Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-30 at 08:02 cover art

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-30 at 08:02

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-30 at 08:02

Listen for free

View show details

About this listen

 HEADLINESIsrael Submarine Report Reveals Opaque Security DecisionsRafah Strike Kills Three as Talks LoomArab Joint List Could Regain Knesset SeatsThe time is now 3:00 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.This hour’s update from the Middle East and beyond comes as Israel faces ongoing security challenges, questions about how decisions are made at the highest levels, and a shifting regional and global context that could shape policy for months to come. We begin with a set of developments that together illuminate both the nation’s resilience and the strains that testing times impose on its institutions and alliances.First, a key turn in how the country governs its security was revealed this week with the publication of the submarine affair report. The panel, led by former Supreme Court president Asher Grunis, concluded that the submarine procurement process and Germany’s sale of submarines to distant actors alike raised serious questions about how security choices are made in Israel. The document paints a portrait of a security cabinet kept in the dark, information that was poorly processed or not shared, critical conversations left undocumented, and ministers asked to vote on high-stakes matters without full understanding. The panel underscored that ministers often felt like rubber stamps for decisions shaped by defense and intelligence professionals. While the submarine episode stands on its own, the panel’s observations point to a broader pattern: decision-making and information-sharing that can be opaque, centralized, and reactive rather than strategic and coordinated. Critics say the findings echo warnings voiced in the months leading up to October 7, highlighting a governance culture that, if unchanged, risks undermining security in ways that no one can predict.Turning to a moment that briefly united the country, Ran Gvili’s burial in Meitar offered a stark reminder of shared national purpose even as public debates over the country’s direction rapidly reemerge. Gvili, a police officer killed during Hamas’s October 7 onslaught and later identified and returned from Gaza, was saluted as a symbol of courage and duty. His mother spoke of a national “we” that endures, and President Isaac Herzog invoked the same question many Israelis ask in times of tragedy: why does unity flicker and fade so quickly after moments of collective hurt? The funeral underscored values Israelis point to when defining themselves—selflessness, solidarity, and a willingness to bear risk for the broader community. Yet in the hours after the ceremony, the tone in public life suggested those moments of unity are fragile, easily overtaken by political rhetoric and competing narratives about the country’s course.On the security front, Israeli forces said they struck eight terrorists emerging from tunnels in eastern Rafah, killing three, as part of ongoing operations tied to the broader Gaza campaign. The strike followed earlier actions aimed at disrupting remaining threats and tightening controls in the area as discussions continue about reopening the Rafah Crossing. Reports indicate that negotiations on disarmament in Gaza would proceed only after the crossing reopens, with the notion that a Palestinian-led technocratic administration in Gaza would lead such talks. The operational emphasis remains: identify and eliminate immediate threats while preparing for strategic steps that could shape the post-conflict security landscape in Gaza and southern Israel.In the political and polling sphere, a new Maariv poll, reported by The Times of Israel, suggests the Arab Joint List could regain seats in the Knesset—13 seats if united—shifting the balance with Likud potentially strengthening to about 50 seats in a current voter mood that is finely balanced between delaying elections and holding them on schedule. The same survey indicates deep public sensitivity to Ran Gvili’s return and the human cost of the war, with roughly 44 percent viewing the return as a necessary sacrifice to save lives and among respondents, 39 percent favor holding elections later this year while 12 percent remain undecided. The broader takeaway: Israel remains in a climate where security concerns, domestic political calculations, and public sentiment are tightly intertwined, with a national mood shifting in real time as events unfold.The international dimension continues to influence the Israeli strategic calculus. In Washington, former Fed official Kevin Warsh is widely reported as the front-runner to succeed Jerome Powell as head of the US Federal Reserve, a nomination that would carry implications for financial markets and for US policy settings that affect Israel’s security accommodations and economic interoperability with Washington. Market reactions have pointed to a potential shift toward a slightly less dovish posture, depending on the final choice, with investors watching closely how...
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.