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In-Depth Issues:
Israeli-Owned Ship Targeted by Houthis on Monday - Dean Shmuel Elmas ( Globes)
The Houthis in Yemen announced Monday that they launched a missile at the Liberian-flagged Scarlet Ray near the Saudi Arabian port of Yanbu. The ship is owned by Israeli businessman Idan Ofer's Eastern Pacific.
The ship's port records show that it has not recently sailed in the Yemen region, but has been moving in Egypt between Damietta and the Suez Canal and between ports in Saudi Arabia.
The ship's crew "heard a loud explosion" but were unharmed and the ship continued on its journey.
Two Missiles Fired from Yemen at Israel Fall in Saudi Arabia - Yoav Zitun ( Ynet News)
Yemen's Houthis launched two missiles toward Israel early Tuesday, but both exploded inside Saudi Arabia, the IDF said.
On Monday, Israel intercepted a drone launched from Yemen before it entered Israeli territory, the army said.
Mass Exodus from Gaza City ahead of Major Israeli Offensive - Einav Halabi ( Ynet News)
Thousands of Palestinians have begun leaving Gaza City as Israel prepares for a major offensive to seize what it calls the "capital of Hamas."
Witnesses described nighttime convoys of families crossing the Wadi Gaza bridge west of Nuseirat refugee camp, some traveling by vehicle and others on foot.
The Israeli military is urging residents to move south in advance of its Gaza operation.
Most Palestinians in West Bank Still Support Oct. 7 Massacre - Amir Ettinger ( Ynet News)
Brig.-Gen. Ophir Mizrachi Rosen, head of the IDF Intelligence Research Division, told the Israeli political-security cabinet on Sunday that 59% of Palestinians in the West Bank still support the Oct. 7 massacre, although support had been 82% in 2023.
Support among Gaza residents for the massacre has dropped to 37% in 2025.
Brave Young Gaza Activist Speaks about Toppling Hamas - Paul Martin ( Mirror-UK)
Moumen Al-Natour, 30, said the tide was really turning against Hamas in Gaza as ordinary Palestinians just wanted peace.
In a series of video calls with the Mirror, he said: "Hamas has created hell here. They must go. We need to get out of the hell we are living in now."
"We represent the majority of the Palestinian people in Gaza. The numbers of protesters are increasing every day. Everyone declares in Gaza that they do not want Hamas to remain in Gaza."
"Hamas is making us pay an unbearable price for their madness. We see hell growing and expanding. Staying alive is difficult and costly in Gaza. And the community here is desperate and trying to get out of the impasse that Hamas has put us in."
Why Is Iran Attacking Diaspora Jews? - Michael Starr ( Jerusalem Post)
Following the revelation that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps was responsible for at least two antisemitic arson attacks on Jewish sites in Australia, Reichman University Iranian politics expert Dr. Meir Javedanfar explained that the IRGC sees the Jewish diaspora as indistinguishable from Israel.
Due to the Islamic regime's fanatical ideological doctrine, its hostility is not just against Israel but also against Jews.
When Iranian officials deny the Holocaust, this is part of a genuine animus against the Jewish people. Ali Khamenei's followers see world Jewry as an enemy of Islam.
The IRGC's perspective is that the Jewish diaspora is a soft target that would hurt Israel because the Jewish state holds itself responsible for their security.
Europe Is Being Conquered - Dror Eydar ( Israel Hayom)
Today, there are neighborhoods in major European cities where police no longer enter, and native residents are fleeing.
Millions of residents in Europe despise its culture, faith, history, and the great ideas born in its academies.
Europe is an aging continent with few children, except among immigrants who take full advantage of generous child allowances and hospitality.
Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, declared in 2003: "The future belongs to Islam, and this religion of Allah will defeat all others.... Islam will return to Europe once more as conqueror and victor, after being expelled twice."
Many Arab countries have banned the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. Not so in Europe, where it operates freely, undermining democratic and liberal foundations.
It also serves as the chief inciter against Israel and against Jews.
The writer is the former Israeli ambassador to Italy.
U.S. Army Test-Fires Israeli-Made, "Game-Changing" Missile - Matthew M. Burke ( Stars and Stripes)
American and Polish troops on Wednesday launched two Israeli-made Spike Non-Line of Sight missiles from Apache helicopters that traveled 16 miles out to sea to destroy a pair of floating targets in pinpoint strikes in the first such test-fire in Europe.
Apache pilots can fire the weapon without seeing their target - even from behind mountains - and without exposing themselves to the enemy, said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Michael Weisskopf.
Produced by Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, the Spike missile can destroy armor, air defense, artillery, naval flotillas and even troop formations up to 30 miles away, about four times the distance of the current Hellfire missile.
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News Resources - North America, Europe, and Asia:
- IAEA Finds Uranium at Israeli-Bombed Site in Syria - Francois Murphy
The International Atomic Energy Agency has found traces of uranium in Syria in a building in Deir al-Zor that Israel destroyed in 2007 that was believed to be an undeclared nuclear reactor, the IAEA said in a report on Monday.
(Reuters)
- Iran's Currency Hits New Low as "Snapback" Sanctions Loom - Maziar Motamedi
Iran's currency has been sharply depreciating again as European powers push to reinstate UN sanctions against the country amid stalled diplomacy. The U.S. dollar hit a price of more than 1.06 million rials in Tehran's open currency market on Monday.
The inflation rate remains above 35% in Iran, one of the highest in the world. After decades of mismanagement and sanctions, Iran is also battling multiple crises domestically. Tehran and other cities have been experiencing daily power blackouts for months. The capital and expansive areas across Iran are facing a water crisis as well. (Al Jazeera)
- U.S. Suspends Visas for Palestinian Passport Holders - Edward Wong
The Trump administration has enacted a sweeping suspension of approvals of almost all types of visitor visas for Palestinian passport holders, according to an Aug. 18 cable sent by the State Department. The new restrictions cover anyone holding only a Palestinian passport. They do not apply to Palestinians with dual nationalities using other passports.
On Friday, the State Department said it would not issue visas to Palestinian officials who sought to attend the UN General Assembly. This was done to hold the Palestinian Authority and the PLO "accountable for not complying with their commitments, and for undermining the prospects for peace." (New York Times)
News Resources - Israel and the Mideast:
- Trump Tells Netanyahu: In Gaza, "Forget the Partial Deals....Go In with Full Force and Finish This" - Nava Freiberg
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Israel's Security Cabinet on Sunday that "a partial deal is not relevant" for a ceasefire in Gaza. "It's not on the table. Hamas must be destroyed," he said.
Netanyahu explained that Israel's diplomatic backing, including from the U.S., is "not limitless," and that withdrawing from some of the areas captured in the most recent operation would cost a "heavy price." It would take six months to return to those military lines because the IDF would have to recover ground that a deal would compel it to withdraw from, under international pressure and with lost lives.
"If Israel makes do with a partial deal without defeating Hamas, this would mean that by kidnapping its citizens, Hamas brought Israel to its knees."
Moreover, Netanyahu reportedly said that President Trump has urged him not to accept any partial ceasefire and hostage-release deal with Hamas because it will turn into a sequence of small "salami" mini-deals.
"Forget the partial deals....Go in with full force and finish this," Netanyahu said Trump told him. (Times of Israel)
- Israel, U.S. See No Breakthrough in Ceasefire Talks with Hamas - Danny Zaken
Jerusalem and Washington assess that there will be no breakthrough in the coming days regarding ceasefire talks and a deal for releasing hostages. Egypt informed the U.S. that Hamas is not ready to discuss ending the war under the conditions that Israel demands, including its disarmament and removal from power.
According to a diplomatic source, the Egyptians said that Hamas raised its own demands, including an Israeli commitment to complete withdrawal in advance, and allowing armed Hamas operatives to remain. An Israeli diplomatic official said that military pressure is the only factor that will force Hamas to be more flexible. Americans assess that Hamas still hopes that international pressure will stop Israel's attack. (Israel Hayom)
- Netanyahu: Israel in Talks on Southern Syria Demilitarization
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel was engaged in talks aimed at the demilitarization of southern Syria, acknowledging contacts with the new Syrian regime.
Netanyahu told Druze leaders in Israel, "We are focusing on three things: Protecting the Druze community in the Sweida governorate, but not only there; creating a demilitarized zone stretching from the Golan Heights (passing) south of Damascus down to and including Sweida; and establishing a humanitarian corridor to allow the delivery of aid. These discussions are taking place right now, at this very moment." (AFP-Arab News-Saudi Arabia)
See also Netanyahu: Strength Comes before Peace - Amir Ettinger
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Thursday with Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, the Israeli Druze community's spiritual leader. He recounted a phone call with Sheikh Tarif, who urged Israel to act to help the Druze in Syria who were under attack.
"He said to me, 'The Jews cried out for help in the Holocaust, and no one came. Israel must come.' That pierced my heart like an arrow. It is true not only factually, but morally and humanly. This is especially true due to the deep, genuine bond between us. We are brothers. When I understood the magnitude of the disaster, we acted immediately."
"I am not naive. I understand who we are dealing with and what we are dealing with. That is why we used force....It's called peace through strength. Strength comes first, then peace. That is how it works, certainly in our region." (Ynet News)
Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis:
Israeli Security
- Israel Must Not Trade Concrete Gains for Empty Promises - Meir Ben Shabbat
If, before the Israeli elimination of the Houthi political leadership and the severe humiliation of the Zaidi movement, the war in Gaza was the main stated reason for the continuation of the Houthis' struggle, now the motivation for revenge has been added to it.
This in no way raises doubts about the course of action Israel chose. On the contrary, this is the way to demonstrate, and not only to the Houthis, the change that has occurred in Israel's approach following the Oct. 7 attack, and this is the line that should characterize its policy in the other arenas where it is contending as well.
Under no circumstances should tangible achievements be traded for political ideas that may stir the imagination, but their chances of materializing are doubtful. Thus, one can welcome the Lebanese government's decision to task the Lebanese army with formulating a plan to disarm Hizbullah, but also assume that the likelihood of this happening is slim.
Since Hizbullah leader Naim Qassem made clear that his organization will never agree to disarm, it is not right to reduce IDF strikes in Lebanon or reduce the Israeli military presence, nor allow the reconstruction of Shiite villages that threaten our communities in the north. If and when Hizbullah is disarmed, then it will be possible to show openness to other ideas as well.
The same applies to Syria: we need to wake up from the dreams about the refined jihadist ruler
in Damascus. The barbaric attacks by regime supporters against the Druze reminded us and the rest of the world what the base of the new president looks like. It is hard to assume that the gang of jihadists surrounding him has abandoned the vision of establishing an extreme Sunni religious state in Greater Syria, and that it will allow action in complete opposition to this vision.
Security without political arrangements is preferable to arrangements without security.
The writer, head of the Misgav Institute for National Security and Zionist Strategy, served as Israel's National Security Council head during 2017-2021. (Israel Hayom)
- If You Start a War, You Should Expect War - Brendan O'Neill
If I had spent a large chunk of the past two years firing missiles into France, at some point I'd expect a missile back. I would know that the French would target me for death one day, and that they would have every right to do so.
So what's with all the wailing and fainting following Israel's decapitation of the Houthi terror group?
This is a virulently anti-Semitic militia that has been terrorizing the Jewish state with bombs and drones for two years straight. Israel's strike back is not a "war crime," as the moral illiterates of the Israelophobic mob would have you believe - it's justice.
To depict Houthi leaders as innocent victims of a mad, bloodlusting Jewish state is to be recklessly and unforgivably ignorant of the reality on the ground. The Houthis have been firing hundreds of projectiles at Israel for two years, since Oct. 7, 2023, in solidarity with Hamas's fascistic slaughter of Jews in Israel. This has included scores of ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.
So what are all those people weeping and hollering about Israel's blast at the Houthis saying exactly? That anti-Semites should have the right to strike the Jewish state but the Jewish state has no right to strike back?
The Houthis' very flag says: "Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse on the Jews, Victory to Islam."
You can't kill Jews with impunity anymore. You can't just go around plotting the death of Jewish people. It's not 1492. Or 1942. Violent antisemitism and fascistic intrusions into the safety and sovereign rights of the Jewish people have consequences now.
The anti-Israel movement is a gathering of pathetic cry-bullies. Hamas carried out the worst mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust and then wailed "War crime!" when those Jews fought back. Hizbullah rained missiles on northern Israel for two years, causing mass destruction, forced displacement and the deaths of Druze kids, and then cried "Barbarism!" when Israel responded.
The Houthis say "We hate the Jews and we want to kill them" and then act all affronted when the Jews say "Nah, not today." The Israelophobes of the West seem to think it's "war" when you kill Jews and a "war crime" when Jews fight back. I can't believe this needs to be said, but if you start a war, you should expect war.
(Spiked-UK)
The Gaza War
- Survival First, Truth Second: Why Gazan Journalists Are Unreliable - Itamar Marcus
The foreign media is uniformly blaming Israel for the so-called starvation in Gaza, often broadcasting completely fictitious images. The impact on Israel's image in the world has been terrible, with polls showing that even American support for Israel is eroding. Most reporters working for the international media in Gaza are themselves Palestinians and thus are anxious to present Israel negatively.
Another important reason was spelled out by Nasser Abu Bakr, chairman of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, speaking on official PA TV: "There are indeed attacks against journalists. We are monitoring and recording daily attacks by Hamas and the 'Arrow Battalion.' It is a known group that belongs to Hamas that attacks journalists, arrests journalists, [even] in hospitals and institutions."
Thus, journalists in Gaza know that deviating from Hamas's version of events places their freedom and even their lives in danger. Survival comes first; truth comes second. This explains why the foreign media are megaphones for Hamas's lies. Out of concern for their future, their safety, and their lives, the journalists hired by these media outlets must publish Hamas propaganda that makes Israel look immoral or evil.
The writer is director of Palestinian Media Watch.
(Jerusalem Post)
Turkey-Israel Relations
- Erdogan's Islamists Damage Turkey-Israel Relations - Amb. Freddy Eytan
Since the Islamists took power in Turkey, Ankara has changed its face and strategy. Its government has radicalized and immersed itself in the cults of God, divinity, the former Ottoman Empire, and personality. Erdogan's Turkey has sought to establish itself as a regional power. Its new attempts to impose its agenda on Syria worry Israel and risk sabotaging normalization with Damascus. Erdogan still dreams of leading the Sunni world against Shiite Iran, which was greatly weakened after the 12-Day War.
Over the past two decades, Israel has experienced numerous crises with Erdogan. Israeli President Herzog's official visit to Ankara in March 2022 failed to improve relations, either diplomatically or commercially. Relations have worsened on all levels since Oct. 7, 2023, but have not been completely severed.
Turkey is a huge strategic country and a member of NATO. It is a great civilization and it still has its place in the society of nations, despite a dark past with the Germans, the Armenian genocide, the massive attacks against the Kurds, and the war against Cyprus.
The Ottomans ruled our region for more than 400 years, and their imprint is still etched in our memory. However, Turkey was the first Muslim country to recognize the Jewish state, and until Erdogan came to power, our relations with Ankara were excellent, particularly on the military and intelligence fronts. Turkey's exports to Israel amount to more than $7 billion. The Turkish people are certainly not our enemy, and we wish to return one day to normal and friendly relations.
The writer, a researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, is a former Foreign Ministry senior adviser who was Israel's first ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.
(Israel Hayom)
Observations:
- Why, after 80 years of efforts to partition the Holy Land, has a Palestinian state never been created? Why am I persuaded that this objective will never be achieved? What is unique about the struggle for "Palestine" that has doomed it?
- The UN General Assembly voted in November 1947 to create two new states, one Arab and one Jewish. The Jews said yes and the Arabs said no. The essence of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains in 2025 what it was in 1947: the Arabs said no.
- As Daniel Pipes has written: "If your enemy wants to eliminate you, telling him that you'll get him clean water is not going to convince him otherwise. What's so striking is that the Palestinians have retained this genocidal impulse for such a long period. I would argue, as an historian, that this is unique. No other people have ever retained that kind of hostility for such a length of time."
- The problem is not the technical challenge of delineating borders or some diplomatic failing, that if solved will lead to Palestinian statehood. The problem is that Palestinian nationalism is fundamentally about destroying the Jewish state, not building a Palestinian one.
- In his famous Bar-Ilan speech of 2009, Benjamin Netanyahu said: "The root of the conflict was and remains that which has been repeated for over 90 years - the profound objection by the hard core of Palestinians to the right of the Jewish people to its own country in the Land of Israel."
- State-building is not a Palestinian priority, and the absence of a state is not the cause of the conflict. A Palestinian state will fail to meet Palestinian aspirations since it will still have to exist alongside Israel. Why would the violence not continue (or increase) across the border of an independent Palestine, as it did across the border from the West Bank and from Gaza?
- Hussein Agha and Robert Malley, who have written a book about their decades of efforts to promote Palestinian statehood, said: "October 7 was neither uniquely Hamas nor distinctively Islamist. It was Palestinian through and through....There is no denying that Palestinians largely embraced the events of October 7 because they spoke to their most profound feelings. October 7 was Palestinian to the core." Will Palestinian society ever abandon support for violence and terrorism?
The writer, a senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, served as White House deputy national security advisor, where he supervised U.S. policy in the Middle East.
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