Author: AFSI Staff

Hezbollah continued firing missiles at Israel on Thursday after several countries proposed a ceasefire to resolve the crisis diplomatically. However, any claims of an impending ceasefire with Hezbollah were immediately rejected by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Office,

The proposed ceasefire would last 21 days and take effect immediately “to provide space for diplomacy towards the conclusion of a diplomatic settlement.” The statement, signed by the US, EU, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar did not mention Israel or Hezbollah by name. Critics said it did not take into account Iran’s support for Hezbollah.

It seems those who crafted this newest ceasefire proposal did so while Prime Minister Netanyahu was en route to New York City to deliver his speech at the United Nations General Assembly. Maybe they tried to pull a fast one once again and make it look like a surefire deal was on the table. Circulating stories also tell us that there is a 50%-50% chance of Netanyahu’s UN speech taking place. Conflicting stories everywhere. The one thing we do know with certainty is that the residents in the North are under fire and must be returned safely to their homes.

Sources:
Hezbollah Continues Missile Barrages as West Proposes Ceasefire, by Pesach Benson/TPS-IL, September 26, 2024

Live updates: IDF strikes in Beirut reportedly target top Hezbollah commander, by Israel National News, September 26, 2024

Argentine President Javier Milei criticized the United Nations for what he said was its anti-Israeli bias during a fiery address at the General Debate of the General Assembly’s 79th session in New York on Tuesday.

He called out the world body for systematically voting against the Jewish state, “the only democracy in the Middle East, which protects liberal democracy,” adding that the United Nations has “simultaneously shown a total inability to respond to the scourge of terrorism.”

Following the speech, Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon thanked him for supporting the Jewish state. “President Milei, you are a true friend of the State of Israel. In this hall, where we were slandered all day, you showed courage and supported Israel! Thank you!”

AFSI thanks you too, President Milei.

Source:
Argentina’s Milei scorches UN for anti-Israel bias, by JNS Update Desk, September 25, 2024

Early Sunday afternoon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video statement on the incessant terror attacks by Hezbollah: “At present, residents of northern Israel are indeed unable to live in their own homes due to the security risk posed by the Hezbollah terrorist army. After 11 months of attempts to reach a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, Israeli military and political leaders alike have reached the realization that Hezbollah will never acquiesce to a diplomatic agreement.”

This weekend, Israeli forces began escalating and intensifying their attacks on Hezbollah forces with the intent to put an end to the drones and rocket fire, once and for all.

At a security assessment meeting on Monday, Netanyahu stated, “I would like to clarify Israel’s policy to whoever does not yet understand: We are not waiting for the threat, we are pre-empting it – everywhere, in every sector, constantly. We are eliminating senior figures, terrorists and missiles – and our arm is still extended. Whoever tries to harm us, we will harm them all the more forcefully.”

Just today, rocket barrages have been reported for the first time in Samaria. Between the pager explosions last week and Israel’s pre-emptive strikes on Hezbollah, one can only imagine that both Lebanon itself and Hezbollah are in a complete state of shock. The death toll and wounded numbers are very high and increasing. Hospitals are collapsing, local channels are begging citizens to come donate blood and contact the authorities. With that said, it’s in their best interest to understand Israel’s policy.

Sources:
PM: ‘I promised we’d change balance of power in north; that’s exactly what we’re doing.’, by Hezki Baruch/Israel National News, September 23, 2024

Netanyahu: ‘We Will Take Whatever Action is Necessary to Restore Security’, by Hana Levi Julian/Jewish Press, September 22, 2024

First time: Hezbollah fires long-range rockets at Samaria, by Israel National News, September 23, 2024

Israel has issued a fierce response to last Wednesday’s vote by the United Nations General Assembly demanding the Jewish State withdraw from all post-1967 territories. This includes “disputed” areas in Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley which were previously designate as Area C, under full Israeli administrative and security control, under the internationally recognized Oslo Accords.

Among the many demands, the resolution calls for Israel to comply with international law and withdraw its military forces, immediately cease all new development activity, evacuate all “settlers” from occupied land, and dismantle parts of the separation wall it constructed inside the “occupied West Bank.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry issued a fierce response, rejecting the “distorted and disconnected from reality” decision and thanking the leaders of those nations who voted to oppose it. They key points are:

• “The political theater called the General Assembly today adopted a distorted decision that is disconnected from reality, encourages terrorism and harms the chances for peace.”
• “The decision of the General Assembly tells a one-sided, fictional story, in which countless murderous terrorist attacks on the citizens of the State of Israel do not take place.”
• “The General Assembly decision bolsters and strengthens the Hamas terrorist organization and the Iranian terrorist state that stands behind it.”
• “The General Assembly decision also undermines the foundation of any attempt to promote a peaceful solution to the conflict.”

While this sick resolution clearly boggles the mind of those educated on the facts about Israel, it should come as no surprise as to the extent the world body we call the “Useless Nations” will go to defame and destroy Israel. This is indeed political theater at its worst – or best -depending on how you view it. In either case, please spare us from an encore.

Source:
Israel Issues Fierce Response to UN Resolution Demanding Disengagement from Post 1967 Areas of Israel, by Hana Levi Julian/Jewish Press, September 20, 2024

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, spoke to Eric Shawn of Fox News to discuss the latest developments in Lebanon.

Commenting on Israel’s elimination of Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil in an air strike in Beirut, Danon said, “We attacked him during a meeting in Beirut, [in which he and other terrorists] were plotting another major attack against Israel. So, I think justice was served for what he did to the American people and for what he was planning to do to us, and we are very proud of this air strike, and we will continue to hunt down these terrorists.”

He continued, “I think many countries should thank Israel, but the UN is exactly the opposite. When [PA chairman] Abbas arrives in New York and speaks at the General Assembly, maybe someone should ask him: ‘Why don’t you condemn what happened to the Israelis? If you want to have peace with them, if you want to live peacefully with us, how can you ignore what Hamas did to us?’ The PA supports Hamas. They are terrorists wearing suits. If you cannot condemn them, you are part of them,” stated Danon.

Source:
Amb. Danon to Fox News: Countries should thank Israel, but they condemn it instead, by Israel National News, September 23, 2024

The Lebanese Health Ministry has declared 11 dead, more 4.000 injured, including 200 critically, as a result of numerous explosions of the communication devices of the Hezbollah operatives.

The explosions in Lebanon began at around 3.45 local time on Tuesday, September 17 and lasted for about an hour. Communication devices, believed to be used by Hezbollah operatives, heated up and eventually exploded while in the hands or in the packers of their owners.

According to Lebanese media reports, the hospitals in the county are overflowing with injured people.

Israel has not commented on the attack, which took place just several hours after the news that Israeli security officials thwarted an assassination attempt on a former security official.

The next day on Wednesday, several explosions were reported in the Dahieh area of Beirut, Lebanon, as exploding hand-held radios killed at least five people and injured approximately 500.

Without confirmation on who did it, many are convinced that Israel executed this attack. Abu Ali via Amir Tsarfati on Telegram posted: this is “the most fantastic pre-emptive strike in modern history.” The facts are that “Hezbollah has thousands of brand-new disabled fighters, and if they enter the war now, its wounded will not even find one free bed in the hospitals in Lebanon because the hospitals are now bursting with injured. Even worse – is that Hezbollah has lost its security and military means of communication.” All of this sounds like a devastating humiliation for Hezbollah too.

Sources:
11 Dead, More than 4,000 Injured in a Wave of Lebanese Pager Explosions, by Anna Epshtein/TPS-IL

Amir Tsarfati/Abu Ali on Telegram, September 17, 2024

Beeper explosions, version 2: Multiple explosions during funeral of Hezbollah MP’s son, by Chana Roberts/Israel National News, September 17, 2024

A high-ranking Israeli official characterizes the escalating tensions with Hezbollah as a situation “on the precipice of conflict.” In the wake of Monday night’s cabinet meeting, which added the return of evacuated northern residents to the war’s objectives, urgent security consultations are underway, with the very real possibility of war against Hezbollah on the table.

The security official noted that the “main goal of the Gaza war has been largely accomplished.” The official added: “With the IDF’s announcement of the [Hamas’] Rafah Brigade’s defeat, effectively dismantling all Hamas brigades, resources are now available for a northern campaign,” the source explained.

On the diplomatic front, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Gallant separately conveyed to US envoy Amos Hochstein that “military action remains the sole viable option for facilitating the return of northern residents,” as Gallant put it. Netanyahu emphasized that “while Israel values and respects US support, it must ultimately take necessary measures to ensure its security,” signaling that Israel may not defer to the administration’s unofficial preference to delay northern operations until after the US presidential elections.

Source:
Senior official says ‘preparations set in motion’ for Hezbollah war, by Ariel Kahana/Israel Hayom, September 17, 2024

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a special discussion that he held last Thursday, “We are heading towards a broad campaign of one intensity or another.” This is with regard to Israel’s northern front.

The heads of the defense establishment also claimed during Thursday’s discussion that a diplomatic settlement alone will not bring the residents of the north back home. Channel 13 News quoted a senior associate of Netanyahu as stressing that no date has been set for the military move, but it is a matter of anywhere from weeks to a few months.

Amit Sofer, head of the Merom HaGalil Regional Council, said in response to the report, “After almost a year of fighting in the north, we hear for the first time that the Prime Minister wants to expand the attacks in Lebanon. We support any formula that will bring security to the north, bring back the residents and keep the terrorists away from the border line. I believe that only crushing the enemy will bring such quiet. Now we also want to see actions and not just words.”

Source:
Netanyahu orders IDF to prepare for a broad campaign in Lebanon, by Israel National News, September 15, 2024

The Regavim Movement reports that in recent months, an illegal structure has been built near the military base Baal Hazor by Arabs from the village of Malikh in central Binyamin.

The construction and development procedures are being carried out more than 200 meters from the existing buildings in the village of Malikh, effectively creating a new incursion from the village into the open area, allowing potential control of the nearby fields and a security threat to the military base and its access routes.

Meir Deutsch, CEO of Regavim, stated: “One of the important messages we learned from the events that occurred on the Gaza border before October 7th is the importance of maintaining open fields in general and especially around IDF bases. The security system must wake up immediately and understand that there is no innocent construction: The Palestinian Authority does not stop for a moment its vision of establishing a state.”

Source:
Security breach: Illegal Palestinian structure allowed adjacent to military base, by Israel National News, September 16, 2024

Ahead of the publication of his book One Jewish State, former US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, sat down with the Sovereignty Journal. In the interview, he presents in detail the main points of his out-of-the box political strategy that advocates for Israeli sovereignty over all the territories of the Land of Israel, resulting in sovereign responsibility that fosters stability, prosperity and security for all inhabitants of the region.

One of Friedman’s key points is that “Israeli right has never been able to articulate a full vision for the region. Most have advocated for sovereignty over the Jewish settlements located in what is referred to as “Area C” since the disastrous Oslo Accords. None have offered a solution for Areas A and B—the territory that Oslo placed under almost complete Palestinian control. But carving out Area C for Israel while leaving Areas A and B to fend for themselves would ultimately turn those areas into Gaza—isolated hotbeds of angry Palestinians who undoubtedly would grow their existing terror network.”

With a fresh new way of approaching the long-standing desire and need for the application of sovereignty, we look forward to closely following Ambassador Friedman’s steps in bringing this plan to what we pray will be its unanimous approval and swift implementation.

Source:
Ambassador Friedman launches a political plan for sovereignty, by Israel National News, September 13, 2024