Author: AFSI Staff

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich met with a group of industrialists in Ma’ale Adumim against the backdrop of plans by Britain and other countries to impose sanctions on Israeli goods and products.

During the meeting, the minister revealed that the government is working on a package of forceful economic and diplomatic measures in response to countries that take such steps, alongside comprehensive financial support for Israel’s domestic business sector.

At the beginning of his remarks, Smotrich addressed the planned international measures and said, “This idea that it will be possible to force us to commit suicide and establish a terrorist state here, in the very heart of the Land of Israel, through criminalization – whether because I have an arrest warrant in The Hague and sanctions against me, or through economic sanctions – is unacceptable.”

In addition, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said on Tuesday that there would be consequences for London should the United Kingdom implement measures targeting Judea and Samaria it has said it is considering.

Asked during an appearance on Ynet’s 120 and One podcast, Sa’ar was asked about Tuesday’s announcement by British Foreign Minister Ed Miliband that the United Kingdom was preparing to join Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Ireland in introducing measures targeting Israeli products from Judea and Samaria.

“We are preparing. I hope they won’t make that mistake,” said Sa’ar. “If they do, there will be a reaction. Gone are the days that one can act against Israel without it responding,” he continued. A British ban on products from Judea and Samaria at this time would be considered election interference, he said.

AFSI Insight
AFSI applauds Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar for making clear that Israel will no longer passively accept European efforts to pressure it over Judea and Samaria. Boycotts, sanctions, and attempts to delegitimize Jewish communities must be met with a firm and meaningful response. Judea and Samaria are not bargaining chips, and foreign governments should not be permitted to dictate Israeli policy or undermine Israel’s rights in its historic homeland. This marks an important shift toward deterrence, resolve, and action—not surrender.

Sources:
‘Done being passive’ | Smotrich’s response to European boycott, by Hezki Baruch/Israel National News, September 3, 2026

Israel vows ‘response’ to Judea and Samaria measures weighed by UK, by JNS, September 2, 2026

A herd of goats at a Jewish farm in the Binyamin region of southern Samaria appears to have been targeted in a poisoning attack last week, after two goats began showing signs of distress and the farm owners discovered pieces of pita laced with a suspected toxic substance scattered across their grazing area.

The farm’s owner, Evyatar Karo, told JNS that two of the goats began foaming at the mouth after eating the suspected poisoned bait. The farmers were able to intervene and remove the herd before more of the animals could consume the tainted bread.

The goats showing symptoms were saved, which Karo called “a miracle.”

According to Karo, this was not an isolated case. He said it was the fourth such incident involving his herd of 100 goats, with several having previously died from poisoning.

AFSI Insight
The suspected poisoning of goats at a Jewish farm in Binyamin is more than an attack on livestock—it is an attempt to intimidate Jewish farmers and drive them from their land. AFSI condemns this escalating campaign of harassment and violence and calls on Israeli authorities to protect Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria and hold those responsible accountable. Jewish farmers should not be forced from their homes and livelihoods by Palestinian Arab intimidation.

Source:
Suspected Palestinian poisoning of goats at Jewish farm in Binyamin raises broader concerns, by Josh Hasten/JNS, August 31, 2026

A wide-scale enforcement operation was conducted over the past two days in Judea and Samaria against illegal construction sites classified as security and environmental threats.

On Sunday, Efraim District Coordination and Liaison (DCL) forces raided the village of Shuweika, north of Tulkarm, accompanied by the Supervision Unit and under the protection of regional brigade soldiers,

The operation focused on demolishing unauthorized construction elements that were erected adjacent to the security fence near the Israeli communities of Bahan and Bat Hefer. The defense establishment noted that the construction was conducted in Area C in total violation of an existing construction prohibition order, creating an immediate safety and security hazard in the area.

AFSI Insight
AFSI welcomes Israel’s decisive enforcement against illegal Arab construction in Judea and Samaria. These structures, particularly those erected near the security fence and sensitive archaeological sites, are not merely planning violations—they can pose real security threats and damage Israel’s historic heritage. Law enforcement must be applied consistently, and Israel should continue dismantling illegal construction throughout Area C rather than allowing facts to be created through unlawful building.

Source:
Israel launches major crackdown on illegal construction in Judea and Samaria, by Israel National News, August 31, 2026

The Foreign Ministry last Thursday sharply criticized a joint statement by 15 countries and the European Union condemning Israel’s entry into a UNRWA training center in Kalandia and the seizure of the agency’s facilities in eastern Jerusalem two days earlier.

The countries called on Israel to “honor its commitments” and immediately stop what they described as interference with UNRWA’s operations.

The statement, signed by the UK, France, Germany, Canada, Italy, Spain, Japan, and other countries, reaffirmed their support for UNRWA and argued that Israel’s entry into the facilities was illegal. They said UN facilities are protected under international law and called on Israel to allow UNRWA to carry out its work without obstruction.

In response, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said: “Your facts are wrong. You support an organization that is a breeding ground for terrorism, and you prefer to attack Israel with baseless accusations instead of acting for the benefit of Arab children in Kafr Akab. This is a disgrace.”

AFSI Insight
Israel is right to reject the international community’s defense of UNRWA. The evidence of UNRWA personnel and facilities being exploited by Hamas makes continued support for the agency unacceptable. Rather than condemning Israel for enforcing its laws and protecting its citizens, these 15 countries and the EU should demand accountability from UNRWA and support Israel’s efforts to replace an organization that has become intertwined with terrorism.

Source:
Israel hits back at 15 countries, EU over criticism of UNRWA compound seizure, by Idan Kweller/Jerusalem Post, August 28, 2026

Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon criticized United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher for not retracting accusations that Israel deliberately starved Palestinians in Gaza after newer assessments showed lower rates of acute malnutrition among young children.

In May 2025, Fletcher accused Israel of deliberately and systematically imposing forced starvation on Gaza’s population.

As head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Fletcher said Israel’s obstruction of aid trucks had produced a man-made famine in the Gaza Strip.

More recent UNICEF surveys and related assessments cited by Israeli officials and independent reports have indicated lower levels of acute malnutrition among young children.

Danon accused Fletcher of refusing to acknowledge evidence contradicting his previous statements.

“There is a troubling pattern here: you echo false claims about Israel, and when the facts prove otherwise, you refuse to retract them,” Danon wrote on X.

“From the false famine narrative to your outrageous ‘genocide’ remarks, the damage has already been done – you’ve fueled antisemitism and further eroded the UN’s credibility around the world.

AFSI Insight
The UN’s refusal to retract its discredited Gaza famine claims is another example of its persistent anti-Israel bias and unwillingness to acknowledge inconvenient facts. New UNICEF data showing dramatically lower levels of acute malnutrition undermine the sweeping starvation narrative previously promoted by UN officials. As AFSI has repeatedly emphasized, Israel should not be condemned based on politically driven claims that collapse when confronted with evidence. The UN owes Israel—and the public—an honest accounting and a retraction of false accusations.

Source:
Danon slams UN for refusing to retract Gaza famine claims, by Vered Weiss/World Israel Mews, August 28, 2026

In a video aimed at international audiences, Israeli public diplomacy advocate and Samaria resident Ezra Tubi challenges media reports about the village of Qusra, arguing that claims of a Jewish “siege” are false and part of a broader campaign to delegitimize Israel.

As international headlines continue to portray the events surrounding the Palestinian village of Qusra as another example of “settler violence” and a “siege” on Palestinian homes, Israeli spokesman, Samaria resident and longtime AFSI friend, Ezra Tubi is presenting a very different narrative.

Standing on a strategic hill overlooking the area, Tubi opens his English-language video with a direct challenge to the international media.

AFSI Insight
AFSI welcomes efforts to expose the misleading “Qusra siege” narrative, which has been amplified internationally to portray Israel and Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria as aggressors. The Qusra story illustrates how selective reporting and loaded terminology can distort a complex security situation while ignoring the strategic importance of the area and the threats faced by Israeli communities. AFSI believes the facts—not anti-Israel propaganda—must guide the discussion. Thank you for all you do @ezri_tubi !

Source:
Israeli spokesman: ‘The ‘Qusra siege’ is a propaganda campaign, not reality’, by Israel National News, August 30, 2026

As the Jewish High Holidays approach, Knesset Constitution Committee Chairman Simcha Rothman submitted an urgent request Wednesday to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, asking them to permit shofar blowing and Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount during Rosh Hashana.

In his letter, Rothman emphasized two issues he described as critically important for the upcoming holiday. “Blowing the shofar on Rosh Hashanah is one of the most central and important commandments of the holiday,” he wrote. “The inability to blow the shofar on the Temple Mount on this day constitutes a significant infringement on the public’s ability to fulfill this commandment at the site most sacred to it.”

Rothman also highlighted that opening the Temple Mount for Musaf (additional) prayers on the first day of Rosh Hashanah—which falls on Shabbat this year—would provide “a rare opportunity for the broader public to come and pray at the holy site on a major holiday.” He argued that restricting access on this day prevents many Jews from exercising their right to pray at the most important site for the Jewish people.

AFSI Insight
AFSI strongly supports opening the Temple Mount to Jewish prayer and shofar blowing on Rosh Hashanah. It is long overdue for Jews to be able to worship at Judaism’s holiest site—especially on one of the most sacred days of the Jewish calendar. There was never a legitimate reason to bar Jews from praying on the Temple Mount, and Israel should not allow outdated restrictions or pressure from others to dictate Jewish religious rights at Judaism’s most sacred and important holy site.

Source:
Call to Open Temple Mount for Rosh Hashanah, by Gila Isaacson/JFeed, August 26, 2026

Israel has issued a firm demand to the Board of Peace to take action to stop the launching of kites from the Gaza Strip within the next three days, in order to prevent a large-scale military escalation by the IDF in the area, Kan News reported.

The defense establishment assesses that the Hamas terrorist organization is behind the launching of the kites and is directing the launches carried out in recent days in an effort to test Israel’s response patterns and preparedness.

The warning follows the strong statements issued yesterday by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, who said: “Israel warns Hamas that if the launches toward Israel do not stop immediately, the IDF will act to intensify targeted strikes against those responsible for the launches and will evacuate the population from areas from which kites, drones, and balloons are launched.”

AFSI Insight
AFSI strongly supports Israel’s demand for an immediate end to Gaza’s kite terrorism. The renewed launches demonstrate that even seemingly primitive weapons can threaten Israeli communities and that Hamas and other terrorists must not be allowed to test Israel’s resolve under the guise of a ceasefire. Israel is right to demand action from the Board of Peace—and should respond forcefully if the launches continue.

Source:
Israel’s demand: Stop kite terrorism, by Israel National News, August 24, 2026

Israeli forces came across more evidence on Monday that Hamas is preparing for another “October 7” in Israel.

IDF soldiers and Shin Bet agents found and dismantled two Hamas weapons storage facilities – both concealed in Gaza mosques, in Shati and Deir al-Balah, according to a joint statement from the IDF and the Shin Bet.

Each contained dozens of Kalashnikov assault rifles, ammunition magazines and additional military equipment.

The IDF struck and destroyed both sites.

“This is another example of Hamas’ systematic exploitation of civilian infrastructure, including mosques, in violation of international law, to advance and execute terror attacks against IDF troops and Israeli civilians,” the IDF pointed out.

AFSI Insight
The discovery of Hamas weapons caches hidden in Gaza mosques underscores a central lesson of October 7: Hamas has no intention of abandoning its terrorist ambitions. By embedding military infrastructure within civilian and religious sites, Hamas deliberately endangers Gaza’s population while preparing to strike Israel again. AFSI believes Israel must retain the freedom and capability to dismantle Hamas completely and prevent Gaza from ever again becoming a launching pad for another October 7.

Source:
Hamas Preparing For Another October 7? Weapons Caches Hidden in Gaza Mosques, by Hana Levi Julian/The Jewish Edition, August 24, 2026

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sharply reprimanded Israeli Arab Ra’am party leader MK Mansour Abbas late Saturday night in response to his call to recognize a Palestinian State.

“As long as I am Prime Minister, no Palestinian state controlled by Iran will arise, not in Gaza, and not in Judea and Samaria. Period,” Netanyahu declared in a statement on the X social media platform.

“The price of a left-wing coalition with the Muslim Brotherhood has been exposed once again,” Netanyahu wrote.

Netanyahu’s fierce reply followed a statement earlier in the day by Abbas, whose Israeli Arab Ra’am party has been linked to the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist network, which spawned Hamas in Gaza.

AFSI Insight
AFSI strongly welcomes Netanyahu’s clear reaffirmation that there will be no Palestinian state west of the Jordan River. After October 7, the danger of creating another Iranian-backed terror entity on Israel’s doorstep should be beyond dispute. Mansour Abbas and Ra’am’s push to join the anti-Netanyahu “change bloc” while advocating Palestinian statehood demonstrates why Israel’s next government must stand firmly against another dangerous territorial concession. AFSI believes the lesson is clear: security requires Israeli sovereignty and control—not another Palestinian state.

Source:
Netanyahu Reaffirms ‘No Palestinian State’ as Ra’am Works To Oust Right, by Hana Levi Julian/The Jewish Edition, August 23, 2026