February 25 - March 17

Newsletter to Congress:

Top 4:

1. Netanyahu and Levin moves to dismiss Attorney General Baharav-Miara and Shin Bet Chief Bar, in an attempt to remove checks on their power and avoiding accountability for corruption.

2. Israel is reacting rather than leading in Gaza hostage negotiations, with delays suggesting hostage recovery is not the government’s top priority, contrary to the people's will.

3. Israel balances force and diplomacy - maintaining a hardline stance in Syria while signaling openness to negotiations and normalization with Lebanon.

4. New IDF Chief Eyal Zamir declaring 2025 “a year of war” and implied the government must draft Ultra-Orthodox men.

Full Report:



1. Dismissal of the Attorney General and Head of Shin Bet

Justice Minister Yariv Levin has resumed promoting the judicial overhaul laws that sparked massive protests across Israel in recent years. Levin’s major decision is his announcement earlier this month that he has initiated dismissal proceedings against Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, claiming her conduct toward the government is “adversarial” and “inappropriate.”

This move has drawn widespread criticism from the opposition and protest groups, who argue that Levin aims to remove any checks and balances on governmental power. Notably, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar - who appointed Baharav-Miara during his tenure as justice minister in the Bennett-Lapid government and whose party formally merged with Likud last week - supports her dismissal.

Simultaneously, Prime Minister Netanyahu informed the Head of the Shin Bet (Israel’s Security Service) Ronen Bar that a vote on his dismissal will be held in the coming week. The official reason is Bar’s responsibility for the October 7 failure, but it is worth noting that the Shin Bet is currently investigating three senior aides in Netanyahu’s office over suspicions of receiving funds from Qatar, possibly as a bribe. Adding to the tensions, Bar’s predecessor, Nadav Argaman, stated in an interview on Thursday that he possesses damaging information on Netanyahu and would reveal it “if Netanyahu acts unlawfully.” This has further politicized the Israeli Shin Bet and contributed to the tension between the security establishment (associated with the opposition) and the government.

It is important to note that the dismissal process for both officials is lengthy: removing Baharav-Miara requires the establishment of a special committee to make a recommendation, followed by a government decision, which the Supreme Court is likely to freeze for months; and removing Bar requires an official recommendation by an independent committee.

Gali Baharav-Miara (left) and Ronen Bar. Dismissing them will require decision by committees, not just the government.

2. Deadlock in Gaza Negotiations

While the Trump administration continues efforts to secure the release of more hostages from Gaza, Israel is perceived as being dragged into the process rather than leading it - despite the ongoing de facto ceasefire. Supported by President Trump’s calls to “open the gates of hell” on Gaza, Israel has announced measures to cut electricity and water supplies to Gaza and to halt humanitarian aid deliveries as leverage against Hamas, but it will take time for these actions to translate into real pressure, as Hamas has stockpiled emergency reserves of food and water.

Meanwhile, Hamas has agreed to a Qatari proposal to release American hostage Idan Alexander and four deceased hostages, but the Israeli government has been slow to accept the deal. This delay signals that hostage recovery is not the government’s top priority, contrary to broad public sentiment, including among coalition voters.

Iden Alexander, from his Hamas-released video, calling President Trump to push for his release.

3. IDF Operations

Israel has adopted a relatively dovish approach toward Lebanon. While holding onto the five enclaves beyond the Israeli border and tactically attacking several Hezbollah assets, it has also initiated negotiations on the future border with Lebanon and released several Lebanese prisoners, including at least one Hezbollah fighter, as a goodwill gesture. Additionally, hints have been leaked suggesting openness to normalizing relations with Lebanon.

In contrast, Israel maintains a hardline stance in Syria, vowing to prevent the presence of armed forces south of Damascus. The objective is to establish a buffer zone near its border and protect Syria’s Druze population. To that end, Israel continues to carry out precise strikes across Syria to ensure its strategic superiority against the new regime.

4. Appointment of the New IDF Chief of General Staff

At the beginning of the month, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi officially resigned as IDF Chief of General Staff, following through on his earlier declaration that he would step down out of personal responsibility for the military’s failure on October 7. His successor, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, has announced that 2025 will be “a year of war” and has already begun updating battle plans for Gaza, alongside plans to establish new armored and infantry brigades.

In his inauguration speech, Zamir called on all sectors of Israeli society to take part in the mission of national defense - a statement that could be interpreted as a call to draft ultra-Orthodox men at a time when the IDF is suffering from manpower shortages, particularly among combat troops, and as the government is pushing for a “draft law” that will exempt them from military service.

Zamir, who previously served as Netanyahu’s military secretary and was his preferred candidate for the role in both 2019 and 2022, is viewed by parts of the opposition as a Netanyahu loyalist and has therefore been met with some skepticism.

Eyal Zamir. Despite being labeled as a Netanyahu Loyalist, he implied that the government must draft Ultra-Orthodox men.