Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-12-12 at 03:08 cover art

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-12-12 at 03:08

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-12-12 at 03:08

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 HEADLINESIsrael seeks Hanukkah flag raising at NisanitUS Lawmakers Pressure Netanyahu Over Home DemolitionsIsrael Faces Possible Escalation With Hezbollah IranThe time is now 10:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.Good evening. Here are the latest developments shaping the Middle East and the broader regional and global currents that touch Israeli security, Jewish communities abroad, and policy in Washington.In Israel, a assembling chorus of ministers called for a Hanukkah flag‑raising ceremony at the site of the former Gaza settlement of Nisanit, a gesture they say would affirm that Gaza remains, in their view, part of the Land of Israel. The bid is being pursued by the Nachala settlement movement and signed by a broad slate of ministers, including figures from the right, with the aim of staging the event on December 18, the fifth night of Hanukkah. Security officials indicated that the ceremony would require approval from Defense Minister Israel Katz and, given the sensitive nature of civilian events inside Gaza, from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well. Israeli authorities stressed the area is currently a closed military zone, underscoring the diplomatic sensitivity of holding any civilian event within Gaza’s confines while a fragile ceasefire remains in effect.Amid the political maneuvering, the ground situation in Gaza remains tightly watched. The Israeli military has been operating within a line inside Gaza that allows control over substantial territory, even as thousands of residents continue to live amid the aftermath of more than two years of conflict. In addition to the political debates, there have been concrete incidents at the border; Israeli authorities reported arrests of several Israeli civilians who crossed into the Gaza Strip during recent activities connected with settlement advocacy. In related domestic politics, a chorus of lawmakers from across the political spectrum has been urging a more forceful approach to issues surrounding Gaza, while some coalition partners caution against steps that could complicate public diplomacy or the prospects for a durable ceasefire.In Washington, a bipartisan current runs through discussions about the Israeli settlement issue and the conduct of the war. A group of US lawmakers has signed a letter urging Prime Minister Netanyahu to prevent the demolition of Palestinian homes, arguing that such measures raise humanitarian and legal concerns even as they are debated within the broader security framework of the conflict. Separately, US lawmakers have criticized Israel for not holding to account those involved in a 2023 strike in Lebanon that affected journalists, underscoring Washington’s emphasis on accountability and press protections as it weighs security support for Israel and regional partners.On the security front, Israelis continue to brace for possible escalation in the region. A recent public opinion survey indicates a broad expectation among Israelis that military conflict could recur soon, with Hezbollah and Iran named as the most likely agents of renewed hostilities. At the same time, the public’s view of domestic leadership is divided: a sizable portion of Israelis oppose a pardon for Prime Minister Netanyahu, arguing that the government’s handling of war-time governance and domestic issues should be evaluated through a wide lens amid concerns about corruption. Within the military and security establishment, officials emphasize the need to deter adversaries and to maintain credible deterrence while pursuing a path toward stability with clear conditions for any ceasefire.In parallel, security and governance questions extend to the broader Jewish world. A New York exhibition at the New York Historical Society, built around Claude Lanzmann’s famed Shoah interviews and related recordings, is being staged in conjunction with a cross‑Atlantic collaboration that seeks to preserve testimony and memory as a call to confront antisemitism today. The exhibit, largely audio and built from recordings never included in the final Shoah film, links memory to present-day democratic challenges and the responsibilities of societies to confront hate. Museum officials frame the display as part of a broader conversation about democracy and civic responsibility, inviting visitors to listen closely to voices from survivors, bystanders, and, at times, perpetrators. The exhibit sits alongside another, more contemporary reflection on immigration history, underscoring how memory and identity shape modern debates about belonging and governance in the United States and beyond.At the political level in the United States, questions of foreign influence and ethics continue to be examined in relation to the former White House adviser Jared Kushner. Reports detail his return to the inner circle as a trusted informal advisor on Gaza and Ukraine peace efforts, a role that has drawn renewed attention after ...
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