Author: AFSI Staff

Illegal water pipeline infrastructure bearing the logo of the UN Humanitarian Fund has been running through the heart of a protected nature reserve in the Judean Desert in violation of Israeli-Palestinian peace agreements as reported by The Press Service (TPS) of Israel.

“The UN is advancing the establishment of a Palestinian state at any cost, disregarding laws and agreements, and funding illegal construction—even in areas where the Palestinians explicitly agreed not to build,” legal expert Maurice Hirsch told TPS. “This is a glaring example of negligence by Israel in the face of blatant violations,” added Hirsch.

The area, known as the Judean Desert Nature Reserve, was originally designated as Area B, meaning it came under Palestinian Authority administrative jurisdiction and Israeli security responsibility. However, the 41,000-acre reserve, was enshrined as a “no-build” zone under the 1998 Wye River Memorandum.

But recent findings highlight systematic violations, apparently financed through international funding.

“We’re looking at a UN-funded water pipeline project allegedly aimed at assisting marginalized communities, yet it’s located inside a nature reserve—a zone that should be protected from such activities,” said Naomi Kahn of Regavim.

“There’s no need to negotiate with the UN about this illegal activity,” Hirsch told TPS-IL. “These infrastructures should be dismantled immediately. Their actions—falsely claiming these funds are for communities far from the reserve—are blatantly dishonest.”

Source:
UN Accused of Funding Illegal Construction in Israeli Nature Reserve, by Sveta Listratov/TPS, January 6, 2025

UNRWA, the UN agency for the descendants of Palestinian Arab refugees, is preparing to cease its operations in Gaza, Judea, and Samaria, UN officials told the New York Times.

About two months ago, then-Foreign Minister Israel Katz officially announced the cancellation of the 1967 agreement between Israel and UNRWA. This agreement formed the legal basis for relations between the State of Israel and UNRWA. The announcement came after the Knesset passed a law a week earlier that would terminate UNRWA operations in Israel and areas controlled by Israel by a historic majority of 92 MKs.

Source:
Report: UNRWA preparing to cease operations in Gaza, Judea, and Samaria, by Israel National News, January 3, 2024

In recent years, near the archaeological site of the ‘Hasmonean Palaces’ in Area C on state-owned lands, major land invasions have taken place, with the establishment of permanent structures such as villas and a luxurious resort complex. The archaeological site, located in the western Jericho Valley near Nachal Prat (Wadi Qelt), dates back to the Second Temple period and is of unparalleled historical and scientific significance.

At the site now stands an illegal Palestinian holiday resort – complete with an events compound, a swimming pool, and high-end guest rooms. The site has popular accounts on social media platforms – Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, where it invites guests to book events or vacations.

Moshe Shmueli, Regavim’s field coordinator, added: “As we celebrate Hanukkah, this might be the last opportunity to remind ourselves and the world of the grave threat of extinction facing the Hasmonean Palaces, just before ancient history is erased forever. Live on TikTok videos, unashamedly, our unprotected, abandoned national assets – both land and cultural treasures – are being wiped out. The Palestinian takeover is a ruthless, systematic plan that is being marketed as a dream vacation. We must not abandon this strategic area that guards the eastern front of the state.

Source:
Illegally Constructed Palestinian Resort Endangers Hasmonean Palaces, by Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz/Israel365News, January 2, 2025

Israeli security forces conducted a raid on a Jewish farm in the Binyamin region where they evacuated the residents, confiscated equipment, and demolished structures.

According to the residents, the forces arrived at the farm through the village of Burqa, passing near illegally constructed Palestinian structures in Area C.

The demolition occurred just hours after residents of Burqa were recorded attacking a Jewish shepherd, injuring him, only a kilometer away from the now-demolished farm. The attack took place near an illegal Bedouin encampment, which, according to local residents, has been involved in similar incidents in the past.

Local residents sharply criticized security forces following the events. “It is unacceptable that after the attack on a Jewish shepherd, security forces ignore the illegal construction around us, choosing instead to demolish a nearby Jewish farm,” they said. “This action encourages Arab terrorism and endangers the security of the residents.”

Again, we say, sovereignty MUST be asserted over all of Judea and Samaria, of course including but not limited to Area C.

Source:
Farm demolished hours after shepherd was attacked, by Israel National News, January 2, 2025

Last week, the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court held an in-depth discussion – two years after the event – on the seriousness of the offense committed by Temple Mount activist Tom Nisani on Hanukkah 5783 (Dec. 2022). The police indicted Nisani on “entering the checkpoint with sufganiyot,” and “after being asked to get rid of them, staying and arguing with the police. Later, he tried to pass through with stickers and a sign that were forbidden to bring into the Temple Mount.”

During the court hearing last year on December 23, 2022, following the arrest of Tom Nisani, police representative Anan Zaida claimed that “there is a rule prohibiting the bringing of doughnuts into the Temple Mount in order to prevent provocations.”

As a reminder, Beyadenu clearly pointed out that while police were bravely fighting illegal sufganiyot, a huge Hamas banner praising terrorists was unfurled on the Temple Mount. Just a deliberate slap in the face from a court that should be meting out equal justice!!

Source:
Jerusalem Court Tries Activist for Smuggling Contraband Sufganiyot into Temple Mount, by David Israel/Jewish Press, December 31, 2024

On Sunday, Elizabeth Dwoskin reported in the Washington Post, citing two people familiar with the operation, that the use of AI to rapidly refill IDF’s target bank allowed Israel to continue its campaign uninterrupted.

In a June 30, 2023 interview with Ynet, retiring IDF chief of staff Aviv Kochavi revealed that “Among all the technological revolutions, artificial intelligence (AI) is likely to be the most radical, for better or worse. The IDF recognized this field years ago and harnessed it to enhance combat effectiveness.”

Kochavi continued: “One example of this is the Targeting Directorate established three years ago. It is a unit comprising hundreds of officers and soldiers, powered by AI capabilities. It is a machine that processes vast amounts of data faster and more effectively than any human, translating them into actionable targets.”

Following the devastating Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, the IDF launched extensive airstrikes on Gaza, utilizing a meticulously compiled database containing information on home addresses, tunnels, and other infrastructure deemed critical to the terrorist group.

However, as the initial target database began to dwindle, the IDF relied on the advanced artificial intelligence system that had been described by Kochavi which enabled the rapid generation of hundreds of additional targets, helping sustain the war’s relentless pace.

This highlights how a decade-long initiative to integrate advanced AI tools into the core of the Israel Defense Forces’ intelligence operations has played a key role in sustaining the effectiveness of Israel’s 14-month war in Gaza.

Fans and critics of AI will continue to exchange the pros and cons of this machine exhibited intelligence. Let’s think about the potential positive possibilities. What if AI could be used to predict the exact time and place where intentional harmful targeting of Israel’s defense forces and civilians will take place? If AI could help prevent the loss of life it would be the greatest warfare innovation of all time. It may not be that far off.

Source:
Report: IDF Using AI to Target the Enemy in Gaza, by David Israel/Jewish Press, December 30, 2024

Senior IDF officials do not trust the veracity of messages emanating from the new bosses in Damascus, led by the tall, bearded Ahmad al-Shara Abu, who has taken the name Muhammad al-Julani, and is formerly an operative of al-Qaeda.

In a confidential meeting held this week at the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, two high-ranking Military Intelligence Service officers said that as far as they were concerned, al-Julani’s goodwill offensive was a show, and sooner or later the new regime would turn against Israel.

“Our working assumption is that his attitude towards Israel is that of an enemy and that ultimately the rebel regime will be hostile toward us,” the intelligence officers told the committee. Committee MKs told the officers that “Israel cannot accept a Nazi regime on its border that would lead to red alerts in Katzrin (Known as the Capital of the Golan – DI).”

Source:
Intelligence Officials Tell Closed Knesset Committee New Syrian Regime Will Turn on Israel, by David Israel/Jewish Press, December 27, 2024

The Yesha Council held a meeting last week in Ariel with the participation of the heads of the authorities in Judea and Samaria.

At the center of the discussion was a firm statement: The heads of the authorities will not allow the establishment of a Palestinian state, which would constitute a security and strategic danger to the State of Israel.

The head of the Binyamin Regional Council and the chairman of the Yesha Council, Yisrael Gantz, stated their position in a statement at the end of the meeting: “We gathered today to emphasize our position – we will not allow the establishment of a Palestinian state.” Gantz said.

The Sovereignty Movement’s co-founder Nadia Matar praised the initiative but said, “You cannot only say no. They must say what they offer as an alternative. The best way to say ‘no’ to a Palestinian state is the application of Israeli sovereignty. As long as there’s no sovereignty, you are saying that those areas are not part of Israel.”

Matar reiterated that, “In order to protect the Western world, we need sovereignty over Judea and Samaria.”

Source:
Yesha Council Mayors: “We Will Not Allow the Establishment of a Palestinian State”, by Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz/Israel365News, December 27, 2024

A comprehensive report on environmental hazards in Judea and Samaria released on Wednesday paints a grim picture of severe air, water, and soil contamination. The report highlights the environmental, economic, and health consequences of ongoing neglect and abuse, primarily stemming from untreated waste and sewage in areas under Palestinian Authority jurisdiction.

The report, prepared by Green Now and Regavim estimates the annual economic damage to Judea and Samaria at 2.6 billion shekels ($710 million).

Voicing the frustrations of local residents, Israel Gantz, head of the Binyamin Regional Council, called for decisive government action. “Law is law, and quality of life is non-negotiable. Every Israeli citizen deserves it,” said Gantz.

Said Regavim director Meir Deutsch, “The Palestinian Authority is not part of the solution; it’s part of the problem. Environmental sovereignty must rest with Israel to ensure accountability and enforcement.”

This is environmental terrorism. The application of sovereignty throughout Judea and Samaria should put a stop to this form of terrorism against Israel.

Source:
‘Environmental terrorism’: Illegal Palestinian dumping turns Judea and Samaria into hazard zones, by Sveta Listratov/World Israel News, December 26, 2024

Hundreds of “Hill-Top Youth” with a history of administrative detention or prosecution for criminal damage, were always rejected by the IDF as unsafe to carry weapons. With the outbreak of this war, many of these adults faced awkward questions about why they were not serving alongside their brothers, and they were inspired to apply again. The application process is rigorous and involves careful screening, police checks, and psychological evaluations, but its existence reflects a willingness to rehabilitate people with a checkered past.

Yosef M. is proud to finally wear an IDF uniform at the age of 26. He is serving in a meaningful role in defending Israel’s borders after years of feeling rejected.

H/T to AFSI member Paul Fein for sharing this story.

Source:
Yosef & the Rehabilitation of Hill-Top Youth, by Sara Manning/Jewish Press, December 23, 2024