The Biden administration, weeks before leaving power, funneled more than $3 million in taxpayer cash to the Palestinian Authority Security Forces (PASF), according to a nonpublic notice transmitted to Congress that was reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon. Those funds allowed the PASF to conduct “firearms and ammunition” training—and came after its members carried out scores of attacks against Israelis.

That spending—both past and, potentially, future—is drawing concerns in both Israel and Washington, D.C., given PASF’s deep and longstanding ties to terrorism carried out against Israelis.

Source:
Biden Admin Quietly Funneled $3 Mil to Palestinian Government ‘Security Forces’ for Weapons Training—After Its Members Carried Out Attacks on Israelis, by Adam Kredo/Washington Free Beacon, February 3, 2025

Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir, the Defense Ministry director general, was tapped by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz on Saturday to become the next chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces.

A brief statement from the Prime Minister’s Office announced the nomination of Zamir. He is to take up the post on March 6, becoming the IDF’s 24th chief of staff, following the resignation of Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi.

Prominent Israeli American columnist and JNS senior contributing editor Caroline B. Glick is returning to the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem to serve as International Affairs Adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Glick, who worked with Netanyahu over a quarter century ago before becoming a widely read columnist, took up her new position on Sunday, almost three years after the first episode of her record-breaking “The Caroline Glick Show” premiered on JNS TV in 2022.

Maj. Gen. Zamir comes from the Armored Corps division and is no stranger to combat. He appears to be determined to have Israel eliminate Hamas from Gaza and to emerge victorious in all her battles. Caroline Glick has been a clear voice of peace through strength in the handling of Israel’s existential wars. Caroline will be accompanying Prime Minister Netanyahu on his visit to the Trump White House tomorrow (Tuesday).

With these two new appointments we have renewed optimism about the path Israel is on.

Sources:
Eyal Zamir named next IDF chief, set to take over from Herzi Halevi in March, by Emanuel Fabian/Times of Israel, February 1, 2025

JNS senior contributing editor Caroline Glick appointed as adviser to Netanyahu, by Etgar Lefkovits/JNS, February 2, 2025

A new survey has found that the majority of Israelis support formal annexation of Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley.

The survey, carried out to measure support of Jewish sovereignty over all or some of Judea and Samaria, examined the Israeli public’s views regarding sovereignty versus a Palestinian state, sovereignty versus the option of peace with Saudi Arabia, and more.

The resulting data showed that 71 percent of those polled oppose a Palestinian state in light of the Simchat Torah massacre events including twelve percent who supported such a state prior to October 7, 2023.

A total of 68 percent support applying sovereignty in Judea and Samaria (across all sovereignty options), the survey found.

Nadia Matar and Yehudit Katsover, co-chairs of the Sovereignty Movement said their organization was very pleased with the results of the poll. The two co-chairs said the results “reflect the health of the nation and the awakening from the illusion of peace through a Palestinian state. The Israeli public now understands that only sovereignty is the plan that will bring security and regional stability.”

Source:
71% of Israelis oppose Palestinian state; 68% support sovereignty in J&S: poll, by David Isaac/JNS, February 2, 2025

President Donald J. Trump insisted last Thursday that Egypt and Jordan would accept displaced Gazans, despite reports that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II both rejected his plan to relocate Gazans from the war-torn Strip. ”

They will do it,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about the Egyptian and Jordanian rejection, and whether he would consider imposing tariffs on either country to pressure them. “They’re going to do it. We do a lot for them, and they’re going to do it.”

Officials from Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia are in talks for an emergency meeting for all the Arab states to publicly oppose Trump’s proposal and exert pressure on him to reconsider his position, according to the Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the discussions.

President Donald Trump will be welcoming King Abdullah II of Jordan to the White House this week. Will Trump apply pressure on him to accept his plan to relocate Gazans? Will he get the Arab nations to agree to his proposal? Trump is the master deal maker. We continue to watch this one closely to see how it turns out.

Source:
Trump Escalates Move to Relocate Gazans to Egypt, Jordan: ‘They Will Do It’, by David Israel/Jewish Press, January 31, 2025

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Egyptian foreign minister Badr Abdelatty earlier this week. It was reported that “the Secretary of State reinforced the importance of close cooperation to advance the day after the war, in order to ensure that Hamas can no longer control Gaza or threaten Israel.”

Yesterday, President Donald J. Trump presented Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi with the idea of having Egypt and Jordan accepting Gazans into their territory.

“I would like to bring them to an area where they can live without interferences and revolutions … When you look at Gaza, you see that it’s been hell for so many years,” Trump said, adding, “So I think you can get people out of there, who will live in much safer and, maybe much better, and more comfortable areas.”

Secretary of State Rubio’s statement reaffirms the truth that must prevail and as Trump succinctly stated, el-Sisi is “living in a complicated part of the world.” Nothing is getting better in the Middle East and it’s time for out-of-the box thinking to solve the many ongoing problems. Terrorism is the number one issue in this region, and it would be quite the accomplishment to overcome initial objections and convince others in the region to work towards a common goal of allowing all non-terrorists to live in safety and peace. Stay tuned!

Source:
US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to Egypt, ‘Stop Hamas from governing Gaza again’, by Tziki Brandwine/Israel National News, January 29, 2025

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon officially informed the members of the UN Security Council Tuesday that “within 48 hours, the State of Israel will cease its cooperation with UNRWA. UNRWA must cease its activities and evacuate all its facilities in Jerusalem.”

Ambassador Danon elaborated, “The legislation prohibits UNRWA from operating within the sovereign territory of the State of Israel and prohibits any contact between Israeli authorities and UNRWA. In addition, the organization is prohibited from maintaining any representative office, service or activity in our territories. Israel will terminate any cooperation, communication or contact with UNRWA or anyone acting on its behalf.”

The Ambassador added, “This decision comes after years of good-faith efforts to compel you to act against Hamas’ infiltration of UNRWA. The decision also reflects a grim reality: that UNRWA has failed morally and professionally and harmed people who were supposed to receive necessary support.”

WATCH: Deputy Mayor Aryeh King celebrates the implementation of the new Israeli law barring UNRWA from operating in Jerusalem in light of the organization’s connections to Hamas, by Hezki Baruch/Israel National News

Source:
Danon tells UNSC: UNRWA has 48 hours to cease all operations in Jerusalem, by Gary Willig/Israel National News, January 28, 2025

Israel’s Ministerial Committee has approved legislation advanced by the Land of Israel Caucus and Knesset member Moshe Solomon that will repeal a pre-1967 Jordanian law banning the sale of land to Jews in the Land of Israel.

The bill, approved Sunday and signed by more than 40 Knesset members from across the political spectrum, will allow Israelis to purchase land directly from Palestinian Authority citizens in Judea and Samaria. Up to this point, Israelis could only purchase such land through companies registered with the Civil Administration, and only after receiving a transaction permit from the supervisory body.

Entitled “Elimination of the Discrimination in the Purchase of Real Estate in Judea and Samaria”, the bill was previously proposed by Religious Zionism chairman MK Bezalel Smotrich.

The pro-Israel Sovereignty Movement likewise offered its congratulations, praising the Land of Israel Caucus “who led to the cancellation of the racist Jordanian law that prevented the sale of land to Jews in Judea and Samaria.”

Sovereignty Movement leaders Yehudit Katsover and Nadia Matar said they see the amendment of the law as “a necessary and expected step, which constitutes an additional stage on the way to a national awakening that will be completed with the full application of Israeli sovereignty over the entire area.”

Source:
Israel to Repeal Old Jordanian Ban on Land Sales to Jews, by Hana Levin Julian/Jewish Press, January 26, 2025

President Donald Trump suggested last Thursday that he would prefer to address the crisis over Iran’s proximity to nuclear breakout time without Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. (Just in case he has authorized shipment of 2000 pound bombs that had been previously been denied to Israel.)

Trump was asked by reporters in the Oval Office if he would support Israeli strikes, and responded, “We’ll have to see. I’m gonna be meeting with various people over the next couple of days. Hopefully, that can be worked out without having to worry about it.”

“It would really be nice if that could be worked out without having to go that further step,” Trump said. “Hopefully that can be worked out. Iran hopefully will make a deal, and if they don’t make a deal, I guess that’s OK too.” Implying that an Israeli strike is still an option on the table.

President Trump surprised everyone during his first term with the initiative and success of the Abraham Accords. Will he be able to build upon that success in the case of Iran? We eagerly wait to see what out-of-the-box proposal President Trump presents to stop Iran, its proxies and its dangerous nuclear enrichment activities.

Source:
Trump: ‘It Would Be Nice’ to Solve Iran’s Threats without Israeli Attacks, by David Israel/Jewish Press, January 24, 2025

Earlier this month, Palestinian gunmen murdered three Israelis and wounded eight more in a shooting attack on a major road in Samaria near the Arab village of Funduq. Regavim revealed that the attack followed a wave of illegal Palestinian construction, suggesting a correlation between the land grab via construction and Palestinian terrorism targeting Jews.

Regavim reported on “the shocking scale” of unauthorized Palestinian building activities in the vicinity of Funduq village. Dozens of buildings have been erected in the region, which, according to the Oslo Accords, is categorized as Area C and is under complete Israeli civil and security jurisdiction.

“The total neglect of the Funduq area effectively places it under the de facto control of the Palestinian Authority, thus presenting a dual threat,” Regavim said in a statement. “This endangers road users who are vulnerable to attacks and poses a strategic risk to Israel by establishing territorial continuity and obstructing access to Israeli communities.”

We believe that Israel must move to reclaim all land in Judea and Samaria, in Area C as well as the rest of the ancestral homeland. Illegal construction should be stopped immediately. If Israel does not act as the Sovereign, this abomination will likely continue and does not bode well.

Source:
Regavim: Terrorist Attack Took Place Following Massive Illegal PA Construction, by Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz/Israel365News, January 24, 2025

Over the past day, IDF soldiers operated against threats posed to the soldiers in the Gaza Strip, despite the terms of the ceasefire that came into effect.

In the southern Gaza Strip, IDF troops operating in the area in accordance with the terms of the ceasefire agreement identified several armed suspects who posed a threat to the troops. The IDF troops in the area operated to thwart the threat and eliminate the Islamic Jihad terrorist Akram Atef Farhan Zanon.

Additionally, in several areas throughout the Gaza Strip, masked suspects were identified approaching IDF troops, who fired warning shots to distance them.

“The IDF is determined to fully maintain the terms of the agreement in order to return the hostages. The IDF is prepared for any scenario and will continue to take all necessary actions to thwart any immediate threat to IDF soldiers,” according to an IDF spokesperson.

On Thursday, a group of about 15 Arab rioters attacked Jewish shepherds near the town of Mitzpe Yair in the Mount Hebron area. On Wednesday, two Jewish youths were injured by Arabs as they shepherded their flocks near the town of Susya. During the attack, a group of about 15 Arabs attacked the Jews with rocks and clubs. Together with the Arab rioters was a group of extreme leftist activists.

The attacks today and yesterday are not in line with the latest ceasefire agreement nor are they ordinary criminal activity. They are continued acts of terrorism against the Jewish people and the State of Israel. Will Israel call an end to this “deal” due to these and other Hamas violations? Turning the other cheek cannot go on forever.

Sources:
IDF forces work to thwart ceasefire violations in Gaza, by Israel National News, January 22, 2025

Twice in 24 hours: Jewish shepherds attacked on Mt. Hebron, by Israel National News, January 23, 2025