This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – Middle East/Israel Morning Brief
Thousands of Jews flock to Hebron to the tomb of biblical patriarchs and matriarchs
This past weekend, Jews around the world read the Torah portion of Chayei Sarah – the fifth portion of the Book of Genesis. As is customary, thousands of Jews – organizers estimated some 20,000 (which was a restricted number this year because of the security situation) flocked to the Judean town of Hebron to pay their respects to the tomb of the patriarchs and matriarchs, in particular Sarah, Abraham's wife.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, will be forced to open its books and reveal its sources of funding after a defamation suit it filed against a former employee completely backfired.
U.S. Magistrate Judge David Schultz ruled Monday that CAIR's donors, funding sources – including potentially foreign ones – and any assets owned by the group are all within the "scope of permissible discovery" as part of former chapter leader Lori Saroya's lawsuit against the controversial Muslim rights group.
Northern Israeli officials, hostage families unhappy over proposed ceasefire
"A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon that does not include an arrangement to ensure the security of the communities along Israel's northern border would be a disaster," Moshe Davidovich, head of the Mateh Asher Regional Council, said on Tuesday.
"If a ceasefire agreement is signed between Lebanon and Israel and it does not include a significant arrangement to restore the security of the residents of the front-line communities before they return home — including a buffer zone near the border with a strong international force and the removal of Hezbollah beyond the Litani River — it will be a disaster for generations," he stated.
Defense Ministry advances plan to build border fence along entirety of border with Jordan
The Defense Ministry says it has begun "detailed engineering planning" to establish a fence along the entire border with Jordan to prevent infiltrations into the country — an expensive undertaking that has made little progress in the past.
Gorka: 'No such thing as Palestine'
Sebastian Gorka, Donald Trump's pick as his senior director for counter-terrorism, has made several statements in favor of Israel recently, including that "Palestine" doesn't exist and that IDF generals should forget about diplomacy and focus on defeating terrorists militarily.
U.N. fires special advisor on Prevention of Genocide for refusal to label Israel's actions in Gaza as 'genocide'
"Can anyone with integrity survive at the U.N.?" the Wall Street Journal's editorial asked on Tuesday, arguing that the U.N. was refusing to renew the contract of Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide Alice Wairimu Nderitu due to her determination that Israel's actions in Gaza could not be defined as "genocide."
Israel approves multi-billion shekel defense procurement package
Under the agreement, the Defense Ministry will purchase five advanced Reshef corvettes from Israel Shipyards to replace the aging Nirit-class corvettes, which will be taken out of service after four decades. Production of the ships in Israel will provide jobs to hundreds of workers in the north.
"The Zionists have crossed the red lines of the Islamic Republic. Iran will never tolerate aggression against its territory and will not leave it unanswered," Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Mohammad Bagheri said on Tuesday.
Islamic Republic's work on pharmaceutical based agents
Multiple Iranian security complexes have been preparing production of fentanyl and medetomidine based incapacitating and lethal agents. These complexes have been working on pillars of producing those weapons: large-scale cost-efficient synthesis of the compounds with maximum potency, evaluating a stable chemical mixture based on those agents that can be aerosolized using a propellant, and developing the delivery of the agents through grenades, bullets, or drones.
Three suspected Uzbek murderers of Chabad rabbi in UAE could face death penalty
The Emirati Ministry of Interior confirmed on Monday that the three suspects arrested for the murder of Chabad-Lubavitch emissary Rabbi Zvi Kogan are Uzbek nationals.
Security authorities identified the suspects as Olimpi Toirovich, 28, Makhmudjon Abdurakhim, also 28, and Azizbek Kamlovich, 33. The ministry circulated pictures of the three men in custody.
Additionally, the ministry announced the initiation of legal proceedings against the suspects, with reports indicating the defendants could face the death penalty.
IDF soldier gravely injured in Oct. 7 battles, succumbs to his wounds
Sergeant First Class Yona Betzalel Brief, aged 23, from Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut, died Tuesday morning after being severely injured in combat on Oct. 7, 2023.
Brief served as a combat medic in the Duvdevan Unit, Commando Brigade, and was severely injured during combat in the communities near the Gaza Strip. He becomes the 805th IDF soldier to be killed since Oct. 7.
Israel Police thwarts huge ammo transfer to Samaria terrorists
Officers of the Israel Police's Northern District over the weekend seized a shipment of more than 20,000 bullets intended for "terrorist elements in Judea and Samaria," the police announced in a statement on Sunday.
Two residents of Ma'ale Iron, a local council that consists of five Arab Israeli villages near Megiddo, were arrested.
IDF troops reach banks of Litani river for first time since 2000>
The IDF's 91st Division has reached the Litani River in the eastern sector of southern Lebanon, as well as the Wadi Saluki area, and the military says troops located dozens of Hezbollah weapons and sites in both areas.
It is the first time since 2000 – when Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon – that IDF troops have reached the Litani River.
Israel's gov't rubber-stamps Leiter appointment as Israel's ambassador to U.S.>
Israel's government on Sunday unanimously approved the appointment of Yechiel Leiter as ambassador to the United States.
Leiter will replace Michael Herzog – the outgoing ambassador and older brother of the Israeli president – on Jan. 24, four days after the Trump administration takes office.
