Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-10 at 01:08 cover art

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-10 at 01:08

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-10 at 01:08

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 HEADLINES- Israel aims zero US military aid decade- Russia tests hypersonic near Poland border- Hoyer retires reshaping US Israel policyThe time is now 8:00 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.A busy evening across the Middle East and beyond. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an interview with The Economist, said Israel intends to reduce its dependence on American military aid over the next decade, with the current $3.8 billion annual package up for renegotiation in 2028. Netanyahu said he expects Israel to reach zero reliance on American support within ten years, a process he described as already underway. He affirmed that he would continue to advocate for strong ties with the American people while pursuing a broader goal of greater Israeli autonomy in security and diplomacy. He spoke of a fierce competition over public perception, acknowledging a persistent propaganda challenge and describing the battle against misinformation as a formidable one, likening it to “cavalry against F-35s” in a media environment saturated with misinformation and bots. Netanyahu warned that Israel faces an “impossible standard” in international judgments over the Israel-Hamas conflict and suggested that the ceasefire could ease some western scrutiny, though he cautioned that the propaganda environment could continue to distort facts even as fighting subsides.On Iran, Netanyahu said regime change is not Israel’s stated objective, but he indicated that such a shift could emerge as a consequence of ongoing conflict and internal pressures within Iran. He cited the June 2025 joint US-Israeli strikes that he argued significantly degraded Iran’s nuclear capabilities, describing the regime as having been relegated to a less dominant position after what he characterized as both military setbacks and domestic mismanagement that has diverted resources toward the security axis rather than the Iranian people’s needs. Netanyahu framed Iran’s domestic unrest as potentially pivotal, saying revolutions are often driven from within and that Israel would monitor events closely, including the protests that have drawn international attention. He added that there would be a clear, responsive threshold if Iran attacked Israel, warning of severe consequences for Tehran, but suggesting that Israel should otherwise observe the internal dynamics in Iran.Meanwhile, Russia demonstrated resolve near Europe’s frontiers, staging a display of force with a hypersonic ballistic missile, the Oreshnik, launched near western Ukraine—about 60 kilometers from Poland. Moscow framed the operation as retaliation for alleged plots against President Putin, while Kyiv and Western capitals viewed it as a direct threat to European security and a reminder of the volatility surrounding Russia’s posture toward NATO and the broader region.Back in Washington, veteran Democrat Steny Hoyer announced his retirement from Congress, removing one of the party’s longest-serving and most prominent pro-Israel voices from the chamber. Hoyer has long been associated with bipartisan backing of US security aid to Israel and with close ties to AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobby. His exit comes as a wave of retirements and shifts in the Democratic and Republican coalitions around Israel policy continues to unfold. The departure of Hoyer, along with other retirements noted in recent days—such as Representative Michael McCaul on the Republican side and Democrats Jan Schakowsky and Dick Durbin—reflects a broader reconfiguration of the political landscape ahead of midterm elections. Observers note a growing intra-party and inter-party debate over aid levels and conditions, with some lawmakers reevaluating the nature and scope of US support for Israel and broader regional diplomacy, even as both parties continue to condemn anti-Semitism and stress the importance of security guarantees for Israel.The domestic political moment in the United States also touched New York City, where Mayor Zohran Mamdani faced sharp condemnation after a protest near a synagogue in Kew Gardens Hills featured pro-Hamas chants. City and state leaders—including New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and lawmakers Grace Meng and Julie Menin—publicly denounced the rhetoric as unacceptable and dangerous, underscoring a sustained effort to separate legitimate protest from antisemitic or violent rhetoric. The episode drew a chorus of bipartisan denunciations from New York’s congressional delegation and other officials, who stressed that public safety and the right to protest must be exercised without crossing into support for violence or extremist ideologies. Some local Jewish leaders urged stronger, more explicit condemnations earlier, highlighting the sensitivity surrounding Jewish community security in major urban centers.On the broader regional front, a provocative piece from The Palestinian Authority-linked press and affiliated outlets has ...
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