News Digest — 9/21/26
Israel Shuts Down For Yom Kippur, After Deadly West Bank Terror Shooting And With IDF On High Alert
Israel shut down Sunday afternoon (20th) for Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, which began at sundown Sunday evening, and ends Monday evening (21st).
The Day of Atonement came amid violence across the region.
In the West Bank, just hours before the start of Yom Kippur, a man in his 80s was killed in a terror attack when a gunman opened fire on Israelis who had gathered for the traditional practice of immersing in a natural spring ahead of the holiday. The IDF later captured the alleged terrorist responsible.
Separately, the army said troops shot dead a Palestinian who attempted to ram forces in the West Bank with his vehicle.
Meanwhile, tensions persisted in the war between the US and Iran, and fighting continued between the Tehran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and a Saudi-led coalition.
Israeli soldiers remain deployed in Gaza, southern Lebanon, and southwestern Syria, and violence has surged in the West Bank, where the Jewish holidays have previously been a time of heightened tension. The holiday season began with Rosh Hashanah 10 days ago, and will continue through Simchat Torah on October 3.
For Israel, it was the first year since 2023 when Yom Kippur arrived without major fighting on any front; Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack took place less than two weeks after the holiday that year. This was also the first Yom Kippur in more than a decade that no Israelis were held captive in Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces said Friday (18th) it was ramping up its forces on all fronts ahead of the fast day, with additional companies deployed in the Northern, Southern, and Central Commands, and a senior officer on duty in each sector during the holiday.
A senior commander told Channel 13 that the situation in Gaza was “calm” but said the IDF “would not get complacent.” The commander said the army did not discount the possibility that it may have to resume major ground operations in the Strip.
The Kerem Shalom border crossing with Gaza was closed for Sunday (20th) and Monday (21st), and crossings into Jordan and Egypt – including the Allenby Crossing, in the West Bank – were also set to shut down for the holiday, to reopen Monday night (21st) and Tuesday (22nd).
Israel’s railways ended its service at 1 p.m., to resume on Tuesday (22nd), Buses, both intercity and local, stopped running completely by 3 p.m., with services to resume on Monday night (21st). Light rail lines shut down by 2 p.m.
The last flights in and out of Ben Gurion Airport came and went at around 2 p.m., with the first arrival after the holiday slated for 10:30 p.m. on Monday (21st), and the first departure an hour after that. Israel closes its airspace for the duration of the holiday each year.
About three-quarters of Jewish Israelis fast on Yom Kippur, according to an August poll by the Israel Democracy Institute, including about half of those who identify as secular.
Among those who identify as Orthodox or ultra-Orthodox, overwhelming majorities (over 97%) observe the full fast from sundown on Sunday to nightfall on Monday, while 90% of those who identify as traditional observe either the full fast or a partial fast.
Among secular Jews in Israel, 28% observe a full fast while 19% a partial fast.
A majority (57%) of Jewish Israelis attend synagogue services on Yom Kippur – mostly Orthodox services.
About a third of those who attend synagogue on Yom Kippur don’t typically do so any other day of the year.
Many traditional and religious Jews also attend Selichot services in the days and weeks leading up to the holiday. Tens of thousands attended “Selichot” services at the Western Wall in Jerusalem on Saturday night (19th), with the Western Wall Heritage Foundation placing the number at some 150,000, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara in attendance.
Driving on the Day of Atonement is considered taboo, and roads are generally empty of cars, save for occasional emergency vehicles. Many secular Israelis also treat the holiday as a cycling holiday, taking advantage of the car-free roads, including highways.
Yom Kippur is one of the busiest days of the year for emergency calls with hundreds of extra medics, paramedics, ambulances and volunteers deployed across the country.
Most injuries come from bicycle accidents. Medics are also called to treat complications from fasting, such as dehydration.
Why Allowing Hamas To Participate In A Palestinian Election Is A Mistake – Khaled Abu Toameh
Dr. Fadel Ashour – A Palestinian psychiatrist, behavioral-science professor and political analyst – described to the Arabic-language Jusoor News the psychological, social and political damage caused by Hamas and its ideology, which is rooted in rejection of Israel’s existence, armed struggle, and the establishment of an Islamic Palestinian state in its place.
His message is: Gaza cannot be rebuilt merely by putting up new buildings, repairing roads, or providing humanitarian assistance. The Palestinians’ entire mindset must be rebuilt. Ashour warns that for the past two decades, Gaza has experienced a process of social conditioning in which violence and death are universally acclaimed and celebrated. Palestinian society, he states, has been taught to associate victory with death rather than construction and development.
Ashour rejects the notion that Hamas should be treated simply as another political party. “They view the rest of society with a sense of superiority, as if they are the chosen ones and the rest are just commoners.” The broad picture he presents is of an Islamist terrorist group that claims to exist for the Palestinian people but has instead become an instrument for controlling, exploiting, and indoctrinating them.
The question is not whether Hamas will hand over some weapons. The question is whether Gaza can ever develop a fundamentally different political and social culture while Hamas’ ideology remains embedded in its society and institutions. Ashour is warning the international community not to make the mistake of believing that Gaza’s problem can be solved simply by reaching an agreement with Hamas’ leaders.
A society cannot simultaneously teach its children that martyrdom and violence are heroic and expect these same children to build peaceful institutions and a functioning political system. Allowing Hamas to retain a political and military role – particularly by including Hamas-affiliated political figures in future elections – would only perpetuate the problem. (Gatestone Institute)
Israel Is Quietly Regaining Respect At The UN – Danny Danon Interviewed By Herb Keinon
When Danny Danon returned to the UN in 2024 for his second stint as Israel’s ambassador, the atmosphere was extraordinarily hostile. Israel’s enemies were highly motivated, its allies exhausted, and ambassadors who had once met him regularly reluctant to be seen with him publicly. Two years later, he said in an interview, things are getting better. “When I came back after Oct. 7, I was shocked by the level of hostility and the hatred – the isolation. I think now the situation is improving.”
Danon sees a change behind closed doors. Following Israel’s operations against Hezbollah and Iran, he said, diplomats – including from Muslim countries – quietly admired Israel’s capabilities. The private admiration produces concrete results away from the UN floor: intelligence cooperation, trade, and growing interest in Israeli defense technology. Some deals are public; others remain discreet. The pager operation in Lebanon and Israel’s ability to maneuver over Iran and rapidly establish air superiority were closely studied by military attaches in New York. They took notice, and this helped Israel regain both respect and deterrence.
Danon rejects responding to UN hostility by abandoning the arena. “If we are not in the room and our allies are not in the room, it is much easier to isolate us. We have to be there. We have to be vocal, we have to build coalitions, and we have to demand changes in this organization.” (Jerusalem Post)
Right-Wing Austrian Party Apologizes For Holocaust, Calls For Moving Embassy To Jerusalem
The leader of an Austrian political party with historic ties to the far-right has signaled his intent to reset his faction’s relationship with Jews and Israel, blasting the rise in antisemitism while pushing for Vienna to relocate its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
Speaking at a conference in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday (16th), Austrian Freedom Party leader Herbert Kickl acknowledged Austria’s responsibility for the persecution and murder of Jews during the Second World War and extended an apology to Jewish victims of Nazism, their descendants and the Jewish people.
Kickl also condemned the October 7 Hamas massacre and pledged to move his country’s embassy in Israel to Jerusalem if he becomes chancellor, prompting a welcoming response from the Israeli government.
Israel has hitherto maintained a policy of avoiding formal engagement with the Austrian Freedom party over its Nazi origins and subsequent controversies involving antisemitism.
Kickl told the gathering that his party would confront antisemitism and protect Jewish life in Austria, while acknowledging the historical responsibilities arising from the country’s Nazi past.
“We take responsibility for today and tomorrow,” he declared, adding that the fight against antisemitism and anti-Zionism would be incorporated into the program of any government he leads.
“October 7 was the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. It was a crime against humanity not resistance,” he added.
Kickl warned that antisemitism was increasing across Europe and argued that European governments needed to strengthen protections to Jewish communities.
He pledged that a future Freedom party-led government would make combating antisemitism and safeguarding Jewish life central elements of its domestic policy.
He also announced that the party’s leadership had unanimously adopted the international Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism.
Turning to Israel, Kickl reaffirmed his support for the country’s right to exist and defend itself, recognized the Jewish people’s historical connection to Judea and Samaria, and pledged to relocate Austria’s embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem if he takes office.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar welcomed Kickl’s statements but emphasized that rebuilding trust would require concrete action rather than declarations alone.
“Against the backdrop of the complex history, Israel views these statements as an important and positive development,” the foreign minister said, emphasizing that building trust would also require translating commitments into action.
Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli went further, describing the speech as a “historic turning point” in relations between the Freedom Party, Israel and the Jewish people.
The conference organized by Freedom Party European Parliament lawmaker Harald Vilimsky, focused on the threats posed by Islamic antisemitism to European societies.
Vilimsky, who has made repeated visits to Israel and worked to develop relations with senior Israeli officials, described the gathering as a foundation for normalizing ties between his party and Israel.
The conference was attended by Likud representatives as the Israeli party continues expanding its contacts with members of the European Parliament’s Patriots for Europe political group.
Kickl welcomed those developing relations, saying that Likud had progressed from observer status to becoming a partner in the broader political sense.
“Credibility is measured not by performances in Strasbourg, but by behavior and decisions in Vienna,” he said.
Founded in 1956, the Freedom Party’s first leader, Anton Reinthaller, was a former Nazi agriculture minister and SS officer. His successor Friedrich Peter, had also served in the SS.
The party has since sought to reposition itself on several issues, including its relationship with Israel, but continues to face criticism over antisemitic incidents and associations with nationalist groups.
Its political position has also strengthened considerably in recent years.
The Freedom Party finished first in Austria’s September 2024 parliamentary election, receiving approximately 28.8% of the vote and winning 57 seats, although it ultimately remained outside the government.
Thousands Of ‘Christian Friends’ Rally In Support For Israel In Amsterdam
Thousands of Dutch Christian pro-Israel remonstrators participated in a “Stand Up for Israel” solidarity rally at Dam Square in Amsterdam on Thursday (17th).
Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in the area as well, defying a municipal ban on counterprotests.
Some of the main speakers at the pro-Israel rally, organized by Christians for Israel, included Dutch Chief Rabbi Binyamin Jacobs along with Chris Stoffer, who heads the conservative Reformed Political party.
According to Dutch media, 45 pro-Palestinian activists were arrested after they disrupted the event at Dam Square, and 13 people remained in custody. The Dutch public prosecution service was set to decide whether to bring charges against the counter protesters for defying the ban.
During the rally, a massive Palestinian flag was reportedly unfurled from the balcony of an H&M store near the square.
Footage showed several pro-Israel protesters pulling down the flag to cheers from the rallying crowd as police looked on.
Israeli Ambassador to the Netherlands Zvi Vapni shared on X a video of his recorded message at the pro-Israel event, thanking the crowd for their support.
“Thousands of our Christian friends gathered Thursday (17th) at Dam Square in Amsterdam to show their support for Israel. Truth will prevail over lies, and courage over intimidation. I thanked them for this amazing evening with a short video message,” he tweeted.
In April, a Dutch Christian Pro-Israel center was hit by an explosion outside its gates. No one was hurt in the blast, and a police investigation is ongoing.
The incident came after a string of similar attacks on Jewish sites across Europe that has heightened concerns over antisemitism in the wake of the conflict in the Middle East.
