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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-02-11 at 09:03
Published 2 weeks, 6 days ago
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HEADLINES
Iran Protests Burn Baal Statue with Star
Iran-Linked Cyberattacks Target Public Figures
Paris Attack Targets Jewish Boy in Kippah
The time is now 9:02 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
In the conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, protests in Iran featured the burning of a statue described as the Baal, with a Star of David on its head and chants of “Death to Israel” filling the air, the figure depicted as satanic. Iranian media have in other coverage referred to Epstein as “the Baal” in related contexts, illustrating how symbolism figures into commentary on regional tensions. Separately, Israeli security authorities reported a sharp rise in Iran-linked cyberattack attempts targeting senior officials, academics, journalists and other public figures, with hundreds of such attempts identified over the past year. The campaigns rely on targeted phishing, with attackers impersonating familiar figures to coax victims into revealing personal information or downloading malicious files, and they are linked in part to Iranian intelligence activity, particularly since the Iran-Israel conflict intensified in June. Iran’s missile capabilities remain a red line that Tehran says is not up for negotiation, according to Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Ayatollah Khamenei. The broader negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program have continued under Omani mediation, with Iran reportedly rejecting US calls to halt enrichment but signaling it could discuss the level and purity of enrichment or a regional consortium. US President Donald Trump has claimed Iran wants a deal and warned that a second carrier strike group could be deployed if talks fail, underscoring the high-stakes dynamic surrounding the discussions.
In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, a 13-year-old Jewish boy wearing a kippah was tripped, punched and had a knife held to his throat on the way to a central Paris synagogue. Five attackers carried out the assault, stole his jacket and AirPods, and directed antisemitic remarks at him. A suspect born in June 2007 was arrested and remains in custody as investigators review charges of armed robbery and armed violence, aggravated by discrimination. Yonathan Arfi, president of the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions, said, “How do you find the words to explain to a 13-year-old child that he is being attacked because he is Jewish?” highlighting the impact of such violence on the Jewish community in Paris.
In Israeli Domestic Politics, a Prime Minister’s Office representative, Yoal Elbaz, called for removing the word “massacre” from the title of the bill to establish a national day to commemorate the October 7 Hamas attacks. The move drew outrage from bereaved families during a Wednesday Knesset Education, Culture and Sports Committee meeting as the measure progressed. Elbaz argued that the title should refer to “events” and “incidents,” noting that the 1929 events were treated similarly and not named a “massacre” in title language. While the word was removed from the title for now, officials indicated it may appear later in the text, keeping the record straight on how remembrance is framed.
In Uplifting News, the war has laid bare Israel’s social vulnerabilities, with 2024 poverty figures from the National Insurance Institute showing nearly two million Israelis living below the poverty line and food insecurity rising 27 percent in a year. Israel has long ranked among OECD members as one of the poorer economies, and the data point to a structural challenge for the fabric of society. The figures also reflect how the crisis has spurred solidarity, as broad-based grassroots efforts mobilized to support the vulnerable in a time of national strain, underscoring a resilience that has punctured through hardship.
Thank you for tuning in to this Israel Today: Ongoing War Report update.
I'm No
Iran Protests Burn Baal Statue with Star
Iran-Linked Cyberattacks Target Public Figures
Paris Attack Targets Jewish Boy in Kippah
The time is now 9:02 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
In the conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, protests in Iran featured the burning of a statue described as the Baal, with a Star of David on its head and chants of “Death to Israel” filling the air, the figure depicted as satanic. Iranian media have in other coverage referred to Epstein as “the Baal” in related contexts, illustrating how symbolism figures into commentary on regional tensions. Separately, Israeli security authorities reported a sharp rise in Iran-linked cyberattack attempts targeting senior officials, academics, journalists and other public figures, with hundreds of such attempts identified over the past year. The campaigns rely on targeted phishing, with attackers impersonating familiar figures to coax victims into revealing personal information or downloading malicious files, and they are linked in part to Iranian intelligence activity, particularly since the Iran-Israel conflict intensified in June. Iran’s missile capabilities remain a red line that Tehran says is not up for negotiation, according to Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Ayatollah Khamenei. The broader negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program have continued under Omani mediation, with Iran reportedly rejecting US calls to halt enrichment but signaling it could discuss the level and purity of enrichment or a regional consortium. US President Donald Trump has claimed Iran wants a deal and warned that a second carrier strike group could be deployed if talks fail, underscoring the high-stakes dynamic surrounding the discussions.
In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, a 13-year-old Jewish boy wearing a kippah was tripped, punched and had a knife held to his throat on the way to a central Paris synagogue. Five attackers carried out the assault, stole his jacket and AirPods, and directed antisemitic remarks at him. A suspect born in June 2007 was arrested and remains in custody as investigators review charges of armed robbery and armed violence, aggravated by discrimination. Yonathan Arfi, president of the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions, said, “How do you find the words to explain to a 13-year-old child that he is being attacked because he is Jewish?” highlighting the impact of such violence on the Jewish community in Paris.
In Israeli Domestic Politics, a Prime Minister’s Office representative, Yoal Elbaz, called for removing the word “massacre” from the title of the bill to establish a national day to commemorate the October 7 Hamas attacks. The move drew outrage from bereaved families during a Wednesday Knesset Education, Culture and Sports Committee meeting as the measure progressed. Elbaz argued that the title should refer to “events” and “incidents,” noting that the 1929 events were treated similarly and not named a “massacre” in title language. While the word was removed from the title for now, officials indicated it may appear later in the text, keeping the record straight on how remembrance is framed.
In Uplifting News, the war has laid bare Israel’s social vulnerabilities, with 2024 poverty figures from the National Insurance Institute showing nearly two million Israelis living below the poverty line and food insecurity rising 27 percent in a year. Israel has long ranked among OECD members as one of the poorer economies, and the data point to a structural challenge for the fabric of society. The figures also reflect how the crisis has spurred solidarity, as broad-based grassroots efforts mobilized to support the vulnerable in a time of national strain, underscoring a resilience that has punctured through hardship.
Thank you for tuning in to this Israel Today: Ongoing War Report update.
I'm No