Virtual Jerusalem

Hezbollah is utilizing the recent ceasefire to rebuild its military presence in southern Lebanon and significantly upgrade its drone arsenal, according to regional media. Reports from the Beirut-based outlet Al-Modon, cited by The Jerusalem Post, indicate the Iranian-backed terror group has enhanced its first-person view (FPV) drones. The group is reportedly increasing the aircraft's explosive payloads from roughly 2.5 kilograms to between four and six kilograms.

Yemen's Houthi-run broadcaster Al-Masirah reported Tuesday, October 13, that a Saudi-led coalition struck oil facilities west of Sanaa, hours after the coalition ordered civilians to evacuate the Yemen Petroleum Company's al-Sabaha Central Station ahead of what coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki called a planned military operation. The strike has not been independently confirmed; an AFP correspondent reported hearing an explosion in the area, according to France 24 and the Associated Press.

U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that the United States may have gone "too far" in its targeted strikes against Iranian leaders, claiming that the elimination of senior officials has complicated diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. The ongoing U.S. military campaign against Tehran—which follows close regional security coordination with Israel amid the broader multi-front war—has reportedly dismantled significant portions of Iran's top echelon.

A new institutional history of the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research is drawing attention from scholars and readers of Yiddish culture, prompting renewed interest in one of the twentieth century's more improbable survival stories. "Yiddish Scholarship Comes to America: The YIVO Institute at 100," by historian Kalman Weiser, was published by Wayne State University Press in September 2026.

I keep returning to a simple test when I read about campaigns to cut Israeli universities and athletes out of international competition: what, exactly, would be severed? This past week gave me an unusually concrete answer. On October 7, 2026, a 21-year-old judoka from Israel stood on a world championship podium. Four days earlier, two Israeli mathematicians had been named among the world's most honored scientists.

Israir announced on Tuesday, October 13, that it is freezing plans to expand its route to Marrakech, Morocco, and has suspended ticket sales on the line entirely, citing new security directives issued after last month's attack on a Flydubai flight bound for Israel. Israir had planned to grow the Tel Aviv-Marrakech service from one weekly flight to three, on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and was negotiating to lease an additional aircraft for the expansion.

Israel's Education Ministry stated on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, that it did not approve a school hiking route through a restricted northern forest, following a deadly ordnance explosion that killed 14-year-old student Elazar Yair Wilensky and wounded 24 others the previous day. The statement responds to remarks by the Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF), whose chairman questioned why the hike was authorized near a closed zone.

Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot said Tuesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should not be the one directing any future military campaign against Iran, amid speculation that hostilities could reignite before Israel's October 27 election. In an interview with Army Radio, the former IDF chief of staff declared that "after three years of war, in my eyes, the prime minister is not fit to carry out another operation", faulting him for not completing the war's objectives.

Israel’s Tel Aviv District Planning and Building Committee approved plans on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, for a permanent United Arab Emirates embassy complex in Herzliya Pituah, The Jerusalem Post reported. The approved plan permits a building of up to 15 stories, with diplomatic offices and residences for the ambassador and embassy staff. The decision marks a further planning step beyond the committee’s approval in October 2025 to deposit the proposal for public review.

A Delta Air Lines flight arriving from New York was evacuated at Ben Gurion Airport on Tuesday, October 13, following an anonymous bomb threat. Following its arrival, passengers disembarked the aircraft in response to an unverified report asserting that an explosive device was hidden inside the plane's cargo hold. Aviation officials instructed the flight crew to taxi to an isolated area of the tarmac, keeping the plane distanced from the main terminal.