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Once Mr. Security, Netanyahu failed to meet Israelis’ most basic security needs. How?
(JTA) — In the aftermath of the worst coordinated attack on Israel since the Yom Kippur War exactly 50 years ago, Israel is in shock. Amid the fog of the ongoing developments, questions abound. First and foremost: how could this happen?
How could military intelligence have failed so colossally? How could IDF bases be so easily overrun? How could Gazans bombard Israel from the air, land and sea, occupying Israeli communities, slaughtering soldiers and civilians alike, and taking dozens of hostages, without any seeming resistance? With harrowing images and videos of Israelis being held hostage or hiding in shelters, how could it take so long for military or police forces to respond? How could Gazans simply bring a bulldozer to tear down the fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip?
Israelis planned to commemorate 50 years since the surprise Egyptian attack on Yom Kippur in 1973, with public discussions underway on the lessons learned from what was once Israel’s greatest intelligence failure. But a new, unimaginable catastrophe has now taken place that will mark Israeli history with yet another failure to anticipate an enemy attack coinciding with a Jewish holiday. Now, as then, inevitably there will be investigative commissions to understand the leadership and operational failures that enabled this unprecedented terrorist assault. Now, as then, the ramifications will be long-lasting.
But for now, as the situation continues to unfold, more immediate questions emerge about the IDF’s response and the days ahead:
What will be the extent of the IDF response, and what will be its goals? How will Israel confront the reality of more than 50 Israelis reportedly being held hostage (from civilians to IDF commanders)? Will the leadership of Hamas be targeted for assassination? Will the IDF reoccupy Gaza? Will Mahmoud Abbas and the PA survive the aftermath amidst increasing irrelevance? Will Hezbollah join in rocket barrages? Will the West Bank and Jerusalem see a wave of attacks? Will Israel-Arab riots commence in the days and weeks to come, reminiscent of the conflict witness during the last Hamas-Israel round in May 2021? And most of all: How does this end?
These events will influence Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s legacy. Once billed as Mr. Security, Netanyahu and the Israeli government failed to provide the most basic security needs of Israel’s citizens.
For nearly a year, my colleagues and I at Israel Policy Forum have joined with others in expressing concern about the nature of Israel’s far-right government, which absurdly placed Itamar Ben-Gvir as minister for national security with authority over Israel’s border police despite his history of radicalism and his lack of any security credentials or experience whatsoever. Our hope, alongside so many others, was that a government influenced by inexperienced, far-right leaders would not be tasked with managing a security crisis, let alone one of this magnitude.
Now, the political future is also murky: Can this government proceed as presently constituted in response to the Hamas assault? In normal times, such a crisis moment would be cause for the creation of a national unity government. Yair Lapid has now called for an emergency unity government, one without Ben-Gvir and other extremist ministers, and Netanyahu seems amenable. Could this be a moment for Netanyahu to upend his coalition?
Lapid’s call for a unity government and other immediate statements from opposition and protest leaders affirm that Israel’s unity in response to this attack — as typically expressed in times of security crisis — is strong. Israeli resiliency in times of crisis has repeatedly been tested and remained steadfast. And yet this crisis comes after months of the fiercest political and societal divisions Israel has ever experienced. Social media is abuzz with outrage over the government’s clear failures, but also with finger-pointing at protest leaders who refused reserve duty in protest of the overhaul for contributing to Israel’s lack of preparedness. Can Israeli unity, so clearly needed in response to this assault, hold?
Meanwhile, the Biden administration’s pursuit of Israel-Saudi normalization will face an enormous test. The administration will be forced to directly engage in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, working to ensure that regional stability can be restored at the end of this round.
But how this ends is deeply uncertain. This round, launched by a horrendous Hamas attack, will be forever remembered for yet another historic intelligence failure by Israeli intelligence, but also for the horrific brutality of the terrorists’ actions, which will not soon be forgotten by a traumatized Israel.
A turning point has arrived. How long this current crisis will last, whether and how the current Israeli and Palestinian leaders survive it, and what comes next for the Israeli and Palestinian people, are all deeply in question. What is not in question: Change is coming.
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The post Once Mr. Security, Netanyahu failed to meet Israelis’ most basic security needs. How? appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Anti-Israel Activism Takes Center Stage at Emmy Awards After Paramount Condemns Boycott of Israeli Film Companies
Javier Bardem at the 2025 Emmy Awards. Photo: REUTERS/Daniel Cole
Several members of Hollywood promoted their pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel activism on Sunday night at the 77th Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
Actor Javier Bardem – who stars in “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” – wore a Palestinian keffiyeh around his neck to the ceremony and talked on the Emmys red carpet about his decision not to work with Israeli institutions and companies.
The Emmy nominee told The Hollywood Reporter that he “will never work with some company now [who] are not condemning the genocide in Gaza.” If his decision impacts the number of jobs he gets, he said, “Me not getting jobs is absolutely [ir]relevant compared to what is going on there.”
The “F1” actor also told Variety on the Emmys red carpet: “I cannot work with someone that justifies or supports the genocide. I can’t. It’s as simple as that. And we shouldn’t, in this industry and in any other industry. What we are witnessing is a genocide on a daily basis.”
Also on Sunday, in Bardem’s home country of Spain, a major cycling race was shut down after thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators clashed with police while protesting an Israeli team’s participation in the race. Bardem mentioned the shutdown while speaking on the Emmys red carpet and said Israel’s inclusion in the race is an example of “whitewashing” the “genocide” Israel is supposedly perpetrating in Gaza.
“We ask for a commercial and diplomatic blockade, and sanctions on Israel to stop this genocide. Free Palestine,” Bardem said.
Earlier this month, thousands of members of the Hollywood film industry signed a pledge by Film Workers for Palestine to boycott any Israeli film institutions and companies that are “implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.” More than 1,300 filmmakers, actors, and other creatives signed the pledge.
The film production giant Paramount criticized the boycott in a released statement on Sept. 12.
“At Paramount, we believe in the power of storytelling to connect and inspire people, promote mutual understanding, and preserve the moments, ideas, and events that shape the world we share. This is our creative mission,” read a statement issued by Paramount chief communications officer Melissa Zukerman.
“We do not agree with recent efforts to boycott Israeli filmmakers,” the statement continued. “Silencing individual creative artists based on their nationality does not promote better understanding or advance the cause of peace. The global entertainment industry should be encouraging artists to tell their stories and share their ideas with audiences throughout the world. We need more engagement and communication — not less.”
Bardem responded to Paramount while speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at the Emmys.
“It’s also important to clarify to Paramount that we do not target individuals by their identity. That’s absolutely wrong. Don’t send that message; that is a wrong thing,” he said. “What we target are those complicit film companies and institutions that are involved in whitewashing or justifying the genocide of Israel in Gaza and its apartheid regime. And we stand with those who fight and stand in solidarity with the oppressed.”
Jewish-American actress and “Hacks” star Hannah Einbinder was among those who signed the anti-Israel pledge by Film Workers for Palestine. On Sunday night, Einbinder won the Emmy for best actress in a comedy series and concluded her acceptance speech by cheering the Philadelphia Eagles, calling out immigration raids by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and declaring “Free Palestine.” Backstage in the press room after her first Emmy win, she told reporters that the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza is “an issue that’s very close to my heart.”
“I have friends in Gaza who are working as frontline workers, as doctors, right now in the north of Gaza to provide care for pregnant women and for school children to create schools in refugee camps,” Einbinder said. “I feel like it is my obligation as a Jewish person to distinguish Jews from the state of Israel because our religion and our culture is such an important and longstanding institution that is really separate to this ethnonationalist state.”
She also explained why she signed the Film Workers for Palestine pledge.
“It’s like many movements — boycotting is an effective tool to create pressure on the powers that be to meet the moment,” she said. “The Film Workers for Palestine boycott does not boycott individuals; it only boycotts institutions that are directly complicit in the genocide. So, it’s important to me and I think it’s an important measure and I was happy to be a part of it.”
Fellow “Hacks” star Megan Stalter walked the Emmys red carpet wearing a white T-shirt and jeans that she paired with a black handbag featuring a message that read, “Cease Fire!” which seemed to be a reference the war in Gaza. There were some members of the audience inside Peacock Theater who were also seen wearing the Artists4Ceasefire red pins that call for an end to Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip. “White Lotus” actress Aimee Lou Wood, “Hacks” director Lucia Aniello, “Abbott Elementary” actor Chris Perfetti, and “Presumed Innocent” actress Ruth Negga were among the celebrities who wear the pins on the red carpet on Sunday.
Film Workers for Palestine responded to Paramount’s criticism of its anti-Israel boycott by saying that it hopes the studio is not “intentionally misrepresenting the pledge in an attempt to silence our colleagues in the film industry.”
“Such a move would only shield a genocidal regime from criticism at a time when global outrage is exponentially growing and while meaningful steps towards accountability are being taken by many,” Film Workers for Palestine wrote in a statement posted on social media. “Should Israeli film institutions wish to continue working with pledge signatories, their choice is clear: end complicity in Israel’s genocide and apartheid, and endorse the full rights of the Palestinian people under international law, in line with Palestinian civil society guidelines.”
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‘Incredibly Validating’: Documentary About Oct. 7 Rescue Wins People’s Choice Award at Toronto Film Festival
Canadian director Barry Avrich on the red carpet at a screening of “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue” at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Sept. 10, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Anna Mehler Paperny
A film about a former Israeli general’s mission to rescue his family during the Hamas terrorist attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, won the People’s Choice award for best documentary at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
Director Barry Avrich’s documentary “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue” took home the honor after a whirlwind journey of being dropped from the film festival and then reinvited. The Canadian documentary highlights retired Israeli Gen. Noam Tibon and his heroic efforts to rescue his son’s family from Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023, when they invaded kibbutz Nahal Oz near Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip.
“To win this award is thrilling for Mark and me. The audience voted and I appreciate that. We look forward to the rest of this journey [and] I appreciate everything that TIFF has done for us,” Avrich said while accepting the documentary award trophy at the Lightbox theater. The award was presented by TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey. The film’s producer, Mark Selby, said in his acceptance speech, “I hope that all the filmmakers of this festival feel as supported as Barry and I did during this whole process.”
“The Road Between Us” made its world premiere at TIFF on Sept. 10. TIFF originally invited the film to take part in this year’s festival but then removed the documentary from its lineup after claiming that filmmakers did not obtain clearance to use footage from the deadly attack that was taken by Hamas terrorists themselves. The film was ultimately invited to rejoin TIFF following outrage from pro-Israel supporters around the world and Cameron apologized twice for the festival’s decision to cancel the screening.
Avrich told The Canadian Press it feels “incredibly validating” to have the audience vote for his film to win the People’s Choice award for best documentary.
“We live in a country where it’s about freedom of expression. So, people want to protest. They can protest,” he told the publication. “We encourage people to see the film and if there’s something they want to protest about in reference to the film, fine. Or don’t buy a ticket. Either way, I’m fine with that … I’ve always said this is a film about family.”
“People can have an opinion but we encourage them to see the film first and then form their opinion based on what they’ve seen,” Selby added.
“The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue” will be released in theaters across North America on Oct. 3. Watch the trailer below.
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Netanyahu Says Israel Should Invest in Influence Operations to Counteract Isolation
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the opening event of the largest-ever bipartisan delegation of American legislators to Israel at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem on Sept. 15, 2025. Photo: Debbie Hill/Pool via REUTERS
Israel needs to invest heavily in “influence operations” in traditional and social media to counteract economic isolation arising from negative publicity abroad, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday.
Speaking at a Finance Ministry conference, Netanyahu said foreign investment into Israel had held up in the wake of a 12-day war against Iran in June, which he said removed an immediate threat of a nuclear-armed foe.
But in a rare acknowledgment of the isolation arising from international criticism of Israel‘s war in Gaza, he said Israel faced an economic threat of sanctions and other measures.
He blamed isolation on minorities in Europe pushing “anti-Zionist and extreme Islamist ideology,” and on countries such as Qatar, backer of Arabic broadcaster Al Jazeera, investing in shaping global discourse through social media.
“This leads to sanctions against Israel and alters Israel‘s international standing … and this leads to a kind of isolation for Israel,” Netanyahu said. “We can break out of this isolation, but we must invest heavily in countermeasures — particularly in media and social media influence operations.”
Netanyahu said Israel should reduce the dependence of its industries on trade with other countries.
“We might find ourselves blocked not only in R&D but also in actual industrial production. We must start developing our capabilities to rely more on ourselves,” he said, adding that should also include arms and other defense products.
In a response, opposition leader Yair Lapid said international isolation was “the product of a wrong and failed policy by Netanyahu and his government.”
“They are turning Israel into a third world country and are not even trying to change the situation,” he wrote on X. “Israel can return to being successful, popular, with a thriving first-world economy.”
The war in Gaza was triggered by a rampage into southern Israel by Hamas terrorists who killed around 1,200 people and captured 251 hostages.