In remarks to Sky News Arabia, Senator Lindsey Graham said that peace in the Middle East remains unattainable while Hamas continues to wield weapons, tying any rebuilding of Gaza to the group’s disarmament.
“I hope Hamas will disarm, but I see no effort in that direction. On the contrary, they seem focused on regaining strength and rearming,” he said, underscoring his view that the militant organization shows no readiness to relinquish its military might.
Graham further declared that eventually Hamas must be disarmed, and if it does not do so voluntarily, then Israel may have to take the lead. He noted the lack of Arab forces willing to enter Gaza for such a mission and emphasized that only Israel is capable of executing it: “We can support Israel in disarming Hamas, but Israel will be the one on the ground.”
He added that reconstruction of Gaza and areas in Judea and Samaria can only begin once Hamas abandons its power. “As long as Hamas holds power, there will be no peace in the Middle East,” he declared, making clear his belief that disarmament is the gateway to normalization.
Turning to nearby Lebanon, Graham described a split sentiment among the Shiite population: many support the notion that heavy weaponry should fall exclusively under the Lebanese Armed Forces, but an armed faction within Hezbollah refuses to lay down its arms—a stance he argues blocks Lebanon from fulfilling its regional role. “Israel will not accept a fully armed Hezbollah. My advice to my Lebanese friends is to disarm Hezbollah, which could open the door to discussing border security with Israel and integrating Lebanon into the region,” he said.
Discussing regional normalization, Graham predicted additional Arab states will join the Abraham Accords and flagged an anticipated move by Saudi Arabia in the coming year, encouraging Lebanon to prepare for inclusion in the regional shift.
On Syria, he signalled willingness to ease sanctions but stressed the need to maintain the capacity to re-impose them swiftly if necessary. “They must do the right things, like protecting religious minorities and controlling the Lebanon-Syria border,” he stated, and emphasised that his focus remains on isolating and disarming Hezbollah while cautiously supporting the new government in Damascus.
{Matzav.com}After more than eleven years in captivity, Lieutenant Hadar Goldin was brought back to Israel today and laid to rest. His family, gathered at their Kfar Saba home, issued their first public message following the burial, speaking of the long struggle to retrieve his remains and the values that guided them through the ordeal.
“Eleven years ago, we stood here in August after Hadar was taken from us, and we cried out that we must not leave Gaza without bringing Hadar back. We took it for granted that the State of Israel would not leave soldiers behind. It took us 11 years to bring him home through the IDF and security forces,” Hadar’s mother, Leah, stated.
Leah emphasized the principles that sustained the family and the campaign to recover him, and she appealed to the nation to treat the fate of hostages as a moral imperative.
“The first value is friendship and comradeship, the second is burial in Israel, and the third is human dignity. These are the values we fought for. Sadly, we faced many disappointments. We cannot give up on who we are, and we will prevail through our values. I hope Hadar will continue to be the symbol he has been until now. I’m not just fighting for Hadar-I’m fighting for the next hostage. And if October 7th didn’t become a wake-up call for everyone in the State of Israel, it’s time for you to look at us and let us explain why it’s important and imperative to fight for our children. Thank you for walking with us all the way.”
Reflecting on the role of the military in bringing their son home, the family credited the IDF and reiterated a commitment to the principle of not abandoning soldiers.
Simcha Goldin, Hadar’s father, added: “We brought Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, our son, a fighter, to be buried in Israel. We achieved this because our soldiers fought to bring warriors back from the battlefield. The IDF brought Hadar back to his homeland-no one else. So we hold fast to these values: that we don’t abandon soldiers on the battlefield, because this is a value, and we don’t compromise on values. And what this war has proven is that when we fight for our soldiers, we succeed. Victory means bringing home the hostages and bringing home our soldiers to Israel.”
{Matzav.com}
The head of the BBC has stepped down today following a scandal involving the broadcaster’s use of manipulated footage of Donald Trump from January 6.
After five years at the helm of Britain’s publicly funded media institution, Tim Davie issued a statement acknowledging that he was assuming “ultimate responsibility” for the broadcaster’s recent errors.
“Overall the BBC is delivering well, but there have been some mistakes made and as Director-General I have to take ultimate responsibility,” Davie said in the statement, which conspicuously did not mention the former President by name.
His departure follows the disclosure that the BBC’s flagship investigative program, Panorama, edited two separate segments of Trump’s speech on January 6, 2021, and combined them to suggest that he had explicitly instructed supporters to attack the Capitol.
{Matzav.com}The long-anticipated publication of the proposed Giyus legislation, authored by MK Boaz Bismuth, has been put on hold — not for political reasons, but out of kavod for the gadol hador, Hagaon Rav Dov Landau, rosh yeshivas Slabodka, whose health has recently declined, Arutz Sheva reports.
Although the new version of the conscription bill has already been prepared and reviewed, its official release was deferred out of deference to the rosh yeshiva, according to Arutz Sheva.
“In fact, a general green light was already given at the end of last week by Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch,” a source told Arutz Sheva.
The same source noted that “Degel HaTorah and Shas are waiting to hear the principled opinion of Rav Dov Landau, who has not been feeling well in recent days.”
Both parties have made clear that no steps will be taken until they receive clear direction from Rav Landau.
Earlier last week, Rav Landau, who is ninety-five years old, traveled to Switzerland to raise funds for Keren Olam HaTorah. During the trip, he began to feel weak and returned swiftly to Eretz Yisroel to rest and receive medical care.
When the agenda of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee was released last Thursday, observers immediately noticed the absence of the Draft Law from the list of topics, a clear indication that its discussion will wait until guidance is received from the rosh yeshiva.
{Matzav.com}
Shas chairman Aryeh Deri claimed that the recent downfall and arrest of Chief Military Prosecutor Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi stemmed from her own efforts to push for the arrest of yeshiva students who refused to enlist in the IDF.
During a private conversation with one of his party’s rabbanim, Deri reportedly remarked that “the true reason for her great downfall” was that “she was among those who led and pushed for the arrest of bnei yeshivos.”
As quoted in the party’s publication, Deri said: “See how the Creator runs the world. That same Military Advocate General was one of the foremost drivers behind arresting bnei yeshivos. She stood at the forefront of the fight against lomdei Torah, pressing the army authorities to detain more and more bnei yeshivos. She ended up, unintentionally, causing the great prayer rally to be organized. She herself created the power of public tefillah that pierced the heavens—and through that, she brought about her own downfall.”
Tomer-Yerushalmi was released from custody over the weekend and placed under ten days of house arrest by the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court. At the police’s request, she was also barred from contacting other suspects in the case for 55 days.
The embattled general, who admitted to involvement in leaking classified information, appeared at her hearing via Zoom from Neve Tirtzah Prison. She faces allegations of fraud and breach of trust, abuse of authority, obstruction of justice, and providing confidential information as a public official. She posted bail of 20,000 shekels but was not restricted from leaving the country or required to surrender her passport.
According to police testimony presented to the court, investigators have conducted dozens of actions and interviews in recent days. “Since the first remand extension, the investigative team carried out numerous measures and collected multiple statements,” a police representative said. “The suspicions against her have significantly strengthened. The concern over obstruction has hovered over the case throughout, even before her arrest.”
{Matzav.com}
Hitchhiking Israeli bochurim speak candidly to their driver about the current giyus/draft issue, a dignified conversation about one of the most divisive issues in Israel.
WATCH:
