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A Storm Is Coming: Massive Attack Expected on Israel This Week
Israel’s military displays what they say is an Iranian ballistic missile which they retrieved from the Dead Sea after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, at Julis military base, in southern Israel, April 16, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen
There’s a storm coming to Israel, and it’s expected to be more severe than the Iranian attack last April. The mood here is one of tension, but not panic. Israelis continue to live, work, play, and basically continue normal life, but with a close eye on the news. Meanwhile, the United States may be unintentionally enabling the very bloodshot and instability it seeks to prevent.
Hezbollah (the Iranian backed terror organization that effectively controls Lebanon) recently struck a soccer field, killing 12 Druze children and injuring some 30 more. This is in the context of northern Israel becoming almost entirely uninhabitable through 10 months of constant Hezbollah bombardment.
In response to this massacre (but also in response to the past nine months of attacks) Israel killed Hezbollah’s top military commander, Fu’ad Shukr, via a targeted airstrike on an apartment in Beirut. Less than 24 hours later, an explosion, widely attributed to Israel, killed Hamas chief Ismael Haniyeh in an Iranian safehouse in Teheran. During that same 24-hour period, Israel finally issued confirmation that its July 13 strike on the notorious Hamas commander Mohammad Deif in Gaza, did in fact successfully kill him.
These strikes are significant: it is the first time Israel has struck such high level commanders; it is the first time Israel has struck in the heart of Beirut and Tehran; and it is the first time Israel has held Iran directly accountable for the acts of its proxies.
Immediately following these strikes, Iran announced that, together with its proxies, it would perform its “duty” of “avenging [Haniyeh’s] blood,” including what appears to be a threat to intentionally target civilians.
Shortly before these events, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to possibly invade Israel, saying “Just as we entered [Nagorno-]Karabakh, just as we entered Libya, we might do the same to [Israel].” Even if mere bluster, the threat is particularly distressing, as Turkey is a member of NATO.
Israel is now preparing for possible simultaneous attacks from all sides: Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iranian proxies in Syria, the Houthis in Yemen, Gaza, and possibly even Turkey as well. The attacks are expected to occur in the coming days, and they are expected to be more severe than the attack last April, when Iran and the Houthis launched over 300 missiles and drones at Israel, most of which were neutralized prior to hitting their targets.
Like last April, Israel is working with allies, including the United States, which has sent the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier to the region, as well as other assets, including a Marine amphibious ready group with some 4,000 troops. The Marine group is notable as it is typically an offensive force designed for combat, not merely missile interception. British commander Adm. Tony Radakin met in Tel Aviv with his Israeli counterparts in recent days, and it appears that Egypt, Jordan, and various Gulf states are also prepared to help intercept incoming missiles.
Yet there were also some concerning developments out of Washington. During a phone call last week that included Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and American Vice President Kamala Harris, President Biden accused Israel of escalating tensions — a bizarre claim given that Israel is responding to Hezbollah’s massacre of 12 children, as well as to 10 months of bombardment in the face of astonishing Israeli restraint. Biden reportedly further threatened to abandon Israel’s defense if Israel were to cause any further escalations, a terribly concerning statement to make toward a US ally in public. Ironically, this approach is more likely to increase the severity of Iran’s upcoming attack, rather than the reverse.
When asked if the assassination of Hamas leader Haniyeh has ruined the chances for a ceasefire deal that might return Israeli hostages, Biden said: “It hasn’t helped.” In fact, the truth may be the opposite: until now Hamas has had time on its side, as international pressure on Israel grows, the health of the hostages deteriorates, and Hamas leadership remains safe in Qatar. The recent high level assassinations have shattered that reality, for the first time placing a degree of direct pressure on Hamas and Iranian leaders that they had not experienced previously.
Israeli journalist Haviv Rettig Gur, speaking recently on Bari Weis’ “Honestly” podcast, referred to an American “obsession with stability,” noting that America has actually decreased stability by allowing its enemies to gradually escalate while tying the hands of American allies against appropriate retaliation.
Neville Chamberlain’s famous “peace in our time” policy was well-intentioned, but produced the exact opposite of peace: enabling Hitler to initiate the largest and bloodiest war in human history. Similarly, America’s “stability in our time” (my own turn of phrase) may be leading the Middle East, and perhaps the world, in a similarly unintended direction.
In any case, we expect an intense multi-front attack in the coming days. Israelis have quietly stocked up on food, water, batteries, AM/FM radios and the like. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers, and please encourage your elected officials to provide us with the firm and unconditional support that this situation requires.
Daniel Pomerantz is the CEO of RealityCheck, an organization dedicated to deepening public conversation through robust research studies and public speaking.
The post A Storm Is Coming: Massive Attack Expected on Israel This Week first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israel’s Defense Exports Hit Record $15 Billion in 2024 Despite European Pressure, Calls for Arms Embargo
Israeli troops on the ground in Gaza. Photo: IDF via Reuters
Israel reached a new all-time high in defense exports in 2024, nearing $15 billion — the fourth consecutive year of record-breaking sales — despite mounting international criticism over the war in Gaza and growing pressure from European countries to suspend arms deals.
In a press release on Wednesday, Israel’s Defense Ministry announced that defense exports reached over $14.7 billion last year — a 13 percent increase from 2023 — with more than half of the deals valued at over $100 million.
According to the ministry, Israel’s military exports have more than doubled over the past five years, highlighting the industry’s rapid expansion and growing global demand.
“This tremendous achievement is a direct result of the successes of the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] and defense industries against Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, the Ayatollah regime in Iran, and in additional arenas where we operate against Israel’s enemies,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement.
“The world sees Israeli strength and seeks to be a partner in it. We will continue strengthening the IDF and the Israeli economy through security innovation to ensure clear superiority against any threat – anywhere and anytime,” Katz continued.
In 2024, over half of the Jewish state’s defense contracts were with European countries — up from 35 percent the previous year — as many in the region have increased their defense spending following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Despite increasing pressure and widespread anti-Israel sentiment among European governments amid the current conflict in Gaza, this latest data seems to contradict recent calls by European leaders to impose an arms embargo on the Jewish state over its defensive campaign in Gaza against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.
On Wednesday, Germany reversed its earlier threat to halt arms deliveries to Israel, reaffirming its commitment to continue cooperation and maintain defense contracts with Jerusalem.
“Germany will continue to support the State of Israel, including with arms deliveries,” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told lawmakers in parliament.
Last week, Berlin warned it would take unspecified measures against Israel if it continued its military campaign in Gaza, citing concerns that exported weapons were being used in violation of humanitarian law.
“Our full support for the right to exist and the security of the State of Israel must not be instrumentalized for the conflict and the warfare currently being waged in the Gaza Strip,” Wadephul said in a statement.
Germany would be “examining whether what is happening in the Gaza Strip is compatible with international humanitarian law,” he continued. “Further arms deliveries will be authorized based on the outcome of that review.”
Spain and Ireland are among the countries in Europe that have threatened or taken steps to limit arms deals with Israel, while others such as France have threatened unspecified harsh measures against the Jewish state.
According to the Israeli defense ministry’s report, since the outbreak of war on Oct. 7, 2023, after the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel, the operational successes and proven battlefield performance of Israeli systems have fueled strong international demand for Israel’s defense technology.
Last year, the export of missiles, rockets, and air defense systems reached a new high, making up 48 percent of the total deal volume — up from 36 percent in 2023.
Similarly, satellite and space systems exports surged, accounting for 8 percent of total deals in 2024 — quadrupling their share from 2 percent in 2023.
While Europe dominated Israel’s defense export market in 2024, significant portions also went to other regions. Asia and the Pacific made up 23 percent of total sales — slightly lower than in previous years, when the region approached 30 percent.
Exports to Abraham Accords countries fell to 12 percent, down from 23 percent in 2022, while North America remained stable at around 9 percent.
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Israel Recovers Bodies of 2 Slain Hostages From Gaza
An undated photo of Judith Weinstein-Haggai and Gadi Haggai. Photo: Screenshot
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet security agency recovered the bodies of two deceased hostages during a special operation in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced on Thursday.
Gadi Haggai and Judith Weinstein-Haggai, a married couple with US citizenship, were murdered during their morning walk near their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists invaded southern Israel and perpetrated the largest single-day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. Their bodies were taken to Gaza as hostages.
“We will not rest or be silent until we return all of our abductees home — the living and the dead alike,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “Together with all citizens of Israel, my wife and I convey our heartfelt condolences to the dear families. Our hearts grieve over this terrible loss. May their memories be blessed.”
The IDF discovered the corpses of Gadi Haggai and Judith Weinstein-Haggai in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, having announced their deaths in December 2023, and described the operation to retrieve the bodies as designed to prevent the killings of any hostages who remain alive. The IDF said that intelligence from the military and Shin Bet “led to accurate planning of a covert operation, which was carried out while preserving the lives of the other hostages and led to the recovery of the bodies of the two.”
The couple’s daughter, Iris Weinstein Haggai, wrote Thursday on Instagram that “my beautiful parents have been freed. We have certainty. 
Thank you to the IDF, the FBI, the Israeli and the American governments and to everyone who supported and is supporting us and all hostage families always – We couldn’t have breathed without you. 2 WOMEN are still held by monsters in Gaza, 56 hostages are held hostage In Gaza, our hearts will not be whole until all 56 hostages are back home 
They must all come home.”
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum released a statement which called the recovery of the couple “painful and heartbreaking” but added that “it also brings healing to our uncertainty.” The group stated that “their return reminds us all that it is the state’s duty to bring everyone home, so that we, the families, together with all the people of Israel, can begin the process of healing and recovery … The mission can be completed as early as tomorrow morning. This is what the majority of the Israeli people want.”
Kibbutz Nir Oz described Judith as an English teacher with expertise instructing special needs students and those struggling with anxiety, while it called her husband “a sharp and gifted brass musician” as well as “a chef, and a devotee of healthy vegan food and sports.”
Of the 251 hostages kidnapped during the Oct. 7 atrocities, 55 remain in captivity, including the bodies of at least 33 confirmed dead by the IDF. Twenty are believed to be alive. Terrorist groups in Gaza are also holding the body of an IDF soldier killed in 2014.
“The State of Israel is morally and nationally committed to returning our brothers and sisters, living and not living, and we will continue acting with determination until the mission is complete,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement.
Gadi, 72, and Judith, 70, leave behind four children and seven grandchildren.
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Tribeca Film Festival Begins in NY, Featuring Israeli and Jewish-Themed Documentaries, Feature Films
A promotional photo for “Dead Language.” Photo: Tribeca Film Festival
The 2025 Tribeca Film Festival begins this week in New York City’s lower Manhattan and features a lineup of Jewish and Israel-related films, including the world premiere of several films and the North American premiere of a documentary about a former Hamas hostage.
“Holding Liat” follows the parents of Israeli-American dual citizen Liat Beinin Atzili, who was kidnapped by Hamas-led terrorists from Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, especially her father, as he advocates in the US for her release and safe return home. Atzili was released in the first Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal in late 2023. Her husband, Aviv Atzili, was killed on Oct. 7 and his body is still being held in Gaza. The film, which won the top documentary prize at the Berlin International Film Festival earlier this year, was directed by Brandon Kramer and co-produced by Darren Aronofsky. “Holding Liat” will have its North American premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 9, with additional screenings on June 10-12.
The only Israeli feature film being screened at Tribeca is “Dead Language” by Michal Brezis and Oded Binnun, which is an expanded version of their Oscar-nominated short film “Aya.” The film is about a woman who is waiting at the airport for her husband but impulsively decides to pick up a stranger instead and pretends to be his chauffeur. It will be screened as part of Tribeca’s Viewpoints section, which last year awarded Tom Nesher’s “Come Closer,” an Israeli film that later won the Ophir Award for best feature film. “Dead Language” is making its world premiere at Tribeca on June 9, with additional screenings on June 10 and June 12.
Also making its world premiere at Tribeca is the documentary “Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything,” about the life and career of the Jewish television personality, iconic interviewer, and news host who died in 2022 at the age 92. The former co-host of “The Today Show” was the first woman to host an American network evening news program and went on to co-create “The View.” The documentary, directed by Jackie Jesko, features commentary about Walters from her colleagues, friends, and some of the subjects she interviewed. “Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything” will make its world premiere at Tribeca on June 12, with further screenings on June 13 and June 15.
Comedian, actor, and podcast host Marc Maron will participate in a discussion on stage following Tribeca’s New York premiere of “Are We Good?” a documentary about his everyday life, career, and the sudden loss of his partner, filmmaker Lynn Shelton. The film is directed by Steven Feinartz and premieres June 14, with an additional screening on June 15.
The late, legendary Jewish performance artist Andy Kaufman is the subject of another documentary being screened at Tribeca, titled “Andy Kaufman Is Me.” Directed by Clay Tweel, the film features marionette puppetry, Kaufman’s never-before-heard audio diaries, and his semi-autobiographical, unfinished novel. The film festival described the documentary as a “wildly entertaining” film and “a trippy, funny, and deeply personal ride through the mind of a man who never played by the rules — and never wanted to.” The film also features interviews with his siblings, Michael and Carol Kaufman, as well as David Letterman, Carol Kane, Tim Heidecker, and others. Kaufman died of lung cancer in 1984 at the age of 35. “Andy Kaufman Is Me” will have its world premiere at Tribeca on June 6 and there will be additional screenings on June 7 and June 12.
Making its New York premiere at Tribeca is “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore.” Filmmaker, actress, and writer Shoshannah Stern’s debut documentary spotlights the life of influential Jewish deaf actor Marlee Matlin, who became an Oscar winner in 1987 at the age of 19 for her performance in “Children of a Lesser God.” Her other film credits include “CODA,” which won an Oscar in 2021 for best picture and garnered Matlin a Screen Actors Guild award. “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore” will premiere as part of the Tribeca Film Festival on June 9 with additional screenings on June 11 and 12.
The Tribeca Film Festival runs from June 4-15. It was created by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro, and Craig Hatkoff to help revive lower Manhattan following the 9/11 terrorist attack.
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