DAY 422 OF THE WAR: Houthis Fire Missile at Central Israel, Lebanon Ceasefire Holds, Syrian Rebels Consolidate Gains, Possible Movement Made on Securing Hostage Deal
By our front door, we keep a bag stocked with essentials for the bomb shelter, to prepare for prolonged stays, should the need arise. Last night, as we were preparing for bed, my wife asked our son if we could put that bag away, both he and I swiftly answered no—because the war has not yet ended. Although we did not need to use our emergency supply bag this morning, tens of thousands of Israelis from Bet Shemesh to Rechovot were not as fortunate. At 6 AM, they were compelled to seek refuge in their shelters when the Houthis from Yemen launched a ballistic missile in our direction. Thankfully, our air defense intercepted the missile successfully. Nevertheless, everyone in the affected areas received an abrupt early morning wake-up call.
The problem of the Houthis does not lend itself to simple solutions. It remains uncertain to what extent they are under Iranian influence versus how independently they operate. The US and other global powers have failed to stop them from their effective blockade of the Bab-el-Mandeb straits. Although air strikes against them are feasible, safeguarding maritime traffic from such a distance proves challenging. Should an agreement be reached to end the war in Gaza, there's a possibility that the Houthis might also choose to cease their hostilities. However, this outcome is far from guaranteed.
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ZAMIR BURKE
Last night, I failed to post the photograph of Staff Sergeant Zamir Burke, who was killed on Friday and laid to rest today. We now know that Burke served as commander of a D-9 crew and was killed when his massive bulldozer was hit by an anti tank missile
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LEBANON
The ceasefire in the North is still intact, although incidents continued throughout today. I remain hopeful that the ceasefire will continue to hold.
The IDF Spokesman described today’s events in Lebanon as follows:
The IDF continues its operations to thwart actions in Lebanon that pose a threat to the State of Israel.
Throughout the day, the IDF acted in response to several activities in Lebanon that constituted threats to Israel, violating the understandings of the ceasefire agreement.
As part of these actions, Paratroopers Brigade forces under the command of Division 98 identified several armed militants near a local church, which has been implicated as an active terror infrastructure of the Hezbollah organization in southern Lebanon. The forces opened fire on the militants, neutralizing them.
The militants who were eliminated were involved in ground defense, anti-tank, and artillery operations in the sector and participated in combat while utilizing the church for their activities.
Following the elimination of the militants, the forces searched the church area during the day and discovered a shaft containing weaponry. The IDF remains deployed in southern Lebanon and continues to operate against any threat to the State of Israel
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SYRIA
The situation evolving in Syria increases the likelihood that the ceasefire will be sustained over the long term. Previously, if the Iranians were uncertain about whether and how to support Hezbollah, they now face even greater complications. Iran’s priority will first and foremost shift to saving Assad rather than aiding Hezbollah. Moreover, as the rebels push further south, the more they will be poised to disrupt the logistics routes from Iran to Lebanon. A significant portion of the munitions destined for Hezbollah were previously transported via Aleppo’s airport, which has been repeatedly targeted by Israeli airstrikes. Now, with the airport and nearby Air Force base under rebel control, it is improbable that Shiite arms will be allowed to move through these areas.
One of the major concerns among the rebels is the potential for renewed conflict with the Kurds. A rebel commander recently highlighted this concern, stating:
We are fighting against the criminal Assad regime and pushing Iranian militias away from our cities and villages to enable the safe return of our residents.
We offer you the opportunity to evacuate the city of Aleppo with your weapons safely toward northeastern Syria.
In return, we promise that the Kurds in Syria will be an integral part of Syrian society, enjoying full rights equal to those of all other Syrian citizens.
We emphasize to the residents of Sheikh Maqsoud (a predominantly Kurdish area in northern Aleppo) and the rest of the city’s residents that you are part of us, and we are responsible for your protection and ensuring a dignified life for you.
HOSTAGES
Last night, after the video of Edan Alexander was released, Netanyahu called Alexander’s mother, Yael, and assured her that efforts were underway to secure his release. Yael Alexander also met with President Herzog, who indicated that secret negotiations were ongoing and showed a potential for success.
Tonight, Prime Minister Netanyahu held a meeting to discuss the hostages, marking the first such meeting in several weeks. Reports suggest that Hamas has demonstrated new flexibility in reaching an agreement, leading to a sense of cautious optimism for the first time in a while.
However, Ben-Gvir remains staunchly opposed to any deal. In an interview this morning, Ben-Gvir reiterated his intention to leave the government if an agreement is reached. He also advocated for the establishment of a settlement in Gaza and for encouraging its residents to relocate. The pressing question now is whom Netanyahu fears more: Trump or Ben Gvir.
Senator Lindsey Graham has publicly stated that Trump is eager for a hostage deal before he assumes office, likely reflecting private discussions between Trump and Netanyahu. If Netanyahu had previously hoped to delay a deal until Trump took office, he might now feel pressure to act more quickly. Meanwhile, the IDF has reported a deterioration in the condition of many of the hostages, noting more deaths and increasing levels of starvation among the captives.
TRUMP APPOINTS US ADVISOR ON ARAB & MID-EAST AFFAIRS
Tonight, President Trump appointed Masoud Bolas, the Lebanese father-in-law of his daughter Tiffany, as his senior advisor on Arab and Middle East Affairs.
HISTORIAN BENNY MORRIS LECTURES IN GERMANY
The University of Leipzig in Germany has canceled a planned lecture by Israeli historian Professor Benny Morris following student protests. The lecture, titled “The 1948 War and Jihad,” was part of a series on antisemitism and scheduled to take place at the Faculty of Theology. University officials stated the event was aimed to facilitate a critical discussion with Morris. However, the cancellation was prompted by student protests against his previous comments, which they labeled as offensive and racist. The university cited both student complaints and security concerns as reasons for their decision.
Critics of the cancellation, including Yemima Hadad, an Israeli scholar of Jewish thought, and a German sociologist, have issued a statement condemning what they describe as a “double standard” applied to Israeli academics. They argued that while Israeli scholars face exclusion, proponents of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement continue to enjoy unfettered access to university platforms.
Students who opposed Morris’s appearance accused him of justifying expulsions, killings, and other atrocities based on controversial statements he made in interviews. Specifically, they referenced a 2004 Haaretz interview where Morris suggested that ethnic cleansing could be justified under certain conditions. In response to the cancellation, Morris called the decision “disgraceful,” accusing the university of capitulating to threats of potential violence from students.
Israeli startups demonstrated robust activity in November, raising $753 million across 17 fundraising rounds. Two mega-rounds and a new unicorn emergence highlighted the month's achievements, with one company reaching unicorn status within its first year.
Early-stage startups (Seed to Series-A) comprised 11 deals, while six later-stage companies dominated funding, securing $600 million or 80% of the total. Though deal volume decreased from October's 27 deals, significant investments in companies like Upwind and Cyera maintained healthy funding levels.
The ecosystem saw exceptional exit activity, with seven acquisitions totaling approximately $1 billion. Key transactions included Wiz's $450 million acquisition of Dazz and CrowdStrike's $300 million purchase of Adaptive Shield. Other notable exits involved Cybersixgill, Razonate, and Rapid.
November's performance marked a three-year high for the month, exceeding both 2022 ($616 million) and 2021 ($572 million). Historical November figures from 2019-2021 ranged from $840 million to $2 billion, demonstrating the ecosystem's continued strength despite global market conditions.
In July 2007, Sheldon Adelson, an American businessman of Jewish descent who amassed a substantial fortune through his casino enterprises, decided he wanted to find a way to support Netanyahu. To this end, Adelson established a new Israeli paper, Yisrael Hayom, explicitly designed to promote editorial views and articles favorable to Netanyahu. To carve out a niche in the competitive newspaper market, Yisrael Hayom was distributed free of charge. Yisrael Hayom quickly became one of Israel's most popular newspapers, effectively serving as a legal form of campaign support for Netanyahu without any direct financial contributions.
Beyond bolstering Netanyahu, Yisrael Hayom began to siphon readers and advertising revenue from established newspapers. Consequently, legislation was proposed to mandate that Yisrael Hayom charge a fee. Members of his own coalition, including Yesh Atid, supported the bill, which infuriated Netanyahu. Following its passage in a preliminary reading, Netanyahu opted to dissolve his government.
Netanyahu first decided to dismiss Finance Minister Yair Lapid and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, citing a lack of trust and reluctance to include them in his transition government. In fact, Netanyahu believed at the time that the two ministers were plotting a coup against him. In a rare acknowledgment of error, Netanyahu later reflected on this decision in his book:
Since I had lost control of my coalition, I decided to dissolve the Knesset. Having received prior information that Livni and Lapid had plotted to overthrow my government in a no-confidence vote, I fired both. I didn’t want them as ministers in my government during an election.
I acted quickly, in retrospect perhaps too quickly. To this day I’m not completely sure that the information provided to me on the impending plot was rock solid. But it was compelling enough. The deed was done.”
The dismissal of Lapid and Livni took place on December 3, 2014. Two days later, the Knesset voted to dissolve itself, making Netanyahu a caretaker Prime Minister running for reelection. In the midst of the election campaign, Netanyahu traveled to Washington, where he addressed Congress and criticized the impending nuclear agreement with Iran. Netanyahu hoped the visit would bolster his position in the polls. Initially, Netanyahu anticipated an easy campaign, but some of his familiar slogans, particularly about the Iranian threat, failed to resonate. Israelis were more focused on pocketbook issues.
In mid-February, a report from the State Comptroller highlighted excessive spending at the Netanyahu residence funded by state resources. A second report criticized the government for its failure to effectively address the rising cost of housing. In response, Netanyahu stated in a speech, “When we talk about housing prices and the cost of living, I don’t forget for a moment life itself,” and quickly pivoted the focus back to the Iranian threat. However, this approach failed to resonate with voters. Polls indicated that Likud was running neck-and-neck with the former Labor Party, which was slightly ahead.
At a rally in Rabin Square on March 7, 2015, Former Mossad Chief Meir Dagan, who was terminally ill with liver cancer, delivered the only political speech of his life. Dagan passionately stated,
I have to use the last shreds of my strength to push him [Netanyahu—M.S.] out. For the first time in my life, I’m afraid of our leadership. This is the biggest leadership crisis in the State’s history. We deserve a leadership that will serve the public and not itself.
For a while, it seemed Netanyahu might lose the election. In response, he shifted to a different campaign strategy, one that emphasized urgency and framed the race as if he were on the verge of defeat. His goal was to energize his base and ensure voter turnout.
On election day, March 17, 2015 Netanyahu released a controversial video claiming that Arabs were being bussed in large numbers to the polls. The strategy proved effective—supporters who might have otherwise skipped voting turned out in droves. In the final two hours of voting, there was a noticeable surge in turnout among Likud voters, which secured a decisive victory for Netanyahu. Likud won 30 seats compared to Labor’s 24. Netanyahu quickly formed a coalition, this time including the ultra-Orthodox parties, which he favored as partners.
