Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-21 at 03:06 cover art

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-21 at 03:06

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-21 at 03:06

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 HEADLINESIAEA warns Iran delays risk to nonproliferationEisenkot Bennett Lapid unite to challenge NetanyahuGlobal water bankruptcy demands urgent reformsThe time is now 10:00 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.Good evening. Scientists in Britain have connected daily habit changes to longer life expectancy. A group analyzing eight years of data from more than 59,000 participants in the UK Biobank found that a balanced diet, about 40 minutes of physical activity each day, and seven to eight hours of sleep per night markedly increase the odds of living about ten more years. The results held even when changes were modest, such as adding five minutes of sleep or making a small dietary improvement, which could add a year to life. The study appears in the medical journal eClinicalMedicine and contributes to a growing body of work linking lifestyle choices to health outcomes.In the security and diplomacy sphere, the international effort to account for Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium and to inspect sites bombed by the United States and Israel continues to loom large. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, warned at the World Economic Forum in Davos that the standoff cannot last forever. He noted the agency has inspected all declared facilities not hit in conflict, but has not been able to inspect the sites at Natanz, Fordo, and Isfahan. Iran must provide a report detailing what happened to those sites and materials, including roughly 441 kilograms of uranium enriched to up to 60 percent. Grossi said the issue requires engagement and could be resolved within a reasonable spring timetable, while stressing that non-compliance would trigger a broader risk to the nonproliferation regime. Iran says it is cooperating, and officials say inspections continue as talks and diplomatic channels press forward.In Israeli politics, former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot has proposed a unified electoral list with Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid to challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The idea would determine who leads the joint slate only after results from the election are known. Bennett has signaled his ambition to become prime minister, while Eisenkot has criticized the government’s handling of the Gaza conflict, calling for renewed military moves against Hamas and for demilitarization conditions tied to Gaza’s rehabilitation. The dialogue reflects a broader debate about security, diplomacy, and the strategic path forward for Israel as it contends with ongoing threats and political pressures at home.A major civil society story out of Israel centers on Mickey Gitzin, named interim president and chief executive of the New Israel Fund. The organization funds democratic and civil society initiatives in Israel that frequently navigate tensions with government policy. Gitzin emphasizes a stance that defends democracy, promotes Jewish-Arab partnership, and protects human rights, while drawing clear lines against groups that advocate violence, racism, or anti-Israel positions. He acknowledges that liberal democracy faces a challenging environment in Israel and the region but argues that liberal Zionism can still influence the political landscape by engaging a broader coalition of supporters, including liberal Israelis and like-minded voices in the United States. The NIF says donor support has grown since 2023, with a substantial share of activity directed toward protecting civil society, legal advocacy, and monitoring of rights in the West Bank, alongside efforts to counter extremism.On the defense front in the Middle East, US air defense assets such as Patriot missiles and THAAD systems are being deployed to the region as part of ongoing security guarantees and deterrence efforts. These deployments underscore continued US involvement in regional security amid tensions with Iran and the broader strategic competition in the area.In Washington, sources indicate President Donald Trump spoke by phone with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, calling the conversation “very good” but offering few details. The White House described the call as part of ongoing diplomacy as Trump prepares for participation in international forums in Switzerland.Turning to global economics, European leadership at Davos has drawn attention to shifts in the global monetary order. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen suggested that the dollar-based system is unstable. She highlighted that the Bretton Woods framework is under scrutiny and that Europe is learning from the vulnerabilities exposed by moves to decouple from dollar hegemony. The message signals a push to reduce overreliance on a single currency and to rebuild European financial and political leverage in a multipolar world.A related sociopolitical survey in the United States indicates that public appetite for annexing Canada is low. Reports cite that only a small minority of ...
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