Arlene Kushner | September 9, 2026
By Chadica from Jerusalem, Israel – Another shofar, CC BY 2.0, Link
Rosh Hashanah begins on Friday night.
And so, I want to begin by wishing my readers a year of many blessings: good health, love, inner peace, and a strong sense of purpose.
May those who are celebrating find their hearts profoundly touched by the cry of the shofar. We are living in momentous times that call upon us to be all that we are meant to be.
May we find ourselves enveloped in an atmosphere of quiet and safety.
And may special blessings come to the security forces that protect us.
Before Rosh Hashanah does come in, I want to offer a brief look at some of the major issues we must deal with going forward:
On Sunday, Trump envoy Jared Kushner said during a press conference in Kyiv, that “Washington was only beginning to understand what is required to demilitarize the Gaza Strip, calling it ‘beyond your comprehension. Demilitarizing it is not going to be easy.’
“The United States worked with Hamas for more than four months, he said, resulting in the terrorist group committing to lay down its weapons. ‘You can’t go in if there’s guns,’ Kushner said…” (Emphasis added)
https://www.jns.org/news/world/kushner-demilitarizing-gaza-not-going-to-be-easy
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Who knew that demilitarizing Gaza was going to be exceedingly difficult? Actually, a whole lot of people. But according to Jared, neither he nor the powers that be in Washington were amongst them.
Jared actually admitted that Washington didn’t have a clue as to what would be involved.
Where has he been all this time? Or, let me put it another way: Why is he still the chief negotiator, if it took him this long to figure it out? The US, he has told us, secured a commitment from Hamas – a jihadist entity that routinely lies! – that they would lay down their weapons. Now the Americans are apparently facing the fact that it’s an enormous step from that commitment to actual disarmament. What a surprise.
I hate to break it to Jared, but he’s wrong when he says, “You can’t go in if there’s guns.” Agreed, if there are guns you can’t go in to do the reconstruction that Trump envisions. But the bottom line is that the only way to effect genuine demilitarization – as compared to fake demilitarization – is if a strong force goes in while the terrorists are holding on to, or have hidden, their guns.
Jared Kushner answers questions in Kiev after consultations with Zelensky and Putin. Screengrab via Youtube.
Of course, the US is not ready to take advice from Israel yet or turn the problem over to the IDF, the only military that is both able and willing to disarm Hamas.
In the meantime, Israel will not be withdrawing from the yellow line that runs the length of Gaza.
We retain control of about 60% of Gaza to the east of that line. This provides a buffer between Hamas and the citizens of Israel and a vantage point for monitoring and responding to potential threats. We will utilize every opportunity to take out those threats, although there is disagreement between Israel and the US with regard to how a “threat” is defined.
![IDF [Resized]](https://www.israpundit.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Screenshot-2026-09-09-125626-fotor-20260909125744-300x150.jpg)
IDF [Resized]
Here we see one example of the sort of action that is being taken:
On Tuesday, IDF troops under the Southern Command “launched precise strikes in several areas across the Gaza Strip, destroying three Hamas and Islamic Jihad weapon storage facilities. Additionally, a launch pit from which rockets were fired toward Israeli territory throughout the war was dismantled.”
The weapons inside the storage facilities included rockets and Kalashnikov rifles.
After the operation, a statement was released: “The IDF will continue to operate decisively to degrade the capabilities of terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip while thwarting any attempt to rebuild capabilities or use weapons intended to harm IDF troops.”
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/432930
This is important work that is being done in Gaza and must continue. But taking out threats is not the same as fully disarming the terrorists. That will require a major, sustained military operation. Most Israelis understand that this is coming some time down the road.
It would be difficult not to conclude that the active participation in the Board of Peace of states such as Turkey, Pakistan and Qatar constitutes a significant stumbling block to the genuine disarmament of Hamas.
Further, I would suggest that the influence of these states is very likely a motivating factor in US attempts to narrow the definition of “threat.”
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But we have more to contend with than Hamas in Gaza, for we are fighting on multiple fronts at the same time. At present, the IDF is focused on Judea & Samaria and the military expansion of the Palestinian Authority, which is showing signs of preparing to emulate the Hamas attack of October 7.
This time, there is no possibility of surprise. Both the military and pertinent government officials are keenly aware of the possibilities and watching closely. Defense Minister Yisrael Katz has delivered a warning to the PA:
“If the security apparatuses of the Palestinian Authority and the bodies associated with them launch, or we know for certain that they are about to launch, an October 7-style terrorist attack against forces and Jewish settlements, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I instructed the IDF to prepare to launch an all-out war against senior officials and mechanisms of the [Palestinian] Authority, the bodies associated with them, and against all terrorist infrastructure in Judea and Samaria – in order to quickly bring about their complete defeat.”
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-907809
DM Israel Katz. Photo by Itzhak Harari / Knesset Archives, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikipedia
This is good. It alerts the PA to the fact that they are being watched and that there will be severe consequences if they attack. But standing alone, this warning is still not sufficient.
Action against terrorism must be on-going. It cannot depend on certainty that a major attack is about to be launched, for the strengthening of terrorist forces proceeds by increments.
In a separate statement, Netanyahu declared that Israel would continue to eliminate terrorists, pursue those who direct them, and destroy terrorist infrastructure. In fact, the IDF launches frequent operations focused on these goals. Suspects are brought in for interrogation; infrastructure is destroyed, as is weapon manufacturing equipment; weapons are confiscated.
Additionally, there is close coordination with individual communities and their security personnel.
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In recent days, major drills for our armed forces have been held. On Sunday there was the surprise nation-wide drill – dubbed “Breaking Dawn 2.0” – designed to assess IDF preparedness in the event of a major attack. Preparedness is always reinforced prior to the High Holidays. Forces were mobilized from across the military and simulated simultaneous fighting on seven fronts.
See an Air Force Video here:
On Monday, the IDF launched a large-scale exercise in Eilat and along the border with Jordan. This exercise, which drew on lessons learned from Oct. 7, was designed to strengthen operational readiness under “extreme scenarios” and when there is a surprise attack.
IDF Spokesperson
The warnings have been voiced, preparations have been heightened, and stringent actions against terrorism are being taken. Minister Katz says that terrorism in Judea & Samaria is at its lowest level in decades.
This is reassuring, but we should not delude ourselves. Terrorism is still there, boiling under the surface, erupting time and again.
The warning put out by Minister Katz that I cited above came directly after a serious attack:
The attack took place on Monday morning at the Maoz Yehuda Farm in Samaria. The young victim, owner of the farm, was approached by someone who had driven up in a car. He asked the victim if he was armed and then began to stab him with a knife in his hand and upper body until the knife broke. The farmer is in serious condition.
The terrorist fled in his car and was pursued by soldiers. When he attempted to knife them, they killed him.
https://www.jns.org/news/israel-news/israeli-stabbed-by-terrorist-at-samaria-farm
While there may be a diminished number of discrete terror attacks at the moment, if the Palestinian Authority is hoping to launch an operation on the scale of Oct. 7, there is something far greater with which we must yet contend. And contend we will!!
I’ve taken a brief but tough look at major threats we must face down. We cannot turn away from them. We must not.
But the bottom line of my message is that we will prevail, just as we have prevailed time and again. We are a beautiful people with a strong sense of purpose; we choose life. Our army is well trained and equipped; it is one of the very best. And the Almighty watches over us. We have a history of succeeding time and against in spite of considerable odds.
Let us go into Rosh Hashanah with prayers on our lips and joy in our hearts for the loved ones, family and friends, who care for us and are with us.
Let us exit the holiday period, which extends through Sukkot, with inner peace and a renewed sense of strength.
There will be time enough to consider other matters.
I ask, as I always do, that you please pray. Pray hard for Israel’s strength.
©Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by independent journalist Arlene Kushner. Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution
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