War is bad, but good things happen when evil is defeated. We periodically bring you updates on some of those, as Israel’s defensive war continues.
AGAIN, ISRAEL’S WESTERN AND ARAB ALLIES COME TO the Jewish state’s defense as threat from Iran looms.
The United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy issued a joint statement expressing “support for the defense of Israel against Iranian aggression” and asked Iran to stand down. See the statement.
Foreign secretaries of the United Kingdom and France visited Israel, in a show of support and to signal to Iran and its network of terror militias where major world powers stand in case of a war [See Radio France International’s report]. Meeting them, the Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz told them Israel expects UK, France to help hit Iran if Tehran attacks, and his French counterpart responded by reaffirming support and reminded his Israeli hosts of the French military’s role in countering Iranian missile and drone attack in April.
Partners Like Jordan, Egypt, And Saudi Arabia have also conveyed to Iran they will not allow it to violate their airspace to attack Israel even if they disapprove of assassinations of foreign visitors to Iran, like Hamas terror leader Haniyeh who was killed while attending the new Iranian president’s inauguration.
And Arab States like Egypt and Qatar demanded Hamas terror organization immediately release Israeli hostages as part of a joint statement with the United States that also urged Israel to help reach a cease-fire deal.
ISRAEL’S BEST-EVER OLYMPIC SHOWING occurred as the Jewish state fought an existential war. The indomitable Israeli spirit shone during war as Israeli athletes brought home seven medals. An Israeli newspaper captured the glory in this memorable headline: Brushing off threats and boos, Israel’s 7 medals mark its best-ever Olympic showing.
MOROCCO BUYS ADVANCED ISRAELI SPY SATELLITE, which will give the North African nation unprecedented intelligence-gathering capabilities amid regional tensions in that part of Africa. The deal is worth a billion dollars. But the bigger story is this: Gaza war launched by Hamas and Iran fails to dent Arab-Israel normalization, though those relationships face pressures under regionwide tensions.
Another Good News? Israeli Diplomats Might Be Returning To Their Mideast Posts Soon. Israel recalled its diplomats posted in partner Arab states after Oct. 7 for security reasons, except in the United Arab Emirates, where the Israel Embassy in Abu Dhabi and a Consulate in Dubai continues to work at full strength. One of those missions that temporarily closed operations was the Israeli liaison office in Rabat, the capital of Morocco. Now multiple reports suggest [see this and this] that senior Israeli diplomat Hassan Kaabia has reopened the office in Rabat this month.
Morocco’s Ambassador In France Celebrates Ties With Israel. Talking about Morocco, the envoy in Paris, Samira Sitail, was asked by a French TV anchor if Morocco’s ties with Israel are all about deals and interests. She objected to this characterization and said 10% of Israelis share some form of Moroccan heritage and that Morocco is proud of this shared heritage with Israel. See her video here.
While We Discuss Morocco, we bet you didn’t know that there is real excitement in this North African Muslim-majority Arab nation about relations with Israel, despite the presence of many radical and extremist groups that criticize the ties. A group of Moroccans have formed an organization called Moroccans For Israel. Their handle on X/Twitter is aptly named @MoroccoIsrael1, and they post interesting content, like this poster below.
US APPROVES SALE TO ISRAEL OF $20 BILLION WEAPONS PACKAGE. And even though deliveries would not begin for years, this is important because it comes as Israel defends itself from Iran-backed terror groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. In Depth: US Approves Major Arms Sale To Israel.
AMERICAN MUSICAL ACT IN ISRAEL. This week, young Israelis, yeshiva students, and Israeli soldiers on a break descended on the famous Zappa Club in Jerusalem for the live return of the American reggae-rock-pop star Matisyahu, whose multiple tour stops in the US were canceled because he is Jewish American and anti-Israel protesters potentially planned to create security situations at those venues. Jerusalem Post reporter Alex Winston attended the concert and wrote this amazing report that makes you feel you were there too: Matisyahu’s amazing performance: A night of music, unity, and resilience in Jerusalem.
