News Digest — 10/20/26
Report: Hegseth Meets Netanyahu during unannounced Visit To Israel
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth held a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday (19th),Axios reported, citing two sources familiar with the visit.
The meeting took place just eight days before Israel’s October 27 Knesset elections, as Washington and Jerusalem continued discussions about the possibility of launching another major military campaign against Iran.
Neither the Pentagon nor the Israeli Embassy agreed to comment on the reported meeting. The Prime Minister’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Hegseth’s visit followed US President Donald Trump’s public endorsement of Netanyahu on Sunday (18th), in which the President emphasized the Israeli leader’s importance to the joint American-Israeli effort to confront the Iranian regime.
In a statement published on Truth Social, Trump praised Netanyahu’s leadership and argued that military and economic pressure had substantially weakened Iran.
However, he warned that the United States could undertake additional military action if Tehran failed to change its behavior.
“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.
Trump also suggested that Netanyahu’s reelection was essential to maintaining the current strategy toward Iran, warning that a different Israeli government could leave Washington to confront Tehran without the same level of cooperation.
“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,” Trump warned.
On Monday (19th), Netanyahu personally thanked Trump for the endorsement during a telephone conversation between the two leaders.
“I am so grateful for this incredible endorsement,” Netanyahu told Trump.” “You’ve been an incredible leader of the free world, of America, by far the greatest friend Israel has ever had or will have in the White House, and all of civilization is emboldened by your boldness.”
Netanyahu also emphasized their shared commitment to completing the objectives, echoing Trump’s earlier remarks about the possibility of further action against Iran.
“Donald, we have a job to finish, you said it, and we’ll finish it together. We’ll finish it, and no one else will do it,” Netanyahu added.
IDF Salutes Thousands Of Lone Soldiers Serving In Combat Zones
The IDF has launched its Week of Appreciation for Lone Soldiers, dedicated to thousands of service members who face the challenges of military service without a close family support network.
Throughout the week, the military aims to express its appreciation for male and female soldiers serving in a wide range of units and roles, including approximately 2,000 lone soldiers serving in combat positions.
The week is organized by the IDF’s Lone Soldier Center within the Manpower Directorate, in cooperation with the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) in the US and the Association for the wellbeing of Israel’s soldiers. Its goal is to recognize the contribution of the soldiers to Israel’s security and the commitment they demonstrate throughout their service.
According to figures released by the IDF, the Lone Soldier population is divided into two main groups: approximately all are classified as lone soldiers without immediate family in Israel, while the other half are classified as soldiers without a family support network.
The gender breakdown also reflects a diverse population: approximately 40% of lone soldiers are women and 60% are men. The average of enlistment among this group is 21.
Military figures also show how many soldiers immigrated to Israel and enlisted in recent years. In 2023, approximately 200 soldiers immigrated and enlisted; in 2024, the number stood at around 500, and in 2025, approximately 400 soldiers immigrated and enlisted.
Alongside soldiers who came to Israel specifically to serve in the IDF, the military also includes soldiers classified as lacking a family support network. For them, as for other lone soldiers, military service involves coping with challenges arising from the absence of close family support.
The IDF emphasizes that lone soldiers fill important roles in various units and contribute to Israel’s security every day. The Week of Appreciation is intended to thank them for their service, determination and commitment, while recognizing the unique challenge they face throughout their military service.
Miliband Warns British Businesses Of E1 Construction Tenders Over Legal Risk
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband issued an unusual appeal to British businesses on Monday (19th), urging them not to accept any tenders in the E1 area of Judea and Samaria.
“We urge businesses and individuals not to proceed with bids for E1 construction tenders,” the statement read. “They should be aware of legal and reputational consequences, including the risk of involving themselves in serious breaches of international law.”
Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s Labour government took a far more anti-Israel stance over the past month than the previous government under former Prime Minister Ken Starmer, announcing a series of measures against Israel, including sanctions against Israeli figures. In response, Israel considered closing the British Consulate in east Jerusalem but decided on more limited measures.
After Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced its closure, Israel and Britain reached a compromise over the British Consulate. Under the compromise, the consulate will indeed close and most of its diplomats, 20 in total, will leave, but a reduced team of seven diplomats will remain at an office to be defined as “the British Mission.” Sa’ar announced two weeks ago that an agreement had been reached with his British counterpart, Ed Miliband, adding that this would be a small British task force operating on a minor scale.
The two sides also agreed to hold a dialogue on all outstanding issues, including the sanctions Britain announced on goods and companies operating in Judea and Samaria. Britain, for its part, will refrain from retaliatory measures against Israel – and has lifted its threat to expel Israeli diplomats from London.
Syria Fears Imminent Israeli-Backed Druze Offensive In Sweida, Official Tells ‘Post’
The Syrian government fears that Druze armed groups in the southern province of Sweida could launch an offensive against Syrian government forces in the coming days, with Israel encouraging and supporting the operation, a senior Syrian government official told The Jerusalem Post on Monday (19th).
Information emerging from Sweida suggests that armed groups may be preparing for an operation against Syrian government forces, the official said, adding that the buildup of armed groups along lines of friction has raised concerns in Damascus about a renewed outbreak of fighting in southern Syria.
The official added that Druze figures in the province have recently stated publicly that an operation to retake Druze villages could be launched soon.
Syrian officials believe that any operation by Druze forces, if carried out, would have Israeli backing and encouragement.
According to the senior official, Israeli aerial reconnaissance over Sweida and surrounding areas has intensified, along with more reconnaissance flights over Damascus and southern Syria. The official also claimed that an Israeli helicopter had landed in Sweida and delivered significant quantities of weapons and ammunition.
Damascus has been seeking to reassert its authority across the country since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024. The Syrian government assesses that the combination of militia movements, reported preparations for an offensive, and increased Israeli military activity could create the conditions for a new round of fighting.
Since Assad’s fall, Israel has repeatedly emphasized its security concerns over developments in southern Syria and has sought to prevent hostile forces from establishing a presence near its border, including within the buffer zone established in 1974 following the Yom Kippur War.
Damascus, by contrast, views Israeli military operations and the continued presence of Israeli forces on Syrian territory as violations of its sovereignty.
Tensions surrounding Sweida began escalating last year. On July 13, 2025, clashes erupted in southern Syria between the Syrian army and Bedouin forces on one side and Druze forces in Sweida province on the other. The Druze groups were organized under the Sweida Military Council.
On July 15, 2025, the Syrian army took control of Sweida, prompting Druze in Israel to call on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to intervene and secure the withdrawal of Syrian forces from the province. Israel subsequently launched a wave of strikes against military targets in Syria, including the Syrian General Staff headquarters in Damascus.
A ceasefire was reached through US mediation. Under the arrangement, the Syrian army withdrew its forces from Sweida, while the Israel Air Force and the Sweida Military Council halted their attacks against the Syrian army.
Netanyahu recently revealed that during the crisis he spoke with Sharaa and warned him that if the massacre of Druze civilians did not stop, Israel would intensify its strikes against the Syrian regime.
“It was a very short, very sharp conversation, and the massacre stopped,” Netanyahu said.
Since Sharaa came to power, Israel and Syria have held several rounds of talks aimed at reaching a security agreement between the two countries and advancing normalization..
The most recent publicly known meeting took place in August between Mossad Director Roman Gofman and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hasan al-Shaibani.
The talks were intended to ease tensions between the two countries following an Israeli strike on a Syrian military airfield shortly before Turkish forces and military equipment were expected to arrive there.
A US official told the Post that talks between Israel and Syria are not expected to resume before Israel’s elections next week.
Syria’s Post-Assad Educational Curriculum Islamizes Content And Glorifies Jihad, Study Finds
Syria’s post-Assad educational curriculum heavily features Islamic content that glorifies jihad and martyrdom, according to a new study released on Monday (19th).
The findings, which come nearly two years after the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, raise serious concerns about Syria’s direction under its current leader, who founded Syria’s Al Qaeda affiliate but has since moved to ally itself with the United States and other Western governments. The report by the London-based watchdog Impact-se finds that the new Syrian curriculum replaces a pan-Arab nationalist narrative with an Islamist worldview that glorifies jihad and martyrdom.
Jews are repeatedly portrayed through antisemitic stereotypes of betrayal, hostility, and dishonesty, while Syrian Jewish history is absent, according to the study, which took in 130 Syrian textbooks used for grades 1–12.
Israel’s right to exist and Jewish national identity are rejected, with Palestinian violence justified or glorified as resistance and martyrdom.
A grade 8 Arabic language textbook cited in the study includes a text that states, “The heroes asked Allah for martyrdom… They gave their souls, watered its soil with pure blood.”
Meanwhile, a Grade 4 Islamic Education textbook includes a lesson that teaches that “The believer draws closer to God Almighty through righteous deeds, foremost among them jihad and resistance.”
Syrian schoolbooks honor controversial historic figures, such as Izz a-din al-Qassam, the namesake of Hamas’ military wing, and Dalal al- Mughrabi, infamous for perpetrating a 1978 massacre in Israel, which killed 38 civilians, including 13 children.
A grade 5 Arabic language textbook includes a poem that portrays al- Mughrabi as a symbol of exemplary heroism.
Moreover, the curriculum also omits scientific theories such as evolution and excludes minorities such as Kurds, Turkmen and Druze.
Textbooks also diminish the role of women and depict them in stricter Islamic dress.
A Grade 4 Islamic education textbook replaces an image of modest Islamic dress with men in strict Sunni Salafi-style clothing and women in full black niqab, prompting a more fundamentalist standard of dress for students.
“This report should raise serious concerns among international leaders who hope to see Syria emerge as a partner in building a peaceful and prosperous Middle East,” said Impact-se CEO Marcus Sheff.
Knesset Speaker Ohana Rejects Genocide Allegations Against Israel – Keshet Neev
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana told the Council of Europe in Rome on Thursday (15th): “Israel is not committing genocide. Enough with this despicable lie. Israel is fighting genocide. On Oct ,7, there was no ‘collateral damage.’ Civilians – men, women, children, and even babies were not caught in a crossfire. They were the targets.”
“Today we are facing a severe crisis of a lack of international courage. Many world leaders declare the importance of lofty values, but when the moment of truth arrives, it turns out that only a few are willing to defend them. Worse still are those who knowingly choose to lie and cynically support false propaganda in order to secure fleeting electoral support and a false sense of calm in their simmering streets.”
“Last week, we marked three years since Oct.7, the day thousands of bloodthirsty terrorists shattered the quiet along the border between Gaza and the neighboring Israeli communities. They embarked on a campaign of murder, rape, and mutilation of bodies, burning people alive with medieval cruelty.”
“The war is far from being merely a local conflict. It is a global confrontation between civilizations – a struggle between the forces of darkness, extremism, and fundamentalism, and the forces of liberty, freedom, and democracy. Some of the member states represented here have a particularly dark chapter in the pages of history. I call on you: This time, stand on the right side of history – alongside us.” (Jerusalem Post)
