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The Judiciary Basic Law, which regulates the composition of the Judicial Selection Committee, has passed its second and third readings in the Knesset and will now be added to Israel’s law books.

The proposal approved today is a crucial step in restoring the balance between the branches of government and returning decision-making power to the people of Israel.

Here are the significant changes to the composition and decision-making rules of the Judicial Selection Committee:

• Restoring balance between the government authorities – The most fundamental principle of a democratic system is that no authority should appoint itself.

• A fair and balanced judicial selection process – The new committee structure guarantees that judicial appointments require agreement between the coalition and the opposition.

• Removing Bar Association representatives from the committee – Given their inherent conflicts of interest, it was always necessary to exclude them.

• Improving the judicial system – This reform maintains a balance between judges who rise through the system and external candidates who will bring diverse legal perspectives.

We pray that this hastens an end to the juristocracy currently upsetting the balance of power and ignoring the will of the majority in Israel.

Source:
MK Rothman: These are the changes to the Judicial Selection Committee, by Israel National News, March 27, 2025

Demonstrations that erupted by Gazans in Beit Lahia against Hamas have entered their third day. Hundreds of Palestinian Arabs are voicing strong opposition to Hamas calling for an end to the ongoing war with Israel.

Amir Tsarfati commented on Telegram:

I don’t trust the Gazans. These are the same people who looted, murdered, raped, and kidnapped our people. However, if these protests from within will hasten the collapse of Hamas, that’s a good thing.

My only question is: Are these protests genuine, or are they staged by Hamas to demonstrate that Gazans must stay and elect new leaders—all in an effort to stop the war and prevent their displacement? After all, who can guarantee that these “civilians” aren’t the very same individuals who were wearing uniforms just two weeks ago?

They’re being paid by Qatar and/or Egypt to do this, creating the impression that not all of Gaza supports Hamas. This is a tactic to prevent their removal from the region. Many Hamas operatives are wearing civilian clothes and participating in these staged protests.

In an Arutz Sheva interview, Oded Eilam, former head of the Counter-Terrorism Division in the Mossad was asked if the protests are real or fake. He said, “You can say that it’s both. On the one hand, there is an authentic element, mainly because of the military pressure that Israel is again applying. The Gazans have gotten used to a time of relative quiet, especially during Ramadan, which leads to a certain feeling of well-being with tables full of good things. However, the end of the humanitarian aid, even if there isn’t a total shortage, since a lot of supplies are in Hamas’s storehouses, there has been an increase in food prices and a feeling of distress on the Gazan street.”

Trust with the Gazan and PA Arabs does not exist and we should be cautious about praising these protests. As Eilam stressed, let’s not jump to conclusions and think that suddenly the Gazan and PA Arabs are truly turning against Hamas and/or Fatah.

Source:
Are the protests in Gaza genuine? Former Mossad agent explains, by Shimon Cohen/Israel National News, March 27, 2025

A Palestinian Authority terrorist was arrested Tuesday after attempting to murder an Israeli Police officer near the Jerusalem suburb of Ma’ale Adumim, along the Jerusalem-Ma’ale Adumim Highway, in the second such terrorist attack in two days.

The terrorist vehicle subsequently reached another police checkpoint, where the driver again tried to escape. He was shot by the police, according to Ma’ale Adumim Mayor Guy Yifrach.

No other injuries were immediately reported.

Source:
Israeli Security Personnel Targeted in Ma’ale Adumim Terror Ramming Attack, by Hana Levi Julian/Jewish Press, March 25, 2025

The Security Cabinet on Saturday night approved the proposal of the Minister in the Ministry of Defense, Bezalel Smotrich, to authorize the splitting of 13 communities in Judea and Samaria from their adjacent communities and to work toward recognizing them as independent communities.

The move, led by Minister Smotrich as part of the work of the Settlement Administration under his responsibility, is taking place against the backdrop of the approval of tens of thousands of housing units in Judea and Samaria and constitutes another significant step in the process of normalization and regulation of the settlement enterprise.

Until now, these communities were formally considered part of their “parent” communities, sometimes for decades, which caused numerous difficulties in their day-to-day management. Recognizing each of them as an independent community in practice is an important step that will greatly assist in their advancement and development.

Minister Smotrich said, “We continue, with God’s help, to lead a revolution of normalization and regulation in the settlement enterprise. Instead of hiding and apologizing – we raise the flag, build, and settle. This is another important step toward de facto sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.”

Source:
13 Judea and Samaria communities to be recognized, by Israel National News, March 23, 2025

Israel is committed to defeating the Hamas terror group everywhere, including in Judea and Samaria, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir charged during a security assessment in the territories on Thursday.

“When we talk about defeating Hamas, it means defeating Hamas everywhere, including here in Judea and Samaria. Continue the ongoing counterterrorism operations alongside robust defense,” Zamir added.

“Because while we are waging an intense war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, we are aware of the possibility that a larger and more intense front could open here in Judea and Samaria,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a visit to the Border Police’s Mista’arvim undercover special-forces unit for the region. He also pointed out that a more intense front could open in Judea and Samaria amid the resumption of combat with Hamas in Gaza.

Source:
IDF chief: Defeating Hamas includes Judea and Samaria, by JNS Staff, March 21, 2025

Eli Sharabi who survived Hamas captivity and whose family was murdered during the October 7th Massacre, briefed the ambassadors of the United Nations Security Council last week and recounted his experience in captivity.

“I saw what happened to [the] aid. Hamas stole it. I saw Hamas terrorists carrying boxes with the UN and UNRWA emblems on them into the tunnel. Dozens and dozens of boxes, paid by your government, feeding terrorists who tortured me and murdered my family. They would eat many meals a day from the UN aid in front of us, and we never received any of it.”

Ambassador Danny Danon stated in response: “No one can dispute the testimony of a hostage survivor who saw with his own eyes Hamas benefiting from UN humanitarian aid. You can no longer turn a blind eye – UNRWA supports Hamas’ murderous terror enterprise that is starving our hostages and perpetuating the humanitarian disaster in Gaza.”

Eli Sharabi is a brave soul for giving his riveting testimony and so soon after his release from the hell he endured. The United Nations needs to stop hiding its head in the sand while it protects Hamas and its atrocities. The UN must condemn them for the terrorist entity they are.

Source:
Eli Sharabi: ‘Where was the Red Cross when we needed them? Where was the UN?’, by Israel National News, March 20, 2025

The ceasefire is over, with Israel putting an end to the games played by Hamas with its “mediator” supporters, Qatar and Egypt, at the negotiating tables in Doha and Cairo.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have instructed the IDF to “take strong action” against the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza following a late-night situation assessment at the IDF Kirya Headquarters in Tel Aviv.

“This follows Hamas’s repeated refusal to release our hostages, as well as its rejection of all of the proposals it has received from US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and from the mediators,” Netanyahu said in a statement released at 3:00am Tuesday.

“The IDF is, at this time, attacking targets of the Hamas terrorist organization throughout the Gaza Strip in order to achieve the objectives of the war as they have been determined by the political echelon including the release of all of our hostages, the living and the deceased.”

“Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength,” Netanyahu added.

Military sources revealed that the plan to resume hostilities was developed and kept highly classified to create an element of surprise and tactical deception that Hamas was unprepared to counter.

Sources:
Ceasefire Officially Over: IDF Returns to War in Gaza, by Hana Levi Julian/Jewish Press, March 18, 2025

Under cover of darkness: Israel’s planned return to Gaza war, by Lilach Shoval/Israel Hayom, March 18, 2025

A breakdown of Palestinian terror attacks in 2024 showed that Judea and Samaria bore the brunt of the violence, according to the annual report released by Hatzalah Judea and Samaria (YOSH) on Monday.

While an overall 48 people were killed and 443 more injured in attacks across Israel, the report’s breakdown showed that 56% of the fatalities and 69% of the injuries took place in Judea and Samaria.

“People are used to Judea and Samaria residents getting pummeled by rocks, lasers, gunshots, and car rammings,” Natalie Sopinsky, the emergency response organization’s director of development told The Press Service of Israel. “Most people don’t care, including those residents themselves. We got used to that.”

Sopinsky stated that “the consequences of these attacks are dire. Head injuries, shattered windshields, and loss of control often lead to fatal accidents.”

Source:
Judea and Samaria Bears Brunt of Palestinian Terror Attacks, by Sveta Listratov/TPS, March 17, 2025

Despite a suspension of humanitarian aid and fuel deliveries, Hamas continues to enrich itself through a system of vouchers provided to Gaza residents.

One of the primary ways Hamas profits is through international aid vouchers. Various humanitarian organizations provide Gaza’s families with monthly vouchers worth NIS 1,000-1,500 ($272-$$409) meant to help them buy essentials. However, Hamas-controlled exchange services demand a 22% fee for converting these vouchers into cash.

“People have no choice but to pay this fee,” Ofer explained to TPS-IL. “It’s not an open market. Hamas dictates the rates. With hundreds of thousands of families relying on these vouchers, Hamas rakes in hundreds of millions of dollars every month from this system alone.”

A government spokesperson told TPS-IL that Hamas’s theft and profiteering from humanitarian aid underlines the necessity of eradicating the terror group.

“This highlights the urgent need to remove Hamas from any governing role in Gaza’s future,” said David Mencer, a spokesperson for the National Public Diplomacy Directorate in the Prime Minister’s Office. “The government’s ultimate goal remains clear: freeing Gaza from Hamas.”

Source:
Hamas ‘Rakes in Hundreds of Millions of Dollars’ Through Aid Vouchers, Anna Epshtein and Pesach Benson/TPS, March 20, 2025

For the first time, the heads of the Yesha Council paid an official visit to a Muslim country. The delegation to the UAE included the Yesha Council Chairman, Yisrael Gantz, Head of the Mount Hebron Regional Council Eliram Azoulay, and the Yesha Council CEO, Omar Rahamim.

As part of the visit, the Yesha Council senior officials met with government officials, businessmen, and influencers, to discuss economic, security, and diplomatic cooperation. They also met with the Israeli Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Yossi Shelli.

Ganz emphasized the importance of UAE-Israel collaboration, calling it a “testimony to regional change” and a way to strengthen settlements.

‘“The direct connection that has been created between the settlement and senior officials in the United Arab Emirates opens up new opportunities for the implementation of the Abraham Accords in Judea and Samaria. This is an important beginning for a common front that will strengthen the settlement in Judea and Samaria,” Azoulay concluded.

Source:
Judea and Samaria council in Abu Dhabi: “A New World Order”, by Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz/Israel365News, March 17, 2025