News Digest — 9/1/26
Lebanese Army Wants IDF To Remain In South, US Official Says
Lebanese army officers have told US officials they oppose an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon now because they fear Hezbollah would return to areas vacated by the IDF, a senior US official told Kan News Monday (8/31).
The comments come as Israel weighs whether to relinquish additional territory to the Lebanese army while expressing dissatisfaction with its performance in areas where a pilot program against Hezbollah began a month and a half ago.
A senior US official said Lebanese officers had made their position against an Israeli withdrawal clear because of concerns that Hezbollah terrorists could reestablish themselves in the same locations.
“We are working with both sides to reach a future arrangement, but it will take more time,” the official told Kan News.
Israeli defense officials have recently focused on the Ali Taher Ridge, north of Beaufort Castle, where terrorists are still believed to be present. Israeli assessments indicate that most of the terrorists in the area have been killed.
Senior Israeli defense officials have discussed in recent days whether the IDF should continue holding the ridge or transfer it to the Lebanese army.
Israel has also informed the United States about developments in the area ahead of another round of direct talks between Israel and Lebanon scheduled for next month.
The question of whether to hand over the Ali Taher Ridge comes as Israeli officials assess the Lebanese army’s performance in the areas covered by the pilot program.
Kan News reported that Israel is not satisfied with the results a month and a half after the initiative began.
The US official’s account indicates that Lebanese army officers themselves are wary of an immediate Israeli departure from southern Lebanon, despite discussions over transferring additional areas to their control.
Their concern, according to the official, is that an IDF withdrawal at this stage could leave territory open for Hezbollah to return.
Danon Meets Venezuelan UN Envoy As Israel-Caracas Relations Begin To Thaw
Israel and Venezuela have taken another step toward restoring ties, with Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon announcing on Monday (8/31) that he had met his Venezuelan counterpart, Coromoto Godov Calderon, following the countries’ agreement to establish consular relations.
The meeting marked a notable development after years of severed relations between Jerusalem and Caracas. Danon said the two diplomats discussed strengthening bilateral ties, the renewal of consular cooperation and Israel’s humanitarian assistance to Venezuela following the earthquakes that struck the country.
“We discussed strengthening relations between our countries, renewing consular ties, and the Israeli assistance sent to Venezuela following the earthquake,” Danon wrote on social media.
“Israel and Venezuela will continue working to deepen our cooperation both internationally and at the United Nations,” he added.
Israel and Venezuela announced several weeks ago that they had agreed to restore consular relations following talks between Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Venezuelan Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia.
Under the agreement, the countries will establish a dedicated coordination mechanism to provide consular services to their respective citizens. The arrangement represents the first formal coordination channel between Israel and Venezuela since diplomatic relations were severed in 2009.
The two sides also agreed to maintain cooperation on emergency response and reconstruction following two earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24.
Israel dispatched a humanitarian delegation to Venezuela after the earthquakes, with the team remaining in the country for about a month before returning to Israel.
Relations between the two countries were cut in early 2009, when the Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez severed diplomatic ties with Israel in protest of Operation Cast Lead against Hamas in Gaza. Chavez subsequently strengthened Venezuela’s relationship with Iran, a policy that continued under his successor, Nicolas Maduro.
Relations began to shift following Maduro’s capture by the United States. In February, Bloomberg reported that Venezuela had sent Israel its first shipment of oil since mid-2020.
In early July, Interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez publicly praised Israel after its humanitarian delegation arrived to assist Venezuelan authorities following the devastating earthquakes.
Israel Navy Acting To Deter Turkish Maritime Aggression As Ankara Encroaches On Areas Of Interest
The Israel Navy is acting to deter Turkish maritime aggression, and in response to the Turkish navy traveling to new points of interest in Israel, The Jerusalem Post has learned.
The Israel Navy, in essence, wants to send a message to Turkey: if it thinks it can move its navy freely, it will have to think again.
The Post understands that the IDF is on high alert for any Turkish moves, whether it’s by sea, land or air, this includes areas near Greece and Cyprus, or, in the worst-case scenario, in Syria or Gaza.
The IDF recognizes that Turkey’s navy is powerful and cannot be ignored. Still, the largest danger Turkey faces is in Syria, given the IDF’s attack on a Syrian air base to prevent Turkey from installing a new radar or other assets that may compromise Israel’s freedom of action.
Israel also has staunchly opposed Turkey’s involvement with the International Stabilization Force (ISF), a peacekeeping entity for the Gaza Strip
The Post understands that the IDF sees Turkey as having a deep commitment to the Syrian regime – a commitment rooted in religious doctrine. In contrast, Turkey’s commitment to Gaza is more general in nature and involves regional influence, not religion.
On July 25, Israeli media reported that, even as Turkey and Egypt are reconnecting in certain areas, senior Israeli sources sense opportunities for Israel and Cairo to work together to counterbalance Ankara’s naval interests.
As both Israel and Egypt watched Iran tighten its grip over the Strait of Hormuz, the two may eventually agree on their shared interest in preventing Turkey from emerging as a rising power and posing a similar threat.
Until now, Israel and Egypt’s naval units have cooperated in international drills, but neither has been seriously challenged in the Mediterranean.
Despite the optimistic narrative, Egyptian Defense Minister Ashraf Salem Zaher traveled to Ankara on July 13. This move, according to some pessimistic observers, represented a profound structural shift in the geopolitics of the eastern Mediterranean. The pessimistic narrative sees this as evidence that Egypt and Turkey are moving closer together potentially against Israel.
This is linked to the third narrative: that, until now, Turkey and Egypt had wanted nothing to do with one another. This narrative, which was true until last year, had a historical basis. For over a decade, the conflicting ideologies between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi were permanently embedded into the regional landscape. The two seemingly had no path for reconciliation.
Sisi slammed Erdogan for supporting the Muslim Brotherhood which took over Egypt from 2012-2013, and Erdogan blamed Sisi for ousting the Brotherhood from power.
But Turkey and Egypt have been gaining something new, particularly in recent months. Sisi is securing access to advanced military technology from Turkey without Western interference, while Erdogan has gained a partner to legitimize his maritime ambitions.
Moreover, the military cooperation between Cairo and Ankara has quickly evolved past superficial diplomacy into deep, structural integration. The joint maneuvers over the past months showed what appeared to be an alarming level of operational alignment.
Turkey’s Anatolian Eagle aerial exercises integrated Egyptian pilots for training under simulated high-threat environments alongside Ankara’s assets. This was immediately followed by the Egyptian Golden Eagle special forces drills, which focused on command interoperability on multiple fronts.
According to some observers, these have not been routine bilateral military drills, but rather a process to synthesize the doctrines of two of the region’s most powerful militaries.
Senior Israeli navy sources believe that, despite the two’s intended ties, Egypt’s concerns about Turkey gaining a maritime advantage work in Israel’s interests.
Sisi has strong sensitivities about ongoing issues relating to Libya and other areas in which Erdogan may have decidedly different interests.
The Post understands that, in these areas, Egypt could work together not just with Israel, but with Cyprus and Greece to counterbalance Turkey’s aggression.
In late June, Greece’s Navy Chief, Vice-Admiral Dimittios-Eleftherios Kataras, visited Israel with Israel Navy Chief Vice-Admiral Eyal Harel. The meeting included the Shayetet 13 Navy SEALs, and the two sides deepened the joint mechanisms between their navies.
Some pessimists may view this alliance as a coalition of Israel, Cyprus, Greece, and a few European countries between Egypt and Turkey. Israel still has its allies.
Israel Readying For Increased Holiday Travel
Israel’s Airports Authority has completed preparations for what is expected to be a record-breaking period during September and the Tishrei holidays, with more than three million passengers anticipated to pass through the country’s airports and border crossings.
The preparations include significant staffing increases at Ben Gurion Airport and border terminals, along with enhanced management presence throughout the holiday period.
Ben Gurion Airport is projected to handle approximately 2.5 million passengers, while Ramon Airport near Eilat expects around 81,000 travelers and Haifa Airport anticipates 60,000.
An additional 500,000 passengers are expected to cross through land border terminals to Sinai and Jordan.
The figures reflect a substantial increase in passenger traffic. During August, Ben Gurion processed approximately 2.65 million passengers, a notable rise compared to previous periods.
The Airports Authority has expanded its workforce to manage the anticipated volume.
Dedicated charter flights to Ulman, Ukraine, where tens of thousands of Jewish pilgrims gather annually for Rosh Hashanah at the grave of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, will operate from Sunday, September 6, through Thursday, September 17.
The peak travel days during the holiday period are expected on September 10, 17, 22, and 25, when Ben Gurion could process approximately 100,000 passengers daily across roughly 600 flights.
On September 10, the eve of Rosh Hashanah, more than 100,000 international passengers are expected to pass through Ben Gurion.
The leading destinations during the holiday period are anticipated to be Greece, Cyprus, the United States, Italy, and the United Arab Emirates.
Land border crossings are projected to handle around 500,000 passengers throughout September and the holiday period.
The Rabin crossing in the Arava is expected to process approximately 190,000 travelers, the Allenby Bridge crossing about 153,000, the Taba crossing around 100,000, and Jordan River crossing approximately 55,000.
The authority has also issued a special reminder to military reservists and security personnel to carefully verify they have not left ammunition or weapon parts in their luggage before arriving for flights.
“At the Airport’s Authority and all our facilities, we work around the clock so that every passenger’s experience is safe, efficient, and pleasant,” officials stated.
“The joint efforts of all parties are reflected in the professional and comprehensive preparations we are conducting, including readiness and reinforcements at all Airports Authority facilities.
The Authority extended New Year wishes to all travelers and hopes for an enjoyable holiday.
The Resurgence Of Antisemitism Is A Warning To Every Democracy – Dr. Haim Ben Yakov
One of the most dangerous mistakes Western democracies are making today is to treat antisemitism as a problem that concerns only Jews. It does not. Antisemitism is a symptom of a deeper civic and moral disorder. The resurgence of antisemitism across Europe and North America should be understood as an early warning signal for every democracy.
Today, public debate increasingly rewards emotional certainty over intellectual honesty. In such an environment, antisemitism flourishes wherever complexity is replaced by slogans, wherever individual responsibility gives way to victimhood, and wherever democratic societies lose confidence in the universal principles that once sustained them.
The events of October 7, 2023, revealed how quickly parts of public discourse became unable, or unwilling to distinguish between the deliberate murder of civilians and the political narratives constructed to justify it. Many public institutions appeared unable to make a basic moral distinction, excusing the deliberate murder of civilians.
Antisemitism has historically provided societies with a ready-made explanation for complexity. It transforms uncertainty into certainty by offering a familiar culprit. The responsibility of democracies is to preserve the moral distinction between criticism and dehumanization.
Criticism examines decisions. Dehumanization questions the legitimacy of an entire people and denies a nation’s right to exist. Opposition to specific Israeli policies too often portrays the very existence of the Jewish state as uniquely illegitimate. Once that boundary disappears, antisemitism presents itself as virtue.
The most important question facing democratic societies today is not how much they sympathize with Israel. It is whether they are still capable of making elementary moral distinctions. Can they recognize the deliberate murder of civilians for what it is? Can they condemn terrorism without immediately searching for explanations that diminish personal responsibility?
A society that remains confident in its principles does not hesitate before condemning the massacre of civilians. A society that has lost confidence in its own values begins by asking whether the victims somehow deserved their fate.
The strength of a democracy is measured by its willingness to defend moral principles even when doing so is uncomfortable, unpopular, or politically costly. A society that cannot defend the dignity of its smallest minority will eventually lose the ability to defend the freedom of everyone.
The writer is CEO of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress. He is the father of Yuval Ben Yakov, an Israeli soldier who was killed defending Israel during the first hours of the October 7 attack.
