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Sunday, September 14, 2025

09/14 Links: Wasn't Hell Supposed to Break Loose if the U.S. Struck Iran?; The Hamas unit that hunts Palestinians; Labour’s betrayal of Israel

From Ian:

Wasn't Hell Supposed to Break Loose if the U.S. Struck Iran?
For decades, American officials have averred that a U.S. attack on Iran would provoke a forever war in the Middle East. American officials saw any foreign intrusion as a gift to the regime, sure to revive its domestic fortunes. They assumed that the Iranian people, under threat, would set aside their grievances and tolerate, if not embrace, their Islamist overlords.

The aftermath of this summer's 12-day war should bury these assumptions. More than 400 Iranian VIPs, including 30 Iranian generals and several nuclear scientists, might have died. But there have been no massive state-orchestrated rallies. There's no glory in national disgrace. Staging demonstrations to celebrate men who died in their apartments doesn't uplift the revolutionary cadre's morale.

Instead, the mullahs and the IRGC have launched a vicious campaign of repression. Iranian authorities have arrested about 20,000 people and executed 262. This isn't about counterespionage; it's about intimidating a society that hasn't rallied around the flag.

When selling his Iran nuclear deal, President Obama dismissed those who thought that "surgical strikes against Iran's facilities will be quick and painless." On June 4, talk-show host Tucker Carlson tweeted: "The first week of a war with Iran could easily kill thousands of Americans." Clearly, he was mistaken.
Dozens of Mossad women penetrated Iran during 12-Day War- exclusive
Dozens of Mossad women penetrated Iran and had boots on the ground, performing a variety of operations during Israel’s attacks on Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs in June, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

Critically, the Post has come to understand that Mossad director David Barnea views the role that female Mossad agents played during the Israel-Iran war as very substantial.

While the exact nature of what these women did, exactly, is still classified, in 2024, a senior female Mossad agent, only known as “G” with an Iranian background and special expertise in Iran and in recruiting foreign spies in hostile countries, was honored with lighting a torch in the Independence Day ceremony.

Notably, Michael Bar Zohar’s and Nissim Mishal’s 2021 book The Mossad Amazons described female Mossad agents not only seducing enemy male officials and performing surveillance on Iran’s nuclear sites, but also carrying out kinetic and other attack operations.

While the Mossad does not wish to draw too much attention to any one subgroup of potential spies, the Post’s impression is that the spy agency’s women of 2025 are only doing more of every kind of undercover role as compared to their sisters of yesterday. As it stands, Barnea sent hundreds of Mossad agents, or individuals being managed by agents, into operations in Iran simultaneously. All of the varying groups of staff were highly coordinated.

The spy chief directed a project that led to a diverse spectrum of agents, encompassing a wide range of operatives and their varied backgrounds, one could imagine.

On top of actual Israeli Mossad agents, the spy service has reached new levels in recruiting and training local dissident Iranian assets to act against the ayatollahs’ regime.

Collectively, the Mossad agents in Tehran targeted large numbers of radar platforms and ballistic missiles. Further, they provided targeting information to Israeli fighter jets for a broad range of other Iranian targets.

The Mossad’s opening shot was so stunningly effective that Iran was only able to counterstrike Israel on the second day of the war.
Jake Wallis Simons: The ignorance and idiocy of Hollywood’s Israel boycott
In Israel, there is a thriving television and film industry, which in recent years has become admired around the world. If you are one of the few people who have not watched the thriller, Fauda, a global sensation in Hebrew and Arabic that is particularly popular in the Arab world, binge it immediately; a new season is due for release in the coming months.

Shtisel is another example of Israeli creativity, though in a very different way; it is a profound and reflective series about life in ultra-orthodox Jerusalem. And the brilliant Hatufim, or Prisoners of War, which was the model for American smash hit Homeland, is harder to track down but well worth the effort.

For those with arthouse tastes, I’d recommend The Band’s Visit, a lovely little film about the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra travelling from Egypt to perform in Israel and getting lost in a small town in the Negev desert.

Good stuff. It’s no surprise, really. As the only democracy in the Middle East, which faces enemies on every border and holds a remarkable history of anguish and triumph, the Jewish State has much material on which to draw.

The fact that it has a vibrant gay scene – Tel Aviv hosts one of the best Pride parades on Earth, I’m told – is testament to its liberal heart, despite the far-right thugs temporarily in its governing coalition. And where you find an open society, you find a vibrant arts scene.

Palestine, not so much. Whether on the West Bank or in Gaza, this is a place where it can be fatal to be homosexual. This was appallingly demonstrated by the 2022 murder of Ahmad Abu Marhia, a gay Palestinian who was kidnapped from Israel where he was seeking refuge, dragged back to Hebron and beheaded.

Television programmes and films are produced by Palestinians, of course, but suffice to say that none of them has appealed to Western tastes. Our enthusiasm for their culture seems limited to that which we can appropriate, like the keffiyeh. Anything that requires a deeper engagement with the autocratic society that has laboured so long under corrupt and brutal leaders is rather more tricky.

What I’m getting at is this. If an alien descended and was asked whether actors in the West would tend to boycott the democracy or the extremist state, it surely would plump for the latter. The values of toleration, individual rights and free association that we hold most dear must surely be promoted.
The Hamas unit that hunts Palestinians
Hamas is a genocidal terrorist organization committed to Israel’s destruction. But some of its foremost victims aren’t Israeli Jews. Rather, they’re Arab. And a newly formed group, the Arrow Unit, exemplifies how Hamas maintains its grip on power, even now, nearly two years into one of the worst wars the Middle East has seen in decades.

On Aug. 25, an Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital in Gaza killed several people. The strike received widespread coverage in the corporate media. The usual suspects — the New York Times, the United Nations, and a host of foreign-funded nongovernmental organizations — condemned the Jewish state. Yet most failed to note the hospital’s long-standing use as a base for Hamas operations.

The terrorist group has used hospitals to shelter munitions and operatives, as command centers, even to hide many of the more than 200 people Hamas took hostage when it invaded Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, perpetrating the largest slaughter of Jewish civilians since the Holocaust. Nasser Hospital, located in Khan Younis, was no exception.

Indeed, in late June 2025, the hospital was the scene of a clash between the Arrow Unit, one of Hamas’s most feared but little-known detachments, and a Palestinian clan. The Arrow Unit has received scant attention from the Western press. But it is key to Hamas’s maintaining its hold on Gaza.

Hamas’s Ministry of Interior formed the Arrow Unit in late 2024. According to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, the group was “ostensibly created to act as law enforcement” but, since it began operating, has instead “carried out public beatings, shootings and executions of Palestinians who are deemed to be criminals or colluding with Israel.”

According to Joe Truzman, a senior analyst with the FDD, the Arrow Unit’s membership is drawn from multiple sources in Gaza, including police officers, operatives belonging to the Ministry of Interior’s security branches, fighters belonging to terrorist factions, and civilian volunteers. Maj. Gen. Mahmoud Salah, a former Hamas police chief, reportedly played a central role in the unit’s formation before he was killed in an Israeli strike in early 2025.

The unit has largely flown under the radar, overlooked by major press outlets and the policymakers they influence. Truzman and the FDD are among a mere handful of experts and organizations that have profiled the group.

There is evidence of unit hierarchy and organization. Like Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist organizations, the group typically operates in civilian attire, enabling members to blend in and escape detection. And while no official figures on manpower exist, “the unit’s operational tempo and its ability to publicize activities online point to a force of at least several dozen, potentially reaching into the low hundreds,” of members, Truzman said.

The purpose of the Arrow Unit is clear: to instill fear in Palestinians in Gaza. Fear, after all, is an essential tool for all autocrats, and Hamas is no exception.




Andrew Fox: Labour’s betrayal of Israel
Israel is not just another country. It is a crucial partner, providing the UK with vital arms and counter-terror intelligence. How long before Jerusalem begins to question if Britain under Labour is truly a reliable ally?

The problem goes all the way to the top. In August, Starmer recklessly and prematurely decided to recognise a Palestinian state. And this week, he chose the very day of a terror attack in Jerusalem to welcome the head of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, to London. This is the same Palestinian Authority that literally pays stipends to terrorists and their families for killing Jews. Following the Palestinian terror attack in Jerusalem on Monday, the minimum response from Starmer should have been to cancel Abbas’s visit. The Palestinian Authority is not a credible partner for peace.

There’s more. Labour banned Israeli officials from attending the DSEI, the defence industry’s flagship exhibition, which was hosted in London this past week. This reflects political dogma rather than security considerations, and it could cut off one of the very diplomatic channels through which Britain sustains the hard-power advantage it needs.

And on Tuesday, Labour showed once again where its allegiances lie. It condemned an Israeli strike on a meeting in Doha of Hamas higher-ups – the architects of the worst mass slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust – as a ‘flagrant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty’.

This all highlights Labour’s grotesquely misplaced priorities. How can Britain’s Jewish community feel secure when ministers cannot even attend a rally against anti-Semitism? A government that refuses to support its Jewish citizens at home, while neglecting British influence abroad, cannot be trusted to keep this country safe.
UK bans Israelis from enrolling in prestigious defense academy from next year
The Royal College of Defence Studies, one of Britain’s most eminent military academies, has banned Israelis from enrolling from next year, due to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, the UK government confirmed to British media on Sunday.

A UK Defense Ministry spokesman told The Telegraph that while British defense programs were open to personnel from a “wide range of countries, with all UK military courses emphasizing compliance with international humanitarian law… the Israeli government’s decision to further escalate its military operation in Gaza is wrong.”

The spokesman added that “there must be a diplomatic solution to end this war now, with an immediate ceasefire, the return of the hostages, and a surge in humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.”

It marked the first time that the prestigious college banned Israelis since its establishment in 1927. Defense Ministry Director General Maj. Gen. (res.) Amir Baram and IDF spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin are among the Israeli officers who have attended the school.

Baram denounced the move as a “discriminatory” and a “profoundly dishonorable act of disloyalty to an ally at war,” according to a letter to the UK Defense Ministry cited by The Telegraph.

The move was a “disgraceful break with Britain’s proud tradition of tolerance — and plain decency,” Baram wrote, noting that Israel was “defending international shipping from Houthi aggression, preventing nuclear weapons from falling into the hands of an Islamist regime that chants ‘Death to England,’ and fighting to bring home 48 hostages from Hamas captivity.”


Rubio touches down in Israel
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Israel on Sunday for meetings in Jerusalem with top officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“My focus will be on securing the return of hostages, finding ways to make sure humanitarian aid reaches civilians, and addressing the threat posed by Hamas,” said Rubio ahead of his departure.

“Hamas cannot continue to exist if peace in the region is the goal,” he added.

Rubio on Sunday afternoon visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City, accompanied by Netanyahu and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.

The prime minister and the secretary of state offered a joint prayer for the hostages’ safety, as well as a special prayer in honor of U.S. President Donald Trump, “a true friend of the Jewish people and the State of Israel,” according to Netanyahu’s office.

“I think [Rubio’s] visit here is a testament to the resilience and strength of the U.S.-Israel alliance, which is as enduring and strong as the stones of the Western Wall we just touched,” said the premier.

“Under President Trump, Secretary Rubio and all their team, this alliance has never been stronger, and we greatly appreciate it. Not only on behalf of the people of Israel today, but also on behalf of the generations of Jews who came before us, with the hope that we will rebuild our nation with friends like you,” Netanyahu added.

Afterward, the two placed notes between the stones of the Western Wall and toured the archaeological site in the Western Wall tunnels.

Tommy Pigott, principal deputy spokesperson for the State Department, stated on Friday that Rubio “will convey America’s priorities in the Israel-Hamas conflict and broader issues concerning Middle Eastern security, reaffirming U.S. commitment to Israeli security.”

Discussions will also center on “our commitment to fight anti-Israel actions, including unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state that rewards Hamas terrorism, and lawfare.” The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants against Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and at the International Court of Justice, Israel is defending itself against charges of genocide lodged by South Africa.


UN Watch: From Gaza’s Prison to a Global Voice for Peace – Rami Aman Speaks Out
In a rare interview, released on video today by Swiss human rights group UN Watch, a Gaza peace activist formerly imprisoned by Hamas reveals how the terrorist organization exercises influence over UNRWA’s 13,000 employees in Gaza, dominates Al Jazeera media coverage, loots and sells humanitarian aid — and how an Amnesty International researcher got him arrested for promoting peace.

As reported worldwide in April 2020, Aman and his fellow Gaza youth activists were imprisoned by Hamas for organizing a Zoom dialogue to build bridges for peace between Palestinians and Israelis. Following a months-long campaign led by UN Watch, Aman was released, and now lives abroad.

Following are highlights from Rami Aman’s video interview published today.

“Hamas Controlled the Media Inside Gaza, Does Not Allow Any Protests”

For nearly a decade leading up to his arrest, Aman was leading protests against Hamas from inside Gaza. But Al Jazeera’s cameras were nowhere to be found, he said, “because Hamas controlled the media inside Gaza.”

“From 2011 until 2019, I was organizing demonstrations and protests against Hamas. The big one was in 2017, in January. I was with other friends calling the people to go to the streets to let Hamas solve the electricity crisis, to let Hamas find for us a job. They shot at us and no media talked about us. Because of what? Because Hamas controlled the media inside Gaza and outside Gaza.”

“For many Palestinians, Al Jazeera not trusted inside Gaza. No Palestinian in Gaza watches Al Jazeera. No Palestinian in Gaza trusts in UNRWA. No Palestinian in Gaza trust in all of these media.”

“Hamas does not allow any protest inside Gaza calling for peace, or asking Hamas to end the war. But Hamas welcomes any kind of a protest happening in Israel. You will not find Al Jazeera cover any demonstration in Gaza calling for peace or calling to end the war. But you will find Al Jazeera cameras over the Israeli community, because they want the pressure comes from there, from Israel, not from Gaza.”

“If You Are Not Hamas, You Won’t Work at UNRWA”

“In 2007, Hamas started to control everything in Gaza. The media, UNRWA, the private sector… UNRWA was one of these organizations that Hamas distributed their leaders inside, and distributed their employees. Because in UNRWA, it’s like a very good salary for them, and it’s not for all people in Gaza.”

“Hamas started from 2009 to enter that syndicate of the employees inside Gaza and lead this kind of syndicate and also start like to make interviews for the people inside UNRWA. If you are not Hamas, you will not work there.”




Yair Lapid: Every Year the UN Passes a Series of Resolutions Against Israel. Nobody Cares
In 2021, while I was serving as Israel's foreign minister, the UN General Assembly passed a series of resolutions against Israel. A year later, in 2022, when I was prime minister, the General Assembly passed yet another series of resolutions against Israel. Nobody cared.

The fact that the UN meets and votes against Israel is like rain in London: that's just what it does. They gather, deliver the same speech as last year, vote the same way as last year, and then head to dinner.

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, of the UN's 193 member states, only 25 are "full democracies," with another 46 "flawed democracies." In other words, in every vote, in every resolution, non-democracies hold an automatic majority. And they use it without the slightest qualm.

That's how Iran sat on the UN Commission on the Status of Women in 2022, as Mahsa Amini was murdered. Syria chaired the Conference on Disarmament in 2018 while gassing its own citizens. North Korea presided over the same disarmament conference in 2022 while openly brandishing nuclear weapons.

The UN's treatment of Israel is the diplomatic equivalent of a psychotic episode. Israel makes up 0.1% of the world's population, yet accounts for more than 60% of the UN's condemnatory resolutions in the past decade.

The total expenditure of the UN system tops $70 billion. Most of that money comes from the U.S. and the EU. It isn't being used to advance "the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family, as the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world," as the UN charter promises.
Israeli ministers call for annexation after UN vote on ‘Palestine’
Israeli ministers on Saturday night called on the government to annex Judea and Samaria, after the U.N. General Assembly voted to adopt the so-called New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine, which outlines the implementation of a two-state solution and the path towards recognition of a Palestinian state.

“The fact that a diplomatic attack on Israel is met with Israeli silence—is unacceptable and cannot continue,” said Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who is also a minister in the Defense Ministry responsible for overseeing civilian issues related to Judea and Samaria.

“France and other countries are openly acting against Israel. Israel must apply Israeli sovereignty as a preventive measure against the reckless attempt to establish a terror state in the heart of our land,” he added.

Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin called the U.N. decision “a reward for terrorism,” adding that a Palestinian state will never be established.

“The Land of Israel belongs to the people of Israel,” he added. “Even the U.N. decision will not change that. It is time to apply sovereignty to Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley. This is the appropriate Zionist response.”

Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu said the U.N. had transformed from an organization that recognized the Jews’ right to a state in 1947 into “a circus that rewards murderers.”

“An organization in which 57 Muslim countries and African dictatorships have an automatic majority is not only irrelevant, it is dangerous,” he said. “Its resolutions have no meaning, and the time has come for President Trump to lead to its replacement with a sane alternative.

“No invented state will arise for an invented people,” he continued. “There has never been a Palestinian state and there never will be.”


Olmert tells Al Jazeera ‘sorry’ for death of Hamas leader’s son
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Saturday expressed regret over the collateral damage caused by Israel’s Sept. 9 airstrike on Hamas leadership in Doha, Qatar.

During an interview with Qatari news outlet Al Jazeera, Olmert said he was “sorry” for the death of Hamam al-Hayya, the son of Hamas’s main negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya, who is described by Al Jazeera as “now one of five leaders steering Hamas’s leadership council.”

“A child should not be a victim … neither should his wife, who was hurt. We are fighting terrorism and they will be punished when the time comes, but the family is another matter,” he told Al Jazeera. The Qatar-based outlet has been banned in Israel and many Arab countries for disseminating Islamist propaganda.

Olmert also criticized the timing and location of the attack, which reportedly killed five junior Hamas members, including al-Hayya’s son, but failed to hit the main targets.

“Killing the negotiating team means you don’t want negotiations and you don’t want the release of the hostages. All Hamas members should be punished, but the strike in Doha was not in the right place or at the right time,” said Olmert.

Khalil al-Hayya reportedly survived, though he did not attend his son’s funeral, fueling speculation about his condition, Israel’s Channel 12 News reported. Hamas claimed Israel’s attempt to assassinate him had failed.

Asked by Channel 12 whether his comments had been taken out of context, Olmert said, “I don’t think it’s right to eliminate family members of terrorists” but that Hamas leaders are legitimate military targets.

“All members of the Hamas negotiating team are terrorists and therefore mortal. I would have eliminated them—but not during negotiations, and not in Qatar, which assists in these talks,” he told Channel 12.

Olmert has made a series of controversial statements in recent years.


Spanish PM ‘politicized’ La Vuelta cycling race 'to hide scandals,' Jewish leader tells 'Post'
Spanish-Jewish businessman and philanthropist David Hatchwell Altaras accused Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of “politicizing” Spain’s Vuelta a España and using Israel as a “smokescreen” after pro-Palestinian protests disrupted and ultimately forced the abandonment of the race’s final stage in Madrid on Sunday.

“Spain's government and its corrupt Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, have decided to use the smokescreen of Israel to hide his many personal scandals. The Spanish Vuelta Ciclista, one of the world's most important cycling events, was shamefully politicized,” Hatchwell said in a message to The Jerusalem Post. He added that Sánchez “was officially congratulating the protesters for showing solidarity at the expense of destroying an international sports competition.”

Hatchwell continued: “Sanchez is an expert at creating smokescreens to hide his enormous corruption and deep ties to the Venezuelan narco regime. His wife and brother are under investigation for corruption… Sanchez uses Lawfare against the few people who dare oppose him,” citing legal pressure he and artist Nacho Cano faced this year over the Malinche musical before a higher court dropped the case. He praised ACOM, the pro-Israel advocacy group he co-founded, for “leading a tough battle against Sanchez,” and called VOX “the main pro-Israel ally in Spain,” noting party leader Santiago Abascal’s recent visits to Israel.


Anti-Israel protesters block final stage of Vuelta after drawing Spanish PM’s praise
The final stage of the Vuelta a España cycling race was shut down on Sunday after thousands of anti-Israel protesters clashed with police and invaded the course where the race was due to pass in the center of Madrid.

Around 56 kilometers (35 miles) from the finish of the major cycling event, riders came to a halt before the Vuelta was abandoned.

The massive pro-Palestinian protest was the latest and perhaps largest to disrupt the Vuelta this month. At least six of the last 10 stages of the Grand Tour race were interrupted or shortened by anti-Israel demonstrators, with over 20 people detained by police.

The protests have garnered support from Spain’s top officials, who have been harshly critical of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The Israeli team competing in the race, Israel-Premier Tech, has stayed in the event despite calls to drop out, and this weekend saw one of its riders take home an award.

On Sunday, ahead of the final stage, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the disruptions filled him with “pride.” In his first public comments on the demonstrations, Sanchez expressed his “recognition and full respect for the athletes, but also our admiration for a people like Spain’s, which mobilizes for just causes, like Palestine.”

“Spain today shines as an example and as a source of pride, an example to an international community where it sees Spain taking a step forward in the defense of human rights,” he told a Socialist party gathering in Malaga, drawing criticism from Jerusalem.

Anticipating more disruptions, Spain deployed more than 1,500 police officers ahead of the final stage of the race in Madrid to keep the protesters at bay. But it wasn’t enough.

On Gran Via, where cyclists were due to pass multiple times, protesters knocked down barriers and marched into the road, some chanting for a boycott of Israel as green and red smoke filled the air. Near Atocha, Madrid’s central train station, police charged demonstrators and fired tear gas, before letting them walk into the road.

Protesters could be heard chanting that Israel was guilty of “genocide.” Authorities later said that more than 100,000 people had taken part in the anti-Israel protest in Madrid.

Race organizers said there would be no podium presentation, as is traditional at the end of the race to celebrate the winners. The decision to abandon the stage was celebrated by protesters, who chanted that “Palestine won the Vuelta.”


Israel-Premier Tech’s Matthew Riccitello secures ‘Best Young Rider’ at Vuelta a España
Amid protests directed at the Israel—Premier Tech team, racer Matthew Riccitello made history on Saturday by securing the title of Best Young Rider at the Vuelta a España cycling competition.

On Sunday in Madrid, Riccitello will step onto the podium to receive the white jersey—the first time in the team’s history.

Riccitello clinched the title with a strong performance on the final summit of Stage 20 of the race, finishing sixth on the day and securing fifth place overall in the general classification.

Stage 20 was also marked by demonstrations by pro-Palestinian activists, which disrupted the race and forced organizers to order a detour to bypass demonstrators positioned further along the route, which began in Robledo de Chavela and ended in Bola Del Mundo, Puerto de Navacerrada.

The race concludes Sunday in Madrid, where police are preparing on an unprecedented scale in anticipation of further demonstrations.


Charlie Kirk and rabbi pal talked hours before his death: ‘He was in a combative mood’
Charlie Kirk was in high spirits and “in a combative mood” just before kicking off his American Comeback Tour at Utah Valley University, said a rabbi friend who spoke to him for an hour the night before his death.

Rabbi Pesach Wolicki, 55, an American-born cleric who lives in Israel, met with Kirk via Zoom on Tuesday night.

“He was excited to get back out on the campus tour,” said Wolicki, who said he often spoke to Kirk before public appearances to advise him on how to “defend Israel effectively.”

“We became good friends,” Wolicki told The Post, calling the 31-year-old activist “unbelievably courageous” in the face of so many Gen Z conservatives who “were turning on Israel.”

That “worried the heck out of him,” said the rabbi. “He held fast and it wasn’t easy.”

Often the people who challenged Kirk at events “bombarded him with questions about Israel,” according to Wolicki.

“Charlie was always seeking true information,” said the rabbi of his evangelical Christian friend.

Hours before the firebrand was assassinated in Utah, the two met online to prepare for the “smears against Israel” he would inevitably face during his tour of college campuses.

“He was working out talking points, playing the role of devil’s advocate, pushing us on these issues, trying to sharpen the iron,” said Wolicki, who specializes in Jewish-Christian relations.

“He was in a combative mood,” recalled the rabbi, “which is good. He was preparing for debates and attacks.”

“Charlie stood alone to a great extent in that whole Gen Z conservative world as far as being pro-Israel,” the rabbi said. “And his life would have been a whole lot easier if he wasn’t.

“There were prominent people . . . actively working to [get him to] drop his support for Israel on a daily basis. And he resisted.”


Josh Hammer: The Martyrdom of My Friend Charlie Kirk
Is this—the senseless assassination of a devoted young father and husband—finally, finally, the turning point after which America will pull itself back from brink of political violence and willful self-destruction? I'd certainly like to think so. But it is hard not to be skeptical. There was no turning point after James Hodgkinson attempted to assassinate the Republican congressional baseball team in 2017. There was no turning point after Nicholas Roske attempted to assassinate Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2022. There was no turning point after the senseless murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last year. There are too many other examples to count.

There are two easy ways we can all honor Charlie's legacy. At the time of his death, Charlie was putting the finishing touches on a book about the Sabbath—yet another biblical concept he championed in his personal life. It would be a fitting tribute to Charlie—and the Hebrew Bible-rooted form of Christianity that he, like the American Founders, so greatly championed—for more Christians and Jews alike to honor Charlie by committing to honor the Sabbath just like he did. We must also double down like never before in our commitment to free speech and the civil exchange of ideas. His martyrdom must galvanize younger conservatives like never before. We must not allow Charlie to have died in vain as a free speech martyr.

Charlie and I held a different conception of the nature of the Divine. But we shared a passion for the Judeo-Christian biblical inheritance that is the backbone of Western civilization and the reason for that civilization's superiority over the forces of darkness. As a religious Jew and a religious Christian, furthermore, we also both believed in the possibility of eternal life.

To quote the psalmist once more, then: "Though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff—they will comfort me." Charlie, always one to not merely talk the talk but also walk the walk, has now himself walked in the valley of the shadow of death. And I have no doubt that the Lord is comforting him at this very moment.

Pray for his beautiful wife, Erika, and the Kirks' two young children, who will now grow up without their father. And as for you, Charlie: Thank you for all you did. I hope to see you on the other side, my friend.


In Israel, tributes to Charlie Kirk include naming of Netanya traffic circle in his honor
Some Israelis have paid tribute to Charlie Kirk, renaming a traffic circle and painting a mural in honor of the American conservative activist assassinated this week in Utah.

In at least one case, according to pictures circulating on social media, an Israeli tank shell was inscribed with the message “In memory of Charlie Kirk,” reflecting a recurring and at times divisive practice in the Israeli army.

“Direct from Gaza. He’d be so proud,” the right-wing influencer Hillel Fuld tweeted as he shared the picture.

The practice of some soldiers writing names and messages on munitions is against IDF protocol but often goes unpunished.

Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of the youth organization Turning Point USA, visited Israel multiple times and defended it against right-wing critics, including during the current Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Israeli leaders including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were among the first voices to respond to his shooting on Wednesday, calling for prayers on his behalf.


travelingisrael.com: Charlie Kirk, Israel and America – The Civilization We Must Defend
The assassination of Charlie Kirk shook me deeply. not only as an Israeli, but as someone who sees the bond between Israel, America, and Western civilization every day. In this video, I share my reflections on Kirk’s legacy, his values, and the civilizational struggle he understood so clearly.






IDF kills Palestinian who led Oct. 7 assault on Kibbutz Alumim
The Israel Defense Forces over the past month eliminated more than 20 terrorists in Gaza, including those involved in the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre, the military announced on Sunday.

Among those killed was Yousef Mahmoud Muhammad Juma’a, head of a Hamas cell that raided Kibbutz Alumim on Oct. 7. Juma’a was responsible for planning and executing attacks against Israel and IDF troops during the conflict, according to the military.

Earlier on Sunday, the IDF struck a high-rise building used by Hamas in Gaza City, where terrorists had planted intelligence-gathering equipment and set up observation posts to monitor IDF troop movements and facilitate attacks against forces.

“The tower of cards: Gaza’s changing skyline,” Defense Minister Israel Katz tweeted on Sunday.

A day earlier, Katz wrote: “The hurricane continues to hit Gaza. The terrorist tower Burj al-Nur collapses and residents are forced to evacuate and move south.

“We are continuing to stymie observation and terrorist infrastructure and pave the way for the maneuvering forces—until Hamas is subdued and all hostages are released,” he added.

Before Sunday’s strike, the IDF took steps to minimize civilian harm, including issuing advanced warnings, using precision munitions and conducting aerial surveillance.


Censored tweet:
In a recent operation in Beit Hanoun in the far north of the Gaza Strip, the IDF and Shin Bet say at least 11 Hamas operatives were killed inside the terror group's tunnels.
According to a joint statement, in recent weeks, the military and Shin Bet have continued to operate in Beit Hanoun to demolish remaining Hamas infrastructure, including tunnels, and to eliminate "remnants of the [Beit Hanoun] battalion's terrorists."

In August, the IDF declared that Hamas's Beit Hanoun Battalion had been defeated after the final remaining gunmen there were either killed or surrendered to troops. From today's announcement, it appears that several operatives either returned to the area or were previously undiscovered.

The IDF says troops of the Gaza Division's Northern Brigade, alongside Shin Bet forces, set out for an operation last week to locate the Hamas operatives who were still in Beit Hanoun. The operation focused on the kasbah, or fortified quarter of Beit Hanoun, following indications that the operatives were holed up there, the army says.

As part of the operation, the IDF says the ground troops directed an Israeli Air Force drone to strike several sites in Beit Hanoun, including tunnel shafts and a "significant" underground route.

The IDF says that so far, the bodies of 11 Hamas operatives have been discovered inside the tunnels, including field commanders.


Israel's Ambassador Urges Apology after U.S. Rabbis' Gaza Claims
Israel's Ambassador to the U.S., Dr. Yechiel Leiter, on Thursday responded to a public letter signed by 80 American Orthodox rabbis calling for "moral clarity" from Israel regarding alleged starvation in Gaza. Leiter wrote, "Your statement not only reflects a severe unfamiliarity with the facts, but also relies on the lies of our worst enemies....Israel is the one feeding those who are firing on our children."

"Israel places no barriers, neither in quality nor in quantity, on the delivery of humanitarian aid. Had you taken the time to study the subject, you would have read the research published under the title "Debunking the Genocide Allegations: A Re-examination of the Israel-Hamas War," which refutes the allegations of famine in Gaza and demonstrates that they were based on faulty data, circular citations, and failures in source criticism."

"In the face of heavy pressures and false accusations, what is required is moral backbone and a deep belief in the justice of our cause. Sadly, your statement undermined that."

"As Israel fights for survival on seven fronts, faces international pressure, and leads historic changes in the Middle East for security and stability, this is the time to support Israel's elected government and the people of Israel, not to conduct political criticism rooted in blatant ignorance of the facts. You should apologize."


Israeli politician WARNS: This is just the beginning, we must ACT NOW (MK Amichai Chikli)
On this episode of TALX, JNS CEO and Jerusalem Bureau Chief Alex Traiman sits down with Amichai Chikli, one of Israel’s most dynamic cabinet ministers, for a conversation about Charlie Kirk, October 7, radical Islam and the internal battles shaking Western civilization.

Minister Chikli draws a bold line from 9/11 to October 7, explaining how both attacks represent the same global clash—Judeo-Christian values versus radical Islam. But he goes further, warning of a second front: the rise of neo-Marxist, postmodern ideologies eroding faith, family, and freedom from within. Speaking personally, he reveals how anti-government protests in Israel have crossed the line from dissent to intimidation, targeting his own young children on their way to school.

The conversation covers:
The deeper meaning of October 7 as part of a global clash of civilizations
How faith and Judeo-Christian identity anchor freedom and resilience
The growing internal war within the West: woke ideologies vs. conservative values
How anti-Israel rhetoric from former Israeli leaders and NGOs fuels global disinformation
Qatar’s role as Hamas’s “PR arm,” from Al Jazeera to Western universities and sports
Israel’s strategy for total victory—Gaza, Hezbollah, and Iran—and the “day after”
Why Europe’s political tide is turning, with parties like Vox and RN backing Israel

From exposing terror networks behind so-called “journalists” and Gaza flotillas to calling out the new axis of evil—Qatar, Turkey, and Syria—Chikli offers a gripping insider’s account of how Israel is fighting on the eighth battlefield: the global information war.

This urgent and inspiring episode reveals why words have consequences, why Israel must boldly tell its own story, and why—despite war and rising antisemitism—the Jewish state has never been stronger or more vital to the free world.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Key Themes in Israeli Politics
03:00 Comparing September 11 and October 7: A Clash of Civilizations
06:10 The Role of Rhetoric in Violence and Anti-Semitism
08:58 Protests and the Impact on Families and Governance
12:04 The Eighth Battlefield: Information Warfare
14:45 Internal Conflicts: The Crisis of Identity in Israel
18:09 The Role of Qatar and Media in the Conflict
20:48 The Future of the Conflict: Strategies for Peace
23:40 Optimism Amidst Challenges: Israel's Resilience


Ask Haviv Anything: Episode 43: After Doha, Israel needs a new story
On September 9, Israel tried but failed to kill Hamas leaders in Qatar. The regional blowback surprised the Israelis. Emirati and Saudi leaders, who have long seen Qatar as a foe in the region, visited Doha to express solidarity. Criticism of Israel came not only from the usual suspects, but even from Trump administration officials.

Israel, many regional allies now worry, doesn't understand its new role as regional superpower. It's still locked into the mindset of a small besieged nation, and it's acting foolishly because of it.

This fallout is part of a larger story, a larger Israeli failure to tell its story in the different environments in which Israel must operate. In the West, it has lost not only opponents, but close friends as well, who are often tired of standing in the whirlwind of claims and counter-claims and hearing only Israel's most extreme voices telling its story. The government faces, too, growing distrust domestically of its war plans and intentions. And even close regional allies (and would-be allies) like the Emiratis and Saudis are growing worried.

This Israeli government has never been able to tell its story, to explain its goals and aspirations for Gaza and for the region. Not to Israelis, not to Westerners, not to regional allies. It didn't matter when the country wasn't engaged in a war that has reshaped the region, but it matters now. Israel is the undisputed superpower of the region, and no one quite knows what that means. It still seems to behave like a small country under siege. It seems to be the only actor on the regional stage not to understand its own strength and newfound position.

It's time for the Jewish state to take control of its story, to tell friends and enemies and everyone in between what it wants for itself and for the region, what its goals are for Gaza's better post-war future, what kind of regional order it hopes to help build with any ally who wants to cooperate. It's time to start thinking bigger and more long-term than the current war, which on many fronts has already been won.




Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla stalled in Tunisian ports for a week
The Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla stalled in Tunisian ports for a week. It arrived in Tunisia on September 7 after crossing from Spain and was expected to keep sailing toward Gaza.

However, the flotilla activists chose to stay near Tunis at the marina of Sidi Bou Said. The activists then claimed two of their vessels had been hit by drones.

Last Thursday, a number of vessels in the flotilla left Sidi Bou Said and headed north toward the Tunisian marina in Bizerte. The flotilla was seeking to avoid high winds off the coast, according to reports.

It was not clear why traveling to Bizerte, and thus backtracking, would help them avoid the wind, because the winds in Bizerte were the same as in Tunis and Sidi Bou Said. Nevertheless, the flotilla spent September 12 and 13 in Bizerte.

Reports online suggested the flotilla had actually left Bizerte on September 13.

“The organizers of a flotilla bound for Gaza from North Africa announced that the boat was ready to set sail to the besieged Palestinian enclave on Saturday from Tunisia,” The New Arab English-language news site reported. “The Global Sumud Flotilla, or Maghreb Resilience Flotilla, is attempting to break Israel’s siege on the Gaza Strip, where a genocidal Israeli war has continued for nearly two years, and a block on aid has resulted in the starvation deaths of hundreds.”

Two vessels from the flotilla would remain behind because they were not judged to be seaworthy for the trip, the report said.

Several vessels left the flotilla in Spain during the first foray before September 1, when high winds forced them back to port.

The flotilla has spent more time at anchor than sailing. It spent September 3 and 4 at Minora off the coast of Spain. Then it spent September 7-13 in Tunisia.

The vessels have only been sailing for about five days out of the last 14.


California lawmakers vote 106-0 to pass K-12 Jew-hatred bill, now bound for governor’s desk
The California state Senate voted 35-0 to pass AB 715, a bill that addresses Jew-hatred in K-12 schools, and the state Assembly subsequently voted 71-0 to pass the bill, which is now bound for the desk of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat.

At press time, Newsom had yet to comment publicly on the bill, which would prohibit discriminatory teaching material and establish a state civil rights office with a coordinator focused on Jew-hatred.

Five members of the state Senate and nine members of the state Assembly abstained or were not present during the votes on Saturday.

Robert Trestan, vice president of the Anti-Defamation League’s west region, stated that the bill is “a win for Jewish students” that is “a foundational step toward addressing systemic antisemitism in K-12 classrooms and a national model.”

“Despite fierce opposition, the Jewish community was united because nothing is more important than protecting our students,” he said. “We urge Gov. Newsom to quickly sign the bill into law.”

The co-chairs of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, state senator Scott Wiener and state Assembly member Jesse Gabriel—both Democrats—stated that they are “proud to see this critical anti-discrimination bill advance with strong bipartisan support.”

“The legislature is sending a strong and unambiguous message,” they stated. “Antisemitism has no place in our schools and it will not be tolerated.”


As Hamas urges Gazans to stay put, its leaders are trying to flee Strip, says Israel
Israel asserted on Sunday that, even as Hamas has urged Palestinians to stay put in Gaza City while the IDF calls on them to evacuate, several of the terror group’s leaders have submitted requests for themselves and their family members to be allowed to exit the Strip.

Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian, chief of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, posted in Arabic on Facebook about the “hypocritical attempts of senior officials in Gaza City and the Hamas terror organization to evacuate their family members to a third country through the Israeli mechanism for evacuating Gaza residents.”

On X, COGAT, a Defense Ministry body which coordinates humanitarian matters in the Gaza Strip, echoed that statement. The post did not include copies of the requests themselves, which the unit said it denied.

“In recent weeks, several requests have been submitted by senior officials for their families to leave the Gaza Strip, some of whom even requested to leave themselves, but their requests were denied by Israel,” COGAT said.

The posts from COGAT come as the IDF’s offensive to conquer Gaza City appears to be imminent. The military has been bombing high-rises in the city that it says were used by Hamas, and its troops have been fighting Hamas operatives in the city’s surroundings.

As the offensive nears, the IDF called on Palestinians last week in all areas of Gaza City to leave. Out of the estimated 1 million Palestinians there, the military said on Sunday that some 300,000 have since left for other areas of the Strip.


Evergreen High School shooter embraced Columbine, antisemitism and white supremacy online
The 16-year-old boy accused of shooting two classmates at Evergreen High School on Wednesday before fatally shooting himself embraced conspiratorial, antisemitic and white supremacist social media content, according to a review by The Colorado Sun.

Desmond Holly also reposted TikToks about the 1999 Columbine High School shooting and posed wearing a T-shirt with the word “WRATH” on it, which is what shooter Dylan Klebold wore as he carried out the Columbine attack.

But perhaps most ominous was a post on X that an account linked to Holly made about an hour before the Evergreen shooting happened: a photo of a small revolver being held over a table with a box of ammunition on it. It was posted without comment.

A few days earlier, the account posted the same image, with the caption “little .38 special I got.”

Authorities say Holly used a revolver in his attack Wednesday afternoon at Evergreen High School, critically wounding two classmates as he repeatedly fired and reloaded the handgun. He then fatally shot himself as law enforcement arrived at the school.

Jacki Kelley, a spokesperson for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, said Holly has been “radicalized through an extremist network” before the shooting. She didn’t provide details, saying investigators would reveal more in the future.

“We want to at least give you that much about maybe mindset for him,” Kelley said Thursday.
Student alleged to have stabbed two in attack in Germany looked for victims at nearby synagogue
German federal prosecutors said on Friday that they had taken over an investigation into a suspected Islamist attempt to murder two people in the city of Essen last week.

The suspect, a Kosovar national named only as Erjon S to protect his privacy, is accused of attempting to kill a teacher he was acquainted with in a vocational college on Sept 5 before stabbing a bystander on the street in the back. Antisemitism is at a record high. We're keeping our eyes on it >>

The "criminally responsible youth" then allegedly walked to the Old Synagogue in Essen looking for further victims, which he failed to encounter, prosecutors said in a statement.

The victims in the attack
Both victims were seriously injured in the attack and the suspect sustained a gunshot wound during his arrest.

"The accused acted out of a radical Islamist conviction directed against Germany's liberal society," the statement said, adding that his attack had undermined security in the country.

The federal prosecutor's office assumes jurisdiction over cases when there is a suspected Islamist or national security component.
Israeli lightly injured in antisemitic Athens attack by three Palestinians with sticks
A 29-year-old Israeli man was lightly injured Saturday in central Athens when three Palestinian youths attacked him, local media reported. The incident occurred in Syntagma Square in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and also involved a 30-year-old Israeli woman. Greek police said all parties involved—the two Israelis and three Palestinians, aged 25 to 27—were taken to a local police station. Media reports described the confrontation as a “clash between five people.” Authorities seized six plastic sticks from the Palestinians, two of which had Palestinian flags attached.

Athens police continue to investigate the incident, noting that “in Syntagma Square, in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a clash occurred between five foreigners: two Israeli citizens, a 30-year-old woman, and a 29-year-old man, who confronted three Palestinian men, aged 25, 26, and 27.”

In recent months, a series of antisemitic attacks on Israeli tourists has been reported worldwide. This is not the first incident in Athens in recent months. Less than two months ago, an Israeli tourist was seriously injured in the ear after being attacked by a group of Syrian immigrants on a beach near the city.

A pro-Palestinian attack on an Israeli in Athens, about two months ago
The month before that, another Israeli tourist in Athens was attacked by pro-Palestinian activists. He attempted to flee but was temporarily detained by local police after one of the attackers claimed she had been assaulted. The tourist was eventually released after presenting video evidence of the attack.




Oct. 7 documentary – briefly cut from Toronto film festival – wins People’s Choice Award
A documentary about a retired Israeli general’s efforts to rescue his family from the October 7 Hamas massacre — that was briefly disinvited from the competition — won the People’s Choice Award for best documentary at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday.

The documentary, “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue,” charts how retired Israeli general Noam Tibon saved his family and others during the Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel.

It was shown in a single screening on September 10, under heavy police presence, with pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel demonstrators facing off outside the venue ahead of the event.

The Canadian-produced film drew significant attention ahead of TIFF, after it was briefly excluded from the festival due to what organizers said was a lack of “legal clearance” for certain footage used.

TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey denied reports that director Barry Avrich was asked to secure rights to use actual Hamas bodycam footage of the atrocities, during which Palestinian terrorists rampaged through southern communities on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and abducting 251 hostages, starting the ongoing war in Gaza.

The film was eventually reinstated, and Bailey conceded that TIFF had mishandled its submission process.

Despite the bad blood, Avrich and producer Mark Selby thanked Bailey and the TIFF staff in their acceptance speech on Sunday.

Bailey recalled being “blown away” by the festival when he first saw a movie at the event in 1986, and said, “I appreciate everything that TIFF has done for us,” without mentioning the brief withdrawal of the film.




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