News Digest — 12/12/25
Storm Byron Brings Relief To Israel’s Farmers Following Years Of Drought With Substantial Rain
Storm Byron struck Israel on Thursday (11th) bringing substantial rainfall to areas such as the southern coastal plain, the foothills, and the southern regions. For farmers in these areas, who have faced a severe drought in recent winters, this is a moment of optimism.
2024 was officially declared a drought year, with rainfall well below the long-term average for vital crops such as wheat, barley, clover, and alfalfa. Many farmers were left struggling with poor yields, high irrigation costs, and immense uncertainty, all while facing millions of shekels in losses. However, now, thanks to the heavy rainfall brought by Byron – falling in some places by tens of millimeters – the fields are coming back to life.
In the southern fields, seeds for wheat, clover, and alfalfa were sown prior to the rains. These crops are crucial for winter grazing and animal feed.”The rain came just in time. It’s soaking deeply into the soil, filling the water reservoirs, and allowing the seeds to sprout and grow,” a farmer from the Eshkol said.
“It feels like taking a first breath after years of suffocation. We sowed with hope and faith in the Creator, and now, the rain has come , and everything is starting to bloom.”
“The rain not only saves the current crop, but it also prepares the ground for the next season, improving soil fertility and reducing the need for artificial irrigation,” she added.
“I prayed, I prayed, how long we’ve waited! Don’t forget to thank the Creator, and of course, keep praying and hoping that this rain is here to stay.”
“Agriculture belongs to all of Israel, not just the farmers. It’s vital that all of Israel continues to pray – this is our Zionist enterprise.”
After a long period of hardship, it seems that Byron has brought a glimmer of hope to Israel’s farming community.
Storm Byron brought significant rainfall and caused considerable damage from the Sharon area down to the Negev and the Gaza envelope.
The Carmel Mountains experienced an impressive 210 mm of rain, while over 100 mm fell in a single day across the coastal plain and the Negev’s hotel region. The storm, which lasted from Tuesday morning (9th) to early Friday (12th), caused widespread flooding and flash flooding.
Meteorological reports indicate that Kibbutz Ein Carmel in the Carmel Coast area topped the rainfall totals, receiving a staggering 162.3 mm of rain. This was spread over three days. Other locations in the Carmel area also saw significant rainfall, including the Technion in Haifa, with 141.2 mm, and the University of Haifa, with 140.2 mm. In Zichron Ya’akov, 118.3 mm were recorded over the same period.
Further south, the Judean Shephelah saw impressive totals too, with Kibbutz Netiv Halahav recording 107.4 mm, and the Green Village just slightly less at 106.5 mm. Other notable locations that experienced heavy rainfall include Beit Dagan, and Kibbutz Rosh Tzurim in Gush Etzion with much of it falling on the final day of the storm.
IDF Launches Preemptive Sweep Of Hamas Operatives Ahead Of Foundation Day
The IDF is carrying out a preventive arrest and interrogation campaign against Hamas operatives in Judea and Samaria ahead of the terrorist organization’s Foundation Day this Sunday (14th), aiming to ensure Hamas “cannot raise its head.”
Lt. Col. Aleph, a battalion commander in the Binyamin Brigade, described the operation in a conversation with the media, saying: “This week we operated in the villages of Qatanna, Biddu, and Beit Surik, where we detained dozens of suspected Hamas operatives for questioning. These are individuals who openly support Hamas or have carried out attacks directed by the organization or under its auspices.
He said the primary objective is deterrence: Of course, we want to thwart terror and close the circle with every terrorist so he cannot strike again. But beyond that, it is important to show the enemy that we are tracking him, that we will continue our efforts, and that we will reach anyone involved in terrorism. On the very day the enemy seeks to celebrate its cruel and immoral existence, we intend to stand at its doorstep and stop it.”
According to Lt. Col. Aleph Hamas will seek to mark its establishment with displays of support, which the IDF will not allow. “We believe celebrations and gatherings could develop on Sunday (14th) in the Binyamin area, and we will act immediately to prevent this. As those responsible for security, it is our duty to ensure that members of an organization that slaughters and murders cannot raise their hands precisely on their founding day.”
After ten months commanding the sector, he said his central task is to stay ahead of a constantly adapting enemy. “The enemy changes all the time. I cannot assume behavior will be the same from one village to another, or that what happened a month ago reflects a fixed pattern. My commanders and soldiers know we must continually question the enemy’s behavior and stay one step ahead.”
He added that while the forces cannot have full visibility of every terrorist, offensive operations significantly limit the enemy’s ability to act. “We know we do not understand everything the enemy is planning, and unfortunately we will not be able to thwart every attack. But we will continue to act to prevent terrorism and to close the circle with all terrorists. We arrive frequently and forcefully in the villages, carrying out offensive defense. This ongoing activity inevitably reduces the level of terrorism, even if it cannot eliminate it completely.”
Turkey Continues To Push For Role In Gaza Despite Israeli Veto
Turkey has been applying sustained pressure to become part of the International Stabilization Force (ISF), which is meant to operate against Hamas in Gaza. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has remained steadfast that this will not happen. According to information obtained by Israel Hayom, the US continues to back this stance,
So far, no country has formally announced that it will join the ISF. Even states that were expected early on to take part, have yet to do so. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, whose country was considered a leading candidate to join the force, said earlier this week that “the questions we raised have not been fully answered. Therefore, there is no final decision regarding the participation of Azerbaijani personnel.”
With this vacuum, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is attempting to push his country’s forces into taking part in the ISF. As was previously reported, Netanyahu vetoed Turkish military involvement at the outset of the process, citing Erdogan’s close ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, his sympathy for Hamas, and his persistent anti-Semitism.
The US accepted Israel’s position. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said publicly that the administration would not force Israel to accept the participation of countries it does not want involved.
Still, with more than two months having passed since the end of the war and the force still not established, Turkey is renewing its efforts. Recent reports claim Erdogan’s forces are already prepared for deployment. At the same time new messages have been conveyed to Jerusalem urging Israeli officials to reconsider Turkey’s inclusion in the ISF. Netanyahu however, continues to reject this proposal.
China ‘Firmly Objects’ To Taiwan Deputy FM’s Secret Visit To Israel
China’s embassy in Israel issued a sharp objection Thursday (11th) after reports surfaced that Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister, Francois Wu, had traveled to Israel on an unpublicized visit.
A spokesperson for the mission said China “firmly objects” to any official contact between Israel and Taipei, calling such interactions a breach of the one-China framework.
The statement said these exchanges “seriously violate the one-China principle,” which Beijing views as the basis for its relations with other states.
It stated that Israel should “correct the erroneous actions and stop sending any wrong signals to separatist forces advocating Taiwan independence,” adding that China expects Israel to safeguard bilateral ties, “through concrete actions.”
The embassy declined to say whether Chinese officials had prior knowledge of the reported visit, and Israel’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to questions about the matter. The episode comes amid broader diplomatic tensions involving Taiwan and reflects Beijing’s sensitivity to any suggestion of foreign recognition of Taipei’s political standing.
Reuters reported Thursday (11th) that Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister, Francois Wu, made an unpublicized visit to Israel in recent weeks, a development that suggests closer security contacts between the two governments even though they do not maintain official diplomatic relations.
The timing of the trip was not specified beyond a broad window of the past several weeks, with one possibility being early this month.
People briefed on the matter told Reuters that Wu held meetings with Israeli officials during his stay, but they would not disclose which offices or individuals were involved. The sources also did not indicate whether the talks touched on Taiwan’s recently revealed T-Dome air defense project, announced in October by President Lai Ching-te and believed to incorporate elements inspired by Israeli defense capabilities.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry would not confirm that Wu had traveled to Israel.
It issued a statement saying the two sides share commitments to democracy and freedom and intend to expand practical cooperation. The ministry said Taiwan aims to continue advancing joint efforts in areas such as technology, commerce, and cultural exchange, adding that it is open to additional avenues of mutually beneficial engagement.
The US And Israel View Syria Differently – Dov Lieber
Israel’s aggressive posture toward the new government in Syria has emerged as a rare point of disagreement with Washington, where President Trump wants a quick resolution to the two countries’ tensions. After the collapse of the Assad regime a year ago, Israel carved out a 155-square-mile area inside Syria that it still holds. Since then, it has seized weapons and conducted frequent airstrikes in the south of the country.
The US is brokering talks on a security agreement between Syria and Israel, but they appear stalled. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu contends that such an agreement is possible only if Syria accepts the demilitarization of land stretching from southern Damascus to the Israeli border – a demand rejected by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Israel took a lesson from the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks from Gaza that it can’t bargain away its security interests to please its neighbors or even Washington. It now sees withdrawals from Gaza in 2005 and southern Lebanon in 2000 as mistakes that allowed Hamas and Hezbollah to prepare launchpads for cross-border attacks. “It’s easy to take the risk when you’re in Washington, but when you are in the Golan Heights it’s much more risky. It’s too close,” said MG (res.) Yaakov Amidror, a former Israeli national security adviser.
(wsj.com)
The Islamification Of Western Democracies – Eliyahu Haddad
Europe’s Muslim population has surged from less than 1% in 1970 to a projected 10-14% by 2050. Sweden potentially reaches 31%, Austria 21%, the UK 19%, and Germany 20%. Western civilization is being replaced – committing demographic suicide through its own democratic processes and ideological paralysis, acute passivity, and naivete. Moreover, Western societies have criminalized any discussion of this takeover.
No conquest is required – only open borders, welfare incentives, family reunification policies, refugee obligations, and a fertility differential guaranteeing Muslim demographic growth while native European populations collapse below replacement level.
Ideological conquest has weaponized social media and digital propaganda. Iran, Qatar, and Turkey invest billions in bot networks, influencer campaigns, and media empires amplifying pro-Islamic and anti-Israel narratives while recruiting Western progressives to accelerate Western ideological dismantling. The Muslim Brotherhood, founded in 1928 to establish a caliphate based on Islamic supremacy, operates through media outlets, NGOs, political parties, mosques, and community organizations.
The Muslim population percentage in Canada increased by 145% from 2000 to 2025, while the US increased by 80% in the same time period. Democratic societies should enable all citizens to seek office regardless of religion. The pattern that merits examination is whether officials elected primarily by Muslim constituencies adopt policies that prioritize narrow community interests over broader societal integration, whether they challenge fundamental Western values, and whether they systematically oppose Israel regardless of circumstance.
The effects of Islamification and the strategic use of social and mainstream media manipulation by jihadist state actors has already caused a significant shift in the way the Western world treats Israel. 17 out of 27 EU member states now recognize Palestine – effectively rewarding terrorism with diplomatic victory. European-funded NGOs systematically file cases against Israeli officials and soldiers in national and international courts.
Will Western civilization implement corrective policies or accept the continuing trajectory toward demographic replacement, political capitulation, and civilizational collapse?
The writer is a serial entrepreneur and investment professional specializing in disruptive technologies and financial analysis. (Center for Security and Foreign Affairs)
(jcfa.org)
