HEADLINES
- HRW reports Iran mass arrests disappearances
- US strike on Iran imminent says Vaturi
- AJFF reverses after juror anti Israel posts

The time is now 8:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In the conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, a damning new report from Human Rights Watch accuses Tehran of a brutal campaign to suppress dissent, including mass arrests and detention in unofficial facilities where contact with the outside world is severed, hundreds of coerced confessions from minors and adults, and the forcible disappearance of thousands of civilians. The report frames the crackdown as a tactic to conceal rights abuses, with families, lawyers, and others describing a climate of fear after the massacres of January 8 and 9. Bahar Saba, senior Iran researcher at Human Rights Watch, urged international monitors to be granted unhindered access to detention facilities and prisons. The HRW outreach included interviews with 23 people inside and outside Iran, including families of those killed or disappeared, lawyers, and medical professionals.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, Deputy Knesset Speaker and Likud member MK Nissim Vaturi said in an interview that a US strike on Iran is only a matter of time. He argued that despite diplomatic talks with Iran, President Donald Trump would take action, warning that “there will be American action in the end” and repeating that he does not believe Trump will humiliate himself. Vaturi suggested Israelis should not overstate the threat, noting the country has faced missiles before and will endure, even as he described a looming American response if Iran does not fold.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, AJFF’s moral failure: Jewish institutions must stand against anti-Zionism, an opinion piece notes the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival faced backlash for retaining a juror who publicly delegitimized Israel, prompting the festival to reverse course. The juror reportedly organized anti-Israel encampments at universities, served as acting president of his university’s Muslim Student Association, performed poetry for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and contributed to publications that celebrated the October 7 massacre. On social media, he accused Israel of murdering Palestinians “just for sport,” labeled Zionists “white supremacists,” called Israel a “villainous state,” and compared the Israel-Hamas war to the Holocaust while channelling calls for the elimination of the Jewish state. When leadership was alerted, AJFF moved to reverse the decision.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, Amit Segal claims Netanyahu offered him fourth place on the Likud list and any ministerial role ahead of the 2022 elections. Segal said during the Heroes of Truth conference for ZAKA volunteers that Netanyahu had previously offered him the 14th spot when the prime minister was in opposition, and later offered the fourth spot with potential ministerial options after consulting his wife, who reportedly told him that 14th place was not enough. Segal indicated that Netanyahu had first approached journalist Menachem Horowitz before turning to him, and he declined the offer.

Thank you for tuning in to this Israel Today: Ongoing War Report update.
I'm Noa Levi. Stay safe and informed.
Keep in mind that this AI-generated report may contain occasional inaccuracies, so consult multiple sources for a comprehensive view. Find the code and more details in the podcast description.

SOURCES
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-887757
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-887723
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-887633
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-887747