New Gaza Flotilla: 200 Vessels On The Way
Pro Palestinian Activists, in collaboration with civil society organizations, have launched a campaign for a new maritime flotilla to the Gaza Strip.
Al-Arabi Al-Jadid reports that more than 200 vessels will participate in the flotilla, supported by the”Mavi Mamara” Freedom and Solidarity Association and the Turkish IHH Foundation, a humanitarian organization that focuses on protecting freedoms, human rights, and providing aid.
Bilent Yildrum, president of the Foundation, told the newspaper that the vessels participating in the flotilla will be purchased with donation funds. A large number of ships are planned to arrive, making it harder for Israel to prevent them from reaching the Gaza coast.
According to Yildrum, thousands of people from 150 countries will participate in the flotilla, and its mission will be to deliver aid and bring medical personnel, teachers, infrastructure and environmental construction teams, lawyers, and war crimes investigators.
In October of last year, the Israeli Navy took control of ships from the “Freedom Coalition” flotilla that attempted to break the blockade to Gaza. The 150 participants in the flotilla were arrested without resistance and transferred to Ashdod for further investigation and deportation from Israel.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement at the time saying, “Another flotilla attempt to break the maritime blockade and enter a combat zone,has ended in nothing,”
India, Israel Agree To Increase Indian Foreign Workers In Israel By 50,000 In The Next Five Years
Israel and India agreed to allow an additional 50,000 Indian citizens to work in Israel over the next five years, according to a Thursday announcement (26th) from Randhir Jaiswal the spokesperson for India’s External Affairs Ministry.
The update was part of a “List of 27 Outcomes” from the Indian Prime Minister Naendra Modi’s recent visit to Israel which Jaiswal published on X.
The “27 Outcomes”included providing Indian workers access to jobs in Israel, manufacturing and food service sectors.
Modi and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also signed memorandums of understanding in the fields of agriculture, geophysical exploration, heritage, science, education,economy, cyber, technology, security, and artificial intelligence, which were signed by their respective ministers and counterparts as well as India’s Ambassador to Israel J.P.Singh.
Israel’s labor force took a significant blow following Oct. 7, as all Arab workers from Gaza and the West bank were barred from entering the country, and foreign workers fled the country en masse after 71 of their number were massacred by Hamas.
The recalibration of the workers has been most acute in sectors heavily reliant on manual labor. Construction firms, already grappling with staffing shortages, are taking advantage of the influx of foreign workers. At the same time, restaurants and manufacturing have begun tapping into foreign labor quotas.
Previously, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were allowed to work in Israel. That figure has fallen as Israel cites major security concerns and a push to wean itself from reliance on Palestinian workers.
According to Kav LaOved, a non-government organization focused on protecting workers’ rights in Israel, roughly 100,000 Palestinians were employed in Israel. Since October 2023, the entry of Palestinian workers has been cut to about 8,000, driven by heightened security restrictions and political tensions that have disrupted the labor market and major sectors such as construction.
In response, authorities have expanded the entry of foreign workers, altering the composition of the workforce.
Data published by PBA in December, showed that almost 61,000 new work permits were issued to foreign workers in 2025 to help fill the widening labor gap, bringing the total number of foreign worker numbers to 227,044.
The new migrant workforce is employed not only in construction and agriculture, the traditional sectors of non-Israel labor, but also increasingly in caregiving, trade, services, and renovation roles previously held by Palestinian workers.
Australian Tribunal Rules: ‘All Zionists Are Terrorists’ Chant Is Unlawful
The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal has ruled that leading the chant “All Zionists are terrorists” at a Melbourne CBD rally constituted racial and religious vilification of Jewish people, reported the Australian Jewish news.
The case was brought by Melbourne man Menachem Vorchheimer, who argued that the slogan crossed the line from political protest into unlawful hate-speech. The Tribunal agreed, determining that the chant incited hatred against Jewish people.
The Jewish Center for Law and Justice welcomed the decision, stating that it “draws an important line in the sand” and clarifies that anti-Zionist rhetoric can, in certain contexts,amount to racial vilification.
Vorchheimer expressed his belief that the ruling affirms that freedom of speech in Australia “is not absolute” and does not extend to serious racial or religious vilification. A further hearing will determine what consequences, if any, should be imposed.
Vorchheimer explained that the initiated legal proceedings in 2024 were brought due to concerns that unchecked inflammatory rhetoric could lead to violence. “That fear was tragically realized at Bondi, where Jews celebrating Hanukkah were targeted in a terror massacre – 15 murdered, 41 hospitalized with gunshot wounds,” he said.
Vorchheimer stated that throughout the legal process, he offered the respondents a simple resolution: an acknowledgment that protest has limits and that vilifying others is unlawful. He said that his offers were rejected, and he was instead subjected to threats of costs and personal attacks.
“Today’s decision affirms a truth that should have never been controversial: freedom of speech in Australia is not absolute. It does not extend to serious racial or religious vilification,” Vorchheimer said.
He particularly welcomed the Tribunal’s finding that the chant was intended to target, at a minimum, all supporters of the continued existence of Israel as a Jewish state, going beyond the alleged purpose of protesting Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Australia has seen a sharp wave of anti-Semitism in the past year, even before the Bondi Beach Hanukkah massacre. Attacks have included the firebombing of the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne.
“Days after the arson at Adass Israel, a car was set on fire, and two properties were vandalized with anti-Israel graffiti in the Sydney suburb of Woollahra, which has a substantial Jewish population.
In early 2025, the Southern Sydney Synagogue in Allawah, a suburb of the city, was vandalized with anti-Semitic graffiti. A day later, the Newtown Synagogue, located in Sydney’s inner west, was vandalized with red swastikas that were spray-painted across the building’s front wall.
Permanent Observer For “Palestine” Withdraws Candidacy For UN Presidency
Riyad Mansour, the UN Minister and Permanent Observer for “Palestine” withdrew his bid to become president of the 81st session of the UN on Thursday (26th).
“Palestine” is currently considered a non-member state of the UN and a Permanent Observer with “a standing invitation to participate as Observers in the sessions and the work of the General Assembly,” rather than a member-state.
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon described Mansour’s bid for presidency as “yet another attempt to turn the UN General Assembly into a political circus against Israel and to bolster the status of the Palestinian delegation through the back door.”
“The Palestinian delegation should instead focus on reforming the Palestinian Authority and ending terrorism” he added.
Mansour made no mention of the reason for his withdrawal in either his formal letter to the UN or on social media.
The Disastrous Legacy Of Mahmoud Abbas – Lt. Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, who became head of the Palestine Liberation Organization after Yasser Arafat’s death, is a Holocaust denying, terror-supporting dictator who was bad for Israel, bad for the Palestinians and bad for peace., which he undermined more than promoted. His policies promoted, incited and rewarded terrorism and the systematic indoctrination of generations of Palestinians to hate Israel and IIsraelis.
He insisted on treating genocidal terrorist organizations such as Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) as legitimate Palestinian factions and continued to reject peace efforts. Abbas bears direct responsibility for the deaths of thousands of Palestinians and Israelis. If the PA is to continue playing any future role, any future Palestinian leader must be the absolute antithesis of Abbas.
While consistently feigning moderation and pragmatism, Abbas consistently rejected peace. In 2008, he rejected an offer by then Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to create a Palestinian state. Instead Abbas chose to pursue virtual statehood, repeatedly requesting that the UN recognize the non-existent “State of Palestine.”
Abbas accumulated a substantial personal fortune estimated to be over $100 million. His sons Tarek and Yasser, run the large Falcon business consortium that controls much of Palestinian commerce. The consortium includes tobacco,electrical and mechanical engineering, media, construction, and investment interests. They too have amassed three personal fortunes.
The writer, former director of the Military Prosecution in Judea and Samaria, is director of the Palestinian Authority Accountability Initiative at the Jerusalem Center.
(jcfa.org)
Israel’s Economic Miracle During Wartime Defies All Predictions – Saul Sadka
After 28 months of conflict, Israel’s longest and most expensive war was predicted to break its economy. The opposite has happened, The cost of the war has pushed the country’s external debt from 60% to 70% – still a figure the peacetime economies of the UK and the euro zone could only dream of. Remarkably, Israel’s GDP has grown from $525 billion in 2022 to a projected $650 billion this year, and its GDP per capita has now surpassed the EU average.
Elevated levels of military exports are likely to be the most direct economic boon from the war. Israel has demonstrated its home-grown technology in real combat conditions and under the scrutiny of the entire world. Making this war the dominant global news story for nearly two years has only benefited the reputation of Israel’s defense industry. Israeli defense exports hit a record $15 billion in 2024, marking a fourth consecutive year of growth.
The catastrophic performance of Russian equipment in Ukraine will remain a marketing disaster for decades to come. This opens a large opportunity for Israel to supply former Russian clients in Africa and Asia, India in particular.
In the early months of the war, dark rumors circulated about the imminent collapse of Israel’s high-tech sector, which accounts for 20% of GDP and more than half of exports. These fears have proven unfounded. On the contrary, growth accelerated throughout the conflict with cybersecurity and fintech emerging as standout sectors.
In addition, Israel is finally achieving energy independence. It is largely self-sufficient in natural gas, which generates over 90% of its electricity, replacing coal. Israel exports gas to Jordan and Egypt, an arrangement that is not only economically beneficial but strategically significant. It is difficult to go to war with a neighbor who can shut down your power supply overnight.
