This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – Israel/MidEast Briefs
Sen. Cruz: 'I believe hostages will come home before President Trump takes office
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Fla., said during an interview this week there was a serious chance the Iranian-backed Hamas terrorist organization will release the remaining Israeli and American hostages it has been holding before President-elect Donald Trump takes office, the Daily Wire reported.
Cruz made the remarks during a Tuesday night interview with Sean Hannity after Trump warned there would be hell to pay if the hostages were not released before he is sworn in.
The Texas senator, who just won his third term in the U.S. Senate in November, said Trump would immediately get the situation on the border under control, unleash American energy production, lower inflation, and strike fear in the hearts of America's enemies.
"And I'm going to make a prediction," Cruz said. "I think there is a very real possibility that we will see the hostages in Gaza released on or before Jan. 20th."
Iran's top general in Syria admits fall of Assad was a fatal blow, blames Russia
The Supreme Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Syria admitted defeat this week in an extraordinary speech that was leaked to media, according to the Jewish Press.
The revelation last week by senior Iranian General Behrouz Esbati in a closed-door address at the Vali El-Eliaser Mosque in Tehran and originally published in the New York Times, has ignited a firestorm in Tehran.
Asbati left Syria on the last military plane to Tehran the night before the fall of the Assad regime.
"We were defeated, we were defeated badly; we suffered a fatal blow, and it is very difficult," said the former commander of Iran's Syrian operations, in reference to the fall of the Assad regime in Damascus.
The general said that former President Bashar al-Assad had rejected multiple military plans to use Iranian resources in Syria to attack Israel following the October 7, 2023, Hamas invasion and massacre.
Esbati also had harsh criticism of Russia, an Assad ally and Iranian partner, saying "the Russians turned off their radar and detection systems," allowing Israel to attack Iranian military targets in Syria.
Will Netanyahu be arrested if he participates in 80th anniversary commemoration of Auschwitz liberation in Poland?
Polish President Andrzej Duda has requested special protection for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to attend the 80th anniversary of Auschwitz's liberation without risk of arrest, according to Israel Hayom. The request comes amid international legal challenges facing the Israeli leader and a threat from Poland's liberal prime minister Donald Tusk to fulfill the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant.
Duda wrote to Tusk on Wednesday, emphasizing the need to ensure Netanyahu's presence would remain "unhindered" during his time in Poland, citing the "absolutely exceptional circumstances" of the commemoration.
The commemoration of the Nazi death camp's liberation is set for Jan. 27. When asked about Netanyahu's attendance plans, his spokesperson said no invitation had been received yet.
Duda's request potentially creates a diplomatic challenge for the Polish government. Poland's status as an ICC treaty signatory requires it to comply with the court's decisions regarding accountability for mass atrocity crimes.
Five years on, still no justice for families of victims of downed Ukrainian Airlines planes over Iran
Families of those killed in the downing of Flight PS752 gathered at the crash site in Shahedshahr, Tehran Province, on the fifth anniversary of the tragedy under the slogan "Never Forget, Never Forgive."
The Ukrainian passenger plane was shot down by missiles from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on January 8, 2020, shortly after takeoff, killing all 176 people onboard, including the crew, reported Iran International.
For three days after the incident, authorities concealed the fact that the plane had been shot down, repeatedly claiming the crash was an accident.
Masoud Ebrahim, whose daughter Niloufar was one of the victims, began his speech with the phrase "Woman, Life, Freedom" and honored "all those who have lost their lives and suffered oppression over the past 46 years."
He said, "We didn't know that everyone in [Khamenei's] circle had gathered to decide to down the plane."
Fifty-five Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents were among the 176 people killed on the plane.
Biden administration redirects $100 million in U.S. military aid from Israel, Egypt to Lebanon
In the final days of U.S. President Joe Biden's time in office, his administration has redirected more than $100 million in military aid from Israel and Egypt to Lebanon, citing a need to strengthen a ceasefire agreement to halt fighting between the Jewish state and the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah, according to the Algemeiner.
The U.S. State Department issued two separate notices to Congress dated Jan. 3, announcing it would shift $95 million in military aid intended for Egypt and $7.5 million intended for Israel toward the Lebanese military and its government, the Associated Press reported.
The move came after some lawmakers in Congress expressed concerns about Egypt's human rights record, particularly the arrests of thousands of political prisoners.
IDF fatalities in Gaza fighting climbs above 400 as 3 more soldiers killed
Three IDF infantry soldiers were killed in fighting in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, with three others seriously wounded as Israel's battle to dismantle Hamas' infrastructure continues to be fought at heavy cost. The three fatalities pushed Israel's losses in the 15-month ground war to 401.
The three slain troops were named as Staff Sgt. Matityahu Ya'akov Perel, 22, from Beit El, Staff Sgt. Kanaoo Kasa, 22, from Beit Shemesh, and Staff Sgt. Nevo Fisher, 20, from Bruchin.
They all served with the 401st Armored Brigade's 46th Battalion, the Times of Israel reported.
According to an initial IDF probe, the troops were hit by a large explosive device that was detonated against a tank during operations in Beit Hanoun.
The incident came after three other troops were killed and several more wounded in separate incidents the previous two days.
Israel mulls international conference on dividing Syria into provinces
Discussions within Israel are intensifying regarding developments on the northern front. Two days ago, Defense Minister Israel Katz chaired a small ministerial meeting preceding an upcoming discussion by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which focused on Turkish involvement in Syria, according to information obtained by Israel Hayom.
The cabinet deliberations covered evolving situations in Syria, particularly addressing concerns regarding de facto leader, the jihadi-linked revolutionary Abu Mohammad al-Julani, and the safety of Druze and Kurdish minority populations in the region In an effort to enhance regional stability, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Eli Cohen proposed convening an international conference focused on Syria.
IDF recovers remains of Bedouin abducted into Gaza and murdered
The Israel Defense Forces recovered the corpse of Israeli hostage Youssef Ziyadne from an underground tunnel in the southern Gazan city of Rafah and have returned the remains to Israel, the military said Wednesday.
Ziyadne, a 53-year-old father of 19, was killed after Hamas terrorists abducted him and three of his children on Oct. 7, 2023, reported the Jewish News Syndicate. The IDF previously said it located findings related to Ziyadne's son, Hamza, which raise "serious concerns for his life."
Two of Ziyadne's other children, Bilal and Aisha, were released on Nov. 30, 2023, after spending more than 50 days in Hamas captivity.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed "deep sorrow" at the news, adding, "We will continue to make every effort to bring all of our hostages home – both the living and the dead."
Israeli culture minister urges FIFA to expel senior Palestinian official for incitement of terrorism
Israel's Culture Minister Miki Zohar has called on the world body governing soccer – FIFA – to remove the president of the Palestine Football Association, Jibril Rajoub, from his post for "inciting, justifying, and supporting violence against Israel," reported the Algemeiner.
Zohar wrote in a letter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino that Rajoub's alleged incitement to violence is a "blatant infringement of the core values that international sports aim to promote — values of peace, unity, and mutual respect." He urged Infantino and the FIFA Executive Committee to act swiftly and expel Rajoub from his senior position.
"There is no place for individuals who incite or support terrorism and violence within sports institutions," he added. "His continued membership in senior roles within the sports world undermines public trust and sends a dangerous message — that the platform of sports can be exploited for political agendas and the promotion of hatred and violence … It is our collective responsibility to ensure that sports remain a unifying force that brings people together, rather than a stage for incitement and terror. I trust in your leadership and in FIFA's commitment to upholding the integrity of international sports, and I am confident that you will act to safeguard its moral future."
Amnesty International suspends Israel chapter over 'racism' allegations, rejection of 'genocide' lie
Amnesty International has suspended its Israeli chapter for two years, citing allegations of discrimination against Palestinians and discrepancies between its internal reports and the organization's global line, which accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, reported Ynet.
Note that like all good authoritarians, the parent organization does not provide the Israeli chapter with any benefit of the doubt, or the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. No, it is enough for mere allegations to be deemed worthy of immediate suspension.
Amnesty Israel rejected claims of discrimination against Palestinian employees. While agreeing with the global organization's conclusions on violations of international law, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing by Israel, Amnesty Israel contested the genocide allegation, arguing that there's insufficient evidence to support the claim.
The New York Post addressed the controversy in an editorial published Tuesday, quoting opinion columnist Seth Mandel, who said the "supposed 'human rights' organization' now operates on authoritarian principles."
Islamic group seeking to destroy Israel, create caliphate to hold Canada conference
A group seeking to destroy the state of Israel and replace southern European, Middle Eastern, and African countries with an Islamic caliphate is set to hold a conference in Canada next Saturday, the Jerusalem Post reported.
After the Islamic group – which has been banned in many countries, including the United Kingdom and Germany – indicated in advertisements that it was moving its Jan. 18 event to Hamilton, Parrish said on X/Twitter that she was "pleased that the peaceful and respectful residents of Mississauga will not have to endure the fall out" of the "extremists" conference.
U.K. Labor MPs reject Tory calls for public inquiry over Muslim rape gangs
Britain's ruling Labor Party – under the leadership of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer – voted down on Wednesday a proposed public inquiry into the largely Muslim rape gangs, which Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch tabled as an amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill earlier this week.
The bill was rejected in the Commons by 364 votes to 111, a majority of 253, according to GB News.
The move was branded as an "act of cowardice" by Conservatives following the vote.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: "It is disgusting that Keir Starmer has used his supermajority in Parliament to block a national inquiry into the rape gangs scandal."
Iran to relocate its capital from Tehran to southern coastal city Makran
Iran will relocate its capital to the southern coastal region of Makran, a government spokeswoman said on Tuesday, in an ambitious plan aimed at bypassing Tehran's enduring overpopulation, power shortages and water scarcity.
While officials emphasize the strategic and economic advantages of the shift, critics have voiced concerns over likely enormous financial and logistical demands, Iran International reported.
"The new capital will definitely be in the south, in the Makran region, and this matter is currently being worked on," government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said on Tuesday.
She highlighted Tehran's growing ecological pressures, including water scarcity and announced the formation of two councils to examine the feasibility of the move and develop a sea-based economy in the Makran region.
"We are seeking assistance from academics, elites and experts, including engineers, sociologists and economists," she added, while stressing that the issue remains in the exploratory phase and is not urgent.
Majority of Israelis now oppose creation of Palestinian state
For the first time in nearly 18 years, a majority of Israeli Jews now oppose the establishment of any Palestinian state, according to an opinion poll published earlier this week.
Of the 804 Jews polled in the "Swords of Iron Survey Results—December 2024" survey by Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), 64% opposed the creation of a Palestinian state "under any condition," compared to 23% who said they supported it "under certain conditions." The remaining 13% said they didn't know. Among the 205 Arabs polled, the distribution was 59%, 12% and 29% respectively, reported the Jewish News Syndicate.
Within the total sample of 1,009 Jewish and Arab respondents, 52% opposed the creation of any Palestinian state compared to 30% who supported it.
In the years 2006-2019, support among Jews for a Palestinian state under certain conditions fell from 71% to 55%, according to an INSS overview from 2020. In 2022 support among Jews was 50% and support in the overall population was 52%.
