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News from Syria shouldn’t distract from what’s been going on in Gaza
By BERNIE BELLAN Amidst the head-spinning news coming out of Syria this past week, it’s easy to forget that there is still a war going on in Gaza. What, exactly, Israel’s government is trying to accomplish there now is not easy to figure out.
The Israel Defense Forces would seem to have achieved all their military goals, including completely nullifying Hamas and Islamic Jihad as threats to Israel, so what more does the Israeli government (and here, I want to clearly differentiate between the goals of the government and the goals of the IDF) hope to accomplish?
In asking that, I want to reflect on two recent articles that appeared in Haaretz. One was about a Hebrew University professor by the name of Lee Mordechai, who has been carefully cataloguing war crimes that the IDF has been committing in Gaza.
Here is the introduction to that Haaretz article: “A woman with a child is shot while waving a white flag ■ Starving girls are crushed to death in line for bread ■ A cuffed 62-year-old man is run over, evidently by a tank ■ An aerial strike targets people trying to help a wounded boy ■ A database of thousands of videos, photos, testimonies, reports and investigations documents the horrors committed by Israel in Gaza”
The article goes on to note that “The report Dr. Mordechai has compiled online – “Bearing Witness to the Israel-Gaza War” – constitutes the most methodical and detailed documentation in Hebrew (there is also an English translation) of the war crimes that Israel is perpetrating in Gaza. It is a shocking indictment comprised of thousands of entries relating to the war, to the actions of the government, the media, the Israel Defense Forces and Israeli society in general.”
In talking with many people about what’s been going on in Gaza over the past year and a half, the reaction I often receive when I suggest that Israel achieved all its military goals very early on in this war is: “Good, let them keep on hitting them so that they’ll never pose a threat to Israelis again.”
That’s understandable, but the dehumanization of the Palestinians in Gaza is something that many of us find detestable. If Israeli soldiers have lowered themselves to the same level of brutality as their enemies, is that anything to be proud of?
As for the rationalizations that by now we’ve become so accustomed to hearing – that you have to fight dirty when you’re fighting terrorists or that the IDF maintains the highest principles of conduct – notwithstanding any evidence to the contrary, simply don’t excuse the kinds of behaviour that Dr. Mordechai describes in graphic detail in his report.
As if that weren’t enough to lead one to doubt Israel’s ongoing campaign in Gaza – which is being pushed forward by the right wing forces who are calling the shots within the Likud-led government of Israel, there was yet another thorough indictment of Israel’s strategy offered up recently, this time by former Defense Minister and Army Chief of Staff Moshe Ayalon, who accused the IDF of engaging in “ethnic cleansing” in northern Gaza.
In an interview with Channel 12 news in Israel, Ayalon maintained that “The IDF is not the most moral army in the world.”
Later in that same interview, Ayalon offered two clarifications of what he meant by using the term “ethnic cleansing.” According to a report, also in Haaretz, Ayalon explained that “First, his definition of ethnic cleansing did not include genocide, but rather ‘evacuating civilians from their homes and demolishing those homes, as is happening in Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya.’ He also said that he does not hold the military responsible for these crimes but rather the government, in particular far-right lawmakers like National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Betzalel Smotritch, who have repeatedly declared their intentions to build Jewish settlements in Gaza.”
I would venture to say that, if you didn’t know who it was that offered that assessment of what Israel has been doing in Gaza, you would likely think that it came from one of the usual suspects, such as UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The fact that it came from a former Israeli defense minister, also a former IDF chief of staff, not to mention a member of the Likud Party, should lend it some credibility.
But, in the black and white worldview that permeates so many individuals’ thinking when it comes to what Israel has been doing in Gaza, Ayalon would no doubt simply fall into the category of naive critics of Israeli policy according to so many defenders of Israeli government policy.
It’s hard to know where readers of this publication stand, however, on what Israel has been doing in Gaza. There have been almost no letters to the editor commenting on this particular issue – not that letters to the editor offer a true picture of people’s thinking. Further, I don’t make it a habit of engaging everyone I meet in a conversation centering on Israel’s strategic goals in Gaza. Frankly, as is with the case involving a discussion of Donald Trump, tempers can flare easily – and trying to engage in a relatively dispassionate conversation about either Gaza or Trump isn’t easy.
But, a recent survey conducted by three different Canadian Jewish groups shows how diverse opinions are among Canadian Jews are when it comes to Israel.
The survey was conducted by marketing firm Leger and was sponsored by the New Israel Fund, JSpaceCanada and Canadian Friends of Peace Now.
Here are some of the findings from that survey:
• While 84% of Canada’s Jews say they are “very” or “somewhat” emotionally attached to Israel and 94% percent support the existence of Israel as a Jewish state, just 51% of Canadian Jews consider themselves Zionists.
• The poll also found that 34% of Canadian Jews believe the continued building of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank hurts Israel’s security, with only 27% saying they believe it helps Israel’s security. The remainder of those polled either said it made no difference or they didn’t know.
• Most Canadian Jews still believe that the ideal outcome to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a two-state solution – a Jewish state of Israel alongside an Arab state of Palestine, with 61% support amongst Canadian Jews with an opinion on the subject. 55% of Canadian Jews agree that Canadian politicians should increase pressure on Israeli and Palestinian leaders to engage in a meaningful peace process.
• Canadian Jews are also more likely to indicate their intention to vote for the federal Conservative party if the election were to be held tomorrow, with 55% indicating support for the Conservatives, and 26% for the Liberals. These trends are similar to those in the general population, but the decline in Liberal support and increase in Conservative support is more pronounced among Jews.
I would suggest that the majority of Canadian Jews don’t pay much attention to what Jewish federations do – and here it’s important to note that determining who is Jewish is not easy – as I showed repeatedly ever since the results of the 2020 census came out. (For instance, I was able to establish that only 6700 Winnipeggers identified as Jewish both in terms of their religion and ethnicity in that census.)
The groups that conducted this most recent survey of Canadian Jews’ attitudes would likely not be considered mainstream Jewish organizations in the sense that they do not follow along with what our Jewish federations and CIJA would suggest is the nominal position of most Canadian Jews on Israel. All three are highly critical of Israeli government policies and all three strive to promote peaceful co-existence among Israeli Jews and Palestinians.
Yet, by referring to the work done by Prof. Mordecai documenting Israeli war crimes in Gaza, the assessment that Moshe Ayalon offered that what Israel has been doing lately in Gaza amounts to “ethnic cleansing,” and the recent survey of Canadian Jews’ attitudes towards Israel, I wanted to show how thoughtful Jews – whether they’re in Israel or in Canada, can hold highly divergent opinions from what you are likely to read in most Jewish media (including The Jewish Post). If nothing else, if I can get some readers to consider different viewpoints when it comes to thinking about Israel, I will have accomplished something.
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Greece, Israel, Cyprus to Step Up Joint Exercises in Eastern Mediterranean
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (center), Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides (left), and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis hold a joint press conference after a trilateral meeting at the Citadel of David Hotel in Jerusalem, Dec. 22, 2025. Photo: ABIR SULTAN/Pool via REUTERS
Greece, Israel, and Cyprus will step up joint air and naval exercises in the eastern Mediterranean in 2026, deepening their defense cooperation, Greek military officials and a senior source said on Monday.
The three eastern Mediterranean nations have drawn closer over the past decade through joint military drills, defense procurement, and energy cooperation, developments closely watched by regional rival Turkey.
Greece’s armed forces general staff (GEETHA) said senior military officials from the three countries signed a joint action plan for defense cooperation last week in Cyprus. It gave no further details.
The deal follows a meeting in Jerusalem between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at which they signed a deal to strengthen maritime security cooperation and advance energy interconnection projects.
A senior Greek official familiar with the matter said the military deal would encompass joint naval and air exercises and the transfer of know-how from Israel to Greece and Cyprus to address both “asymmetrical” and “symmetrical” threats.
“Greece and Israel will intensify joint exercises after the ceasefire in Gaza, with Cyprus participating,” the official said, adding that Greece plans to join Israel’s Noble Dina naval exercise in the coming months in the eastern Mediterranean.
There was no immediate comment from the Cypriot government, but a key opposition party, the Communist AKEL, expressed misgivings. “Mr. Christodoulides proceeds to deepen military-political cooperation with Israel without considering the risks and consequences of this choice,” it said in a statement.
Greece and Cyprus have already purchased missile systems from Israel worth billions of euros. Athens is also in talks to buy from Israel medium- and long-range anti-aircraft and anti-ballistic missile systems for a planned multi-layer air and drone defense system known as the “Achilles Shield,” estimated to cost about 3 billion euros ($3.5 billion).
This month, the Greek parliament approved the purchase of 36 PULS rocket artillery systems from Israel to bolster defenses along Greece’s northeastern border with Turkey and on Greek islands in the Aegean Sea.
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Sydney to Project Menorah on Harbour Bridge During New Year’s Eve Celebration in Tribute to Bondi Beach Attack
A woman keeps a candle next to flowers laid as a tribute at Bondi Beach to honor the victims of a mass shooting that targeted a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach on Sunday, in Sydney, Australia, Dec. 16, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Flavio Brancaleone
The city of Sydney, Australia, changed plans on Monday for its New Year’s Eve celebration to include a projection of a menorah on Harbour Bridge in honor of the 15 victims of the Bondi Beach terror attack during Hanukkah, following pressure by Jewish-Australian cultural figures.
Sydney Mayor Clover Moore announced last week initial plans to have the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons illuminated in white with an image of a dove with the word “peace” shortly before 9 pm on New Year’s Eve this Wednesday. The bridge would then, according to the plans, be illuminated again at 11 pm “in a warm light,” and a moment of silence would be held on the ground and during the New Year’s Eve broadcast on the network ABC. Crowds were invited to switch on their phone lights in a show of solidarity with the Jewish community.
The gesture was meant to “show the Jewish community that we stand with them, and that we reject violence, fear and antisemitism,” said Moore. “These moments will provide an opportunity for people to show respect, to reflect on the atrocity, and to say we will not let this hateful act of terror divide us.”
However, plans were changed to include a projection of a menorah on the bridge after more than 30 Jewish-Australian cultural figures published an open letter on Monday that urged Moore to project a more “Jewish-specific symbol” to commemorate the victims of the Bondi Beach mass shooting on Dec. 14, the first night of Hanukkah. They asked “that the particularism of the victims be acknowledged rather than erased,” according to ABC, which obtained a copy of the open letter.
“We believe this dignity would be afforded to the victims of any other terrorist attack that targeted a specific community. Only when we clearly name the problem of anti-Jewish hatred in Australia can we hope to overcome it,” the letter stated in part. “The selection of this word [peace], coupled with the dove, without any specific reference to the targeting of the Jewish community, prolongs our erasure and obfuscates the problem of domestic antisemitism. We acknowledge the City of Sydney’s plan as a gesture of remembrance, and agree with the need for such a gesture; however, we consider the imagery and word chosen to be insufficient as they do not acknowledge the Jewish particularity of the Bondi massacre.”
Signatories of the open letter included Pulitzer Prize winner Geraldine Brooks, ARIA award winner Deborah Conway, Archibald Prize winner Yvette Coppersmith, and members of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. The group members also claimed their warnings about antisemitism had been overlooked by “generic calls for peace” during the last two years.
After publication of the open letter, Moore said the Harbour Bridge will project a menorah at 11 pm on New Year’s Eve, ABC reported. The co-creator of the open letter, producer and director Danny Ben-Moshe, applauded the move in a Facebook post on Monday.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge will also light up in blue at 10 pm on New Year’s Eve in recognition of the event’s official charity partner Beyond Blue, which provides free mental health support.
“This New Year’s Eve offers a chance for people to pause, acknowledge the pain, remember those affected, and extend care and support to one another and especially the Jewish community,” said Beyond Blue CEO Georgie Harman in a released statement. “When something like this happens, it doesn’t just impact the people who were there — it ripples through families, communities, and across the country, and it’s normal to feel unsettled or distressed. Staying connected is an important step towards healing after a traumatic event and social support is one of the most meaningful things we can offer and receive right now. You don’t need to go through anything alone and it’s never too early to reach out to us if you’re struggling.”
At midnight on New Year’s Eve, there will be 12-minute fireworks show in Sydney including from six city rooftops, Sydney Harbour Bridge, and Sydney Opera House.
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Trump, Netanyahu Meet in Florida to Discuss Iran, Next Phase of Gaza Plan
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with their delegations, meet at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, US, Dec. 29, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Erns
US President Donald Trump met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida on Monday for talks on breaking a deadlock over the Gaza ceasefire and addressing Israeli concerns about Iran and Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah.
Speaking to reporters as the two leaders entered Trump‘s Mar-a-Lago beach club in Florida, Trump struck a decidedly supportive tone with Netanyahu.
Trump said he wanted to move to the second phase of the October ceasefire deal between Israel and the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas as soon as possible, but that “there has to be a disarming of Hamas.”
He added that he would be open to supporting another rapid Israeli attack on Iran, which backs both Hamas and Hezbollah, if that country keeps developing its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs.
“I feel that if you had the wrong prime minister, Israel would not exist,” Trump told reporters, in remarks full of praise for the Israeli leader.
He said Israeli President Isaac Herzog had told him he planned to pardon Netanyahu of corruption-related charges. He added that he hoped Israel could get along with Syria, despite the presence of Israeli forces in the southern part of the country since former strongman Bashar al-Assad was deposed late last year.
While Israel and Hamas signed a ceasefire deal in October, alleged violations have been frequent, and little apparent progress has been made on longer-term goals.
Netanyahu said this month that Trump had invited him for talks, as Washington pushes to establish transitional governance and an international security force for the Palestinian enclave against Israeli reluctance to move forward.
While Washington has brokered three ceasefires involving its longtime ally – between Israel and Hamas, Israel and Iran, and Israel and Lebanon – Netanyahu is wary of Israel’s foes rebuilding their forces after they were considerably weakened in the war.
NEXT STEPS IN GAZA CEASEFIRE PLAN
Israel and Hamas agreed in October to Trump‘s plan to end the Gaza war, which ultimately sees Israel withdrawing from the territory and Hamas giving up its weapons and forgoing a governing role.
The first phase of the ceasefire included a partial Israeli withdrawal, an increase of aid, and the exchange of Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas for Palestinian detainees and prisoners.
An Israeli official in Netanyahu‘s circle said that the prime minister would demand that the first phase of the ceasefire be completed by Hamas returning the remains of the last Israeli hostage left in Gaza, before moving ahead to the next stages.
The family of the deceased hostage, Ran Gvili, has joined the prime minister’s visiting entourage and is expected to meet officials from Trump‘s administration.
Israel has yet to open the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, also a condition of Trump‘s plan, saying it will only do so once Gvili’s remains are returned.
Chuck Freilich, a political scientist at Tel Aviv University, said that with an election due in October, Netanyahu was in a tight spot.
“He doesn’t want a clash with Trump in an election year,” Freilich, a former Israeli deputy national security adviser, said. “[Trump] wants to go forward, and Bibi [Netanyahu] is going to have to make some compromises there.”
TENUOUS TRUCE
Ahead of his meeting with Trump, Netanyahu‘s office said he met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth.
Rubio said last week that Washington wants the transitional administration envisioned in Trump‘s plan – a Board of Peace and a body made up of Palestinian technocrats – to be in place soon to govern Gaza, ahead of the deployment of the international security force that was mandated by a Nov. 17 UN Security Council resolution.
But Israel and Hamas have accused each other of major breaches of the deal and look no closer to accepting the much more difficult steps envisaged for the next phase.
Hamas, which has refused to disarm, has been reasserting its control as Israeli troops remain entrenched in about half the territory.
Israel has indicated that if Hamas is not disarmed peacefully, it will resume military action to make it do so.
While the fighting has abated, it has not stopped entirely. Although the ceasefire officially began in October, Israeli strikes have killed more than 400 Palestinians — according to Hamas-controlled Gaza health officials — and Palestinian terrorists have killed three Israeli soldiers.
LEBANON CEASEFIRE ALSO TESTED
In Lebanon, a US-backed ceasefire in November 2024 ended more than a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah and required the disarmament of the powerful Iran-backed Shiite group, beginning in areas south of the river adjacent to Israel.
While Lebanon has said it is close to completing the mission within the year-end deadline of disarming Hezbollah, the group has resisted calls to lay down its weapons.
Israel says progress is partial and slow and has been carrying out near-daily strikes in Lebanon, which it says are meant to stop Hezbollah from rebuilding.
Iran, which fought a 12-day war with Israel in June, said last week that it had conducted missile exercises for the second time this month.
Netanyahu said last week that Israel was not seeking a confrontation with Iran, but was aware of the reports, and said he would raise Tehran’s activities with Trump.
The Israeli official said Netanyahu was expected to present intelligence on Iranian efforts to build up its arms.
The official did not elaborate on any Israeli demands or actions regarding Iran.
Trump in June ordered US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites but has since then broached a potential deal with Tehran.