Author: AFSI Staff

At the initiative of Beyadenu and ‘Shofar in Zion,’ a letter was sent to members of the US Senate calling on them to promote a declaration in Congress to “recognize the eternal and inalienable right of the Jewish people to the Temple Mount. Official recognition on your part can ensure historical justice.”

The letter to the members of the Senate reads: “Today, while the sovereign State of Israel guarantees access to holy sites for all religions, the Jewish people are denied full and free access to their holiest site due to heavy international pressure. Official recognition by the world’s leading country and Israel’s great friend – the United States – could ensure historical justice.

Tom Nissani, CEO of Beyadenu, one of the initiators of the letter, said, “This important letter calls for the adoption of an important and natural call that will come from our friend overseas that recognizes and confirms the exclusive right of the people of Israel to their holiest place, the Temple Mount. I am happy and grateful to the members of Knesset and ministers who joined this important call and believe that it will make waves overseas as well. The American administration supports full Israeli sovereignty over the Temple Mount.”

Source:
Coalition MKs to US Senate: “Recognize the right of the Jewish people to the Temple Mount”, by Staff Writer/Israel365News, March 12, 2025

Israel has developed plans for a series of escalating measures to increase pressure on Hamas, following the breakdown of talks to extend a seven-week cease-fire, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. These steps could lead to a resumption of hostilities in the ongoing 16-month war in Gaza.

The actions began more than a week ago, with Israel blocking the entry of goods and supplies into Gaza. Further measures under consideration include cutting off electricity and water, according to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who mentioned that the plans were discussed in a cabinet meeting. On Sunday, Energy and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen confirmed, “I have signed an order immediately cut off electricity to the Gaza Strip. Enough talk, it’s time for action!”

If these measures fail, Israel may escalate by launching airstrikes and tactical raids on Hamas targets, the WSJ reported, citing an Israeli security analyst familiar with the plans. This next phase could involve displacing the hundreds of thousands of Gaza residents who have returned to northern Gaza during the ceasefire.

Eventually, Israel could re-invade Gaza with significantly greater military force than it has used in the conflict so far. The goal would be to secure and hold territory, while systematically dismantling the remnants of Hamas.

The next phase of this war could also be Israel’s most difficult as it seeks real deadlines to bring ALL the hostages home and not lose more men and women fighting on the front lines. Israel remains firm on its position that it will not support any hostage deal that brings an end to the war before Hamas has been fully dismantled and the Gaza Strip demilitarized.

Sources:
WSJ: Israel Ready to Launch Phase 2 of the War in Gaza, by David Israel/Jewish Press, March 9, 2025

Israel cuts off electricity supply to Gaza, by Ariel Kahana/Israel Hayom, March 9, 2025

The Trump administration is cutting off $400 million in federal funding to Columbia University, claiming it has failed to take steps to confront anti-Semitism on campus after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

Leo Terrell, the head of the DOJ’s anti-Semitism task force, said the funding cuts are “only the beginning.”

“Universities must comply with all federal anti-discrimination laws if they are going to receive federal funding,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement. “For too long, Columbia has abandoned that obligation to Jewish students studying on its campus.”

Over the weekend, Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Mahmoud Khalil, who graduated from Columbia in December. Khalil is a Palestinian activist who has been one of the leading figures in instigating anti-Israel student takeovers of the Columbia University campus. An ICE agent reportedly told Khalil’s lawyer the agency was enforcing a State Department edict to revoke Khalil’s student visa as well as his green card, pursuant to President Trump’s recent pledge to deport foreign student “agitators” responsible for fomenting campus unrest.

What a difference an administration makes. Eradicating anti-Semitism on campus is an enormous undertaking, especially since the root cause of so much of these anti-Israel/anti-Jewish protests are being funded by a revolving door of the detractors of Israel like Qatar and Hamas front groups, just to name a few. The agitators have also been allowed to freely take over campuses with no oversight by college administrations.

Under President Trump’s administration, cutting off funding to Columbia University is a good start and sends a very strong message: ZERO TOLERANCE for hatred and incitement with intent to harm Jewish students or Israel. Academic staff and leadership have an obligation to protect its student body but have failed miserably in the name of what they define as free speech. They also have a responsibility to teach students right from wrong when it comes to drawing a line between free speech and hate-filled intent. If they cannot do so, then we have no doubt that President Trump’s decisive actions now and, in the weeks, and months to come will set a new standard of learning for both students and administrators to be held accountable by.

Sources:
ICE arrests Palestinian leader of Columbia’s anti-Israel protests, revoking student visa and green card: lawyer, by Chris Nest, New York Post, March 9, 2025

EXCLUSIVE: Trump Administration Cancels $400 Million in Grants to Columbia, by Maya Sulkin and Gabe Kaminsky/The Free Press, March 7, 2025

The draft of the UN’s annual report on children in conflict zones, expected to be published in June 2025, continues to demonstrate imbalance and an anti-Israel tone. The report, for example, ignores the youngest Israeli victims of the war — failing to mention the names of Kfir and Ariel Bibas, who were murdered in captivity in Gaza and whose bodies were returned in the last hostage deal. Additionally, the 12 children killed by a Hezbollah rocket in Majdal Shams are not mentioned at all.

The report inflates figures, includes unverified information, and blurs the responsibility of terror organizations for causing harm to children. The draft was shared with Israel for its comments, but Jerusalem was shocked by the UN’s insensitivity and hypocrisy and decided not to cooperate with the report. Among other accusations, the report blames the IDF for using exactly 27 Palestinian children as “human shields,” yet it only vaguely mentions Hamas’ systematic use of civilians as human shields, without verifying specific cases.

June 2025, when the report is scheduled for release, is almost three months away. That’s more than enough time to revise the report with missing information and verified facts. We suggest the UN do the right thing and revise the report immediately.

Source:
The murder of the Bibas brothers is not mentioned in UN report on children in conflict zones, but a ‘kidnapped Palestinian girl’ is, by Itamar Eicher/Ynetnews, March 6, 2025

President Donald J. Trump delivered a strong message to Hamas in a Truth Social post on Wednesday, demanding the immediate release of all hostages.

Hamas is still holding 59 hostages; however, Israel estimates that only 22 remain alive. Among them, five are believed to be American citizens, including 21-year-old Edan Alexander, a soldier taken hostage on Oct.7th.

“‘Shalom Hamas’ means both Hello and Goodbye—you decide,” Trump wrote, adding, “Release all hostages now, not later, and return the bodies of those you murdered immediately, or it’s OVER for you.”

“Only sick and twisted people hold onto bodies—and you are sick and twisted!” Trump added. I am sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job, not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don’t do as I say,” Trump wrote.

“This is your last warning! For the leadership, now is the time to leave Gaza, while you still have a chance,” he wrote, and counseled the terror group in a paragraph heavily sprinkled with caps: “Make a SMART decision. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW, OR THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY LATER!”

Trump’s fiery message came in response to growing pressure from international aid and human rights organizations, which called on Israel to allow unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza. This followed Israel’s decision to halt all aid deliveries to the enclave in an effort to pressure Hamas into accepting new terms for a ceasefire extension. Israel, for its part, indicated it was considering cutting off electricity to Gaza as part of its strategy.

An ultimatum like this has never been delivered to Hamas before but deliver it President Trump did in his inimitable style. It almost sounds as if Trump is now in charge of ending the war and securing the release of all the hostages. He has a way with words, and it’s always intended to rattle the cage of those he does business with to get the best deal possible (especially for his interests). As a master deal maker, he succeeds time and again in getting what he aims for. This could be his toughest negotiation yet. We eagerly await to see what happens next.

While Trump sounds off, we’re sure the IDF under its new Chief of Staff is readying itself for an all-out plan to eliminate Hamas should they not heed Trump’s stern warning.

Source:
Trump Issues ‘Last Warning’ to Hamas, by David Israel/Jewish Press, March 6, 2025

The Knesset on Tuesday night passed a law altering the process for appointing the Commissioner for the Review of Judges. Under the new law, approved by a vote of 56 in favor and 48 against, the Commissioner will be appointed by a committee led by the Justice Minister, with most committee members being politicians or coalition-backed appointees. This marks a shift from the old system, where the Committee for the Selection of Judges approved a candidate who was jointly nominated by the Justice Minister and the President of the Supreme Court.

The judicial review commissioner is legally authorized to investigate complaints regarding judges’ conduct while performing their duties, including in the handling of their cases. The commissioner’s authority applies to secular and rabbinical judges, as well as legal registrars.

MK Simcha Rothman, chairman of the Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee who spearheaded the new law, stated before the plenary vote that “for the past two years, it has been impossible to voice complaints about the judicial system.” He asserted that “judges have consistently resisted criticism.” Rothman urged opposition representatives “not to take part in the fight against oversight and to allow the public, through the judicial review commissioner, to fulfill its role in scrutinizing the judiciary.”

Source:
Knesset Passes Law Giving Government Control over Judicial Review, by David Israel/Jewish Press, March 4, 2025

US President Donald Trump warned Tuesday that any university or college that permits illegal protests such as those carried out by anti-Israel activists over the last year and a half will lose their federal funding.

“All Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

He added, “Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came. American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on the crime, arrested. NO MASKS! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

AFSI applauds President Trump for this urgently needed decision. For too long now it seems like virtually every college and university has failed to protect Jewish students while anti-Israel/anti-Jewish protests and threats have been allowed to run free on campuses. The fine line between freedom of speech and Israel/Jewish hate speech with hateful intent has just been drawn. It’s time for accountability.

Source:
Trump: ‘No federal funding for universities that allow illegal protests’, by Israel National News, March 4, 2025

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/404858

The bill to alter the composition of the committee responsible for selecting the judicial complaints commissioner was approved last Tuesday for a second and third vote in the Knesset plenum, sparking significant concern within the judicial system.

The concern within the judicial system stems from the fact that the chief rabbis are influenced by Shas, and in the context of a “full right” coalition, the secular judges fear that the chief rabbis would select a complaints commissioner who caters to the interests of the rabbinical judges while constantly undermining secular judges, particularly politically aligned judges.

The coalition’s main argument is that a public institution cannot effectively audit itself. The auditor must be independent, much the way internal affairs is separate from the police, or how the state comptroller is elected by the Knesset and not the executive branch. When the court president appoints one of his or her fellow judges as commissioner, it’s akin to the IDF relying on an internal investigation to address its serious failure.

If Israel’s judicial reforms are to move forward, as they must, then criticism of the court must be allowed. Those who oppose the reforms have nothing to fear but fear itself.

Source:
Justice Minister Levin Puts Fear of God in Judges’ Hearts with Judicial Complaints Commissioner, by David Israel/Jewish Press, February 28, 2025

Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.) has asked President Donald J. Trump to recognize Israel’s right to sovereignty over the land that the U.S. government currently refers to as the “West Bank.” The Israeli government and many others use the biblical names “Judea and Samaria.”

In a letter to the president last Tuesday, Tenney said, “This region is the heart of our shared Judeo-Christian heritage, and recognition of the right of Israel to declare sovereignty over this region would build upon your previous recognition of the importance of this heritage,” stated the letter, which Reps. Andy Harris (R-Md.), Mary Miller (R-Ill.), Barry Moore (R-Ala.), Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) and Randy Weber (R-Texas).

AFSI is deeply grateful to Rep. Tenney for her continued work to speak the truth about Israel, especially with this current initiative that calls for the application of sovereignty over Judea and Samaria. With the Trump administration in place, the call for sovereignty grows stronger and stronger.

Source:
Tenney, colleagues ask Trump to recognize Israeli Judea, Samaria sovereignty, by JNS Staff, February 27, 2025