| DAILY ALERT |
Thursday, January 8, 2026 |
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News Resources - North America, Europe, and Asia:
Strikes and protests spread to several major cities across Iran on Wednesday. Merchants and business owners in the traditional bazaars in Tabriz, Isfahan, Mashhad and Kerman closed to protest the dire state of the economy and the plunging currency. In Tehran, shops in the traditional bazaar, where the recent wave of protests began, remained shuttered for an 11th day. Videos from multiple cities showed crowds chanting "Death to the dictator," "Freedom, freedom, freedom," "Don't be afraid, we are all together" and "Khamenei is a murderer, his rule is void." The Human Rights Activists News Agency in Washington said at least 36 people had been killed, including two security agents, and over 2,000 people had been arrested. (New York Times) At least 12 people have been killed during two days of intense clashes between Syrian government and Kurdish fighters in Aleppo. Tens of thousands of civilians have fled the Kurdish majority neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, which the Syrian army shelled on Wednesday after designating them as "closed military areas." The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) called it a "criminal attempt" to forcibly displace residents. In March 2025, the SDF, which controls much of Syria's northeast and has tens of thousands of fighters, signed a deal to integrate all military and civilian institutions into the Syrian state. But that has not happened yet. The SDF remains reluctant to give up the autonomy it won during the country's civil war, when it helped U.S.-led forces defeat the Islamic State. (BBC News) See also Israel: Syrian Regime's Attacks on Kurds "Contradicts Promises of a New Syria" - Itamar Eichner Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said Thursday that "the attacks by Syrian regime forces on the Kurdish minority in Aleppo are serious and dangerous. The international community in general and the West in particular have a debt of honor toward the Kurds who fought bravely and successfully against ISIS. Systematic and murderous oppression of various minorities in Syria contradicts the promises of a 'new Syria'." (Ynet News) The Lebanese daily Al-Nahar on Jan. 3, 2026, quoted Lebanese Brig.-Gen. (ret.) Wehbe Katicha as saying that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro provided Lebanese Hizbullah with 10,000 Venezuelan passports, some of which were used by officers of Syria's Assad regime to flee the country. (MEMRI) Hersi Ali Haji Hassan, chairman of Somaliland's ruling Waddani party, fiercely defended his government's decision to normalize relations with Israel in an interview with Al Jazeera on Wednesday. He argued that Somaliland was forced to look to Israel for legitimacy after being ignored by the international community for decades. "There is no choice before us but to welcome any country that recognizes our existential right," he said. "We have been an independent state for 34 years. The rejection of the Arab League does not matter to us at all. They did not accept us as a member...and we did not receive any attention from Arab countries." "Normalization with Israel is not limited to Somaliland. Many Arab and Islamic countries have broad political and economic relations with Israel, such as Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, and the UAE. We deal with Israel politically. Political dealing is not something religion forbids." (Al Jazeera) News Resources - Israel and the Mideast:
Israel, Syria, and the U.S. agreed to establish a joint "fusion mechanism" to serve as a communication channel for intelligence sharing, military de-escalation, diplomatic engagement, and commercial issues, it was announced Tuesday following meetings between senior Israeli and Syrian officials in Paris. It was agreed to begin talks in civilian areas, including medicine, energy, and agriculture. (Jerusalem Post) See also Israel-Syria Talks Advance, but Key Security Questions Remain - Herb Keinon When Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was deposed in November 2024, Israel faced uncertainty from a state crowded with armed groups, many of them openly hostile to Israel. Israel had no idea who would ultimately control Syria - or even which parts of it - and could not risk strategic areas so close to its border falling into the hands of Iranian-allied militias, Hizbullah, jihadist factions, or ISIS. So within days of Assad's fall, Israel moved decisively: destroying Syria's air force, navy, and heavy weapons depots to prevent them from falling into dangerous hands, and taking control of a wide swath of southern Syrian territory, including the Syrian side of Mount Hermon. The nightmare scenario in Jerusalem is a buildup of jihadist forces on another border directly adjacent to Israeli communities - this time in the Golan Heights - paralleling the situation near Gaza prior to Oct. 7. Israel wants to see southern Syria demilitarized, strong enforcement mechanisms put into place, protections for minority communities - especially the Druze in Sweida - and continued freedom of action against emerging threats. However, there is a disagreement between Washington and Jerusalem over what security actually means. For Washington, "demilitarization" means no heavy weapons beyond a defined line, limits on the number of forces in the defined zone, international monitors, and procedures in place to address violations. For Jerusalem, what is needed is a buffer zone under effective Israeli control, with IDF operational freedom, intelligence capabilities, and the ability to act preemptively. (Jerusalem Post) See also Israeli-Syrian Understandings Reached under U.S. Auspices (U.S. State Department) Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa'ar met with President of Somaliland Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi on Tuesday in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland. Sa'ar said: "Mr. President, it is an historic journey. I held meetings with you and your team. We had an ongoing and extensive dialogue for many months. The relations that we built are based on trust and mutual respect." "On December 26th, Israel and Somaliland signed an historic agreement on mutual recognition and the establishment of full diplomatic relations. We agreed on the mutual appointment of ambassadors and the opening of embassies." "Unlike 'Palestine,' Somaliland is not a virtual state. It's a functioning state. Somaliland is a fully-functioning country based on the principles of international law. Somaliland is - and has been - a stable democracy for nearly 35 years....It's pro-Western and friendly to Israel." "Israel is truly honored to be the first UN member-state to recognize the Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state. This is the moral thing to do and this is what we did....Nobody will determine for Israel who we recognize and who we maintain diplomatic relations with. I want to remind that the 2005 African Union fact-finding mission stated that Somaliland's search for recognition is "self-justified." (Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs) See also African Union Calls for Immediate Revocation of Somaliland's Recognition by Israel (Reuters) Israel continues to provide economic assistance to Hamas - in clear opposition to the professional recommendations of IDF leadership. According to the military, the 4,200 weekly deliveries of food and fuel into Gaza are far higher than the Gaza population's actual needs. "We know with high confidence that Hamas has at least 400 million shekels in cash inside the Strip," an IDF officer explained. "Hamas has accumulated these huge sums over years of preparation for a rainy day, for a long siege, and this is one of the reasons why the Gazan public is not rebelling against it. Hamas continued to pay salaries to tens of thousands of its officials and activists throughout the war....It has financial reserves for years to come." Hamas reportedly "looted" the Bank of Palestine in Gaza City early in the war and moved large sums from the bank's vaults to its underground emergency assets that have not yet been found. (Ynet News) Palestinian sources have revealed that members of the Gaza-based charity Mubadaron are suspected of misusing donation funds raised from abroad during the war. A group of social media influencers in Gaza collected donations from Palestinians living abroad, claiming they were assisting displaced persons with basic needs such as food supplies. A resident of the Khan Yunis area said she noticed that several Mubadaron activists bought themselves new smartphones and rented luxury SUVs. (Israel Hayom) Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis:
Iran Iran's Revolutionary Guards are significantly involved in the international drug trade, both directly and through proxies like Hizbullah. This provides the organization with access to sources of financing that bypass international sanctions placed on the Iranian regime, as well as sophisticated operational platforms that support subversive efforts aimed at the West. A defector from Iran's Revolutionary Guards revealed the strategic intent behind this drug trafficking: "We were told that the drugs will destroy the sons and daughters of the West, and that we must kill them. Their lives are worth less because they are not Muslims." Emanuele Ottolenghi, an expert on Iranian operations in Latin America at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, notes: "The Iranians made Caracas the hub of all their propaganda and soft power operations in the region, including their Spanish-language 24/7 news network." Iran established a permanent presence in Caracas for its missionary network under the umbrella of the sanctioned Al-Mustafa International University. Venezuelan President Maduro, during a 2022 visit to Tehran, declared Venezuela part of the "resistance axis" that "exists throughout the world; it exists in Africa, in Asia, in the Middle East, in Latin America, and in the Caribbean." Largely driven by narcotics trafficking, Hizbullah operatives can move to and from Venezuela discretely and many have roots in Venezuela's one million-strong Lebanese community. Iran has provided Venezuela with Peykaap fastboats armed with anti-ship missiles and UAVs that can be used for both drug smuggling and military operations in the Caribbean. The Rand Corporation warns that "these Iranian weapon systems present a legitimate threat to maritime security in the Caribbean region." Iranian military advisers have helped transform Venezuela into what Ottolenghi describes as a "forward operating base" against the U.S. The writer is President of the Jerusalem Center. (Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs) It is time to pair "maximum pressure" on the Iranian regime with a clear policy of maximum support for the Iranians who are determined to overthrow it. Regime change won't come from U.S. troops marching on Tehran, but from Iranians in the streets. The U.S. should use its cyber and intelligence capabilities to degrade the regime's repression apparatus and level the battlefield for unarmed civilians facing an armed regime. It should enable secure communications by expanding free VPN programs and working with private-sector partners like Starlink to keep Iranians connected. Cyber operations can disrupt regime coordination. Psychological pressure and digital influence campaigns can fracture elite loyalty. Incentives can encourage defections. Regime support networks at home and abroad can be dismantled. Regime officials at all levels should face targeted sanctions and asset freezes - and frozen Iranian assets held abroad should be used to finance labor strike funds. Not since 1979 has Iran's regime been so vulnerable. After nearly half a century of theocratic darkness, history has opened a narrow door. President Trump should help push it open. Mark Dubowitz is chief executive of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, where Ben Cohen is a senior analyst. (New York Post) The Gaza War I have consistently and unequivocally advocated for Palestinian rights for freedom, self-determination, and national dignity. This is an attempt to deal with the realpolitik of the current days with a strong desire for an outcome that will move us all forward to genuine peace. The military defeat of Hamas has occurred, even if not yet completed. The alternative Palestinian governance for Gaza is on its way, with a Palestinian technocrat governing committee responsible for day-to-day affairs. The members of the committee have been vetted, selected, and notified. They are all serious, loyal, nationalist Palestinians who have demonstrated clearly for years their contempt for Hamas. In addition to the speed of reconstruction, the success of the process will also be measured by the extent to which the new reality in Gaza changes Gazan society regarding its willingness to live in peace next to the State of Israel. Gazan society has been deeply and negatively influenced by nearly two decades of Hamas rule and control that included the inculcation of hate toward Israel. The new reality of Gaza has to change. It is not enough for Hamas to no longer control Gaza. Change must be seen in daily life. Change must also be seen in the classroom, in all the Gazan textbooks. Textbooks in Gaza (and in the West Bank) need to educate toward building a modern and successful Palestinian society willing to live in peace next to Israel. It should also include the study of Hebrew and a clear recognition that the Palestinian people share the land with the Israeli Jewish people. (Jerusalem Post) The IDF Medical Corps is light years ahead of the British Army. 600 IDF soldiers, wounded in Gaza, are alive today who would have died in previous conflicts because of revolutionary changes to frontline medical care systems. That there are retired British generals recommending we don't work with the IDF is mind-blowing. Learning from the IDF will literally keep our troops alive in future conflicts. The writer, a research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, served for 16 years in the British Army. (X) See also Tactical Lessons from Gaza - Maj. (ret.) Andrew Fox The 2023-25 war in Gaza offers a stark preview of intense combat in densely populated cities and provides timely lessons for NATO forces, their governments and their allies. The fighting highlighted the revolutionary role of drones and armored engineering vehicles, the importance of integrating special forces with conventional units, and the critical need to protect civilians while managing the information narrative. The war in Gaza provides ample lessons for future conflicts in urban environments against non-state actors. (Henry Jackson Society) Antisemitism The House Committee on Education and Workforce is now scrutinizing the American Psychological Association (APA), which accredits psychological education. Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) said: "Jewish APA members have reported being harassed and ostracized by their colleagues within the APA and at APA events because of their Jewish identity, their efforts to speak out again antisemitism, and their Zionist beliefs. Members have also stated that their complaints to the association have gone unanswered." He cited a February 2025 open letter from Psychologists Against Antisemitism to APA leaders raising "serious concerns" about "insensitivity towards Jews, a lack of concern regarding antisemitism, minimization of aggression towards the Jewish people, and outright hostility and prejudice towards Jews and Jewish heritage....The APA has offered educational credits for members to attend conferences where speakers endorsed violence against Jews and Israelis; antisemitic tropes; Holocaust distortion; minimization of Jewish victimization, fear, and grief; and pathologizing of Jewish people's connection to their indigenous homeland." Finally, "APA allegedly failed to take meaningful action against a former APA division president who...allegedly taught that Zionism is a mental illness [and] called to 'destroy Zionism.'" Dr. Miri Bar-Halpern, Lecturer in Psychology at Harvard Medical School, told me, "The Congressional investigation into the APA was needed a long time ago. Antisemitism has been rising within the mental health field for years." (Jewish Chronicle-UK) Palestinian Arabs When I worked for a reconciliation organization and lived in the largely Palestinian Christian town of Beit Sahour last summer, there were multiple aspects of Palestinian society that disturbed me. What I found most discomforting was its overwhelming celebration of martyrdom - glorifying those Palestinians who sacrificed themselves in the name of "Palestine." After witnessing a large crowd of young children chanting "we will die to make Palestine live" at the summer camp where I volunteered, a Palestinian teenager asked me: "What have we [Palestinians] ever done wrong?" I responded by mentioning the dozens of suicide bombings that took place in Israeli civilian areas during the Second Intifada. She replied: "But those are acts of resistance." Living in the West Bank taught me that most Palestinians, regardless of religion, have long bought into the Islamist celebration of martyrdom. Palestinian society's extremism and fetishization of death are encouraged (or mandated) by the Palestinian leadership in a mindset shared by both the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Hamas. Israeli peace activist Gershon Baskin told me that because Hamas's "political-religious philosophy...is based on the sanctification of death," they're more than happy to never surrender. The nearly universal celebration of martyrdom across Palestinian society demonstrates that extremism is deeply entrenched within Palestinian culture. Consequently, Israel will never exist comfortably unless it tackles this Palestinian issue. (Algemeiner) Other Issues Elbit America, the U.S. unit of Israeli defense electronics company Elbit Systems, recently completed manufacturing the first model of the Sigma NG 155 mm self-propelled howitzer at its plant in South Carolina. The model complies with President Trump's policy of relying on American production. As part of the construction of the artillery gun barrel, U.S. components were brought to Israel to Elbit facilities, so that the company's employees could provide their experience, and then sent back to be installed in the remotely controlled turret system. (Globes) Israel's Elbit Systems has received new contracts totaling $150 million from Sweden's BAE Systems Hagglunds for its Iron Fist Active Protection System (APS) for ground vehicles. The system will be installed on CV90 Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs) operated by a number of European NATO members. At a high-profile live-fire demonstration in Europe in September, Iron Fist successfully intercepted more than a dozen 120 mm. tank rounds. Elbit says the Iron Fist is an advanced hard-kill active protection system that "delivers 360-degree protection against various anti-armor threats, including anti-tank rockets, anti-tank guided missiles, unmanned aerial systems, and loitering munitions, in both open terrain and complex urban environments." (Jerusalem Post) IDF reservist and industrial design graduate Oz Lotati, 29, noticed that there was no reliable way to keep lifesaving blood supplies properly cooled in the field. Lotati created a portable, rugged blood cooler specifically for soldiers and field medical teams. It contains an active cooling mechanism with a compact compressor and advanced insulation to maintain a stable temperature. The cooler runs on standard military radio batteries already used by soldiers, and can also connect to vehicle power outlets, generators, electric sockets or even solar panels. It integrates directly into the gear of a medic or soldier, and is engineered to withstand movement, heavy loads and combat conditions. "The goal is that blood reaches the wounded quickly and at top quality," Lotati says. "I want to make lifesaving treatment accessible even in the most remote and dangerous parts of the battlefield, under fire - not just back at the hospital. I saw with my own eyes what it means to be in the field without available blood, and if this product saves even one soldier then I've fulfilled my mission." (Ynet News) In World War I, the British Army sought to capture Beersheba from the Turks in 1917. A British intelligence officer, Col. Richard Meinertzhagen, developed a clever gambit to draw Turkish forces away from their Beersheba base. He rode near a Turkish mounted patrol near Gaza, and when the horsemen chased him and fired, he slumped in his saddle as if wounded, "accidentally" dropped his haversack, and escaped. The haversack was full of official intelligence reports showing that the British-led forces would be making an attempt to capture Gaza. In response, the Turks moved troops from the Beersheba region west to Gaza. The way for the British, Australians, and New Zealanders to move against Beersheba was made infinitely easier. Meinertzhagen is also credited with arranging an aerial drop of cigarettes for front-line Turkish soldiers. The tobacco was laced with opium, which befuddled their behavior. The writer, a former Israeli diplomat in Washington, is a Research Fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs and the author of Secrets of World War I in the Holy Land. (Substack) In recent years, a transnational elite pursued a politics of unreality, based on the notion of the replacement of power and interest by a new world of "international law," universal human rights, a universal commonality of interests (making feasible the notion of mass immigration from vastly different cultures) and a taboo on the use of military force. Thanks to the efforts and sacrifices of generations, the Jewish state today stands as the military and economic superior of all its rivals, and therefore as a worthwhile and powerful ally in the eyes of those of its neighbors not hostile to it for religious or ideological reasons. Israel has the possession of statehood, a powerful military, a strong economy, and a durable national and religious ethos. An interesting by-product of the politics of unreality and, in particular, of its odd embrace and romanticization of the Muslim and Arab worlds - was an unbridled hostility to Israel and often to Jews on the part of its adherents. (JNS) Observations: Iran Is on the Edge of Revolution - Abbas Milani (New Statesman-UK)
The writer, an Iranian-American historian, is director of the Iranian Studies program at Stanford University. |
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