Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-11-25 at 22:08 cover art

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-11-25 at 22:08

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-11-25 at 22:08

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 HEADLINESGulf States Embrace Sovereign AI and DefenseLikud Generational Shift Drives Internal ElectionsRemains ID Delays Gaza CeasefireThe time is now 5:00 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.Good evening. Here is your hourly update on the evolving Middle East landscape and the broader international context shaping it.Gulf states are pursuing what some observers describe as a sovereign approach to artificial intelligence, signaling a shift in how technology sovereignty is imagined in the region even as they remain connected to American hardware and global supply chains. UAE officials emphasize that defense, cyber, and AI budgets are all part of a broader strategy to secure critical capabilities, highlighting a growing priority on autonomy in strategic technologies while still maintaining interoperable ties with the United States.In a separate diplomatic thread, Argentina’s government pledged to open an embassy in Jerusalem during the next visit to Israel, a move announced after discussions between Argentina’s president and Israel’s foreign minister. The pledge underscores a steadying of bilateral ties and a willingness to pursue joint diplomacy, security coordination, and economic cooperation within the regional architecture that includes Iran’s regional activities and counterterrorism efforts.In Israel, the domestic-security establishment and political landscape are at the center of attention. Deputy Commissioner Manny Binyamin, who leads the Lahav 433 major crimes unit, faces ongoing scrutiny in a case involving alleged interference and promotion of a relative to a senior post. Investigators have pursued leads about whether he sought to appoint a relative to command a branch within Lahav’s international-crimes division. Binyamin’s legal counsel says he has cooperated with investigators, though the prospects for his return to leadership remain uncertain. The developments come as Israel weighs internal demand for accountability against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Gaza and persistent security challenges along the border.Meanwhile, Israel’s internal political machinery is in the spotlight as the Likud party holds its first internal elections in 13 years, with voting under way at multiple polling stations. The event is aimed at shaping the party’s local councils and delegates to the Central Committee, the body that influences leadership and policy direction. Observers note a notable generational shift within the party, including younger candidates drawing support in districts like Tel Aviv’s south and in Jerusalem, where Prime Minister Netanyahu voted alongside his wife. The race has foregrounded questions about renewal versus the entrenched power networks that have sustained the party’s dominance for decades. Analysts say the Central Committee and its 50-member Secretariat will influence decisions on judiciary reform, defense, and foreign policy in the months ahead, with results expected in the weeks to come and a broader set of primaries planned for the next phase.On the international stage, discussions linking Washington with regional partners continue to test patience and expectations. Reports point to tensions within the US approach to Saudi normalization talks and broader security alignments in the region, with some accounts describing friction between competing vantage points on the pace and scope of normalization and security cooperation. Washington continues to emphasize a coordinated regional framework while acknowledging that delicate negotiations remain.In the cultural and scholarly realm, a major digitization project is moving forward around the Cairo Geniza, with the National Library of Israel coordinating the MiDRASH program to transcribe hundreds of thousands of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Judeo-Arabic manuscripts. The effort aims to unlock a vast archive of medieval Jewish texts, enabling researchers to trace quotations, motifs, and the cross-cultural movements of ideas. The project’s first phase focuses on transcription, with a long-term goal of enabling linguistic analysis and cross-text scholarship across centuries.In the international-security corridor, a high-profile effort to end the war in Ukraine continues to attract attention. US officials describe progress toward a peace framework, while European leaders stress caution about the pace and terms of any deal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Europe to consider deploying a reassurance presence for Kyiv and to keep backing Ukraine as negotiations proceed, signaling a preference for an approach that involves Ukraine in key security decisions. Reports also describe renewed discussions in the region, including efforts to align American diplomacy with European perspectives as the war drags on and as satellite talks in places like Abu Dhabi and Geneva test new formulations of a ceasefire and security architecture. The situation remains fragile, with ...
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