Israel News for 5-1-2025
News Update
Today is Yom Haatzmaut, Israel’s Independance Day, celebrating 77 years since the founding of the first sovereign Jewish state in the land of Israel since the Hasmoneans over 2,000 years ago. Just over 80 years ago 6 million Jews were slaughtered in the Holocaust and the Jewish People remained wandering, stateless and perpetually persecuted. But today, despite all of our problems, the Jewish nation has returned to its homeland and built a country that is flourishing and a powerful army that crushes our enemies and let’s every Jew throughout the world hold his head high with pride. We truly have so much to celebrate and be thankful for.
The wildfires raging in the Jerusalem forest and surrounding areas are still not under control. Communities in the area have been evacuated. Planes from Greece, Croacia, Romania, France, Spain and Italy were expected to arrive later in the day. Independance Day celebrations and outdoor outings have been curtailed.
Authorities reportedly turned down assistance from the air force and from local private aircraft companies. A pilot at Chim-Nir Aviation, a private company, said, “It’s heartbreaking. The country is on fire and we have 10 aircraft sitting here. It’s about power struggles, internal politics and money. We offered our services, but the government preferred to bring in help from Greece and Italy rather than using the resources that were available right here.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu said, “We are holding 18 people suspected of setting the fires” and that “Our neighbors who claim that they love this land – speak of burning the land. We love the land – we protect the land. I am sure that we will succeed in dealing with this challenge as well.” U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee tweeted, “Israelis live every day with constant threats from uncivilized savages like Hamas seeking to murder civilians & destroying even the trees. No respect for life whether people or trees as Hamas, Arab news outlet calls to set fires.”
The IDF carried out an airstrike in Sahnaya, a town on the outskirts of Damascus, in defense of the Druze community there. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir instructed the military to prepare for strikes on regime targets in Syria should the violence against the Druze continue. Meanwhile, 3 airstrikes in Gaza and 1 in southern Lebanon eliminated several terror targets.
At hearings in the World Court at the Hague, the U.S. backed Israel’s right to prohibit UNRWA from operating in Gaza.
