News Update
President Trump has endorsed Prime Minister Netanyahu ahead of next week’s election:
“To the Great People of Israel:
Bibi Netanyahu has been a Great Warrior Prime Minister, and an even greater Partner for Peace in combatting the Islamic Republic of Iran, with its 51 year old chant, “Death to Israel, Death to America! We will destroy the Little Satan and the Big Satan.” What Country can survive when things such as this are allowed to be said, because eventually, they always end up being true? It would have been only a question of time until Iran would have put that ominous phrase into effect, but they have been systematically destroyed, both Militarily and Financially, and unless they change their ways, rapidly, we will soon finish the job. If Israel has the wrong Leader, which would be anyone other than Bibi, America will have to do this work ourselves, and I am not inclined to do so. Bibi Netanyahu has been Strong, Brave, and Brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition, including that coming from even Israel, itself. Despite all of that, he has endured and, in fact, he has thrived! I have watched Bibi under the most trying of times. Normal men or women in such situations would have wilted under the pressure — But Bibi did not wilt, he actually got stronger, and maintains that same Strength today. This is the kind of Partner that the United States of America is demanding of Israel, a Country for which it has done so much. Please let this Letter serve to represent my Complete and Total Endorsement of Bibi Netanyahu in his upcoming Race for Re-Election as Prime Minister of Israel. BIBI NETANYAHU WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
Netanyahu responded with profuse praise and thanks.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has placed the IDF on its highest alert level and suspended all leaves beginning Thursday, in preparation for the election. The IDF also has decided to increase the presence of senior commanders in operations centers, headquarters and units to ensure operational readiness and effectiveness. Reinforcements have also been deployed to Judea and Samaria.
The IDF announced that it killed three Hamas terrorists, including a cell commander and a member of the group’s engineering battalion, in a series of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Saturday. The 3 were involved in preparing attacks against Israeli troops and civilians and efforts to rebuild Hamas’ military capabilities in violation of the ceasefire.
The Israel police arrested eight Jewish suspects in Judea and Samaria early today as part of a new operation launched following violent attacks on American photojournalist Heidi Levine and European diplomats over the weekend. On Friday, dozens of masked Jewish attackers descended on Palestinian olive harvesters near the village of Abu Falah, in the Ramallah area, injuring two people, including veteran photojournalist Heidi Levine, who was covering the harvest for The Washington Post. On Saturday, Jewish extremists attacked diplomats from France, Belgium and Poland, along with Israeli activists, who were visiting an olive harvest near the Palestinian village of Taybeh, widely considered the West Bank’s last entirely Christian village. The incidents drew condemnations, including from senior officials in the U.S. administration.
Elbit Systems (TASE: ESLT; Nasdaq: ESLT) announced today that it had secured a $235 million contract to supply EXTRA-MR (Medium Range) rockets and PULS rocket artillery systems to a European client, under a government-to-government agreement between the Israeli Ministry of Defense and the client nation’s Ministry of Defense. The country is reportedly Azerbaijan. For more, click here.
Israel News for 11-11-2026
/by Arnie SingerNews Update
The 26th Knesset was sworn in yesterday, but a plan to form a majority government is nowhere in sight yet. Netanyahu is calling for a unity government, with himself as prime minister, while trying to get the Haredi parties not to join the coalition Eisenkot is trying to build. On the other hand, although it seems as though their demands for Haredi army service seem to have tempered a bit, the parties that make up Eisenkot’s potential coalition partners might find it impossible to meet Haredi demands to join them — which would then leave the Islamist Ra’am party the only other choice to form a government. At this point, there’s no way to know how this will play out and who, if anyone, will be able to form a government.
President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu held a phone conversation over the weekend, the main topic being Iran. Despite reports that the call was confrontational and a “shouting match from hell”, the Prime Minister’s Office strongly rejected that account and called it fake news. In the Knesset yesterday, Netanyahu said, “Iran is working to renew the nuclear threat. The only way to permanently remove this existential threat is by toppling the ayatollah regime.” He added, “Soon we will face international pressure to accept a nuclear Iran and the continued existence of the regime of terror that seeks to destroy us. We will also face pressure to retreat from our tremendous achievements and from our great achievement in the security zones.” Trump has indicated that he thought renewed military action against Iran did not appear necessary. Talks with Iran are continuing through regional mediators.
Israeli defense company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems unveiled SUPER ICE, a new cruise missile developed as the latest addition to its ICE BREAKER family. The new system can be launched from aircraft, missile boats and ground-based platforms. Its 1,000 pound warhead is four times heavier than that of the previous missile in the family.The company has not disclosed which customers have ordered the missile, whether it is already operational or whether the Israel Defense Forces is among its customers.
Israel News for 11-9-2026
/by Arnie SingerNews Update
President Isaac Herzog has given Gadi Eisenkot the mandate to form the next government, after 67 MKs recommended him vs. only 46 for Netanyahu. Eisenkot managed to get to his number because all of the Arab MKs endorsed him. Netanyahu called for a unity government, but Eisenkot responded that any cooperation would require the prime minister to sever ties with extremist elements of his political bloc, which would include Ben Gvir and probably also Smotrich.
Eisenkot met individually with the leaders of the parties in his potential coalition, including Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Liberman and Yair Golan. Eisenkot has shown willingness to form a minority government reliant on the Arab vote to pass laws in the Knesset. Liberman has said that he rejects the minority government idea and instead, is willing to sit with the Ultra-Orthodox parties despite his past refusal to ever do so. Bennett has yet to release any statements regarding his position after meeting with Eisenkot.
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara said that investigators had uncovered no evidence of foreign interference capable of changing the results of last month’s parliamentary election: “I am not aware of any evidentiary basis that comes even close to affecting the election results or substantiating a claim of influence that could have changed the outcome. If additional new information that has not yet been presented to us emerges, it will be examined and handled in accordance with the law.”
Israel News for 11-5-2026
/by Arnie SingerNews Update
President Isaac Herzog continued consultations today with the newly elected Knesset factions ahead of deciding who will be tasked with forming the country’s next government. It looks like Eisenkot will get the most endorsements, 56, vs. just 46 for Netanyahu, since the Haredi UTJ party has indicated that it will not endorse Netanyahu and the Arab Ra’am party has endorsed Eisenkot, and it is likely that the Arab Joint List could do so as well. For more, click here.
With the overwhelming Democrat victories in the U.S. midterms, which gave Democrats a majority in both houses of Congress, an Eisenkot government could benefit Israel in its ongoing relations with the U.S., although it probably won’t make much of a difference to the “progressive” Democrats who believe that Israel is a genocidal and apartheid state who has no right to continue its existence. On the other side of the aisle, Vice President Vance made it clear that he felt that one of the reasons why the Republicans lost was due to their relationship with Israel.
We’ll need to wait and see how all this plays out.
Israel News for 11-3-2026
/by Arnie SingerNews Update
The political parties will start meeting with President Herzog later today, and each will make their recommendation as to who should be given the chance to form a government. The prevailing opinion is that the president will give Eisenkot the first try at forming a government, given that the Arab parties are expected to recommend him and the Ultra-Orthodox UTJ and expected to either also recommend him or no one, which would give Eisenkot more recommendations than Netanyahu.
Eisenkot’s bloc controls only 48 Knesset seats, but rumors indicate the possibility of combining either with the Arab or Ultra-Orthodox parties to form a voting majority, even though neither of those parties would technically be part of the government. Another option would be the formation of a unity government with Netanyahu’s Likud, but it’s highly unlikely that Netanyahu would agree to any scenario where he would not be Prime Minister.
Almost as important as what happens in President Herzog’s office today and tomorrow are the U.S. midterm elections taking place today. But that’s a different newsletter….
Stay tuned!
Israel News for 10-30-2026
/by Arnie SingerNews Update
Here are the final election results:
Likud (Netanyahu) – 27
Yashar (Eisenkot) – 21
Beyachad (Bennett) – 12
Joint List (Arab) – 11
Ra’am (Arab) – 8
The Democrats – 8
United Torah Judaism – 7
Yisrael Beiteinu – 7
Otzma Yehudit (Ben Gvir) – 7
Shas – 6
Religious Zionism (Smotrich) – 6
The Central Elections Committee said the final voter turnout was 77.9%, with 5,716,665 votes counted. Of those, 5,690,778 were valid and 25,887 were invalid. The electoral threshold, set at 3.25% of valid votes, was 184,947 votes. The final results that will be submitted to the president of the State of Israel on Wednesday, November 4.
The Shin Bet is investigating allegations that money transferred from Qatar was used to buy Arab votes and influence Arab voter turnout, which could have a material effect on the overall election results.
Next week the president will give either Netanyahu or Eisenkot an opportunity to form a coalition government. If hone can’t do it within a maximum of 42 days, the other will get a chance. Neither currently has a clear path to do so. The ideal would be the formation of a unity government, but Eisenkot and other opposition leaders have said that they would not sit in a Netanyahu led government, and it’s very unlikely that Netanyahu will give up the premiership.
Let the games begin!!
Israel News for 10-28-2026
/by Arnie SingerNews Update
With nearly 80% of the votes counted, here are the election results (which could still change, albeit slightly):
Likud (Netanyahu) – 27
Yashar (Eisenkot) – 22
Beyachad (Bennett) – 12
Joint List (Arab) – 11
The Democrats – 8
United Torah Judaism – 7
Shas – 7
Yisrael Beiteinu – 7
Otzma Yehudit (Ben Gvir) – 7
Religious Zionism (Smotrich) – 6
Ra’am (Arab) – 6
At this point, the Netanyahu block would appear to control 54 seats, and the opposition 49.
The ballots of the soldiers and other special voters have not yet been counted, but there are 600,000 of them, which could have a material effect on the breakdown of seats. These ballots have traditionally been overwhelmingly skewed to the Right and could potentially boost Netanyahu’s block enough to cross the 61 seat threshold required to form a government.
In the event that a government cannot be formed, the current government will continue until new elections are held in a few months. Of course, a unity government between the 3 largest parties would be an ideal outcome, but the opposition parties have refused to sit in a Netanyahu led government, and it’s highly unlikely (impossible?) that Netanyahu will give up the premiership.
So now we wait until all the votes have been counted.
Israel News for 10-26-2026
/by Arnie SingerNews Update
Knesset elections are tomorrow and the campaigns are making their final pushes. The 2 largest parties are lining up to be Netanyahu’s Likud and Eisenkot’s Yashar. The party with the most seats will get the chance to form a government, which will then depend on creating a coalition with smaller parties. For more, click here.
The terror attack near Hebron we reported in Friday’s email was still developing at the time of publication, so we did not know at the time that 2 IDF soldiers were killed in the gunfight that killed the terrorists and prevented a much larger attack. Staff Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman, 23, of Ashkelon, and Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem, 20, from Hod Hasharon, both served in the 755th Battalion of the Home Front Command Search and Rescue Brigade. The terror attack prompted the IDF to launch an intensive operation in Hebron, locking down the city and conducting searches for weapons, arrests of terrorists and the demolition of unauthorized structures. The operation is continuing.
The IDF announced Sunday that it had killed two terrorists in separate airstrikes in the Gaza Strip last week, accusing them of transferring millions of shekels from Iran and Turkey to Hamas’ military wing throughout the war. The IDF announced today the elimination of a commander in Hamas’ military intelligence apparatus and an engineering commander in Hamas’ military wing.
Israel News for 10-23-2026
/by Arnie SingerNews Update
Five people were wounded, included 2 critically, when 2 Hamas affiliated terrorists opened fire on soldiers and civilians near Yehuda Junction, southeast of Hebron. The terrorists were both 27, from Hebron, and married with children. A large quantity of explosives and ammunition was found in the terrorists’ vehicle. Soldiers from the Ari Battalion (775) of the IDF Home Front Command’s Search and Rescue Brigade arrived at the scene and engaged the terrorists. The deputy battalion commander and a company commander killed the terrorists. Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered entire Hebron area has been cordoned off and the IDF is conducting searches for additional terrorists. It is believed that the 2 terrorists were planning to continue deeper into Israel for a larger scale attack.
In an interview with TIME magazine, National Security Minister Ben Gvir said, “If Israel wants to continue to live and not be destroyed, we have to capture all of Gaza. We have to promote voluntary emigration. Gaza could be a Riviera. It’s a beautiful place. But we can’t have one Hamas member there.” He said, “Gaza was always ours. Israel is a tiny country. We have to be wider, broader.” Asked whether removing Palestinians from Gaza would deepen Israel’s international isolation, Ben-Gvir replied, “I think that the stronger we are, we won’t be isolated. Israel is isolated when it’s weak. If we help the population leave Gaza, we can be very strong.” He added that wants Netanyahu to be Prime Minister over the other candidates. For more, click here.
Earlier this week, Netanyahu accused Russia of operating networks of bots targeting Israel and said he had raised the issue directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Yesterday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying, “We were shocked by these unfounded accusations against our country, publicly voiced by the prime minister of Israel.” It called them “particularly absurd.”
Israel News for 10-21-2026
/by Arnie SingerNews Update
The IDF and Shin Bet announced that they had eliminated a Hamas Nukhba terrorist involved in planning an explosive device attack that killed four IDF soldiers in the Gaza Strip in September 2025. He was killed in an airstrike in Gaza City on Sunday.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday and met with Prime Minister Netanyahu at at Ovda Air Base in the south. No details of the meeting have been released. American refueling aircraft and fighter jets are also stationed at the base, and Hegseth met with the troops.
Military representatives from Israel, Lebanon and the United States began three days of talks Tuesday at U.S. Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida. For more, click here.
IDF soldiers began casting ballots in early voting in 850 voting locations today. The election is on October 27. Meanwhile,Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot stated he would not serve in a government led by Netanyahu and former minister Benny Gantz dropped out from the race.
Anthropic, OpenAI, and SpaceX have announced that they are entering Israel, either directly or through partnerships with local firms. For more, click here.
Israel News for 10-19-2026
/by Arnie SingerNews Update
President Trump has endorsed Prime Minister Netanyahu ahead of next week’s election:
“To the Great People of Israel:
Bibi Netanyahu has been a Great Warrior Prime Minister, and an even greater Partner for Peace in combatting the Islamic Republic of Iran, with its 51 year old chant, “Death to Israel, Death to America! We will destroy the Little Satan and the Big Satan.” What Country can survive when things such as this are allowed to be said, because eventually, they always end up being true? It would have been only a question of time until Iran would have put that ominous phrase into effect, but they have been systematically destroyed, both Militarily and Financially, and unless they change their ways, rapidly, we will soon finish the job. If Israel has the wrong Leader, which would be anyone other than Bibi, America will have to do this work ourselves, and I am not inclined to do so. Bibi Netanyahu has been Strong, Brave, and Brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition, including that coming from even Israel, itself. Despite all of that, he has endured and, in fact, he has thrived! I have watched Bibi under the most trying of times. Normal men or women in such situations would have wilted under the pressure — But Bibi did not wilt, he actually got stronger, and maintains that same Strength today. This is the kind of Partner that the United States of America is demanding of Israel, a Country for which it has done so much. Please let this Letter serve to represent my Complete and Total Endorsement of Bibi Netanyahu in his upcoming Race for Re-Election as Prime Minister of Israel. BIBI NETANYAHU WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
Netanyahu responded with profuse praise and thanks.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has placed the IDF on its highest alert level and suspended all leaves beginning Thursday, in preparation for the election. The IDF also has decided to increase the presence of senior commanders in operations centers, headquarters and units to ensure operational readiness and effectiveness. Reinforcements have also been deployed to Judea and Samaria.
The IDF announced that it killed three Hamas terrorists, including a cell commander and a member of the group’s engineering battalion, in a series of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Saturday. The 3 were involved in preparing attacks against Israeli troops and civilians and efforts to rebuild Hamas’ military capabilities in violation of the ceasefire.
The Israel police arrested eight Jewish suspects in Judea and Samaria early today as part of a new operation launched following violent attacks on American photojournalist Heidi Levine and European diplomats over the weekend. On Friday, dozens of masked Jewish attackers descended on Palestinian olive harvesters near the village of Abu Falah, in the Ramallah area, injuring two people, including veteran photojournalist Heidi Levine, who was covering the harvest for The Washington Post. On Saturday, Jewish extremists attacked diplomats from France, Belgium and Poland, along with Israeli activists, who were visiting an olive harvest near the Palestinian village of Taybeh, widely considered the West Bank’s last entirely Christian village. The incidents drew condemnations, including from senior officials in the U.S. administration.
Elbit Systems (TASE: ESLT; Nasdaq: ESLT) announced today that it had secured a $235 million contract to supply EXTRA-MR (Medium Range) rockets and PULS rocket artillery systems to a European client, under a government-to-government agreement between the Israeli Ministry of Defense and the client nation’s Ministry of Defense. The country is reportedly Azerbaijan. For more, click here.