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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - September 18, 2026, 10 AM Eastern · Israel Today: Ongoing War Report

• 0:08
  Speaker 1: You're listening to Israel Today ongoing war report. I'm Noah Levi.
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: Iran is expanding its Janfada National Readiness Campaign, an initiative
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  Speaker 1: aimed at organising and training civilians into formations to support
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  Speaker 1: the country's armed forces and civil defence system. Iranian authorities
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  Speaker 1: say they are preparing 1,000 national resistance battalions alongside 1,000
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  Speaker 1: emergency and rescue units. With registration for military and relief
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  Speaker 1: training opening this month, the initiative is closely connected to
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  Speaker 1: the IRGC and Basij mobilisation infrastructure and is presented by
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  Speaker 1: Tehran as an additional layer of national defence and deterrence.
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  Speaker 1: While Iranian officials have claimed hundreds of thousands registered for
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  Speaker 1: recent mobilisations, Iranian fact-checkers have challenged participation numbers and identified
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  Speaker 1: weaknesses in the campaign's registration system. The programme is intended
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  Speaker 1: to create a territorial defence-style reserve, with civilians trained for
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  Speaker 1: roles ranging from armed local defence to surveillance and emergency response,
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  Speaker 1: and could also provide the state with additional domestic security capacity.
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  Speaker 1: In Lebanon, Hezbollah activists are reportedly leading simulated BIPA attack
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  Speaker 1: experience tour for supporters. Participants are blindfolded to convey the
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  Speaker 1: sensation of being attack victims, with events taking place at
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  Speaker 1: the international airport near Beirut. This comes as Lebanese journalist
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  Speaker 1: Dima Seydouk offers a critical view of Hezbollah, asserting that
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  Speaker 1: the organisation's policies since 2006 are based on deception and
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  Speaker 1: highlighting the devastation in south Lebanon as contrary to the
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  Speaker 1: group's narrative. Meanwhile, amidst escalation in Yemen involving the Houthis,
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  Speaker 1: the EU's maritime escort mission in the Red Sea, Aspides,
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  Speaker 1: has increased its alert level for participating vessels. This precautionary
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  Speaker 1: measure stems from worries that the Houthis may target commercial
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  Speaker 1: shipping in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. On the security front,
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: Israel's Shin Bet and police have arrested a 32-year-old man
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  Speaker 1: on suspicion of maintaining contact with a foreign agent from
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  Speaker 1: Lebanon and carrying out security-related assignments. Authorities have also issued
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  Speaker 1: warnings that hostile intelligence and militant organisations continue to attempt
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  Speaker 1: recruiting Israelis for espionage and security-related missions. including through approaches
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  Speaker 1: on social media. Turning to Israeli domestic politics, Prime Minister
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  Speaker 1: Benjamin Netanyahu is considering adding a stop in Texas to
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  Speaker 1: his upcoming brief visit to the US for the UN
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  Speaker 1: General Assembly. This potential visit highlights Texas's role as a
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  Speaker 1: significant hub for technology, investment and trade with Israel. With
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  Speaker 1: bilateral trade totalling approximately $ 4 billion last year, an analysis
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  Speaker 1: highlights the significant legal consequences for Israelis who move abroad,
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  Speaker 1: even temporarily. Such moves can lead to lasting impacts on
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  Speaker 1: child custody, divorce, property and inheritance matters, as a child's
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  Speaker 1: habitual residence can be established in a new country, potentially
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  Speaker 1: altering where legal disputes are heard. The number of Israelis
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  Speaker 1: classified as long-term emigrants has risen significantly in recent years.
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  Speaker 1: Looking back, One Piece draws parallels between the October 7
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  Speaker 1: massacre and the 1973 Yom Kippur War. It suggests that
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  Speaker 1: in both instances, Israel's pre-existing beliefs shaped its understanding and preparedness,
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  Speaker 1: leading to strategic surprise, and warns that such certainty can
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  Speaker 1: be the greatest danger, cautioning against future surprises. In US politics,
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  Speaker 1: Senator J.D. Vance is undertaking outreach efforts towards the Jewish community,
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  Speaker 1: including meetings and a planned Shabbat dinner. This follows past
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  Speaker 1: controversial remarks by Vance regarding Israel and is seen as
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  Speaker 1: part of his preparations for a potential 2028 presidential run. Separately,
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  Speaker 1: the UN General Assembly has voted to allow Palestinian President
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  Speaker 1: Mahmoud Abbas to address its upcoming gathering by video, after
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  Speaker 1: the United States denied him a visa to travel to
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  Speaker 1: New York. The resolution permits virtual participation for Palestinian officials
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  Speaker 1: for one year if they cannot enter the US. And
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  Speaker 1: in uplifting news, the historic Rakesh Balota Synagogue in Budapest,
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  Speaker 1: originally built 100 years ago, has been reopened and rededicated
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  Speaker 1: by the local Jewish community. After decades of disuse as
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: a book warehouse under communist rule, the building has been
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  Speaker 1: restored to its original purpose, marking a revival of Jewish
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: life in the area. For continuing coverage of antisemitism around
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: the world, listen to Antisemitism Watch from Clockwork Media. Find
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: it at clockworkmedia.org slash watch. I'm Noah Levi, thank you
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: for listening to Israel Today ongoing war report. Stay safe
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: and informed. Follow Israel Today. ongoing war report in your
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: podcast app so you don't miss the next update. Keep
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: in mind that this AI-generated report may contain occasional inaccuracies,
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: so consult multiple sources for a