Episode Details
Back to Episodes
Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-02-22 at 09:02
Published 6 days, 2 hours ago
Description
HEADLINES
Iran elevates Larijani to de facto leader
Netanyahu builds India alliance regional hexagon forms
UK panel flags AI in Maccabi ban
The time is now 9:01 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, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has expanded Ali Larijani's authority and moved him to a de facto leadership role during a period of rising threats from Israel and the United States. Larijani, a trusted ally who serves as the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, is said to oversee key security, military, and diplomatic operations, effectively sidelining President Masoud Pezeshkian. Tehran has ordered extensive contingency planning, including layered succession measures in case senior leaders are killed, while placing the military on high alert, repositioning missile systems, conducting drills, and mobilizing domestic forces to contain unrest. US officials have discussed the possibility of targeting individual Iranian leaders in any broader attack on Tehran. Separately, a report described President Trump as curious why Iran hasn't capitulated to US pressure amid a major military buildup.
In US Policy Concerning Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel maintains a historic alliance with the United States and President Trump while actively expanding ties with other global powers, noting Narendra Modi's upcoming visit as a sign of deepening cooperation with India in economic, diplomatic, security, and advanced technology fields such as AI and quantum computing. Netanyahu outlined a broader vision of a regional hexagon of alliances— including India, Arab and African nations, Greece and Cyprus, and select Asian partners—to counter radical Shia and Sunni axes. He also announced progress on establishing a new airport in Ziklag alongside development at Ramat David, plans to streamline bureaucratic processes, and the advancement of new communities in the Negev and near Kiryat Gat, including housing designated for the growing Haredi population.
In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, the UK Parliament’s Home Affairs Committee criticized the decision to bar Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from attending the Europa League match against Aston Villa at Villa Park in Birmingham in November 2025, saying the process was driven by flawed evidence and poor coordination across government. The committee said West Midlands Police relied too heavily on inaccurate and unverified material, including information partly based on false AI-generated content that painted a misleading picture of violence surrounding a previous fixture. According to the report, evidence reinforcing pre-existing assumptions was accepted readily, while contradictory information from authoritative sources was not given proper weight. A lack of due diligence meant gaps in evidence gathering went uncorrected, even after parliamentary scrutiny. The committee noted that West Midlands Police's evidence gathering is now subject to an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
In Israeli Domestic Politics, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly set to hold a security consultation with Israel's top defense officials before convening the full security cabinet later today.
In Israeli Economy and Business, the government approved Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's decision to double the tax-exempt ceiling on personal imports to $150, with the Knesset expected to vote on the order Monday. Smotrich said the move is already boosting competition and lowering prices, arguing it will help reduce the cost of living by effectively turning more consumers into importers. He thanked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for backing the measure, saying it proves "it can be cheap here."
Thank you for tuning in to this Israel Today: Ongoing War Report update.<
Iran elevates Larijani to de facto leader
Netanyahu builds India alliance regional hexagon forms
UK panel flags AI in Maccabi ban
The time is now 9:01 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, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has expanded Ali Larijani's authority and moved him to a de facto leadership role during a period of rising threats from Israel and the United States. Larijani, a trusted ally who serves as the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, is said to oversee key security, military, and diplomatic operations, effectively sidelining President Masoud Pezeshkian. Tehran has ordered extensive contingency planning, including layered succession measures in case senior leaders are killed, while placing the military on high alert, repositioning missile systems, conducting drills, and mobilizing domestic forces to contain unrest. US officials have discussed the possibility of targeting individual Iranian leaders in any broader attack on Tehran. Separately, a report described President Trump as curious why Iran hasn't capitulated to US pressure amid a major military buildup.
In US Policy Concerning Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel maintains a historic alliance with the United States and President Trump while actively expanding ties with other global powers, noting Narendra Modi's upcoming visit as a sign of deepening cooperation with India in economic, diplomatic, security, and advanced technology fields such as AI and quantum computing. Netanyahu outlined a broader vision of a regional hexagon of alliances— including India, Arab and African nations, Greece and Cyprus, and select Asian partners—to counter radical Shia and Sunni axes. He also announced progress on establishing a new airport in Ziklag alongside development at Ramat David, plans to streamline bureaucratic processes, and the advancement of new communities in the Negev and near Kiryat Gat, including housing designated for the growing Haredi population.
In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, the UK Parliament’s Home Affairs Committee criticized the decision to bar Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from attending the Europa League match against Aston Villa at Villa Park in Birmingham in November 2025, saying the process was driven by flawed evidence and poor coordination across government. The committee said West Midlands Police relied too heavily on inaccurate and unverified material, including information partly based on false AI-generated content that painted a misleading picture of violence surrounding a previous fixture. According to the report, evidence reinforcing pre-existing assumptions was accepted readily, while contradictory information from authoritative sources was not given proper weight. A lack of due diligence meant gaps in evidence gathering went uncorrected, even after parliamentary scrutiny. The committee noted that West Midlands Police's evidence gathering is now subject to an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
In Israeli Domestic Politics, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly set to hold a security consultation with Israel's top defense officials before convening the full security cabinet later today.
In Israeli Economy and Business, the government approved Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's decision to double the tax-exempt ceiling on personal imports to $150, with the Knesset expected to vote on the order Monday. Smotrich said the move is already boosting competition and lowering prices, arguing it will help reduce the cost of living by effectively turning more consumers into importers. He thanked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for backing the measure, saying it proves "it can be cheap here."
Thank you for tuning in to this Israel Today: Ongoing War Report update.<