News Digest — 1/15/25
IDF Launches Airstrike On Jenin In West Bank
In a joint operation, an Israeli Air Force aircraft attacked the Palestinian ‘refuge camp’ in the city of Jenin on Tuesday night (14th), the IDF and Shin Bet spokesperson announced. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, six were killed in the strike.
In December, Palestinian Authority security forces launched an operation against members of the Jenin Brigade, affiliated with Islamic Jihad. The operation was somewhat successful, and its members arrested more than 280 terrorists accused of shooting at Palestinian forces, possessing and trafficking weapons and colluding with hostile foreign elements who financed them.
This week, Palestinian Authority spokesman Amwar Rajab announced at a special press conference held in the Jenin municipality, the arrest of “outlaws” affiliated with the Jenin Brigade, including suspects who received funds from Iran. However, the security forces are having difficulty gaining the trust of the residents of Jenin and the nearby ‘refuge camp,’ who have complained about the conditions and the “siege,” as they put it, imposed by the PA security forces.
At the same time, Israel did not shower much praise on the activities of the security forces, and an Israeli security source told Reuters news agency that “they have a desire to carry out security operations – but their capabilities are poor.”
The IDF Soldiers Operating The Arrow Air Defense System – Lior Ohana
The Arrow system is the best in the world at intercepting ballistic missiles of this kind, especially given that no other system has faced such heavy barrages and achieved interception rates like ours,” said Lt.-Col. Eyal Frankel, commander of the 136th Arrow Battalion. Life-and-death decisions have been made daily at the Arrow interception center since the war began on October 7. Ultimately, one person decides when, where and how to press the button to intercept a ballistic missile launched thousands of kilometers away from Yemen.
Frankel said, “On the night of the first Iranian attack, this place was packed to capacity. It was a historic moment. Dozens of people, including senior commanders, were called in to operate all these computers. People think this system is purely technological. “They don’t realize how much it depends on human input.”
A missile launched from Yemen or Iran can reach Israel within 10 minutes. During this time, detection systems must identify it and map out its threats. Within these moments, countless decisions need to be made. The Arrow 3 interceptor targets distant, high-altitude threats, requiring launch decisions within seconds.
Lt. R, 21, describes her role. “I’m an interception officer. All of us have combat training – I was a combat officer before coming here… We have just seconds to make challenging decisions and it requires a combat mindset – knowing what it is like to be called into action and function in combat within moments. It’s combat even if it’s through a screen.” (Ynet News)
PA Moves Against Armed Militias In Jenin Are “A Big Show” – Israel Kasnett
Has the Palestinian Authority reformed by cracking down on terror groups that seek to attack Israel? “Everything the PA is doing right now is part of the Trump effect. The PA remembers Trump’s steps against them in the previous term and wants to show that they are capable of change,” said Shaul Bartal of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at bar-Ilan University. “In practice, this is a big show,” he said, referring to PA moves against armed militias in Jenin. The majority of the Palestinian public in the West Bank is not satisfied with the PA and there is almost no Palestinian faction that believes that this is a real change within the PA.”
Bartal said that in northern Samaria, and especially in the Jenin area, “the PA has begun to lose control.” It “wants to show Israel, and especially Trump, that it is capable of enforcing government order in dealing with militants.”
Journalist Khaled Abu Toameh, a fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Strategic and Foreign Affairs, said the PA is more worried about its honor than it is about actually fighting terror groups. “We’ve seen clashes like this in the past,” he noted, adding that this time it appears to be on a larger scale since the armed groups have “never before challenged the PA in such a way.”
“Why can’t the PA say openly in Arabic, ‘No more battalions, no more armed groups and no such thing as resistance?’ Why don’t we hear that message? I don’t hear it in Arabic.” Instead Abu Toameh said that he constantly hears Palestinian officials saying, ”We are not against the weapons of the resistance.” “They don’t come out against the whole idea of resistance against Israel.” Moreover, “We know there is no strategic decision to dismantle these groups because we don’t see it in other places like Tulkarem and Nablus.”
The writer is Chief Editor of English Publications at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs. (JNS)
(jns.org)
Pager Style? Iran Claims Israel ‘Rigged’ Nuclear Centrifuges
Iranian officials discovered explosives embedded in equipment purchased for the country’s nuclear program, Iran International reported Wednesday (15th), citing claims by Vice President Mohammad Javad Zarif.
“Our colleagues had purchased a centrifuge platform for the Atomic Energy Organization, and it was discovered that explosives had been embedded inside it, which they managed to detect,” according to Iran International.
The timeline of the alleged incident remains unclear, the news outlet reported. The revelation follows a series of security incidents targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities, including a power failure at the Natanz uranium enrichment site in April 2021.
According to the news outlet, Zarif detailed how international sanctions have forced Iran and its allies to rely on intermediaries for equipment purchases, creating security vulnerabilities. “Instead of being able to order equipment directly from the manufacturer, sanctions force you to rely on multiple intermediaries for such purchases,” Zarif said according to the report.
“If the Zionist regime infiltrates even one of the intermediaries, they can do anything and embed anything they want, which is exactly what happened.” Zarif said, according to Iran International.
The Iranian officials linked these vulnerabilities to a series of explosions in Hezbollah’s communication devices in September 2024, the report said. According to the media outlet. These incidents resulted in 32 deaths and more than 3,000 injuries when approximately 5,000 pagers and 1,000 walkie-talkies detonated.
In response to these incidents, Iran International reported that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps suspended the use of communication devices and initiated inspections. The Iranian Civil Aviation Organization implemented a ban on electronic communication devices, including mobile phones on commercial flights.
“These are, in fact, some of the damages caused by sanctions, which have made circumventing them a necessity for us,” Zarif said, according to Iran International. “In addition to financial losses, there have also been significant risks.”
Argentina’s President Javier Milei Wins 2025 Genesis Prize
The Genesis Prize on Tuesday (14th) announced President of Argentina Javier Milei as the 2025 Genesis Prize Laureate. This marks the first time the award, known as “The Jewish Nobel Prize,” has been bestowed upon a head of state.
Milei was the unanimous choice of the nine judges on the committee, which commended him for his unequivocal support of Israel during one of the most difficult times since the founding of the Jewish State.
President Milei recently announced his decision to move the Argentinian embassy to Jerusalem, has reversed years of anti-Israel votes by Argentina in the United Nations, and has pledged to bring culprits responsible for the AMIA and Israeli Embassy bombings in Argentina in 1992 and 1994, respectively, to justice.
Just last week, Milei ordered declassification of intelligence regarding the unexplained death of Alberto Nisman, the special prosecutor responsible for the AMIA bombing investigation. Former Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is presently being tried for obstructing that investigation and for her government’s controversial 2013 Memorandum with Iran, which shielded the accused terrorists and lifted Interpol alerts intended to arrest them.
The planned relocation of Argentina’s embassy to Jerusalem is in sharp contrast to the actions of several other South American countries, which cut diplomatic relations with Israel and recalled their ambassadors over the war in Gaza.
Shortly after the start of hostilities initiated by Hamas on October 7, 2023, Bolivia severed diplomatic ties with Israel, accusing it of carrying out “crimes against humanity,” while Chile and Colombia recalled their ambassadors as they criticized the Israeli military offensive against Hamas terrorists. In May 2024, Brazil withdrew its ambassador to Israel after months of tensions between the two countries.
“President Milei is a true hero of the Jewish people,” said Co-Founder and Chairman of the Genesis Prize Foundation, Stan Polovets. “Unlike leaders of many other countries around the world who either remained quiet, pressured and – in some cases – sanctioned Israel, President Milei has unequivocally supported the Jewish people and their state. This award reflects Israel’s heartfelt appreciation for the President and the people of Argentina. A friend in need is a friend indeed.”
In addition to Milei’s strong pro-Israel stance, the Genesis Prize Selection Committee praised his achievements in reforming Argentina’s economy, including bringing inflation down from 25% per month to 2.4%, reversing the freefall of the country’s currency, and posting a fiscal surplus for the first time in 15 years. Despite falling incomes caused by Milei’s reforms, he maintains an approval rating of over 50%, the third highest among the world’s democratic leaders.
The annual $1 million Genesis Prize honors extraordinary individuals for their outstanding professional achievements, contributions to humanity and support for Israel.
All Genesis Prize honorees have chosen to forgo their monetary awards, which were then donated to philanthropic causes. Since its inception in 2013, The Genesis Prize has leveraged the annual $1 million award into philanthropic initiatives totaling more than $50 million, with grants going to more than 230 nonprofit programs in 21 countries, directly impacting tens of thousands of people.
Milei stated: “I am deeply honored to receive the Genesis Prize. Of course I will not keep the monetary prize. I will donate it to causes that support freedom and the fight against anti-Semitism, both in Argentina and around the world. I have deep admiration for Israel, its history, and its people. The Jewish people have shown throughout their history that resilience and the defense of freedom are essential to overcoming any challenge. This spirit is a cornerstone of the relationship between Argentina and Israel, and I will work to further strengthen our ties.”
Poll: Half Of World’s Population Is Anti-Semitic, Doubts The Holocaust
Roughly one-half of the world’s population harbors anti-Semitic beliefs according to a new poll conducted on behalf of the Anti-Defamation League.
The poll was conducted as part of the ADL Global 100 Index, through a combination of telephone, face-to-face, and online surveys. The ADL has maintained the index since 2014.
The data was collected from July 23rd, 2024 through November 13th, 2024, and surveyed between 500-1000 respondents per country or territory.
A total of 58,000 adults across 103 countries and territories were surveyed for the study, spanning roughly half of the world’s countries where 94% of the total world population lives.
This year’s ADL Global 100 Index found that among all surveyed adults worldwide, less than half (48%) said they recognized the historical accuracy of the Holocaust. A fifth said they never heard of the Holocaust.
Nearly half (46%) of the global adult population holds anti-Semitic beliefs, the poll found, the highest level ever reported on an ADL Global 100 Index survey.
Respondents were considered to hold anti-Semitic beliefs if they believed 6 or more of 11 core anti-Semitic stereotypes to be “definitely true” or “probably true.”
In the Middle East and North Africa, 76% of respondents believed a majority of anti-Semitic tropes, compared to 51% of respondents in Asia, 49% of East Europeans, 45% of Sub-Saharan Africans, 24% of respondents of North and South America combined, 20% of residents of Oceania and 17% of Western Europeans.
The highest rate of anti-Semitism was reported in the Gaza Strip and Kuwait, which tied with 97% of residents in both saying they believe a majority of anti-Semitic tropes to be true.
The countries with the fewest number of respondents harboring anti-Semitic beliefs were Sweden, 5%; Norway, 8%; Canada, 8%; and the Netherlands, also with 8%.
“Anti-Semitic tropes and beliefs are becoming alarmingly normalized across societies worldwide,” said Marina Rosenberg, ADL Senior Vice President for International Affairs.
“This dangerous trend is not just a threat to Jewish communities – it’s a warning to us all. Even in countries with the lowest levels of anti-Semitic attitudes globally, we’ve seen many anti-Semitic incidents perpetrated by an emboldened small, vocal and violent minority. This is a wake-up call for collective action, and we are committed to continuing our work with our partners around the world to confront and mitigate this deeply ingrained anti-Semitism.”
