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Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu held a “warm conversation” with U.S. Vice President JD Vance last night, the premier’s office announced on Tuesday.
The meeting, which focused on “regional issues,” followed Netanyahu’s “successful meeting” with President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., the Prime Minister’s Office stated.
Trump credited Netanyahu on Monday for guiding the Jewish state to victory over a “force the likes of which very few countries could have handled.”
“He’s a wartime prime minister,” Trump said of Netanyahu, responding to a question from JNS during a press conference outside Mar-a-Lago. “He’s taken Israel through a very dangerous period of drama.”
“That’s a pretty big statement, but it’s true,” the president told JNS. “If you had the wrong prime minister, Israel right now would not exist.”
Netanyahu said earlier on Monday that he held a “great meeting” with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also serves as the national security adviser, as part of his visit to Florida.
Tommy Pigott, principal deputy spokesman at the U.S. State Department, stated that the two met to “discuss regional security, economic cooperation and the fight against antisemitism.”
Vance claimed in a Dec. 21 interview that concerns about antisemitism are sometimes raised as a way to avoid discussing “a real backlash to a consensus view in American foreign policy” regarding the Jewish state.
Vance condemned antisemitism in the interview with the conservative Unherd outlet, saying that “antisemitism, and all forms of ethnic hatred, have no place in the conservative movement. Whether you’re attacking somebody because they’re white or because they’re black or because they’re Jewish, I think it’s disgusting and we should call that stuff out.” JNS
{Matzav.com}
A strong majority of American Jews believe that Israel’s standing around the world has taken a serious hit over the past year, according to a new nationwide survey, even as many say their own emotional connection to Israel has deepened.
The poll, released Monday by the Jewish People Policy Institute, found that 85% of respondents felt Israel’s global image was damaged in 2025. At the same time, 49% said they now feel closer to Israel than they did at the start of the year, while 20% reported feeling more distant.
Concerns about antisemitism within the United States also featured prominently in the findings. An overwhelming 88% of those surveyed said they agree with Texas Senator Ted Cruz’s assertion that “there has been a significant rise in antisemitism on the right over the past six months.”
Cruz has previously described the recent spike as “the largest he has seen in his lifetime,” a view that drew near-universal backing across ideological lines. Only 4% of respondents said they disagreed, with liberal, moderate, and conservative Jews all expressing broad agreement with his assessment.
By contrast, nearly three-quarters of participants — 73% — rejected Vice President JD Vance’s statement that “the Republican Party is not significantly more antisemitic than it was a decade ago.”
On foreign policy, the survey highlighted growing unease over the role of Middle Eastern states in shaping global affairs. American Jews ranked Iran as the most serious danger facing Israel, with 83% describing it as an existential threat even after the 12-day war in June.
Notably, the small but wealthy Gulf state of Qatar emerged as the second-most significant perceived threat to Israel, surpassing other regional actors. Respondents were less inclined to see Turkey as a top danger, though majorities said Iran, Qatar, Yemen, and Turkey all pose risks not only to Israel but to the United States as well.
When asked to rank those dangers, participants consistently placed Iran first, followed by Qatar, then Yemen and Turkey, underscoring a shared sense that the regional landscape has become increasingly hostile.
{Matzav.com}
Spain’s Ministry of Finance announced a ban on the import of products from hundreds of Israeli locales in Judea, Samaria, eastern Yerushalayim and the Golan, becoming the first major E.U. member state economy to implement such a measure.
The ban was set to become effective today, the ministry said, adding this was the result of a September decree “adopting urgent measures against genocide in Gaza and in support of the Palestinian population.”
The decree “prohibits in its Article 3 the importation into Spain of products originating from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” according to the statement.
To be applied, the ministry is to “approve the list of localities and postal codes corresponding to the Israeli settlements,” the text reads. With the announcement, the measure “is approved” and “will take effect the day after its publication” in the Boletín Oficial del Estado (“Official State Gazette”), the text read.
Slovenia, one of the E.U.’s smallest economies with about 2 million citizens, announced a similar ban in August, becoming the first E.U. member to boycott Israeli products. Legislation to effect a ban is being worked on in Ireland’s parliament.
Enfoque Judio, a reputable Spanish-Jewish news site, confirmed the authenticity of the document published. It noted in its reporting that the inclusion of the Golan Heights in the ban lies outside of the approved September decree.
Enrique Martínez Olmos, editor-in-chief of the ESDiario news site, condemned the ban in a sharp-worded editorial, whose title describes the measure as “a measure that Hitler would endorse.” The ban “prohibits and singles out Jewish products, much like in 1930s Germany,” he wrote.
Israel exports roughly $850 million in goods to Spain annually, according to the Israel Export Institute, roughly half the volume that Israel imports from Spain. Products from Judea, Samaria and the Golan are believed to account for a small fraction of the Israeli exports to Spain.
A spokesperson for Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not reply to JNS’s request for comment in time for publication.
Angel Mas, president of ACOM, a prominent pro-Israel group in Spain, told JNS that his organization has challenged the ban in an appeal before the Spanish Constitutional Court. ACOM considers the ban immoral, he said.
In addition to ACOM’s legal fight against it, “We intend to bring these discriminatory and openly hostile measures to the attention of the United States Department of State,” Mas said. “The current Spanish government has lost any sense of proportion or restraint and is crossing red lines that no democratic government should cross.”
In the court appeal, ACOM said the ban was illegal on several counts, including in how it “directly conflicts with E.U. law, particularly in areas where the European Union holds exclusive competence, such as trade policy and the functioning of the internal market.”
The decree’s passing was also flawed procedurally since it “must still be debated and approved by Congress, a process likely to take place in the coming months.” And still, “the Spanish government has already begun applying the measures in practice across commercial activity involving Israel,” he said.
“From the outset, the decree is built on a fundamentally flawed and discredited premise,” Mas added. “Its introductory [notes] assert, as established facts, allegations of ‘genocide’ and ’famine’ allegedly committed by Israel in Gaza, claiming that these accusations are supported by ‘all international experts.’ These claims are demonstrably false, legally unsubstantiated, and deeply contested,” Mas said.
‘Remove or block identified ads’
Separately, on Tuesday, another Spanish government ministry threatened seven real estate rental platforms with unspecified “actions” if they continue to advertise Israeli-owned properties in those areas.
The seven entities are “multinational companies,” a spokesperson for the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030 wrote in a statement published on Dec. 30. It did not name the platforms.
The ministry “has detected that seven platforms had published 138 advertisements for tourist accommodations located in Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory,” the statement said. “This advertising is considered illegal under Article 4 of the Royal Decree-Law adopting urgent measures against the genocide in Gaza and in support of the Palestinian population, approved in September,” it also said.
“A first formal request has been sent to the platforms, urging them to immediately remove or block the identified ads in Spain. Failure to do so could result in further action by the ministry,” it read.
Spain is one of three European Union member countries that have intervened in South Africa’s 2023 lawsuit for alleged genocide against Israel, widely understood as an endorsement of the suit. The country’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, in May called Israel a “genocidal state.”
Airbnb, one of the world’s largest short-term rental platforms, in 2019 reversed a policy it had announced the previous year, which would have banned assets like the ones that Spain wanted blocked. The reversal followed two federal lawsuits in the United States. JNS
{Matzav.com}
Federal preservation advocates are mounting a challenge to a Department of Homeland Security plan to swiftly tear down a cluster of historic structures in Washington, D.C., arguing that the agency is bypassing required safeguards in the name of security.
The dispute centers on 13 buildings at the St. Elizabeths federal campus, a site created by Congress in 1855 and once known as the “Government Hospital for the Insane.” According to reporting by The Washington Post, DHS has asked for emergency clearance to demolish the structures, sharply limiting the time preservation groups have to respond.
In an internal memo cited by the Post, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described the vacant buildings as posing “a present risk to life and property,” warning that their location within the DHS West Campus could make them attractive to “individuals seeking to cause harm to personnel,” including those planning “active shooter scenarios.”
To accelerate the process, DHS filed an emergency notice with the General Services Administration, the federal body that oversees government real estate. That move compressed the review window to just three days, prompting swift objections from preservation organizations.
In a joint letter to the GSA, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the D.C. Preservation League rejected the security rationale. “If the space within these vacant buildings is accessible, [it’s the GSA and Homeland Security that have] “failed to effectively secure them,” the groups wrote, according to the Post.
The letter went on to criticize the emergency designation itself, stating: “A unilateral declaration like this is problematic because it bypasses the procedural safeguards designed to ensure stability, legitimacy and fairness. [Noem’s concerns over safety] imply a fundamental flaw in the facility’s security as a whole.”
The clash comes in the wake of other controversial changes to historic federal properties. Critics note that the push to raze buildings at St. Elizabeths follows President Donald Trump’s efforts to build a new ballroom at the White House, a project that involved demolishing the historic East Wing and drew sharp condemnation from historians and preservationists.
The Post reported that preservation groups are urging the GSA to reject the emergency request and require DHS to follow the standard review process before any demolition proceeds.
{Matzav.com}
[Video below.] In a wide-ranging interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu laid out Israel’s security priorities, regional ambitions, and diplomatic outlook following extended discussions with President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
Netanyahu said Israel is watching closely as Iran works to rebuild its military capabilities, including nuclear enrichment and missile production. He warned that Tehran has not abandoned its ambitions and must be stopped from regaining them. “The President was correct when he said that Fordow was obliterated, so they’re trying other sites. They’ll try that. They also are trying to recover their ballistic missile production facility,” Netanyahu said, adding, “We set them back considerably on both areas, but, yeah, they’ll try. And I think the President was right to tell them, ‘hey, don’t, don’t’. That’s basically what his message was.”
He stressed that the core issue with Iran remains its nuclear infrastructure. “And I think with Iran, the real issue is they should accept the fact that they shouldn’t have enrichment, nuclear enrichment capability. They should take out all the material that they’ve already enriched, take it out of Iran and have inspections,” he said.
Netanyahu also disclosed that Iran recently staged military drills simulating missile strikes on Israel. “I said if you dare do that, you know, the results would be devastating. So I hope Iran doesn’t make that mistake,” he warned.
Turning to Gaza, Netanyahu argued that any progress toward stability hinges on one essential demand. “One word, disarmament,” he said, explaining that Hamas remains heavily armed, with tens of thousands of rifles and an extensive tunnel network. “You’ve got to take all these rifles, take them away from them,” he said, adding that Hamas’ refusal to disarm is the central barrier to moving forward.
Asked whether stripping Hamas of its weapons is realistic, Netanyahu said the effort deserves a chance, possibly through international involvement. “I think we have to give it a chance,” he said, noting that an international stabilization force could play a role. “If it can be done the easy way, fine.”
On Gaza’s future leadership, Netanyahu said no meaningful change can occur while Hamas remains intact. A new governing framework is possible only “if you disarm Hamas,” he said, emphasizing, “The point here is not to negotiate with Hamas… Their job is to vanish, stop, no more. And you know who wants it more than anyone else? The people of Gaza.”
Addressing criticism of Israeli military actions during the ceasefire, Netanyahu defended Israel’s responses to threats. “These terrorists try to kill us… What would you do? Well, you just did. There was this jihadist in Syria who killed two Americans. Bam. You hit them back,” he said.
On tensions in Judea and Samaria, Netanyahu rejected claims of widespread violence by Jewish residents, describing the incidents as limited and unacceptable. “It’s about 70 kids. They’re not from the West Bank… they do things like chopping the olive trees… I can’t accept that. That’s vigilantism. I’m taking that out,” he said, contrasting those acts with the scale of terror attacks against Israelis. He added, “I want peaceful coexistence between the Israelis and the Palestinians who live in Judea and Samaria, which is part of our ancestral homeland.”
Netanyahu dismissed suggestions that he needed to persuade President Trump on Israel’s approach. “We saw eye to eye. He cut right to the chase,” he said. “He said, look, skip all this press stuff… you’ve got to get Hamas to disarm.”
Looking beyond immediate conflicts, Netanyahu expressed confidence that Israel’s regional standing has improved, opening doors to new diplomatic opportunities. “I think it’s possible precisely because of the great achievements that we had fighting Iran and its axis… people are open to a peace agreement,” he said, citing Israel’s military strength and economic growth. “We’re just a high-tech juggernaut.”
On his ongoing legal case in Israel, Netanyahu reiterated that he views the charges as politically driven. “The president was right to call for a pardon,” he said. “They said that I received a bribe… favorable coverage in a third-rate Internet site. That’s the bribe.”
He described what he sees as the trivial nature of the allegations. “On the first day of my cross-examination… 29 years ago, your son received a Bugs Bunny doll. That’s what they’re cross-examining. And about cigars I received from a friend. That’s the trial. So it’s ridiculous. It’s been dissolving.And the president is right to ask for a pardon.”
Responding to accusations that he is extending the war for political reasons, Netanyahu pushed back forcefully. “This is so vicious and so false… I’ve been to war… One of my best friends died in my arms… That’s the last thing I want,” he said, adding that his goal is to convert military success into long-term stability. “What I want to do is to secure the future of Israel and to give it a future of peace, prosperity, and security.”
On the global surge in antisemitism, Netanyahu urged vigilance and resolve. “If somebody says they want to kill you… believe them, and be prepared,” he said, calling for firmer international action. “President Trump does. Many governments don’t. And they should.”
Asked about Syria’s interim leadership, Netanyahu signaled cautious openness. “We’d like to see if we can have a different relationship with them. We have talks, which we never had with the Assad regime,” he said.
WATCH:
{Matzav.com}
Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu addressed the international criticism surrounding Israel’s decision to recognize the self-declared Republic of Somaliland, defending the move during an interview with Newsmax while visiting the United States.
Responding to questions about the backlash from European governments and Muslim-majority countries, Netanyahu framed the recognition as a values-based decision. “Why not support a democratic moderate country that wants to join the Abraham Accords? I think everybody should do that,” he said.
He described Somaliland as a stable and moderate society, emphasizing its population and political character. “Somaliland has six million citizens – moderate Muslims, they want to join the Abraham Accords, and I think that’s very good,” Netanyahu stated.
The prime minister went on to contrast Somaliland with the broader situation in Somalia. “They are democrats, they’ve had elections,” he said, adding that this stands in stark contrast to “the rest of Somalia, which is hodgepodge, has had Al-Shabaab terrorists there, never had elections for, I don’t know, for decades, has had a lot of terrorists coming there.”
Following Netanyahu’s announcement last week, Channel 12 reported that discussions about establishing ties with Somaliland intensified as Israel explored options for countries willing to accept Palestinians from Gaza during the ongoing war with Hamas.
The report also noted additional strategic considerations behind the move, including Somaliland’s geographic proximity to Yemen, which could provide Israel with improved access for surveillance and potential strikes against Iran-backed Houthi forces operating there.
{Matzav.com}
While thousands of New York City homeowners rushed to clear snow after last weekend’s storm to avoid penalties, icy walkways next to government-owned properties told a different story.
City officials issued more than 3,000 summonses to private property owners, with fines beginning at $100, under rules that require sidewalks to be shoveled within a set number of hours after snowfall ends. Those enforcement standards, however, do not apply the same way to sidewalks controlled by the city or the state.
Along Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, commuters encountered a long, slippery stretch of sidewalk bordering a Long Island Rail Road train yard that remained buried under snow and ice Monday morning. During peak travel hours, pedestrians were left navigating the hazardous conditions with care.
Comparable situations appeared elsewhere, including outside city-owned parks. Near Dean Playground in Prospect Heights, neighbors voiced concerns about safety after sidewalks remained unshoveled. Only after complaints were made did Parks Department crews arrive to clear the area.
The city acknowledges that while it strictly enforces snow-removal rules on residents and businesses, it does not issue fines to itself or to other government agencies. The Department of Sanitation says it lacks authority to penalize fellow agencies and generally responds to large sidewalk areas only after receiving complaints.
As one resident put it, “It’s funny how the rules are enforced block by block — unless the sidewalk belongs to the city.” For now, officials say the primary way to prompt action on unshoveled government sidewalks is for residents to report the issue by calling 311 or using the city’s 311 app.
{Matzav.com}
