We are Modern Orthodox and are a constituent member of the United Synagogue

Israel Update 15.1.25

Due to travel plans, I’m circulating this week’s Update a day early.

At the time of writing, Wednesday afternoon, there is talk of a Gaza ceasefire & hostage release deal but in the current absence of any confirmed agreement, this Update will not be covering rumours and speculation.

 

GAZA

 

A very difficult week for Israel.

 

Four IDF soldiers, Sgt. Maj. (res.) Alexander Fedorenko, 37; Staff Sgt. Danila Diakov, 21; Sgt. Yahav Maayan, 19; and Sgt. Eliav Astuker, 19, were killed in  northern Gaza on Saturday and two others were seriously wounded when an explosive device detonated near one of the vehicles in a military convoy. Report here (paywall)

 

Five IDF soldiers Cpt. Yair Yakov Shushan, 23; Staff Sgt. Yahav Hadar, 20; Staff Sgt. Guy Karmiel, 20; Staff Sgt. Yoav Feffer, 19; and Staff Sgt. Aviel Wiseman, 20 were killed and 10 others wounded in an explosion in northern Gaza on Monday The soldiers were inside a building and preparing to use explosives for engineering activity when the explosives detonated, collapsing the building. Report here

 

 

The IDF intercepted a rocket fired from southern Gaza toward the Kerem Shalom area on Saturday morning. Over 30 rockets have been fired from Gaza at Israel in the past month. Report here

 

 

HOUTHI ATTACKS

 

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched ballistic missiles at Israel within hours of each other on Monday evening around 6.30 pm and then early morning Tuesday around 3 am, triggering sirens that forced hundreds of thousands of Israelis to rush into shelters. Both missiles were successfully intercepted. A large fragment of the second intercepted missile struck a home in the town of Mevo Beitar, just outside Jerusalem, damagimg the roof. 11 people were wounded while running to shelters and four more were treated for acute anxiety. Report including photo of damaged house here

 

 

The Israel Air Force intercepted three drones launched from Yemen last Thursday evening. Since the beginning of the war, the Houthis have launched 40 surface-to-surface missiles and 320 UAVs toward Israel, most of which were intercepted, fell in open areas, or failed to reach Israeli territory.Report here

 

Meanwhile:

 

The IDF launched airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen on Friday in response to repeated ballistic missile and drone attacks on Israel targeting the Hezyaz power plant near the capital Sanaa and infrastructure at the Hodeidah and Ras Isa ports. The strikes were carried out shortly after the U.S. and UK hit Houthi sites. Israel co-ordinated its strikes with the U.S., but this was not a joint Israeli-U.S. attack.  Report here

 

 

LEBANON/HIZBULLAH

 

 

Tamar Edri, a 75-year-old woman who was critically injured in a Hizbullah rocket barrage on Nahariya in November, just before a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hizbullah came into effect, has died of her wounds. Another elderly person and a soldier were also seriously injured in Hizbullah barrages that day, while dozens of others were lightly hurt. Report here

 

 

The IDF announced Monday it had struck several Hizbullah sites in Lebanon overnight, saying the targets violated the terms of the ceasefire agreement. “Prior to the strike, the threat posed by the targets to the Israeli home front and IDF troops was presented to the international  monitoring mechanism of the ceasefire understandings between Israel and Lebanon, and the threats were not addressed.” The targets included a rocket launch site, a military installation, and transit routes along the Syria-Lebanon border used for smuggling weapons to Hizbullah. Report hereReport here

 

 

The IDF reported last Friday that its forces had found a multi-barrel rocket launcher, hundreds of mortar shells, RPGs and explosives. A weapons depot containing dozens of shoulder-fired missiles and explosive devices was also discovered. Report here

 

 

Lebanon’s Parliament last Thursday elected Gen. Joseph Aoun, the commander of the Lebanese military, as the country’s new president, overcoming more than two years of political gridlock attributed to Hizbullah.  Aoun said the day marked “a new phase in Lebanon’s history” and spoke of the state’s “right to monopolize the possession of weapons” – a reference to calls for Hizbullah to be disarmed. He called for “the establishment of a state – I repeat, a state – that invests in its army, controls all borders and implements international resolutions.”
However, most experts agree that even in its weakened state, Hizbullah remains Lebanon’s most dominant political force. Report here (paywall)

 

 

“While Hizbullah’s military capabilities were significantly reduced during the war, they are now attempting to regain strength and re-arm with the assistance of Iran,” Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon told the Security Council on Monday.
Danon said it was “imperative” that the Lebanese government and international community focus on “curbing the smuggling of weapons, ammunition, and financial support through the Syria-Lebanon border and via air and sea routes.” Since the ceasefire deal was reached, “there have been several attempts to transfer weapons and cash to Hizbullah” Report here

 

 

DEFENCE

 

The IDF is replacing its “Romach” rocket with the new “Bar” rocket, produced by Elbit Systems, which has a longer range, is highly precise and has a more sophisticated navigation mechanism.Report here

 

 

An in-depth look at the Arrow air defence system.

“The Arrow system is the best in the world at intercepting ballistic missiles of this kind, especially given that no other system has faced such heavy barrages and achieved interception rates like ours,” said Lt.-Col. Eyal Frankel, commander of the 136th Arrow Battalion.
Life-and-death decisions have been made daily at the Arrow interception centre since the war began on Oct. 7. Article here

 

 

COUNTER TERRORISM

 

Two terrorists affiliated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad were stopped on Saturday night in Nablus as they were on their way to carry out a shooting attack. They were arrested in their vehicle while in possession of two loaded M16 rifles, vests, face masks, and a large amount of ammunition.Report here

 

 

 

THE US & THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT (ICC)

 

 

The U.S. House of Representatives last Thursday passed legislation that would impose sanctions on officials at the ICC, in a rebuke of its move to charge top Israeli leaders with war crimes for their offensive against Hamas in Gaza. It was approved in a 243-to-140 vote, with 45 Democrats joining all Republicans.
The bill instructs the president to freeze property assets and deny visas to any foreigners who materially or financially contributed to the court’s efforts to “investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute a protected person” – defined as all current and former military and government officials of the U.S. and allies that have not consented to the court’s jurisdiction, such as Israel.
The measure was approved by the House last year but stalled in the Democratic-led Senate, and is now all but certain to be enacted now that Republicans control both chambers. Report here (paywall)

 

 

 

THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE (ICJ)

 

 

In a significant shift at the ICJ, Judge Julia Sebutinde is poised to assume the presidency, marking another milestone in her groundbreaking career. The Ugandan jurist, who recently made headlines for her robust defence of Israel against South Africa’s genocide allegations in the Gaza war, will take the helm following current President Nawaf Salam’s departure to form Lebanon’s next government. Report here

 

 

THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY (PA)

 

 

Israel has finally offset the PA’s 15-year-long $310 million electricity debt, as well as debts to companies that supplied fuel to the PA, using PA-destined funds that had not been transferred since the start of the war.
The action was taken in coordination with the U.S. Report here

 

 

 

FIGHTING WILDFIRES

 

 

An Israeli start-up has developed a system based on missile defence to stop wildfires. FireDome shoots capsules of eco-friendly fire retardant to create a barrier; it detects and extinguishes blazes. They plan to have the first system ready for testing in Israel around May, in areas, such as Jerusalem or the Carmel forest, that are prone to wildfires. In 2026, the Tel Aviv-based startup aims to start pilot sites of the system in the US, in the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas. Article here

 

 

Humanitarian aid NGO IsraAID is preparing to send an emergency response team of volunteers and professionals to support communities affected by the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles. This will be the second Israeli NGO to respond to the fires. On January 9,  SmartAID announced that it was working with local partners and first responders, including fire departments and grassroots charities, to assist evacuees. Report here

 

 

MEDICAL

 

 

Japanese conglomerate Kaneka Corp. has signed an agreement to buy Israeli startup Endostream Medical, a medical device developer for the treatment of brain aneurysms, in a deal valued at about $100 million.Endostream’s operations will remain in Israel and serve as Kaneka’s R&D centre. Report here

 

 

Israeli start-up Identifai has developed the first maternal blood test to identify the risk of 250 genetic diseases as early as the 9th week of pregnancy, matching the results from riskier and later in pregnancy amniocentesis. The technology, expected to be commercialized in the second half of 2025 following additional clinical trials in Israel and the United States, has already gained international recognition through the publication of a study conducted at Israel’s Beilinson and Meir hospitals. Article here

 

 

THE ECONOMY

 

 

Investment in Israeli technology startups grew 28% in 2024 to $10.6 billion, up from $8.3 billion in 2023.
Israel’s technology sector is responsible for 20% of its gross domestic product and 10% of employment.
It contributed directly to 2.2% of GDP growth in the first three quarters of 2024.Report here (paywall)

 

 

 

COMMENT & OPINION

 

 

Liat Collins describes life for Israeli civilians under continuing rocket and missile fire:

 

Imagine you hear a siren warning of incoming rockets or drones. If you don’t know the sound, trust me: once you’ve heard it in real life, you’ll never forget it. Keep in mind that you now have anywhere between seven seconds and one and a half minutes to reach safety… If you’re lucky, you have a safe room in your home. If not, you will need to go out into the stairwell or a shelter – if it’s close enough… this sadly, is not theoretical. It’s what happens daily as rockets continue to be launched on Israeli civilians from Gaza and from Yemen. The Houthis seem to prefer night-time attacks, Hamas in Gaza aren’t particular – they’ll launch rockets when they can.

Extraordinarily, only the Palestinians – the ones launching the rockets – are considered the victims. The international press focuses on the plight of children in Gaza as if children in Israel do not suffer from stress. But all Israelis are suffering from some degree of trauma following the Hamas invasion and mega-atrocity of October 7, 2023…. When rockets were launched on Sderot again this week, a local resident noted that it was exactly at the time when schoolchildren were travelling home on school buses, making them particularly vulnerable…Read the whole article here

 

Lebanon

 

David Daoud: Former Lebanese Armed Forces commander Joseph Aoun has been elected as Lebanon’s president after two years of deadlock. Aoun’s promise in his inaugural speech to usher in a “new era” where “the state would monopolize carrying arms” has been interpreted as a promise to disarm Hizbullah. But Aoun’s words remain just that, and optimism over his promises remains premature.
Lebanon’s 1989 Taif Agreement redistributed the country’s political powers. The Agreement stripped the Lebanese Presidency, an office earmarked by custom for a Maronite Christian, of many of its authorities. The Taif system granted the authority to disarm Hizbullah exclusively to the Cabinet, which controls the armed forces.
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Dec. 5 that Hizbullah’s arms will be addressed only through “national consensus” and dialogue. Hizbullah is expected to join the Cabinet. Moreover, Hizbullah remains highly popular among Lebanese Shiites, Lebanon’s largest and fastest growing sect. Polls in January and September 2024 found upwards of 85% of Lebanese Shiites support the group. Given this support, the Cabinet is unlikely to take any measure against the group without unanimous consent.  Article here (paywall)

 

 

Palestinians

 

Maj. (ret.) John Spencer: An 83-year-old Holocaust survivor, Ludmila Lipovsky, was stabbed to death last month in Israel by a 28-year-old Palestinian man from the West Bank. This is yet another example of the violence incentivized by a multimillion dollar programme known as “pay to slay,” which is written into Palestinian law and administered by the Palestinian Authority. It is a system that rewards Palestinians for committing acts of terrorism against Jewish Israelis. It incentivizes violence, thus undermining any chance of a sustainable peace deal.

For many Palestinians, the “pay to slay” programme represents a pathway to social mobility. In a society plagued by high unemployment and limited opportunities, the program offers guaranteed income, education and employment – benefits beyond what the average Palestinian can expect. This framework ensures that attacks against Israelis remain frequent and deeply ingrained in the fabric of Palestinian society.

For Israel and the international community, the “pay to slay” program is a clear obstacle to peace. It is not merely an economic subsidy but a societal institution designed to sustain violence. The programme even includes bonuses for Arab-Israeli terrorists.

The “pay to slay” programme must be dismantled. No serious effort to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can succeed while this programme continues to operate. Article here

 

 

Alan Dershowitz: Who really denied statehood to the Palestinian People?

One of the most pervasive myths of the Palestinian protest movement is that Israel has denied statehood to the Palestinian people.
To the contrary, Israel agreed to Palestinian statehood in 1937-1938, 1947-1948, 1967, 2000-2001, and 2007.
In each case, it was the Palestinian leadership that refused to agree to the two-state solution that would have created a Palestinian state alongside a state for Jewish inhabitants.
Other stateless groups such as the Tibetans, the Kurds, and the Chechens have never even been offered statehood, let alone repeatedly turned it down.
The current anti-Israel protesters in the West are not calling for a Palestinian state living in peace alongside Israel. They just want to end Israel’s existence.
It is not going to happen. Until the Palestinians recognize this reality, they will be denying themselves any possibility of statehood. Article here