Author: AFSI Staff

A ceasefire agreement between Israel, Lebanon, and Hezbollah appears imminent, with negotiations reportedly nearing resolution and Israeli officials already gearing up for a political battle to sell it to the public on Monday.

The emerging agreement is believed to include a ceasefire, Hezbollah’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon followed by the departure of Israeli troops from Lebanese territory.

“The test of any arrangement will be one – not in words or formulations, but in enforcement,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar tweeted. “Enforcement in two main points: 1. Preventing Hezbollah from descending south from the Litani. 2. Preventing Hezbollah from rebuilding its power and rearming in all of Lebanon.”

Cracks in the governing coalition emerged as National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir came out against a ceasefire. “The agreement with Lebanon is a big mistake. A historic missed opportunity to eradicate Hezbollah. I understand all the constraints and reasons, and it is still a grave mistake,” Ben-Gvir said.

Even as Hezbollah appears severely beaten, Israel is not relieved from ongoing self defense in the north. Israel must have freedom of military action to prevent Hezbollah from being able to rearm itself and to keep Southern Lebanon Hezbollah free. Defense is well and good, but we see no reason why Israel’s goal should not be VICTORY. Israel’s citizens need to be able to safely return to their homes. These ceasefire agreements need to be enforced. Who could be trusted to make sure all provisions of the agreement are abided by? We believe that Israel can only trust itself.

Source:
As Hezbollah Ceasefire Emerges, So Does Israeli Public Opposition, by Pesach Benson/TPS, November 25, 2024

Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Friday morning that he has decided to stop the use of administrative arrest warrants against Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria.

Minister Katz said, “In a reality where the Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria are subject to serious Palestinian terrorist threats, with the support and backing of the Iranian axis of evil that is working to establish an eastern terrorist front against the State of Israel, and where unjustified international sanctions are being taken against settlers and organizations in the settlements – it is not appropriate for the State of Israel to take such a severe step against settlers.”

MK Zvi Sukkot said in response, “I congratulate the incoming Defense Minister Israel Katz on a decision of unparalleled justice. The settlers in Judea and Samaria are not second-class citizens and practices intended for war against the enemy should be used exclusively for war against the enemy!”

Source:
Defense Minister Katz ends use of administrative detention against Jewish settlers, by Israel National News, November 22, 2024

A Kan News expose’ revealed new details about activist Daniella Weiss’s visit to the Gaza Strip without the knowledge of the IDF Chief of Staff or the commanding officer of the Southern Command.

Last Wednesday afternoon, Weiss, the head of the Nahala organization and one of the leaders of Gush Emunim, entered the Gaza Strip with the help of members of the military despite the area being a closed military zone which civilians are not allowed to enter.

According to the details that were revealed, Weiss and her people toured the Gaza border to scout out locations where the pioneers could enter when the time came. To inspect locations that they would designate as “points of settlement” in the Gaza Strip, the group walked along the border, and at one point, managed to cross it and enter a little bit into Gazan territory.

There is only one word to describe what Daniella Weiss did and that’s BRAVE!

Source:
With soldiers’ help: How settlement movement leader Daniella Weiss entered the Gaza Strip, by Israel National News, November 21, 2024

Leaders from Judea and Samaria are preparing for President-elect Donald Trump’s entry into the White House. While the heads of the communities gathered to formulate an action plan for the president-elect’s new term in office, the head of the Shomron Regional Council, Yossi Dagan, left for a visit to the United States that included meetings with senior Republicans and members of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington. The meetings were, of course, mainly concerned with the hope of applying Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.

“We presented the members of Congress with our request and demand that the U.S. government either support or not oppose and thwart sovereignty over the Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria. We have partners here who have promised to be involved in this matter,” Dagan said. “Even if the U.S. administration cannot say that it is in favor of it, and even has to say that it is opposed, it will not fight the way the Biden administration would have fought.”

He also called on the prime minister and government ministers to act. “The ball is in your court. You can apply sovereignty immediately upon the entry of the Trump administration,” he said.

Source:
Republicans for settlements: New GOP lawmakers ready to make West Bank official part of Israel, by Elisha ben Kimon/Ynetnews, November 19, 2024

There has been an impressive surge in the number of Jews ascending to Judaism’s holiest site. The Temple Mount Administration estimated that 51,000 Jews had ascended in the past year. Beyadenu, a Temple Mount advocacy group, which includes Jews who entered the Temple Mount Compound as tourists, set that number at 56,000, a record number of Jews at the site.

Tom Nisani, CEO of Beyadenu, said, “Alongside the blessed increase and the ability for Jews to pray at the side of the mount, we are witnessing a dramatic rise in the number of removals and arrests. On one hand, Minister Ben Gvir claims he has improved the conditions, yet on the other hand, the police continue to harass Jews on the mount. To change this tendency, we call on the minister to demand that the police stop the policy of removals and delays and put an end to the discrimination between Jews and Arabs on the Temple Mount.”

Source:
As More Jews Ascend to Temple Mount, Police Increase Removals and Arrests, by Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz/Israel 365News

The government of Lebanon has accepted the United States proposal for a ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah terrorist group, according to a report Sunday, while Hezbollah has sent its official response to the peace plan.

Late Sunday night, Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International (LBCI) reported that Beirut has accepted, with some caveats, the framework for a truce submitted by the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon, and that the Iranian-backed Lebanese terror group Hezbollah has already penned a response, which is being forwarded to the United States.

The report stated that while Lebanon has accepted the general outline of the ceasefire proposal, Beirut has asked for clarifications regarding some provisions and is pushing for alterations to others.

Hezbollah would be required to demilitarize – not only south of the Litani River, near the Israeli frontier, but also north of it. This provision, the report said, is considered non-negotiable by the U.S., due in part to Israeli insistence on the disarming of the Iran-backed proxy group.

In addition, the draft submitted to Lebanon calls for the establishment of a supervisory committee to oversee the implementation of the ceasefire, to ensure adherence to the deal and monitory violations, and to ensure the fulfillment of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.

Amir Tsarfati on Telegram posted: A report in the New York Times: Iran’s leader Khamenei sent a message to Hezbollah at the end of the week through his advisor Ali Larijani that Tehran calls for agreeing to a ceasefire based on resolution 1701 and a withdrawal beyond the Litany, and will continue to support Hezbollah and help it recover from the severe blows it has suffered.

For this proposal to stick, Hezbollah must demilitarize and meaningful enforcement (not through the UN) must be in place so that Hezbollah does not reestablish itself or rebuild its military capabilities. Israel is too close to victory to accept anything less.

Source:
Report: Lebanon accepts US ceasefire deal disarming Hezbollah, by David Rosenberg/World Israel News

Israel’s strike on Iran last month destroyed an active nuclear weapons and research facility in Parchin, Axios reported, quoting three US officials, one current Israeli official, and one former Israeli official.

The site was previously reported to be inactive, Axios added. However, it is now clear that the strike “significantly damaged” Iran’s efforts to resume nuclear weapons research.

According to US and Israeli officials, the Taleghan 2 building was being used for nuclear research that could also be presented as important for civilian purposes.

Just to be clear, Iran never reported this site as part of its nuclear program so that means Israel technically kept its word to the Biden administration and didn’t attack any Iranian nuclear site. We cannot fathom that Israel did not have knowledge of the Taleghan 2 site to begin with. The strike against it proves that Israel has had significant knowledge of the inner structure of the Iranian system even though this site was kept top secret among a select few in the Iranian government. Bravo!

Source:
Israel destroyed top-secret nuclear research facility at Parchin, by Israel National News, November 15, 2024

MK Benny Gantz slammed Deputy Prime Minister Yair Levin in an X/Twitter post on Saturday evening after Levin made an earlier statement supporting the judicial reform movement.

According to Israeli media reports, Levin made a statement calling for the return of the judicial reform movement while condemning the firing of two flares at the prime minister’s residence in Caesarea on Saturday.

Levin stated, “The time has come to provide full support for the restoration of the judicial and law enforcement systems. It’s time for all coalition members, all factions, and all Knesset members to announce their unequivocal support for the moves I led that were stopped and any other move needed to change the situation. The time has come to give full backing to rehabilitate the justice system and law enforcement systems and to put an end to anarchy, rampage, insubordination, and attempts to harm the prime Minister.”

Of course, we differ with MK Ganz position that the judicial reforms did not lead to October 7 and we are certain that even once the war ends he will find another excuse to attack the judicial reforms process. MK Levin is on point with his steadfast commitment that judicial reforms need to return to where they left off before October 7. If not now, when?

Source:
Yariv Levin calls for judicial reform, Gantz: Reforms led to October 7, by Jerusalem Post Staff, November 17, 2024

Israelis expressed satisfaction and “relief” on Wednesday as US President-elect Donald Trump’s foreign policy team began taking shape.

Trump has nominated former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as US Ambassador to Israel, New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik as Ambassador to the United Nations, Florida Congressman Mike Waltz as National Security Advisor, and Fox News host Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense. Florida Senator Marco Rubio has been nominated for Secretary of State.

“These appointments sound like a lot of good news, and this is a huge relief,” Elena, a 43-year-old financial manager in Tel Aviv, told The Press Service of Israel.

Sderot carpenter Shmuel Mimoun told TPS-IL, “We are very, very glad that Trump has been elected, and we hope very much that this will change the picture of victory in Gaza and the picture of victory in Lebanon, and the Jewish people will live in pride and freedom in the Promised land.”

All of President Trump’s selections are well-known strong friends of Israel. The posts they have been nominated for are extremely important in order to continue to build and maintain a strong US-Israel alliance and a sovereign and safe Israel. We look forward to their congressional approval and ultimate tenure in the forthcoming new administration.

Source:
‘A Huge Relief’: Israelis React as Trump’s Foreign Policy Team Takes Shape, by Pesach Benson/TPS, November 13, 2024

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who heads the National Religious Party, stated at a press conference that he hopes the incoming Trump administration will recognize Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria in 2025 and put an end to U.S. demands for a Palestinian state.

“The year 2025 will be, with God’s help, the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria,” Smotrich said. “I instructed the Settlement Administration at the Security Ministry and the Civil Administration to begin professional and comprehensive staff work and prepare in practice the necessary infrastructure for the application of sovereignty.”

Smotrich expressed his belief that Trump can lead the way to a truly new Middle East.

“Following this past year, we are the strongest in the Middle East,” Smotrich said. “We will apply sovereignty together with our American friends. We’ll extend the agreements and alliances with neighboring countries, and we’ll create a true new Middle East.”

We could not be more eager to see his vision become a reality. Setting in motion facts on the ground to further this vision is certainly strengthening the call for Sovereignty and we applaud his foresight!

Source:
Will Trump recognize Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria in 2025?, by Steve Leibowitz/ILTV via Ynetnews