Weekly roundup of world briefs

Israeli Tourism Ministry: 16,000 visitors have left since start of war

By JNS Staff

(JNS) — Eleven days after the launch of “Operation Roaring Lion,” Israel’s Tourism Ministry says about 21,500 tourists remain in the country,

down from roughly 37,000 at the start of the operation.

According to the ministry on Tuesday, about 16,000 tourists have departed Israel since the operation began, while approximately 2,500 have entered the country despite the security situation and travel challenges.

During the period when Israel’s airspace was closed, the Tourism Ministry operated a dedicated transportation service to the Taba land

border crossing with Egypt to help tourists leave the country.

The service, used by hundreds of travelers, was discontinued Tuesday morning following the partial reopening of Israel’s skies for outbound flights. Tourists wishing to depart via land crossings can now use public transportation.

At the same time, the ministry continues assisting Israelis displaced by missile attacks. As of Tuesday, 2,356 residents whose homes were damaged by missile strikes have been evacuated to hotels across the country, in coordination with local authorities and government ministries, with efforts made to house families close to their communities.

Tourism Ministry Director General Michael Izhakov visited the Viznitz Hotel in Bnei Brak on Tuesday, where about 90 evacuees whose homes were damaged in a March 3 missile strike are staying. A day earlier he visited hotels in Jerusalem, including the Leonardo Plaza Hotel, where evacuees from a missile attack in Beit Shemesh are being housed.

“Under the guidance of Tourism Minister Haim Katz, the ministry has been carrying out a sensitive and complex national mission since the start of the operation,” Izhakov said. “Alongside our responsibility to assist citizens whose homes have been damaged, we are also committed to the tens of thousands of tourists staying in Israel during this challenging period.”

Israeli FM mocks Iranian counterpart over claim missiles caused ‘utter destruction’

By JNS Staff

(JNS) — Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Wednesday mocked his Iranian counterpart for suggesting that the Islamic Republic’s ballistic missile attacks had caused “utter destruction” in the Jewish state.

Sa’ar responded with a clown emoji in a post on X to a claim by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that Tehran’s army was “punishing” Israel.

“Netanyahu doesn’t want you to see how Iran’s powerful armed forces are punishing Israel for its aggression,” Araghchi wrote on X, sharing a report about new Israeli restrictions banning live broadcasts showing missile interceptions and impact sites.

“Here’s what our men & women on the ground report: utter destruction caused by our missiles, panicked leaders, and air defenses in disarray,” stated Tehran’s top diplomat, adding: “We’re just getting started.”

The Israel Defense Forces’ restrictions on broadcasting missile attacks were tightened “to prevent providing aid to the enemy during wartime, which constitutes a tangible threat to state security,” IDF Chief Censor Brig. Gen. Netanel Kula said in a March 5 letter to foreign reporters.

The new censorship guidelines prohibit broadcasts showing missile interceptions, to prevent Iran from refining the accuracy of future strikes. However, cameras may still film “neutral areas,” such as streets, roads and bridges.

“Filming impacts at or near security sites is prohibited,” the guidelines state. “For civilian sites, the name of the city may be published, however, the street name and exact address must not be disclosed.”

Since the start of the war, 15 people have been killed in Israel as a result of Iranian ballistic missile attacks targeting civilian areas.

Iran police chief warns protesters will be treated as ‘the enemy’

(JNS) — Iran’s police chief warned citizens against protesting for regime change, saying demonstrators would be treated “as the enemy,” Australia’s ABC News reported on Wednesday.

Police commander Ahmad-Reza Radan told state television that “all our forces have their fingers on the trigger.”

The comments came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Iranians to “seize the moment” and “remove the Ayatollah regime.”

Herzog: May be nearing ‘last chapter’ in war with Iran

By JNS Staff

(JNS) — Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on Tuesday that Jerusalem may be nearing “the last chapter” of the Iran war, and praised U.S. President Donald Trump for “steadfast” leadership as Iranian missile fire continued to target the Jewish state.

In an interview with German tabloid newspaper Bild at his official residence in the Israeli capital, Herzog asserted that the current conflict with the Islamic Republic “may be reaching the last chapter” of the wider war that began with the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, “by changing the entire configuration of the Middle East,” adding that if the Iranian threat is eliminated, the region could “breathe and develop again.”

The president said the Iranian regime had killed about 50,000 demonstrators in its crackdown on domestic protests.

“It is a lesson for the world that you have to confront cruelty with great effort and strength, without batting an eyelid. Now is not the time to bat an eyelid, but to completely undermine it,” he asserted.

Still ‘major challenges’ ahead in Iran war, says IDF chief of staff

By JNS Staff

(JNS) — Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said on Tuesday that there were still “major challenges ahead” in the war against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Zamir, speaking during a tour of the Israeli Air Force’s Tel Nof Airbase in central Israel, commended personnel for “striking targets with great precision” after months of planning “Operation Roaring Lion.”

“We are carrying out many missions here in an extraordinary manner,” he said. “Aerial operations that were planned two months ago are now setting out.”

The military chief added, “We must not become complacent for even a moment. I trust you, I trust the IAF and I trust the IDF to move forward with great strength and great faith—to deliver victory for the people of Israel and to win this war.”

The IDF on Tuesday declared it had dismantled most key assets of Iran’s internal security forces in Ilam province, a western region that became a flashpoint during the widespread anti-regime protests earlier this year.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, in a message to the Iranian people posted to X on Tuesday night, stressed that the joint Israeli-U.S. war against the “tyrants of Teheran” was “a historic war for liberty.”

“The ayatollah is no more, and I know you don’t want him replaced with another tyrant. So you must act. We are creating the conditions for you to do so. We have hit countless regime targets,” it said. “We have taken out thousands of IRGC thugs and hundreds of their missile launchers.”

Israeli and U.S. forces are focused on regime targets only and are doing their best not to harm Iranian noncombatants, according to the PMO.

Hackers attack Academy of the Hebrew Language website

By JNS Staff

(JNS) — Hackers breached the website of the Academy of the Hebrew Language early Wednesday, replacing the homepage with a message declaring, “No need to learn Hebrew anymore. You won’t need it much longer.”

The cyberattack comes amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran and appears to be part of a broader wave of cyber activity targeting Israeli institutions.

The Academy of the Hebrew Language is Israel’s official body responsible for the study and cultivation of Hebrew, charged by law with guiding the development of the language.

Visitors to both the Hebrew and English versions of the academy’s website were redirected to the threatening message, accompanied by an image of “Handala,” a symbol associated with the Palestinian national movement.

The character was created in 1969 by Palestinian cartoonist Naji al-Ali and has since become widely used as a symbol of Palestinian resistance.

Handala is also the name of an Iran-linked hacker group that has carried out cyberattacks against Israeli targets. The group has previously claimed responsibility for infiltrating the devices of Israeli politicians and breaching systems connected to the Clalit health-care network.

Israeli officials have warned that Iran-linked cyber groups have intensified attempts to target Israeli infrastructure since the launch of “Operation Rising Lion” on Feb. 28. Israeli cybersecurity experts say such attacks are often intended not only to disrupt services but also to create psychological pressure during wartime.

Amazon halts shipments to Israel amid flight cancellations

By JNS Staff

(JNS) — Amazon has temporarily suspended website orders to Israel in light of the nation’s war with Iran, Hebrew media reported on Tuesday.

Most of Amazon’s shipments are delivered in the cargo hold of civilian passenger planes. With the Jewish state’s airspace now virtually closed, the giant firm was hoping that flights would resume soon, but the continuation of the war propelled it on Monday night to halt all shipments, according to financial outlet Calcalist.

The decision meant that Israeli consumers could not order discounted items in on “MasterCard Day,” which takes place annually on March 10.

The U.S. company delivers thousands of goods to Israel with no shipping costs in orders that exceed $49. This was not the first time that Amazon temporarily suspended deliveries to Israel over the past two years in the wake of war-related airspace closures.

Benny Buchnick, an Israeli who runs an e-commerce group, assured Ynet that “Amazon will return … I presume that next week, even before the war ends, once the skies open up a bit more, deliveries to Israel will resume.”

Chinese firms continue to deliver consumer goods to Israel via Cyprus, despite the war, according to Ynet. However, delivery times have been extended due to flight disruptions in the region.

Israeli gov’t votes to extend nationwide emergency orders

By JNS Staff

(JNS) — The Israeli government voted on Tuesday afternoon to extend a “special emergency” for the entire country until late March due to the ongoing fighting with Iran.

The “Special Situation on the Home Front,” which the government voted to extend through March 26, authorizes the Israel Defense Forces’ Home Front Command to restrict public gatherings and civilian movement.

The proposal to extend the nationwide emergency measures was put on the government’s agenda by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, Ynet reported.

The resolution does not affect Israeli civilians directly but enables the IDF to quickly decide on new restrictions in the light of developing threats posed by Tehran and its terrorist proxies in the region.

Many educational institutions and workplaces have been closed, while public gatherings have been limited, under HFC orders since Jerusalem and Washington started “Operation Roaring Lion/Epic Fury” on Feb. 28.

At least 15 people, all noncombatants, have been killed in some 300 Iranian ballistic missile attacks targeting civilians in the Jewish state.

In a statement on Saturday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commended the Israeli people for the way they were “conducting yourselves in this emergency, understanding the gravity of the hour and following Home Front Command instructions, which truly save lives.”

“In the secure rooms and protected spaces, you are demonstrating a powerful spirit. You tell me, the government, and our heroic soldiers and commanders: ‘Continue until the end, until victory!” he stated.

The premier concluded, “Together, we will continue to stand firm, roar like a lion, and with God’s help, together we will ensure the eternity of Israel.”

Municipal chiefs tell Netanyahu to ‘continue to the end’ against Iran

By JNS Staff

(JNS) — Municipal leaders across Israel told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday that he has their backing to “continue to the end” in the state’s war against the Islamic Republic.

They expressed this sentiment during a meeting with Netanyahu, whom they briefed on the home-front situation, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

They further noted that they are receiving ongoing assistance and guidance from the professional teams at the PMO and from other government agencies, which are helping address needs arising on the ground during “Operation Roaring Lion.”

“Residents are showing extraordinary patience and resilience,” the heads of local authorities were quoted as saying.

The meeting, whose location was not disclosed, was attended by Energy Minister Eli Cohen, acting Director-General of the PMO Drorit Steinmetz and the heads of the municipalities of Modi’in-Maccabim-Re’ut, Bat Yam, Or Yehuda, Beit Shemesh, Mateh Binyamin, Tiberias, Basmat Tiv’on, Kfar Saba and Ganei Tikva.

Israel launched a preemptive attack on Iran together with the U.S. military on Feb. 28, after decades during which the Islamic Republic called for the destruction of the Jewish state and America, effectively orchestrating and funding terrorist activities against them.

Trump nominee for State withdraws after Senate grilling on comments about Jews, race

(JNS) — The Trump administration’s nominee to oversee the United Nations and other multilateral bodies at the State Department withdrew from consideration on Tuesday after senators grilled him last month over past comments about Jews, Israel and race.

Jeremy Carl, a senior fellow at the Claremont Institute, said that his nomination was no longer viable as he lacked unanimous support from Republicans on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

“Unfortunately, at this time this unanimous support was not forthcoming,” Carl wrote. “I accept that political reality and do not wish to have the president, Secretary Rubio or the rest of his team waste valuable time and energy attempting to change that decision.”

In January, Trump nominated Carl to be assistant secretary of state for international organizations, a role that supervises U.S. policy regarding the United Nations and its subsidiaries.

At his nomination hearing in February, Carl floundered under intense questioning about his record of incendiary comments and said he regretted his comments downplaying the significance of the Holocaust.

Carl, who was born Jewish but converted to Christianity, also faced questions about his claims that there is a “genocide” against white people underway in the United States, and that America spends too much “time and energy” on Israel.

His positions on Israel, in particular, seem to have cost him the support of Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah), who said after the hearing that he would not vote for Carl.

Ultra-Orthodox draft exemption law shelved to boost wartime defense budget

By JNS Staff

(JNS) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on Tuesday that the government will pass the annual state budget this month without the highly debated ultra-Orthodox draft exemption law, which will be temporarily shelved, while the defense budget will be increased by roughly $9 billion amid the ongoing war with Iran.

“We are now putting aside controversial issues that are not suitable for wartime,” Smotrich said, citing both the legislation exempting yeshiva students from military service as well as several unspecified reforms.

The finance minister said the decision was taken in consultation with the government’s coalition partners, signaling that they had agreed to wait until the draft exemption bill is passed before approving the state budget.

Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the defense budget will be increased by 28 billion shekels ($9 billion) from the 112 billion shekels ($34 billion) originally cited in the state budget, which passed its first of three required readings in the Knesset in January.

Israel’s state budget is approved first by the government, which finalizes the spending plan before sending it to parliament. Knesset lawmakers then debate the proposal and must pass it in three readings. Failure to do so before the March 31 deadline triggers automatic snap elections.

The Knesset goes on its annual Passover recess on April 1.