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Netanyahu: Rafah operation is in the works

“Jerusalem Minute” with Middle East correspondent Josh Hasten, Ep. 16

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that a Rafah operation will take place regardless of whether Hamas accepts the latest hostage deal offered by Israel. How much longer will Israel wait to go in? How much of this rhetoric is public diplomacy? And how much can be trusted as actual policy?

JNS CEO and Jerusalem bureau chief Alex Traiman and Middle East correspondent Josh Hasten analyze these developments and other top stories in Israel, including the International Criminal Court threatening an arrest warrant against Netanyahu; the Biden administration accusing units of the Israel Defense Forces of human-rights violations; the violent anti-Israel protests taking place on university campuses across America; and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s Middle East trip.

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Alex Traiman is the CEO and Jerusalem bureau chief of the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) and host of “Jerusalem Minute.” A seasoned Israeli journalist, documentary filmmaker and startup consultant, he is an expert on Israeli politics and U.S.-Israel relations. He has interviewed top political figures, including Israeli leaders, U.S. senators and national security officials with insights featured on major networks like BBC, Bloomberg, CBS, NBC, Fox and Newsmax. A former NCAA champion fencer and Yeshiva University Sports Hall of Fame member, he made aliyah in 2004, and lives in Jerusalem with his wife and five children.
Josh Hasten is a Middle East correspondent for JNS. He is co-host of the JNS podcast “Jerusalem Minute,” as well as the host of the JNS podcast “Judeacation.” He also hosts the weekly radio program “Israel Uncensored” on “The Land of Israel Radio Network.” An award-winning freelance journalist, he writes regularly for JNS and other publications. He is also a sought-after guest for television and radio interviews on current events in Israel, having appeared on CNN, BBC, Sky News, Fox, APTV, WABC, ILTV, i24News, and many others.
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The new law seeks to operationalize long-standing legal provisions and strengthen deterrence against terrorist violence.
The premier said the president expressed appreciation for Israel’s help in the daring rescue.
Mohammad Reza Ashrafi Kahi died in Tehran on April 3.
The U.S. president earlier warned that “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day and Bridge Day” if Iran does not open the Strait of Hormuz.
Israel’s airspace remains virtually closed to regular commercial air traffic amid the ongoing war with Iran.