End of 2025 Blog - Various Israel Issues

As 2025 CE comes to a close and we begin 2026 (it's still 5786 according to the Jewish Calendar), I thought I would try to get one more blog together before all the festivities begin.  Okay, the truth is that here in Israel, there aren't that many festivities.  There are a bunch of parties around the country for sure, and lots of celebrations taking place.  But in Israel, December 31st and Jan 1st are  normal work days - where everything is pretty much business as usual.  In many parts of the country - people celebrate "Sylvester" parties - sometimes - even with a trees (the Russian/ Eastern European influence) but many people I know are not doing that much.  Despite that - I still wish everyone a very happy New Year - with the hopes that 2026 will bring good news, peace in the many places of the world that are involved in conflicts - and the best of health.

There is a great deal to write about and, as usual, I will probably wind up covering a variety of topics.  I will write until I have had enough and then leave some things to discuss for next blog.

I thought I would start this time with a few completely non-political things (though everything in Israel tends to be political somehow...).  

The Hoopoe

 The Hoopoe.  We have had lots of rain, on and off the past few weeks.  We   decide to go for a walk yesterday in Park Yarkon in Tel-Aviv during a break   in the weather - since the sun had come out.  There we were fortunate to see   a bunch of these - Israel's national bird - the Hoopoe (in Hebrew the "Duchifat").  In case you are wondering - these birds are   specifically listed   in  the Torah as "unclean" and not Kosher, which is   interesting.  Perhaps,   those who picked the bird as Israel's national bird   wanted to make sure that   Israelis would not eat up a part of their national heritage.  In any event, this   was the best photo I could get.  When the bird   spreads out its feathers, it is   reminiscent of a peacock - though less colourful.   But as you might know, I   love taking pictures of birds - and this was a great opportunity.  

Strawberries. My second note relates to some of the great fruit we have this time of year. As you might know, Israeli fruit is particularly seasonal - and largely home grown.  While Israel does import some fruit (more in recent years),  a large percentage of the produce is domestically grown.  This time of year we have wonderful citrus fruit, grown in Israel - oranges of all types, grapefruit, pomelos, as well as kiwis, apples and many other fruit.  But I have to say that the strawberries here are exceptional.  Israeli strawberries are only available from November until late April.  But they are big, juicy, sweet and unlike most other strawberries I have had.  In the Ra'anana area - part of the "Sharon Region," there are many strawberry fields and places selling freshly picked strawberries by the box (usually half or full kilos).  So we stopped today at one of these fields and picked up some absolutely delicious strawberries.  If you are in Israel between November and April - the strawberries might be one of the highlights of your visit (even if you are much more of a cherry and pineapple person like I am...).

Some News Items

Where to start?  There is always so much going on here politically that it is hard to choose what to write about it.  But I thought I would pick a few things and provide a few comments.

2026 - An Election Year in Israel and Bibi's Quest for a Pardon

As you might know, 2026 will be an election year in Israel - assuming nothing extraordinary happens.  The election is supposed to take place by October 27, 2026 - though like in any parliamentary democracy - the election occurs whenever the government falls (or dissolves itself) thought it must take place by a certain date - but not necessarily on that date.  It is far too early to get into a discussion of what might happen - since we do not yet know which parties will be running (for sure). There  may be some new parties, some parties might drop out and some parties might combine.  Still lots of time.  One thing I would say that we can predict - is that Prime Minister Netanyahu ("Bibi') will want to get his criminal trial resolved before the election.  And he is making significant efforts to do that.

Bibi's trial is progressing, albeit at a relatively slow pace.  But according to most objective commentators that I have read - the trial is not going particularly well for Bibi.  It is highly unlikely that he could succeed in getting a not guilty verdict on all charges.  Anything  is possible - but Bibi and his legal team realize that it is simply far too risky to leave his fate with the judges. Although Bibi and his team of advisors constantly denounce the proceedings and claim that the case against him is "sewn together," "collapsing" and has "no chance," the reality is clearly otherwise.  Parenthetically, I note that many of the comments that Bibi and his team have made publicly about the trial would probably be viewed as "contempt of court" in many other places.

As a result, Bibi and his legal team filed a lengthy pardon request with the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog.  Herzog has the power, under Israeli law, to grant a pardon.  However, pardons in Israel have usually only been granted where there is an admission of wrongdoing, a request for leniency and a conviction or the likelihood of a conviction.  Apparently, Bibi's lengthy letter includes attacks on the court system, the prosecution, the investigators and just about everyone else.  In an normal world, this type of request would have no chance of success since it does not involve admission of wrongdoing, contrition or any basis for the granting of the pardon.  

Netanyahu's letter has been characterized instead as a request to stop the trial - not a traditional pardon.  Bibi is essentially saying - "for the sake of national unity, it makes sense to stop this trial against me - even though I would eventually win.  If you do that - I can bring about national unity."  There are many problems with this, obviously.  But some commentators have suggested that President Herzog will agree, even if it does not seem to be an appropriate request.  For one thing, Herzog was elected by the Israeli Knesset as the President with significant backing from Netanyahu.  He is not a particularly strong figure and, quite simply, he may not be able to withstand the pressure that he is facing - from Bibi and his supporters.

To add to the pressure, President Trump has jumped into the fray.  Trump has sent an official letter asking Israel to pardon Bibi and he has raised the issue in several speeches. Just yesterday - at a press conference at Mari Logo in Florida, President Trump called, again, for a pardon.  He said "I spoke to President Herzog and I was assured that it was on the way."  Shortly afterwards - Herzog issued a form of denial (though more of a "non-denial denial" I would say).  In any case, the level of interference here by Trump and other Republicans in a domestic Israeli matter is astounding and I think, unprecedented.

Commentators here believe that Netanyahu is actively requesting Trump's help to get the pardon.  These are desperate moves - but Netanyahu is in a desperate place with his trial.

On balance, I have consistently said that I do not believe that this case will ever get to a verdict. My view was (and is) that it would likely end with a plea bargain of some sort and/or a  pardon.  At this point, it seems more and more likely that President Herzog will grant some sort of pardon to Netanyahu though the details and terms (if any) of that pardon remain to be seen.

Somaliland

As you might know, Israel become the first country in the word, this week, to recognize the country  of  Somaliland, a breakoff Muslim republic which was formerly part of Somalia.  Like many people, I had never heard of Somaliland before.  But the people of Somaliland are thrilled.  They are waving Israeli flags, welcoming Israeli visitors and talking about cooperation in many different ways.  Somaliland is right across the water from Yemen and would provide Israel with some very strategic opportunities to fight back against the Houthis (who were sending missiles to Israel from October 2023 until the cease fire).

Somaliland has apparently indicated a willingness to accept a large number of Gazan refugees, though I am not sure that the Gazans actually want to go there.

It is striking that so many countries have denounced Israel for recognizing Somaliland (Turkey has made some really outrageous comments, for example), even while many of these same countries have recognized "Palestine" - including Canada.  Unlike Somaliland, Palestine does not have a defined territory, an operational government or many of the other trappings of a state that Somaliland has in place.  Turkey, of course, is certainly worried that parts of its territory could form part of "Kurdistan" or Armenia.  And many other countries have their own territorial concerns.  But the hypocrisy is staggering.

Not sure how this is all going to work out - and we do not have any current plans to visit Somaliland.  But who knows?  Maybe one day.  It apparently has some very nice beach front. Maybe Trump will build some resorts there.  

Iran

The news coming from Iran is fascinating. As you have probably seen, there are demonstrations across the country, many calling for the end of the current dictatorship. These are apparently the result of  a massive increase in the  cost of living and huge economic problems in the country.

Meanwhile, President Trump has stated that he would back further attacks on Iran to limit its ballistic missile program or to destroy its nuclear program.  At the same time, President Trump has clearly called for negotiations with Iran to reach a new nuclear treaty.

As I watch some live news now, there are reports that demonstrators in Iran have broken into government buildings and have really increased the level of violence.  The Iranian government is responding with arrests and violence.

Of course, I am not in any position to predict how this might go. But Israel had diplomatic relations with Iran before the Iranian revolution in 1979.  Although the current Iranian regime has been a bitter enemy of Israel - Israelis believe that Iran is one of the best potential peace partners for the future - since Israelis believe that most of the Iranian people do not share the Iranian governments hatred of Israel.  

If there is a regime change in Iran at some point, I believe that the possibilities for peace in the Middle East would advance significantly. 

Gaza

The future of Gaza seems very unclear to me.  According to Trump's ceasefire plan, Hamas was supposed to return all of the Israeli hostages (living and deceased), to give up its weapons and to allow  a new authority to take over and run Gaza.  Although almost all of the hostages have now been returned -there is one left - Ron Gvilli - who is presumed dead - Hamas has not shown any interest in demilitarizing and, on the contrary, seems to be rearming - and trying to reestablish control over Gaza.

Bibi's right wing partners including Ben-Gvir and Smotrich - would like Israel to send more troops to Gaza and take complete control over the entire territory.  On the other hand, the Trump plan calls for an end to the war, for the Israeli troops to leave (over time) and for a multi-national group - to run Gaza (though not Hamas).  

It seems unlikely to me that Trump will give Netanyahu or his coalition any kind of "green light" for further operations in Gaza in the near term- unless Hamas crosses certain lines with actions that it takes.  That being said, I am not sure how Trump is going to bring about the demilitarization of Hamas, the takeover of Gaza by an international coalition etc.,  This remains to be seen.

I should note that several countries including Great Britain, France and Canada have criticized Israel for refusing to allow some agencies to work freely in Gaza.  But as we have seen in the news, many of these "charitable" organizations - like UNWRA - were hosting and supporting terrorists and included members who were involved in the the October 7, 2023 massacres in Israel.  Many of the alleged Gazan "reporters" who were killed during the war were actually terrorists and Hamas fighters disguised as reporters.  Gazan hospitals were also used as Hamas bases - and some hostages were even held in Gazan hospitals.

Qatargate

As if Bibi didn't have enough problems - the Qatargate scandal has gained quite a bit of publicity and attention this past week in Israel.

In short, Bibi apparently had a number of advisors working for him - during the war (and even now) who were also being paid by the Qatari government. One of these was Eli Feldstein, Netanyahu's 

spokesman for military affairs.  Others involved include Yisrael Einhorn, Ofer Golan, and Yonatan Ulrich.

In short the allegations include claims that Feldstein leaked highly confidential intelligence documents to a German newspaper - which would have the effect of helping Bibi to reject calls for a ceasefire.  The leaks also embarrassed the Egyptian government.

As the matter came to light and the Shin Bet was called upon to investigate, Netanyahu fired the head of the Shin Bet and sought to replace him with someone much more favourable to Netanyahu.

Ultimately, Ulrich and Feldstein were arrested and charged and are awaiting trial.  

Feldstein was interviewed last week by Israeli TV  in a three part nationally televised interview (stretching over three evenings in prime-time) where he basically suggested (sometimes explicitly sometimes implicitly) that all of these advisors and Netanyahu knew exactly what was going on, that the actions taken were taken at the behest of Netanyahu and that Feldstein is being made the fall guy for what he did - even though he was serving the country as requested.

I have no way to assess how much of Feldstein's interview was true.  However, it is undeniable that Netanyahu had several advisors working for him who were on the Qatari payroll.  If Netanyahu did not know that they were acting against Israel's interest while working in his office - that would suggest a high level of incompetence for someone who is very much a detail person and stays on top of all of the goings on in his office.  On the other hand, if Feldstein's version is correct, then advisors in Netanyahu's closest circles were actively collaborating with an enemy regime - while that regime was acting as Hamas' agent in the cease fire negotiations.

There is quite a stink here - and it certainly seems to add up to a number of charges of Treason - perhaps running to the very top.  Much more serious than Bibi's current legal troubles.  Perhaps that is why Bibi is so interested in getting a pre-emptive pardon - that shields him from everything.

Threats Against the Supreme Court

This week, Israeli Finance Minister, Betzalel Smotrich, from the far right Religious Zionist party went on a rant against the Israeli Supreme Court and, in particular the head of the Court, Yitzhak Amit.  Smotrich claimed that the Supreme Court has "trampled" the rights of Israelis by making "violent decisions" that deprive Israelis of their rights.  As he result, he said it was time that Yitzhak Amit himself be "trampled."  I am not making this up.  I have seen the interview several times now.  Moreover, a few of Netanyahu's cabinet ministers agreed and and said that Smotrich's calls should be "acted on."  

You cannot spin this in very many ways.  It is completely shocking, unacceptable and extremely dangerous.  A sitting cabinet minister in the Israeli government making death threats against  the head of the Supreme Court.   

The leader of the Democrat Party (an amalgam of the former Labour Party and the former Meretz Party) Yair Golan called for a police investigation and called for Smotrich to be charged and brought to justice.  Not likely to happen at this point  but this was a frightening escalation of the rhetoric by the Israeli far right against the Supreme Court.  Of  course given the steps taken by Simcha Rotman and Yariv Levin, and their proposed Judicial Revolution, these types of comments did not come out of the blue - even though this type of outright threat of violence is a marked escalation.

So far, most members of Netanyahu's party, with a  handful of exceptions, have been remarkably silent in response.

More about the Trump Netanyahu Meeting This Week

I couldn't finish this blog without mentioning some of the lovefest comments that Bibi and Trump shared this week at Mari Lago.  

Trump slathered Bibi with compliments, calling him an incredible leader and saying that Israel might not exist today if it weren't for Bibi.  I'm not even sure that Bibi's most ardent supporters believe that. As mentioned above, Trump also said that he was doing his best to get Bibi his pardon and that had been assured by President Herzog that it was "on the way."

Meanwhile, Bibi called Trump the greatest friend Israel has ever had "by far" and, through one of his ministers, Yoav Kish, on a cell phone call in the middle of the press conference, announced that Trump would be given the "Israel Prize" in April 2026.  This is a prize given annually to an Israeli, regarded as Israel's highest cultural honour.  There are strict conditions - for example the Prize is given to Israeli citizens or Israel-based companies.  It also carries a monetary gift.

Given Trump's successful efforts in bringing about a cease fire, arranging for the return of the hostages, and pushing for broader Middle East peace, it certainly makes sense for Israel to  honour Trump's accomplishments.  But given that the Prime Minister, pushing for the award to be bestowed on Trump, is also actively seeking Trump's support to get a pardon - well the whole thing just seems like a wee bit of a conflict of interest.  (Just a wee bit of course).

Perhaps Trump will also spend some time in Israel during election time, actively campaigning for Bibi.  After all, Netanyahu did whatever he could during the U.S. election to help Trump.

Spreading Anti-Semitism

As you know, anti-Semitic attacks, demonstrations and rhetoric have been spreading like wildfire across the world.  The attack in Australia during the lighting of candles on Chanukah was shocking and devastating.  In the U.S., the language coming from a wide variety of actors in the right - including Tucker Carlson, Nick Fuentes, Candace Owens and even JD Vance is getting ever more frightening.

In Canada this week, as shoppers were headed to the malls for boxing day sales, extremist protestors unfurled Palestinian flags and took over large public areas in several large shopping malls including the Toronto Easton Centre with slogans calling for the "globalization of the intifada" shouted by masked protestors.  This in a country with some extremist anti-Israel (and even anti-Semitic) leaders including Toronto's Mayor Chow and the Prime Minister himself, Mark Carney.

In New York, the city is now headed by a virulently anti-Israel Mayor and the consequences of that election remain to be seen for the Jewish community in New York.  But it is hard to imagine  that the New York Jewish community should feel particularly safe with that type of Mayor.

Jewish communities around the world are facing simultaneous threats from the far right and the far left - collaborating with Jihadist extremist Muslims.  Hopefully, all of these trends will somehow be reversed but it is hard to see when and how this will happen.

Sometimes Israel seems like the answer - a haven for Jews from all of these threats.  At the same time, as I have discussed above, there are growing threats to the viability of Israeli democracy internally and that is also a threat for the Jewish people, in Israel and worldwide.

Sports  

I feel like I have to lighten up things by finishing with a comment or two about sports.

Here are some interesting comments.

First of all, in the hockey world, Israeli defenseman Zeev Buium was traded to the Vancouver Canucks as part of the multi-player package sent to the Minnesota Wild for superstar Quinn Hughes. Buium was born in the U.S. to Israeli parents.  His mother played professional basketball in Israel for a period for of time.  I believe he is already the most successful Israeli NHL hockey  player (if not the only one).  Since the trade, the Canucks have played much better and Buium has been thrown into a very key role for the team.

In NBA basketball, Israeli Deni Avdija is one of the highest all star vote getters so far this year.  He is currently playing for the Portland Trail Blazers and formerly played for Maccabi Tel-Aviv in Israel.  According to reports, Avdija sat out a pre-season game in 2024 to observe Yom Kippur.  This season, Avdija is 15th in the NBA in points per game and 12th in assists.  His Portland Trail Blazers are not tearing up the league with their 14-19 record - but they do have a chance of making the playoffs.

Meanwhile, I am trying to stay on top of the annual world Junior Hockey Tournament - as of this writing Canada was undefeated - with the toughest challenge - a game scheduled against Finland due to take place tonight.  But it is very hard to watch these games in Israel since no sports station carries them. Only through creative streaming solutions - but that assumes I want to watch from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m.

I am also looking forward to the NFL playoffs and hoping that the Buffalo Bills will finally get somewhere, especially now that they will not have to play against Kansas City.  (Though there are certainly a number of very good teams in the AFC). Mostly these games are widely televised on Israeli TV and are at a more manageable time.

Flying

El Al has announced massive sales especially for trips to and from Europe.   For North America, they are still quite expensive - and they are still not flying directly to Canada.

As a result, I am taking advantage of the fact that Air Canada has restored direct service to and from Israel.  That will certainly make my life much easier in 2026, assuming that the current cease fires that are in place hold up.

With that, I think I will end my update for 2025 and wish everyone a terrific 2026 - a year of good health, worldwide peace, and all good things.  As usual, I welcome your comments, compliments, disagreements, attacks (within reason) and other input. Happy New Year.

Bibi Requests a Pardon and other Israel Updates November 2025

Prime Minister Netanyahu

It has been about 6 weeks since my last blog and I am overdue to write a bit.  It has simply been a very busy period (which is a good thing).  Unfortunately,  unpaid hobbies have to take a back seat to paid work...

That being said, there are all kinds of interesting things going on here in Israel and I thought I would take this opportunity to write about a few of them.

Netanyahu Pardon Request

As you might have read earlier today, Prime Minister Netanyahu submitted an official request for a pardon to circumvent the  conclusion of his trial.  This is being viewed in Israel as a "legal earthquake," especially by his supporters - who have been towing Netanyahu's line that the case against him has been "falling apart" and he is about to be exonerated. In fact, the submission is carefully  worded by Netanyahu so that he does not directly say he is asking for a "pardon."  He states that for the sake of the country, he is willing to "end the trial and bring about unity in the country" (with all charges dropped and no admission of guilt).  

I thought I would provide some added colour and commentary to this.  First of  all, for those of you who have read my blog sections dealing with the Netanyahu trial in the past, the evidence against Netanyahu is overwhelming (in at least in two out of the three cases).   This blog has stated all along that this case would never wind up with a verdict.  It would either end with a plea bargain deal, a pardon - or worst case (from a procedural point of view) some type of legislated end to the trial. I came to these conclusions because the State had to demonstrate a very high likelihood of getting a guilty verdict before proceeding with the trial and the State, in this case, went through three different preliminary inquiries to do that.  Netanyahu's legal team has tried every trick in the book to delay the trial and especially his cross-examination.  During the actual cross examination sittings, he has had to leave early for every type of reason ranging from urgent State meetings - to - yes - a dental hygienist appointment.  But now that the war is on a much slower burner, the Court has asked to run the trial three days a week and get it finished.  It is nearing conclusion.

Netanyahu's best chance for a favourable plea bargain deal was earlier on - before his cross- examination.  His lawyers apparently submitted a request to open discussions with the State prosecutor's office - but the parties could  not agree on terms.  The State wanted to insist that any plea bargain deal include a term that Netanyahu be convicted of offences including Moral Turpitude (like a felony conviction).  This would preclude Netanyahu from running again for office.  He was unwilling to agree.

Now the trial is getting closer to a conclusion.  Netanyahu's cross-examination is close to ending.  Once it is over, there will be reply evidence from the State - and then closing argument.  Although Netanyahu's team says that the trial would otherwise continue for "years" - this simply does not seem to be the case.  The end is nigh as they say.

So, to use a football analogy - Netanyahu's team decided  now was the right time to throw a "hail Mary" - or since it is Israel - let's call it a "Hail Miriam."  Of course, he sprinkled his request with language that he would rather continue on with the trial until the end and that this is really for the good of the state.  But c'mon - we can easily look past that language.  This is clearly a very desperate move.  Elections are coming up before the end of 2026, Netanyahu's trial is still ongoing - and he and his team know or suspect that they have a very small chance of winning the trial.  

As you may recall, President Trump has become involved personally - by requesting a pardon for Netanyahu on several occasions ("Believe me, I know all about the importance of pardons for innocent, unfairly framed public figures and politicians...")(Okay, he didn't really say that...).  Trump's involvement included the unprecedented step of sending a formal letter from the White House to the State of Israel asking for a pardon.  ("I am asking for a friend....").   The response from the President of Israel was two fold - (1) In Israel - the person seeking the pardon has to submit it themselves; and (2) unlike the U.S. you cannot get a blanket pardon in Israel -  you can only get a pardon where there has been a conviction and/or an admission of guilt.  The Presidential pardon powers in Israel are much more limited than in the U.S.  (I won't get into this at any length now but I will say that anyone with money who always wanted a pardon in the U.S., even a prospective one, probably has the best chance of getting it now under the current administration.....so start setting up those "GoFundMe" pages if you haven't done so yet...).  Although in fairness, Presidents Obama and Biden  also handed out  pardons like Halloween candies....

So Netanyahu was left with three choices.  One was to legislate his trial away.  While some of his partners might have supported this - some wouldn't and it is doubtful he could get a majority in the Knesset for that - even with his "totally right wing" government.  The second choice was to cut a soft plea bargain deal - but the State is not prepared to go along. He has been trying to replace the Attorney General but it is a difficult process  in Israel since there are procedural hurdles to follow.  A friendly AG might be more inclined to give him a better deal.  For now the State still wants there to be a significant conviction as part of any deal.  The third alternative is a pardon.  Generally, under Israeli law, Netanyahu would need to agree or be convicted of some offences to then get a pardon.  So this might form part of a three -way negotiation with the State prosecutor and the President - whereby there would be a conviction and a pardon all as part of a package.  

Should be very interesting   But I continue to maintain that there will never be an actual verdict in this trail - other than a negotiated one.  And I do now say that the end of  this trial, one way or the other, will come before the next election, scheduled for October 2026.

Ultra Religious Military Exemption

As the next election approaches, the ultra-religious have been clamouring to take advantage of their current position in government - and get a law that exempts most if not all of the ultra-religious from the army.  This has been a major issues for quite some time in Israel.  I am not going to get into extensive detail - perhaps that is for another blog.

In short, together with the founding of the State, Israel's first Prime Minister Ben Gurion entered into an agreement that a small number (I think it was 15,000) of  the most committed ultra-orthodox students would be granted a military exemption  to continue  their studies for the sake of Judaism and the State.  Much like the state might exempt  certain exceptional athletes, artists, musicians  or other incredibly talented people in different disciplines (even though these people generally still serve in the army).  However, over the years - the numbers exploded and the ultra-orthodox came to view the deal as meaning that none of them are obligated to go to army.  Their numbers have climbed disproportionately and the army needs manpower (and womanpower).  And other Orthodox Jews serve in the army - even claiming that they are required to do so by Jewish religious law - to defend themselves.

The Supreme Court of Israel has ruled on several occasions that the State cannot exempt all the ultra-religious as this would be unfair - to the rest of Israelis.

This whole issue  has been a hot potato since the ultra-religious form a significant part of Netanyahu's coalition and  are demanding a new exemption bill as a condition of supporting Netanyahu.

So this week, one of Netanyahu's Ministers, Boaz Bismuth, presented a "Draft Bill" that more or  less makes it possible  for most ultra-religious to avoid army service.  The problem is that even Netanyahu's own Likud members do not seem willing to support the bill, let alone some of the other coalition partners.  It may be that the whole government will  collapse over this issue - and this will send the country to the polls ahead of schedule. Perhaps this is how  Netanyahu would like things to happen - so that he can partially run against the exemption bill - even though his own government is proposing it.  Or perhaps he will run and say that he tried to pass it but needs even  more right wing support from the Haredim to be able to do so.  Hard to say.

War Picture

Although things in Israel are on a  "slow burn" in terms of all  of the conflicts, nothing is really settled.  Hezbollah is trying to rearm and rebuild in the North  while Israel is trying to help the Lebanese establish a government  without Hezbollah and with some level of stability.  There have been skirmishes in the north and things could develop into more significant fighting at any time.

Likewise, Syria is very unstable.  They are not in any position to open large scale fighting with Israel (unless backed by Turkey or  Iran) but the instability may well lead to hostility.  Israel is very much hoping that Syria can reach some level of stability and then perhaps everyone can  try to move to a deal whereby Syria joins the  Abraham accords.  I am not sure whether this is a fantasy at this point in time  but let's hope that it is something possible that is getting closer.

Iran is "rebuilding" and hoping to rearm and making threats to "completely destroy Israel" the next time around.  So until the Iranian regime falls and is replaced by something that actually cares for its citizenry, Iran is  likely to be an ongoing threat to Israel and to the rest of the word.

Gaza

Reports from earlier today state that Hamas is consolidating its power over many areas of Gaza, collecting taxes and reestablishing its authority.  Part of the Trump deal was that Hamas would not run Gaza and that international authorities would ensure that this was the case.  But no international bodies are coming forward and Hamas is trying to rearm. Some voices in Israel are stating that Israel may have to completely occupy Gaza in order to replace Hamas with an authority that can run the strip in a way that is conducive to a long term peace arrangement.

Judea and Samaria

Meanwhile, there are reports of quite a bit of unprovoked violence by residents of Judea and Samaria (referred to by some as the "West Bank.").  My blog is not part of  "hasbara" and I call a spade a spade.  Those who are launching unprovoked attacks against Palestinian residents in Judea and Samaria - are basically Jewish terrorists.  Sorry if you don't like the language.  In my view, they should be arrested immediately and subject to the full weight of the law. Perhaps it is not surprising that these things are taking place since the current Minister for Police Affairs - Itamir Ben  Gvir - is himself an extremist who was deemed unfit for military service.  It may only be that with a change in government - the State will take proper action to stop these attacks.

Increasing Tourism

Since the end of the war (or the pause  in the war, if you prefer), more and more airlines have resumed flights to Israel and more and more  tourists are arriving.  We had an incredibly warm November - with temperatures in the range of 28c (83F) through most of the month.  Apparently, many tourists arrived, which was great for the economy and  for the mood in the country.  I hope that we will be able to continue with this relatively stable situation and that more and more tourists will arrive - and enjoy the many wonderful things that there are to see and  do here.

Direct Flights

Air Canada has  now been flying direct between Tel-Aviv and Toronto and will soon expand to include Montreal.  I will be taking advantage of one of those  flights tomorrow on my way back to Toronto.  Interestingly it is now 12 hours and  10 minutes  from Tel Aviv to Toronto.  I am quite sure that it was closer to 11 hours 30 minutes when the Dreamliners first started flying from Tel-Aviv to Toronto.  Not sure why it is longer now but I'm fairly sure that I remember correctly.

As you may have heard, Air Canada  is changing its Aeroplan system effective January 1, 2026, and making it much more difficult for many  people to gain frequent  flyer status.  Essentially, they are moving to a system that will  be based almost exclusively on dollars spent rather than miles flown.  So for those  of us who mainly fly back and forth between Toronto and Tel-Aviv - or other similar long distance commuting trips - it will be very difficult  to get the same status.  

I am hoping that I will make Air Canada's "Super-Elite" status by December this year - but that will probably be the last year I can do it - unless there is some other dramatic change.  Unfortunately, there are no better  options - since El  Al  is not flying direct to Toronto  and I would  prefer to  avoid transferring if I can.  I have had  no choice since October 2023 but I am now thrilled  to have an option to fly direct, even if it is a  bit more expensive.

Worldwide Anti-Semitism and Anti-Israel Activism

Given that there are only  about 15-16 million Jews in the world and more  than a billion Muslims, it is perhaps not surprising that the Jewish State of  Israel is very unpopular around the world. That is not to say that Israel does not have Muslim friends - in fact the Abraham accords have demonstrated that  several Muslim countries are happy to be friendly with Israel - and we hope that will be the case for more and more of the Muslim world.

But there are certainly a percentage of Muslims that fall into the extremist camp - and many of those seem to have emigrated to various countries around the world and are now supporting  and advocating for anti-Semitic and Anti-Israel policies.

Since October 2023 - Toronto has seen all kinds of outrageous anti-Jewish acts including attacks and vandalism on schools, synagogues, Jewish owned stores, restaurants and businesses - and demonstrators in Jewish residential neighbourhoods - and all kinds of other actions including "encampments" at universities.  Generally, this has all been met with silence by anti-Israel Mayor Chow (who just last week raised a Palestinian flag at City Hall - but refuses to attend the annual Walk for Israel event).

Much of this has also taken place all over the U.S. and in many other countries.  It's astounding that New York City, the city with one of the world's largest Jewish populations (think Warsaw before World War  II) has now elected a pro-BDS, anti-Israel mayor.  Frightening.

While it is easy enough to blame Israel and its current government, I don't think that "blaming the victim" is the proper approach to dealing with extremists. These "demonstrators" who cover their faces and shout violent slogans, take over universities and other public property - should be arrested and punished.  The constitutional right to protest does not include the right to harass, to advocate violence or to "occupy" public and private places and certainly does not include the right to commit acts of vandalism and violence. At a minimum any "encampments" or "demonstrations" in inappropriate places should immediately be broken up and cleared - wherever they occur.

Chanuka Coming - Donuts Are Here

As I have written in some past blogs - the big sign of Chanuka approaching is the sudden appearance of every possible kind of donut across the country.  Donuts with every possible topping, filling and colour. We don't really have any Chanuka decorations and certainly no "Chanuka bushes" (I think that is mostly limited to the U.S.) but we have donuts everywhere.

Interestingly, potato latkes (which always represented Chanuka for me as I was growing up) are not nearly as ubiquitous as donuts.  I guess neither of them are particularly healthy - but I have always had a soft spot for fresh latkes. Both of  my grandmothers (z"l) used to spoil me (and my siblings) whenever they had the chance by whipping up a batch - seemingly an unlimited quantity.  My mother also knew how much we loved them and would make them from time to time - especially during Chanuka. Maybe I will get a chance to make some for my parents while I am in Toronto this time (I tend to make a bit of a mess but my cooking is pretty decent).

Here in Israel, it falls on me and my wife to make them now - which we enjoy doing once or twice a year. One batch of spicy Yemenite latkes with hot peppers and "hawaij" a curry type mixture - and one batch Ashkenazi style with matza meal, salt, pepper and maybe a bit of sugar and baking powder.

We will probably buy a few donuts since neither of us feel like deep frying a batch of donuts.

Recommendation of the Day for those Visiting Israel

Hula Valley  Nature Reserve

I thought I would end this blog with a special recommendation. If  you are in Israel between November and March  - there is one activity that I would strongly recommend as something that is truly amazing.  Israel is home to the Hula Valley Nature reserve - which is a massive bird sanctuary in northern Israel - near Kiryat Shemona.  Hundreds of thousands of migratory birds  stop here on the way from Europe to Africa.  Many of them are European Cranes but there are also a range of other types of birds including flamingos, European Hoopoes (Israel's national bird) and all kinds of other birds. 

The sanctuary offers a special mini-bus tour that holds about 40 people per bus, booked  in advance, and takes place starting about an hour before sunset.  (There is also a sunrise tour - but I haven't been on that one). The bus is cut in half so that all forty people are facing one side.  The tour takes people behind the scenes to areas  where the public is generally not allowed.   You are able to see  thousands of birds arriving in the area for the evening.  It is an amazing spectacle.  We have had the good fortune of  doing this twice - including once in November 2025.  Both times, I can only say that it has been awesome and I am ready to go again any time.  (Including with visitors - we will be happy to take you if you would like to join us).

I appreciate that there are many more things to write about, especially since I haven't been writing as often.  But I am going to call it a day for now and say that I hope to see many of you  soon - whether in Toronto, Israel or elsewhere in the world.

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Deal Has Been Signed - Hostages Are Coming Home

I was in the local convenience store this morning, getting a few items that we  had forgotten earlier.  We were talking with the cashier - who said - "it is the first day in two years that he has actually seen several people smiling."  And that about sums up the type of night we had - with the news about a cease fire that has been reached.

In my last blog, I wrote that we were hoping for a deal soon.  That was in July.  Here we are, more than three months later, and we seem to have finally reached some sort of deal that will see the return of all of the live Israeli hostages and an end to this current war with Hamas, at least for now.

I have not had the chance to go through the deal in detail yet - I am not sure it is even available in full.  However, I think we can take several key points from the detail:

1. All of the live hostages will be returned immediately, as early as Sunday or Monday of this week, all at once. No more deals of releasing one or two a week or anything like that.  This was apparently not something that Hamas had been willing to agree on earlier - though I am not sure anyone really knows.

2. In return, Israel will release some prisoners from its jails (these are mostly, if not all, convicted murderers and terrorists  who have killed or tried to kill Israeli civilians).  However, Israel (for now at least) won't release some of the highest profile prisoners (like Marwan Barghuti) and won't return the bodies of Yahyah Sinwar or Mohammad Def. 

3. Many of the subsequent details have yet to be agreed upon.  However, Israel will pull back its troops from some of their current positions and Hamas will agree that a new - international supported entity will take over the administration of the Gaza Strip - even though that may take time to implement.

4. President Trump used his extraordinary influence (or whatever else) to get Turkey, Egypt, Qatar and others onside. I don't think we know what he promised each of them at this point, though I am quite sure that it is something significant. It remains to be seen how harmful these promises may turn - some articles claim that Trump agreed to supply Turkey and Egypt with new, very sophisticated military airplanes.  Apparently, there are also stronger assurances of defence for Qatar - though I am not sure Qatar has agreed, in exchange, to stop sponsoring worldwide terrorism.

I am sure that more details will emerge in the coming days.  For now, we are hoping that the initial phase goes ahead as planned and that the 20 hostages will come home alive and that they can be rehabilitated.  Many of them have probably been tortured, starved and suffered all kinds of injuries, physical and psychological.  Israel is also seeking the remains of the other 28 hostages who were captured but Hamas is claiming that it only has 13-15 of those bodies at this point.

I am definitely concerned about the prospect of terrorist attacks - in Israel and around the world at Jewish sites in the coming days - especially with so much of the BDS and terror supporting crowd opposing this deal.  I hope that our security forces here and around the world will be on full alert and will prevent or minimize any such attacks.

Meanwhile in Israel, the deal itself still has to approved by Israel's cabinet, which is expected to take place tonight.  By all accounts, it is anticipated that the deal will pass by a significant majority.  Cabinet ministers Ben-Gvir and  Smotrich still have not announced their positions, but they may well oppose the deal.  However, this will not bring about the fall of the government, since there are enough votes to pass the deal and keep the government in power, for now.

What's Next:

Israel is due to have elections by October 2026.  It is unlikely that Prime Minister Netanyahu would ever be in a better position to win an election than he would be shortly after the return of all of the hostages and so there is a strong prospect that elections will take place earlier.

There is one "little" problem - Bibi's criminal charges.  One option is  a plea bargain deal.  However, I don't believe that the State Prosecutor is prepared to recommend a deal that Bibi could live with - i.e. the dropping of all the charges - or a guilty plea to some very inconsequential offences.   The Prosecution continues to insist that, at a minimum, Bibi plead guilty to offences that are deemed more serious under Israeli law and would bar him from running for office for 7 years, even if he avoids jail time.

An alternative would be a pardon from the President of Israel - Isaac Bougie Herzog. Up until recently, President Herzog maintained that he would not grant an unconditional pardon.  However I believe that Herzog may now be willing to provide one under conditions that are much less severe.  In other words - we could see a guilty plea of some sort, combined with a pardon - that would free Netanyahu to run again.

Ultimately, once Netanyahu has received a pardon - he may be willing to leave public office at some point.  I believe that he would like to first secure a peace deal with Saudi Arabia - but that is pure speculation on my part.

Many Israelis, a large majority according to many polls, would like to see a  full public inquiry into what happened on October 7, 2023 - with every issue, every failure and every event subject to full examination.  Only with this type of inquiry will we be in a position to address security issues and strengthen our borders and our military readiness. For now, Netanyahu has strongly opposed this type of inquiry.

Other Stuff to Mention

There are so many things that I could write about since so much has been taking place.  But I have been very busy - with personal celebratory events (thankfully), with work and with many other things.  We are in the midst of the last holiday of the holiday season - the holiday of Sukkot - which is also known as the "time of our happiness."  It culminates in the holiday of Simchat Torah - the "Rejoicing of the Torah" but that is also the day on which the horrible massacre of October 7th occurred.

Our Rosh Hashanah was a bit more low key than usual with a few of our family members out of the country.  Days later, we conducted our Ra'anana Yom Kippur tefillot (prayer services) outdoors in one of the family's backyards - with about  50 participants.  It was intimate, inspiring, participatory - and particularly comfortable (weatherwise this year). Yom Kippur, the day of  awe, is  actually quite awesome in Israel - to see the country come to a complete standstill - other than people taking the streets to walk or bike around.  

We were a bit slow off the mark to get our Sukkah put up - but we managed to stop by the  annual Ra'anana sukkot market - buy a lulav set with an etrog - that we could wave around in all the different  directions - and now the sukkah is ready for an event or two.

Around the World

The news of all kinds of outrageous anti-Semitic and  anti-Israel activity around the world is simply shocking.  

In Canada, our extremist Prime Minister (yes it is fair to call him extremist on this issue) has recognized a Palestinian State - without negotiations, borders, concessions, terms....  In fact, just a year prior, the House of Commons voted down such a step.  But the Prime Minister did not put it to a new vote. Prime Minister Carney, bolstered by some even more extremist cabinet ministers, like Minister Anita Anand, has joined the ranks of some of the most extreme anti-Israel world leaders - in places like Ireland, Sweden, Spain and Turkey.  I think one can only say that this is frightening, sad and very concerning about where Canada might be headed in the future. And do not think that this is only an issue affecting Israel and the Jewish community. Supporting Muslim extremism can have disastrous long term consequences in a range of other issues.

There were several demonstrations across Canada by pro-Hamas agitators mixed together with extreme leftists (those in the Syd Ryan /CUPE camp) - in support of the October 7, 2023 massacres - and very little outrage, that I saw, other than from the leader of the opposition Pierre Poilievre and a handful of others.  Imagine widespread demonstrations across the U.S. or Canada in support of the 9/11 attacks. Or commemorating the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in a positive way.  That is what we are talking about.

In a North York High School, on October 7, 2025, the two year anniversary of the October 7, 2023 massacres, Earl Haig High School played the Canadian national anthem - "Oh Canada" on its speaker system in Arabic.  Yes this is true! The principal explained that this was organized by a  student group, that they were commemorating "Islamic Heritage Month" and that they didn't know it was related to October 7th.   Give me a break!  It's obscene.  Simply obscene.  A celebration of, indeed, an encouragement of  the terrorism that took place on October 7, 2023. 

We have seen attacks on synagogues, Jewish high profile figures, university students and other Jews and  Jewish institutions all over the world since October 2023 - even while leaders in some places - rail on about "islamophobia."  This is simply unjustifiable.  I hope that countries like Canada and  others will take steps to assure the safety of their Jewish communities in the face of these vile activities. But often, these issues require leadership from the top. We need leadership that will make it clear that  these types of activities - from shutting  down universities to vandalizing Jewish owned businesses - to protesting outside synagogues are not permitted and  will stopped. And the perpetrators will be prosecuted, fully.

I hope that the current deal will  bring about a change for Israel and for its friends and allies around the world.

Sports News

I can't write one these blogs without a few sports comments.

First of all, Israel will be playing Norway and Italy on Saturday night and Tuesday night respectively in World Cup qualifying games.  These are crucial games if Israel is to have any chance of making it to the World Cup. There has been a great deal of pressure on FIFA from anti-Israel countries and some football players to try and expel Israel from FIFA.  But to date, FIFA has rejected these demands.  Israel's chances of qualifying are still quite low - since Norway is a very strong side but I think that it is fair to say that these are some of  Israel's biggest football games in quite a while.

Last night, as I was watching  the breaking news from Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt and Washington D.C., I was also watching the Blue Jays clinch a trip to the MLB American League Championship Series - a best of seven semi-final - with the winner going to the World Series.  It was super exciting and I am hoping that I will be able to get to an ALCS or even a World Series game in the coming weeks.

While this is not sports news - I wanted to mention that those same anti-Israel  protagonists -  especially Ireland and Spain, have been clamouring to kick Israel out of the annual Eurovision song competition.  Fortunately, Germany and a few others have apparently stood up to this pressure and  refused to given in to this anti-Israel sentiment and kick Israel out.  So as of now, Israel will participate in the 2026  Eurovision contest - Israel placed second last year - winning a large majority of the popular vote

Airline News

Air Canada is scheduled to restart direct flights to Israel today - almost as if they knew that this is when the war would end.  I always believed that Air Canada (unlike so many other airlines) would only begin flying when there was a cease fire deal.  Now there is one - and perhaps Air Canada will now be back on track with regular direct flights.

There is so much more to write but my time is limited. I wish everyone a Chag Sukkot Sameach. Hoping that the deal with proceed, that the hostages will be returned and that the war will end and usher in many years of expended peace with all of Israel's neighbours.

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Israel Update July 4, 2025 - Close to a Deal with Hamas?

I arrived back in Israel last Friday, shortly after President Trump had declared a cease fire between Iran and Israel.  I had to scramble to find a ticket to Israel and wound up flying on Arkia Airlines from Athens.

Getting to and From Israel

In case you are thinking of flying Arkia - my suggestion would be to try to find something else if you can. 

I arrived in Athens via Air Canada and was supposed to have about four hours until my Arkia flight.  Of course there is no baggage transfer agreement so I had to go through Greek immigration (which had a long line-up but moved quickly), pick up my suitcase (which wasn't too bad) and then go check in for the Arkia flight.  Surprisingly, when I got to the Arkia counter, I was offered the chance to get on an earlier flight (almost 3 hours earlier than scheduled).  I asked if I would have enough time (only 45 minutes left according to the flight schedule).  I was assured I would be fine so I took the earlier flight - no extra charge.

From the check-in counter, I had to go through the Greek exit security (Immigration).  The line-up  was unbelievably long and very slow.  Pylons everywhere directing people to walk up and down temporary aisles.  Every few minutes, the authorities would call out an airline and destination and take people out of the line-up into an expedited process.  "Anyone on the Air Canada flight to Toronto? Come with me..."  As I was waiting in line, I noticed that we were only about 30 minutes before departure time, but nobody was calling out Arkia passengers to Tel-Aviv.

I finally got through this line up at 12:55, which was exactly the boarding time for the flight.  But still no call for Arkia passengers.  I still had to go through personal security (the x-ray machines etc.,).  By the time I left the whole area and headed towards the gate - it was about 1:15.  I got to the gate - and no worries - there was a whole line-up of Arkia passengers waiting in line.  Boarding was delayed.  We would still need to take a bus to the plane and then board.

Ultimately, the "earlier" flight that I was able to get on - left 1.5 hours after its revised scheduled time - which was about 4.5 hours after its original scheduled time.  So I actually wound up leaving about half an hour before my originally scheduled time even though I was put on an earlier flight.  Meanwhile the flight that I had been scheduled for originally wound up about two and a half hours late.

For this privilege, I had to spend about $600 - the only way available to get to Israel - during that period of time. (That was just the cost of a one way Arkia ticket from Athens to Tel-Aviv).

Since last week, several airlines have resumed flights to Israel but so far it is mainly the Israeli carriers and a handful of others - Arkia, Israir, Tus Airlines and of course El Al.  Several other airlines have announced that they will be resuming service but at all different dates. From my quick look at the Ben Gurion Arrivals board today - there are flights showing for Air France, Fly Dubai, Delta and some other airlines - though some of these may be code shares with El Al or other airlines.

Over the coming months, it certainly appears that more and more airlines will resume service as long as the security situation continues to improve.  I understand that British Airways, Wizz Air, Air Canada, American Airlines and several others have cancelled their service to Israel until well after September 2025.  If you are planning to come to Israel (let's say for a wedding and a Hina or something like that....), the only airline you are really going to be able to count on for the coming months is El Al, which has demonstrated that it will continue to fly to Israel even in the most difficult conditions - albeit at very exorbitant prices.

It is likely that Arkia, Israir, Tus Airways and Blue Bird airways will also continue to fly - especially from Cyprus or Athens - and maybe  from Rome. These may all be fine as long as you don't mind lengthy delays and sky high baggage charges. After that, some of the airlines that have been willing to bring back their service more quickly than others have been Aegean Airlines (Greece), Fly Dubai, Emirates, Ethiopian Air and Lufthansa.  Several other airlines have scheduled dates for return in August 2025 including United Airlines - but I think it is going to be questionable for now to rely on United.  For Canadians, we may well not see Air Canada resuming its Tel-Aviv service until deep into the fall or even sometime until 2026 but hopefully, with a pending cease fire, Air Canada will resume sooner rather than later.

Gaza War

As of the time I am writing this article, indications are that Hamas is prepared to accept or mostly accept - a cease fire deal for 60 days proposed by President Trump and his negotiators.  I am not going to get into all of the specifics here other than to say that the deal apparently calls for the immediate release of 8 live Israeli hostages by Hamas, followed by the release of 15 bodies.  2 more live Israeli hostages would be released 60 days later, with information provided about the remaining hostages at some point along the way. Estimates are that between 20 and 23 Israeli hostages are still alive and that Hamas is holding a total of approximately 50 hostages in total - including those who are no longer living.

Israel would release hundreds of Hamas prisoners, many of whom are facing lengthy prison sentences for violent terrorist attacks.  Negotiations would continue over the coming 60 days for a settlement of all outstanding issues.  If negotiations fail, hostilities could resume though President Trump is apparently providing "personal assurances" that the war will not restart.  Of course there is nothing more reliable than the word of President Trump - so the Hamas terrorists will certainly take comfort knowing that they have the President's promise.  (You can read this any way you like, depending on your politics).

The war with Hamas will not go down in Israeli history as one of Israel's great victories.  Israel suffered tremendous losses initially - civilian and military losses - and whole villages were wiped out by Hamas even though they will now be rebuilt. While Israel was able to assassinate many Hamas leaders and destroy a significant part of Gaza, Israel was not able to recover the hostages militarily, defeat Hamas or end, definitively, its rule in Gaza.

881 Israeli soldiers have been killed since October 7, 2023 and close to 6,000 have been injured.

The war has also caused a high rate of casualties for Palestinians in Gaza, although the breakdown between military and civilian casualties is difficult to ascertain.  While the Hamas "Gaza Health Ministry" claims that more than 59,600 Palestinians have been killed, there is a great deal of uncertainty when examining any claims made by Hamas.  We do not know how many of these Palestinian casualties were Hamas fighters, though it is likely to be a fairly high number.

It does appear that as the war has progressed, the proportion of Palestinian civilians being killed relative to the total numbers of casualties has been growing -  even though the numbers are likely not as as high as those reported by Hamas.  We also know of several cases where Hamas claimed that Israeli troops opened fire on groups of civilians - and it turned out that the reports were completely false (even after they were reported as true by the BBC, for example).(The BBC later recanted and apologized).

Unquestionably this war has been a disaster for Hamas and for the Palestinians living in Gaza.  But it was also the culmination of several smaller wars started by Hamas over the past several years since Israel disengaged from Gaza in 2005 and Hamas took over the Gaza strip.

Ultimately the only long term solution for the Palestinians in Gaza is going to be having a government committed to resolving issues peacefully with Israel rather than militarily.  Hopefully that train has not left the station.  Continued Hamas rule will only lead to more violent confrontations with Israel.  President Trump's plan of "voluntary relocation" coupled with building a riviera in Gaza might be dismissed as a pipedream (or a war crime) but the geography, topography and location of Gaza does create endless economic possibilities if Gaza were to be run in a collaborative way with Israel.

Other Regional Developments

Israelis were hoping (and continue to hope) for a regime change in Iran and the emergence of a new Iranian government willing to make peace with Israel.  One of Israeli's leading Iranian experts, Benny Sabati, who was born in Iran and lived there for several years before emigrating to Israel, predicts that within 3 to 5 years, Iran will have diplomatic relations with Israel.  He believes that the current Iranian regime will fall during this period of time.  Let's hope that he is correct. A  change of regime in Iran could lead to very significant developments in the Middle East and a future with much more  stability.

President Trump and  Israeli officials are openly talking about trying to add Lebanon and  Syria to the Abraham Accords.  I think the talk about Syria is likely somewhat premature since it will be difficult to resolve the dispute over the Golan Heights.  During President Trump's first term, he recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan  Heights (which Israel first captured in the 1967 Six Day War).  Syria is not about to enter into a peace arrangement with Israel that sees Israel continuing to hold the Golan Heights - and Israel is  not about to give up the Golan  Heights to a Jihadi-led, ISIS inspired neighbour.  If Syria gives up its dream of taking back the Golan Heights - at least for now - perhaps a peace deal can be signed but I am not holding my breath on that one.

Now that Assad is out of the picture in Syria and Hezbollah has been weakened, there may be no impediment to Lebanon coming to a deal with Israel.  A stable Lebanon, with the restoration of Beirut as the "Paris of the Middle East" would be a very exciting development - not just for Lebanon and its people but for the whole of the Middle East.  It this were to happen, it would be a direct result of one of the clear victories in Israel's current war - the tremendous weakening of Hezbollah as a regional force, one which controlled and terrorized the people  of Lebanon for many years.

Meanwhile, if Iran sets out to rebuild its nuclear program as quickly as possible, there may be a second round of this war between Iran and Israel, though it may be a year or two down the road.  The alternative for Iran will be a negotiated solution with the United States and Israel - and perhaps the Iranian leadership will start to falter afterwards. In the short term, it  is hard to predict which way this will go.  In the long term, we have to be optimistic that the people of Iran will be able to shed themselves of this horrible dictatorship.

Bibi's Trial

One cannot overestimate the impact of Prime Minister Netanyahu's current criminal trial on all of  these matters. Bibi is currently in the midst of his cross examination, even though last week he asked the court for a two week hiatus to deal with "security affairs."  The court agreed so the cross-examinations will not resume until the week of July 14th, I believe.

We are clearly at the "meat" of the trial - the cross-examination, and Bibi has no interest in having this continue.  It is embarrassing, excruciating and by most analysts' accounts that I have read - unwinnable.  Accordingly, Bibi had his lawyers contact the state prosecutors last week to feel out the prosecution for a plea bargain deal. (His lawyers later issued a denial that they initiated the contacts).

It appears that all of the lawyers, on both sides of this trial, recognize that Netanyahu is highly likely to be  convicted on at least some counts if this ever gets to a verdict. As  I have said previously, I do not believe we will ever see a verdict in this case.

If a conviction,  as part of a verdict or a plea bargain deal, carries with it the designation of "Kahlon" or "moral turpitude," Netanyahu, under Israeli law, would be barred from running for office for several years.  He is not prepared to agree to that.

On the other hand, the state is not prepared to agree to a guilty plea to only more minor offences, especially since the prosecution feels very confident that it can get a conviction with "Kahlon."

One way of trying to change this reality for Bibi has been a campaign to oust the current Attorney General, replace her with someone more "Bibi-friendly" and then negotiate a deal that is more palatable.  Bibi and his Likud party  have been trying to do this - but they face several legal hurdles and conflict of  interest allegations that are making it difficult to replace the AG.

A second alternative, floated by some of Bibi's Likud party members just last week, would be to legislate an end to the trial.  This would be shocking.  Even some Likud members have indicated that they would not support it  And the Israeli Supreme Court would surely strike it down.  I am hopeful that this idea is a non-starter. Netanyahu would need an even more right-wing government to have a chance at pulling this off.

A third idea, and I think one that is most likely at this point, is a negotiated plea-bargain deal combined with a pardon from President Herzog.  This type of  deal might allow Bibi to plead guilty to more serious offences (which would save face for the prosecution) but with a pardon, he would still be able to run again.  The issue is that this could cause somewhat of a crisis for the justice system.  The State would have to demonstrate that it obtained some concessions from Bibi in exchange for the pardon, even though the pardon would be coming from the President rather  than the State.  So Bibi will have to give something to get this type of deal - and I am not really sure what that could be.

There is another alternative.  The current Israeli government might fall, even without a plea bargain deal in place  for Bibi and he may hope that an election will give him a government more willing to help him deal with his criminal challenges. In my view, that is probably a risky strategy.  I think we are more likely to see  a deal in place before an election is called.

I am not going to spend much time dealing with President Trump's tweets calling for Israel to "free Bibi from his trial" as if this were a purely political trial. Fortunately, Israel is not a banana republic (not yet anyways) and none of the actors involved in Bibi's trial (the judges, the prosecutors etc.,) are going to be moved by Trump's calls.  It is more likely that Trump's tweets show a certain desperation on Bibi's part as he tries to enlist the help of Trump to get him out of his legal predicament.  In fact, a number of Israeli commentators speculated that the tweets were written by Bibi himself based on the language used. I am not in a position to comment one way or other but it is an extraordinary level of interference by President Trump into Israel's domestic affairs.  Then again, Bibi himself did everything he could to help the Republicans defeat Obama, Biden and Harris - so interference in domestic political affairs for Bibi and for Trump are par for the course.

Mood in Israel

Israelis are a resilient lot - they have to be to survive in this area of the world.  The 12 day war with Iran was quite frightening.  Many buildings were destroyed. 29 people were killed and more than 3,200 were injured.  But the war was perceived as a major military victory for Israel - perhaps one  of  historic proportions.

The war with Hamas has been going on since October 7, 2023  and over the past few weeks, Israelis have been receiving reports of soldiers dying in battle almost daily.  I believe that the majority of Israelis are hoping that this war with Hamas will end as soon as possible and that things will start to improve.  In other words, I think there is a combination of despair over how things have gone in Gaza but cautious optimism about the future.

Concerts and events have reopened. The airport is gradually increasing its capacity.  I am hopeful that by the end of August (big event time for us...), things will be even better than they are now.

Sports News

I do not have too much to write about sports as the moment.  But I thought I would mention a couple of things quickly.

The Israeli men's national football (soccer) team is trying to qualify for the 2026 world cup.  Israel is in a group with Norway, Estonia, Italy and  Moldova.  On June 6, 2025, Israel beat Estonia for the second time.  Israel will play Moldova on September 5th in Moldova and it will play Italy on September 8, 2025 in Hungary.  It will also play Norway  on October 11, 2025 in Oslo.  Israel lost its first game to Norway but as of now, still has a chance to make it into the 2026 World Cup.  It looks like the road will go through Rome - (Israel will have to beat Italy) but stay tuned.

Israeli TV does not broadcast very many baseball games - but I couldn't resist streaming last night's Blue Jay game.  The Blue Jays swept the New York Yankees in a four game series, featuring a gazillion runs, which moved the Blue Jays into first place in their division.  Even if that is only temporary and even though it is only July, it was still pretty exciting. There may be some very meaningful baseball games for Toronto fans to watch in October.

I think that is about it for now - but I wanted to share these thoughts and wish everyone  a Shabbat Shalom, a happy Fourth of July, a belated Happy Canada Day - and a celebration of all the great events that our family has in July - birthdays, an anniversary etc., Hoping for some good news in the coming days including the return of our  hostages, the cessation of hostilities and maybe even an Israeli election call.

Israel, Iran, the U.S. and More - June 22, 2015

Fordow Nuclear Plant, Iran

I left Israel on June 9th with the intention of coming to Toronto for about 2 weeks - and getting back to Israel on June 23rd.  Although I wrote, in my blog on May 30th about the possibility of something major happening, including a possible attack on Iran by Israel, I had no idea about the possible scale, timing and implications of the operation that would be carried out.  Now, here we are, less than one day after the U.S. has stepped into the fray with its attacks on three Iranian nuclear sites - and there is much to write about.

Some Comments about the Operation

As I have discussed previously, it is hard to view this as an "attack" or an "aggression" by Israel.  Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been fighting a multi-front war with Iran and its proxies, which was all initiated by Iran.  Iran was responsible for funding and training Hamas and Hezbollah, for arming the Houthis and for supporting other terroristic attacks against Israel worldwide.  All while threatening that it was finally about to destroy Israel.  In context, Israel's operation that started on June 13th, 2025 (6-13 for  those who like to think about this biblically  - being the  total number of mitzvoth according to Jewish tradition) is really a counterattack in response the multi-front war initiated by Iran including Iran's own ballistic missile attacks against Israel.

There was a significant indication that Iran was racing towards rolling out a nuclear bomb - and its stated intention was to use it.  Since Israel's attack, various international  sources have confirmed that this was the case. So the perceived urgency on the part of Israel - was that Iran was getting "too close for comfort" to using a nuclear weapon against Israel - something Israel couldn't wait for. 

The initial stage of this counterattack was carried out by Israel with near perfection, according to most reports and was historic, dramatic and brilliantly effective.

As you know from various reports, more than 30 top Iranian commanders, including the head of the Air Force, the head of the Army and the head of the ballistic missile program, were all killed on the first night of the operation.  This apparently included the use of Mossad agents and AI to lure various Iranian senior officers into a mass gathering, at which they were attacked and killed.  Together with this, Israel established air superiority and has carried out attacks on Iranian military targets, nuclear sites, missile launch sites and other equipment. Many Iranian nuclear scientists have also been killed.

Iranian Response

Since June 13th, Iran's primary response has been to launch ballistic missiles, drones and other missiles at Israel.  According to an article in the Jerusalem Post written moments ago, Iran has launched approximately 500 ballistic missiles at Israel since June 13th and close to 500 drones.  Most of these missiles and almost all of the drones have been intercepted.  However, a significant number have hit Israel.  Most of these missiles have targeted civilian targets.  Among the hardest hit locations have been the Soroka Hospital in Beersheva, the Rambam hospital in Haifa, a mosque (the Al-Jarina Mosque) in Haifa and several residential buildings in Ramat Gan, Bat Yam, Rishon L'Tzion, Nes Ziona and other places.  A large research facility was destroyed at the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, much of which housed advanced cancer research facilities.  More than 25 Israelis have been killed, several hundred people have been injured (it may be over a thousand at this point) and more than 25,000 property damage claims have been filed by Israelis with the Israeli government.  (The Israeli government covers a significant amount of the property damage in these circumstances).  Unlike the Hamas-controlled hospitals in Gaza, the Israeli hospitals did not house any military bases, missiles or army equipment.  Iran's primary attacks have been against civilians.

On Saturday June 21, the Iranians began using additional types of missiles including missiles that they have purchased from North Korea - that can change directions and evade the U.S. THAAD systems and the Israeli anti-ballistic missile systems - at least some of the time.  Some of these missiles have included Iran's "Haj Qasem" missiles which are armed with cluster bombs and  massive warheads. At least two or three of these have landed in Israel and caused massive damage.  The deadliest missile used so far by Iran is the Hwasong 10 from North Korea - named the Khorramshahr by Iran.  This is apparently the missile that hit the Soroka Hospital last week. It carries more than 1,500 kilograms of explosives.

Although Israel has been defending against these missile attacks - with the help of the U.S., Jordan and other regional allies, some of these missiles  have still been getting through and causing quite a bit of  damage.  Israel has been attacking missile storage sites, launching  equipment and other targets, but it is quite likely that Iran still has significant capacity to  cause severe damage with various types of ballistic missiles.

Israel has an alert system in place and usually have 10-13 minutes to get to the nearest bomb shelter (or in-house "safe room") if the missiles are coming from Iran or Yemen, and less time if they are coming from Lebanon.  Since 1991, Israeli buildings are all built with at least one thick-walled concrete room per floor (or per unit) with a heavy metal door - than can withstand shrapnel, hits to other parts of the building and other types of attacks.  These safe rooms cannot withstand direct hits. But the vast  majority of Israelis who have been in safe rooms when their buildings have been hit - or when nearby buildings have been hit -  have suffered only minor injuries.

I should note that Iran has hit other targets, including an Oil Refinery in Haifa and some targets about which details have not been released or published.  Still it is apparent that the vast majority of targets have been civilian.

The U.S Entry

As you may know, according to many different world reports, only the U.S. has the type of bunker busting bombs that would be necessary to  destroy some of the Iranian nuclear facilities - including the Fordow nuclear plant which was 90 metres below ground in central Iran.  Fordow has or had more than 3,000 centrifuges and was being used to enrich uranium to near-bomb grade of close to 90% U-235.

President Trump said in a statement earlier today that the Fordow plant has been "obliterated."  I hope that he is right - but I am not sure that the U.S. has the full damage assessment yet.  Reports are that Iran has already produced approximately 500 kilograms of near weapons-grade uranium and the Iranians claim that this uranium was moved to a secret location before the U.S. attacks.

In my  view, it is more likely than not that this whole operation was jointly planned with the Israelis from the outset.  It seems unlikely to me that Israel would have embarked on an operation against Iran, on this scale, while knowing that it could not destroy the Fordow plant itself.  

President Trump was under intense pressure from different elements of his party. The "hawks," including Lindsay Graham and others were pushing Trump to "seize the moment" and help Israel destroy the nuclear plants.  In their view, it was a necessary step not only to protect Israel - but to protect the whole world - including, in particular, U.S interests in the region, from a nuclear armed Iran.  The evangelical wing, including ambassador Mike Huckabee, were pushing Trump to act because it was "God's will."  Weighed against this, Trump was  getting an earful from "isolationists" and anti-Israeli voices including Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon and Marjorie Green.  In the end, he sided, as we know with the hawks and evangelicals - and with the Israeli right.  To the extent that one might wonder about a particular angle by considering the voices who are advocating it - it seems that any rational decision maker - when faced with a unified position coming from Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon and Marjorie Green - might wish to decide exactly the opposite of whatever they are proposing.

In an interesting interview that I heard recently, a former Israel ambassador indicated that even the JOCPA (the nuclear deal with Iran that President Obama had signed) was only going to buy the world some additional time - and still would have permitted Iran to develop a nuclear weapon eventually. In other words, even those on Obama's team recognized that the JOCPA was a very flawed deal.  However, even through Trump ripped up the deal during his first term - Trump did not replace it with anything - nor did he attack Iran militarily.  So he left Iran sailing towards a nuclear bomb, at a much faster clip - and now had to deal with the consequences of that policy. Granted in the intervening period - President Biden took no  discernible action on this file. In short, there is enough blame to go around between Obama, Trump and Biden, but President Trump was now the one to take the courageous decision to destroy these plants (or at least try to).

What Now?

At this point, we are waiting to see how Iran will respond to the U.S. attacks.  Iran sent a barrage of missiles to Israel just hours after the U.S. attacks and some of them landed in Israel, causing significant civilian damage and  injuring many Israelis.

But Iran and its leadership have a choice to make at this point.  If they decide to "go all in" in a war with the U.S. - that is almost certainly going to end in disaster for this Iranian regime.  They have been weakened militarily by Israel's attacks since June 13, 2025 and, according to most reports, they do not seem to be in any position to take on the U.S. Army.  However, since at least some of the leadership are fanatic, suicidal and not necessarily realistic about their prospects, they may decide to go this route and hope that other countries join or assist them (Russia? North Korea? China? others). In my view, this would be a dangerous escalation but is really not likely to end well for Iran.  I would hope that someone will  deliver this prognosis to the Iranian Supreme Leader - but he may not be in any mood to hear it - or to listen to it.  This might draw President Trump and the U.S. into a  war to a greater extent than they had hoped, but I believe that it will be, primarily, a campaign of aerial and missile attacks. Hopefully, the Iranians will not be able to produce and deploy a nuclear weapon during the course of this fight.

A second option is for the Iranians to effectively "surrender" to the U.S. and agree to U.S. terms for a cease fire.  I believe that this is highly unlikely at this point.  It would result in the disintegration of the Iranian regime and it would be humiliating.  It is apparently not a consideration for the current Iranian leadership even if things continue to deteriorate.

A third option would be, what I would call - a hybrid.  It is possible, in my view, that Iran will attack some U.S. bases but to a limited extent - with relatively minimal damage.  This would allow Iran to claim (to the Iranian public and the world) that it had responded to the U.S. attack with "devastating results" and was now ready to negotiate.  If the U.S. were to decide that it could "live with" the damage caused - this might be a way out for both parties.  If the Iranians go too far and actually damage U.S. interests significantly - they will be met by a massive response from the U.S. Nevertheless, I think that this is the most realistic possibility for a quick end to the situation, provided that the Iranians are willing to end their nuclear program and agree to U.S. inspections as part of a deal.

One Israel-based commentator noted earlier today that the Iranians made exactly this type of "least worst" deal when ending the Iran-Iraq war.  They publicly characterized it as drinking a cup of poison to save the regime.  

If Iran does not find a way to negotiate a resolution, the continuation of the current war is likely to devastate Iran and bring about the downfall of the current regime.  The difficulty then becomes figuring out how Iran can govern itself without descending into a chaotic civil war or anarchy.

It is possible that other players will become involved and will threaten the use of nuclear weapons - and try to cause this conflict to spread.  I believe that the chances of this happening are relatively low since I do not believe that Russia or China want to go "all in" at this point - to hope a fanatical Iranian regime - despite the lip service that they might pay to that possibility.

Situation in Israel

As of last night, the Homefront Command in Israel announced the full emergency measures were in place.  No gatherings of more than 30 people, schools and universities closed - and most establishments closed other than those designated as "essential."

The airport was officially closed last night - however, it was reopened (partially today).

For Israelis looking to get back to Israel - and yes, many thousands are, some Israeli airlines have organized "rescue" flights. El Al, Arkia and Israir are asking people to sign up and are prioritizing them according to various factors including  any  humanitarian issues (need for medicine or medical treatment, family situation etc.,.)  In English, these flights are being called "repatriation flights" but in Hebrew the word is "chilutz" which means rescue.  

This means that I could agree to be "rescued" from Canada and  make my way back to Israel by flying from one of several destinations chosen by El Al - including Rome, Larnaca (Cyprus), Athens and some yet to be named U.S. cities - likely New York and Los Angeles.  However, this would, of course, be a one-way flight.  Given that I have certain work commitments in July, including some trials that I am running in Toronto, it would be risky to go back to Israel indefinitely at this time (irrespective of the potential physical danger, which I am less worried about). 

Some Israelis are coming back to Israel by boat. For example, I have some family members who are getting on a cruise ship from Cyprus and taking a 15 hour cruise back to Israel.   That actually sounds like fun - as long as the accompanying navy destroyer can protect the cruise ship from any  incoming missiles.  

It would probably seem surreal to be on a cruise ship, complete with its fine dining restaurants, gambling rooms, swimming pools and perhaps even some entertainment, while on the way back to Israel to face the uncertainty  of nightly missile attacks. 

For those looking to leave Israel, the options are limited.  I read that El Al would now be departing with a maximum of 50 passengers on a range of flights though I am not sure how easy it is to get a seat on these flights.  Some birthright groups and others left Israel on those same cruise ships - to Cyprus - and picked up flights from there  

The magnanimous and considerate Canadian  government has offered to provide a free bus ride for Canadians from Tel-Aviv to Amman.  From Amman, they are "on their own" though the Canadian government will try to help people find flights from Amman to other locations and eventually back to Canada.  I spoke to someone yesterday at Synagogue - who told me that their family member took one of these rides to Amman and has now been told that the next available flight out is July 3rd, 2025 - or about 11 days from now.  

My understanding is that Amman does not have the types of shelters that Israel does and his being hit with occasional pieces of missiles that have been shot down. As well, the Jordanian airport has been opening and closing depending on the situation.  Even though Jordanian falafel is apparently quite good, I would rather wait in Israel and take my chances in the Israeli shelters. But maybe that's just me...

In contrast to Canada, by the way, the U.S. has been organizing flights for U.S. citizens from Tel-Aviv to Athens.  Americans can register with the U.S. government and wait to be notified of an available flight. Beats a bus ride to Amman, in my view, even though the falafels at the Ben Gurion airport (if any of the food places are open) might not be as tasty as those in Amman. (Though in Israel they will be Kosher).

Religion

I couldn't finish this blog without mentioning at least 2 or 3 religious references.

For one thing, many observant Jews were convinced that the U.S. attack would take place this week to coincide with the dates in the  Biblical story of Purim on which King Achashverosh decreed that the Jewish of Shushan (modern day Iran) and surrounding areas could defend themselves with arms against those who were seeking to kill them.  Okay the date did not work out exactly as planned -  but considering that the operation was planned months ago  for  6-13 - this may well have been a consideration.

I am part of a social media group that discusses "leining issues" (issues relating to the reading of the weekly Torah portion. There was a whole discussion - about what happens if a forced synagogue closure causes a shul to skip the weekly Torah reading.  Does it do a double reading the next week?  Apparently, the halachic answer was that you read the entire previous week's portion as the first aliyah, combined with the first aliyah for that week.  That is a lot of Torah reading!  Everyone has their own priority list of issues to consider when dealing with ongoing missile barrages.  (Other Israelis are preoccupied with which items they need to keep in the safe room - in ready-to-go bags - in case the building is hit by a missile and  destroyed). 

Lastly - I note that Prime Minister Netanyahu found quite a healthy dose of religion over the past few days.  Just now, I heard him explaining that he wrapped himself in a Tallith, visited the Kotel and said "Shema Yisrael" just before authorizing the Israeli operation.  He said that he repeated this gestures in thanks yesterday after hearing from President Trump that the operation had been a success. This is fascinating coming from an avowedly secular Prime Minister.  Perhaps the more cynical among us might wonder if he is trying  to appeal to his Orthodox supporters to bolster his support -  but surely Prime Minister Netanyahu could not be that cynical...could he?  I leave that to you to determine.

Conclusion

We remain hopeful that our planned family wedding for September 4th will go ahead along with all of the other events including the aufruf, Hina and Shabbat dinner. Hopefully, there will be some kind of deal in place - with Iran and Hamas, the war will be over and the hostages will be back home.  And I hope that I will have been able to go back and forth at least once or twice between now and then.

There are many things that I have not covered  in this blog - just too much going on - so I will save some material for next time. In the meantime, I am hoping and praying for the safety of our Israeli armed forces in carrying out their operations, for the safety of Israeli civilians all over Israel (Jewish, Christian and Muslim - all of whom have been targeted by Iranian missiles), for the safe return of the  hostages and an end to the Gaza war  and for an end to this war that results in many years of peace in the Middle East. Shavua Tov.