Cars torched in southern Israel; Police suspect retaliation for raids on Bedouin village
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December 31, 2025
December 31, 2025
Police arrest two suspects for allegedly tearing mezuzahs off a building in Bnei Brak
Photo of the two suspects handcuffed.
Photo of the two suspects handcuffed.
Police officers and inspectors from the Bnei Brak Municipal Policing Unit arrested two suspects from East Jerusalem who tore down a mezuzah in a residential building in Bnei Brak, the police spokesperson reported on Wednesday.
Bnei Brak-Ramat Gan police investigators opened an investigation after a video posted on social media showed two suspects tearing off a mezuzah and throwing it on the floor.
On Wednesday afternoon, police officers and inspectors from the Bnei Brak Municipal Policing Unit located the two suspects, ages 17 and 20, residents of East Jerusalem. The suspects were arrested and brought in for questioning at the police station on the charge of hurting public sentiment.
Turkey continues raids targeting IS members ahead of NYE
People walk along the main shopping and pedestrian street of Istiklal, decorated with New Year lighting, in central Istanbul, on Tuesday. Credit: Kemal Aslan/ REUTERS
People walk along the main shopping and pedestrian street of Istiklal, decorated with New Year lighting, in central Istanbul, on Tuesday. Credit: Kemal Aslan/ REUTERS
Turkish security forces have carried out further raids targeting suspected members of the Islamic State terrorist militia ahead of New Year's Eve, officials said on Wednesday.
In operations in 25 provinces, 125 suspected IS members were arrested, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya wrote on X.
According to the Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office, 29 suspects were taken into custody in Istanbul alone. Digital material and documents were also seized.
Among other things, the suspects in Istanbul are accused of spreading propaganda around the operation against Islamic State in Yalova in western Turkey earlier this week, in which, three police officers and six Islamic State militants were killed.
On Tuesday, the security forces had already carried out raids across the country and arrested hundreds of suspected Islamic State members.
Islamic State maintains networks and logistical structures in Turkey, prompting Germany and other countries to urge citizens to be especially cautious at this time of year.
The period before New Year's Eve is a "particularly symbolic date" for terrorist attacks, the Foreign Office in Berlin warned.
Local authorities have imposed strict security measures, especially in the capital Ankara and in Istanbul.
Islamic State has repeatedly claimed responsibility for attacks in Turkey, including the attack on the Reina club in Istanbul on New Year's Eve 2016-17 in which 39 people were shot dead.
RECAP: Israel's High Court freezes state watchdog's Oct. 7 probe; Five cars torched in southern Israel in suspected retaliation for police raids on Bedouin village
Here are Wednesday's latest updates:
■ The High Court of Justice issued an interim order on Wednesday suspending State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman's investigation into the October 7 Hamas massacre, prohibiting him from summoning witnesses to provide testimony or documents. The order also stated that Englman cannot publish the reports or drafts he has compiled so far.
■ Five vehicles were set on fire in the southern Israeli town of Lehavim late on Tuesday night. According to a senior Israel Police officer, the arson was revenge for Ben-Gvir's operation in the nearby Bedouin village of Tarabin earlier this week.
■ Late Tuesday, responding to the Israeli government's policy, 10 foreign ministers, including those from the U.K., France and Canada, expressed "deep concern" over the "catastrophic" humanitarian situation and called on Israel to "lift these obstacles to humanitarian access, to fulfill its commitments" in Gaza.
■ A group of anti-government protesters who gathered in front of a high school to protest the visit of Israel's Education Minister on Wednesday were confronted by a group of the school's students, who spat at the protesters and shouted "leftists to the ghetto."
■ The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and partner forces killed or captured nearly 25 ISIS operatives following a strike on Syria earlier this month, according to a Wednesday press release.
Students spit on protesters during Likud minister's high school visit, shout 'leftists to the ghetto'
Protesters in front of Ramat Gan's Ohel Shem high school on Wednesday. Credit: Itay Ron
Protesters in front of Ramat Gan's Ohel Shem high school on Wednesday. Credit: Itay Ron
A group of anti-government protesters who gathered in front of a high school to protest the visit of Israel's Education Minister were confronted by a group of the school's students, who spat at the protesters and shouted "leftists to the ghetto."
On Wednesday, a handful of protesters demanding the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into October 7 gathered outside Ohel Shem high school in Ramat Gan, a suburb of Tel Aviv, in anticipation of the visit of Netanyahu's Education Minister Yoav Kisch. They were soon surrounded by students who spat on them, cursed at them, and shouted "leftists to the ghetto."
When a Haaretz reporter told the school's principal about the incident, the principal said that "whoever decides to demonstrate without informing the school beforehand should be prepared for this type of confrontation." He added: "We will talk to the students about freedom of speech and freedom of expression."
Likud minister: 'No legal grounds' for High Court order to freeze comptroller's Oct. 7 probe
In response to the High Court's Wednesday decision to freeze the state comptroller's probe into October 7, Israel's Minister of Heritage Affairs Amichay Chikli said that "the Supreme Court is not granted any legal grounds to disqualify the work of the State Comptroller."
"The Supreme Court, headed by the clown Isaac Amit, is turning into a circus," said Chikli. The state comptroller "operates as an independent authority by virtue of a Basic Law," and "the Prime Minister and the Justice Minister [should] announce clearly and unequivocally that any ruling given without any reference to Knesset legislation will not be respected."
First arrests made in Iranian protests against inflation
Shopkeepers and traders protest in the street against the economic conditions and Iran's embattled currency in Tehran on Monday. Credit: AFP/HANDOUT
Shopkeepers and traders protest in the street against the economic conditions and Iran's embattled currency in Tehran on Monday. Credit: AFP/HANDOUT
The first arrests have been made during protests in the Iran's capital Tehran and other cities against the country's rising inflation, the Shargh (East) daily newspaper reported on Wednesday.
Four students were arrested at Tehran University, Shargh reported. It was not known who was responsible for the arrests or where those affected are being held.
The Amirkabir student newsletter had previously reported that the university was surrounded by security forces and that protesting students had been locked in the central campus.
The protests began on Sunday in several business districts of Tehran, triggered by the ongoing economic crisis and the government's inability to control the rapid collapse of the national currency.
Soon, political slogans against the Islamic system were also being chanted, with some demonstrators even calling for a return to the monarchy.
According to eyewitnesses, protests broke out in other major Iranian cities on the second day, accompanied by violent police action.
President Masoud Pezeshkian promised economic reforms in a brief message and declared his willingness to engage in dialogue, but this was ignored by the demonstrators.
The predominantly state-controlled press reported on the protests, but avoided mentioning the harsh slogans against the political leadership.
After the protests gained momentum, the security forces spoke of a "foreign conspiracy by Iran's enemies" with the aim of creating unrest and instability in the country.
The public should be vigilant and not participate in the protests, officials said.
Israel's High Court freezes state watchdog's Oct. 7 probe; Netanyahu minister calls not to honor ruling
Israel's State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman in May. Credit: Naama Gynbaum
Israel's State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman in May. Credit: Naama Gynbaum
The High Court of Justice issued an interim order on Wednesday suspending State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman's investigation into the October 7 Hamas massacre, prohibiting him from summoning witnesses to provide testimony or documents.
The order also stated that Englman cannot publish the reports or drafts he has compiled so far.
The order was issued following petitions to halt the State Comptroller's investigation of several facets of the Israeli security failure on October 7, including the Nova party massacre, defense of Gaza border communities, the conduct of the political cabinet, the IDF, and the Shin Bet on the day of the massacre, and the work of the political echelon and the intelligence community before the outbreak of the war.
The Movement for Quality Government, one of the petitioners, welcomed the High Court's decision, saying that the order "proves the correctness of our position. An event like the October 7 disaster requires a comprehensive, independent and non-partisan investigation by a state commission of inquiry alone."
The Military Ombudsman's office, another petitioner, also cheered the decision, saying it "reflects the importance the court attaches to the need for a careful and balanced examination of the issue, while preserving the rights of IDF servicemen and the principles of due process."
The October Council, a group representing families of those killed and wounded on October 7, 2023, applauded the High Court's decision and said it "is the right and responsible decision given the magnitude of the disaster and its consequences."
The October 7 massacre "cannot be investigated through a limited administrative investigation," said the Council. "Only a state commission of inquiry, according to law, with a clear mandate, full powers, and complete independence from the individuals being investigated, can arrive at the truth [and] determine responsibility."
Iran calls for international condemnation of Trump's war threats
Iran has called for international condemnation of U.S. President Donald Trump's war threats against the Islamic Republic.
"Threatening to use force against other states is a blatant violation of the UN Charter and should be condemned," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi earlier this month. Credit: Ramil Sitdikov/AP
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi earlier this month. Credit: Ramil Sitdikov/AP
In a letter to his counterparts, carried by the ISNA news agency, Araghchi described Trump's threats as "evidence of ill will." Washington should be held responsible for the consequences of such threats, the Iranian chief diplomat added.
On Tuesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issued a sharp warning in response to the threats made by Trump, who had said that he would support further Israeli strikes on Iran if the country rejects a new nuclear agreement. "The Islamic Republic of Iran will consistently respond to any aggression and make the aggressor regret his action," Pezeshkian wrote on social media platform X.
During a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida on Monday, Trump said he would back additional Israeli attacks on Iran if Tehran rejects a new nuclear agreement and continues advancing its missile and nuclear programmes.
Justice Minister: Supreme Court conference on democracy is a left-wing 'extremist political conference'
Justice Minister Yariv Levin, in February. Credit: Olivier Fitoussi
Justice Minister Yariv Levin, in February. Credit: Olivier Fitoussi
Justice Minister Yariv Levin ordered the cancellation of a conference expected to be held at the Supreme Court called "Education for Democracy," in a letter titled "turning the Supreme Court into an active branch of the radical left even outside the courtrooms."
In a Tuesday letter to Justice Tzachi Uziel, the Director of the Courts Administration, Levin asked Uziel to cancel a conference organized by Supreme Court President Isaac Amit and former Supreme Court President Esther Hayut that included the participation of Dr. Uki Maroshek-Klarman and Professor Asa Kasher as speakers. Levin claimed that the fact that "the only two outside speakers invited to speak are from the left-wing camp, is something that has no place within the walls of the courthouse."
"As much as former president Hayut and Justice Amit wish to hold conferences to promote their personal political agendas, they are not allowed to do so using public resources and the Supreme Court building," wrote Levin. "This becomes even more serious when it is done under the guise of supposedly educating people about democracy, and with the deliberate exclusion of speakers with right-wing worldviews."
"The decisions of the Supreme Court are made with a political motive, motivated by extremist worldviews... The misuse of the Supreme Court building and the institution itself to hold an extremist conference of this type is a clear expression of this. In light of the above, I would ask you to act immediately to cancel the extremist political conference as mentioned."
4 hours ago
Five cars torched in southern Israel; Police suspect retaliation for raids on Bedouin village
Five vehicles were set on fire in the southern Israeli town of Lehavim late Tuesday night.
According to a senior Israel Police officer, the arson was revenge for Ben-Gvir's operation in the nearby Bedouin village of Tarabin earlier this week.
Cars set on fire in Lehavim on Tuesday night. Credit: Israel Fire and Rescue Service
Cars set on fire in Lehavim on Tuesday night. Credit: Israel Fire and Rescue Service
The officer said the police intended to intensify measures against Bedouin criminal activity.
On Monday, hundreds of Israel Police officers raided the Bedouin village of Tarabin al-Sana, firing flares, breaking windows in homes, and throwing stun grenades inside, residents said.
Israel Police forces in the village of Tarabin al-Sana in southern Israel on Monday. Credit: Eliahu Hershkovitz
Israel Police forces in the village of Tarabin al-Sana in southern Israel on Monday. Credit: Eliahu Hershkovitz
Police said the operation in the village was part of "comprehensive activity to strengthen governance," and was carried out in response to "acts of revenge by criminals over the weekend."
The Israeli military said it had raised the level of alert on its bases in the south of Israel due to "operational considerations."
Map showing the Bedouin village of Tarabin al-Sana in southern Israel.
Police said 16 people were arrested, and 19 were barred from southern Israel. Police also said officers found military weapons and combat equipment during the raid. According to police, residents disrupted police activity, who used protest dispersal means against them.
Yasser, a village resident, told Haaretz the raid felt like war. "They enter homes and arrest youths," he said, "they arrested my brother, who's 28, and I don't know why. There's a police helicopter here, horses, a water cannon. It feels like Tulkarm," he said, referring to the West Bank city where Israeli forces have conducted a counter-terrorism operation. "I don't know what they want."
On Tuesday, Israel's National Guard Chief Nachshon Nagler told Haaretz that the police operation in Tabarin aimed to send "a message that it is not possible to carry out revenge operations" and "go into nearby communities and damage property."
"As soon as they understand," said Nagler, "the situation will return to normal."
Nagler claimed that the police activity in the village was not intended as collective punishment. "We are checking vehicles to catch the criminals and illegal weapons, and to catch those who are extorting protection money here in Be'er Sheva and other places," he said. "They [Tabarin residents] should be happy," he added. However, village residents have condemned what they described as collective punishment of the village in response to criminal attacks.
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