“Change of Biblical Proportion” coming to the Middle East: Mike Huckabee’s report

Important Takeaways:

  • If there’s one thing former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is confident about, it’s that a second Trump presidency would bring a “change of biblical proportion” to the Middle East. And if history is any indication, he’s absolutely right.
  • “What the Israelis want is something simple: They want peace. They want their people home,” Huckabee said on Fox News. But peace isn’t possible as long as Hamas is still in play. “They have said even as recent as two weeks ago that they would try to do another October the 7th. So, let’s not be in any way fooled that they want peace. They don’t. They want the destruction of the Jewish state.”
  • Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war has been weak at best, with indecision and wavering support. Meanwhile, under Trump, the Middle East saw “real significant peace,” as Huckabee pointed out. The Abraham Accords, brokered under Trump, were a game-changer—something the Biden White House has done little to build upon.
  • Huckabee also dismissed the idea of a two-state solution, a concept often pushed by European and Arab nations. “They militarily marched 10,000 Jewish people out of Gaza, turned it into a complete Palestinian state, and the result we saw [on] Oct. 7,” he reminded viewers.
  • As Huckabee awaits Senate confirmation as U.S. Ambassador to Israel, he knows the stakes couldn’t be higher.

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Recent report: Biden admin to pressure Trump into backing an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facility

missile launch site Iran

Important Takeaways:

  • Israel sees opening for strikes on Iranian Nuclear Sites, U.S. Intelligence finds
  • The finding was included in an analytical assessment produced around the new year as the Biden administration wound down. The analysis highlighted the risks of further high-stakes military activity in the Middle East after the degradation of Iran’s capabilities over the past year.
  • The intelligence analysis concluded Israel would push the Trump administration to back the strikes, viewing him as more likely to join an attack than former President Joe Biden and fearing the window for halting Tehran’s pursuit of a nuclear weapon was closing, two of the people familiar with the intelligence said.
  • The U.S. intelligence community produced a second report delivered during the early days of President Trump’s administration reiterating that Israel is considering such strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, according to one of the U.S. officials familiar with the intelligence.
  • S. military support and munitions would likely be needed for an Israeli attack on Iran’s heavily fortified nuclear sites given their complexity, U.S. military officials say.
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office didn’t respond to requests for comment, and Israel’s military declined to comment. Israeli officials have repeatedly signaled that there is an opportunity for more aggressive action against Iran.

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Israel’s security cabinet fully supports Trump’s demand that Hamas release all hostages by noon on Saturday

Israeli soldiers Gaza

Important Takeaways:

  • Israel’s security cabinet fully supports President Donald Trump’s demand that the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas release all of its hostages by noon on Saturday or that “all hell is going to break out,” an Israeli official told Fox News.
  • The declaration comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his security cabinet Tuesday after Hamas announced it would delay the next release of Israeli hostages.
  • “The decision I passed in the Cabinet unanimously is this: If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon – the ceasefire will end, and the IDF will resume intense combat until Hamas is decisively defeated,” Netanyahu said in a statement after the meeting.
  • “In light of Hamas’ announcement of its decision to violate the agreement and not release our hostages, I instructed the IDF last night to amass forces inside and around the Gaza Strip. This operation is currently underway and will be completed as soon as possible,” Netanyahu added.
  • “We also welcomed the President’s revolutionary vision for the future of Gaza,” Netanyahu said.
  • The sides have carried out five swaps since the ceasefire went into effect last month, freeing 21 hostages and more than 730 Palestinian prisoners. The next exchange, scheduled for next Saturday, calls for three more Israeli hostages to be freed in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

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“Cancel it, and all bets are off” unless Hamas releases all of the remaining Israeli hostages

Important Takeaways:

  • Hamas has said it will not release the next batch of Israeli hostages this weekend as planned, citing alleged Israeli violations of the fragile ceasefire, a development that could derail an already fragile three-week-old truce agreement.
  • “If they’re not here, all hell is going to break out,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday night. He added of the ceasefire: “Cancel it, and all bets are off.”
  • Trump said the final decision would be up to Israel, saying: “I’m speaking for myself. Israel can override it.”
  • When asked if the US would join in a response to Hamas if hostages weren’t freed, Trump said: “Hamas will find out what I mean.”
  • The president also said he might withhold aid to Jordan and Egypt if those countries did not take refugees from Gaza.
  • Another 16, including eight bodies, are due to be released as part of the first six-week phase of the ceasefire. In total there are 76 captives still held in the strip.
  • The Hamas spokesperson Abu Obeida cited alleged Israeli violations of the ceasefire deal, including delaying the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza, blocking the arrival of aid and attacking civilians. He said there would be no more hostage releases until Israel “complies and compensates for the past weeks”.
  • Israel denies the Hamas allegations.

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Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas revokes prisoner payments dubbed “pay for slay”

President Mahmoud Abbas speaks with Trump

Important Takeaways:

  • Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has issued a decree on Monday revoking the system of payments to families of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails or to families of Palestinians who were killed or wounded during attacks against Israelis.
  • The system — referred to as “pay for slay” by the first Trump administration and the Israeli government — was a major point of friction between the U.S. and the Palestinian Authority.
  • The U.S. and Israel have argued for years that the system incentivized attacks on Israelis, and repeatedly demanded that the Palestinian Authority revoke it.
  • But the Israeli Foreign Ministry issued a statement Monday denying that the payments would actually end: “This is a new fraudulent trick by the Palestinian Authority, which intends to continue making payments to terrorists and their families through other payment channels.”
  • Palestinian officials told Axios they hope Abbas’ decision will improve relations with the Trump administration and with Congress and lead to the resumption of U.S. financial aid to the Palestinian Authority.
  • According to a copy of the decree, all families that benefited from the previous system are subject to “the same standards applied without discrimination to all families benefiting from protection and social welfare programs” in the Palestinian Authority.

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Santorini has experienced over 7,000 tremors and Israeli officials are reviewing safety measures in case of tsunami

Important Takeaways:

  • A series of earthquakes in the Aegean Sea has raised concerns in Greece and Israel, and officials and experts are taking action to address potential risks.
  • Santorini and Amorgos have experienced thousands of tremors since late January. The strongest earthquakes have reached magnitudes of 5.2 to 5.3.
  • Experts warn that these tremors could be part of a foreshock sequence, increasing the risk of a stronger earthquake.
  • Greek authorities report that more than 7,850 earthquakes have hit the Santorini-Amorgos seismic zone since Jan. 26. The continuous seismic activity has increased the risk of landslides on Santorini’s steep slopes.
  • Limited landslides have already hit tourist areas such as Red Beach and the Old Port. Authorities are worried about further rockfalls.
  • A state of emergency will remain in effect on the island until March 1.
  • Ariel Heimann, a senior geologist at the Institute for National Security Studies… noted that although Israel is over 1,200 kilometers from Santorini, a significant offshore earthquake could still trigger a tsunami capable of reaching Israel’s Mediterranean coast
  • Israeli officials are reviewing safety measures, including evacuation plans for coastal cities like Haifa.
  • The ongoing tremors keep scientists and authorities on high alert. No one can confirm if a major earthquake or tsunami will strike, but preparedness efforts in Israel and Greece continue to increase to reduce risks.

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Taking ownership of Gaza: U.S. will be responsible for removing all the dangers and creating thousands of jobs

Israeli airstrike

Important Takeaways:

  • The U.S. will “take over the Gaza Strip,” level it and rebuild the area, President Donald Trump said during a press conference Tuesday evening after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.
  • “The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too,” Trump said Tuesday evening in a joint press conference with Netanyahu. “We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous, unexplored bombs and other weapons on the site.”
  • “Level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings, level it out, create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area,” he said. “Do a real job. Do something different. Just can’t go back. If you go back, it’s going to end up the same way it has for 100 years.”
  • “I see it bringing great stability to that part of the Middle East and maybe the entire Middle East,” Trump said.”
  • “Developing and creating thousands of jobs with something that will be magnificent in a really magnificent area that nobody would know. Nobody can look because all they see is death and destruction and rubble.”
  • Netanyahu, when also asked about the Gaza Strip, reiterated to the media that he has three goals, one of which is to “make sure that Gaza never poses a threat to Israel again.”
  • “President Trump is taking it to a much higher level,” the Israeli leader said. He sees a different future for that piece of land that has been the focus of so much terrorism, so much, so many attacks against us, so many, so many trials and so many tribulations. He has a different idea, and I think it’s worth paying attention to this.”
  • The pair’s White House meeting included discussing the current ceasefire deal between Israel and the Hamas terror group and its future, Iran’s grip on the Middle East and resettling Gaza residents in other nations.
  • “In our meetings today, the prime minister and I focused on the future, discussing how we can work together to ensure Hamas is eliminated and ultimately restore peace to a very troubled region,” Trump said during the press conference. “It’s been troubled, but what’s happened in the last four years has not been good.”
  • The Israeli leader continued that his nation’s victory would also be a win for America.
  • “Israel’s victory will be America’s victory,” Netanyahu said. “We will not only win the war working together, we will win the peace. With your leadership, Mr. President, and our partnership, I believe that we will forge a brilliant future for our region and bring our great alliance to even greater heights.”

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Israel celebrates release of hostages as Hamas vows to repeat Oct 7th

Important Takeaways:

  • Israel is celebrating the release of eight hostages and preparing to welcome three more on Saturday. However, the joy is tempered by the reality that terrorists are being freed from Israeli prisons, and there is still no clear plan for Gaza’s future.
  • Israeli officials say the three hostages set to be released from Gaza on Saturday are Ofer Calderon, American-Israeli Keith Siegel, and Yarden Bibas. Bibas is the father of 2-year-old Kfir and 5-year-old Ariel, who remain in captivity in Gaza along with their mother, Shiri.
  • The eight hostages released on Thursday returned to a hero’s welcome from family, friends, and the entire nation.
  • Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu exclaimed, “Arbel, Agam, Gadi, Welcome Home! The entire State of Israel embraces you, as do my wife, Sarah, and I.”
  • 80-year-old Gadi Moses, who endured captivity for 482 days, returned to Israel smiling as he reunited with his children. He had been abducted from his home at Kibbutz Nir Oz, where his partner was killed and many of his family members were also taken hostage. All of them were freed a year ago in a previous deal — except him.
  • Arbel Yehud reportedly spent her entire 482 days in isolation. Her chaotic exit from Gaza saw her surrounded by angry mobs of Gazans yelling and pushing as she made her way to safety.
  • Her ordeal was so disturbing that Netanyahu temporarily suspended the release of Palestinian prisoners until he received assurances from mediators that such incidents would not happen again.
  • The five Thai hostages, who have no family in Israel, were greeted at the hospital by Thailand’s ambassador. They appear to be in good health. “Thank you, thank you so much. I’m sure that they will feel at home here,” Thai Ambassador Pannabha Chandraramya told the Israeli crowd gathered to greet the hostages.
  • Palestinian Prisoners Released; Terrorists Celebrated
    • Among the 110 Palestinian prisoners released on Thursday in exchange for the hostages was Zakaria Zubeidi, a notorious West Bank terrorist leader responsible for numerous deadly attacks. He received a hero’s welcome in Ramallah, where he thanked Allah for his freedom.
    • Despite suffering over a year of devastating losses, Hamas continues to project an image of victory. A senior Hamas official recently stated, “The Palestinian people were not defeated. The enemy did not achieve its goals.”
    • In an interview with Iranian television, Mohammed al-Najjar, head of Hamas’ youth department, boasted, “October 7 will be repeated with attacks from the West Bank, Lebanon, Egypt — from the east and from all directions. We have achieved a great victory against an enemy that claimed to be invincible.”
    • Hamas official Taher Nounou insists that Hamas will continue to govern Gaza…
    • Negotiators will begin discussing the next phase on Monday, aiming for the release of all remaining living hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

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Red heifers in Israel are drawing the world’s attention

Important Takeaways:

  • In September 2022, the arrival of five red heifers in Israel caught the world’s attention. Now, more than two years later, those cows are being cared for in ancient Shiloh and continue to attract international visitors.
  • Moriah Shapira is the manager of the visitor center at ancient Shiloh. She told us why the red heifers are so important.
  • “Here in Shiloh for the first time after 2000 years, we have real kosher red heifers, which is really exciting,” she explained.
  • She added, “In the Bible it says when a person wants to enter the Temple, which is called the House of Life, he has to go through a process using ashes of the red heifer, meaning that the red heifers are actually the key to the Temple.”
  • Jewish tradition maintains that the red heifer ashes are needed to rebuild the Third Temple. Some Christians believe a Third Temple would pave the way for the end times.
  • Even Hamas reportedly blamed the red heifers in part for their invasion on October 7th, 2023, because of their belief that Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa Mosque would be in danger if the heifers were used to build the Third Temple.
  • For a heifer to be selected these qualifications must be met:
    • Be an adult cow with reddish-brown hair
    • No hairs of a different color
    • No blemishes
    • Never used for any other purpose
  • We were able to see the Heifers on our visit to Shiloh. Two have already been disqualified, but only one is needed to qualify for the purification for the Temple.

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Hamas already rebuilding and in their view the price was worth it; did the IDF really accomplish their mission?

Important Takeaways:

  • “From Hamas’s perspective, they are making a major comeback as a dominant force in Gaza,” Dr. Michael Milshtein, a senior researcher at the Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University…
  • “Their situation is not bad. It’s terrible for us to say this because we wanted to see a battered, beaten, and maybe even barely existing organization. Yesterday, the education system in Gaza announced that schools will soon reopen, even though 85% of schools no longer exist. 6,000 Hamas police officers have been deployed throughout the strip, making it clear to everyone who is in charge and signaling that there’s no point in talking about the ‘post-war era,'” he said.
  • … in their view, the price was worth it. In their count, 50,000 died, and the destruction of Gaza is the justified price for the harm caused to Israel and for their national pride. I’m not justifying them, but that is their narrative, and it’s time we understand that,” he added.
  • Blinken spoke about 4,000 new recruits to Hamas, and that’s just from the past few months. They will use the near future to rebuild. This means organization structures, new appointments of commanders, and attempts to locate weapons’ wherever possible.”
  • Mission accomplished?
  • Yesterday, Hamas waved one of the major symbols of this statement – the commander of Beit Hanoun, whom we thought we had killed, ended up being still alive.”

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