JERUSALEM, Israel – Israel has struck Syrian regime forces near the border, and violence flared again in Judea and Samaria as the Netanyahu coalition dwindled to a bare majority.
Israeli warplanes attacked Syrian government positions in southern Syria this week, just miles from the Israeli border. The airstrikes targeted regime forces accused of backing tribal militias who attacked Druze civilians in Sweida province.
Druze activist Shadi Saab declared, “The truth is that the de facto authority is an exclusionary power and cannot execute. The promises it made to European countries and America are contradicted by what is happening on the ground. It is unable to control those groups.”
Israel contends the strikes were necessary to enforce the demilitarized buffer zone and protect Druze residents.
However, reports indicate the bombing campaign was paused at the request of the United States, which feared further escalation.
***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters to ensure you receive the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now facing a serious political crisis. The ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party has officially left the coalition over a proposed draft law that would require Yeshiva students to serve in the military.
That move drops Netanyahu’s majority to just 61 seats—just enough to govern. And it’s already sparking celebration among some Orthodox communities.
Jerusalem resident Haim Katz stated, “They want to recruit us in the army and to destroy us. And thank God, we welcome them (United Torah Judaism), that they’ve returned to us. They made the best move they could’ve done.”
The fallout could complicate ceasefire talks with Hamas and give more conservative members of Netanyahu’s coalition even more leverage to push for a prolonged war in Gaza.
And in Judea and Samaria, tensions are boiling. A Palestinian-American was killed near Ramallah, prompting U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee to call for an investigation.
Meanwhile, church leaders are accusing Israeli authorities of allowing violent attacks from Jewish extremists after an assault on the Christian village of Taybeh; some dispute the story.
Theophilos III, Patriarch of Jerusalem, alleged, “Simple people, farmers, are under attack from those radical groups that they take the law in their hands and do all sorts of things. Therefore, it’s part and parcel of our moral obligation to raise our voice and awareness.”
Eliana Passentin, international desk director for the Jewish community in the Binyamin Region, responded, telling CBN News, “We love our Christian neighbors, we have aligned values.”
She added, “There is a public campaign, trying to keep us apart, to tear us apart. And for years, our communities (Jewish and Palestinian) have worked together. We have the same values. There is an investigation going on right now. I cannot give the details. But I know that it’s not as it seems. And that the Israelis – it’s a small conflict between neighbors. It is nothing big. Churches were not set on fire. As soon as we have the results of this investigation, we’ll be able to give you more details.”
The Knesset is now preparing hearings on instituting full Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, even as violence across the region continues.
