Author: AFSI Staff

After more than two decades of political stagnation caused by persistent international pressure and opposition from the Palestinian Authority, the E1 plan in Ma’ale Adumim is moving forward with the approval of 3,401 new housing units and another 3,515 units in the “Desert Bird” neighborhood, together expected to add around 35,000 new residents in the coming years.

The plan, which connects Ma’ale Adumim to Jerusalem and disrupts Arab territorial contiguity between Ramallah and Bethlehem, is viewed as a decisive move that buries the idea of a Palestinian state. From the perspective of the Palestinian Authority and the international community, this strategic area is considered essential for the establishment of a Palestinian state with its capital in eastern Jerusalem.

Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated: “The approval of the construction plans in E1 buries the idea of a Palestinian state and continues the many actions we are advancing on the ground as part of the de facto sovereignty plan initiated with the formation of the government. After decades of international pressure and freezes, we are breaking conventions and connecting Ma’ale Adumim to Jerusalem. This is Zionism at its best- building, settling, and strengthening our sovereignty in the Land of Israel.”

This is an incredible step toward ending the delusional dream of a two-state solution and MK Smotrich’s work is to be commended. It seems like so many decisions made and actions taken in the last year are heading toward to the goal of sovereignty. As Israel progresses to a new level with the approval of building new housing, let’s remember that the ultimate action to truly bury the idea of a two-state solution rests on the full application of sovereignty across Judea and Samaria NOW!

Sources:
Maaleh Adumim mayor announces E1 plan, recites special blessing, by Hezki Baruch/Israel National News, August 14, 2025

Burying idea of Palestinian state: Smotrich to approve thousands of units in Ma’ale Adumim, by Israel National News, August 13, 2025

Samaria governor Yossi Dagan sent an urgent letter on Wednesday to U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, calling for harsh personal sanctions against Mohammad Ibrahim Shtayyeh, the former Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority.

Dagan’s appeal follows the circulation of a video in which Shtayyeh praised the October 7th massacre, describing it as “a bold and unprecedented action” and “a turning point in the Palestinian struggle.”

Dagan concluded: “Taking action will send a clear and powerful message: support for terrorism will not go unanswered. This is not just rhetoric — it’s support for terror and incitement to another massacre reminiscent of the darkest chapters in history. The time for sanctions is now. We must not stay silent in the face of calls for murder and terror.”

Just as sanctions are used as a foreign policy tool against a country, it’s time to have sanction programs targeted against individuals and groups as well.

Source:
Samaria governor urges US sanctions against PA leaders, by Israel National News, August 13, 2025

Ahead of the UN Security Council discussion on extending the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) taking place later this month, Israel and the United States have informed Council members that they oppose an automatic renewal of the mandate and are demanding a reassessment of the force’s necessity.

A diplomat familiar with the talks told The Jerusalem Post that this comes “in light of its prolonged failure to prevent Hezbollah’s infiltration into southern Lebanon, and to enforce the Lebanese government’s sovereignty in the area.”

Since being tasked with preventing Hezbollah’s rearmament during the Second Lebanon War in 2006, UNIFIL has done nothing to confront the organization over its weapons.

Israel believes that at this stage there is no longer a need for an international intermediary force on the ground, and that UN resources would be better invested in supporting the LAF.

We couldn’t agree more.

Source:
Israel, US oppose automatic UNIFIL renewal, citing failure to prevent Hezbollah infiltration, by Amichai Stein/Jerusalem Post, August 11, 2025

After an all-night discussion last Thursday, Israel’s Security Cabinet approved a proposal to expand the war on Hamas including reoccupying the Gaza Strip, and adopting five principles for ending the war, the Prime Minister’s Office announced early Friday morning.

“The IDF [Israel Defense Forces] will prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones,” Netanyahu’s office said.

Ahead of the meeting, Netanyahu told a delegation of Indian journalists, “Israel does not want to annex Gaza, but to transfer control of the Strip to an international governing body that is disconnected from Hamas.”

An “international governing body” disconnected from Hamas aligns with Netanyahu’s broader stated goal of removing Hamas from power while avoiding direct Israeli administrative control of Gaza. We don’t know if we can count on an “international governing body” made of pro-Israel nations. Many countries have already declared their support for a Palestinian state and others are starting to let the world know they intend to follow suit thinking they will save Gaza with the delirious two-state solution. With that said, Netanyahu’s decision is a very troubling one and most certainly not the resolution we anticipated we’d hear.

Source:
Israel Sets Conditions for Ending Gaza War, Plans for Civilian Governance, by Pesach Benson/TPS-IL, August 8, 2025

The IDF has been carrying out “unprecedented operations” in major Palestinian terror hotbeds in Samaria over the last eight months that have borne excellent fruit, the colonel in charge of Central Command’s engineering division said.

Referring specifically to the most dangerous neighborhoods of Tulkarem, Jenin and Nur a-Shams, which are misleadingly called “refugee camps,” Col. A. said, “You have to understand that the bold win, and when you freeze in place and fear your own shadow, bad things happen. Today we are carrying out unprecedented operations here, things that have never been done here before.”

The army’s forays into terror strongholds in Judea and Samaria have not ceased since its inception in 2022 with operation “Breaking the Waves,” even with the ongoing war in Gaza, with various operations steadily increasing the pressure on the terrorists.

The results have been forthcoming, the security establishment said in May.

While there were an average of 214 terrorist attacks a month in 2023, the numbers dropped to 115 in 2024 and further declined to just 57 in the first five months of this year.

The Israel Defense Forces continues to find terrorists every which way they turn in every operation they undertake and it should be daily headline news. If only Israel had a publicc relations arm that was every bit as powerful, if not more, than Arab propaganda, what a difference we might see.

Source:
IDF: ‘Unprecedented operations’ clear terror hotbeds in Samaria, by Batya Jerenberg/World Israel News, August 10, 2025

Two years after the repeal of the Disengagement Law, MK Bezalel Smotrich announced that he is advancing the return of communities evacuated from northern Samaria, including Ganim and Kadim. These communities will soon join the already-approved Homesh and Sa-Nur, he said.

“We are working on this now. We are deciding to bring Ganim and Kadim as well, and I hope this will happen in the coming weeks and help correct the sin of the expulsion. The people of Israel are correcting the sin in Gaza, and I hope we will succeed there too, completing the correction of the sin in northern Samaria.”

“What we are achieving in this term is simply erasing the idea of a Palestinian state, Smotrich concluded.

Returning and rebuilding the communities to their rightful place along with applying sovereignty across Judea and Samaria will certainly erase the idea of the two-state delusion.

Source:
Smotrich announces: We will soon return to settlements in northern Samaria, by Israel National News, August 8, 2025

The Israeli Security Cabinet convened on Thursday night for an especially tense meeting during which it is expected they will decide on the occupation of the entire Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated at the start of the meeting: “I don’t want to perpetuate Hamas; I want to defeat it.”

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir claimed that “the hostages’ lives will be in danger if we proceed with the plan to conquer Gaza — there’s no way to guarantee they won’t be harmed.”

He described the price as one that would harm soldiers’ lives, cause extreme burnout among the forces, wear out the military vehicles, and be plagued by humanitarian and sanitation issues.

The ministers disputed his position and stated that Operation Gideon’s Chariots did not achieve its objectives. The Chief of Staff replied: “We created the conditions for the hostages to be returned.”

Prime Minister Netanyahu clarified that “the operation is not irreversible. We are ready to consider stopping if Hamas agrees to Israel’s conditions.”

To this, Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir responded: “We need to go to the end.”

We can do no more than eagerly wait for this much anticipated announcement by Israel’s cabinet. We pray it’s the right decision.

Source:
Heated cabinet meeting | Netanyahu: Goal is to defeat Hamas, not perpetuate it, by Nitsan Keidar/Israel National News, August 6, 2025

Leaders of the Binyamin Regional Council highlighted the significance of a recent visit by Mike Johnson, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, who led a distinguished delegation to Ancient Shiloh. This marks the visit of the highest-ranking US federal official to the first capital of Israel in history.

The visit to Ancient Shiloh, the spiritual and national capital of Israel for 369 years during the time of Joshua and the Judges was a boost of support to the region. Governor Ganz said, “These shards of pottery beneath our feet were left by our forefathers who brought offerings to G-d on this very ground. Our mission is to gather the broken pieces of our past and build a stronger future. You found the time to come here, and that gives us strength. When we are united, no evil in the world can defeat us.”

This historic visit was a powerful reminder of the unbreakable bond between the United States and Israel, rooted not only in shared democratic values, but in a common spiritual heritage and destiny. Thank you, Speaker Johnson and all those who joined you.

Source:
Binyamin Region leader: ‘We’re facing challenges, but we’re strong because of you’, by Israel National News, August 6, 2025

Twenty years after Homesh was evacuated under Israel’s disengagement plan, it is now thriving again. The return has been seamless. While the access road remains unstable, the transformation on the ground is unmistakable.

AFSI Chizuk missions have visited over time and we marvel at the progress the determined residents have made.

The yeshiva, established a few years ago, is growing; families with children stroll along trails, and there’s even a playground. Residents already anticipate sovereignty being declared.

“Just months after the expulsion, people were already trying to come back inside,” recalls Rabbi Menachem Ben Shachar of the Homesh Yeshiva. For him, today’s Homesh is nothing short of a miracle. “It’s astonishing. I always believed we’d return, but not this fast,” the rabbi said.

The current political earthquake in Israel—among the most significant national crises ever—has accelerated broader messaging from Western nations regarding sovereignty over the Judea and Samaria and the potential annexation of Gaza. Many residents believe Israel is very close to applying sovereignty to those areas. “It’s one Netanyahu decision away,” says Shomron Regional Council head Yossi Dagan.

Source:
‘I thought, “To hell with it, why abandon this?”‘: Eyeing rebuilding Homesh, 20 years after disengagement, by Elisha Ben Kimon/Ynetnews, August 4, 2025

Twenty years after they were forcibly evacuated, families from the expelled residents of Sa-Nur and young couples have coalesced as a nucleus preparing for return and rebuilding the community. The founding meeting took place in the office of Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, himself a former Sa-Nur resident and member of the nucleus.

Dagan said at the meeting, “We are beginning a historic step today, the first session of the founding nucleus of the renewed Sa-Nur settlement. The Government of Israel made a strategic and historic decision to return Jewish settlement to Sa-Nur in an official, state-sponsored, and complete manner. This step is not only a correction for the expelled families or for this nucleus of families, it is a national correction,” Dagan added.

MK Bezalel Smotrich, who led the government decision, blessed the move and said, “Historic correction, the return to Sa-Nur – Zionism at its best.”

What was wrongfully ripped away from Sar-Nur residents can never be returned in its original form. However, the fact that this historic decision has been made is a testament to the determination and guiding principles of Zionism. While this is a major step forward, the challenge of applying full sovereignty in Judea and Samaria remains on the “to do” list.

Source:
‘Historic correction’: 20 years after evacuation, Sa-Nur settlement to return, by Hanan Greenwood/Israel Hayom, August 4, 2025