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Tuesday, December 30, 2025

12/30 Links Pt1: Somaliland: The mouse is really roaring; Journalists or Terrorists?; IDF reveals 151 soldiers lost their lives in 2025; Israeli MKs pass law to cut UNRWA utilities

From Ian:

The mouse is really roaring
These activities all attest to the strategic centrality that Somaliland enjoys. Somaliland is sitting in the eye of the shipping hurricane that is merely 300 kilometers from Yemen.

But this centrality did not exorcise the world before Israel chose to recognize the republic. So clearly, the hot button is the connection between the two and what it might portend.

And here is where the second significant aspect of the new relationship comes into play: What benefit did Israel see coming from the recognition?

I would suggest that there is diplomatic, as well as military significance, that Israel envisions coming from an enhanced relationship with Somaliland. Israel can be proud to be bestowing recognition on a democracy, one that has spurned an Islamist agenda. Somaliland could very well join the Abraham Accords, especially because it also enjoys a good relationship with the UAE, an Abraham Accords member.

Most likely, it is the military significance that has stirred the fear and loathing of so many countries. The most obvious potential implication is for the ongoing Israeli effort to contain and to defang the Houthis. Israeli planes have had to make 2,000-kilometer flights to engage Houthi targets.

Utilizing Somaliland facilities could be a game-changer. Even the possibility of their availability could have an impact.

Much of the reaction of hostile countries must be seen as an exercise in projection. They are condemning the idea that Israel could have reach and influence, something that China, Russia, Iran and Turkey all live for.

To see little Israel extend its net in this way is galling. It is also proof positive of Israel’s standing as a strong horse—perhaps the strong horse in the region. Israel acted purely on its own, without American approval or cooperation. That, too, is impressive and of concern to those condemning the recognition.

Israel stands guilty, in the eyes of its enemies, of turning Somaliland into a passive proxy. That, of course, is ridiculous, though maybe an ally indeed.

Another possible wrinkle to the new relationship—one of particular interest to the United States—is whether Somaliland might be induced to accept Gazans seeking refuge.

Whatever the actual implications of the new relationship, it shows great promise for both countries. Israel has deftly displayed generosity, high-minded concern for a fellow democracy and a shrewd assessment of the realpolitik possibilities of the new relationship.

Those who reflexively demean the efforts of Israel to assert itself in the world must step back and see how beneficial this step is likely to be.
Journalists or Terrorists?
Allegations that Israel deliberately targets journalists in Gaza have persisted since the October 7 terror attacks in the Gaza envelope (Otef Aza) and the subsequent war against Hamas.

The Government Media Office in the Gaza Strip (المكتب الإعلامي الحكومي) and the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (نقابة الصحفيين الفلسطينيين‎) publish dynamic lists of individuals identified as “journalists” allegedly killed by Israel in Gaza. These names have been widely shared without scrutiny by organizations such as the International Federation of Journalists , the Committee to Protect Journalists, Al Jazeera, BBC Arabic, The Guardian, and even the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

These lists include over 250 names of “journalists and media workers” said to have been killed by Israel since October 7, 2023.

Upon examining the credentials of those listed, primarily using publicly available information from social media, we uncovered something shocking: a significant number of these “journalists” were actually active members of Hamas’s military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades (كتائب عز الدين القسام), as well as the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the Al-Quds Brigades (سرايا القدس), and other Palestinian terrorist groups.

It’s important to note that terrorist organizations in Gaza run extensive media operations, primarily operated by Hamas and the PIJ, though smaller groups also have affiliated channels. Notable examples include Hamas’s Al-Aqsa TV and Al-Aqsa Radio, as well as Paltoday, recognized as the official news outlet for the PIJ. Many individuals labeled as “journalists” or “media personnel” in Gaza also serve as members or operatives of these groups, often holding military roles. Research indicates that many journalists killed in the recent conflict were affiliated with Hamas or the PIJ. This investigation aims to identify those who serve dual roles as “journalists” and military operatives.

We have not yet reviewed all the names on the lists. Among the 80 individuals we examined, approximately 40% have been identified as having roles in armed branches of terrorist groups in Gaza. For those in our database, we have uncovered clear evidence of their involvement as operatives in these organizations’ armed wings. We suspect many more will be classified similarly once our review is complete or as additional information surfaces.

Additionally, we found that lists of “journalists” are inflated with names of individuals who are not actually journalists or media workers. Examples include:
Anas Ibrahim Hussein Abu Shamala (أنس إبراهيم حسين أبو شمالة): Allegedly a member of Hamas’s elite Nukhba unit, he was hailed posthumously as a “heroic martyr” and “lion among the elite Qassam Brigades.” In reality, Abu Shamala operated a currency exchange and money transfer business, yet he is recognized as a journalist by the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate and UNESCO.
Muhammad Fayez Abu Matar (محمد فايز ابو مطر): He reportedly died when a wall of his apartment collapsed after the bombing of the Abu Shamala house in the Yebna neighborhood of Rafah. He has been incorrectly identified as a journalist and photographer. UNESCO’s Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, condemned the killing of Abu Matar while he was allegedly covering the conflict.

It is deeply troubling that global media outlets like the BBC and The Guardian have promoted these claims without any apparent background checks. Even more concerning is that a United Nations agency, established to promote global peace and security, is endorsing individuals affiliated with terrorism as innocent journalists, effectively legitimizing these actions under the guise of defending press freedom.
‘Plainly inadequate’: Labor’s terror review under fire for failing to mention antisemitism
The review into the Bondi Beach terror attack set up by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been heavily criticised for failing to reference antisemitism.

The terms of reference for Mr Albanese’s review failed to specifically mention Jewish Australians, antisemitism, radicalisation or Islamic extremism.

The review, headed by former Defence Department secretary Dennis Richardson, appear only to investigate federal agencies, including ASIO and AFP.

Also, the Richardson Review does not mention the role of government ministers responsible for security or social cohesion.

The review appears to completely exclude the decisions of government related to antisemitism, social cohesion and national security.

It comes as Mr Albanese has flatly rejected calls for a federal Royal Commission into the worst terror attack in the country’s history, instead establishing the departmental review.

His excuses for doing so have included that a national inquiry would be too slow, that it would “re-platform” antisemitism and that “actual experts” advised him against it.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim said the Richardson Review terms were “too narrowly focused on our intelligence and law enforcement agencies”.

“This omits the wider context in which those agencies operate,” Mr Wertheim told Sky News on Wednesday.

“To get to the heart of the matter there needs to be an honest examination of government policies and the conduct and policies of key institutions and figures in major sectors of our society.

“Their contribution to the unprecedented levels of antisemitism in this country over the last two years must be addressed.

“What might emerge could indeed be divisive and ugly but the divisiveness and ugliness is already there.

“Confronting these demons will be cathartic. It’s our only hope of establishing a new national consensus and setting clear standards.”

Australian Jewish Council CEO Robert Gregory also told Sky News that the Richardson Review terms were “plainly inadequate”.

“They make no reference to the Jewish community and exclude critical issues such as antisemitism and Islamic extremism,” he said.

“They also specifically rule out examining the actions and inactions of the Albanese government in the lead-up to the attack, something any serious review would be expected to do.

“The proposed review appears to be an attempt by the government to transfer responsibility for government failures on to Australia's intelligence agencies.”


No evidence Chanukah shooters part of ‘broader terrorist cell,’ say Australian police
Australian police found no evidence that the two Islamic State-inspired terrorists accused of gunning down 15 people at the Dec. 14 Chanukah party in Sydney were part of a “broader terrorist cell,” police on Tuesday.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett told journalists that Sydney residents Sajid Akram, 50, and his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram “are alleged to have acted alone.”

“There is no evidence to suggest these alleged offenders were part of a broader terrorist cell, or were directed by others to carry out an attack,” Barrett told reporters, according to the Associated Press.

The two suspects spent most of November in Davao City in the southern Philippines, once a training ground for small numbers of Islamic State- and Al Qaida-linked foreign terrorists, the police commissioner noted.

However, Philippine National Police determined that the two rarely left their hotel, and Barrett said “there is no evidence to suggest they received training or underwent logistical preparation for their alleged attack.”

“I want to be clear, I am not suggesting that they were there for tourism,” she added, refusing to elaborate further to avoid jeopardizing the trial against Naveed Akram.
White doves and a luxury suite: The media demands of Bondi hero Ahmed Al Ahmed
From white doves to a $6,000-a-night suite, Sky News went to extraordinary lengths to tell Ahmed Al Ahmed’s story, only to be left waiting as promises unravelled.

Word came through that he wasn't feeling well. But he wanted Sharri to join him for breakfast ahead of the interview.

He was in good spirits. Animated. He was open in revealing details of that day in Bondi. He was in the mood to talk, to share his story.

He showed Sharri pictures of his arm with five bullet wounds. He sent her footage of him tackling the gunman.

Sharri presented Ahmed with a silver a Star of David necklace, a token of gratitude from her and the Jewish community.

Based on the conversation over breakfast, the interview would be compelling. He would return quickly to his room to freshen up, and say hello to his parents, who'd just arrived at the hotel. Then he'd join Sharri and our film crew.

The allotted time came. And went.

Calls went unanswered. The Crown representative went to speak with Ahmed. Perhaps the interview should be delayed, we were told.

I was asked to go and speak with him.

And so back to the beginning, and my encounter with Ahmed on the balcony.

He assured me the interview would, indeed, go ahead that day. He just needed to get some extra pain medication. He'd return briefly to see his doctors at St George's Hospital, and then return to speak to Sharri.

"It will happen at four o'clock," he told me.

I told him that would be great, as I knew how much our viewers wanted to hear from him. I told him to focus on his health, on getting that treatment, then we would see him later for our interview.

He looked me in the eye, and in front of his lawyer, cousins and the incredibly patient Crown staffer assigned to make his stay, and our filming, as smooth as possible, Ahmed gave me a solemn promise, uttering those seven words:

"I am a man of my word."

Hours ticked by. Calls and messages went unanswered.


Israel Agreed to U.S. "Pilot Project" for Gaza Reconstruction
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's schedule in the United States this week has not yet been finalized, in part because of the possibility of a second meeting with US President Donald Trump and the very real likelihood that the prime minister's trip will extend into next week.

Monday is slated to be the anticipated meeting with President Trump, the most important and dramatic day of the visit. Two issues are on the agenda on which decisions are expected to be made between the two leaders: Iran and Gaza. A second meeting with the president is also possible. As reported by Israel Hayom, there are internal disagreements within the administration on both issues, and it is still unclear which stance the president will choose.

A hard line
On Iran, Israel is continually providing intelligence on Tehran's renewed buildup of missile systems and air defense capabilities. Jerusalem's goal is to reach a coordinated timetable for economic and diplomatic action against Iran. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio support a hard-line approach toward Iran, including issuing an ultimatum before any negotiations begin.

By contrast, presidential adviser Steve Witkoff believes it is possible to prevent Iran's return to its nuclear program and is particularly wary of resuming war, partly because of the threat Iran could pose to other Gulf states and their oil facilities. There is near-consensus that some of Israel's actions, including the expansion of settlements, harm the prospects for progress toward normalization.

On Gaza and the transition to Phase Two, envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner, who are effectively managing the talks on the president's behalf, are pushing for rapid progress on all fronts. This includes moving to Phase Two and pressuring Israel to open the Rafah Crossing and prepare for a second withdrawal.

Sources say they are trying to find workarounds to the issue of Hamas' disarmament and possibly spread it out over a prolonged period.

Their proposal includes beginning reconstruction before disarmament. Israel is willing to start reconstruction only in areas under its control, and even then at a slow pace, to prevent Hamas, the terrorist organization, from exploiting the entry of equipment, machinery and construction materials. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who heads a department that in past Democratic administrations often tended to pressure Israel into solutions, is taking the opposite approach this time.


Pentagon announces $8.6 billion Boeing contract for Israeli F-15 fighter jets
Boeing was given an $8.6 billion contract for the F-15 Israel Program, the Pentagon said Monday, after US President Donald Trump met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida.

“This contract provides for the design, integration, instrumentation, test, production, and delivery of 25 new F-15IA aircraft for the Israeli Air Force with an option for an additional 25 F-15IA aircraft,” the Pentagon said.

The F-15IA is the Israeli variant of the advanced F-15EX fighter jet, the latest update of the decades-old F-15, Israel’s most relied-upon fighter aircraft, with heavy use in the campaigns against Iran, the Houthis in Yemen, and Hezbollah in Lebanon over the past two years.

Last November, Israel signed a $5.2 billion deal for 25 F-15IA jets, which were slated to be supplied in batches of four to six per year, starting in 2031.

With Monday’s announced deal, another 25 jets will be made for Israel, bringing the total number of F-15IAs to 50, adding to the 66 other F-15 variants in the Israeli Air Force’s fleet.

Trump: ‘Seriously’ considering Turkey F-35 sale
Meanwhile, Trump said Monday that his administration is leaning toward selling top-end F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, during a press conference with Netanyahu.

“We’re thinking about it very seriously,” Trump said when asked about an F-35 deal for Turkey as he met the Israeli premier at his Mar-a-Lago club.

The United States booted Turkey from development of the F-35, a top-of-the-line stealth plane, in 2019 after the NATO ally went ahead with purchases of missile defense from Russia.

Trump has warm relations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, despite the veteran Islamist-linked leader’s fiery denunciations of Israel’s conduct in Gaza.

Israel has expressed concern in the past over the potential sale of the advanced F-35 fighter jets to Turkey and other nearby countries, as it is anxious to preserve its qualitative military edge over rivals in the region.


Ruthie Blum: Barak Ravid’s ‘rift’ wish
The pattern has become ritualized.

U.S. President Donald Trump schedules a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and almost on cue, Barak Ravid—global-affairs correspondent for Axios, analyst for CNN and Washington reporter for Israel’s Channel 12—publishes a piece warning of tension, irritation or impending estrangement between the two leaders.

Anonymous “senior officials” populate the story, according to which the American administration’s patience is wearing thin with the Netanyahu-led government.

Here’s the thing, though. Since his return to office in January, Trump has met with Netanyahu more than any other world leader—six times so far, five in the United States and one in Israel. And at no point has Ravid’s ominous prelude materialized.

Indeed, the meetings themselves have told a different story from that which Ravid insists on writing. They’ve been lengthy, substantive and notably cordial. Over the course of the year, Trump has repeatedly emphasized the importance of Israeli prowess, crediting Netanyahu with guiding Israel through existential peril—hardly the language of a president preparing to cut an ally loose.

Nevertheless, every gloomy forecast Ravid conveys is recycled by Israel’s “anybody but Bibi” ecosystem, whose politicians, pundits and protest leaders seize on his false prophecies as proof that Netanyahu has finally alienated Washington. The summit at Mar-a-Lago on Dec. 29 is the most recent example of this fruitless pursuit born of wishful thinking rather than reality.

In the days leading up to the arrival of Netanyahu’s entourage in Palm Beach, Ravid reported for Axios that the meeting would be “crucial,” hinting at deep frustration within the Trump administration over the situation in Gaza, among other issues. The expectation—widely echoed in Israeli commentary—was that a frosty encounter awaited Netanyahu at the Southeast Florida resort.

As usual, the opposite happened. Trump not only welcomed Netanyahu with a warm embrace but praised the Israeli premier as the greatest war-time leader, going as far as to say that without such a prime minister, Israel would have been finished.


Will the U.S. Be Next to Recognize Somaliland?
On Dec. 26, Israel became the first country in the world to officially recognize Somaliland. Somali nationalists claim that recognition is an assault on Somali unity, but that unity never existed. In 1960, Somaliland won its independence from Britain. Five days later, Somaliland's government chose to unify with the former Italian colony of Somalia. The former British protectorate split from Somalia in 1991.

Somalia first repressed and then attempted outright genocide of the Isaaq clan predominant in the former British Somaliland, killing up to 200,000 Isaaq clan members and leveling 80% of Hargeisa, Somaliland's capital. To demand that Isaaqs live under Somalia rule would be akin to demanding that Rwandan Tutsis subordinate themselves to the Hutu who committed the Rwandan genocide in 1994.

Unlike many other would-be secessionist states like the Kurds in Iraq or Biafrans in Nigeria, Somaliland's borders were set by treaty under the British protectorate. The international community dumped billions of dollars of aid into Somalia, but Somaliland received next to none and had to raise its own budget. As a result, Somaliland built capacity and a tax base. It is home to multibillion-dollar communications and mobile money companies, one of the continent's largest Coca Cola bottling plants, hotels, resorts, and transportation companies.

The U.S. is actively debating recognition. The Pentagon and many in Congress favor it. The port of Berbera has one of the longest airstrips in Africa; it used to be an emergency landing strip for the U.S. space shuttle program. Several years ago, the UAE renovated and upgraded it. The U.S. could use Berbera as an alternative to an increasingly crowded Djibouti and interference from the Chinese base there.

What Israel has realized is that unity in the case of Somalia and Somaliland is neither realistic nor moral. They have gone separate ways since 1991, with Somaliland moving in positive directions that should be rewarded with recognition and engagement.


IDF reveals 151 soldiers lost their lives in 2025, lowest annual toll since start of Gaza war
The IDF revealed that 151 soldiers lost their lives in 2025, with 88 of them falling during military operations, the military revealed on Tuesday.

The figures represent the lowest annual death toll since the war with Hamas began in 2023 and are less than half the number recorded in 2024.

The total combat-related death toll is 91 when considering that three soldiers were killed during terror attacks, according to the IDF.

The report also noted that 15 soldiers lost their lives due to disease, while another 24 were killed in accident-related incidents (none of those happened during basic training).

IDF addresses suicide rates among soldiers
Suicide was also an issue this year in the military, with the IDF revealing that 21 soldiers took their own lives during the last year.

This reflects the same rates as last year and remains among the highest in the army over the past 10 years.

In order to address this issue, the IDF revealed that it will develop tools and mechanisms that could help commanders prevent and deal with suicidal incidents.

Among these mechanisms, the IDF deployed a network of professionals across the combat sectors, including approximately 1,000 mental health specialists, both regular and reservists.


Israeli MKs pass law to cut UNRWA utilities
Israel’s parliament on Monday approved new measures limiting the operations of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), including a ban on supplying water and electricity to properties owned or managed by the agency.

The government-backed “Bill for Stopping the Activity of UNRWA (Amendment), 2025” passed its third and final reading by 59-7 in the Knesset plenum. It was merged with private members’ bills sponsored by Knesset members Limor Son Har Melech (Otzma Yehudit) and Yulia Malinovsky (Yisrael Beitenu).

According to the Knesset news site, the legislation, an amendment to the 2024 Law for Stopping the Activity of UNRWA law, bars utility companies from providing electricity or water to any property for which UNRWA is listed as the customer of record and authorizes the state to take over certain Israeli-owned properties used by the agency.

“UNRWA workers were full partners to the cruel massacre perpetrated against us on Oct. 7. They aided, murdered and kidnapped. In practice, UNRWA is an arm of Hamas. Terrorists in disguise, under the auspices of the U.N.,” said Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chair MK Boaz Bismuth (Likud).

“Let’s not be confused and let’s not use euphemisms. UNRWA is a terrorist organization for all intents and purposes. This is an organization that was a full partner to the massacre, kidnapping and murder on Oct. 7, and today we are prescribing by law that there is no longer room for it in the State of Israel’s territory,” said Har Melech.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini criticized the new legislation, saying it cuts off essential services and authorizes property seizures in eastern Jerusalem.


Israel bars 37 nonprofits from Gaza, West Bank for not abiding by new guidelines
The licenses of 37 international nonprofits operating in Gaza and the West Bank will expire on January 1, the Diaspora Affairs Ministry announced Tuesday, saying the groups did not comply with stringent new requirements to register with the government.

The announcement came as the foreign ministers of 10 nations on Tuesday expressed “serious concerns” about a “renewed deterioration of the humanitarian situation” in Gaza, saying the situation as winter has intensified was “catastrophic.”

The Defense Ministry said the expiration of the licenses will not affect aid provision in Gaza, where humanitarian groups continue to claim Israel is letting in too little assistance. The Diaspora Ministry described the new rules, instituted in March, as a safety measure meant to weed out NGO workers with ties to terror groups.

“The message is clear: Humanitarian assistance is welcome – the exploitation of humanitarian frameworks for terrorist purposes is unacceptable,” Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli said in a statement. “Israel will continue to protect its sovereignty, its citizens and the integrity of humanitarian action.”

The rules mean that, soon, some of the most prominent nonprofit groups working with Palestinians will no longer be allowed to operate in Gaza or the West Bank. The deadline for the groups to stop operations is March 1.

The list includes multiple branches of Doctors Without Borders and Oxfam, the Danish and Norwegian Refugee Councils, Caritas Internationalis, an umbrella for Catholic charities, the Quaker-founded American Friends Service Committee and the International Rescue Committee.

The 10 foreign ministers — including those of the UK, France, Canada and Japan — said in their statement that the nonprofits must be allowed to operate in Gaza in a “sustained and predictable” way.


UKLFI: Natasha Hausdorff discusses International Law and Israel on Henrick Beckheim's podcast
In this podcast with Henrik Beckheim, Natasha Hausdorff discusses International Law and how it has been politicised, weaponised, abused and inverted. She considers the legal basis of the State of Israel, commenting on the San Remo resolution as part of the history, the decisive significance of Israel's Declaration of Independence in 1948, and the default rule of uti possidetis juris determining boundaries at the date of decolonisation. She also addresses the problem of false information about Israel circulated and recirculated by NGOs, media and UN bodies, including the allegation of genocide.

Natasha Hausdorff is Legal Director of UKLFI Charitable Trust and a practising barrister specialising in international, regulatory and commercial law at 6 Pump Court Chambers in London. She read Law at Oxford University and completed a Masters in International law at Tel Aviv University. She clerked for Miriam Naor, President of Israel's Supreme Court, and was a Fellow at Columbia Law School's National Security Programme.


Episode 73: Is military aid to Israel a good deal for America?
Welcome to our new short-form episodes interspersed with the regular interviews that dive into an often-asked question about Israel, Jews and the Middle East.

Our current question: Is military aid to Israel a good deal for America?


Erin Molan: Amit Segal: How Trump Netanyahu Mar-a-Lago Meeting Changes EVERYTHING | Son of Hamas Interview
In this episode of The Erin Molan Show, Erin is joined by Amit Segal, one of Israel’s leading journalists, to break down the real significance of the Trump–Netanyahu Mar-a-Lago meeting.

Amit explains:
Why there is now almost no daylight between the U.S. and Israel
What President Trump’s remarks before and after the meeting truly signal
Why Iran’s ballistic missile program has changed the stakes

Then, Erin revisits the show’s most-watched interview with Mosab Hassan Yousef — the man who grew up inside Hamas and walked away.

Mosab delivers a sobering warning about:
Hamas’ true ideology
Why October 7 changed everything
Why the West keeps getting this wrong
This episode isn’t speculation.

It’s the Mar-a-Lago truth people need to hear.

00:00 Trump–Netanyahu Mar-a-Lago Meeting Explained
00:45 Amit Segal: “No Daylight Left”
03:30 Iran, Ballistic Missiles & Red Lines
05:15 Could This Be Iran’s Moment?
07:40 Five Executions a Day
08:35 Why This Meeting Changes Everything
09:10 Son of Hamas — Why He Walked Away
14:45 Inside Hamas From the Inside
22:30 Why Hamas Cannot Be Reformed
40:00 Good vs Evil
42:00 Erin’s Closing Reflection


Call me Back Podcast: The Rise of Settler Violence - with Rabbi David Stav and Nadav Eyal
Critics of Israel often emphasize the phenomenon of extremist settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Yet it can be difficult to understand the scope of the problem for afar, considering the anti-Israel bias and false reporting demonstrated by so many media outlets, especially following October 7. To get to the bottom of this controversial issue – and to filter the signal from the noise – Dan sat down with Ark Media contributor Nadav Eyal and Rabbi David Stav. Rabbi Stav is the co-founder and chairman of the Tzohar rabbinic organization and is Chief Rabbi of the city of Shoham in Central Israel.


The Gaza 'Charity' Grift Greta Hoped You’d Never Hear (9 activists arrested)
Christmas is illegal. House churches are raided. Bibles are confiscated. In Iran, simply sharing the gospel can land you a decade behind bars, and yet Christianity is exploding underground. At the same time, Qatar writes massive checks to Western think tanks, influencers and politicians while Iran quietly aligns with Russia and China to reshape the global order. And if that weren’t enough, Greta Thunberg’s activist allies, those same voices screaming about Israel, just got caught in a massive grift in Europe.

CHAPTERS
00:00 – Christmas Under Siege: Iran’s War on Christians
01:40 – House Raids, Prison Sentences, and Bible Confiscations
03:15 – How the Church Is Growing in Iran Despite Brutality
04:50 – Qatar’s Global Influence: Who’s on Their Payroll?
06:05 – Greta’s Friends Busted in Massive Grift Scandal
07:30 – The Media’s Silence: Who Benefits?
08:45 – Iran’s Military Pact with Russia and China
10:15 – What It Means for Israel and the West
11:45 – Why the West Isn’t Talking About This
13:00 – The Real Human Rights Crisis No One Will Touch




Tucker Carlson Prefers Qatar to Israel. The Facts Don’t.
When Tucker Carlson insists the United States gets “nothing” from its alliance with Israel — while praising ties with Qatar as “clearly more beneficial” — he isn’t offering strategy. He is expressing his bias and packaging it as realism. His claim isn’t just wrong — it’s strategically incoherent, like choosing to rent from the neighbor who beats his wife and pays off the local gang for “protection,” instead of living next to the reliable neighbor who lends you tools and watches your house when you’re away.

Carlson is too informed for ignorance to be the explanation. His worldview is fact-optional because his goal is narrative, not analysis.

We’ve seen this pattern enough to recognize it. Just last week, Carlson said he didn’t know any American killed by radical Islamist extremists over the past 24 years — a statement that somehow erases San Bernardino, Fort Hood, the Pulse nightclub massacre, the Boston Marathon bombing, ISIS beheadings of U.S. citizens, Americans murdered abroad, and the ISIS-aligned Islamist attack that opened 2025 with 15 Americans murdered in New Orleans. When facts get in the way, Carlson simply denies they exist.

So, when he claims Israel gives America “nothing,” file it properly — propaganda dressed up as foreign-policy insight.

No Pentagon planner, diplomat, or intelligence professional believes Israel offers nothing to America. The record shows the opposite. Israel is one of America’s most reliable allies — and its most stable partner in the Middle East. Qatar, by contrast, is a petro-monarchy that funds the Muslim Brotherhood, shelters Hamas leaders in hotel suites, criminalizes homosexuality and conversion to Christianity, suppresses women, censors dissent, and purchases Western influence like it buys European soccer clubs. Qatar aligns with the U.S. only when convenient — and often bankrolls America’s enemies.

Carlson also claimed Israel has “no resources,” as if national value is measured only in barrels. Beyond being childish, this is false. Israel is now a net natural-gas exporter. It recently signed a $35 billion gas deal with Egypt and — at U.S. urging — is building energy integration with Greece, Cyprus, and much of Europe to weaken Moscow’s leverage. Qatar sells gas. Israel provides alternatives and strategy.

American–Israeli intelligence cooperation is rivaled only by the Five Eyes alliance. Israeli human assets in Syria, Lebanon, and Iran routinely produce intelligence satellites cannot. As Maj. Gen. George J. Keegan Jr., former U.S. Air Force intelligence chief, said, America’s defense capability “owes more to Israeli intelligence input than to any other single source” — at a value analysts compare to multiple carrier strike groups. Carriers project power; intelligence prevents wars and saves American lives.

Joint technology development multiplies the benefits for America. Iron Dome — co-developed and co-produced in the U.S. — protects American troops. Israeli advances in missile interception, cyber defense, UAV tech, tunnel detection, and emergency medicine feed directly into U.S. systems. American fighter pilots regularly train with the Israeli Air Force in joint exercises. U.S. special-operations forces conduct cooperative training with IDF units experienced in combat against Hezbollah and ISIS-aligned elements. And nearly every dollar of U.S. security assistance to Israel boomerangs back into U.S. factories, as American jobs.


Anti-Israel candidate for NY Congress seat returns from ‘secret’ trip there
Cameron Kasky, a Democratic congressional candidate running on a platform that accuses Israel of genocide, was spotted on a return flight to New York from Tel Aviv.

Kasky, 25, who is Jewish, is seeking to replace Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) in New York’s 12th Congressional District in a crowded race of 14 Democrats that includes political commentator Jack Schlossberg and ex-Republican George Conway.

He has made opposition to Israel’s policies a visible part of his campaign platform, with “Stop funding genocide” as the top of his three campaign points, according to his website.

On Dec. 28, Jewish activist Eliana Goldin posted that Kasky was on her return flight from Israel.

“It makes zero sense to me why people don’t care more that Cameron Kasky was secretly in Israel for the past few days,” Goldin wrote, noting that he wore a mask through Ben-Gurion International Airport but removed it when he landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

“His entire campaign runs on the fact that he vilifies Israel. Now he goes and travels there without having his campaign announce it?” Goldin said, claiming that she approached Kasky in “good faith and he lied to my face about his identity.”

The congressional hopeful responded to Goldin on social media, stating that he lied about his identity “because I assumed you were a narc and I was 100% correct,” and acknowledged that he was “absolutely hiding” until he “safely landed at home.” (JNS sought comment from Kasky.)

Kasky confirmed he’d been in Israel on a Palestinian-led tour of Judea and Samaria.




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