News Digest — 7/23/25
Iranian Officials Claim Israel Behind Series Of Mysterious Fires, Explosions – Report
Hamas officials quietly claim that many of the recent mysterious explosions and fires that have broken out in the last two weeks were acts of sabotage by Israel, The New York Times reported Wednesday (23rd).
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian government officials believe these acts of sabotage come directly from Israel, but according to the report, are not permissible for discussion in public – officials have claimed the events are coincidental or attributed them to old infrastructure.
NYT cited three Iranian officials, including a member of the IRGC, who said they believe that many of the fires were “acts of sabotage.” However, the officials did not provide evidence to back up suspicions and noted that officials who spoke publicly blamed gas leaks, garbage fires, and old infrastructure for the explosions.
Iranian authorities are hesitant to openly accuse Israel of involvement, fearing it could force them into a position where they would have to retaliate, according to the report.
Mahdi Mohammadi, the senior advisor to Iran’s head of Parliament, said, “If anyone thinks we are dealing with linear events that we can predict, they are naive. We are not even in a ceasefire now; we are in a fragile suspension, and any minute it can end, and we are back at war.”
The report also cited a European official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity and who deals with Iranian affairs, and he also believed that the attacks were sabotage and suspected Israel was behind the fires.
These claims follow the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, including the Mossad’s promise to continue intelligence operations within Iran, leading regime officials to believe Israel is behind the incidents.
Mossad chief David Barnea, in a rare public address following the war with Iran, said, “We will be there just as we have been up to now.”
A Persian language X account that styles itself as Israel’s Mossad, but has never been publicly acknowledged by the agency, addressed the explosions in a post.
“Explosion after explosion. Someone needs to check what’s going on there. Too many random incidents are happening.”
IDF’s New Strategy: All Borders Must Have Buffer Zones, Defense Achieved Through Offense
The IDF high command, presided over by IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir held a special session with other top commanders across the military to carry out a full strategic review of security challenges facing Israel, with no similar such in-depth session having taken place in around two years.
Some of the most important conclusions from the session were that, from now on, all Israeli borders must have a built-in buffer zone.
Israel has accomplished this to date in Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon.
There is less of a clear border zone with Egypt and Jordan, though Jerusalem has peace with those two countries.
In addition, aspects of the 1978 Egypt-Israel Camp David Accords still limit how much Egypt’s military deploys near Israel’s border.
Jordan has a much smaller and less potentially threatening military, and the Jordan Valley forms somewhat of an additional buffer zone for much of Israel, while not protecting small Israeli villages in the valley.
Both Egypt and Jordan have also seen smaller-scale penetrations into Israel of smugglers or terrorists.
Currently in Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon, IDF forces periodically continue to attack potentially hostile forces to prevent them from reconstituting larger threats to the Jewish state.
In addition, the IDF decided that in the future different definitions for success should be set for different fronts and enemies.
For example, prior to October 7, 2023, it was believed that there was no way to decisively beat any of Israel’s enemies, and the best the IDF could do was low scale fighting to reset deterrence, now the IDF has hit all of its enemies harder, but not at the same level and not at the same goal.
Currently, the IDF goal is to completely disrupt any military return by Hamas in Gaza.
In contrast, the IDF is not trying to completely eliminate Hezbollah as a military force in Lebanon, but is trying to keep it completely out of southern Lebanon and is trying to keep pressure on it from organizing large scale or more threatening military activities even deeper into Lebanon.
In Syria, the IDF is trying to keep Syrian military forces out of the buffer zone, and is picking and choosing select moments to enter even deeper into Syria regarding military issues, such as during part of the ongoing internal Syrian battle between Syrian Druze and other Syrians.
Long term policies will also need to be set for Yemen”s Houthis as well as for how to handle Iran after the June 13-24 war.
Significant aspects of these policies will be handled by new IDF Depth Command Chief MG Dan Goldfus, who as a field commander, took over Khan Younis in 2023-2024.
Binyamin Council: How The Torched Church Blood Libel Was Debunked
The Binyamin Regional Council has exposed the blood libel that was spread in the international media over the past week, claiming that residents set fire to a church in the village of Taybeh. The falsehood was refuted through a video from the scene proving that the church had not burned at all, along with direct communication between the Governor of the council and ambassador Mike Huckabee who issued a clarification on the matter.
Over the past week, serious accusations were made in the international media against residents of Binyamin, alleging they started a fire that spread to the Saint George Church (an old church in the village of Taybeh).
The information was disseminated by influencers and opinion leaders, falsely blaming the local residents for arson without any evidence. This incident caused significant damage to Israel’s public image and to the community in Binyamin, with the false claims reaching a wide global Christian audience. Even the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, visited the village and strongly condemned the alleged arson.
In response, the Binyamin Regional Council worked to debunk the lie. The council’s foreign affairs media desk managed to film a video showing that the church had not burned at all. Additionally, the Israel Police issued a statement clarifying that the church had not been damaged by the fire, which had occurred in nearby areas.
Governor Yisrael Ganz remained in close contact with Ambassador Huckabee and updated him with the facts. Following this, Huckabee issued a public statement correcting the record and clarifying that no church had been burned.
Importantly, the circulated footage used as supposed “evidence” against the residents, in fact, shows Jewish shepherds actively trying to extinguish the fire with firefighting tools they had with them.
Yisrael Ganz, Governor of the Binyamin Regional Council and Chairman of the Yesha Council, stated: “I want to extend my deep thanks to Ambassador Mike Huckabee for his important clarification. He is a true friend, and I value his integrity and willingness to stand with us, not only in support, but in seeking the truth. His voice carries weight among Christian communities around the world, and his commitment to uncovering the facts is a powerful blow to those who seek to define Israel and its citizens.”
“The attempt to frame the brave residents of Binyamin with a modern blood libel has failed. Anti-Israel actors are working relentlessly to divide us from our Christian allies by spreading lies and fabricated accusations. But here in Binyamin, we will continue to stand firm. We will not allow the name of the communities in Judea and Samaria, or the name of the State of Israel to be tarnished.”
Eliana Passentin, Director of the Binyamin Regional Council’s Foreign Desk, stated: “As an archaeologist and someone deeply committed to interfaith respect, I was troubled when many of my Christian friends reached out with concern. I went to Taybeh myself, filmed the church, and confirmed it was completely unharmed. The brush fire could not pass the church’s exterior garden stone walls.”
“We are determined to find whoever started the fire nearby. I deeply appreciate Ambassador Huckabee’s clarification, his integrity and friendship mean a great deal to us.”
Munich Residents Form Human Chain To Protect Synagogue From Anti-Israel Protest Marked By Anti-Semitic Chants
Munich residents formed a human chain around a local synagogue in a show of solidarity with the Jewish community in Germany, as an anti-Israel protest marched through the city center during Shabbat prayers .
On Friday night (18th), around 750 people protested against the war in Gaza in central Munich, rallying near the main synagogue at Jakobsplatz as Shabbat prayers took place inside – a demonstration that sparked fear among members of the Jewish community and prevented some from attending services, German media reported.
Organized under the slogan “Stop the Genocide. Free Palestine, ”the protest was marked by openly anti-Semitic chants, as demonstrators shouted “Death to the IDF” [Israel Defense Forces], “Zionists are fascists, child murderers, and racists” and “There is only one state: Palestine.”
Participants in the demonstration not only deny Israel’s right to exist but also dismiss the suffering of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas as a “lie,” minimizing the atrocities perpetrated by the Palestinian terrorist group.
One speaker at the rally asserted that the hostages are mostly “Israeli soldiers” and characterized them predominately as war criminals.
In response to the anti-Israel demonstration, hundreds of Munich residents gathered to form a human chain around the synagogue, rallying under the slogan “Protect Our Synagogue.”
According to local media, one of the speakers at the protest dismissed the human chain around the synagogue as a staged performance by the “Friends of Zionists and fascists” claiming that “Zionists are the real anti-Semites.”
The speaker also asserted that those participating in the human chain were trying to “buy their freedom” from the crimes of their parents’ generation.
Local law enforcement later took over the synagogue security, deploying around 150 officers from the Munich Police department, the Suddeutsche Zeitung reported.
Charlotte Khobloch, a Holocaust survivor and president of the Jewish community of Munich (IKG) sharply criticized local authorities for allowing the protest to take place and condemned the demonstration as a “deliberate attempt at intimidation.”
She also expressed her gratitude to the “Munich is Colorful” alliance and the group “Grandmothers Against the Right” for their efforts to protect the synagogue and show solidarity with the Jewish community.
“The human chain sends an important message, especially to the city. Once again, they have proven they can be relied upon – they take action when it matters,” Knobloch said.
Bernhard Liess, the city council chairman, also criticized the decision to allow a pro-Palestinian demonstration with anti-Israel slogans to take place during Shabbat.
Even though demonstrations only require registration and not approval, local authorities can consult with organizers to discuss possible changes if any issues are anticipated.
Germany has experienced a sharp spike in anti-Semitism since the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct.7, 2023.
The number of anti-Semitic incidents in Germany almost doubled last year, the semi-official German body that tracks anti-Semitism reported last month.
The Federal Research and Information Point for AntiSemitism (RIAS) said it had registered 8,627 incidents of violence, vandalism, and threats against Jews in Germany, almost twice the 3,886 recorded in 2023, and far ahead of 2020’s 1,957.
In just the first six months of 2024 alone, the number of anti-Semitic incidents in Berlin surpassed the total for all the previous year and reached the highest annual count on record, according to separate figures from RIAS.
The figures in Berlin were the highest count for a single year since the federally-funded body began monitoring anti-Semitic incidents in 2015, showing the German capital averaged nearly eight anti-Jewish outrages a day from January to June last year.
According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), police registered 5,154 anti-Semitic incidents in Germany in 2023, a 95 percent increase compared to the previous year.
However, experts believe that the true number of incidents is much higher but not recorded because of reluctance on the part of the victims.
Understanding Israel’s Strikes On Syria: Prevention, Security, Perception In The Shadow Of Iran – Dr. Dan Diker
• The ongoing Islamic invasion and massacre of civilians in the Druze town of Sweida – known in the West as “sectarian violence” – is, more accurately, part of the ongoing jihad. Israel, as the strongest minority community in the Arab Muslim-majority Middle East, is setting a new post- Oct. 7 standard of response.
• Israel is committed to protecting its Druze citizens and its extended family in Syria, driven by shared minority identity and moral obligation. The Iran-backed Hamas massacre on Oct. 7 has only strengthened Israel’s determination to prevent mass atrocities of other regional friendly minorities. Israel’s security depends on establishing clear red lines around minority persecution.
• The catalyst for Israel’s action was not the Sweida violence alone, but the likelihood of Syrian-based terror groups continuing to stream southward toward Israel’s northern border. Israel’s response also reflects its evolving national security doctrine following Oct. 7, which prioritizes prevention over reaction, preemption over containment.
• When violence threatens to spill into Israeli territory or endanger Israeli citizens, the default response has become decisive intervention to eliminate threats at their source – a fundamental shift from the old doctrine of “quiet for quiet.” The new doctrine is “stability and peace through strength” – sometimes requiring striking first and striking hard. Israel is acting to prevent jihadists from moving south towards its border.
• The uncomfortable truth Western policymakers struggle to acknowledge is that many Islamist movements – Sunni, Shiite, or derivatives – share a fundamental goal of eliminating or subjugating non-Muslim “infidels.” This is a theological imperative, not a political grievance resolvable through diplomatic accommodation. The test of Islamist moderation isn’t what its leaders say in Washington, but how they treat religious minorities when no one is watching.
The writer is president of the Jerusalem Center
(jcpa.org)
