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In-Depth Issues:
Poll: 71 Percent of U.S. Voters Support Israel over Hamas ( Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll)
A Harvard CAPS/ Harris Poll taken on Oct. 24-26, 2026, found that 71% of U.S. voters support Israel over Hamas, while 75% agree that there are terrorist groups on Israel's borders including Hamas and Hizbullah.
72% say Hizbullah should be required to disarm.
77% think Israel has a right to exist as the homeland of the Jewish People, including 62% of those aged 18-24.
52% would be less likely to vote for a politician who called for the complete destruction of Israel, while 22% would be more likely, including 46% of those aged 18-24.
Iran Views Trump's Preference for Diplomacy as a Sign of Weakness - Amir Bohbot ( Jerusalem Post)
Israeli defense officials assess that President Trump would prefer to avoid a military confrontation with Iran.
However, Israeli security assessments suggest that the Iranian leadership views Washington's preference for diplomacy as a sign of weakness.
Tehran views the results of the U.S. midterm elections as a form of political "revenge" against the White House.
Israeli officials believe Iran is unlikely to rush into signing an agreement and will maintain a hardline negotiating position while attempting to prolong the talks.
Hamas Seizes Tents from Gazans during Storms - Henry Bodkin ( Telegraph-UK)
Hamas is confiscating tents from displaced Gazans and blocking efforts to make refugee camps safer from flooding. Situated by the sea and built largely on sand, Gaza is notoriously prone to flooding.
Palestinians accused Hamas of trying to boost its war chest by seizing tents handed out by relief workers and controlling their distribution for profit.
Last week, with torrential rain forecast, gunmen from Hamas's internal security units summoned Palestinian civil servants who were trying to make the refugee camps safer from rain and forced them to sign pledges not to enter those areas.
Hamas confiscated many of the tents that they had been distributing.
12 U.S. Senators Seek to Block Expanded Defense and Intelligence Cooperation with Israel - Idan Kweller ( Jerusalem Post)
In a letter to congressional leaders, 11 Democratic senators and independent Bernie Sanders called to remove three provisions from the FY 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would expand defense technology cooperation and intelligence sharing between the U.S. and Israel.
They argued that the proposed provisions would deepen Washington's technological and intelligence ties with Israel at a time when, in their view, the Israeli government's actions are increasingly at odds with American interests.
The letter was signed by Sens. Chris Van Hollen, Elizabeth Warren, Peter Welch, Edward Markey, Jeff Merkley, Brian Schatz, Patty Murray, Tina Smith, Ron Wyden, Andy Kim, Tammy Duckworth, and Bernie Sanders.
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Sanctions on Israel Are Backfiring Disastrously on Britain - Jake Wallis Simons ( Telegraph-UK)
On Thursday, 13 American states, whose combined GDP of over $6 trillion is significantly more than that of Britain's, threatened economic retaliation over UK sanctions on Israel.
In a letter signed by their attorneys general, the states accused Britain and the Netherlands of having "aligned themselves with the policy objectives of terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hizbullah."
They demanded that the British and Dutch governments abandon an "unlawful" boycott.
British companies could be barred from U.S. state contracts; American public funds could be withdrawn from British businesses; and the dispute could even trigger action under U.S. trade law.
"We reserve our right to pursue such remedies if you persist in your anti-Israel campaign," they stated.
See also Text: Stop Anti-Israel Sanctions Imposed by the Netherlands and the UK - Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird ( Iowa Department of Justice)
Israel Expanding Integration of Iron Beam Laser System - Yonah Jeremy Bob ( Jerusalem Post)
Israeli laser defense systems will be more integrated for a larger role by the end of 2026, sources told the Jerusalem Post.
The Iron Beam laser defense system was used less in the 2026 war with Iran because the IDF needs 14 batteries to have a significant impact.
Israel is making strong progress in building additional Iron Beam platforms.
Israel Unveils Advanced Cruise Missile - Yonah Jeremy Bob ( Jerusalem Post)
Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems on Tuesday unveiled its new "Super Ice" cruise missile.
Super Ice carries a 1,000-pound warhead and has a faster speed and longer range than the Icebreaker cruise missile adopted in 2022.
The West Faces Two Islams - Zineb Riboua ( City Journal)
Within Western diaspora communities, Islam has become intertwined with Third-Worldism and postcolonial theory, both of which see Western imperialism as the great evil of the modern era.
Meantime, much of the Middle East and Asia has turned toward pragmatism, normalization, and acceptance of Western predominance as a geopolitical reality.
After 9/11, American strategy focused on political Islam. Al-Qaeda and its eventual Islamic State offshoot, the Taliban, the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, Hizbullah, and Iran's Islamic Republic shared a revolutionary ambition to overturn the Western-led order.
Today, that Islamist challenge has fragmented. Al-Qaeda has splintered, the Islamic State has lost its caliphate, Egypt has outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Gulf monarchies increasingly treat Islamist movements as threats.
Pragmatic Middle Eastern governments increasingly see cooperation with the U.S. and Israel as a means to strengthen security, attract investment, acquire technology, and accelerate economic growth.
The writer is a research fellow with Hudson Institute's Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East.
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News Resources - North America, Europe, and Asia:
- Trump Vows "Total Victory" over Iran
President Trump said Wednesday at Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day:
"America did not start a war with Iran. Iran has been waging war on America since 1979. This should have been taken care of a long time ago. Under this administration, and it was about time, somebody fought back."
"We seriously fought back. And we won, just a question of when we want to end it. We want to make sure we have a total victory, not a 93% victory. It's going to be total. It'll take them 25 years to rebuild back what we have destroyed, and hopefully we won't have to destroy any more of that country."
"In Iran, where we stopped them from having a nuclear weapon, the B-2 bombers, they took them out. We began operations against Iran seven months ago, of which only a few weeks were active hard fighting. We lost 18 beautiful souls."
"But when this conflict is over, and it will be soon, the entire world will be a much safer and better place, a more peaceful place, and a place without the kind of danger that we had to suffer, because the bravery and skill of our amazing American warriors has absolutely been incredible." (Roll Call)
- Rubio: "Major Combat Operations" in Iran Are No Longer Needed - Michael Crowley
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that the Trump administration's economic pressure campaign against Iran was effective enough that "there's really no need for major combat operations any longer."
Rubio added that the U.S. might still respond with force if Iran "crosses certain red lines." Rubio said he had informed his counterparts about that position on Tuesday at a meeting of Group of 7 foreign ministers.
Rubio said further American strikes were no longer necessary because a combination of U.S. economic sanctions and an American naval blockade "are doing devastation" to Iran's economy. He noted that the Treasury Department was working to close loopholes in U.S. sanctions and to identify and punish sanctions violators.
He also said that Iran has been subsisting in part on the sale of oil shipped from its ports during a brief ceasefire in June, some of which remains on the high seas waiting for buyers. "Once that dries up, almost all of their oil revenue will dry up," Rubio said.
He cast doubt on the possibility of a U.S. deal with Iran happening soon. "The problem is the conditions they continue to place are absurd," Rubio said. "Like they're not even serious right now." (New York Times)
- Three Iranian-Backed Operatives Indicted for Nearly 20 Terrorist Attacks and Attempted Attacks across Europe and the U.S.
An indictment was unsealed Tuesday charging Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, a dual Iranian-Iraqi national; Mohsen Mohajeri, an Iranian national; and Mohammad Ali al-Hassani, an Iraqi national, with terrorism-related offenses for their activities in support of Kata'ib Hizballah and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), two U.S. designated foreign terrorist organizations, including their involvement in nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks throughout Europe and the U.S., and a Sept. 2026 terrorist plot at a British Royal Air Force Base in Fairford, UK, where American armed forces were stationed.
"These defendants helped orchestrate a campaign of terror on behalf of terrorist organizations affiliated with Iran that targeted Jewish communities in Europe and the U.S.," said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald.
The European terrorist attacks were carried out by a front group for Kata'ib Hizballah. Of 18 terrorist attacks in the spring of 2026 in Europe, seven took place in the UK. They involved arsons, explosives, and a near-fatal stabbing in London of two Jewish men.
(U.S. Department of Justice)
News Resources - Israel and the Mideast:
- IDF Kills Hamas Khan Yunis Commander in Gaza - James Genn
The IDF and Israel Security Agency on Wednesday night carried out a drone strike on a Hamas terror cell - including Khan Yunis Brigade commander Muhammad Abu Ismail - planning to carry out attacks from within Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, the IDF confirmed on Thursday. "Ismail was also responsible for holding numerous hostages captive throughout the war," the IDF said.
The strike came after Hamas "had established a presence within the hospital complex and used it as a command center for military and terrorist activities against IDF troops and the State of Israel."
Its activities there included "storing weapons within the hospital complex, conducting interrogations and torture by Hamas's internal security and intelligence services within the hospital complex, operating command-and-control rooms within the hospital complex, and using hospital facilities as observation posts and shelters for terrorists." (Jerusalem Post)
- Former Mossad Head: Iran Will Continue to Pursue Nuclear Weapons - Lazar Berman
David Barnea, who headed the Mossad when Israel and the U.S. launched the war against Iran earlier this year, said Wednesday that Trump "proved that doing the right thing is not always the popular choice."
Barnea said Israel "achieved an unprecedented result" against Iran in the war this year and the 12-day conflict in 2025, but said Iran will continue to pursue nuclear weapons "as long as this regime exists. They are still trying to recover the nuclear program" as the only way to safeguard "their crumbling regime."
He predicted that the chance of a deal being reached with Iran was "very low" due to its nuclear ambitions. While "war is a very highly effective option...there is another way," pointing to sanctions and an economic blockade, though these would take time to have an effect. (Times of Israel)
Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis:
Iran
- It Matters How the Iran War Ends - Gen. (ret.) David H. Petraeus
Everyone wants the war with Iran to end. But how it ends is what matters. A settlement that lets Iran restore its revenue and maritime commerce, continue to threaten navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, rebuild its nuclear program and keep its highly enriched uranium wouldn't advance American and allied interests. It would set the conditions for the next crisis.
The U.S. has three essential goals: restore freedom of navigation through the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, account for and neutralize Iran's nearly 1,000 pounds of uranium enriched to 60%, and impose enforceable limits on nuclear enrichment. None of this requires regime change, occupation or indefinite war. These are the minimum requirements for a durable settlement.
Freedom of navigation can't mean temporary permission from Tehran for favored countries, routes Iran can close at will or a pause in attacks conditioned on concessions. Iran's uranium enriched to 60% could be used in a crude nuclear device without further enrichment or enriched to weapons-grade rapidly. The objective shouldn't be merely to dispose of yesterday's material but to prevent Iran from quickly re-creating the same nuclear threat tomorrow.
The U.S. shouldn't lift the blockade, release substantial frozen funds, or permit renewed Iranian oil exports in exchange for a promise that Tehran will reopen the strait and discuss the nuclear questions later. That would trade concrete American leverage for reversible commitments.
Iran should first stop attacking ships and help clear maritime hazards. It should then restore IAEA access, fully account for the enriched uranium and accept enforceable limits on enrichment. The blockade could be lifted, frozen assets released, and the U.S. force posture reduced only after safe passage is in effect, the 60% stockpile has been neutralized, and the nuclear restrictions and inspections are operating.
The writer commanded the surge in Iraq, U.S. Central Command and coalition forces in Afghanistan, and served as director of the CIA. (Wall Street Journal)
- If You Think War Is Unpopular, Wait Till You See Defeat - Tim Sheehy
Sometimes good politics is bad policy and good policy is bad politics, which brings me to our current fight against Iran. War is unpopular. It always has been. War is expensive, unpredictable and, most important, deadly. It almost always takes longer than planners thought and is deadlier than experts estimated.
Only a few years after World War II, President Truman made the unpopular decision to send American forces to Korea to prevent the people of the peninsula from falling under the yoke of tyranny. Americans didn't want another war. They were tired of overseas combat and wanted to focus on domestic issues.
Truman paid a price in the 1950 midterms, as his opponents made significant gains in Congress and public support for the war deteriorated. But his backbone in prosecuting the war saved half the Korean Peninsula from totalitarianism and solidified the U.S. position against the Soviets in the Cold War.
History often vindicates difficult decisions that were deeply unpopular in their time. Our fight against Iran will prove no different. This isn't a fight for Israel or Saudi Arabia. It is a fight for Western civilization and the security of American families.
The radical Islamist forces that control Iran and their proxy groups seek the destruction of the U.S. and all Western civilization. They have kidnapped, tortured, murdered and maimed thousands of Americans and many more innocent people worldwide.
They will use all weapons at their disposal to blackmail their neighbors, build regional (and eventually global) hegemony, and forge themselves into a world power that can't be confronted. The war is unpopular, but defeat would be far less popular. We owe it to our country and the West to finish the job.
The writer is a U.S. senator from Montana. (Wall Street Journal)
- The Economic Campaign Will Defeat Iran - Dr. Udi Levy
What will Israel do if the U.S. administration refrains from attacking Iran, diplomatic pressure on Israel intensifies, and its enemies use the time to rebuild their strength. The answer must be a shift from reactive warfare to a sustained, proactive campaign.
The power of Iran, Hizbullah and Hamas rests on revenue streams, commercial companies, procurement networks, technology, governing institutions and networks of influence. As long as these mechanisms remain operational, military achievements risk becoming little more than a lull during which the next threat takes shape.
With Hizbullah, striking weapons stockpiles is not enough if Hizbullah can replenish its revenues, transfer funds and purchase new weapons. Israel must combine intelligence gathering, the exposure of financing networks, and cooperation with law enforcement authorities worldwide. The goal is to make it harder for Hizbullah to convert money into military power and political control in Lebanon.
Targeting Hamas commanders and infrastructure will not be enough if Hamas continues to control the distribution of resources, collect revenues, and dictate the daily lives of Gaza's residents. A functioning civilian and security administration, backed by regional and international partners, is needed to govern Gaza and prevent Hamas from regaining control of aid and the economy.
The author is a former head of the Mossad's Harpoon financial warfare unit. (Israel Hayom)
U.S.-Israel Relations
- Where Does the U.S.-Israel Relationship Go from Here? - Elliott Abrams
The U.S.-Israel relationship is under assault in both parties. Both the Senate and the House will have dedicated opponents of all aid to Israel, including even the sale of defensive weapons. They will see moves like an end to military assistance as weak half-measures, when much more must be demanded.
These views do not command a majority in the Democratic caucus, nor are they held by Chuck Schumer, the likely majority leader, or Hakeem Jeffries, the likely House speaker. But they now have a firm base in Congress and in the Democratic Party; policies that were considered fringe and extremist a few years ago will now be seriously debated.
It can be predicted that Democratic leaders will look for compromises that can maintain party unity, and every compromise with the new anti-Israel team will weaken U.S.-Israel ties and Israel's defenses. The DSA crew will fight every line in a new memorandum of understanding with Israel on future military and high-tech cooperation.
They will oppose any U.S. or joint efforts against the Iranian nuclear weapons program. They will adopt the widespread European demand for immediate recognition of a Palestinian state. They will seek sanctions against Israeli military and political leaders, and boycotts that separate Israeli companies and banks from the U.S. economy.
The writer, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, served as White House deputy national security advisor, where he supervised U.S. policy in the Middle East.
(National Review)
Palestinian Arabs
- Time to Raise the Price of Terror: Ways to End PA-PLO "Pay-for-Slay" - Lt.-Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch
The PA-PLO's terror-rewarding "Pay-for-Slay" policy unequivocally drives and fuels terror. The policy and its implementation breach existing criminal law provisions that prohibit any action that assists, promotes, or funds the payment of a reward for the commission of a terror offense. Since the PA-PLO remains undeterred by the measures taken by Israel and the U.S. to combat the policy, the time has come to raise the ante.
To operate the "Pay-for-Slay" policy, the PA-PLO employs an entire bureaucratic team that includes the clerks who process the requests of terrorists for payment as well as the high-level PA-PLO officials responsible for authorizing and making the payments. They are committing an offense that carries a sentence of 7-10 years in prison. Israel could begin by arresting a handful of senior PA-PLO officials. Other steps could include seizing the funds for the payments at their source.
The writer, former director of the Military Prosecution in Judea and Samaria, is director of the Palestinian Authority Accountability Initiative at the Jerusalem Center. (Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs)
See also Palestinian Authority Pays $6 Million a Month to Terrorists - Itamar Eichner
The Palestinian Authority continues to pay more than $6 million a month to terrorists imprisoned in Israel, despite a commitment PA President Mahmoud Abbas made to the U.S. to end the practice, according to a new study conducted for the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs by Lt.-Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch.
(Ynet News)
Weekend Features
- New Knesset includes Israelis Affected by Recent War - Stav Levaton
The new Knesset sworn in Tuesday includes 46 first-time lawmakers in the 120-member body. A striking number have a personal connection to Hamas's Oct. 7 onslaught and the war that followed.
Yashar MK Shira Shapir is the mother of Aner Shapiro, 22, who was killed defending people hiding from Hamas gunmen in a bomb shelter near the Nova music festival. Standing at the entrance, he repeatedly threw grenades back outside; the eighth killed him. Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot's son Gal and two of his nephews were killed in battle.
Likud MK Talik Gvili is the mother of Ran Gvili, a police officer in the counterterror unit who was killed on Oct. 7 and whose body was the last Israeli to be returned from Gaza after more than 800 days. Likud MK Elisha Madan is an IDF reservist who lost both legs in a 2024 blast from a booby-trapped tunnel shaft in Gaza.
B'Yachad MK Noam Tibon, a retired major general, rescued his son, daughter-in-law, and their two young children from their home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz while it was under attack. B'Yachad MK Hirsch Negri lost her son Roee, a reserve officer who was killed fighting Hamas at Kibbutz Be'eri on Oct. 7.
Yisrael Beytenu MK Rafi Ben Shitrit's son, Staff Sgt. Shimon Alroy Ben Shitrit, was killed defending the Nahal Oz army base on Oct. 7.
Democrats MK Yair Golan, a reserve major general, drove to the Nova music festival site on Oct. 7, rescuing multiple people.
Religious Zionism MK Tzvika Mor is the father of Eitan Mor, a security guard at the Nova music festival who was kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7 and held hostage in Gaza for 738 days. (Times of Israel)
See also Video: New Knesset Member Who Lost Both Legs in Gaza Gets Standing Ovation
Elisha Madan, a father of six, was critically wounded and lost both legs fighting Hamas in Gaza in an explosion that killed four of his fellow soldiers. On Tuesday, he pulled himself up on his prosthetics to swear his oath in the new Knesset - and lawmakers were on their feet applauding him. (StandWithUs-Facebook)
Observations:
- As candidates with possible ties to the Muslim Brotherhood achieved unprecedented electoral victories in the U.S. midterm elections, some commentators have attributed the threat posed by Islamism to American Muslims as a whole. When critics treat Muslim communities as a monolithic Islamist constituency, they inadvertently reinforce this narrative and further empower Islamists. Thus, differentiating Islam from Islamism is a strategic imperative.
- An increase in the Muslim population does not inherently result in a larger Islamist constituency, just as the expansion of Islamist political movements does not necessarily depend on demographic growth among Muslims. Most American Muslims reject terrorism and violent jihad, yet a significant minority holds views incompatible with liberal democracy. However, Muslims cannot be regarded as a homogeneous political constituency with uniform beliefs and aspirations. If anything, American Muslims who oppose political Islam are potential allies.
- Islamist ideology poses a real threat to American democracy and there is a need for serious scrutiny of antisemitism within Muslim communities. To address these threats, it is necessary to reckon with the capacity of Islamist movements and their political narratives to gain acceptance among groups with no religious affiliation with Islam.
- The relationship between Islamist movements and segments of the Western radical left is particularly significant in this context. Resistance to Western political dominance, American foreign policy, capitalism, and Israel has created opportunities for cooperation among actors whose ideological bases differ significantly.
- In the Michigan Senate election, Abdul El-Sayed received 2.5 million votes, while Michigan's Muslim population is estimated at 274,000. Therefore, at least 89% of his electoral support must have come from non-Muslims. In Zohran Mamdani's victory in New York City's 2025 mayoral election, he received nearly 51% of the vote,
while Muslims were estimated to constitute 7% of the registered voters.
- Islamism should be understood as a political ideology rather than a religion. It is possible for individuals to identify as Muslim while rejecting political Islamism, as demonstrated by many in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain (all Arab Muslim-majority countries), where the Muslim Brotherhood has been banned or restricted. Conversely, non-Muslims may support political Islam.
- The critical question is: how do political ideas associated with Islamist movements, often focused on undermining Western civilization from within, gain legitimacy and support among non-Muslim Americans, particularly within progressive political circles? Addressing this question, rather than locating the problem with Muslims collectively, may facilitate a more accurate diagnosis of the political threats currently facing the U.S. This should be the starting point for a rigorous examination of the Islamist challenge to American democracy.
The writer, an Egyptian scholar, is a Senior Fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs.
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