News Digest — 9/22/26
Netanyahu Set For One Of The Shortest US Trips, To Make UN Speech
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to make one of his shortest visits to the United States, arriving in New York Thursday morning (24th), addressing the United Nations General Assembly at 2 p.m. local time (9 p.m. Israel time), and departing for Israel shortly afterward.
Under the latest plan, the prime minister may not spend a single night in the United States.
The schedule has undergone several changes in recent days.
An advance team on Netanyahu’s behalf had already arrived in the states and had begun preparations for the visit and meeting, with a possible visit to SpaceX facilities under consideration. Over the weekend the team was informed that the visit had been canceled. The cancellation significantly shortened the trip, which will now be devoted mostly to Netanyahu’s address to the General Assembly. He is expected to arrive in New York on the day of the speech itself and leave the city later the same day.
A meeting with US President Donald Trump, which Netanyahu aides had sought to arrange, is also not planned under the current schedule. A senior US official said Netanyahu was not among the leaders Trump was expected to meet with on the sidelines of the General Assembly. According to another US official, Netanyahu is expected to arrive in New York only after Trump has already left the city.
Alongside contacts with the US administration, Israeli officials also sought to explore the possibility of meetings with leaders from the Gulf states. At this stage, no such meetings are known to have been finalized, and the shortened stay in New York further narrows the window for bilateral meetings. Trump himself is expected to meet leaders from Gulf states during general Assembly week, with Iran and the regional situation expected to be central topics in the talks.
Netanyahu’s speech will take place during an especially busy diplomatic week, with Iran and the wars in the Middle East at the center of the agenda. Nearly 130 heads of state and government are expected to attend the General Assembly.
Three Years later, Hostage Square Gathers Again In Prayer
Nearly three years after the October 7 massacre, families of hostages, bereaved families, rabbis, public figures and Israelis from across all sectors of society gathered at the square for a joint prayer service, which took on a whole new meaning.
Over the past three years, the square has become a meeting place for religious and secular, regular synagogue goers, and those who do not ordinarily attend synagogue. At the heart of the prayers during this period was the hope for the return of the hostages.
This year, the service was dedicated to giving thanks for the return of the hostages and also remembering those who did not return alive. Participants prayed for the safety of IDF soldiers, the recovery of the wounded, and stronger bonds between the different parts of Israeli society.
Ahead of the third anniversary of the October 7 massacre, the organizers sought to return to the place where, they said, an extraordinary connection had been forged between different parts of the nation, and to preserve that spirit of unity despite the disagreements and divisions within Israeli society.
The initiative was organized by a group of activists and public figures, including Mira Leshem, who initiated the event; Merav Leshem Gonen; Rabbi Itamar Eldar, a partner in the initiative Rabbi Tamir Granot; Rabbi David Stav; and the Zohar organization.
Leshem and Rabbi Eldar said: “We have a profound sense that our success in praying together over the past two years, overcoming differences in opinions, ideology, and prayer customs, contributed to the return of the hostages. We pray that this year’s success will also bring blessing to the people of Israel.”
Terror Victim Netanel Shukrun Laid To Rest
Hundreds of people on Monday night (21st) attended the funeral of Netanel Shukrun, who was killed in a terror shooting Sunday (20th) at a natural spring near the West Bank settlement of NeveTzuf , with officials and family crediting him for saving his teenage son by warning him of the gunman seconds before he was killed.
Many children and teenagers, as well as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and IDF Central Command chief MG Avi Bluth, took part in the late-night funeral in Shkrun’s home community of Alei Zhav, a settlement in the northern West Bank.
Shukrun, a father of six, went to the natural spring with his eldest son to immerse in the water before Yom Kippur in accordance with Jewish tradition. While he was there, the shooter opened fire toward the spring from a vehicle, hitting Shukrun, who was inside his own car at the time.
“At the last second, he warned Yoav” – the son who was also inside the car – said Shukrun’s widow, Meirav. “Thank you, Nati, for your bravery.”
She said they had planned to fly abroad next week, hailing him as “the most involved father in the world” and saying that for 18 years “everything was perfect.”
The son, 16-year-old Yoav said: “Dad, I want to say thank you for 16 years together. Thank you for shouting at me when the terrorist came. Thank God I survived, and I want to tell the family that we will carry on together and it will be okay.”
Shukrun was mourned by multiple speakers as a modest, kind man who cared deeply about his family.
Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, spoke at the funeral and called on the government to launch “a significant military operation” to seize weapons and reinstall checkpoints in the West Bank in response to the attack.
“The nation of Israel expects the government to change its approach after this heinous murder,” he said. “To deal with the entire infrastructure, the village, the imam who incites every Friday.”
After the shooting, the terrorist got out of his car and fled on foot, still armed.
Shortly after the attack, the combat tracker for the military’s Binyamin Regional Brigade opened fire on the gunman as he fled, injuring him, according to the IDF.
Shukrun was taken in serious condition to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Yikva, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
The terrorist was captured at a hospital near Ramallah.
Violence in the West Bank has soared since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on Israel triggered the Gaza war.
Sixty-seven civilians and Israeli security personnel have been killed in terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank. Another eight members of the Israeli security forces were killed in clashes during raids in Palestinian cities in the West Bank. During the same period, more than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces since the war started, according to the PA health ministry. The IDF said the vast majority of them were gunmen killed in exchanges of fire, rioters who clashed with troops or terrorists carrying out attacks.
The same period has also seen a major surge in attacks by settler extremists on Palestinians and their property.
The Czech Republic Receives All Four Israeli Rafael SPYDER Air Defense Systems
The Czech Defense Ministry unveiled all four Rafael SPYDER air defense systems after completing a deal with Israel to modernize the country’s air defenses.
The Czech republic received all four SPYDER air defense systems it purchased from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, the country’s Defense Minister Jaromir Zuna announced.
“I am pleased to be able to present the complete Spyder system batteries to the general public on this occasion,” Zuna said during NATO Days, one of Europe’s largest defense and security events, held in the Czech city of Ostrava.
“The introduction of this system represents a significant technological and qualitative shift in the field of air defense and an important step in building modern, layered airspace protection in our republic,” Zuna continued.
The delivery of the system is part of a 2021 government-to-government (G2G) agreement by Israel’s Defense Ministry and the Czech Republic. Production of all batteries has been completed with adaptations to the country’s military requirements and NATO standards.
The Czech Defense Ministry said the system is fully integrated into the NATO air defense alliance system and that all maintenance and service are provided entirely in the Czech Republic.
“The program, which is evolving into a comprehensive and integrated air defense capacity for Czech skies, reflects the ministry’s strategy, which views defense exports as a central pillar in strengthening the IDF’s force build-up, advancing foreign policy objectives, and driving growth in the defense industries and the Israeli economy,” Israel’s Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The SPYDER system is a mobile, quick-reaction air-defense solution designed to protect against a wide spectrum of aerial threats.
According to the Czech Defense Ministry, the Spyder will protect stationary objects as well as maneuvering ground forces on the battlefield.
Jordan’s Fragile Stability and Israel’s Eastern Front – Col. (res.) Prof. Gabi Siboni and BG (res.) Erez Winner
In 1921, Britain divided the territory of the post-World War l British Mandate, granting Abdullah bin Hussein 78% of the Mandate’s territory as the Emirate of Transjordan. In 1946, the emirate gained full independence and became the Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan, later renamed Jordan.
Israel’s shared land border with Jordan is its longest – 309 km. The 1994 peace treaty has preserved relative stability for more than three decades, and the two countries maintain close security cooperation, including intelligence sharing. Israel also aids Jordan in water and energy.
The regime’s traditional power base lies among loyal Bedouin tribes, while the majority of the population identifies as Palestinian. While the Bedouins regard Jordan as their homeland, a substantial part of the Palestinian public views it as a temporary way station or a platform for the struggle against Israel. Jordan also faces religious radicalization influenced by the Muslim Brotherhood and jihadist elements.
Iran and its proxies are increasingly seeking to penetrate Jordan. Tehran sees the kingdom as a vulnerable link through which it can increase pressure on Israel from the east. The Hashemite regime helped block Iranian attacks on Israel by intercepting aircraft that entered Jordanian airspace. The threat to American bases and forces in Jordan is particularly significant.
The Israel-Jordan border is exceptionally difficult to defend. For years, the IDF’s border doctrine rested on close cooperation with the Jordanian military. The gravest danger is a scenario where armed terrorists suddenly storm the border at several points at once, or vehicles carrying machine guns and anti-tank weapons cross open stretches of Israel’s southern frontier.
Security cooperation with Jordan remains important, but it cannot substitute for independent Israeli preparedness. At the same time, the stability of the Hashemite regime is a paramount Israeli security interest. Israel has begun building an improved barrier along the Jordanian border.
Gabi Siboni was director of the military and strategic affairs program of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) from 2006-2020. Erez Winner served in key command roles in the IDF.
Police Officer Wounded In Shooting Outside Synagogue In Belleville, Ontario, On Eve Of Yom Kippur
A police officer was wounded in a shooting outside the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville, Ontario, on the eve of Yom Kippur, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed on Monday (21st).
“Jewish people must be able to worship safely. To live free, open, proud Jewish lives. Canada’s government will do everything in our power to support law enforcement in ensuring that the perpetrator is held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said Carney.
The officer was in critical but stable condition according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, which identified the victim, citing investigators, as Const. Jeff Smith, The report named the suspected shooter as Sean Ward, 29, of neighboring Quinte West.
The incident reportedly occurred around 7 p.m. as Jews gathered ahead of prayer services on their holiest day of the year.
“This vile antisemitic violence in Canada must end, and the Liberal government must act now to protect our people,” said Canadian Opposition and Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre on Monday (21st).
“Jewish Canadians must once again be able to live in their communities and pray in their places of worship without fear of being shot at or attacked,” he added.
The synagogue president, Norman Weddum, told the CBC on Monday (21st) that the officer had been stationed outside the building in an unmarked car. ”It was boom, boom, boom, boom,” he was quoted as saying. “So that’s when we ran back into the auditorium of the synagogue, closed the doors behind us so as to not leave a visible target and we hit the floor.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said on Monday (21st)) he was “disgusted” by the shooting and that his thoughts were with the Jewish community in Belleville, “who have every right to gather and worship safely and without fear.”
“We owe an immense debt of gratitude to this brave officer and to all the first responders who acted so quickly to keep the community safe,” he added.
