Israel’s assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday capped off an elaborate, coordinated effort to dismember the Iran-backed terrorist group’s leadership in recent weeks. Yet Israel has not fully eliminated the threat of the Iran-backed terror group, and the possibility of a higher-intensity war in Lebanon remains, with questions as to whether the organization can regroup and if Tehran will get more involved following the weakening of the crown jewel of its proxies.

Joe Truzman, an expert on Iranian proxies at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Jewish Insider that the leaders of Israel, the U.S. and others in the region likely fear that, in response to Israel’s gains on Hezbollah, Iran may instruct its proxies including Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iraqi militias to scale up the intensity of their attacks throughout the region.

Attorney General Merrick Garland pledged in a speech on Friday to stand by U.S. Jewish communities ahead of the High Holidays and the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks, committing to “aggressively investigate and prosecute acts and threats of violence fueled by antisemitism and by hatred of any kind” as Jews gather in synagogues next week for Rosh Hashanah.

“And as we approach one year since the Oct. 7 attacks, we do so at a time when Jews across the country will soon be observing the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur,” Garland said on Friday in a press conference announcing the results of an unrelated criminal matter. “For Jews, this is a period of solemn reflection and prayer. It is a time to gather together to worship and to be in community with each other. It should not be a time of fear.” 

Even before Eric Adams was indicted last week, Jewish leaders supportive of the embattled New York City mayor had already initiated a series of informal private discussions to express concerns about his prospects in a looming and increasingly crowded primary election.

Motivating their conversations, according to people familiar with the matter, was the absence of a strong and appealing Democratic alternative in the race, which has drawn several candidates on the progressive left — most prominently Brad Lander, the city comptroller, whose close ties to anti-Israel activists have drawn scrutiny from some mainstream Jewish leaders.

The last time North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum was in Israel in the early 1980s, shortly after he completed graduate school, Hamas had not yet come into existence. Neither had Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terror organization fighting Israel on its northern border.

But both groups dominated the North Dakota Republican’s first trip to the Jewish state as governor. The former GOP presidential candidate arrived in Israel a day before the back-to-back pager and walkie-talkie attacks on Hezbollah officials in Lebanon, meeting with senior officials as the operations were playing out.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle welcomed Israel’s assassination of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and other top leaders of the terror group in its military operations.

Outside of some far-left detractors, word of the IDF taking out Nasrallah and his leadership team in a series of strikes in southern Beirut last week has been met with praise from leading lawmakers, including those who have been critical of Israel’s war in Gaza. 

Senate Democrats facing competitive reelections this year are largely distancing themselves from a bid by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Peter Welch (D-VT) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) to block a spate of arms sales to Israel.

Before Congress left Washington for its October recess last week, Sanders filed a series of resolutions to block a range of weapons transfers to Israel, including guided munitions. The Vermont senator will likely force votes on the issue when the Senate reconvenes in November.

President Joe Biden called the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday “a measure of justice for his many victims,” and added that the United States “fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and any other Iranian-supported terrorist groups.”

Biden added that he hopes Israel deescalates the conflicts with both Hezbollah and Hamas through diplomacy. 

Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of former President Donald Trump, cheered Israel’s killing of Hezbollah chief Hasan Nasrallah and other top Hezbollah leaders — and argued Israel must be allowed to finish defeating the Iranian proxy.

Kushner, who called Nasrallah’s death “the most important day in the Middle East since the Abraham Accords breakthrough,” criticized calls from the Biden administration — which supported Israel’s right to defend itself from Hezbollah in a statement — for emphasizing a cease-fire and calls for deescalation.