Arlene Kushner | September 17, 2026
Netanyahu Visiting IDF position in South Lebanon. Screengrab via Youtube.
It is a rare occurrence when a topic is closed and finished after I have addressed it in just one posting. And so it is, with regard to the horrendous NAZA “documentary” – the focus of my last posting – that there is a good deal more to consider…
The path that this is taking should hardly be a surprise to us. It was fairly inevitable and it is likely that there will be more to follow:
“Hamas on Tuesday called on the International Criminal Court, United Nations bodies and human-rights organizations to investigate testimony in the Israeli film ‘NAZA’ and consider the anonymous accounts as evidence against the Jewish state.
“Israel’s Foreign Ministry responded on X on Wednesday, accusing the filmmakers of providing propaganda useful to the terrorist organization.”
https://www.jns.org/live/breaking-news#000001a0-aa03-d727-afe5-af0f99900000
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Kudos to Bibi who has announced that he is submitting two government bills. “The first is to revoke citizenship from those who slander IDF soldiers. The second is to hurt their wallets and to multiply the amount one may demand in a defamation suit by 20.”
Then, most appropriately: “And one more thing, I expect all Knesset factions that say they support the Zionist idea to support these two bills.”
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/433273
It will not be a simple matter to revoke citizenship; we’re likely to see cries of freedom of speech, civil rights, and such. But the prime minister, who is rightfully enraged, is sending a message.
My own hope is that the legislation will be passed and applied successfully in appropriate cases. We have moved beyond what is tolerable in this situation.
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One venue that has opened up to make the case for Israel – and to put the lie to current defamation of IDF soldiers – is the award-winning Fauda series, available on Netflix. With enormous power and veracity this series tells the story of an undercover unit in the IDF, as its members confront terrorism. The series is beginning its fifth year and in episodes 7 and 8 the story of the October 7 massacre is told. It is having an enormous impact around the world, including – amazingly! – in Arab countries.
This short clip explains the power and influence of Fauda:
https://worldisraelnews.com/watch-fauda-season-5-makes-headlines-around-the-world/
Journalist Avi Issacharoff, co-creator, writer and producer of Fauda, alongside Lior Raz, draws upon his experience in an IDF anti-terrorist undercover unit in writing for the series.
Confessed Issacharoff at a recent speaking event: “The secret of season five is that it really came from our hearts. From our bleeding hearts.”
I cite here an article by journalist Ben-Dror Yemini, who charges – no surprise – that we are losing the battle against the lies told about Israel. There is, he suggests, a more effective approach: stop relying solely on a defensive approach and go on the offensive. He makes a valid point that merits serious consideration. (Emphasis added):
“The truth is losing. No factual study showing that there was no genocide will help. Neither will a graph based on Hamas’ own list of the dead, not the IDF’s, showing that most of those killed were men of fighting age.
“Nor does it seem to matter that credible estimates of those killed in the U.S.-led ‘war on terror’ between 2001 and 2018 found that close to 70% were civilians, while almost no one seriously argued that those wars amounted to genocide…
“We are living deep inside an age of propaganda and lies. A modern blood libel has been successfully spread because facts no longer matter.
“Claims of genocide were already being made roughly a week after October 7. Those making them did not wait for casualty figures. They did not need facts or evidence.
“They invented a narrative, and an enormous collection of useful idiots, political activists, journalists, influencers, social-media bullies and people who call themselves researchers, some with Qatari funding and some without, joined in.”
“[It is time to stop] assuming that disproving each individual lie will solve anything,” writes Yemini. “It is time to attack…The gloves should come off.”
We have the evidence, and it is time to use it:
“The truth should be presented for what it is: Hamas, as part of a broader radical Islamist movement that spreads destruction, death and devastation wherever it takes hold…
“Take out full-page advertisements in the world’s leading newspapers featuring quotations from Hamas leaders about conquering America and Europe.
“Show Hamas supporters waving swastika flags because of their identification with Nazism…
https://www.ynetnews.com/opinions-analysis/article/h1j08hitfx
While mindful of Yemini’s suggestion, I turn to words spoken by Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor at a ceremony Tuesday marking the New Year. These are upbeat and courageous words:
“Almost three years have passed since that terrible morning, the Shabbat of Simchat Torah, 6:29 a.m., the day and hour when the sky fell. The rupture was terrible, the disaster was immense, your trust in us was broken, and the personal security of Israeli citizens was severely damaged-but we rose from the shattered pieces, gathered them up, regained our composure and fought as one man, with one fate and one mission. We were forced to go to war such as we had never known…
“War is an ancient phenomenon-difficult, painful and cruel. It requires enormous reserves of strength, and in order to continue and persevere through it over the years, despite its heavy costs, faith and belief in the justice of the cause are required. And we are right! We are right. We carry a torch of light and goodness and are fighting a great war against darkness and evil.
“Hamas is deployed at the heart of a population that supports it, sympathizes with it and identifies with it. Hamas is not an ‘outsider’ in Gaza. It grew out of it, grew up and was educated there, within a radical and murderous Islamic culture. And yes, there are also those there who oppose its path, but they are unable to influence reality.
“In many respects, it can be said that we are raising the banner of the right of an enlightened, democratic, value-driven and moral state to defend itself, to fight without fear in order to defeat a terrorist organization that seeks to destroy it and whose arsenal contains nothing but barbaric, base, inhuman and immoral murder.
“And within all this war, we insist on keeping our camp pure, distinguishing between the enemy and those who are not involved, striking the enemy and thwarting it, while at the same time doing everything in our power to minimize harm to those who are not involved. Hamas, by contrast, cynically uses civilians as human shields and as cover for itself. It benefits if they are harmed, and it benefits if we refrain from harming them and its operatives.”
“Our strength is great and our spirit is steadfast, and therefore those who seek to defame us seek to harm our name around the world, sow doubt in our hearts and undermine our unity…
“They will not succeed!” (Emphasis added)
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/433206
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To remember always, and to remind others, of the justice of our cause is extremely important. With all its other sins, what the NAZA documentary also failed to do was to consider the consummate evil of Hamas on October 7, which brought us to war in Gaza.
Gen. Asor also includes this: “In the face of false claims, we will present facts; to difficult questions, we will answer honestly. And when a failure is discovered among us, we will investigate, learn and correct.”
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Let us turn now to good news:
At the end of May, the IDF, after a prolonged and significant operation, captured the ancient structure known as the Beaufort Castle in Lebanon, north of the Litani. It sits high up on the Ali al-Taher ridge.
At that time, the IDF indicated that we would not be leaving because a Hezbollah presence on those heights represented a risk to areas of northern Israel.
This past week, Israel had another announcement as the Ali al-Taher ridge, which had been a major stronghold of Hezbollah for decades, was totally in the control of the IDF. In all, 14 tunnel routes on the ridge, stretching about 5.4 kilometers, were detonated utilizing 1,100 tons of explosives. The operation, which was extraordinarily complex, moved slowly because Hezbollah terrorists had fortified themselves within that underground system.
“You have to be there to understand the scale of the event and its significance, both psychologically and physically, for Hezbollah,” a senior military official present during the operation said. Now Hezbollah’s last and most significant line of defense in southern Lebanon, is “nothing more than a sandbox.” This is a huge blow to Hezbollah, as its ability to command and control the area has been dramatically damaged. As Hezbollah is a major Iranian proxy, this is also a blow to Iran. (Emphasis added)
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-908383
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With regard to Iranian proxies, the Houthis in Yemen, who for a period were relatively quiet, are now striking aggressively with full encouragement from Iran. A major target has been Saudi Arabia, and the Saudis have grown enormously uneasy as attacks hit close to Mecca, Islam’s holiest city.
Just a month ago, a defense agreement had been signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan. Under the pact, an attack on one of the three countries is to be considered an attack on all of them. But since the attacks on Saudi Arabia there has been nothing but pronouncements from the other two parties to the agreement – condemning the attacks and verbally supporting Saudi sovereignty.
And so, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (de facto ruler) – aware that Israel provided assistance to the United Arab Emirates during the war – turned to Israel for assistance. Not directly, but via CENTCOM. Information has surfaced that US military commanders met in Germany with Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan and Egypt to discuss tensions in the area. And it is my understanding that Israeli intelligence made its way to the Saudis via the US. What the Saudis are seeking is Israeli intelligence and also military technology.
This is a moment of diplomatic flux that may have considerable positive implications for Israel going forward. Not so very long ago, there was serious talk about the Saudis joining the Abraham Accords. But then – looking over their shoulders at Iran – they shifted in the opposite direction, saying that they would not pursue normalization with Israel until we advanced a Palestinian state.
But when push comes to shove, the reality is that Israel has a great deal to offer that the Saudis are seeking. Normalization will not happen tomorrow, but there is talk now about Saudi rapprochement with Israel.
I have written about this in other contexts: Nations preferring a public stance that is hostile to Israel, or reflects distance from Israel, not infrequently recognize what Israel offers and seek quiet connections.
And speaking of the Abraham Accords: Morocco had signed on to the Accords in December 2020, agreeing then to normalization with Israel. But now it has been announced that there will be an upgrade in the diplomatic relations between Israel and Morocco: The status of their respective diplomatic missions will be raised to embassies and ambassadors will be appointed.
Sunday night begins Yom Kippur, the holiest of holidays. For each of you, and all of Am Yisrael, I pray for Gmar Hatima Tova – that we all will be sealed in the coming year for blessing.
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Please, pray for Israel.Arlene Kushner
©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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