Category: Articles

The first framework agreement in Judea and Samaria was signed on Sunday in a ceremony in Karnei Shomron, with the participation of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Housing and Construction Minister Chaim Katz, Israel Land Authority Director Yehuda Eliyahu, and Karnei Shomron Council Head Yehonatan Kuznitz.

According to the agreement, about 6,000 new housing units are expected to be built, along with major investments in infrastructure, public buildings, education, culture, transportation, commercial and employment areas, and public space development.

It was also reported that the plan is expected to expand the boundaries of Karnei Shomron and strengthen its status as a major regional center in the heart of Samaria. The agreement also includes investments in older neighborhoods and improvements to residents’ quality of life as part of a long-term development plan.

AFSI Insight
We applaud Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for linking the growth of Karnei Shomron to a renewed push for Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria. The elevation of Karnei Shomron to city status and the planned investment in thousands of new housing units are tangible evidence that Jewish communities in the region are thriving despite international pressure and diplomatic opposition.

Source:
Smotrich Pushes Sovereignty before November Elections as Karnei Shomron Turns into a City, by The News Desk/The Jewish Edition, June 15, 2026

Personnel from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, assisted by security forces, completed a special operation to reclaim state-owned land of significant historical and archaeological importance in the City of David in eastern Jerusalem on Monday.

According to authorities, Palestinian squatters illegally living on the land damaging heritage sites, including burial tunnels dating back to the Second Temple period.

Evidence of antiquities looting was identified in burial caves, which had been used as warehouses and unregulated animal pens.

AFSI Insight
Israel’s reclamation of state land in the City of David is an important step in protecting Jerusalem’s archaeological, historical, and national heritage. The City of David contains some of the strongest physical evidence of the Jewish people’s ancient connection to Jerusalem and safeguarding these sites is essential to preserving historical truth. The City of David is widely regarded as the core of ancient Jerusalem and has yielded some of Israel’s most significant archaeological discoveries.

Source:
Israel Reclaims State Land In City Of David Heritage Site, by Pesach Benson/TPS-IL, June 15, 2026

More than two and a half years after the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre across southern Israel, not one of the terrorists detained for taking part in the attack has been brought to trial, according to a new report by Israel’s State Comptroller, who warned that the delay is harming deterrence and denying justice to the victims and their families.

“Bringing justice to the Hamas terrorists who committed crimes during the October 7 terror attack is of utmost importance, from a legal, moral and public perspective,” outgoing State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman said.

The report faulted the state for failing to prepare for the mass detention of security prisoners after Oct. 7, as Israel’s prisons absorbed thousands of Palestinians arrested during the war. According to the report, the number of security prisoners held by Israel jumped by about 92 percent during the war, from 5,200 to roughly 10,000, worsening an already severe shortage of prison space. By October 2025, Israel’s total prison population had reached 23,400.

AFSI Insight
The failure to bring any of the captured October 7 terrorists to trial is a grave miscarriage of justice and a troubling sign of institutional paralysis. Justice delayed is justice denied—for the victims, their families, and the State of Israel itself. Prolonged delay weakens deterrence and undermines public confidence in the legal system. The establishment of special tribunals is needed. It must include extraordinary legal mechanisms to address the unique nature of the October 7 atrocities, viewing the attack not as a collection of isolated crimes but as a coordinated campaign of mass murder, torture, rape, kidnapping, and attempted genocide against the Jewish people. Just as with the post-World War II Nuremberg trials, the world must see the full scope of Hamas’s crimes documented and prosecuted in a public and historic forum.

Source:
‘It Should Look Like Nuremberg’: Why Israel Has Yet to Put a Single Oct. 7 Terrorist on Trial, by Debbie Weiss/The Algemeiner, June 11, 2026

A major and bombshell Israeli government briefing document released in May presents a meticulous, footnoted case that the United Nations spent two years systematically transforming Hamas terrorist propaganda into a globally accepted fact. It details how UN agencies systematically laundered Hamas propaganda, inflated casualty figures, and manufactured a false narrative that shaped global policy and fueled antisemitism worldwide.

The report, titled “Laundering Propaganda: How UN Actors Manipulated Information in the Gaza War (2023-2025),” was produced by Israel’s Ministry of Defense and is based exclusively on open sources, meaning every finding can be independently verified. It does not target fringe UN bodies already known for anti-Israel bias, such as the UN Commission of Inquiry or Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese. Instead, it focuses on agencies widely regarded as reliable, such as OCHA,

AFSI Insight
The UN’s disproportionate focus on condemning Israel has undermined its credibility and contributed to the spread of anti-Israel propaganda. In doing so, the UN has abandoned its founding principles of neutrality and has instead become a vehicle for amplifying Hamas-generated narratives against Israel. Too often the UN enables narratives that demonize Israel while ignoring Hamas’s systematic exploitation of civilian infrastructure and humanitarian aid for military purposes. Genuine peace and security cannot be achieved when international institutions reward terrorism with political legitimacy.

Source:
How the UN became Hamas’s most powerful propaganda tool, by Tamar Stein/Israel365News, June 10, 2026

“Rather than confronting the security threat posed by the Palestinian Authority, the United Kingdom and other countries have chosen to impose sanctions on civilian leaders in Judea and Samaria,” said Yisrael Ganz, Governor of the Binyamin Regional Council and Chairman of the Yesha Council, in response to the new sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom and other countries on “settler” entities and individuals, as well as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

“Strengthening the Palestinian Authority does not advance peace or stability; it increases the security risk facing every Israeli citizen. With the financial support it receives from foreign governments, the Palestinian Authority continues to fund terrorists and their families, promote incitement to terrorism through its education system, and maintain an armed force of tens of thousands of members of its security services just minutes from Jerusalem and Israel’s central population centers,” he stated.

AFSI Insight
The latest sanctions demonstrate the futility of relying on the Palestinian Authority as a partner for peace. Rather than succumbing to pressure from European nations, Israel should move toward extending sovereignty in Judea and Samaria and reducing the authority and influence of the PA, which is an obstacle to security and Jewish historical rights in the region. Rewarding the PA while punishing Israeli communities sends a dangerous message that terrorism and diplomatic warfare against Israel yield results.

Source:
Binyamin Governor: ‘Response to sanctions must be dismantling of the PA’, by Israel National News, June 9, 2026

The war with Iran resumed Sunday night. A barrage of ballistic missiles were fired at the State of Israel by Iran at around 10:20pm Sunday. About ten ballistic missiles were intercepted over the Jezreel Valley, and interceptions were also seen in the skies over Jerusalem.

Red Alert sirens blared throughout northern Israel from the Mediterranean coast to Lake Kinneret, in the Golan Heights and throughout the Galilee as well as in the Sharon region, as Iran’s proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah, launched a simultaneous attack against the Jewish State.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation this evening (Monday), following the announcement that Israel and Iran will not continue their mutual attacks stating that Israel would not tolerate any further attacks by Iran.

AFSI Insight
Iran’s renewed missile attacks on Israel are further proof that the Iranian regime remains committed to Israel’s destruction and cannot be trusted to honor ceasefires or diplomatic agreements. Israel has both the right and the obligation to respond decisively to any aggression directed at its citizens and strategic assets. Israel’s security cannot be subordinated to international pressure or temporary political arrangements. The renewed attacks demonstrate the dangers of relying on negotiations with regimes and terrorist proxies that continue to pursue armed confrontation. The international community should clearly condemn Iran’s aggression rather than focus on restraining Israel’s response.

Sources:
BREAKING: Iran Renews Missile Fire at Israel; Officials Declare War Has Resumed, by Hana Levi Julian/The Jewish Edition, June 7, 2026

Netanyahu: ‘If Iran attacks again, we’ll respond with force’, by Israel National News, June 8, 2026

One Man, 30, was killed and five others were injured on Sunday, with injuries ranging from critical to moderate and light, in a shooting attack that unfolded across multiple locations in the Sharon region and along the seam line in central Israel. At around 10:34 a.m., emergency centers received urgent reports of an active shooting spree carried out by a terrorist cell from a moving vehicle at four different locations: Kokhav Ya’ir, Tzur Yitzhak, Tzur Natan, and the settlement of Sal’it.

The communities of Kokhav Ya’ir, Tzur Yitzhak, Tzur Natan, and Sal’it are located along the seam line, very close to the city of Qalqilya and the Samaria region. This area has been under heightened alert in recent weeks due to an increase in attempted attacks against Israeli targets.

AFSI Insight
This deadly series of attacks is further evidence of the persistent terrorist threat facing Israeli civilians and the urgent need for stronger security measures throughout Judea, Samaria, and Israel’s border communities. The attack tragically reinforces the lesson that Israel’s security cannot be compromised. Increased counterterrorism efforts, stronger protection for vulnerable communities, and continued Israeli sovereignty and security control over areas are critical to preventing future attacks. The murder of innocent civilians is a stark reminder of why Israel must remain vigilant and unwavering in defending its people.

Source:
One Dead, 5 Wounded in 4 Separate Terrorist Attacks, by David Israel/The Jewish Edition, June 7, 2026

The CEO of the Israel Electric Corporation, Meir Spiegler, conducted a professional working visit this week to the Gush Etzion Regional Council.

The visit, led by Council Head Yaron Rosenthal, was intended to examine firsthand the region’s evolving infrastructure needs in light of rapid population growth and the development of new neighborhoods.

During the tour, Rosenthal presented the council’s development plans to the Israel Electric Corporation’s senior management. The two sides discussed in depth several critical issues concerning the region’s future.

AFSI Insight
The advancement of a direct electrical connection between Gush Etzion and Jerusalem is another important step in strengthening the permanent integration of Judea and Samaria with the rest of Israel. A strong infrastructure—roads, utilities, communications, and public services—is essential to ensuring a thriving Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria. Connecting Gush Etzion directly to Jerusalem’s power grid reflects the natural geographic, historic, and strategic relationship between the two areas, while improving the quality of life for residents. It is also a practical expression of Israel’s governance and sovereignty. Reliable infrastructure not only serves current residents but encourages future growth and reinforces Israel’s long-term security interests in the region.

Source:
Israel Electric Corp. advances direct power connection between Gush Etzion and Jerusalem, by Israel National News, June 5, 2026

A new poll published ahead of the Sovereignty Movement conference in Jerusalem, with the participation of ministers and Members of Knesset, shows that a majority of the Jewish public in Israel supports applying Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria. A breakdown of the data according to voting patterns in the last election points to especially broad support among voters of coalition parties.

Leaders of the Sovereignty Movement view the findings as further evidence of the dramatic shift that has taken place in Israeli public discourse since the outbreak of the war, and are calling for sovereignty to be applied even before the upcoming elections.

AFSI Insight
AFSI welcomes the poll’s findings as evidence that a strong majority of Israelis support extending Israeli sovereignty to Judea and Samaria and reject the notion that such policies are outside the national consensus. AFSI has consistently maintained that Judea and Samaria are the historic and biblical heartland of the Jewish people and that Israeli sovereignty is both a national right and a security necessity. This poll demonstrates growing public recognition that permanent Israeli control of these areas is essential for Israel’s security, particularly in the aftermath of ongoing regional threats and terrorism. It is imperative now that Israeli leaders act on the will of the public by advancing sovereignty measures rather than yielding to international pressure or pursuing policies that could lead to the creation of a Palestinian state. The poll is also proof that support for sovereignty extends well beyond ideological circles and reflects the views of a broad segment of Israeli society.

Source:
New poll shows commanding majority favors sovereignty, by Israel National News, June 4, 2026

At an event held on Sunday to mark the first anniversary of Merom Yehuda, Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, the Chief Rabbi of Tzfat and a member of the Chief Rabbinate Council, called on the Prime Minister and all the decision makers to establish a synagogue on the Temple Mount.

On Sunday, Rabbi Eliyahu said, “…I want to call on all Knesset members, all ministers, the Prime Minister, and all decision makers: the time has come to build a synagogue on the Temple Mount.”

“In the end, nothing belongs more to the people of Israel than this holy place. If we see prophecies coming true here, in the hills of Judea, Samaria, Benjamin, and everywhere, then certainly in the heart of the Land of Israel and the heart of the people of Israel, in the place where God’s eyes and heart are, there should be settlement,” Rabbi Eliyahu added.

AFSI Insight
Rabbi Eliyahu’s call for the establishment of a synagogue on the Temple Mount is a significant expression of Jewish sovereignty and historic rights in Jerusalem. His proposal is a part of the broader effort to restore and protect Jewish rights on the Temple Mount, which have been unnecessarily restricted for decades. Jewish prayer and worship at the site should be treated no differently than Muslim worship. Israeli leaders should assert full sovereignty over the Mount.

Source:
Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu: Time to Build a Synagogue on Temple Mount, by David Israel/The Jewish Edition, June 3, 2026