By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO — Israel’s Security Cabinet on Tuesday approved “in principle” a ceasefire with Lebanon, requiring Hezbollah forces to move north of the Litani River, about 18 miles from Israel’s border, while Israel would withdraw its forces to south of the border.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there were three main reasons he recommended the agreement. “First, focusing on the Iranian threat and I will not expand on that. Two, refreshing the military forces and our equipment and I’m telling you as it’s not a secret, there’s been delays in bringing more weapons and arms and this delay will finish soon. We will have advanced weaponry that will give us more power to finish our goals. And the third reason for ceasefire, detaching the front of the war from Hamas, from the second war that Hamas pressured Hezbollah to act with them. And now Hezbollah is no longer and it will help us with the task of bringing our hostages back.”
Netanyahu also said, “With full understanding with the United States, we maintain complete military freedom of action. If Hezbollah violates the agreement and tries to arm itself, we will attack. If it tries to renew terrorist infrastructure near the border, we will attack. If it launches a rocket, if it digs a tunnel, if it brings in a truck with missiles, we will attack.”
In Washington, D.C., President Joe Biden announced that “effective at 04:00 tomorrow (Wednesday) local time, the fighting across the Lebanese-Israeli border will end. This is designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities. … Over the next 60 days, the Lebanese Army and state security forces will deploy and take care of their own territory once again … and over the next 60 days Israel will gradually withdraw its remaining forces, and civilians on both sides will soon be able to safely return to their communities and begin to rebuild their homes, their schools, their farms, their businesses and their very lives.”
The President said that since the war began, “over 70,000 Israelis have been forced to live as refugees in their own country, helplessly watching their homes, their businesses, their communities as they are bombarded and destroyed, and over 300,000 Lebanese people have also been forced to live as refugees in their own country in a war imposed on them by Hezbollah. All told this has been the deadliest conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in decades.”
Biden said the United States, France, and “our other allies … pledged to work with Israel and Lebanon to insure this arrangement is fully implemented … There will be no U.S. troops deployed in southern Lebanon. This is consistent with my commitment to the American people to not put U.S. troops in combat in this conflict. Instead, we along with France and others will provide the necessary assistance to make sure this deal is implemented fully and effectively.”
Turning to Gaza, Biden said the people there also deserve and end “to the fighting and displacement.”
“People of Gaza have been through hell,” Biden said. “Far too many civilians in Gaza have suffered far too much. And Hamas has refused for months and months to negotiate a good-faith ceasefire and a hostage deal. So, now Hamas has a choice to make. Their only way out is to release the hostages including American citizens which they hold and, in the process, bring an end to the fighting which will make possible a surge of humanitarian relief.”
He said in the coming days, the U.S. will make another push with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar and others to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza. He said such a development could enhance prospects for a “future in which Palestinians have a state of their own, one that fulfills its people’s legitimate aspirations, one that cannot threaten Israel or harbor terrorist groups with backing from Iran. … To that end the United States remains prepared to conclude a set of historic deals with Saudi Arabia to include a security pact and economic assurances, together with a credible pathway for establishing a Palestinian state and the full normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel –it’s a desire they both have.”
“In our remaining time in office, I will work tirelessly to advance this vision for an integrated, secure and prosperous region — all of which strengthens America’s national security,” the President vowed. “Getting all this done will require some hard choices. Israel has been bold on the battlefield. Iran and its proxies have paid a very heavy price. Now, Israel must be bold and turn tactical gains against Iran and its proxies into a coherent strategy that secures Israel’s long-term safety and advances a broader peace and prosperity within the region.”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, before the agreement was officially announced, said a ceasefire could have “profound effects, not only immediately for those concerned {that is, Israel and Lebanon} … but in terms of Gaza itself, I also think this can have a significant impact. Why is that? Because one of the things that Hamas has sought from day one is to get others in on the fight, to create multiple fronts, to make sure that Israel was having to fight in a whole series of different places. And as long as it’s thought that was possible, that’s one of the reasons it’s held back from doing what’s necessary to end the conflict.”
U.S. Ambassador to Israel-designate Mike Huckabee described the agreement to Fox News as “certainly good news … for people in Lebanon, great news for the people of Israel who have had to relocate from their homes, 100,000 families who can’t live in their communities and neighborhoods because of the constant missiles and bombs and rockets that are pelting upon them. So, this would be wonderful if it holds, but the problem is that Hezbollah and its Iranian backed proxies like Hamas and the Houthis, they’ve never kept an agreement.”
Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Maryland), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, commented: “Lebanon’s Parliament can and must select a president free from corruption and Iranian influence. The United States remains committed to ensuring the ceasefire holds with strong and ongoing support for the Lebanese Armed Forces—the true defenders of Lebanon’s sovereignty and people—and for Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorism.”
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President-elect Donald Trump has endorsed Florida State Sen. Randy Fine to succeed Congressman Mike Waltz in a Florida’s 6th congressional district based in Jacksonville. Waltz previously was designated by Trump to serve as his National Security Adviser. Trump said that “In Congress, Randy will be an incredible fighter who will work tirelessly with me.” The Republican Jewish Coalition, echoing Trump’s endorsement, said: “Randy Fine is a warrior for his constituents and has served for years in the Florida legislature with distinction. A fighter for school choice, security funding for places of worship, and an ardent defender of the State of Israel, Randy Fine will be a fierce advocate for the Jewish community in the House of Representatives. Importantly, he has led the fight and been the loudest voice against the rise of antisemitism in Florida and across the country.” The special election has been scheduled for April 1, 2025.
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Catherine Lhamon, U.S. assistant secretary for civil rights, told Jewish Insider that when she leaves office as the Trump Administration takes over, “I am sick about the quantum of harm that I’m walking away from.” She specifically referenced antisemitism on America’s college campuses.
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Lauren Book, who led Democrats in the Florida State Senate until term limits forced her to retire, has announced she will run in 2028 for a different state Senate seat in the Broward and Miami-Dade Counties area. Book’s staff she might run even earlier if the district’s current incumbent, Jason Pizzo, resigns his seat to run for governor in 2026.
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U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) said U.S. airlines earned $12.4 billion in revenue from seat fees between 2018 and 2023. United Airlines set a record last year of $1.3 billion in seat fees, more than the $1.2 billion it earned from fees on checked baggage. He said he will chair a hearing on December 4 of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations into airline fees, with executives from American, United, Delta, Spirit, and Frontier Airlines to testify.
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California State Sen. Josh Newman has conceded to Republican challenger Steven Choi. “With the most recent ballot updates, the numbers have made it clear that my campaign no longer has a viable path to a positive outcome in this election.” Newman was opposed by the employees union at UC Irvine. His loss and Choi’s victory brings the partisan breakdown in the state Senate to 30 Democrats, 10 Republicans.
INTERNATIONAL
Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich told a meting of the Yesha Council that Israel should occupy Gaza following the war and encourage voluntary emigration by the Palestinians who live there. “It’s possible to create a situation in which Gaza will have less than half its current population within two years,” he told the Council which represents Jewish towns, villages and cities in Judea and Samaria, known popularly as the West Bank.
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Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz has announced engineering studies are underway to build a fence along the 192-mile long Israel-Jordan border to enhance security.
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Jared Kushner and his wife Ivanka Trump have pledged $1 million to the Chabad Center in the United Arab Emirates in the wake of the murder there of Chabad Rabbi Zvi Kogan. The contribution was matched by Jared’s brother, Joshua Kushner and his wife Karlie Kloss, bringing to $2 million the Kushner family will donate. Jared and Ivanka, announcing the gift, said “Rabbi Kogan’s commitment to peace and unity was a beacon of hope that will continue to inspire us all.” Denouncing the “ongoing scapegoating of Israel and the Jewish people,” President-elect Trump’s daughter and son in law, said “To all who wish to aggravate these historic divides, know that your efforts only strengthen the resolve of the Jewish community to contribute to societies that respect and welcome us. History has shown that those who embrace the Jewish people benefit, and those who persecute the Jewish people ultimately face spectacular defeat.”Ronald
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World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder protested the United Nations’ decision not to renew Alice Wairimu Nderitu of Kenya as its Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, saying, “The action not only disregards Ms. Nderitu’s extraordinary commitment to combating hatred, including antisemitism, but it also sends a chilling message about the UN’s priorities and values. … When individuals like Ms. Nderitu are removed from positions of influence, and when Israel remains a disproportionate target of condemnation while human rights violators and antisemites are elevated, the UN risks losing its relevance as a defender of peace and justice.” Nderitu had contradicted the allegations that Israel is committing “genocide” in Gaza.
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Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum says if President-elect Trump imposes tariffs on Mexican goods, Mexico might retaliate with tariffs on American goods. Trump had threatened to impose 25 percent tariffs on Mexican goods unless Mexico curbs the flow of migrants and drugs from its country into the United States. She also commented, “If a percentage of what the United States spends on war were dedicated to peace and development, that would address the underlying causes of migration.”
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Donald H. Harrison is publisher and editor of San Diego Jewish World.
Regardless whether this ceasefire goes into effect or not, the end of this war with Hezbollah will only happen when the IDF once again creates a security zone in Southern Lebanon, up to the Litani River, and Israelis on the Northern border only see IDF soldiers on the other side of the fence.
There were these comments sent to San Diego Jewish World on the ceasefire agreement:
American Jewish Committee: As Israel has done time and time again, it has chosen to agree to a ceasefire at the risk of huge potential costs. To protect this peace, enforcement from the Lebanese army, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and U.S. Central Command will be paramount. As long as Hezbollah, funded by the Iranian regime to eradicate Israel, remains on its border, Israel and her people are under threat.
Much of this deal is based on the original tenets of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which has failed to be enforced since its adoption in 2006. While AJC welcomes the new enforcement mechanisms in this agreement, we will continue to advocate for a reassessment of UNIFIL’s mandate and operations.
As recently as last August, UNIFIL’s mandate was simply renewed without the necessary adjustments to address the threat posed by Hezbollah. Without meaningful reforms, UNIFIL will continue to fall short of its mandate. UNIFIL’s mandate must be changed from “observe and report” to “security enforcement” – adapting to the current reality and threat Hezbollah poses to Israelis and the Lebanese people.
In a country that is languishing and facing economic collapse, Hezbollah has spent the last 40 years creating a state within a state and an army more powerful – thanks to Iranian arms and funding, as well as income from criminal enterprises around the world – than the legitimate Lebanese Armed Forces. While the durability of the ceasefire agreement remains to be seen, AJC is hopeful that it will create an opportunity for the Lebanese people to build a more stable, unified, and sovereign state—free from the Iranian regime’s agenda to destroy Lebanon’s southern neighbor.
Our hearts are with the Israeli people who have been forced to flee from their homes in the north of the country and who will disproportionately face the risk of this agreement.
AJC is grateful for United States leadership in securing this agreement and welcomes American and French involvement in the inspection committee to ensure its success.
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World Jewish Congress: “The State of Israel bears the solemn responsibility of ensuring the safety of each of its citizens. Today’s proposed ceasefire agreement for Israel and Lebanon offers a vital step toward restoring this fundamental sense of security for those living in the north of the country. We are grateful to the United States and France for their work to bring about this essential agreement aimed at ensuring regional stability.
“The progress Israel has achieved over recent months in its fight against terror by crippling Hezbollah’s infrastructure and that of other Iranian proxies will undoubtedly be recorded in the annals of history as a decisive chapter in the struggle to safeguard the future of the Jewish State. This is not only a military achievement but a demonstration of resilience and strategic vision in the face of relentless threats.
“As we mark this milestone, Israel must also take this moment to redirect its focus to the south and the Gaza envelope, and the international community must stand united with moral clarity in supporting efforts to ensure the safe return of all hostages held by Hamas. The thousands displaced from their homes deserve nothing less than a renewed commitment to their safety and the promise of peace in their daily lives.
“The World Jewish Congress stands resolutely with the State of Israel, ready to lend our full diplomatic support to these efforts to ensure that every Israeli can live in safety and with dignity, and that justice is served for all victims of terror.”