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Dear A.,
For the first time in decades, Israeli and Lebanese civilian representatives came together today for
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direct talks . The U.S.-mediated talks come amid rising tensions over the Lebanese government's failure to act as Hezbollah is rebuilding and rearming with help from Iran.
The meeting took place in Naquora, Lebanon, as "an initial attempt to create a basis for a relationship and economic cooperation between Israel and Lebanon," the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.
U.S. and Israeli officials have warned Lebanon that the IDF could launch a major operation against Hezbollah if the Lebanese government does not follow through on its commitment to fully disarm the terrorist group.
Earlier today, a bipartisan group of House lawmakers, led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, sent a letter to
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the president and prime minister of Lebanon demanding that Hezbollah be disarmed in accordance with the ceasefire agreement.
"We write to you with a critical message: disarm Hezbollah now, including by force if necessary... The lack of real progress has enabled Hezbollah to rearm and rebuild its positions, even in areas south of the Litani River, where it is prohibited from operating under U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701... The United States will also find it increasingly difficult to justify continued support for a government that refuses to uphold its own commitments and allows a terrorist organization to dictate its future."
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You can read the full letter here.
Meanwhile, IDF Arabic Spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee
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revealed yesterday that
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Hezbollah's Unit 121 had assassinated four Lebanese figures who had information that would expose the terrorist group's links to the deadly 2020 Beirut Port explosion.
The explosion, which killed 218 people and injured over 7,000 others, is widely believed to have been caused by Hezbollah's storage of weapons at the port, and the four individuals murdered by the terrorist group were customs department officers and journalists who knew about Hezbollah's connection to the deadly explosion.
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The United States must continue to increase the pressure on Lebanon to fulfill its stated commitment to fully disarm Hezbollah.
Continue to
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follow AIPAC on social media for the latest updates.
Jake Braunstein
Senior Director, Policy Communications
Documents show Hamas infiltrated aid NGOs
Hamas documents captured by the IDF show how the terrorist organization sought to infiltrate, manipulate and control international aid organizations operating in Gaza.
According to the
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report , "NGOs in Gaza do not operate independently or neutrally. Rather, they are embedded in an institutionalized framework of coercion, intimidation, and surveillance that serves Hamas’ terror objective."
Hamas
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exploited the "'guarantor' system, whereby Hamas requires formal liaisons between its internal security apparatus and the international NGOs," using these guarantors to infiltrate foreign organizations and control their operations in the Strip.
Hostage survivor
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Alon Ohel said in a recent interview that the Red Cross, one of the NGOs working in Gaza, "didn’t do anything" to help the hostages, and called it "a disgraceful organization.”
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More Hamas ceasefire violations: Playing sick games with deceased hostages and attacks on IDF troops
Forensic analysis is underway in Israel to determine the identity of a deceased body that Hamas
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returned to Israel today. Hamas claims it belongs to one of the two remaining slain hostages in Gaza; however, the remains Hamas returned to Israel yesterday, which Hamas claimed belonged to one of the hostages, were
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confirmed by Israeli forensic analysis to be neither.
Hamas continues to violate the ceasefire deal by refusing to return all of the hostages' bodies and by attacking Israeli troops.
Today in Rafah, Hamas terrorists
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emerged from tunnels and fired at IDF troops, injuring five soldiers. The injured were evacuated to a hospital for treatment.
This brazen attack comes as Israel is set to
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reopen the Rafah crossing in the coming days to allow Palestinians in need of medical care to enter Egypt. COGAT said the opening of the crossing will be coordinated with Egyptian authorities.
PICTURE OF THE DAY
Ambassador Huckabee meets with Pharma Israel executives
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U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee met with Pharma Israel and other industry executives who are "working to ensure that our two nations remain at the forefront of life-saving medical innovation," Ambassador Huckabee said. "U.S.-Israel scientific cooperation is the envy of the world."
Israel completes record sale of Arrow defense system to Germany
Israel today formally
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handed over its advanced Arrow 3 ballistic missile defense system to Germany, marking the first time a country besides the U.S. and Israel will have independent access to the system.
The initial deal was reached shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022. The joint U.S.-Israel missile defense system will be deployed at Holzdorf Air Base, roughly 75 miles south of Berlin.
Israeli Defense Ministry Director-General Amir Baram, who traveled to Germany earlier this week, said, "It is an amazing historic moment when Israeli air defense technology protects Germany, despite the distant history of the Holocaust."
Pro-Israel Republican wins special election in Tennessee
Pro-Israel Representative-elect Matt Van Epps won a special election for Tennessee's 7th congressional district yesterday.
AIPAC looks forward to working with Rep.-Elect Van Epps to strengthen and expand the U.S.-Israel partnership.
House Foreign Affairs Committee passes four pro-Israel bills
This afternoon, the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed four pro-Israel bills out of committee:
- H.R. 1848 - Houthi Human Rights Accountability Act: Introduced by Reps. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Brad Sherman (D-CA), mandates new reporting on Houthi human rights abuses and requires determinations on whether those found to be committing violations meet the criteria for imposition of sanctions under current authorities.
- H.R. 4397 - Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act of 2025: Introduced by Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), requires the president to make determinations on whether the Muslim Brotherhood, its branches and affiliates, meet the criteria for designation as terrorist groups and to impose sanctions on those found to meet the required criteria.
- H.R. 6230 - Tehran Incitement to Violence Act: Introduced by Rep. Keith Self (R-TX), requires the Secretary of State to determine whether certain Iranian individuals and entities should be sanctioned under terrorism, human rights and other sanctions programs.
- H.R. 6297 - Protecting Europe from Antisemitic Crime and Extremism Act: Introduced by Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL), requires the State Department to provide briefings on the threats of antisemitism and international terrorism in Europe to the appropriate congressional committees.
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U.S. and Israel sign agricultural trade deal
The United States and Israel
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signed an agricultural trade deal yesterday, designed to strengthen economic and strategic ties between the two countries.
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Israeli Economy and Industry Minister Nir Barkat signs a new agricultural deal with the United States that will take effect on January 1, 2026.
Israeli Economy and Industry Minister Nir Barkat said, “The new agreement is a significant step towards reducing the cost of living in Israel and strengthening strategic ties with the U.S. – our most important economic and political partner. We have succeeded in creating a balanced framework that will increase competition, lower prices, and give Israeli exports a renewed advantage in the American market.”
Israel will grant import duty exemptions to about 300 American agricultural products under the agreement. The deal is also expected to lay the groundwork for broader trade negotiations.
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The mission of AIPAC is to encourage and persuade the U.S. government to enact specific policies that create a strong, enduring and mutually beneficial relationship with our ally Israel.
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