Israel faces two major decisions. On the geopolitical front, a hostage deal is being finalized. A recent JPPI survey shows public support for the deal, but an unwillingness to end the war as long as Hamas controls Gaza. On the domestic front, the Minister of Justice has backed away from the original contours of the judicial reform package and is putting forward new ideas.

Opening: Israel is defeating its enemies on seven fronts, but 100 hostages remain in captivity. On Friday, JPPI published a diverse collection of positions taken by Israeli religious thinkers on a possible deal for their release.

Opening: The pace of events is dizzying: in Washington, the nascent Trump administration is revving up its engines; in The Hague, Israeli leaders are accused of war crimes; in Amsterdam, Israelis are beaten in the streets; in Jerusalem, the judicial reform is reemerging. And at the same time, the war continues on seven fronts. Our newsletter describes and analyzes some of these dramatic events, which are shaping the Israeli and Jewish future.

Opening: Israel’s attack on Iran made it clear that we are ready for an all-out offensive on the octopus itself, after cutting off its arms in Gaza and Lebanon. We are paying a heavy price in blood, and the abductees are  not yet home, but the strategic situation has improved dramatically and a decisive victory is within reach on all fronts. The decisive moment in the battle for the US presidency is also approaching. Its results will affect not only the US and the Middle East, but the future of the entire world.

Opening: Congratulations to four treasured members of the JPPI family – to Elliott Abrams, Dennis Ross and Yaakov Katz for their role in organizing the MEAD Summit in Washington, where bipartisan support for Israel was robust; and to Stu Eizenstat who was just awarded France’s highest honor – Officier de la Légion d’Honneur. We are blessed, Kol hakavod to them all.

Opening: Israel demonstrated, most impressively, its military superiority in thwarting a major Hezbollah attack. Still, the threat of a regional conflagration remains. Israel must now also direct its focus to the diplomatic arena – a hostage deal in the south, and the return of evacuees in the north. This is a test of the Israeli leadership.

Opening: Israel acted with determination and strength in Tehran, Beirut, and Yemen. All three operations were a resounding success, but it is important to understand that these were tactical triumphs. Will we know how to translate them into a strategic win that will lead to the end of the war, the return of the hostages and, above all – the…

Opening: A series of elections were held in Europe in recent weeks – and the results raise concerns about the future of the continent’s Jews. On the extreme left, Israel haters; on the extreme right, a new variant of classic antisemitism. Eighty years after the Holocaust – is Europe again becoming unsafe for Jews? The decisive difference between then and…

Opening: JPPI conducts monthly professional surveys to examine public attitudes – in Israel and the Diaspora. The latest survey (see below) found that against the backdrop of rising antisemitism in the West, there has been a substantial increase in the sense among Israeli Jews of a shared destiny with Diaspora Jews. A year ago, only a quarter of Israeli Jews…