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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in his address to the Knesset on Tuesday that Iran is working to renew its nuclear threat, and that “the only way to permanently remove this existential threat is through the downfall of the Ayatollah regime.”

Netanyahu also warned that Israel will imminently face international pressure to accept Iran as a nuclear power and “to tolerate the terrifying regime seeking its destruction.”

The prime minister also added that Israel can be expected to be pressured to “retreat from its monumental achievements and from the major progress made regarding security zones.”

He pushed for Knesset members to set aside other priorities and considerations in order to form a national unity government, insisting that only such a government is capable of facing such challenges.

Netanyahu’s speech was interrupted by former prime minister and B’Yachad MK Naftali Bennett, who shouted at him, “What about your Qatari advisers? What about investigating October 7?”

Bennett’s remarks drew an inaudible response from Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, and son, Yair, who were in attendance.

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Dear Jewish Democrats,

Congratulations. You’ve scored a massive victory in your all-out war against US President Donald Trump. But as my son starts another round of reserve duty – uncomplainingly – I hate to remind you of our uncomfortable reality. We Israelis are still at war. It’s a real war with lethal enemies. And we need your help, now, more than ever – especially after the Democratic sweep.

This is a war of self-defense for the survival of the world’s only Jewish state and for the survival of the Jewish people worldwide. It’s a war we didn’t start – I’m astonished I need to repeat this. It’s a war we, encouraged by you and American governments, dodged for years as our enemies kept arming themselves. And it’s a war that continues, not because of Israel’s government, but because of evil neighbors seeking our destruction… and yours.

Please don’t be fooled. Ours is a particularly dastardly enemy. They live that Jewish joke defining chutzpah as killing your parents, then pleading for mercy as orphans. They’ve turned their ability to start the fight, act barbarically, cheer it, hide behind their women and children amid the counterattack, then cosplay as the world’s innocent Jesus-like victims, into today’s greatest con game.

That doesn’t make Israel perfect. Nor does it compel you to change your domestic politics or even like Israel’s next leader. But it does mean, if you care about us here in Israel – and I know most of you do – that you must remember the threats we face daily, while constantly reminding newly-empowered Democrats of that unhappy reality too.

Whatever you think of Trump and his conduct of the war, Iran remains a lethal threat to America, to you, to the West. We, along with the long-suffering Iranian people, would be so much better off if that regime collapsed – and if American and Israeli power got credit for finishing the job.

Whatever you think of the Jewish terrorists and the outgoing government’s unconscionable failure to stop them, Palestinian terrorism is more lethal, systemic, and popular among Palestinians than Jewish hooliganism is among Israelis.

And whatever you think of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and how he managed this war, this election reflected Israelis’ pro-war consensus to keep crushing Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian terrorism, and Iran’s exterminationist regime. The consensus includes rejecting unrealistic calls for a two-state solution until Palestinian leaders stop demanding a no-Jewish-state solution.

Admittedly, my blunt reminder rejects the blame-Israel-first narrative pushed in the media, on social media, and by a growing minority of your rabbis, teachers, and community leaders – whom I confront in this month’s Commentary cover story.

And it won’t make you popular in the intellectual, social, ideological, and political centers of blue state America you revere and built. But just as my kids and their friends are on the front lines defending you and Western civilization – we need your help on that critical front explaining why America and the new Democratic Congress must not abandon Israel.

I keep hearing from Trump-hating American Jews that Israelis need more “introspection.” They preach about “Jewish values,” which for them means embracing Palestinians while double-crossing their own people.

True, Israelis should ponder how the previous government alienated so many of you. But ask “how much was avoidable” – like the violent settlers – and “how much was unavoidable” – given our need to defend ourselves amid a vicious campaign demonizing us.

But now, as you wield power, maybe you need some introspection – and a reset. You’ve built your political identities around an axis of liberalism and social justice. Since 2016, you’ve revolved around anti-Trump politics, cementing in certainty your all-or-nothing political identity.

Acknowledging Trump’s achievements

Most of you couldn’t even acknowledge Trump’s achievements in advancing peace through the Abraham Accords or fulfilling promises Democrats made but never kept – by moving the US embassy to Jerusalem. And many of you still can’t admit that if Kamala Harris had been elected, some hostages would probably still be languishing in Gaza.

Most inexcusably, so many of you voted for avowed enemies of you, of us, like Zohran Mamdani and Abdul El-Sayed, enthusiastically.

If you at least agonized, denounced their obsessive anti-Zionist form of antisemitism, then said, “nevertheless I fear Trump’s threat more,” there’s something to debate. But your gusto is chilling, as 60% of Michigan Jews supported someone who fanatically hates them and their great homeland reclamation project.

We Israelis will survive. Will you? How sustainable is a Jewish community that cannot recognize brazen adversaries who don’t bother hiding their bigotry? And what country ever succeeded after degenerating into rank Jew-hatred?

So beware. Don’t be too cocky. American politics keeps whiplashing. Since 2000, party dominance has flipped 10 times – with six different reversals since 2012.

If the Squad-squared runs the Washington agenda, intimidating the spineless centrists like Charles Schumer currently leading the party, it could help Republicans triumph in 2028 – note the quadrennially ping-ponging from Barack Obama to Trump to Joe Biden back to Trump.

But if the 160 Congressional moderates win the brewing Democratic civil war, this 2026 election may be realigning.

This is your moment. The pro-Palestinian anti-Zionist antisemites bash America as systemically broken. These illiberal liberals keep canceling anyone who disagrees with them, feeding today’s toxic polarization.

So, please, grow a spine. Stand up for yourselves, your people, Israel. If you emerge as muscular moderates and sane Democratic centrists, you may win future elections by governing America effectively and constructively, not demagogically and vengefully.

The writer is a distinguished scholar of North American history at McGill University and a senior research fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute. He is the author of nine books on presidential history and nine on modern Zionism, including To Resist the Academic Intifada: Letters to My Students on Defending the Zionist Dream, as well as his latest e-book, The Essential Guide to the US-Israel Partnership: the 250th Anniversary Edition.

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Israel’s Mer Group has secured a series of contracts valued at approximately €46 million ($53 million) from government entities in a West African country, expanding its footprint in the intelligence, cyber defense, and homeland security sectors as governments grapple with rapidly evolving AI-driven threats.

The contracts were awarded to a wholly owned subsidiary, Athena Security Implementations, which is Mer Group’s homeland security contributor that specializes in integrating intelligence solutions with national security frameworks.

The contracts include providing intelligence and cybersecurity capabilities, modernizing existing intelligence systems, and modernizing and protecting strategic national infrastructure. The projects are expected to be executed over approximately 24 months.

According to the company, roughly €34m. of the contract value is expected to be supported by a financing agreement between the customer and a financing bank, which is anticipated to be signed in the coming months.

Athena works primarily with governments and security agencies, although it also supports corporations facing similar security challenges. According to Athena CEO Omer Lavie, the company’s model begins with assessing a country’s intelligence and security vulnerabilities before designing an integrated package based on Israeli operational experience and proven technologies.

“We don’t just deliver technology,” Lavie told Defense & Tech by The Jerusalem Post. “We provide doctrine, procedures, protocols and best practices, while improving the capabilities of the people operating those systems through training, mentoring, and professional development.”

The new contracts come as governments worldwide confront the growing impact of artificial intelligence on terrorism, intelligence collection, and influence operations.

“The main challenge for intelligence communities today is that AI has fundamentally changed the shape of the threat,” Lavie said. “It’s an arms race between governments and state-sponsored terrorist organizations, and in many cases terror groups have an advantage because they can adapt faster and are not constrained by regulations.”

Among the most significant changes, he said, is the disappearance of traditional barriers to recruitment and influence operations. AI enables terrorist organizations to tailor messaging across multiple languages and demographics while conducting large-scale disinformation campaigns capable of influencing public opinion with increasingly convincing false content.

“AI helps terrorist organizations recruit more efficiently, and intelligence agencies are going to have a very difficult challenge keeping up,” he said.

At the same time, Lavie argued that AI should not be viewed as a revolutionary break from existing intelligence practices but rather as the next stage in their evolution.

“The more data and sensors a country possesses, the better AI will perform,” he said.

Athena helps intelligence organizations adapt by restructuring workflows into smaller, more agile operational units that can rapidly adopt emerging technologies. The goal is to integrate intelligence disciplines such as visual intelligence (VISINT), signals intelligence (SIGINT), human intelligence (HUMINT), and field intelligence into unified platforms accessible across multiple command structures.

According to Lavie, these fusion capabilities significantly improve both defensive and offensive intelligence operations by allowing agencies to analyze massive amounts of information from disparate sources more efficiently.

Saving years of trial and error

The contracts also highlight the growing importance of West Africa and the Sahel region in the global fight against terrorism.

“It’s somewhat off the radar, which makes it an attractive testing ground for terrorist organizations experimenting with new capabilities and technologies, including AI,” Lavie said.

He noted that the Sahel area has become one of the world’s most active theaters for jihadist terror groups, while many governments in the region continue to struggle with limited resources and operational capabilities.

“Some of these governments have limited budgets and tools,” he said. “What we’re bringing them are combat-proven intelligence solutions that help them avoid years of trial and error.”

Mer Group CEO Avi Shechter described the contracts as part of the company’s broader international expansion strategy.

“The new agreements are a direct continuation of the expansion of the group’s international technological operations in the fields of intelligence, cyber defense, and the protection of critical facilities,” Shechter said. “We continue to deepen our engagement with government clients and leverage the experience and capabilities we have accumulated in complex projects.”

Mer Group operates across homeland security and intelligence, military systems, cybersecurity, and telecommunications infrastructure. Founded in 1982, the company also develops data centers and communication networks for government and commercial customers.

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The UN children’s agency said Israel had rejected the importation of equipment needed to repair a water basin in Gaza, and warned that the facility could overflow and endanger nearby residents through flooding and disease.

Local authorities say Israel destroyed water infrastructure and vehicles used to pump water during its war against Hamas, which had displaced most of the territory’s more than 2 million ‌residents and ⁠left much of Gaza in ruins. Most of the population now lives in tent camps.

One damaged facility is the Sheikh Radwan stormwater basin in Gaza City, which is now contaminated with sewage and at risk of overflowing after heavy rainfall, according to UNICEF’s James Elder.

He told reporters the agency had been working with Israeli authorities and US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace for a year on a $3 million plan to repair it, but that COGAT, the Israeli military agency overseeing humanitarian affairs in Gaza, had rejected the project in the past few days.

“Toxic sewage could flow into the streets and tents of Gaza City, forcing children and families from their makeshift homes once more, and grossly increasing the threat of disease. So we’re a bit baffled,” he told a press briefing in Geneva.

“Let’s do the rehabilitation before this becomes another entirely preventable killer of girls and boys in Gaza,” he said.

COGAT did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

COGAT cited security grounds for refusal, Elder says

Elder said it had cited security grounds, in an apparent reference to strict Israeli rules regulating the entry of items that could be used for either civilian or military purposes by Hamas.

This week, heavy rain has already flooded tens of thousands of tents housing displaced Palestinians crammed ​into encampments across the Gaza Strip.

Four people, including three small children, were killed when a sand embankment collapsed on their tents in an incident that highlighted the risks ahead of the rainy winter season.

A US-brokered ceasefire last year called for the eventual reconstruction of Gaza, but little progress has been made as negotiators have failed to agree on terms for Hamas to disarm or for Israel to withdraw its troops.

World Health Organization spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said at the same briefing there were significant communicable disease risks in Gaza due to flooding, poor sanitation and insufficient health and water services.

Nearly 1 million displaced people across Gaza now face medium or high flood risk, he said. 

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Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot said on Tuesday that the opposition bloc seeking to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would not give up on the issue of haredi (ultra-Orthodox) conscription, amid ongoing coalition talks in which the bloc has considered partnering with haredi parties.

“We are committed to service for all citizens. We will not surrender on the issue of service. We will not surrender our flags or principles,” Eisenkot said at the first Yashar faction meeting in the Knesset ahead of the inaugural ceremony to swear in the 26th Knesset.

Party leaders in the opposition bloc have recently opened the door to negotiations with the haredi parties after previously drawing a red line against partnering with them, offering an alternative path to forming a government amid the political deadlock between the opposition bloc and Netanyahu’s camp following the October 27 elections. 

The haredi parties – Shas and United Torah Judaism (UTJ) – had repeatedly pushed against legislation to draft haredim to the IDF amid the military’s severe manpower crisis throughout the government’s past term.

Eisenkot officially received the mandate to form a government from President Isaac Herzog on Sunday at a ceremony at the President’s Residence. By law, he has 28 days to form a government, starting Sunday, and the president may grant him an extension of up to 14 additional days if necessary.

Eisenkot confident in ability to form government

The Yashar leader has said that “unconventional steps” would be required to form a government and expressed confidence that it would be possible.

“We will work together with our partners – B’Yachad, the Democrats, and Yisrael Beytenu – and extend a hand to any partner who recognizes our four principles,” Eisenkot added during his remarks at the Knesset.

Opposition bloc leaders Naftali Bennett (B’Yachad), Yair Golan (the Democrats), and Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beytenu) also expressed their backing for Eisenkot during their respective faction meetings at the Knesset.

Bennett said at the start of his faction meeting in the Knesset that the oppostion bloc has “received the tools necessary to form a good government in Israel.” 

“But there is no time. Even at this very moment, our reservists along all of the country’s borders are crying out for a change of leadership under the stretcher.

Expressing his support for the Yashar leader, Bennett added he was “doing everything possible to help Eisenkot form a Zionist government of reform as quickly as possible, so that we can bring about the ‘servants’ revolution’ and begin repairing the State of Israel.”

Liberman pledges to act as Eisenkot’s ‘right-hand man’

Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman said that Eisenkot was “in charge of forming the government” and that he would act as his “right-hand man.”

“We presented three flags during the election campaign: ending the era led by Netanyahu, establishing a government without Arab parties, and passing a conscription law and forming a government without haredi parties,” Liberman said.

“We thought these positions had majority support among the public, but we saw that they did not, and therefore we are looking for a compromise,” he continued.

Liberman also said that the Eisenkot-led bloc would push for an IDF conscription law that could receive the approval of the High Court of Justice.

Golan called on the opposition bloc not to rule out the Arab parties during his remarks at his party press conferance in the Knesset. Other opposition bloc leaders had drawn a red line against partnering with them ahead of the elections. The Arab parties received a record-breaking 19 seats combined in the elections.

“Do not rule out the Arab parties, and do not exclude the Arab public. Those capable of treating our wounded sons and saving their lives are worthy, entitled, and able to sit alongside us in the government and the coalition,” Golan said.

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National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) Council Chairman Israel Police Deputy-Chief (ret.) Moti Edrei has filed a formal police complaint against delivery company Wolt and its CEO, Tomer Cohen, alleging ongoing violations of traffic regulations and serious traffic offenses involving the company’s couriers.

In a letter to the head of Israel Police Traffic Division, Assistant-Chief Haim Shmueli, Edrei called for a criminal investigation into the company and its CEO, along with immediate enforcement measures, including consideration of a court order to suspend Wolt’s operations.

Road Safety Authority claims Wolt must appoint traffic safety officer

In his complaint, Edrei cited Regulation 579 of Israel’s Traffic Regulations, which defines an enterprise as a company or business operating at least 40 vehicles of specified categories, including motorcycles and private cars.

According to Wolt’s figures, approximately 20,000 couriers operate through its platform. The NRSA also holds the registration numbers of approximately 214 motorcycles, scooters and other vehicles used by couriers involved in reported road safety incidents, more than five times the threshold specified in the regulation.

Based on these figures, the NRSA argues that Wolt qualifies as an enterprise under the regulation and is therefore required to appoint a traffic safety officer, an obligation the authority claims the company has repeatedly failed to meet.

According to the complaint, Regulation 580(a) also places personal responsibility on the company’s CEO.

Wolt disputes this interpretation, arguing that its couriers are independent contractors rather than employees and that the company is therefore not required to appoint a traffic safety officer to oversee their activities.

The company maintains that it addresses every complaint concerning couriers’ riding behavior and involvement in accidents. However, it has declined to disclose how many couriers have been removed from its platform following such complaints.

Wolt accused of failing to implement road safety measures

According to the letter, the NRSA contacted Cohen in September, demanding that Wolt appoint a traffic safety officer and establish a detailed, binding action plan to reduce risks associated with its delivery operations.

The authority claims the company’s response was insufficient, with Wolt expressing willingness to consider or develop measures in the future without providing implementation deadlines, measurable targets, or defined monitoring mechanisms.

The NRSA further alleges that Wolt has not submitted the promised action plan and has yet to appoint a traffic safety officer.

Edrei argues that Cohen bears personal responsibility for the alleged failure, claiming that the CEO was aware of the legal requirement and its violation but did not take corrective action.

Police urged to investigate Wolt and consider suspending operations

Edrei called on police not only to investigate Wolt and its CEO over suspected violations of traffic laws and regulations, but also to immediately prevent couriers who fail to meet legal requirements from continuing their activities.

He urged law enforcement authorities to consider all available measures, including seeking a court order to suspend Wolt’s operations.

The complaint also calls for increased targeted enforcement against life-threatening traffic violations involving the company’s delivery couriers.

Supporting materials submitted to police include evidence collected by the NRSA, emergency hotline reports concerning Wolt couriers, vehicle registration numbers, findings from enforcement operations and public complaints, including those compiled by the Tel Aviv Municipality.

Copies of the letter were sent to Transportation and Road Safety Minister Miri Regev, Israel Police Commissioner Insp.-Gen. Daniel Levy, and Federation of Local Authorities Chairman Haim Bibas.

Complaint follows years of warnings over delivery courier accidents

Edrei’s complaint follows years of warnings from the NRSA about safety risks involving delivery couriers, which the authority has struggled to translate into effective enforcement measures.

During a Knesset discussion in 2021, NRSA deputy director-general for education and public awareness Nehama Laor Drori said 80 people had been injured in accidents involving delivery couriers over the preceding three years.

According to Laor Drori, approximately 40% of those incidents involved motorized two-wheelers, while another 7% involved bicycles.

She also reported that the number of accidents involving couriers had more than doubled within a year, rising from 10 in 2020 to 24 in 2021.

“It is unacceptable for couriers’ financial motivation to drive them to endanger their own lives and the lives of others,” Laor Drori said at the time.

The authority’s decision to file a police complaint rather than act directly against Wolt highlights the limitations of its enforcement powers.

The NRSA lacks independent authority to enforce traffic regulations and depends on other bodies, primarily the police and the Transportation Ministry, to implement the measures it advocates.

Meanwhile, previous reporting by Walla indicated that police had reduced enforcement against electric bicycle riders, a form of transportation widely used by Wolt couriers.

Wolt rejects allegations, accuses road safety authority of publicity campaign

Responding to the complaint, Wolt accused the NRSA of turning the issue of courier safety into a publicity campaign aimed at rehabilitating its own image.

“Unfortunately, the National Road Safety Authority has turned the issue of courier safety into a public relations campaign to restore its reputation,” the company said.

“Wolt invests significant resources and works continuously to improve road safety for both the public and couriers, as demonstrated in the detailed plan it presented to the authority.”

The company said it had also requested a meeting with NRSA representatives to advance road safety measures, but claimed the request had gone unanswered.

“We would have expected the National Road Safety Authority to focus on promoting professional and practical solutions rather than directing its resources against those working toward the same goal,” Wolt said.

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The Tuesday announcement by leaders of the opposition bloc nominating MK Liran Avisar Ben-Horin of the B’Yachad party to serve as temporary chair of the 26th Knesset Finance Committee has brought potential conflicts of interest arising from her husband’s commercial activities to the surface.

Avisar Ben-Horin is married to Itai Ben-Horin, who holds a 50 percent stake in the strategic consulting, public relations, and crisis management firm Ben-Horin Alexandrovitz.

The firm provides spokesperson and communications advice to a central corridor of prominent Israeli companies, including Mizrahi Tefahot Bank, the credit card company Cal, Strauss Group, the pharmaceutical giant Teva, the investment house Altshuler Shaham, Fox Group, Samsung, Ashtrom, SolarEdge, Africa Israel, and the NTA Metropolitan Mass Transit System.

The powers of the Finance Committee include approving budgetary transfers, adjustments to the state budget, tax legislation, and promoting structural economic reforms, all of which directly impact these companies and sectors such as banking, retail, and energy.

Under Knesset regulations, members of Knesset are not bound by the conflict-of-interest agreements standard in the public service. Instead, they are required to disclose any personal interest or affinity during committee discussions and votes. Consequently, during deliberations directly concerning clients of her husband’s firm, the designated chair must declare her connection to them.

Conflict-of-interest agreement signed during tenure in Communications Ministry

Furthermore, during her tenure as director-general of the Communications Ministry between 2020 and 2023, Avisar Ben-Horin signed a formal conflict-of-interest agreement. As part of that arrangement, she committed to submitting a quarterly list of major clients handled by Ben-Horin Alexandrovitz and files under her husband’s personal care, and to refraining from involvement in decisions that could create a conflict of interest.

In addition to her husband’s business activities, Avisar Ben-Horin served until recently as a senior officer at the infrastructure and investment fund Keystone. The fund holds a controlling interest in the Egged transportation company, owns 40 percent of Hot Mobile, and holds stakes in the Hagit Mizrach and Ramat Hovav power stations (via Keystone Power), Sunflower, and the Ashkelon desalination plant.

Keystone’s sectors of operation are directly influenced by central government decisions. Egged relies on operating agreements and government subsidies, portions of which pass through the Finance Committee (as approved in past budgetary transfers in 2019). Tax legislation, levies, and regulation affect the power stations and renewable energy assets, while desalination facilities operate under state concessions that may require committee budgeting.

Avisar Ben-Horin, who holds a Law degree from New York University and previously served as director-general of the Communications Ministry, steps into the committee role as budgetary transfers, surplus allocations, and economic reform deliberations top the agenda. The legal and procedural challenge facing her will be managing committee meetings and votes given the substantial business ties of her immediate circle and her professional background.

B’Yachad defends Ben-Horin’s appointment to Finance Committee chair

The B’Yachad party released a statement in response: “Liran Avisar Ben-Horin will assume her position and act on behalf of the Israeli public in accordance with the law and proper governance standards, including conflict-of-interest arrangements, as she has done across all public roles over the past twenty years, including as director-general of the Communications Ministry and chief of staff to the director-general of the Prime Minister’s Office.”

Meanwhile, Deputy Knesset Speaker MK Limor Son Har-Melech (Otzma Yehudit) submitted an urgent request to Knesset Legal Adviser Sagit Afik, demanding an immediate freeze and review of Avisar Ben-Horin’s designated appointment to head the Finance Committee. In her letter, Son Har-Melech warned of an inherent conflict of interest stemming from the family firm’s business relationships with prominent corporate entities in banking, capital markets, real estate, energy, and retail.

Son Har-Melech noted that the committee chair has sole authority to set the agenda, schedule sessions, and advance economic decisions, rather than merely vote. She questioned whether the committee could formulate an effective conflict-of-interest arrangement for the role, citing the previous arrangement required during Avisar Ben-Horin’s tenure at the Communications Ministry.

“The Finance Committee cannot become a venue where family business interests potentially conflict with the public interest,” a statement on behalf of MK Son Har-Melech read. “The issue is not merely how one votes in a specific discussion, but control over the agenda and decisions promoted or delayed. Therefore, a thorough legal review must be completed before any appointment is approved.”

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Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter strongly criticized The New York Times on Sunday, accusing the newspaper of spreading a “blood libel” against Israel and warning that allegations of genocide and starvation in Gaza could pave the way for violence against Jews.

Speaking before thousands of Chabad emissaries at the movement’s annual international conference in New Jersey, Leiter described a meeting with 21 NYT editors in November 2025, during which he said they accused Israel, its government, and IDF soldiers of committing genocide and deliberately starving Palestinians in Gaza.

Leiter recounts confrontation with 21 New York Times editors

“In two days, it will be exactly one year since my meeting with ‘The New York Times’ editorial board on November 10,” Leiter told the gathering.

According to Leiter, his spokesperson persuaded him to attend the meeting despite his doubts about whether it would be productive.

“I walked into the room. They were the jury, the judge, and the firing squad,” he said. “Fifteen editors were in the room, and another six were on the screen. They accused me, the Israeli government, and IDF soldiers of genocide and starving people to death.”

The ambassador said he attempted to present the editors with information about humanitarian aid entering Gaza and Israeli efforts to minimize civilian casualties during military operations.

“I told them how many trucks of humanitarian aid enter every day. I told them how we risk the lives of our soldiers to avoid taking the lives of noncombatants on the other side,” he said.

“I brought facts, and they brought feelings.”

Leiter recalled an exchange approximately 45 minutes into the meeting, when one editor reportedly challenged his position by saying, “Ambassador, not everyone can be wrong.”

“I answered him: Not everyone is wrong. Not everyone thinks we are committing genocide,” Leiter said.

He cited urban warfare expert John Spencer and journalist Douglas Murray, both of whom have defended aspects of the IDF’s conduct in Gaza.

“If you think that everyone believes this, maybe it is because of you, ‘The New York Times’,” Leiter said.

Ambassador criticizes ‘New York Times’ over photo of malnourished Gaza child

At the center of the confrontation was a photograph of Mohammed Zakaria al-Mutawaq, a Palestinian toddler approximately 18 months old, published on the front page of The New York Times in July 2025.

The photograph showed the severely underweight child in his mother’s arms and became one of the widely circulated images associated with the hunger crisis in Gaza.

Leiter argued that the newspaper had failed to provide readers with the child’s full medical history.

“You did not mention that the child suffered from a genetic disorder, cerebral palsy and other medical conditions,” he said. “And you also cropped his brother, who was completely healthy, out of the photograph.”

According to Leiter, one of the editors questioned whether he was placing excessive significance on how the photograph had been used.

“I told him: No. This is a blood libel,” Leiter said.

Following publication of the photograph in July 2025, The New York Times updated its reporting to clarify that the child had preexisting medical conditions affecting his brain and muscle development.

However, the newspaper also emphasized that the toddler was suffering from severe malnutrition and that his condition had deteriorated amid shortages of food and medical care in Gaza.

Leiter compares accusations against Israel to historical antisemitic blood libels

Leiter expanded his criticism by drawing comparisons between contemporary allegations against Israel and antisemitic blood libels historically directed against Jewish communities.

“There is no difference between what is being done to us today and what was done to our grandparents in the ghettos of Europe,” he said.

“This is not just another antisemitic statement. This is a blood libel. And a blood libel will cost lives.”

The ambassador argued that accusations of genocide against Israel could contribute to an atmosphere that encourages future violence against Jews.

“The reason they accuse us of genocide is to prepare the next genocide against us,” Leiter claimed.

“Hitler did not come out of nowhere. There were years of demonization and delegitimization of Jews before that,” he said.

“And now, through the State of Israel, through the Jewish state, there is an attempt to delegitimize and deny Jews their rights as Jews.”

Israel’s existence, not territorial disputes, is at stake, ambassador says

Leiter warned that what he described as the current campaign against Israel was no longer primarily focused on territorial disputes.

“The issue today is no longer Judea and Samaria, the Golan Heights, Gaza or Jerusalem,” he said. “What is at stake is the very existence of the State of Israel.”

Addressing the slogan “From the river to the sea,” which was heard at demonstrations in the United States in the days following the October 7 attacks, Leiter argued that the phrase was not a call for territorial compromise.

“They are not talking about giving up Hebron,” he said. “What they mean is the destruction of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel.”

Israeli ambassador urges Chabad emissaries to confront antisemitism

Concluding his remarks, Leiter called on Chabad emissaries to intensify their efforts against antisemitism and recognize what he described as growing threats to the Jewish people.

He urged those attending the conference to identify and challenge antisemitic rhetoric, arguing that hostility toward Jews can take different forms.

“The plague of our generation is that we have forgotten how to identify the enemy,” Leiter said.

“Antisemitism is not made up of just one thing. It is a virus that mutates.”

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Several suspected members of the Hariri crime organization were arrested in south Tel Aviv on Monday, on suspicion of attempting to extort a businessman, following an operation by the Israel Police’s Serious and International Crime Unit, part of Lahav 433 – The National Crime Unit.

The arrests took place in broad daylight on a busy street, where several men were seen lying face down along the sidewalk with their hands behind their backs, an unusual scene even for south Tel Aviv.

Police intercept suspects allegedly carrying knives

According to police suspicions, the suspects were on their way to confront a businessman while carrying knives. Before reaching their intended destination, they were intercepted and arrested by Lahav 433 investigators as part of an operation targeting the Hariri crime organization.

Footage circulated from the scene shows several suspects restrained on the ground before being taken into custody by masked police officers.

In the videos, the men can be seen lying along the sidewalk, some dressed in black and others wearing lighter clothing, with their hands positioned behind their backs.

Businesses, parked vehicles and scooters are visible nearby, as what began as an ordinary day on a busy south Tel Aviv street turned into a police operation targeting one of Israel’s prominent organized crime groups.

Hariri crime family among Israel’s major criminal organizations

The Hariri family is considered a major force in Israeli organized crime, particularly within the Arab community.

The organization, regarded as one of the country’s largest and most cohesive criminal networks, has once again become the focus of an investigation by Lahav 433’s Serious and International Crime Unit.

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Maccabi Tel Aviv pulled off a stunning 86-75 comeback victory over Hapoel Tel Aviv to capture the Winner Cup and claim the first piece of silverware of the season.

Trailing by as many as 23 points, the yellow-and-blue flipped the script in spectacular fashion, riding monster second-half performances from Jimmy Clark, Daniel Theis and Keaton Wallace to stun the Reds.

Clark was the driving force behind the comeback, finishing with a game-high 24 points and earning MVP honors. Theis and Wallace added 16 points apiece, while Eugene German paced Hapoel with 26 points in a losing effort.

Maccabi got off to the better start, with Jaylen Hoard and Clark providing the early offense as Oded Katash’s squad took a 26-17 lead after the opening quarter. Hapoel responded in the second, however, as Khadeen Carrington found his range and German caught fire from beyond the arc, drilling five three-pointers in the period to send Dimitrios Itoudis’s team into halftime with a 44-36 advantage.

The Reds carried that momentum into the second half and appeared to have the game firmly in hand. German continued to score, Tai Odiase added points inside, and Hapoel’s defense completely shut down Maccabi, holding the yellow-and-blue scoreless for the first seven minutes of the third quarter. The lead ballooned to 59-36, leaving Maccabi staring at a seemingly insurmountable 23-point deficit.

But the game was far from over.

Theis, Wallace, Clark get Maccabi’s offense rolling

Theis, Wallace and Clark finally got Maccabi’s offense rolling, sparking a furious rally that cut the deficit to 62-51 heading into the fourth quarter. Wallace opened the final frame with a triple before Clark caught fire, knocking down back-to-back threes. Theis threw down a dunk, and Clark connected again from downtown as Maccabi stormed into a 65-64 lead midway through the quarter.

From there, the yellow-and-blue never looked back. Wallace and Clark continued to rain threes, Hoard chipped in with a pair of baskets, and Wallace delivered another long-range dagger to put the finishing touches on a remarkable comeback and another trophy for the Maccabi cabinet.

Following the victory, Katash admitted that his team had made life difficult for itself but was thrilled with the character shown in the comeback.

“We struggled with simple plays, just as we have throughout this recent stretch. Shots weren’t falling, and five minutes of losing focus brought them back into the game. It helps when you make shots in basketball, and things finally started to loosen up for us. We showed a lot of character. After a stretch like this, we’re happy for the club and the fans. We deserved this.”

Itoudis was understandably disappointed after watching his team surrender such a commanding advantage.

“We were up 23 points and played solid basketball, but something happened. We couldn’t get a bucket, we gave up 31 points off turnovers, and we couldn’t hit our free throws. It’s tough, but life isn’t easy, and we need to stand up, take the next game as redemption, and bring joy to those who support us.”

MVP Clark credited the team’s belief and determination for completing the turnaround.

“We believed in each other. We were disappointed to go into halftime trailing, but we’ve had a tough season and knew there would be ups and downs. So we just wanted to fight and give everything we had, especially in moments like these. I always have faith. I believe in the players alongside me, and they believe in me.”

Hapoel’s Carrington acknowledged the disappointment but insisted the Reds would quickly turn their attention to the next opportunity, with another showdown against Maccabi looming in the Euroleague on Thursday.

“That was a tough one. We played well in the first half, but then things went the wrong way in the second half. We threw the first punch, and then they threw the punch in the second half, and we didn’t recover. It’s a different game on Thursday in the Euroleague. It stings, and we will go out and try to win it.”

Hapoel Jerusalem remains unbeaten in league play with victory over HaEmek 

In Israeli League action, Hapoel Jerusalem defeated Hapoel HaEmek 65-59 to remain unbeaten in league play, improving to 5-0 under Sasa Obradovic.

Second-chance opportunities proved crucial in securing the home victory as the hosts struggled to find a consistent offensive rhythm. Kenny Lofton Jr. scored 13 points, and Jaleen Smith added 11, while CJ Elleby paced HaEmek with 15 points.

Despite the win, Obradovic was far from satisfied.

“I wasn’t happy at all, despite the win. This is the fourth consecutive league game in which we’ve played this poorly. We consider ourselves a good team, and we feel that we can win every game, but we can’t keep giving our opponents a head start. It won’t always work out this way.”

Meanwhile, Hapoel Galil Elyon defeated Hapoel Holon 110-101 in a heated contest, building a commanding advantage behind terrific shooting from Nate Kingz.

Holon’s Adama Sanogo was ejected late in the third quarter, leaving the Purples without their big man for the remainder of the game.

Kingz erupted for 37 points, while Alston Mason added 21 and Maurice Kemp scored 19 to lead Idan Avshalom’s squad. Netanel Artzi paced Holon with 19 points, Sanogo scored 16, and Shahar Amir added 14.

Following the game, Holon head coach Predrag Krunic was dismissed, while sports director Daniel Ravitz resigned.

Also, Ness Ziona cruised to a convincing 111-81 victory over Kiryat Ata for its third win of the campaign and first home victory of the season.

Paul Corsaro’s team took control from the opening minutes, building a commanding 65-38 halftime lead and eventually stretching the margin to 38 points. Josh Christopher scored 26 points, Jacob Wiley added 24, and Noam Dovrat chipped in with 17. David Green and Jordan Cohen each scored 14 for Kiryat Ata.

Elsewhere, Maccabi Rishon Lezion overwhelmed Maccabi Ramat Gan 97-61, racing out to a 30-16 first-quarter lead and never looking back.

Justin Tillman and Idan Zalmanson each scored 16 points and recorded double-digit rebounds, while Chaunce Jenkins added 13.

Finally, Hapoel Eilat edged Hapoel Beersheba 88-86 thanks to a late comeback sparked by Kendale McCullum, Javontae Hawkins and James Dickey, while Maccabi Ashdod clipped Bnei Herzliya 75-72 as Isaiah Hill and Augustin Rubit led the port city’s side to victory.

See more Israeli sports coverage at www.sportsrabbi.com/en

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Everyone is entitled to their opinions, however absurd they may be. They can believe the Earth is flat or even suspect that Jews sank the Titanic (per the classic “Iceberg, Goldberg, what’s the difference?” joke).

The problem begins when unhinged notions make their way onto public television, where conspiracy theories acquire the appearance of legitimate political analysis. And that is precisely what happened in Spain.

On October 28, two high-speed trains collided near Urda, in the province of Toledo, killing, as of this writing, 69 people. As the country struggled to absorb the tragedy, families waited for news of their loved ones, and investigators began examining what had gone wrong, an old and convenient suspect emerged: Israel.

On RTVE, Spain’s publicly funded broadcaster, guest commentator José Miguel Villarroya suggested a possible Israeli connection to the disaster.

Villarroya, a historian and commentator known for his hostility toward Israel and nostalgia for the GDR (German Democratic Republic), alleged that a French company responsible for carrying out railway safety testing is linked to Israeli capital.

He also invoked supposed threats by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against Spain. The implication was unmistakable: Israel might somehow have been behind the catastrophe.

There was, of course, no evidence. But who needs evidence when the suspect is Israel?

El Televisero, a digital news site published by HuffPost Spain, maintained that presenter Jesús Cintora had stopped Villarroya in his tracks over his insinuations. And technically, Cintora did ask him whether this was a conspiracy theory, questioning why he was pointing toward Israel, and remarked on the seriousness of his claims.

But inviting a conspiracy theorist to elaborate on his theory is not the same as calling his accusation out as a completely unacceptable conspiracy theory. The crucial question is whether viewers received the information needed to understand that the accusation had no evidentiary basis.

This is not Villarroya’s first excursion into conspiratorial territory on RTVE.

Only days earlier, discussing unrest on European streets, Villarroya suggested in the same program that certain actors had an interest in the disturbances, adding that “Israel has shown its hand.”

Over a year ago, on another RTVE program, Malas lenguas, he offered a fantastical version of Zionist history. Among the gems from his television appearance, Villarroya claimed that Zionism originated in Bavaria as an offshoot of the German völkisch movement, effectively linking its origins to the ideological roots of Nazism.

He also declared that “Semites are a race, and today Palestinians are more Semitic than 90% of the Israelis living in Israel, who are of the Yiddish race.” He insisted he knows this because, as a German-speaker, he understands Yiddish, which “is like German,” he said.

Yet the bigger question is not why Villarroya believes such nonsense. The question is why a public broadcaster repeatedly provides a platform for such claims without subjecting them to elementary scrutiny.

What makes the episode about Israel’s alleged involvement in the train accident particularly interesting is that even media outlets hardly known for their sympathy toward Israel found the speculation difficult to swallow.

Prejudice has become part of the information landscape

Maldita.Es, a Spanish fact-checking organization, traced the circulation of the false claim about Netanyahu’s supposed threat across several languages and accounts associated with pro-Kremlin disinformation networks.

The irony is that RTVE’s own fact-checking department subsequently debunked the loony theories linking Israel to the Urda accident, including fabricated claims that Netanyahu had threatened Spain with railway disasters. In other words, while one part of RTVE explained why the accusations were false, another allowed a commentator to present the baseless insinuations to its audience.

This contradiction cannot be separated from RTVE’s broader treatment of Israel.

As media watchdog CAMERA documented, the Spanish public broadcaster has repeatedly presented Israel through an overwhelmingly accusatory framework. RTVE reporting has included references to a supposed “Jewish lobby.”

The framing of its coverage of the third anniversary of the October 7 massacre was “Three years of genocide in Gaza.” The anniversary of the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust thus became another opportunity to foreground accusations against Israel.

The terminology is not incidental. The Spanish government has positioned the libelous genocide accusation as a central element of its political confrontation with Israel, and RTVE has repeatedly echoed that framing.

Spain, meanwhile, is experiencing serious domestic political difficulties. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has struggled to secure parliamentary support for new budgets and has called early elections for November 29. His confrontation with Israel has become a prominent feature of his government’s political identity.

Against that background, the attempt to link Israel to a domestic tragedy raises a broader question about the political usefulness of external scapegoats.

But perhaps the most revealing aspect of this episode is that the accusation was so grotesque that it provoked unusual criticism even beyond the expected defenders of Israel. Perhaps that anomaly should prompt Spanish audiences to ask themselves an uncomfortable question.

If an accusation as demonstrably baseless as Israeli involvement in a train collision can find its way onto public television, what about the countless other accusations against Israel that are less obviously absurd, more carefully packaged, and therefore far harder to recognize? How many have been accepted without scrutiny simply because they fit an established narrative?

When prejudice becomes part of the information landscape, the audience is predisposed to believe ludicrous allegations lacking evidence. The ensuing danger extends far beyond Israel or the Jews; it is a danger to journalism itself.

When speculation replaces evidence, ideological obsession masquerades as expertise, and public broadcasters fail to distinguish between legitimate criticism and conspiracy theories, the profession loses credibility. And with it, democracy loses one of its essential safeguards.

There is also something particularly indecent about exploiting a tragedy in which 69 people lost their lives to advance an obsession with Israel. Those victims deserve answers, accountability, and truth. They do not deserve to become props in someone else’s conspiracy theory.

The writer is the manager of CAMERA Español, the Spanish media team of the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis. CAMERA is the leading organization exposing and countering anti-Israel narratives in the media, online, and in schools. Learn more at CAMERA.org and on social media at @CAMERA4Truth.

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US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that the resolution to impeach him was politically motivated and displayed to the US’s enemies, including Iran, that the US will punish its “warriors” for lawful military actions on Tuesday. 

This comes the day after Republican Representative Thomas Massie introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth, which lawmakers are expected to vote on later this week. 

Speaking on Tuesday, Hegseth compared the impeachment efforts to previous failed attempts to impeach President Donald Trump. 

Hegseth says impeachment articles target all service members

Hegseth condemned Massie’s decision, saying that the impeachment efforts insulted all service members. 

“Make no mistake, this is not about me. Politicians in Washington have accused the sailors and the pilots who have struck narcoterrorists with war crimes for doing their jobs,” Hegseth said. 

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