Category: Articles

Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon criticized United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher for not retracting accusations that Israel deliberately starved Palestinians in Gaza after newer assessments showed lower rates of acute malnutrition among young children.

In May 2025, Fletcher accused Israel of deliberately and systematically imposing forced starvation on Gaza’s population.

As head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Fletcher said Israel’s obstruction of aid trucks had produced a man-made famine in the Gaza Strip.

More recent UNICEF surveys and related assessments cited by Israeli officials and independent reports have indicated lower levels of acute malnutrition among young children.

Danon accused Fletcher of refusing to acknowledge evidence contradicting his previous statements.

“There is a troubling pattern here: you echo false claims about Israel, and when the facts prove otherwise, you refuse to retract them,” Danon wrote on X.

“From the false famine narrative to your outrageous ‘genocide’ remarks, the damage has already been done – you’ve fueled antisemitism and further eroded the UN’s credibility around the world.

AFSI Insight
The UN’s refusal to retract its discredited Gaza famine claims is another example of its persistent anti-Israel bias and unwillingness to acknowledge inconvenient facts. New UNICEF data showing dramatically lower levels of acute malnutrition undermine the sweeping starvation narrative previously promoted by UN officials. As AFSI has repeatedly emphasized, Israel should not be condemned based on politically driven claims that collapse when confronted with evidence. The UN owes Israel—and the public—an honest accounting and a retraction of false accusations.

Source:
Danon slams UN for refusing to retract Gaza famine claims, by Vered Weiss/World Israel Mews, August 28, 2026

In a video aimed at international audiences, Israeli public diplomacy advocate and Samaria resident Ezra Tubi challenges media reports about the village of Qusra, arguing that claims of a Jewish “siege” are false and part of a broader campaign to delegitimize Israel.

As international headlines continue to portray the events surrounding the Palestinian village of Qusra as another example of “settler violence” and a “siege” on Palestinian homes, Israeli spokesman, Samaria resident and longtime AFSI friend, Ezra Tubi is presenting a very different narrative.

Standing on a strategic hill overlooking the area, Tubi opens his English-language video with a direct challenge to the international media.

AFSI Insight
AFSI welcomes efforts to expose the misleading “Qusra siege” narrative, which has been amplified internationally to portray Israel and Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria as aggressors. The Qusra story illustrates how selective reporting and loaded terminology can distort a complex security situation while ignoring the strategic importance of the area and the threats faced by Israeli communities. AFSI believes the facts—not anti-Israel propaganda—must guide the discussion. Thank you for all you do @ezri_tubi !

Source:
Israeli spokesman: ‘The ‘Qusra siege’ is a propaganda campaign, not reality’, by Israel National News, August 30, 2026

As the Jewish High Holidays approach, Knesset Constitution Committee Chairman Simcha Rothman submitted an urgent request Wednesday to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, asking them to permit shofar blowing and Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount during Rosh Hashana.

In his letter, Rothman emphasized two issues he described as critically important for the upcoming holiday. “Blowing the shofar on Rosh Hashanah is one of the most central and important commandments of the holiday,” he wrote. “The inability to blow the shofar on the Temple Mount on this day constitutes a significant infringement on the public’s ability to fulfill this commandment at the site most sacred to it.”

Rothman also highlighted that opening the Temple Mount for Musaf (additional) prayers on the first day of Rosh Hashanah—which falls on Shabbat this year—would provide “a rare opportunity for the broader public to come and pray at the holy site on a major holiday.” He argued that restricting access on this day prevents many Jews from exercising their right to pray at the most important site for the Jewish people.

AFSI Insight
AFSI strongly supports opening the Temple Mount to Jewish prayer and shofar blowing on Rosh Hashanah. It is long overdue for Jews to be able to worship at Judaism’s holiest site—especially on one of the most sacred days of the Jewish calendar. There was never a legitimate reason to bar Jews from praying on the Temple Mount, and Israel should not allow outdated restrictions or pressure from others to dictate Jewish religious rights at Judaism’s most sacred and important holy site.

Source:
Call to Open Temple Mount for Rosh Hashanah, by Gila Isaacson/JFeed, August 26, 2026

Israel has issued a firm demand to the Board of Peace to take action to stop the launching of kites from the Gaza Strip within the next three days, in order to prevent a large-scale military escalation by the IDF in the area, Kan News reported.

The defense establishment assesses that the Hamas terrorist organization is behind the launching of the kites and is directing the launches carried out in recent days in an effort to test Israel’s response patterns and preparedness.

The warning follows the strong statements issued yesterday by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, who said: “Israel warns Hamas that if the launches toward Israel do not stop immediately, the IDF will act to intensify targeted strikes against those responsible for the launches and will evacuate the population from areas from which kites, drones, and balloons are launched.”

AFSI Insight
AFSI strongly supports Israel’s demand for an immediate end to Gaza’s kite terrorism. The renewed launches demonstrate that even seemingly primitive weapons can threaten Israeli communities and that Hamas and other terrorists must not be allowed to test Israel’s resolve under the guise of a ceasefire. Israel is right to demand action from the Board of Peace—and should respond forcefully if the launches continue.

Source:
Israel’s demand: Stop kite terrorism, by Israel National News, August 24, 2026

Israeli forces came across more evidence on Monday that Hamas is preparing for another “October 7” in Israel.

IDF soldiers and Shin Bet agents found and dismantled two Hamas weapons storage facilities – both concealed in Gaza mosques, in Shati and Deir al-Balah, according to a joint statement from the IDF and the Shin Bet.

Each contained dozens of Kalashnikov assault rifles, ammunition magazines and additional military equipment.

The IDF struck and destroyed both sites.

“This is another example of Hamas’ systematic exploitation of civilian infrastructure, including mosques, in violation of international law, to advance and execute terror attacks against IDF troops and Israeli civilians,” the IDF pointed out.

AFSI Insight
The discovery of Hamas weapons caches hidden in Gaza mosques underscores a central lesson of October 7: Hamas has no intention of abandoning its terrorist ambitions. By embedding military infrastructure within civilian and religious sites, Hamas deliberately endangers Gaza’s population while preparing to strike Israel again. AFSI believes Israel must retain the freedom and capability to dismantle Hamas completely and prevent Gaza from ever again becoming a launching pad for another October 7.

Source:
Hamas Preparing For Another October 7? Weapons Caches Hidden in Gaza Mosques, by Hana Levi Julian/The Jewish Edition, August 24, 2026

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sharply reprimanded Israeli Arab Ra’am party leader MK Mansour Abbas late Saturday night in response to his call to recognize a Palestinian State.

“As long as I am Prime Minister, no Palestinian state controlled by Iran will arise, not in Gaza, and not in Judea and Samaria. Period,” Netanyahu declared in a statement on the X social media platform.

“The price of a left-wing coalition with the Muslim Brotherhood has been exposed once again,” Netanyahu wrote.

Netanyahu’s fierce reply followed a statement earlier in the day by Abbas, whose Israeli Arab Ra’am party has been linked to the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist network, which spawned Hamas in Gaza.

AFSI Insight
AFSI strongly welcomes Netanyahu’s clear reaffirmation that there will be no Palestinian state west of the Jordan River. After October 7, the danger of creating another Iranian-backed terror entity on Israel’s doorstep should be beyond dispute. Mansour Abbas and Ra’am’s push to join the anti-Netanyahu “change bloc” while advocating Palestinian statehood demonstrates why Israel’s next government must stand firmly against another dangerous territorial concession. AFSI believes the lesson is clear: security requires Israeli sovereignty and control—not another Palestinian state.

Source:
Netanyahu Reaffirms ‘No Palestinian State’ as Ra’am Works To Oust Right, by Hana Levi Julian/The Jewish Edition, August 23, 2026

Regavim Movement filed an administrative petition with the Jerusalem District Court on Sunday against Defense Minister Israel Katz, Minister in the Defense Ministry Bezalel Smotrich, the IDF Central Command chief, and the deputy head of the Civil Administration, demanding that the authorities immediately fulfill their legal obligations and enforce the law against two illegal permanent structures built on declared state land in Area C, adjacent to the Bar Kochba community in the Gush Etzion Regional Council.

“This is a blatant criminal encroachment built in the heart of the area designated for the community’s expansion. It effectively blocks the planned access road and poses a tangible security threat to motorists and the entire surrounding area.”

AFSI Insight
This story is another troubling example of the Palestinian Authority’s quiet, systematic campaign to seize control of Area C through illegal construction and facts on the ground. In the heart of Gush Etzion, illegal structures are being used to block access to the strategically important Bar Kochba community—while the Israeli government, despite recognizing the community’s national and security importance, fails to enforce its own laws.

AFSI believes there can be no Israeli strategy for Judea and Samaria without decisive enforcement on the ground. If Israel allows the PA to determine where Israelis can build, travel, and establish communities, it is effectively surrendering sovereignty one piece of land at a time. The government must act immediately to remove the illegal structures, restore access, and make clear that Judea and Samaria will not be lost through bureaucratic inaction.

Source:
In the heart of Gush Etzion: PA blocking access to village, government dragging its feet, by Uzi Baruch/Israel National News, August 23, 2026

Minister of Settlements and National Missions Orit Strock revealed Friday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seriously considered a request to hold this year’s 8 Elul prayer inside the Gaza Strip but ultimately decided not to approve it.

Strock made the remarks during a prayer service and fast held at Migdal Kissufim, overlooking Gaza, marking 21 years since the burning of the synagogues in Gush Katif. The event was organized by the Gush Katif Residents’ Headquarters and Prof. Yoel Elitzur and was attended by rabbis and public figures.

According to Strock, about two weeks ago, following a meeting of the Security Cabinet, she handed Netanyahu a letter signed by 20 senior Religious Zionist rabbis requesting that this year’s 8 Elul prayer be held inside Gaza.

AFSI Insight
AFSI sees this revelation as significant because it highlights the continuing debate over Jewish sovereignty and Jewish presence in Gaza. The fact that Prime Minister Netanyahu seriously considered allowing Jewish prayer inside Gaza—and that 20 prominent Religious Zionist rabbis supported the request—demonstrates that the idea of returning Jewish life to areas abandoned in the Gush Katif expulsion remains very much alive. AFSI prays that Israel will not repeat the mistake of abandoning Jewish communities and will ultimately restore a permanent Jewish presence in Gaza as part of Israel’s long-term security and national strategy.

Source:
Strock reveals: ‘Netanyahu considered permitting prayer inside Gaza – then said no’, by Hezki Baruch/Israel National News, August 21, 2026

The Israel Lands Authority, which manages most of the lands in Israel, on Tuesday announced it would market to contractors and entrepreneurs the first 1,400 housing units of E1 (“East 1”), a strategically significant area in Judea and Samaria. Contractors who win the bids will construct the units.

The importance of E1 lies in its location. The 12-square-kilometer (4.6-sq.-mile) area sits between Ma’ale Adumim, a Jewish city of about 40,000 in the Judean Desert, and Jerusalem.

Once built up, E1 will connect Ma’ale Adumim to the capital, forming a larger metropolis, preventing the Palestinian Authority from surrounding Jerusalem with its own metropolis, which would include Ramallah, eastern parts of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. (The P.A. intends to wrest from Israel eastern sections of Jerusalem for its own future capital.)

Israeli security analysts have long warned that Jerusalem will become a border town if the surrounding Arab settlement is allowed to continue unhindered. The answer, they say, is E1, which would protect Jerusalem, drive a wedge through the nearly contiguous Arab settlement enveloping it and ensure Jewish territorial contiguity eastward to the Jordan Valley.

AFSI Insight
AFSI welcomes the marketing of the first 1,400 housing units in the E1 corridor, a strategically vital area connecting Jerusalem with Ma’ale Adumim. This is more than a housing project—it strengthens Israel’s presence in Judea and Samaria, reinforces Jerusalem’s security and territorial continuity, and prevents the creation of a Palestinian corridor that could threaten Israel’s capital. AFSI has long advocated for development and sovereignty in this critical area, and views moving E1 from planning to actual construction as an important step toward securing Israel’s future.

Source:
Israel markets first 1,400 units in strategic E1 corridor, by David Isaac/JNS, August 19, 2026

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir is preparing a broad operational overhaul of policing in Judea and Samaria once enforcement powers, Border Police command and administrative-order authorities are transferred from the defense establishment to the Israel Police.

According to a report by Channel 14 military correspondent Hallel Bitton Rosen, Ben Gvir’s plan includes immediate administrative orders against far-left activists, renewed Border Police operations inside Arab cities, weapons searches in Hebron, new Border Police bases inside Areas A and B, and joint training with civilian security squads in Israeli communities.

The plan would mark a substantial change from the current arrangement, under which Judea and Samaria Border Police operates under IDF operational command and many enforcement authorities remain in the hands of the defense establishment.

The first step in Ben Gvir’s plan would be the issuance of 20 administrative orders against far-left activists, particularly activists operating in the southern Hebron Hills.

AFSI Insight
AFSI welcomes the move toward stronger, more independent Israeli policing throughout Judea and Samaria. If Israel is serious about security and sovereignty, it must have the authority and the forces on the ground to enforce the law—not remain dependent on the Palestinian Authority or constrained by the Oslo framework. Establishing Border Police bases in Areas A and B and preparing local communities for mass-infiltration scenarios are important steps toward greater Israeli control. But AFSI believes these measures, while a step in the right direction, should be part of a broader policy of asserting Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria and finally moving beyond Oslo, rather than simply reorganizing enforcement under the existing arrangement.

Source:
Ben Gvir’s Day-After Plan for Judea and Samaria Policing: Arrest Orders, Border Police Raids and New Bases in Areas A and B, by The News Desk/The Jewish Edition, August 18, 2026