Saturday
Yom Shabbat
1 Adar 5785
March 1 2025
Two Photos Of The Morning
Sunrise over Mt. Gilboa Today
What We Saw Out Over the Mediterranean from Our House This Morning Following an Overnight Storm:
UPDATE 9:00 AM ISRAEL TIME
The View from Ashdod
So, you really think there is no difference between Joe Biden and Donald Trump?
35,000 MK84 and BLU-117 aerial bombs
4,000 I-2000 bunker-penetrating warheads
4,799 BLU-110A/B 1000 pound bombs
5000 JDAM guidance kits to convert “dumb bombs” into precision guided bombs
Advanced Caterpillar D9R and D9T armored bulldozers (valued at $295 million), along with technical support (maintenance, spare parts, logistical services
The above was approved by the Trump Administration last night in an “emergency declaration” that bypassed the Congressional oversight mechanism.
The total value of the deal is $2.7 billion dollars, and brings to $12 billion the amount of military sales that President Trump has approved for Israel since January 21st when he took office.
A State Department Official commented after the above was announced:
“President Trump’s commitment to Israel’s security is strong and determined. These sales will help replenish Israel’s military equipment stockpile after 17 months of fighting Hamas, Hezbollah, and other Iranian-backed threats.”
As you know, most of the military supplies were put on hold by President Biden.
On the Ground in Gaza
As you know from yesterday’s blog, Israel has been pushing for a 42 day extension of Phase 1 of the hostage release ceasefire agreement.
This morning comes news that Hamas has rejected such an extension, and that Israeli negotiators have returned from Cairo.
Where does this leave us?
Israel is resisting beginning Phase 2 because it calls for IDF withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor (among other withdrawals), and the IDF announced yesterday that it is ready to resume the war.
At the same time, the Houthis in Yemen announced yesterday that if Israel does not proceed with Phase 2 and withdraw from Philadelphi, they will resume shooting missiles at Israel.
As you may not know, Ramadan began last night and continues until March 29. The UAE announced that as part of Ramadan, it as launched the largest “humanitarian aid” operation ever to Gaza.
On the Ground in the North
In Syria (or what was once Syria):
The IDF continued to exert control over the area around Quneitra yesterday entering the villages of Tal Mashara, Rasm al-Khawaled, and Umm Batna.
In Lebanon:
From the IDF Spokesman: “The IAF conducted an intelligence-based strike in the area of Hermel and eliminated Mohammed Mahdi Ali Shaheen, a Hezbollah terrorist in its Geographical Unit who had been coordinating terrorist transactions for the purchase of weapons on the Syria-Lebanon border, since the understandings between Lebanon and Israel came into effect.
As part of his role, Shaheen was responsible for making purchase deals for the Hezbollah terrorist organization and mediating the arrival of the shipments and their distributions to the various Hezbollah units, in order to continue Hezbollah’s establishment and reinforcement. This included Shaheen’s collaboration with different dealers and smugglers in the Lebanon-Syria border, as well as cooperation with the Hezbollah terrorist organization.”
On the Ground in Judea and Samaria
A series of terror attacks yesterday:
*Palestinian terrorists opened fire on an Israeli vehicle near Brukin. No one in the car was wounded; the terrorists escaped.
*Palestinian terrorists attacked vehicles on Highway 55 near Nebi Elias, near Yatma, on the Gilad Road near Medema, at Gibeon (two Israelis were wounded), and near Azzun.
And so it goes in Israel this Shabbat morning on which we wish all of our soldiers and you dear readers:
Shabbat Shalom!
A student from Malawi, who had worked with an Israeli health volunteer in his country battling AIDS, came up to us as we walked down the street in the UC-Davis Picnic Day Parade and wanted to carry the Israeli flag.