IN THE MIDDLE EAST

 

THE ISRAEL GUYS SHOW NOTES FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2026

IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Saudi Arabia is preparing for major attacks against the Houthis, by sea and also potentially by land. The Iranian proxy in Yemen has been blockading the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which has deepened the fracture the two countries already had. The Bab al-Mandab Strait provides the Saudis with an alternative shipping route when the Strait of Hormuz isn’t passable. The Houthis have also recently coordinated attacks on Saudi Arabia via proxy forces in Iraq. The U.S. and Israel are considering the possibility of implementing a land blockade on Iran, according to new reports released this week. The plan under consideration involves a diplomatic and economic initiative aimed at persuading the nations which share borders with Iran to tighten or close off their border crossings with the Islamic Republic. The leverage here is mounting economic pressure. One of the greatest fears for the Iranian regime is public unrest and mass protests from within their own borders. Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations delivered harsh criticism of the international community's response to the terrorism Israel is experiencing on her borders. He said: “We understand that if we do not disarm Hamas, no one else will.” And in defense of Israel’s actions in Gaza, he mentioned that “Our policy was not designed to make things harder in Gaza. It is to prevent Hamas from rearming. But as long as Hamas is in Gaza, there will be restrictions.” President Trump and PM Netanyahu seemed pleased with their recent meeting at the White House. While a variety of topics were discussed, the situation with Iran was, of course, the main item on the agenda. Reportedly, Netanyahu didn’t push Trump one way or another on the next steps with Iran, but simply weighed the pros and cons of different approaches with the U.S. commander-in-chief. Get the full story in today’s video.

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ON THE HOME FRONT

Yesterday, the Board of Peace reached an agreement with Hamas for the complete disarmament of the terrorist groups that control the Gaza Strip. According to President Trump, the pact will be implemented in phases, and the IDF will withdraw as disarmament progresses. An International Stabilization Force directed by the Board of Peace is to work in tandem with a newly built Palestinian police force to provide security. Israel has not commented officially on the development, although many are skeptical that Hamas will follow through. A recent election poll shows that Netanyahu’s party, Likud, jumped two seats (now at 22 seats). However, the total number of seats for the coalition is only 49 seats (61 needed for majority). The "Change Bloc" also fell short, showing just 57 seats. The poll also asked "who is more suited to be the next prime minister?" When Netanyahu and Naftali Bennett were compared, Netanyahu received 39% versus Bennett’s 44%. When Netanyahu was compared with Gadi Eisenkot, it was 38% to Eisenkot’s 48%. In a viral video circulating on social media, a mother in Israel is seen crossing the street with two children. A gust of wind blows the small boy’s kippah off just as they finish crossing. Immediately, and without looking, the boy runs back into the crosswalk to grab his kippah. A vehicle whose driver had been waiting for the pedestrians to cross starts moving and, just as the boy reaches the center of the street, he gets knocked over by the vehicle and it passes over him. The boy is seen jumping up immediately after the car passes, and running back to his mother. Praise God that the boy was safe!

IN JUDEA & SAMARIA

A survivor of the recent terrorist attack on the Havat Gilad hikers is speaking out about the lack of timely response from the IDF. The widow of one of the victims came to the soldiers’ defense, saying that the problem is a mindset issue with those higher up the chain of command, and that: “The hesitation over whether to shoot or not, that is the difference between life and death." Although the IDF was present at the scene, and did eliminate several of the attackers, the backlash concerns how slowly they moved to stop the attack once it started.

VERSE OF THE DAY

Please continue to pray for peace in Israel and also for the nations surrounding her, as we continue to look forward to and long for the day when . . .

'They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.' Isaiah 11:9

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