Category: Articles

“We will not avert our eyes from a regime that chants death to America and threatens genocide against the Jewish people. We must never ignore the vile poison of anti-Semitism, or those who spread its venomous creed. With one voice, we must confront this hatred anywhere and everywhere it occurs.” ~~ President Donald J. Trump in his State of the Union address on February 5, 2019.

Pictured here is Judah Samet, a fitting guest at Tuesday night’s speech. Samet is a Holocaust Survivor and a survivor of the Tree of Life Synagogue massacre in Pennsylvania. Samet received a standing ovation after he was acknowledged by President Trump.

President Trump announced this week his appointment of Elan Carr as the US State Department’s Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism. Carr’s background is quite impressive, especially his history of leadership in working to fight anti-Semitism on college campuses. We think he is highly qualified to fill this very critical position. Read about Carr’s extensive background in The Times of Israel report HERE.

Late Wednesday afternoon, the US Senate approved in a 77-23 vote a bill that codifies $38 billion in defense assistance to Israel and also provides legal cover to states that target the BDS movement.

The “Combating B.D.S. Act.” was co-written by Senators Marco Rubio and Joe Manchin. While the bill was waiting on the Senate floor for a vote, Senator Rubio’s Opinion in The New York Times, “The Truth About B.D.S. and the Lies About My Bill” was published. We encourage you to read it.

The holy site of the Tomb of the Prophet Samuel, has been illegally broken into by the PA. Arab residents have begun to pave a new and illegal parking lot as a means of collecting fees from visitors to the site.

This section is under full Israeli jurisdiction (Area C).

Israeli NGO Regavim* documented the work being carried out at the site without permits and in violation of the law. Regavim attorney Avi Segal issued an urgent request via letter to the Civil Administration, the body responsible for law enforcement in Area C, demanding that the work be halted immediately.

“The Civil Administration and the Israeli government must do everything in their power to block construction of the parking lot. The authorities’ negligence has caused a major blow to the archaeological finds as well as to the rule of law.”

*Regavim was hosted by AFSI at an event in NYC last month.

The Strategic Affairs Ministry issued a new report that cites more than 100 links between Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the BDS movement.

More than 30 members of Hamas and PFLP hold senior positions in BDS-promoting NGOs. The majority have been in prison for terrorist-related crimes.

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said the research “reveals the true nature and goals of the BDS movement and its connection to terrorism and antisemitism.”

After a presence of almost 25 years in Hebron, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that TIPH – the Temporary International Presence in Hebron – is finally going home.

Two days after Netanyahu’s announcement, we learned just yesterday that the World Council of Churches (WCC) will pull its “ecumenical accompaniers” from Hebron due to “security concerns.”

The Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI), the WCC’s top project, sends operatives to Israel to “monitor” and “report human rights abuses.”

Im Tirtzu CEO Matan Peleg said, “These organizations do nothing apart from fuel the fires of conflict and provoke IDF soldiers, and they are the true obstacle to peace.”

Yasher Koach to Im Tirtzu, the organization at the forefront of exposing EAPPI. Im Tirtzu members have continuously filmed the activities of EAPPI in Hebron. By posting these videos on social media, they have nearly gone viral with “hundred of thousands” viewers learning the truth about what’s really happening in Hebron.

Any entity that intentionally works to delegitimize Israel cannot be allowed to stay in Israel.

AFSI is pleased to hear that these anti-Israel groups will no longer be operating in Hebron. We feel this now paves the way for Netanyahu to dismantle the Bedouin hamlet of Khan al-Ahmar, the illegal foreign-government backed outpost.

The total destruction of Netiv Ha’Avot homes last year is old news.

So why are we bringing this up now?

During the Prime Minister’s visit this week to Netiv Ha’Avot he said, “What has fallen shall yet arise. It’s ours, we’re building here. You live here. We didn’t return from a journey of thousands of years for us to be uprooted. We shall plant and increase.”

We hope these are sincere words from the Prime Minister and that never again will we witness the destruction of Jewish homes in the Jewish Homeland.

Rabbi Yitzchak Neria’s Arutz Sheva OpEd, “Mr. Prime Minister, You Exceeded All Boundaries” is AFSI’s suggested read on this matter.

In his JNS article, Josh Hasten discusses the latest video released by the Center for Near East Policy Research: “UNRWA in Jerusalem: Anatomy of Chaos.”

The video shows disturbing footage from inside Jerusalem’s Shuafat neighborhood. David Bedein said, “There was always an excuse [to incite against Israel] within UNRWA camps outside of Israel or in Gaza, but this is in Israel proper.”

The Times of Israel breaking report today indicates that the Israeli government has given information to the UN detailing the existence of an additional “underground infrastructure” belonging to Hezbollah along the Israeli-Lebanese border. It includes tunnels headed toward Israeli territory.

In advance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day this year, three Republican members of Congress last Wednesday introduced a House resolution condemning anti-Semitic and anti-Israel vitriol in the United States and worldwide.

Reps. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), introduced the resolution that calls out both Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan for his extensive record of spewing anti-Jewish rhetoric and Women’s March leader Tamilka Mallory, who refused to condemn Farrakhan.

Also in the resolution. Rashida Tlaib is asked to explain her relationship with Abbas Hamideh, who previously stated that Israel doesn’t have aright to exist.

If you have not yet done so, AFSI reminds everyone to please review the ACTION ALERT HERE and take action!

On Tuesday, sniper fire from Gaza slightly wounded an IDF soldier along the Gaza border. In response the IDF attacked a Hamas military camp.

During a visit to a military base in the south, Prime Minister Netanyahu warned if Hamas escalates conflict with Israel:

“I suggest that they understand that the response will be destructive and very painful, and we are ready for any scenario and escalation.”

Israel’s IDF is the only army in the world confronting Iran’s military.

The photo here is a Facebook post from the IDF. It is the helmet the IDF officer was wearing when he was shot at – the helmet that saved his life.

AFSI donated these same types of helmets on its last trip to security personnel. It hits very close to home when we read this and is a demonstration that the work AFSI does keeps Israel safe.

Q. How much does Iran spend annually on its terror network in the Middle East?

A. $7,000,000,000

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon warned the U.N. Security Council chamber members earlier this week:

“Follow the bloody trail of money starting in Tehran, and you will arrive at the terror tunnels in Lebanon and Gaza and the weapons warehouses in Syria. It is now trying to infiltrate Judea and Samaria.”

Q. Does the European Union continue to fund organizations that boycott Israel?

A. Yes. When the EU was questioned about this by Israel’s Ministry of Strategic Affairs they pushed back. Story HERE. Read the Ministry’s full report “Money Trail: 2nd Edition.“