Former Israeli Air Force commander Maj‑Gen. (ret.) Eitan Ben Eliyahu warned that Israel now faces only two realistic options regarding Iran—launch a full‑scale war, including a ground invasion, or rely on intensified economic pressure and renewed negotiations—after Operation Rising Lion in June delayed but failed to eliminate Iran’s nuclear program, prompting Tehran to adapt by improving missile accuracy, dispersing launch sites and enhancing surprise capabilities; he also cautioned that any broader Israeli action in Lebanon could jeopardize the existing agreement unless Hezbollah disarms and withdraws from the south. Click here to read more.

Israeli Deputy Head of the Foreign Policy Division Uri Reznik met in Nakura, Lebanon, with U.S. Lebanon‑affairs adviser Morgan Ortagus and Lebanese civilian envoy Simon Karam—an anti‑Hezbollah lawyer and former ambassador—to hold the first senior‑level Israel‑Lebanon talks since the 1991 Madrid conference; the parties said the meeting was positive, discussed ideas for future economic cooperation, and pledged to reconvene, while Israel reiterated that Hezbollah’s disarmament remains a prerequisite for any further progress. Click here to read more.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with U.S. Lebanon‑affairs envoy Morgan Ortagus, Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Intelligence Chief Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder to discuss escalating border tensions as Hezbollah’s ranks and missile stockpiles grow, warning that without a dramatic change by the end of the cease‑fire period—December 31—another round of fighting in the north is “almost inevitable”; Israeli officials say Lebanon’s government and army are failing to disarm Hezbollah, and the U.S. and Israel plan to reassess options after the deadline, with Ortagus set to convey a stark ultimatum that Hezbollah must disarm or Israel will act. Click here to read more.

Israeli defense firms Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries and Elbit Systems each posted double‑digit revenue growth in 2024, lifting their combined arms sales by 16 % to $16.2 billion and moving up the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Top 100 list—Elbit rose to 25th, IAI to 31st and Rafael to 34th—while the overall Top 100 recorded a record $679 billion in sales, driven by conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and rising tensions in East Asia, showing that geopolitical backlash over Israel’s Gaza actions has not dampened global demand for its weapons. Click here to read more.

National Missions Minister Orit Strock argued that Israel must abandon the Oslo‑era framework and dismantle the Palestinian Authority’s armed security apparatus, condemning PA legislation that pays families of prisoners, its school curriculum that she says incites hatred, and prisons that allegedly serve as safe havens for terrorists, while proposing a return to the pre‑1994 “municipal” model in which Israel retains full civil and security control over the West Bank and only non‑violent Palestinians participate in local governance, noting that such a shift would require political will and could be presented to a renewed Trump administration as the only responsible path forward. Click here to read more.

Israel invited roughly 130 foreign military officials from nations including the United States, Canada, European allies, India, Japan and several Middle‑Eastern and Eastern‑European states to a series of IDF briefings, war‑games demonstrations and technology showcases that featured everything from artillery and drone coordination to cutting‑edge virtual‑reality battle‑zone simulators, giving visitors insight into Israel’s urban‑warfare tactics, micro‑level land‑air integration and counter‑terror methods while also sparking candid, though private, discussions about civilian casualties, the challenges of asymmetric conflict and the future role of the newly ratified International Stabilization Force; the tour aimed to reinforce military cooperation, showcase Israeli innovations and earn renewed respect amid ongoing scrutiny of the war in Gaza. Click here to read more.

Mayor Eric Adams made a farewell pilgrimage to Israel, praying at the Western Wall and meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reaffirm New York’s historic ties to the Jewish state and warn of rising antisemitism, while highlighting a stark contrast with his successor Zohran Mamdani, who has vowed to pursue legal action against Netanyahu and embraces a markedly anti‑Israel stance; the visit marks the end of a 75‑year tradition of New York mayors visiting Israel as a symbol of solidarity, underscoring how the city’s political alignment with Israel is shifting and leaving the Jewish community to decide how to respond to the changing landscape. Click here to read more.

The United States is drafting a long‑term partition of the Gaza Strip that would create Israeli‑ and internationally‑controlled “Green Zones” for reconstruction alongside foreign troops operating with the IDF on Gaza’s eastern side, while “Red Zones” left outside any control would remain in ruins; the plan, outlined in U.S. military documents referenced by the Guardian, replaces earlier ideas for fenced Alternative Safe Communities, earmarks the Yellow Line as the boundary for rebuilding efforts, and signals that the U.S. intends to set the overall vision without financing the reconstruction itself. Click here to read more.

The Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly convenes in Washington from Nov. 16‑18, drawing about 2,000 leaders, activists and partners to confront a surge in antisemitism, the fallout of the Israel‑Hamas war and shifting domestic politics, with three focal tracks—rebuilding Israel, bolstering community security and expanding Jewish engagement—featuring high‑profile speakers such as former IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari, Rahm Emanuel and media analysts, while showcasing the federation’s growth in security initiatives (from a dozen in 2018 to over 130 today) and its $900 million emergency fundraising effort now pivoting toward reconstruction loans for reservists; the gathering aims to translate the recent “Surge” in Jewish participation into lasting pathways for education, volunteerism and diaspora‑Israel ties. Click here to read more.

Autonomous Guard and Kela Defense Systems formalized a partnership to field modular, soldier‑operated border‑defense platforms that combine Autonomous Guard’s Skylock drone‑neutralization and Beesense sensor technologies with Kela’s open‑architecture command‑and‑control modules, enabling rapid, single‑soldier deployment of integrated air, land and sea threat detection across Israel’s borders; the collaboration reflects lessons from the October 7 attacks—emphasizing fast, adaptable solutions that protect civilians and critical assets while leveraging existing client channels to deliver the systems to third‑party users and potentially expand into Western markets. Click here to read more.