The Pulse of Israel

My heart aches.

Hours before the Yom Kippur holiday, the holiest day to the Jewish people, while I was out on IDF reserve patrol in the Judean Hills, we were placed on heightened alert after a deadly shooting attack near the Jewish community of Neve Tzuf in the Binyamin region of Samaria.

Then came the devastating news: Netanel Shakron הי״ד, a father of six from Alei Zahav, had been murdered.

The circumstances are heartbreaking.

On the eve of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, Netanel went with his eldest son...

Jared Kushner says Israelis are being “a little irrational” about Gaza. Then he admits: “We’re now starting to understand the scope of the militarization of Gaza. It is beyond your comprehension.”

NOW starting to understand, after October 7, after nearly three years of war, after IDF soldiers uncovered Hamas tunnels, weapons caches, and command centers under homes, mosques, hospitals, and schools across the Gaza Strip?

Then Kushner says something else: “We worked with Hamas for over four months.” Hamas supposedly signed a deal to demilitarize.

Seriously?

Hamas planned and carried out the October 7...

At the Pulse of Israel “From Victims to Victors” Conference, three powerful voices came together to discuss Israel’s future at a moment of historic transformation.

In this panel, Hillel Fuld, Alex Traiman, and Topaz Ram examine what it means for Israel and the Jewish people to move beyond the mentality of merely surviving — and begin thinking like a sovereign nation determined to shape its own destiny.

The conversation explores Israel’s security challenges, the battle for the international narrative, Jewish identity, national confidence, and the dramatic changes taking place in Israel and across the Middle Eas...

The Jewish people are living through one of the greatest transformations in our 2,000-year history.In this powerful talk at the 4th Annual Pulse of Israel Conference, held at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem in July 2026, Pulse of Israel founder Avi Abelow explains the historic shift taking place from victims to victors.For generations, Jews lived as a persecuted and powerless minority, dependent upon the goodwill of foreign rulers for our survival. Today, we have returned to our God-given, indigenous, ancestral homeland. We have sovereignty, an army and the ability to defend Jewish lives.Yet too many...

For nearly three years I refused to spend every day chasing the latest lie about Israel. Not because the lies don’t matter. Because the Jewish people cannot win if we live forever in the defendant’s chair.In Hebrew, the word "Hasbara" is used when defending Israel. But that is the problem, it is defense. Pulse of Israel chose offense.Since October 7 Israel has been fighting a jihadi enemy that massacred families, burned people alive, kidnapped children, raped women, and celebrates murdering Jews. Not only Hamas in Gaza. Hezbollah in Lebanon. Houthis in Yemen. Jihadis in Judea and Sama...

Pulse of Israel will be sitting down with representatives from the various lists running in Israel’s 2026 elections, not to play studio referee, but so Israelis and our allies abroad can hear, in their own words, who intends to lead this country, what makes them unique, and what they will actually do in the Knesset.Avi Abelow sat down with Yishai Fleisher, international spokesman for Hebron, city councilman in Efrat in Gush Etzion, and now a candidate for the Knesset on Otzma Yehudit, the party led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.Fleisher walks through some of Otzma Yehudit’s re...

The other day, the government of Israel approved the building of a new city in the Shomron to be called SHIRA, on Highway 5, east of Rosh HaAyin, on the way to the city of Ariel. Tens of thousands of apartments will be built. On 9,500 dunams of land that will be home to over 100,000 Jews. Eastern Gush Dan. Half an hour to Tel Aviv. Next to the train.This didn’t happen by accident.Smotrich and Netanyahu. A partnership that has totally changed the map of Israel like never before. Approved over 100 new communities in Judea and Samaria. New cities. Ar...

Wake up, Jewish Democrats.Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, herself Jewish, told the Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus that Jews have “a moral imperative to place the needs of the world above even our own self-interest and, yes, even our own survival.”That was not abstract ethics. The political context was November and the U.S. Senate race: pressure on Jews uneasy about Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, and tempted by Republican Mike Rogers. El-Sayed’s Israel record, and his “hurt people hurt people” line after the March 2026 terrorist attack on Temple Israel outside Detroit, already alarmed many Jewish Democrats.Nessel went further. I...

America and Israel are fighting the same battle: elected governments versus unelected power. A recent Washington Post report says senior U.S. commanders warned Secretary of War Pete Hegseth that renewing war with Iran would be “unsustainable.” Commanders should give candid private advice. The scandal is leaking that advice to pressure the elected leadership.America remains the most powerful military on earth. Costs must be explained. Policy is still decided by voters and the president they chose — not by officials who think their judgment should override an election.Israelis know this fight. For years, figures in the legal, security, intell...

Interior Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir just put Gaza emigration at the center of Israel’s election debate, declaring: “It is time to admit it: Gandhi was right.”He was referring to former Israeli general and minister Rehavam “Gandhi” Ze’evi—and unveiling his new Gaza emigration proposal, “Disengagement 710.”Ben-Gvir deserves credit for forcing Israel to confront a question almost everyone avoided before October 7: What happens to Gaza after this war, and how does Israel guarantee that another October 7 massacre can never happen?His plan reportedly envisions encouraging the jihadi Gazans to voluntarily emigrate, establishing a dedicated government ministry, negotiating with destination c...

This other week, the jihadi village of Qusra was back in the news with the same dishonest script: Jews blamed, “settler extremists” accused, Jewish self-defense treated as the scandal. That framing is a lie. Jihadis attacked Jews. Jews retaliated. The media and too many Israeli officials still blamed the Jews.In this video Avi Abelow breaks down what the headlines refuse to say about Qusra, Judea and Samaria, hilltop youth, illegal Palestinian Authority construction, and the collapse of deterrence after Oslo.First, young Jews are filling a vacuum the IDF left open. A healthy nation does not need civilians to i...

The IDF Chief of Staff just approved a million-shekel package for a senior official who should be facing prison, not retirement. Thankfully, the Finance Ministry and Defense Minister have stopped the package for now, and hopefully for good.Former Military Advocate General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi admitted leaking the Force 100 video — a spliced, edited smear that painted IDF soldiers as criminals in the middle of a war for Israel’s survival. That leak was not a clerical error. It was a weapon. It handed our enemies a propaganda gift, fueled UN resolutions against Israel, and helped the global machine that already want...

Brigadier General (res.) Oren Solomon is an October 7 hero. On the morning of the massacre he left home in the Gaza envelope with his son, not as a deployed unit but as a father and a fighter. They reached the Nova music festival area and Highway 232 and fought Hamas terrorists face to face for hours. With a handful of police officers they delayed the assault, blocked routes, evacuated civilians under fire, and helped save lives while the official army’s response was hours away. Solomon does not speak in slogans. He describes what he saw, what he did, and wh...

Could major change finally be coming to Washington’s Middle East policy?According to reporting cited by Laura Loomer, senior State Department officials reportedly want U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Syria envoy Tom Barrack removed, and Barrack has allegedly been called back to Washington for “consultations.” Israel Hayom quoted Loomer citing a State Department source saying, “We want him gone so badly.”There has been no official announcement that Barrack has been fired, so hope must not be confused with confirmed fact. But his own statements raise serious questions about whose interests he has been advancing.Barrack declared that Ameri...

For years, Israelis have been told to dream about peace and normalization with Saudi Arabia. Imagine Israel, Saudi Arabia and the moderate Sunni states standing together against their common enemy: the Shiite jihadi regime of Iran.But that dream may be turning into a strategic nightmare.The Middle East is shifting again. Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, a nuclear country, are developing deeper security ties, while the possibility of broader regional arrangements involving Iran has reportedly been discussed. At the same time, Muslim governments, including countries that have relations with Israel, continue finding common ground in publicly condemning Israel...

Israel recently did something that represents one of the most important national-security shifts since October 7.Early Tuesday morning, Israeli jets struck the Abu al-Duhur airbase in northwestern Syria, damaging the runway and storage facilities. The reason was simple: Israel had intelligence that Syria was preparing to allow Turkish forces to deploy there. Israel warned Syria repeatedly. Syria ignored the warnings. So Israel acted — before Turkey could establish drones, aircraft, weapons, or air defenses on that base.Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office said Israel will not tolerate threats to its security. Netanyahu’s message to Turkey was even shorter: “Don’t.”This is...

After 44 years, IDF soldier Yehuda Yekutiel Katz, HY”D, is finally home.Yehuda was only 22 when he fought in the Battle of Sultan Yacoub during the First Lebanon War on June 11, 1982. An Israeli armored force was caught in a deadly clash with Syrian forces in the Bekaa Valley. Twenty soldiers were killed. Dozens were wounded. Three young soldiers disappeared: Zachary Baumel, Zvi Feldman, and Yehuda Katz.For decades, their families waited. For decades, Israel searched.Zachary Baumel was brought home in 2019 after 37 years. Zvi Feldman was brought home in 2025 after almost 43 years. Now Yehuda Katz has been found, identified, an...

Over the past few weeks, jihadis in Gaza launched kites that crossed the border and landed in or near Israeli communities. For years, similar kites were used as arson weapons, burning Israeli fields and nature reserves.This time, Defense Minister Israel Katz issued the policy Israel should have had years ago: “We view every launch as an act of war in every sense.” He instructed the IDF to respond immediately and forcefully to any kite, balloon, or drone from Gaza, with or without explosives. “A balloon is treated like a kite, and a kite is treated like a drone.” Most imp...

Caroline Glick delivered a powerful speech at our fourth annual Pulse of Israel conference at the Begin Center in Jerusalem, explaining what she sees as one of the most overlooked stories of this war: how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu transformed Israel’s darkest moment into an extraordinary geopolitical opportunity.We had originally invited Prime Minister Netanyahu himself to address our conference. He was scheduled to participate, but at the last minute was unable to make it. Instead, he asked his close adviser Caroline Glick to speak in his place, and she delivered a message everyone needs to hear.After th...

This is the story of a nation, but a personal story.Our first grandchild is here, and she is a beautiful little princess! Thank you Hashem!After being blessed with four boys, Hashem decided it was finally time to bring a little princess into the Abelow family. The emotions are impossible to describe.Yet this birth represents something even greater than an extraordinary personal family celebration: our granddaughter is the fourth generation of the Abelow family blessed to live in our God-given, indigenous, ancestral homeland.For thousands of years, generations of Jews lived in exile, wandering from country to...

Did you hear the latest manufactured scandal? MK Tzvi Sukkot destroyed a Palestinian Authority monument that glorifies the terrorist Yaman Faraj, a jihadi terrorist responsible for multiple attacks that have killed and injured dozens of Jews. Of course MK Sukkot did the right thing. The outrage that followed only exposes the complete moral inversion we are living in, and the urgent need for stronger leadership.Journalist Elhanan Gruner reported the monument to the IDF back in early July after ice cream was handed out to village children in Faraj’s memory at the monument. The Judea and Samaria Division co...

Israel just held important Likud primary elections, yet hardly anyone outside Israel, and even many people inside Israel, heard about them.These internal elections matter because Likud members help shape the party's future list of Knesset representatives. Unlike many Israeli political parties, where candidates are selected internally by a small leadership circle, or just by the party leader, the Likud gives registered members a meaningful opportunity to influence who represents the party and what ideological direction it takes.As members of the Likud party, I was blessed to vote together with my parents. For me, this was much more...

Jared Kushner, representing the United States government, recently met in Egypt with Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas’s overall leader, a former deputy to Yahya Sinwar who was connected to preparations for the October 7 massacre.Al-Hayya did not condemn October 7. He praised it as a “military accomplishment” and “source of pride” to be passed down through generations. This is the Hamas leader Kushner reportedly said had spoken “all the right things.”To Kushner’s credit, he demanded that Hamas surrender its weapons, relinquish control of Gaza and dismantle its terrorist infrastructure. Yet Hamas’s public statement did not explicitly promise disarmament. Instead, Hamas dem...

I’m back in IDF reserve duty, helping protect the Jews who live in the Judean Hills while Israel’s war against jihad continues.One of our newest assignments is particularly meaningful: protecting a brand-new Jewish community taking root on an undeveloped hilltop. Just weeks ago, caravans arrived and the first families moved in. Today, it is a dirt road, temporary homes and open hills. God willing, it will eventually become a thriving community of approximately 250 families.We are not merely guarding caravans. We are witnessing Jewish history being made.Children will grow up here. Synagogues and schools will be b...

I recently had the opportunity to be interviewed by an international mainstream media outlet about Israel, the “palestinians”, Judea and Samaria, and the war over our homeland.And they came with plenty of tough questions.The premise behind all the questions: the familiar international narrative portraying the “palestinians” as the perpetual victims and Jews living in our ancestral homeland as the supposed religious fanatics violating international law.I welcomed the questions because they gave me an opportunity to present a perspective their audience rarely gets to hear: the unapologetic Jewish and Israeli truth that is never heard.I was actually...

As fighting with Hezbollah returned days ago, something extraordinary is happening in Lebanon that deserves far more attention.For decades, Israel fought the same disastrous cycle: defeat our enemies militarily, face international pressure to withdraw, trust international guarantees, watch the terrorists rebuild, and eventually fight another war.Today, that paradigm is beginning to change.Hezbollah continues to demonstrate why Israel can never withdraw from southern Lebanon while the terrorist organization remains armed. Yet the critical development is diplomatic: the United States is increasingly placing responsibility on Hezbollah to disarm rather than demanding that Israel withdraw first.That is a...

The latest “settler violence” story from Qusra is another dangerous example of how the Palestinian Authority’s misinformation machine is manipulating American officials, international media and even genuine friends of Israel.The incident did not occur deep inside a peaceful Arab village. It unfolded on Jabal Ein Aneva, strategic high ground between Migdalim and the Shilo bloc that the Palestinian Authority has reportedly been working to seize through illegal construction and the creation of facts on the ground.Qusra also has a documented history of terrorism and violent attacks against Jews. Yet that critical context disappeared as Jewish shepherds and fa...

According to explosive reports emerging from Washington and Israeli media, Israel passed on intelligence info to U.S. officials regarding an Iran assassination threat against President Trump during last month's NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. The reported operation to protect the President included extraordinary deception tactics, a possible surface-to-air missile threat, and intelligence that allegedly originated with Israel. If true, this story should reshape how Americans view Israel's role as one of the United States' closest strategic allies.In this episode of Pulse of Israel, Avi Abelow analyzes what these reports could mean for U.S.-Israel relations, the...

Trump's new 15-point Gaza roadmap has sparked headlines around the world—but is it really a path to peace, or a dangerous repeat of the mistakes that led to October 7?In this Pulse of Israel episode, Avi Abelow explains why Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was right to reject the proposal and why every Israeli must understand what is actually in this new plan. While President Trump has been one of the greatest friends Israel has ever had, moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, standing up to Iran, and helping bring our ho...

Israeli media has revealed a secret that was kept quiet for months: one Arab Muslim country advised another to sign an agreement with Israel only to “put it to sleep,” rearm, and prepare for the next war. Israeli journalist Tzvi Yehezkeli, who specializes in Islam and the Middle East, asks the only honest question: Is anyone actually surprised?He reminds us of a foundational Islamic precedent every Jew and Israeli must know, the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah.In 628 CE, while still weak, Muhammad signed a ten-year truce with the stronger Jewish Quraysh tribe at Hudaybiyyah. The terms looked humiliating. The paus...

Pulse of Israel usually is focued solely on Israel, but this about a non-Israel location has a deep connection to Israel and our Jewish story today.In this special episode of Pulse of Israel, Avi Abelow takes you on a journey through the breathtaking walled city of Dubrovnik, Croatia, revealing how a vacation became a powerful reminder of the miracle of modern Israel and why every Jew should appreciate the unique generation in which we live.Beyond the stunning medieval walls, crystal-clear Adriatic Sea, sunset kayaking, hidden swimming coves, and one of Europe's most beautiful historic cities lies a...

Israeli media has revealed a secret that was kept quiet for months: one Arab Muslim country advised another to sign an agreement with Israel only to “put it to sleep,” rearm, and prepare for the next war. Israeli journalist Tzvi Yehezkeli, who specializes in Islam and the Middle East, asks the only honest question: Is anyone actually surprised?He reminds us of a foundational Islamic precedent every Jew and Israeli must know, the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah.In 628 CE, while still weak, Muhammad signed a ten-year truce with the stronger Jewish Quraysh tribe at Hudaybiyyah. The terms looked humiliating. The paus...

I recently walked through two beautiful European cities with deep Jewish history. The synagogues still stand. The stories are remembered. But the Jewish communities themselves have largely disappeared. Hardly any Jews remain.In one of those cities, a local Jew was upset to see me wearing my kippah in public. “Why stand out?” he asked. He wasn’t afraid for me — he was afraid for himself and the consequences he would face. Christians walk freely with their symbols. Muslims do the same. For Jews, hiding identity is treated as normal. That should never be accepted as normal.A Jewish restaura...

On October 7, Hamas terrorists invaded Kibbutz Be’eri. Avida Bechar held the safe-room door shut as jihadis tried to break in and murder his family. He stopped them from entering, but could not stop the bullets that killed his wife Dana and teenage son Carmel, who bled out in front of him. Avida was shot and lost his leg. He and his daughter survived. Few Israelis have paid a heavier price.When Avida speaks, every Jew and every Israeli should listen.After the recent murder of two Jews near the Arab village of Tel in Judea and Samaria, Avida as...

Michigan primary results reveal a deeper truth many refuse to face. Abdul El-Sayed’s victory is not just a progressive win or a milestone for Muslim representation. It is another data point showing the steady rise of political influence tied to a 1,400-year-old jihadi ideology inside America. Regardless if El-Sayed wins the general election or not against the Republican, this is a dangerous precedent that will repeat itself more and more.For decades, leaders of major American Muslim organizations have openly stated their goals. CAIR co-founder Omar Ahmad said Islam is not in America to be equal but to be...

On a trip to Panama a few months ago, Avi Abelow was blessed to sit down with Rabbi Laine of Panama City, Panama, for a fascinating and extremely practical conversation about his book, “GPS for a Happier Marriage.”Marriage is one of the greatest blessings in life, but even the strongest marriages can go off track every once in a while. Daily pressures, work, children, responsibilities, communication challenges and simple misunderstandings can slowly create distance between a husband and wife, even when both deeply love each other and are committed to making their marriage work.That is what makes Rabb...

Another President Trump announcement about his ambitious plan for Gaza, and worrisome updates from the new Gaza peace council.In this Pulse of Israel video, Avi Abelow explains why he believes the latest proposal to disarm Hamas, establish a new Palestinian government in Gaza, deploy an international stabilization force, and eventually withdraw the IDF is built on a flawed assumption: that jihadist movements can be persuaded to abandon their ideology through diplomacy.Avi compares the proposal to previous diplomatic efforts involving Iran and argues that both rest on the belief that ideological regimes committed to Israel and the West's...

What are Jewish teens really being taught about Israel today? More importantly, what are they not being taught?I recently had the privilege of speaking to an incredible group of Ramah teens touring Israel, and I challenged them to experience this country in a way few Jewish educational organizations encourage.Israel is not just another destination to visit. It is the birthplace of the Jewish people, the setting of the Bible, and the foundation of Jewish identity. Every Jewish holiday, every biblical story, every prayer comes alive when you understand that it all happened here, in our God-given, indigenous...

Stop Letting the Media Tell You Who the Hilltop Youth Are

For years, the media has portrayed Israel's hilltop youth, settlers and pioneering families as extremists, while ignoring the daily reality they face.After speaking to nearly 300 American Jewish teenagers touring Israel, I was struck by one recurring question: "What about settler violence?" Almost no one asked about the constant jihadist terror, attempted infiltrations, arson attacks, rock-throwing, shootings, agricultural theft, or the indoctrination that fuels violence against Jewish communities. That disconnect reveals just how powerful today's media narrative has become.In this video, Avi Abelow explain why...

Twenty-one years after Israel dismantled 21 thriving Jewish communities in Gaza and expelled nearly 10,000 Jews from their homes, the conversation has come full circle. What was presented in 2005 as a path to peace instead paved the way for our jihadi enemies to turn Gaza into a terror launching pad, with years of rocket fire, and ultimately the horrors of the October 7 massacre.This week, fifteen thousand Israelis marched toward Gaza with a clear message: the time has come to rebuild Jewish communities in Gaza, beginning with northern Gaza. The march reflected a growing belief among many Israelis that lasting security...