Nu? So what has been happening here in Israel over here past week? And more importantly, how do the majority of Israelis feel about recent developments? As many Americans are celebrating the reception of President Trump in several parts of the Middle East as a king or some type of royalty, Israelis are scratching their heads in wonder and are very concerned to say the least. But let us back up a bit.

Last Friday, IDF jets struck over 20 targets in southern Lebanon taking out Hizbulla weapons supply stashes, underground tunnels and hideouts for terrorists. Families in the northernmost Israeli towns and villages are being allowed to return and rebuild. Almost two years after they were evacuated, the area bordering Lebanon is now being deemed safe. No terror threat.

Also, last Friday, a new previously unknown Iranian nuclear weapons facility was found by satellite imaging. The site location spreads out over 2500 acres. Sources on the ground inside Iran confirm this and locate it far from the other Iran sites. This raises fresh concerns about the veracity of Iran in developing weapons of mass destruction. US State Department officials are now deciding how to confront this information. They have not only the site location, but also the layout.

The Israeli army erected a field hospital for wounded Syrians just below the eastern edge of the Golan Heights in “no man’s land,” the buffer zone between Israel and Syria. This hospital serves wounded Druze and Christians. Some of the more severely wounded are being flown to Israel’s hospitals for further treatment. By the way, this was my son’s old IDF unit. He participated in this same activity when the Syrian Civil War under Assad was raging back in 2017-2020. Now it’s the “moderate” jihadi rebels who are killing and persecuting the non-Muslims.

Sirens continue to sound out throughout the center of the country on a daily basis. Most are from Houthi launched missiles. All but one have been intercepted before hitting their target. Still, it has Israeli schoolchildren and business people, soldiers and moms all running for cover to shelters. This was after the US bombed 50 of their missile sites and Israel blew the heck out of their ports. The Yemeni terror group called a ceasefire with Trump. They will no longer be aiming to disrupt international shipping lanes at sea. Israel, however, remains fair game. And the missiles continue.

So this is where the head-scratching starts. Monday, the Trump administration informed Prime Minister Netanyahu of Hamas’ intention to release IDF lone soldier, Idan Alexander, a dual American-Israeli citizen (his mom is Israeli and the family lives in Teaneck, NJ). The release is a “goodwill gesture” orchestrated by Qatar and US envoy, Steve Witkoff. It comes with no compensation or conditions. A free gift.Supposedly, Hamas relented to give up the captive at the last minute in an hopes to stop the launch of “Operation Gideon’s Chariots.” This Israeli army push is to be an all-out attempt to rid the Gaza Strip of terrorists, tunnels, weapons, launch sites – and free the remaining 59 hostages. It calls for a sharp escalation in Israeli military force in Gaza.

Now. Are any more hostages being released? Does one have to have an American passport to be set free? What about the American couple (now deceased) Gadi and Judi Weinstein Haggai, still being held? Or the body of Itai Chen, 19 a dual citizen? Is Trump betraying Israel or setting Israel up? Why did Trump visit Qatar, a known supporter of terrorism: a country who gives Hamas top leadership safe harbor? Is Qatar expecting something in return from Trump for releasing Alexander?

Hamas now says they are ready and willing to enter into intensified negotiations with Witkoff, hoping to reach a deal. They have finally agreed to having the Strip run by some independent authority. We have had rumors that Trump is giving this task to Saudi Arabia. Israel insists that the area must be cleared of terrorists and that all the ‘resistance fighters’ must be completely disarmed. Any Gazan civilian who wants peaceful passage to another country willing to take them in may do so. Months of negotiations have proven fruitless, but the moment Trump comes, Hamas are suddenly quite cooperative. They can give back the hostages if they want, but they have decided to withhold them as a bargaining chip and to stall for time.

“It is pretty simple: if Qatar can arrange for a hostage to be freed, they can influence the captors. Freeing one while others remain means they’re not just mediators- they are complicit in keeping the rest hostage.” – Rabbi David Wolpe, Los Angeles.

Israel stands by the position that it’s the cutting off of more humanitarian aid and intensified military operations that have pushed Hamas to the brink. Just yesterday, there was information that the top members of the terror group would be together in an important meeting at one of the abandoned hospitals in Khan Younis. The IDF, acting on this, blew up the structure, first receiving word that no captives were being held there. We are still waiting to find out if Yahya Sinwar’s brother, Mohummad Sinwar, was killed as well as another top Hamasnik.

Trump is wrapping up his Mideast trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE today. This trip is a strategic one for him militarily, financially and politically. All three countries have signed huge deals with Trump announcing massive investments in the U.S.

Qatar has gifted the President a $400million plane to be used as the new AirForce One. This rich, terror supporting regime should not be given legitimacy. They are working so hard to rebrand themselves. They are behind the US university encampments and protests. Do not fall for their money. They are behind the kidnappings and massacres of 7 October as they funded Hamas and supplied arms to them. They are behind the past failed hostage negotiations. Qatar can order Gaza to release all the hostages in an instant. Pay attention to what is happening. Do not fall for their money or their “gifts” as it is a gold plated Trojan horse.

Qatar’s population is just over 300,000. It is a large country in area, mostly sand with tons of barrels of oil underneath. Over the past decade, this Muslim country has implemented the single most sophisticated infiltration of the West. Over one billion Qatari dollars have flowed into the American university systems. Their professors have been placed in US university classrooms. Their students have flooded the campuses.

They have poured money into American think tanks, local governments and media. Their lobbying efforts in Congress are mind blowing. “In 1996, with the help of Al Gore, Qatar unveiled a new venture that was destined to transform global media while it gave voice to anti-Americanism, anti-Zionism…AlJazeera.” – Lee Smith. It is now one of the largest media global groups with branches throughout the world.

After meeting with the Saudis and the Qataris, Trump held a meeting with Syrian President Mohammad al Jolani, now Ahmed alSharaa. He was on the American most wanted list just last year. The “moderate” now in a suit. He can wear a sharp suit and a tie, but we all know the man is a terrorist. He wants strict sharia law to rule Syria and all minorities wiped out. They should not be given legitimacy. These countries are trying to shed their war-torn image and get official recognition by a superpower. Do not fall for their attempts to rebrand.

Israel has not been invited to any of the high powered MidEast meetings. President Trump did not, in fact, make a stop here. Was Israel royally snubbed? Just a few weeks ago, the Deputy Prime Minister of Qatar posted this threat of annihilation to the social media platform, X:

According to the White House, Trump outlined the following demands for AlSharaa: Join the Abraham. Accords and normalize relations with Israel; expel all foreign terror from Syria (to where? Qatar?); assist the US in preventing a resurgence of ISIS; take full control of ISIS detention centers in northeastern Syria.

Some in Israeli media are stating “ Qatar gets full recognition. Syrian jihadists get full access. Hamas gets deals. Trump gets a plane. Israel gets sidelined.” And I quote one pundit “If Biden had done the $hit Trump has been doing, the right would be up in arms.” Reuters reports that the US has dropped its demand that Saudi Arabia normalize relations with Israel in exchange for a civil nuclear program. The Times of Israel reported that a “non-governmental individual told Hamas the move to release Idan Alexander would help with Trump’s team and pressure Israel into a complete cease fire.” On Monday Trump called Iran “reasonable and intelligent” in the latest US-Iran talks in Oman. Witkoff blamed Netanyahu for prolonging the war, a Biden era trope.

There is a clear overall impression that has emerged. Trump is willing to twist the arms of Israel diplomatically; go behind their backs; leave them in the dark. In a Breitbart interview, Steve Witkoff trashed the “neocons” (aka Zionists) who feel that war is the only way to solve things. Thus far, Netanyahu, the IDF and the majority of the Israeli public wants the area cleared of the terrorist element. However forcefully that needs to be. Get the job done. End it once and for all and bring back the hostages.

So Idan Alexander was finally set free. The Qatar president along with Trump and Witkoff invited him to a meeting today in Qatar. Why? He could barely walk unsupported from the REped Cross car to the Israeli helicopter waiting to take him home. He’d been chained hand and foot in a cage in a dark tunnel for over 20 months. Cigarette burns and scars on his arms. And he was asked to go to Qatar? As a prize? His father adamantly said no. He was in no condition and was in the hospital recuperating and reuniting with his family. We all breathed a huge sigh of relief here in Israel. Most Israelis were incredulous that the invitation was even proposed at all. The kid needs to rest and be treated for PTSD. He was malnourished from forced starvation and needs time to recover. The absolute gall!!!! On a side note, it is expected that he will meet Trump at the White House some time next month.

Yesterday, Netanyahu stated that Israel might go independent militarily. To be honest, the IDF has proven it is strong enough to hold its own. Israel has the capacity to manufacture its own weapons and military gear and has already started along that path. We should not be dependendent upon another country. Allies, yes. Dependent, no. Diplomatically, Israel should not be beholden to another country. We should be free to defend ourselves and for the IDF and Knesset to make their own decisions about how and when that should be done.

And to wrap things up: late last night John and I received news from Samaria. A young couple in their early 30s were driving to the hospital because the woman was in active labor. Arab terrorists used a laser to blind drivers on the road and then opened fire on three cars. Two of the drivers escaped, but the couple in the third car were hit. The man was taken to the hospital in serious condition. The woman was critically wounded. They were transported to the nearest hospital where the woman had a Caesarian to deliver the baby. The baby remains in serious condition. The mother succumbed to her wounds.

This morning we read that the woman, 30, was named Tseala Gaz, (הי״ד), an English teacher and mother of three (now four) small children under 7 years old. The baby is fighting fore its life. This is breaking the hearts of the entire nation. The IDF has launched a manhunt to apprehend the terrorists.

Weeks before her death, Tseala made the most remarkable, most positive video, that left me in complete tears. It’s an incredible clip on resilience and hope. Unfortunately I don’t know how to close caption the English. In essence: when the day is bad, the bags are heavy, the news is grim, you can give in and give up….or you can take a deep breath, a sip of water. Change your attitude. Change your outlook. Count your blessings. Dance! We are strong! We are resilient! Take care of your own needs. Recharge, then go out into the world and be that light…

https://youtube.com/shorts/l2pLyDoyQYY?si=u_abl6a1VDbGbkX5

This tragedy is a strong and important reminder of what we are fighting for. A battle of good versus evil. We cannot let her death be in vain. Go out and do good deeds today in her merit. Pray for those children and her husband. She was on her way to have a child. The terrorist was on his way to kill. We cannot stop until good wins. Let Tseala’s children grow up in a better world. Go out this day and be a light in Tseala’s name.

I was just about to post this when I received a message from my WhatsApp group. The rabbis wife sent this note just written from Hananel Gaz, Tseala’s husband. Now you will get a glimpse into what makes this country so amazing.