Israel Police apprehend suspect in Jan. 1 assault of Jaffa rabbi
(JNS) — The Israel Police on Jan. 8 arrested a suspect in the Jan. 1 assault of Netanel Avitan, a rabbi at Jaffa’s Shirat Moshe Hesder Yeshivah and Israel Defense Forces reservist.
The suspect, identified as a Jaffa resident in his 20s, was located through “technological means and intensive operational activity,” police stated.
“Investigators succeeded in locating the suspect and arresting him at his home,” according to the statement. “During a search conducted in the complex where the suspect resides, a handgun and ammunition were seized that were being held in violation of the law,” police added.
Avitan was attacked while walking on Yefet Street shortly before 7 p.m. on New Year’s Day. He was punched in the face and knocked to the ground, after which his assailant fled.
The rabbi, who was wounded fighting in Gaza, claimed the suspect shouted, “Allahu Akbar,” Arabic for “God is great,” during the attack.
Magen David Adom medics treated Avitan for facial and back injuries at the scene and evacuated him with light injuries to Sourasky Medical Center’s Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, where he was hospitalized.
In related news, police arrested a Palestinian from the Judea city of Hebron who posed as a food delivery man and removed dozens of mezuzot from buildings across the Jaffa and Bat Yam areas, it said.
Knesset member from Netanyahu’s party decries ‘new enemy’: Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens
(JTA) — In an address to the Knesset on Jan. 5, Likud lawmaker Dan Illouz decried what he said was a “new enemy” rising within American politics: Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens.
“We are used to enemies from outside. We fight terror tunnels of Hamas. We fight the ballistic missiles of Iran. But today I look at the West, our greatest ally, and I see a new enemy rising from within,” said Illouz, who is originally from Canada, in an English address. “I am speaking of a poison being sold to the American people as patriotism. I’m speaking of the intellectual vandalism of Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens.”
Illouz’s comments come as the Republican party has been roiled in recent months by debates over the mainstreaming of antisemitic influencers within the GOP.
“They claim to fight the woke left. They are no different than the woke left,” said Illouz. “The radical left tears down the statues of Thomas Jefferson, Tucker Carlson tears down the legacy of Winston Churchill. The radical left says Western civilization is evil, Candace Owens says the roots of our faith are demonic. It is the same sickness.”
Carlson and Owens are among the right-wing influencers who have made opposition to Israel a centerpiece of their output, at a time when support for Israel is declining among conservatives, particularly younger conservatives.
FM: Iran doesn’t want war but ready if US, Israel attack again
(JNS) — Iran’s foreign minister said on Jan. 8 that Tehran does not want war, but that the regime is ready for one should the United States and Israel attack again, as they did in June.
“America and Israel have tested their attack on Iran, and this attack and strategy faced extreme failure,” Abbas Araghchi claimed in reference to the 12-day conflict in June, adding that “if they repeat it, they will face the same results,” according to the Associated Press.
U.S. and Israeli officials have said the strikes significantly degraded Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities, eliminating senior commanders and damaging key facilities.
Speaking to reporters in Beirut at the start of a two-day visit to Lebanon, the official said, “We are ready for any choice. We do not desire a war, but we are ready for it.”
Iran remains open to nuclear negotiations with Washington, but only under conditions of mutual respect, Araghchi asserted, rejecting what he termed “dictation” by the United States.
President Donald Trump has maintained maximum pressure on Iran since reimposing the policy in February, aiming to prevent nuclear-weapons development. In late December, Trump warned of additional strikes if Iran attempts to rebuild its nuclear program, during discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israel distributes thousands of rifles to civilian security squads
(JNS) — The Defense Ministry and the Israel Defense Forces have completed the distribution of thousands of advanced Arad rifles to rapid response teams across the country as part of the community defense strategy, the ministry said on Jan. 8.
The distribution forms part of the ministry and IDF Ground Forces Command’s broader initiative to bolster security capabilities in communities nationwide in the wake of the war.
The weapons were procured from Israel Weapon Industries (IWI), an Israeli firearms manufacturer, in a deal worth about $31 million, the ministry said.
The deal includes maintenance support for the next decade, as well as the upkeep of Meprolight M5 optical sights that can be mounted on the rifles.
The Arad is an assault rifle designed in 2019 by the IWI. It is primarily manufactured for export, with the Israeli-made Tavor and U.S.-made M16 rifles serving most IDF combat units.
The initiative to arm rapid response teams is part of the government’s broader defense strategy adopted in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led invasion of the northwestern Negev.
These volunteer-based civilian defense squads were some of the first in line to fight the thousands of Palestinian terrorists who infiltrated Jewish communities along the Gaza border.
Israel FM hosts China’s special envoy to Mideast
(JNS) — Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar met with Zhai Jun, China’s special envoy on the Middle East issue, on Jan. 8 in Jerusalem, where they discussed ways to improve relations.
“Had a good and honest meeting with Special Envoy Zhai Jun of the China to the Middle East,” Sa’ar posted to social media.
“I urged China to pay attention to Iran’s attempts to rearm and regroup its web of proxies. Iran is still the main source of instability in the Middle East,” he said.
“I also emphasized that a reliable peace process requires Palestinian society to undergo a process of deradicalization and to disconnect from the ethos of terror,” Sa’ar added.
On Jan. 7, Zhai visited Ramallah, meeting with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
“[T]he Chinese envoy conveyed the greetings of the President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, to President Mahmoud Abbas, reaffirming his country’s supportive positions for the rights of the Palestinian people and their right to an independent state,” the P.A.’s Wafa news agency reported.
Since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel, China’s leadership has positioned itself on the side of the Palestinians, leading international criticism of IDF actions, blocking U.N. resolutions condemning Hamas, and repeating accusations of “collective punishment” and “violations of international law.”
