Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu used a special Knesset session Monday evening to deliver a stern warning to Iran’s leadership, declaring that any direct attack on Israel would trigger a response beyond anything Tehran could anticipate.
Speaking during a plenary debate convened by the opposition with 40 signatures, Netanyahu said Israel has made its position unmistakably clear to the Iranian regime.
“I have clarified and sent a message to the Ayatollah regime that if they make perhaps the gravest mistake in their history and attack the State of Israel, we will respond with force they cannot even imagine,” Netanyahu declared.
The prime minister stressed that the country is facing a volatile and sensitive period and urged unity rather than political infighting. He said Israel stands ready for any development and called on the public and political leadership to rally together, particularly as the holiday of Purim approaches.
He added, “We are in complex times, we are prepared for any scenario. This is not the time for debate. In those days, on the eve of Purim, as in this time, we need to close the ranks of the people and stand shoulder to shoulder. I am confident in our strength and in our warriors. When we stand together – we achieve great things. On the eve of Purim, we will stand together – and with God’s help we will ensure the eternity of Israel.”
Opposition leader Yair Lapid responded by addressing the prospect of a military confrontation with Iran, signaling that despite deep political divisions, he would support decisive action if necessary.
“There is a good chance that we are facing a campaign in Iran. If this campaign comes – and it must come – we will all put everything aside. All differences of opinion will be put into deep freeze, until the crisis passes. As in the past, I will mobilize for Israel’s PR and strengthen Israel’s international status. As with the previous attack, I will go wherever necessary, from CNN to the British Parliament, and tell them: ‘You know that I am the leader of the opposition, you know that Netanyahu and I are rivals, but Iran must be attacked with all force, the rule of the ayatollahs must be overthrown.'”
However, Lapid also delivered a pointed rebuke to Netanyahu over the October 7 massacre, arguing that the events of that day would ultimately define the prime minister’s legacy.
“What will define you in history is October 7th. I understand the attempt to write a different history – it won’t work, it doesn’t work that way.” He continued: “No success, no failure, will resonate in the national memory like the October 7th massacre. Let’s be clear – the word is massacre.”
Yisrael Beytenu chairman MK Avigdor Lieberman likewise directed sharp criticism at Netanyahu, branding him the “Prime Minister of October 7” and holding him personally responsible for the Hamas attack.
“This was a massacre on your watch,” Lieberman lashed out. “This is the most terrible massacre in the history of the state, and you are the main culprit in it.”
Lieberman also referenced Netanyahu’s written response to the state comptroller, contending that it omitted crucial decisions made years earlier. He pointed specifically to a 2014 cabinet meeting in which he says he urged decisive military action against Hamas.
“You wrote a 50-page answer, but you forgot about the cabinet meeting on November 13, 2014,” Lieberman recalled. “At that meeting, I demanded to begin a large-scale operation to eradicate Hamas, and you decided on a ceasefire over my head, and proposed a policy of arrangement and transferring money from Qatar to Hamas.”
He went on to cite his resignation as defense minister in 2018, which he said stemmed from similar disagreements over policy toward Hamas.
“On November 14, I resigned from my position and said that a ceasefire with Hamas is surrender to terrorism. I tried dozens of times to reach that protocol, and I was prevented from reaching it, but don’t worry – we will get there.”
Lieberman concluded by questioning the government’s handling of the current war effort and challenging its claims of success.
“What is happening now, where is the complete victory? Why is there reconstruction of the Gaza Strip? Why is the State of Israel providing electricity, water, fuel and trucks every week?”
{Matzav.com}
Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Lieberman directly accused Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu of bearing primary responsibility for the October 7 massacre, describing him as “the main guilty party in [the October 7] massacre” and asserting that it was “the largest and most terrible massacre in the history of the Jewish people after the Holocaust.”
Lieberman delivered the remarks during a “40-signatures” debate in the Knesset plenum, a monthly parliamentary procedure that allows lawmakers to require the prime minister to appear and respond after collecting the necessary number of supporting signatures on a petition.
In his address, Lieberman criticized a 55-page document Netanyahu recently published outlining his responses to State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman as part of the comptroller’s now-suspended probe into the October 7 attack. Lieberman argued that the document left out key details, including a November 2018 cabinet meeting at which, he said, he had “demanded to begin a large-scale operation to eradicate the Hamas regime.”
According to Lieberman, Netanyahu omitted the episode from his testimony because “you want to escape from responsibility and rewrite history.”
Rather than pursuing decisive action at the time, Lieberman charged, Netanyahu chose to facilitate the transfer of Qatari funds to Hamas in an effort to maintain calm. He further claimed that in the period leading up to the assault, Netanyahu had sought “to increase the money that is transferred every month to Hamas in the Gaza Strip.”
Continuing his criticism, Lieberman said, “You created a zone of immunity for terrorists when you pledged never to attack Qatar again. Thanks to you, the Qataris won a defense agreement from the United States that no country in the world has.” He concluded with a pointed rebuke: “Where is the total victory? You promised us total victory, you brought total disgrace.”
{Matzav.com}A federal judge in Florida has ruled that the second volume of special counsel Jack Smith’s final report examining Donald Trump’s handling of classified materials at Mar-a-Lago will remain sealed and not be made public.
In a decision issued Monday, US District Judge Aileen Cannon determined that the portion of Smith’s report dealing with the classified documents investigation cannot be released. Cannon had previously dismissed the criminal case Smith filed against Trump prior to his return to office, and her latest ruling represents another legal victory for Trump in preventing the public disclosure of the special counsel’s conclusions.
Before departing his role in early 2025, Smith submitted a two-part final report to then-Attorney General Merrick Garland. The first volume, which focused on Trump’s alleged attempts to challenge the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, was made public before Trump reentered the White House. However, the second volume — addressing the classified documents case in South Florida — remained under seal following legal challenges brought by Trump and others charged in the matter.
In her 15-page opinion, Cannon wrote that “it is certainly not customary” for a prosecutor whose case was thrown out to later be allowed to “publicly disseminate large swaths of discovery generated in the case.”
She further stated, “The Court strains to find a situation in which a former special counsel has released a report after initiating criminal charges that did not result in a finding of guilt, at least not in a situation like this one, where the defendants contested the charges from the outset and still proclaim their innocence.”
Cannon, who ruled in 2024 that Smith’s appointment as special counsel was unlawful, criticized the preparation of the report itself, asserting that it ran counter to her prior orders ending the work of his office in connection with the classified documents investigation.
“The Court need not countenance this brazen stratagem or effectively perpetuate the Special Counsel’s breach of this Court’s own order,” she wrote.
At the same time, Cannon rejected a motion from two former co-defendants of Trump seeking to have the report destroyed altogether.
In response to the ruling, Trump’s personal attorney, Kendra Wharton, praised the decision, saying Cannon was correct to “permanently prohibit the release of Volume II of Jack Smith’s illegal report,” and adding that “all fruit of Smith’s poisonous tree should be treated accordingly and should never see the light of day.”
Despite the ruling, the question of public access to the second volume — often referred to as Volume II — remains the subject of ongoing appellate proceedings initiated by government transparency advocates.
One such organization, American Oversight, criticized Cannon’s decision, saying it “continues a troubling pattern of decisions that shield the president from public scrutiny and place secrecy above the public’s right to know.”
“American taxpayers funded this investigation, and they have a right to know what their government uncovered, particularly on matters of national security,” said Chioma Chukwu, the group’s executive director, in a statement.2
{Matzav.com}American military refueling and transport aircraft were seen at Ben Gurion Airport as Washington expanded its force posture across the Middle East during heightened tensions with Iran, Times of Israel reports.
The refuelers and cargo planes touched down at Israel’s primary international airport within the past 24 hours, according to flight activity observed in the area.
Israeli officials did not issue any statement regarding the presence of US military aircraft at the civilian airport. It remained unclear whether the planes were stationed there for an extended period or were making a brief stop as part of broader regional operations.
Data compiled by the Military Air Tracking Alliance, a group of roughly 30 open-source researchers who monitor military and government aviation movements, indicated that since mid-February more than 85 aerial refueling tankers and upwards of 170 cargo aircraft had entered the region. The influx came as US President Donald Trump weighed potential military steps concerning Iran.
{Matzav.com}
Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu said that any Iranian strike against Israel would amount to the gravest error in Tehran’s history, warning that Israel would retaliate with overwhelming force if attacked.
Addressing the Knesset plenum during a “40-signatures” debate, Netanyahu stated that Israel stood at an unprecedented position of strength. “The pact with the United States has never been closer,” he declared.
In what appeared to be a pointed signal to Iran, Netanyahu emphasized that his working relationship with US President Donald Trump was stronger than ever, and that cooperation between the Israel Defense Forces and the US military had reached new heights.
At the same time, he cautioned lawmakers that the country was navigating a complicated and demanding period. “we are in very complex and challenging times,” he said.
Referring directly to Tehran, Netanyahu warned that if the Iranian regime “makes perhaps the most serious mistake in its history,” and attacks Israel, “we will respond with strength that it can’t even imagine.”
{Matzav.com}
President Donald Trump sharply criticized the Supreme Court on Monday following its 6-3 decision last week invalidating his broad tariff program, ruling that he did not have authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose the sweeping trade measures.
In its Friday opinion, the high court overturned lower court decisions and concluded that IEEPA does not grant the president the power to enact tariffs, delivering a significant blow to a central element of Trump’s trade strategy.
Responding in a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump contended that the ruling could ultimately strengthen his hand in dealing with foreign governments, even as he denounced both the logic and tone of the majority opinion.
Trump wrote: “The supreme court (will be using lower case letters for a while based on a complete lack of respect!) of the United States accidentally and unwittingly gave me, as President of the United States, far more powers and strength than I had prior to their ridiculous, dumb, and very internationally divisive ruling.”
He maintained that the decision highlighted other authorities he believes he can still use, stating, “For one thing, I can use Licenses to do absolutely ‘terrible’ things to foreign countries, especially those countries that have been RIPPING US OFF for many decades, but incomprehensibly, according to the ruling, can’t charge them a License fee – BUT ALL LICENSES CHARGE FEES, why can’t the United States do so?”
Trump continued, “You do a license to get a fee! The opinion doesn’t explain that, but I know the answer!”
Addressing tariffs again, Trump argued that the ruling leaves intact other forms of trade penalties and enforcement tools. He wrote, “The court has also approved all other Tariffs, of which there are many, and they can all be used in a much more powerful and obnoxious way, with legal certainty, than the Tariffs as initially used.”
He directed sharp criticism at the majority of the justices while praising three members of the court, declaring, “Our incompetent supreme court did a great job for the wrong people, and for that they should be ashamed of themselves (but not the Great Three!).”
Trump broadened his critique beyond trade policy, suggesting the court could rule in ways he believes would benefit foreign nations. He claimed, “The next thing you know they will rule in favor of China and others, who are making an absolute fortune on Birthright Citizenship, by saying the 14th Amendment was NOT written to take care of the ‘babies of slaves,’ which it was as proven by the EXACT TIMING of its construction, filing, and ratification, which perfectly coincided with the END OF THE CIVIL WAR.”
He added, “How much better can you do than that? But this supreme court will find a way to come to the wrong conclusion, one that again will make China, and various other Nations, happy and rich.”
Despite the legal setback, Trump signaled he intends to continue pursuing his trade agenda, concluding, “Let our supreme court keep making decisions that are so bad and deleterious to the future of our Nation – I have a job to do.”
The court’s ruling on tariffs triggered fresh volatility in global markets and left U.S. trading partners seeking answers about the administration’s next move.
{Matzav.com}
Hamas will be given an ultimatum to disarm “in the coming days,” and if it refuses, Israel will receive international legitimacy and U.S. backing to act on its own, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Monday.
The Israel Defense Forces “is already preparing for this and drawing up plans,” Smotrich told the Kan Reshet Bet radio station. He added: “At the political level, we have held several discussions to refine those plans.”
Smotrich said that if Hamas fails to accept the ultimatum, the IDF would reconquer Gaza beyond the ceasefire-instituted Yellow Line, under which the Israeli military already controls around half of the Strip.
“There are currently two or three alternatives that we are examining to determine which is the most appropriate,” the Cabinet minister said.
Israel has “not given up on destroying Hamas,” he said, explaining that Israel is merely giving U.S. President Donald Trump “a chance to do it his way” before returning to fighting in the enclave.
Asked about Trump’s intention to deploy an International Stabilization Force to Gaza, Smotrich said the foreign troops would if necessary leave “very quickly and allow the IDF to enter,” adding that the move would only be taken in full coordination with the Trump administration.
However, the minister emphasized, the Jewish state is not expecting foreign soldiers to be deployed to the Gaza Strip anytime soon.
“In the end,” Smotrich predicted, the Israel Defense Forces “will conquer the Gaza Strip and establish Jewish settlement there.”
Trump told the inaugural meeting of his Board of Peace on Thursday he believes Hamas will lay down its weapons under his plan, warning that the terrorist organization will be “very harshly met” if it refuses to do so.
Several senior Hamas leaders, including Khaled Mashaal and Musa Abu Marzouk, have rejected key parts of Trump’s peace plan in recent weeks, including disarmament, despite having agreed to the terms in October.
“The war in Gaza is over,” the U.S. president said. “Hamas has been, I think, they’re going to give up their weapons, which is what they promised. If they don’t, it’ll be, you know, they’ll be harshly met, very harshly met.”
A new Palestinian police force
The Board of Peace’s high representative for the Gaza Strip, Nickolay Mladenov, told the meeting that a new Palestinian police force will “ensure that all [terrorist] factions in Gaza are dismantled and all weapons are put under the control of one civilian authority.”
Mladenov, who is set to meet with the European Union’s top diplomats on Monday, stressed that reconstruction would only begin after the “demilitarization and decommissioning of all weapons in Gaza.”
Under Trump’s plan, reconstruction is envisioned to start in the Strip’s southernmost city of Rafah, where 100,000 homes are to be built for 500,000 people, in addition to $5 billion in infrastructure.
Soldiers from the IDF’s 7th Armored Brigade completed operations to secure the area along the Yellow Line in Rafah following some three months of continuous counter-terror raids in the area, the army said on Monday.
The troops, working with the Yahalom elite combat engineering unit, killed “dozens” of terrorists hiding underground while dismantling “hundreds” of infrastructure sites, including a terror tunnel complex approximately 0.6 miles long that contained hideouts and weapons.
The IDF is “operating in the area in accordance with the ceasefire framework and will continue to operate to secure the area along the Yellow Line and remove any immediate threat,” the military added.
On Sunday, the 188th Armored Brigade’s combat team killed a terrorist who crossed the Yellow Line in southern Gaza and approached them “in a manner that posed an immediate threat,” the IDF said on Monday.
“Immediately after the identification, the soldiers eliminated the terrorist in order to remove the threat,” according to the army, which described the attempt to cross the truce line as “yet another violation.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News on Dec. 30 that a different future for the Gaza Strip was still possible “if we disarm Hamas, whether with an international force or by any other means, adding, “If it can be done the easy way, fine. And if not, it’ll be done another way.”
The Palestinian terrorist organization, which murdered some 1,200 people, primarily Jewish civilians, during its Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border assault, still has around 20,000 operatives and 60,000 rifles, Netanyahu revealed.
“That’s what disarmament means—got to take all these rifles, take them away from them, and break up those terror tunnels that they have, still hundreds of kilometers of terror tunnels,” the premier told Fox News.
Mashaal, during a speech at an anti-Israel conference in Istanbul on Dec. 6, said that Hamas would not lay down arms, declaring that “a thousand statements are not worth a single projectile of iron.” JNS
