, 4 lightly hurt running for shelter, by TOI Staff. Times of Israel, April 25, 2021

Muslims Continue Nightly Riots in Jerusalem, by Aryeh Savir. Tazpit Press Service, April 25, 2021

Following rocket attack: IDF Chief of Staff postpones trip to USA, by Arutz Sheva Staff. Arutz Sheva, April 24, 2021

Israel Police and Border Police forces were brought in to evacuate the students from the rebuilt Homesh yeshiva in Samaria Monday morning. The yeshiva was part of the Homesh community which was one of the four Jewish communities of Samaria which were destroyed as part of the 2005 Disengagement.

The forces removed the yeshiva students and families from the buildings and demolished the building. Among the buildings demolished were the beit midrash, the students’ quarters and the houses of four families.

“It is very painful that precisely in these days, between Independence Day and Jerusalem Day, when we thank G-d for the great miracles he performed for us and the country he gave us, that very country chooses to cut off its hand and destroy a settlement in the Land of Israel,” said Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Elishema Cohen.

At the end of the destruction, the director of the yeshiva, Shmuel Wendy, said that “the evacuation and destruction will not weaken the yeshiva students and they will continue to cling to the Jewish hold in northern Samaria. It is very unfortunate that while the State of Israel is showing weakness in eastern Jerusalem, it is finding time to take a hard line against the pioneers of the hilltops, who are settling the country with devotion and guarding the territory which was abandoned for no reason.”

Source:
Homesh yeshiva destroyed again, by Arutz Sheva Staff. Arutz Sheva, April 24, 2021

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is no longer seeking a government that relies on the outside support of the Ra’am Party (United Arab List).

While Netanyahu no longer sees any chance of forming a government, he still intends to maintain his mandate to form a government, which ends on May 4, his associates said.

Instead, he would seek a direct election for prime minister, which will pass if Yamina supports it, Netanyahu said. “We don’t need Ra’am,” he said. “We need a direct election to form a government.”

When asked if he condemned the repeated attacks on Ra’am by Religious Zionist Party head Bezalel Smotrich, Netanyahu declined to comment, which angered Ra’am MKs.

Meanwhile, in a statement from Likud, “[Naftali] Bennett refuses to support the only solution to the political deadlock that does not involve destroying the Right: a quick vote to elect a prime minister that does not involve the dissolution of the Knesset and another round of elections.” According to Bennett, electing a prime minister without having a Knesset that supports him will not solve the crisis but will only give power to whomever is elected.

It is clear that there are many players in this political game. Eventually, we’ll see who is most skillful.

As Netanyahu continues to try to fulfill the mandate to form a government, we continue to hope for the “right” outcome.

Sources:
Netanyahu gives up on forming a government, by Gil Hoffman. Jerusalem Post, April 20, 2021

As gridlock continues, Likud slams Bennett for ‘galloping’ to Left, by Ariel Kahana and Yehuda Shlezinger. Israel Hayom, April 21, 2021

Israel is lobbying the United States to push for improved international oversight of Iran’s nuclear program, as Washington negotiates to reenter the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.

Jerusalem is pushing for International Atomic Energy Agency officials to have greater powers in inspecting the nuclear sites. The position was formulated after Israeli officials concluded there will not be significant changes to the treaty, but nonetheless sought to slightly improve the terms of the pact, the network said.

Mossad chief Yossi Cohen, National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat and IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi will all head to the US early next week to lobby on Jerusalem’s behalf.

Israel was said to have conceded that the deal will be renewed without addressing its concerns about Tehran’s ballistic missile program and support for terror groups.

AFSI is in complete opposition to Biden’s intent to return to the Iran “deal.” If the US does allow the “deal” to go through, we don’t see how the US can guarantee Israel’s safety against Iranian nuclear threats. In the end, only Israel can defend itself against all of these hostile enemies.

Sources:
Israel said resigned to restored Iran deal that won’t address missiles, terror, by TOI Staff. Times of Israel, April 21, 2021

Biden agrees to Iranian demands of sanction relief to advance nuclear deal talks: report, by Liz George. American Military News, April 22, 2021

Religious Zionist Party chief MK Bezalel Smotrich is calling on the Israeli government to rebuild one of the four Israeli towns evacuated in northern Samaria 16 years ago. He declared that the reestablishment of the town will be one of the party’s conditions for joining a new right-wing government.

Speaking at a special Independence Day event at Sa-Nur in northern Samaria last Thursday, Smotrich vowed to condition his support for a new Likud-led government on its agreement to rebuild Sa-Nur.“In this government’s coalition agreements there will be a clause requiring the Government of Israel to approve building permits and renewed funding for the establishment of the town of Sa-Nur. That will be the first act to rectify the crimes [done to northern Samaria] and to develop and build our beloved Land of Israel,” Smotrich said.

Smotrich’s newest condition certainly presents Netanyahu with a political challenge. This condition, of course, is in addition to his party’s refusal to sit in a government with the Islamist Ra’am party. He appears to be putting Netanyahu between the proverbial rock and hard place.

We hope that building up the Land throughout Judea and Samaria will be a part of the next government’s agenda and certainly that re-building what was senselessly destroyed will be given top priority in any new government formed.

Sources:
Smotrich conditions support for gov’t on rebuilding of Sa-Nur, by Arutz Sheva Staff. Arutz Sheva, April 15, 2021

Why Smotrich could finish off Netanyahu – analysis, by Gil Hoffman. Jerusalem Post, April 18, 2021

After more than 20 years, preparatory land work is to be carried out to establish a permanent neighborhood in the small community of Ibei Hanahal, in southeastern Gush Etzion.

At the beginning of 1999, Ibei Nanahal was established with the support of the State with a nucleus of 10 pioneering Breslev Hassidic families. Over the years many more young families joined, mostly from the established communities of Western Gush Etzion. Today the community is home to around 50 families.

“We can now envision the tractors working in the field towards the construction of 96 units, which is a true Zionist endeavor to strengthen Judea and Samaria, here at the edge of the desert, as we expand our building and strengthen our presence in Gush Etzion,” said Gush Etzion Regional Council Head Shlomo Ne’eman.

Source:
New Neighborhood Under Construction At Last in Ibei Hanahal, Gush Etzion, by Hana Levi Julian. Jewish Press, April 19, 2021

The United Nations lacks the funds to annually update its database of companies doing business with Israeli entities in Judea and Samaria, including in eastern Jerusalem, the Golan Heights and in “West Bank settlements.” This report comes from the High Commissioner for Human Rights Michele Bachelet.

Her office published the database, dubbed the “blacklist,” in 2020 after a three-year delay. It identified 130 business entities, of which 112 were local Israeli companies and 18 were foreign-based companies, who were engaged in such activities.

“It is not possible for the [Human Rights] office to absorb, on an open-ended recurring basis into the future, the substantial resources that updating the database and reporting to the council would annually imply,” Bachelet said.

You can’t make this stuff up. AFSI just found this Jerusalem Post article from March 18. We’re not sure how we missed it last month but it’s worth noting. Money keeps evil going and may this evil blacklist be bankrupt forever.

Source:
UN lacks funds to update its settlement ‘black list’, by Tovah Lazaroff. Jerusalem Post, March 18, 2021

The traditional Independence Day flyover will pass today over dozens of locations around Israel. This year, for the first time, hundreds of thousands of Israelis living in Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley will be able to view it from close to home.

Fighter planes, cargo planes, helicopters, training planes, aerobatic planes, and others, will participate in the flyover.

Among the new locations are the Gush Etzion area, including an aerobatic show over the Gush Etzion Junction and Efrat; and observation points from Neve Daniel, Migdal Oz, Alon Shvut, Elazar, Modi’in Illit, and Beitar Illit. Observation points include Har Adar, Naaleh, Beit Horon, Har Hatayasim, Almog, Beka’ot, and others.

Yesha Council CEO Yigal Dilmoni said: “We were happy to see that the flyover passes over new locations in our area. This year, hundreds of thousands more residents in Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley will be able to watch the celebratory Air Force flyover and an aerobatic show pass above their heads.”

AFSI is beaming from this exciting development. Normally, our Spring Chizuk Mission trip would have been scheduled around this time and we would have been there to witness the flyover. While it saddens us that we’re not there this time…next time we will certainly add it to our itinerary!

Source:
In first, IAF flyover to include Judea, Samaria, and Jordan Valley, by Ido Ben Porat. Arutz Sheva, April 13, 2021

An aggressive Israeli building spree of over 9,000 homes during the Trump era pushed deeper into Judea and Samaria than ever before, according to an investigation. The trend puts the Biden administration in a tough bind if it follows through on pledges to revive peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians.

Satellite images and recent data show for the first time the full impact of the policies of then-President Donald Trump, who abandoned decades-long U.S. opposition to the ‘settlements’ and proposed a Mideast plan that would have allowed Israel to keep them all – even those deep inside Judea and Samaria.

Although the Trump plan has been scrapped, the lasting legacy of construction will make it even harder to create a viable Palestinian state alongside Israel. President Joe Biden’s administration has embraced the two-state solution – which is not the position that Americans For A Safe Israel supports.

The huge number of projects in the pipeline, along with massive development of Jewish community infrastructure, means Biden would need to stage an intervention with Israel to keep faint hopes for a two-state solution alive. While Biden has condemned building Jewish communities, U.S. officials have shown no appetite for such a clash as they confront more urgent problems at home.

There’s no turning back now on developing Judea and Samaria. Any plans Biden attempts only start in reverse. They were tried time and again over the decades and failed. Israel is interested in moving forward and has every legal right to do so.

Source:
Trump-era growth of settlement growth has only begun, by Associated Press. YNetnews, April 14, 2021

Unnamed senior officials from the Likud party told Kan news on Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has given up on the possibility of persuading the Religious Zionism party to join a coalition supported in any way by the Islamist Ra’am party.

According to the report, Netanyahu is now convinced that party chairman Bezalel Smotrich has no intention of changing his mind and agreeing to join a government that would have even the outside backing of Ra’am. The prime minister will instead turn his attention to persuading New Hope’s Gideon Sa’ar to join his government.

A central plank of Sa’ar’s electoral campaign was the formation of a right-wing government, but not under Netanyahu. Sa’ar has repeatedly vowed since the election that he will not join Netanyahu.

To reach a majority, Netanyahu needs the active support or outside backing of the right-wing Yamina, Religious Zionism, and at least two additional MKs. At this point it feels like the parties involved are going through the motions with no end in sight.

Source:
Report: Netanyahu gives up hope of Smotrich joining a Ra’am-backed coalition, by TOI Staff. Times of Israel, April 12, 2021