LIVE DEVELOPMENTS — updated Thursday, May 21, 2026  

Israel Demands UN End Support For Turkish IHH, Designated Terror Group, Operating In Gaza

TRUSTED ANALYSIS

Day 958 — Thursday, May 21

The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), Maj.-Gen. Yoram Halevi, demanded on Thursday that the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) immediately stop transferring any aid or support to the Turkish organization IHH, which has been designated by Israel as a terrorist organization.

COGAT had recently received information that WFP had transferred fuel to IHH within the Gaza Strip, prompting Halevi to write a letter to the organization’s head, Shaun Hughes.

In the letter, COGAT emphasized that Israel designated IHH a terrorist organization in 2008, and as such supporting its activities is illegal and “could carry severe consequences.”

IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation is a Government-organized non-governmental organization or GONGO, meaning it is closely linked to the Turkish ruling party under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

According to Israel’s Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, IHH has “two hats”: one hat is its work as a humanitarian organization that conducts legitimate humanitarian activity around the world; the other hat is “a radical, jihadi and pro-Hamas organization and involvement in terrorist attacks.”

In addition to its humanitarian actions in Gaza, IHH has also promoted the recent flotillas to the Gaza Strip, including the one stopped by the Israeli Navy earlier this week.

jerusalem post

Day 958 — Thursday, May 21

It’s not the sort of language we’re used to hearing from ambassadors, especially not from Israeli ambassadors to the United States when speaking about American Jews. At a National Task Force to Combat Antisemitism meeting at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, Yechiel Leiter called the left-wing J Street lobby “a cancer within the Jewish community.”

That sort of blunt talk about American Jews who band together to bash or pressure the State of Israel has, up to now, generally been regarded as divisive and unproductive by the Jewish establishment here in the United States, as well as the diplomats and bureaucrats back at Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem.

But as efforts to delegitimize Israel grow, alongside and as part of an unprecedented surge of antisemitism in the United States, diplomatic niceties and happy talk about a big tent is no longer appropriate to cope with a real crisis.

Democrats are falling increasingly under the sway of their intersectional base that regards Israel as a “white” oppressor and an “apartheid” state. Antisemitism that operates under the guise of hatred for Israel has become normative both on the political left and the far right.

All of the instincts and past practices of the organized Jewish community impel it, as well as Israeli diplomats, to tread lightly when it comes to Jews who join the ranks of anti-Zionists. However, in the current crisis, it is vital that the hard truths like those spoken by Leiter be heard rather than the empty talk about inclusion and a big Jewish tent. Under the current circumstances, unity with J Street and openly anti-Zionist and antisemitic groups like Jewish Voice for Peace means giving those who are actively aiding and abetting others waging war on Israel and the Jewish people legitimacy they don’t deserve.

Leiter’s undiplomatic comment was not a one-line mic drop. He explained that “the worst thing about J Street is it’s duplicitous.” Referring to the group’s stand favoring the attempts of Democrats to cut off arms sales to the Jewish state, he asked, “How can you be pro-Israel and advocate for an arms embargo on a state that’s fighting a seven-front war against Iranian proxies?”

While J Street and its defenders say they are just criticizing the Israeli government, Leiter says this stand is disingenuous.

“If they said that they were pro-Palestinian, I wouldn’t have a problem meeting with them,” Leiter said. “I meet with pro-Palestinian groups.”

“But when you come and say in such a two-faced manner, ‘We’re pro-Israel, we’re pro-democracy,’ there’s a democratically elected government in Israel,” he said. “You don’t like Netanyahu, make aliyah, vote in the next election and express yourself. Don’t say you’re ‘pro-democracy,’ and decry and defy the position of the democratic government of Israel.”

J Street, which entered the political fray in Washington in 2008, was criticized harshly in the past by two of Leiter’s predecessors, Michael Oren and Ron Dermer, who also represented Israeli governments led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But they didn’t call the group a “cancer.”

Michael Herzog, who was appointed by the short-lived government led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid from 2021 to 2022, stayed away from attacks on J Street, even if he was blunt about his negative opinion about the organization’s ally in the Senate, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt).

Leiter’s right about what J Street has been up to. They back the efforts of congressional Democrats to cut off arms sales to Israel in the midst of a war against Iran and its terrorist proxies, which began with the Hamas-led Palestinian Arab terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Indeed, since its founding, J Street has made it its sole purpose to aid efforts in pressuring the Jewish state to make suicidal concessions rejected by its democratically elected governments and the voters that put them into office.

Despite their claims to be a nominally Zionist group, the difference between its stands and those of openly anti-Zionist and antisemitic groups like Jewish Voice for Peace is increasingly theoretical, rather than a matter of actual policy and actions.

That was made evident when J Street defended Zohran Mamdani, the virulently anti-Zionist and antisemitic mayor of New York City. When the Anti-Defamation League, which was slow to recognize the peril to the Jewish community from the left, began a “Mamdani Monitor” to note his actions and statements, J Street condemned it. The group claimed that it was wrong to “conflate” what they say is “criticism of Israel’s government” with antisemitism. But Mamdani has never made any effort to conceal his opposition to the existence of the Jewish state and his desire to aid those working to destroy it.

From his time as a student at Maine’s Bowdoin College, where he founded a chapter of the openly antisemitic Students for Justice in Palestine, the 34-year-old mayor has been an ardent anti-Zionist, dedicated to supporting the war on the one Jewish state on the planet.

That takes various forms. It includes his longtime support for illegal BDS discrimination against Israel and Jews, which J Street claims to oppose. It also means falsely labeling Jews who support Israel as taking part in violations of international law, even when that means egging on antisemitic marches and demonstrations outside of synagogues. There is also his consistent backing for mobs who target Jews for intimidation, in addition to violence on college campuses and elsewhere, while chanting for Jewish genocide (“From the river to the sea”) and terrorism against Jews wherever they live (“Globalize the intifada”).

Mamdani’s hate for Israel was front and center this week, but so was his ability to rally support from left-wing Jews.

The mayor has announced that he will be the first person holding his office since the founding of the Jewish state to refuse to march in the annual “Salute to Israel” parade down Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue. Instead of making that token gesture of solidarity with the city’s Jewish residents, he commemorated “Nakba Day,” or “Disaster Day,” referring to the establishment of the modern-day State of Israel in 1948.

Mamdani did so by posting a video and a statement on social media, including a four-minute, documentary-style video created by his government-paid staff that featured an interview with a woman named Inea Bushnaq. “Inea is a New Yorker and a ‘Nakba’ survivor,” said Mamdani. In it, Bushnaq recounted her family’s departure from Jerusalem during the 1948 War of Independence, claiming that they were forced to flee because “the Zionists were coming into Jerusalem.”

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs did, in fact, flee the British Mandate for Palestine before May 1948. They did so because of the war that their leaders and the surrounding Arab nations started, most often at the behest of those who claimed they could come back after the Jews were pushed into the sea. They had rejected the U.N. partition vote in November 1947 for an Arab state alongside the new Jewish one, just as they would reject every peace offer from Israel in the decades that followed.

The failure of that effort to carry out a second Holocaust, only a few years after the first one, which resulted in the slaughter of 6 million Jews in Europe, left the Arabs disappointed. But they were still determined to continue their war on the Jewish presence in the country, a self-destructive belief that persists to this day, which has brought nothing but suffering for Palestinian Arabs.

During this same period, an even larger number of Jews were expelled or forced to flee from their homes throughout the Arab and Muslim worlds—from North Africa to the farthest stretches of the Middle East.

The plight of the Palestinian refugees was hard, but unlike the Jews, who were resettled in Israel and the West, they were deliberately kept homeless to serve as props in the ongoing war on Israel that continues 78 years later.

What was particularly egregious about Mamdani’s highlighting of one such refugee lies in the fact that—contrary to the anti-Zionist mantra about the Palestinian Arabs having been in the country from time immemorial—her family were relatively recent immigrants. Bushnaq’s relatives were Bosnian Muslims, who had arrived in what is now Israel in the 1880s, after that country was no longer controlled by the Ottoman Empire.

The Ottomans had ruled over parts of the Balkans for centuries, tyrannizing its Christian inhabitants, and some Muslims fled, fearing retribution from the new rulers. The Bushnaqs first went to Syria and then settled in Jerusalem, which was already starting to grow as a result of the initial wave of Jews returning to their ancient homeland.

Yet far from Jews being new to Jerusalem, as Bushnaq claimed, they had, of course, been there for thousands of years—long before the Muslim conquest in the seventh century C.E. While Jews had been the largest religious group in the city for many years before that, the Ottoman census in 1875 showed that they formed an absolute majority of the population.

And just to show how fake the claim that the city and country she fled was wrongly stolen from her family and other Muslims, Mamdani’s video contained one damning detail that his staff missed. The “Visit Palestine” poster on the wall behind Bushnaq was actually a work of a Zionist and Jewish artist, Franz Kraus, who saw it as part of the effort to promote the burgeoning Jewish homeland prior to 1948. Indeed, as Liel Leibovitz noted in the New York Post, if you look closely in the video, you can see that Kraus signed his work in Hebrew.

That is, as he rightly pointed out, a graphic metaphor for the fraudulent nature of the entire nakba narrative that Mamdani relentlessly promotes. Its purpose is not to help Palestinians, but to build support for the dispossession of the more than 7 million Jews of Israel. That is something that could only be accomplished by genocide—like the one the Arabs of 1948 failed to accomplish, and for which the Hamas atrocities of Oct. 7 were merely a trailer for what they wished to do to every Jew.

Yet Gotham’s Marxist mayor has had no trouble recruiting Jews to collaborate with his efforts to harm their own community.

One such person is Rabbi Miriam Grossman, a member of Jewish Voice for Peace. That’s a group that not only shares Mamdani’s desire to destroy Israel but is responsible for spreading blood libels against it. Yet she will serve in a paid government post as the mayor’s “faith liaison” with the Jewish community.

That’s an outrage and an insult to the overwhelming majority of Jews who rightly understand that Israel and support for Jewish rights to it remain an integral part of their faith and identity as a people. The events of the last 31 months testify to one basic fact: anti-Zionism can’t be separated from antisemitism. The former is merely a variant of the latter.

As much as a third of the city’s Jewish population might have voted for Mamdani last November for a number of reasons, including their blind loyalty to the Democratic Party and justified disgust with disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who was the main alternative. Still, Mamdani’s hostility to Jewish safety is no longer a theoretical argument.

The good news, however, is that the leaders of the organized Jewish world in New York have been forced by Mamdani’s actions to show some spine. Their language wasn’t as blunt as Ambassador Leiter’s about J Street. But by boycotting Mamdani’s pre-Shavuot Jewish Heritage Day reception at his Gracie Mansion official residence, they sent a message that the city’s Jews aren’t going to go along with the pretense that the mayor is anything but an open enemy of Jewish life.

Mamdani was nevertheless able to recruit some Jews to show up for his shindig. And they deserve the opprobrium not only of the Jewish community, but of all decent people who realize we are at a tipping point when it comes to the normalization of antisemitism.

Among them was the usual contingent of ultra-Orthodox Jews from the Satmar sect, who proclaim their opposition to Zionism and Israel for theological reasons that treat Jewish powerlessness as a virtue to be embraced until the coming of the Messiah. The far smaller and often violent Neturei Karta group is another problem. Such sectors of the community are willing to do business with anyone in power, regardless of whether or not they pose a threat to Jews.

Far more prominent were the left-wing Jews like Grossman and other JVP members, who see Mamdani’s hostility to Israel and mainstream Judaism as reasons to support him.

Perhaps even more significant were the comments of the man who gave the invocation at Mamdani’s sham event—Rabbi Irwin Kula, president emeritus of CLAL: The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership. CLAL became an important focus of efforts to unify the Jewish community under its founder, Rabbi Irving (“Yitz”) Greenberg. But under his successor, Kula, it has become not merely irrelevant but arguably counterproductive.

For Kula and others who seek to normalize Jewish antisemites, as well as those working to undermine and attack Israel, inclusion is the most important value. He mocked the absence of Jewish leaders as illustrative of the collapse of “the liberal Zionist consensus.”

He blessed Mamdani and urged him to “hold the complexity of this city, to parse and nuance, with care and precision, the meanings of Zionism, of antisemitism, and the inextricable connection of Jewish identity and Palestinian dignity.” Such a meaningless word salad speaks to his intellectual and moral bankruptcy. It also demonstrates that Jews, including those who hold the title of rabbi, who won’t take a stand against open Jew-hatred and delegitimization, aren’t merely harmless idealists or starry-eyed dreamers of peace.

When they work to isolate Israel—and strip it of its only ally and the means to defend itself against genocidal regimes and their terrorist auxiliaries, and treat those who seek to destroy it as praiseworthy—they have lost more than the respect of their fellow Jews. They have instead taken on the role of foot soldiers in a globalized intifada against their own people.

The primary focus of Jewish activism must be combating those on the left and the right who are normalizing antisemitism, along with publications like The New York Times that traffic in blood libels against Israel and the Jews. Yet we cannot be silent about those Jews who aid and abet them. They are, like the Satmar Chassidim, turning into a sect outside of normative Jewish life. They have little in common with those who understand that, imperfect as it may be, Israel deserves our love and support regardless of who leads it or what measures of self-defense they choose to employ against murderous enemies.

At a time when antisemitism is surging and Jewish lives are in danger, those who stand with the Israel- and Jew-haters do so outside of the Jewish community. What’s needed when dealing with them is not diplomacy or dialogue, but harsh truths like the ones spoken by Ambassador Leiter.

JNS

Day 957 — Wednesday, May 20

Germany’s domestic intelligence agency has published new guidance warning that some symbols and slogans used in pro-Palestinian activism can serve as vehicles for antisemitic or extremist messaging – including certain depictions of the watermelon symbol associated with the Palestinian cause.

The guidance, issued by the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), outlines what it describes as antisemitic and extremist forms of “Palestine solidarity” in political discourse. According to the report, anger over the Israeli–Palestinian conflict can, in some cases, evolve into broader antisemitic narratives targeting Jews collectively.

Among the examples cited were the Handala cartoon figure, the inverted red triangle often associated with “Palestinian resistance,” octopus imagery historically tied to antisemitic conspiracy tropes, and a watermelon symbol depicted in the shape of the land of Israel. The BfV described these as “bridge narratives” capable of connecting different extremist movements through shared antisemitic themes.

The inclusion of the watermelon image sparked criticism online, where the watermelon emoji has widely been used as a symbol of Palestinian identity and solidarity since the 1980s. However, the report focused specifically on versions portraying the entire territory of Israel as Palestinian land.

Additionally, phrases and slogans, such as “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free!” and “Yalla, yalla, Intifada!” were identified as expressing a desire for the elimination of the State of Israel or support for violence. 

The BfV report, “Hidden Messages – Antisemitic Codes and Ciphers,” explains that these symbols and slogans often serve as “bridge narratives,” connecting disparate groups, from left-wing extremists, right-wing extremists, and Islamic extremists in a common hatred. 

The report also noted that since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas invasion of southern Israel, certain groups within Germany’s radical left have shown increasing support for the “Palestinian liberation struggle.” 

At the same time, Islamic extremist groups and radical leftist groups are merging anti-imperialist ideology into antisemitic discourse, depicting Israel as a “colonial power,” and connected to longstanding antisemitic tropes about Jewish plots to control the world. 

Such narratives, the report said, are increasingly being used to justify violence against Jews and Israelis.

The domestic intelligence agency released the 80-page publication on antisemitic symbols, codes, and narratives primarily for teachers, educators, and the general public, to raise awareness about contemporary forms of antisemitism.

All Israel News 

Day 956 — Tuesday, May 19

President Donald Trump ripped establishment media on Monday, contending that even if Iran surrendered, outlets like the New York Times would spin it as a victory over the United States.

Trump blasted the Times and others in a Truth Social post on Monday morning:

“If Iran surrenders, admits their Navy is gone and resting at the bottom of the sea, and their Air Force is no longer with us, and if their entire Military walks out of Tehran, weapons dropped and hands held high, each shouting ‘I surrender, I surrender’ while wildly waving the representative White Flag, and if their entire remaining Leadership signs all necessary ‘Documents of Surrender,’ and admit their defeat to the great power and force of the magnificent U.S.A., The Failing New York Times, The China Street Journal (WSJ!), Corrupt and now Irrelevant CNN, and all other members of the Fake News Media, will headline that Iran had a Masterful and Brilliant Victory over The United States of America, it wasn’t even close. The Dumacrats and Media have totally lost their way. They have gone absolutely CRAZY!!! President DJT”

The post comes days after Trump scolded New York Times Chief Washington Correspondent David Sanger aboard Air Force One during the return flight from China on Friday.

“Mr. President, what would the use be of repeating the bombing? You did it for 38 days, and you did not get the political changes in Iran—” Sanger said before Trump jumped in.

“I had a total military victory, but the fake news—guys like you write incorrectly. You’re a fake guy, and guys like you write about it incorrectly. We had a total military victory,” Trump said. “We knocked out their entire navy, we knocked out their entire air force, we knocked out all of their anti-aircraft weaponry, we knocked out all of their radar.”

“We knocked out all of their leaders, number one, and then we knocked out all of their leaders in the second division, and we knocked out numerous of their leaders in the third division, and they’re very confused. We’ve had a total victory except by people like you that don’t write the truth,” Trump continued.

“I actually think it’s sort of treasonous, what you write, but you and the New York Times, and CNN, I would say, are the worst,” he concluded.

Breitbart

Day 956 — Tuesday, May 19

American anti-Israel groups held Nakba Day protests over the weekend, and while they were mainly peaceful, violent extremism and support for terrorist organizations were present at rallies across the country.

Within Our Lifetime’s march through Manhattan saw a Hezbollah flag, a flag bearing the face of deceased Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida, and an Irish flag with the silhouette of a gunman waved alongside banners calling for resistance and revolution, according to videos published by the organization.

“The Nakba lives in every bombing campaign, every demolished home, every checkpoint, every prison cell, every refugee camp, every child buried beneath the rubble, funded by the United States, carried out by Israel, supported by the Gulf countries and every other disgusting complicit actor in the international community,” WOL leader Nerdeen Kiswani said at a speech in Washington Square Park. “But the struggle also continues to live with every resistance fighter, with every Palestinian mother who continues to bear children.”

Activists from a campaign to free Tarek Bazrouk, a self-described “Jew hater” who was sentenced to 17 months in prison for three separate hate crime assaults of Jewish pro-Israel activists, said that on Nakba Day, they wished to uplift those imprisoned for championing their cause. They called for the release of Bazrouk and the Holy Land Five, a group of former Islamic charity organization officers convicted in the US of financing Hamas.

Palestinian Youth Movement, New York City, and Palestinian Assembly for Liberation Al-Awda in New York City and New Jersey (PAL-Awda) organized another protest in Brooklyn on Saturday, with the latter on social media calling the event a demonstration to “dismantle the genocidal Zionist entity.”

With an Abu Obeida flag waving in the background, a PYM NYC activist related in an Instagram video that while the day marked 78 years of “ongoing genocide” and “ethnic cleansing,” it also marked “78 years of the promise of return, the promise that every single Palestinian will return to every single inch of Palestinian land.”

“From Gaza to Jenin, from Nablus to Tulkarem, from al Quds, to Haifa, to Akko, the Palestinian people will never give up this promise, and us here in the diaspora will continue to organize our people until all our prisoners are free, and until every single inch of our land is free, and we return to a free Palestine from the river to the sea,” said the PYM activist.

In Seattle, Tariq El-Tahrir Youth and Student Network, Nidal Seattle, Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return at the University of Washington, and Seattle Students for Justice in Palestine hosted a Sunday rally.

“Long live Operation Al Aqsa Flood,” read a banner belonging to the Seattle Revolutionary Youth, referencing the Hamas operational name for the October 7 Massacre.

Activists with a Hezbollah flag and a flag featuring Abu Obeida marched alongside the banner praising the October 7 Massacre, which also featured the face of Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine airplane hijacker Leila Khaled.

In Los Angeles, the SJP chapter at UCLA staged a Friday “die in” and marched through the campus, chanting “Resistance is glorious, we will be victorious.”

“The blood of the martyrs is the seed from which resistance blooms,” read the caption accompanying one of the SJP UCLA Instagram videos.

jerusalem post

Day 955 — Monday, May 18

In a coordinated display of diplomatic maneuvering and aggressive rhetoric, top leaders of the Iranian regime used a high-profile diplomatic summit on Sunday to deflect blame for regional instability onto the United States and the State of Israel.

Speaking in Tehran during a meeting with visiting Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused Washington and Jerusalem of orchestrating a strategic conspiracy designed to fracture the Islamic world.

According to an official statement released by the Iranian presidency and quoted by the Xinhua news agency, Pezeshkian asserted that the United States and Israel have always sought to turn Muslim states against one another through creating division and distrust among them.

Attempting to position the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism as a force for regional harmony, Pezeshkian claimed that Iran seeks “cordial and lasting relations based on good neighborliness” with Muslim states in the West Asia region.

The Iranian president insisted that his administration’s foundational policy centers on expanding friendly ties with neighboring and regional states, while urging the Muslim world’s major countries to help establish lasting peace, security and stability in the region through strengthening cooperation and interactions.

Pezeshkian explicitly used the platform to lash out at the joint defensive and counter-terrorism operations executed by American and Israeli forces. In his remarks, he condemned the US and Israeli military “aggression” against Iran and the “major crimes” committed during their attacks.

Concurrently, other high-ranking Iranian officials adopted a far more belligerent tone on Sunday, issuing explicit military threats against the West.

Ebrahim Rezaei, speaking on behalf of the Iranian parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee, delivered an absolute ultimatum to Washington via the semi-official Mehr news agency.

Rezaei declared that the United States must accept Iran’s terms or “surrender” to its missiles, adding a firm warning that Iran would under no circumstances back down on its demands.

Similarly, Iranian Defense Ministry spokesperson Reza Talaei-Nik vehemently dismissed recent assessments from US Central Command indicating that the regime’s military infrastructure had been severely crippled. Talaei-Nik countered by stating that Iran stands ready to give a “decisive” response to any threat and aggression.

Capping off the wave of hostile declarations, Iranian armed forces spokesperson Abolfazl Shekarchi issued an ominous warning through the official IRNA news agency, threatening that the regime would unleash “crushing and severe blows” given any “repeated stupidity” by the United States.

The Iranian rhetoric comes amid speculation that US President Donald Trump may order a resumption of strikes on Iran, as talks on a deal to end its nuclear program stall.

Trump on Sunday posted what looked like another warning to Iran to his Truth Social platform.

Trump’s post featured a map of the Middle East and Central Asia, with the entire region overlaid with the pattern of the United States flag. The country of Iran is highlighted at the center of the map with a dozen red arrows pointing directly at the Islamic Republic.

The post came just hours after Trump warned Iran in an earlier post that “the clock is ticking”.

“For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE! President DJT,” he wrote in the earlier post.

On Saturday, Trump posted a cryptic message about Iran to his Truth Social account.

The post featured an AI-generated graphic of him and a US Navy admiral in front of stormy waters with several ships, including one flying the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran, amid reports the war could potentially resume soon.

The text above the graphic read, “It was calm before the storm.”

These posts come amid speculations that Trump is preparing to order a resumption of strikes on Iran.

Trump indicated on Friday that he would be willing to accept a 20-year moratorium on Iran’s nuclear program, but stressed that he would require “a real guarantee” from the Islamic Republic in order to reach a deal to end the war.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as he was returning from his trip to China, Trump was asked if he had rejected the latest proposal from Iran.

“Well, I looked at it, and if I don’t like the first sentence, I just throw it away,” the President replied, explaining that the first sentence of the Iranian proposal was “an unacceptable sentence because they fully agree, no nuclear, and if they have any nuclear of any form, I don’t read the rest of their letter.

Trump was then asked if 20 years is not enough for him for a moratorium, to which he replied, “No, 20 years is enough, but the level of guarantee from them is not enough. In other words, it’s got to be a real 20 years, not a fake 20.”

On Thursday, Trump warned in an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News that he is not going to be patient with Iran much longer.

“I’m not going to be much more patient. No, I’m not. They should make a deal. Any sane person would make a deal, but they might be crazy,” Trump clarified.

arutz sheva

Day 955 — Monday, May 18

The Saudi military intercepted three drones that entered the country’s airspace from Iraq on Sunday, Riyadh’s Defense Ministry announced.

Ministry of Defense Spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki said the kingdom “reserves the right to respond at the appropriate time and place” and would take “all necessary operational measures” against attempts to threaten the country’s sovereignty and security.

While Iran’s attacks have largely subsided since it agreed to a ceasefire with the United States on April 8, drones have continued to be launched intermittently from Iraq toward Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry summoned the Iraqi ambassador on April 12 over what it described as ongoing attacks and threats targeting Gulf states with drones launched from Iraq.

The United Arab Emirates on Sunday night “strongly” condemned the drone attack targeting its neighbor.

The statement expressed Abu Dhabi’s “full solidarity” with Saudi Arabia and its support for “all measures aimed at preserving its security and stability.”

Earlier on Sunday, a drone strike sparked a fire outside the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in Abu Dhabi, according to UAE authorities. It was the first time the nation’s only nuclear plant was targeted. No one as yet has taken responsibility for the strike.

The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that the UAE reported the incident, which caused a fire in an electrical generator but did not impact radiological safety levels.

Rafael Grossi, the IAEA’s director, said “military activity that threatens nuclear safety is unacceptable.”

jns

Day 954 — Sunday, May 17

“Nakba Day” protesters gathered in New York and other cities. A video from Washington Square Park showed the crowd calling for Israel’s destruction and stomping on the Israeli flag. The mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, shared a video marking “Nakba Day” on Friday, describing the Nakba as a “catastrophe” that Palestinians say began with the displacement of more than 700,000 people during Israel’s 1948 War of Independence and continues today.

“Nakba is Arabic for ‘catastrophe,’” the text in the video stated. “It refers to the expulsion and displacement of more than 700,000 Palestinians between 1947 and 1949 during the creation of the State of Israel and the year that followed.”

“The Haganah, Irgun and Lehi militias, among others, destroyed more than 400 Palestinian villages and cities, killing thousands of Palestinians and carrying out dozens of massacres,” the video states. “May 15 is the annual commemoration of the Nakba. For Palestinians, their displacement and the Nakba continue to this day.”

The video shared by Mamdani featured an interview with New York resident Inea Bushnaq, described as a “Nakba survivor.” In the clip, Bushnaq says that she fled her home because “the Zionists were coming into Jerusalem,” and noted that keys are used as a symbol of the “right of return.”

“People, of course, locked their houses when they left, and all they had of it was the key when it turned out there was no going back,” she said in the video. “It became sort of a symbol – you have the key but not the house.”

Critics, including Jewish groups, said Mamdani’s post presented a one-sided account of the 1948 War of Independence, noting it omitted Arab invasions, Jewish expulsions from Arab countries, and related violence against civilians.

The UJA-Federation of New York also criticized Mamdani, saying: “The refugees you post about exist because 22 Arab states launched a war to destroy Israel.”

“In its aftermath, 800,000 Jews were expelled from Arab lands. Your post mentions none of this. And you chose 5:40 PM on Friday to post it – as Jewish New Yorkers prepare to light Shabbat candles. We noticed,” the Jewish Federation added.

New York State Brooklyn Assemblymember Simcha Eisenstein accused Mamdani of fueling Jew-hatred in New York. NYPD data reveals that more hate crimes are committed against Jews than against all other groups combined.

“Still wondering why hatred against Jews is so high in NYC? We have a mayor who is using government resources to disseminate a narrative and incite hostile propaganda,” Eisenstein said.

“Mr. International Law guy forgot to include the fact that the Arab world rejected the UN’s partition plan to establish a Palestinian state,” Eisenstein continued, mocking Mamdani for saying he supports international law.

New York State Queens Assemblymember Sam Berger accused Mamdani of denying Israel’s right to exist, saying, “Rewriting history to portray the existence of Israel itself as the original sin is not education or remembrance. It is propaganda.”

Mamdani has been criticized by some pro-Israel groups for his public statements on Israel and the conflict. He has referred to Israeli actions in Gaza as “genocide” following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people. He has also said during his campaign that he would consider arresting Netanyahu if he entered New York while he was mayor, and later faced criticism over his stance on antisemitism definitions and related policy positions.

all israel news

Day 953 — Saturday, May 16

The Lebanese government filed a sharply worded complaint with the United Nations arguing that the Islamic Republic of Iran has abused diplomatic immunity by refusing to recall its ambassador after Beirut demanded his expulsion and to stop alleged terrorist activities on its soil, according to a recently surfaced letter from late April.

The disclosure of the letter, which is reportedly a precedent-setting move by Lebanon, comes amid a second day of talks in Washington between Israel and Lebanon to normalize relations (the countries are in a state of war) and dismantle the Iranian-regime-backed Hezbollah terrorist movement in Lebanon.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Friday that “The United States facilitated talks between Israel and Lebanon have resumed today and are ongoing. The atmosphere of talks has been very positive, even exceeding expectations.”

State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott wrote on X on Friday that “On May 14 and 15, the United States hosted two days of highly-productive talks between Israel and Lebanon. The April 16 cessation of hostilities will be extended by 45 days to enable further progress. The State Department will reconvene the political track of negotiations on June 2 and June 3.”

He added that, “In addition, a security track will be launched at the Pentagon on May 29 with military delegations from both countries. We hope these discussions will advance lasting peace between the two countries, full recognition of each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and establishing genuine security along their shared border.”

As the sides report back to their capitals, the potentially game-changing letter in which Lebanese ambassador to the U.N. Ahmad Arafa, slammed Iran for inserting alleged terrorists from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) into Lebanon “under the guise of diplomatic activity,” has given hope to critics of Iran and Hezbollah.

Arafa said, according to the letter, that Iran committed “unlawful acts in blatant defiance of the decisions of the Government of Lebanon.” He continued, “This Iranian conduct constitutes direct and blatant interference in the internal affairs of Lebanon and drags the country into a war it did not choose to become involved in.”

The U.S. and the European Union have classified the IRGC as a terrorist entity.

The letter took the Iranian Ambassador to Beirut, Mohammad Reza Sheibani, to task for “blatant interference” in Lebanon.

According to Lebanon’s U.N. letter, Beirut argued that Iran is violating the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and interfering in Lebanon’s state of affairs.

When asked about the details of the letter, a spokesperson for Lebanon’s ambassador to the U.S. declined to comment. The spokesperson also declined to weigh in on the current talks with Israel in Washington.

Walid Phares, a leading U.S. expert on Lebanon and the Mideast, told Fox News Digital that “Many have considered the Lebanese memo to the U.N. as the start of the Lebanese government change of attitude towards Iran and a sign of escalation by Beirut. While the tone of the letter and its narrative make people feel that there is a government resistance to Iran and Hezbollah reality is still lesser.”

He added that “The subject of the last quarrel is a legal change of status regarding the presence of Iranians on Lebanese soil. The Lebanese government has decided not to grant Iranians, government, and private citizens an automatic visa waiver, which upset Iran and Hezbollah. Besides, Tehran is furious at the fact that the Lebanese government has not been helpful in dealing with the elimination of a number of IRGC members killed in Lebanon by Israel. Tehran blames the foreign ministry of Lebanon, particularly foreign minister Youssef Raggi, for the ‘lessening of solidarity with Iran.”‘

According to Phares, “Raggi represents a Lebanese Christian bloc in the parliament, who is not sympathetic to the regime. However, the actual talks in D.C. are designed by the Lebanese government to show the Trump administration that the ‘state wants to talk’ but not to reach an agreement that would trigger Hezbollah’s wrath. The leaders of the Lebanese state are not yet where the U.S. and Israel expect them to be.”

A regional official well-versed in the U.N. dispute told Fox News Digital that Lebanon “argued that Iran had not given the Lebanese foreign ministry the list of all Iranians and the details about their place of stay. And that’s why Israel targeted that hotel in Lebanon in which six were killed, which is true.”

The official said that “Iran had not told the foreign ministry of Lebanon about those six people.”

fox news

Day 953 — Saturday, May 16

As Israel continues fighting wars on the battlefield, another battle is escalating in the media. It is now moving into the courtroom with one of America’s most influential newspapers: The New York Times.

Israel’s government says it plans to sue the Times. In a joint statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned an opinion piece by columnist Nicholas Kristoff as “one of the most hideous and distorted lies ever published against the State of Israel in the modern press.”

Kristoff alleged widespread abuse of Palestinian prisoners, including accusations of sexual violence involving specifically trained dogs. A spokesperson for the Times rejected Israel’s accusations, calling the lawsuit “without merit” and “part of a well-worn political playbook.”

The controversy is fueling outrage among pro-Israel advocates in the United States. Jayne Zirkle from #EndJewHatred declared, “We’ve seen this October 7th denialism from The New York Times before, and we are asking them tonight to retract, and we are demanding better honest journalism.”  

Demonstrators gathered outside The New York Times headquarters this week, accusing the paper of promoting false narratives about Israel.

Activist Zach Sage Fox claimed, “They are spreading blood libels that are truly unbelievable, to the point where they are scientifically impossible. Dogs do not rape people, but Hamas does.”

Fox continued, “The New York Times was the paper of record that downplayed Hitler’s propaganda. His murder of Jews in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. And they are doing it again.” 

cbn israel

Day 952 — Friday, May 15

The Israeli defense establishment is operating an accelerated emergency timeline to field effective countermeasures against a new and lethal aerial threat in Southern Lebanon.

Initial solutions to shooting down First-Person View (FPV) fiberoptic drones could appear in a matter of weeks to months.

On Thursday, an IDF official said that the IDF is developing and expanding the response to the drone threat. The IDF, led by the Ground Forces’ Technological Brigade, is supplying troops in Lebanon with wire mesh nets designed to counter explosive drones, the official stated.

“Thus far, approximately 158,000 square meters of netting have been supplied to the IDF. In parallel, an additional procurement of approximately 188,000 square meters is underway and will arrive at a later stage. The total amount of netting procured so far is equivalent to the area of approximately 20 soccer fields,” said the official.

The operational gap between Hezbollah and the IDF in the small drone arena is the most significant vulnerability to open up in the current war against the Iran-backed Lebanese terror organization.

Since March 2026, and particularly following the ceasefire implementation on April 18, fiber-optic-guided First-Person View drones have become Hezbollah’s most prominent weapon against IDF troops. Over a two-and-a-half-week span, Hezbollah launched approximately 80 explosive drones at Israeli troops, with a number striking their targets, resulting in fatalities and injuries.

Hezbollah’s systematic transition to fiber-optic drones is a conscious imitation of innovations from the 2025 Russia-Ukraine war. The physical fiber-optic cable connects the operator to the drone over dozens of kilometers. This fully neutralizes the option of electronic warfare and spectral jamming that Israel’s multi-layered air defenses rely upon.

The drones emit no electromagnetic signals, prevent the location of the launch source, and possess minimal radar and infrared signatures due to their small electric motors and low flight altitudes.

To confront this challenge within the required timeline, IDF Ground Forces commander Maj. Gen. Nadav Lotan established seven dedicated task forces in late April, according to a recent report by Walla News.

The teams are focusing on rapid updates of combat doctrine, detection, warning, and interception, digital and electromagnetic spectrum issues, passive defense, such as physical armor, nets, and liaising closely with defense industries to bypass traditional, slower procurement cycles.

A range of solutions is at hand, including computer-vision fire control sights that can be mounted on assault rifles, the deployment of 5.56mm fragmenting ammunition, of which thousands of crates were reportedly ordered by Israel from the United States, and the defensive nets. IDF soldiers in Southern Lebanon are now routinely spreading nets over their vehicles to prevent final-stage impacts.

Hezbollah’s FPV drones cost an estimated $300 to $400 each.

Meanwhile, Israel’s Security Cabinet decided to establish a dedicated IDF factory to produce thousands of FPV “suicide drones” every month.

The facility will be staffed entirely by Haredi soldiers, according to a report by Channel 13 News. The strategic move aims to dramatically expand the military’s FPV drone arsenal. The IDF has also been offered interceptor drones that can take on attacking FPV drones.

Other options include working with large Israeli defense companies and startups to attach lasers or machine guns to optical or acoustic sensors.

jns

Day 952 — Friday, May 15

US President Donald Trump said that he is not going to be “much more patient” with Iran’s leadership and that they can either make a deal or “get annihilated” during an interview with Fox News’s Sean Hannity on Thursday.

“I am not going to be much more patient,” Trump asserted. “Now they can make a deal, or they get annihilated,” he said, adding that “any sane person would make a deal, but they might be crazy.”

He reiterated that the US will not allow Iran to develop or obtain a nuclear weapon because “they would use it.”

As for the enriched uranium Iran already has, Trump said that he would prefer to “get it” rather than leave it “entombed” in rubble after US and Israeli strikes destroyed much of Iran’s nuclear weaponization infrastructure in June of 2025 and during Operation Epic Fury and Operation Roaring Lion.

jerusalem Post 

Day 951 — Thursday, May 14

As negotiations between Israel and Lebanon resume this Thursday, Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter indicates that discussions have advanced beyond initial parameters toward a unique, dual-track framework aimed at both a formal peace treaty and the total dismantlement of Hezbollah.

In an interview with i24NEWS, Leiter described a strategy that separates diplomatic aspirations from immediate military realities. “We’re going to move into, hopefully, setting the framework for two teams,” Leiter said. “One team that will deal with achieving peace, a peace treaty, full peace, as if Hezbollah doesn’t exist, and a security track, as if the peace talks don’t exist.”

The current round of talks marks a departure from previous sessions that centered on Israeli military withdrawals. According to Leiter, the presence of the IDF in Lebanese territory is now widely understood as a direct response to Hezbollah’s arsenal.

“This is the first time that the talks are not focused on when is the IDF going to withdraw” Leiter noted. “The focus is now on, number one, reaching a peace treaty, as if there’s no Hezbollah, and fighting Hezbollah as if there’s no peace treaty. And I think we’re going to accomplish both.”

Leiter emphasized that while Israel seeks a diplomatic breakthrough, the implementation of any agreement is contingent on the “second track”—the neutralization of Hezbollah’s military capabilities.

“We’re not going to be able to implement the peace that we signed unless the second track is fulfilled, and that’s the dismantlement of Hezbollah,” he stated. Addressing the future of the IDF’s footprint in the region, he added, “We have no immediate plans of withdrawal, and we have no designs in Lebanese territory at the same time, but we have designs on our security.”

Despite the complexities of Lebanese internal politics, Leiter expressed cautious optimism regarding a “true partner” for peace. He cited internal surveys suggesting a significant shift in public opinion, even among the Shiite population.

“The Shiites, which used to only support a peace agreement with Israel at five or 10%, has now moved to 40, 50% against Hezbollah,” Leiter claimed. While acknowledging that Lebanon remains a “not exactly functional state,” he argued that the shared goal of removing Hezbollah’s influence will eventually prevail.

“We have to be patient, but be firm at the same time,” Leiter concluded. “The shared interest in freeing that country from Hezbollah is ultimately going to win the day.”

i24 News

Day 951 — Thursday, May 14

Three Israeli civilians were wounded, two seriously, in a Hezbollah drone attack in the Rosh Hanikra area, the military and hospital officials say.

The drone struck a parking lot close to the border with Lebanon, injuring the civilians. No sirens sounded in the area, indicating that the drone was not detected by the military.

The IDF says the drone attack is a “blatant violation of the ceasefire understandings by the Hezbollah terror organization.”

Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya says it is treating two people in serious condition and one person who was lightly hurt.

Times Of Israel

Day 950 — Wednesday, May 13

The Israel Foreign Ministry blasted The New York Times on Monday for publishing what it called “one of the worst blood libels ever to appear in the modern press” after a left-wing columnist reported that Palestinians are regularly being sexually abused by everyone from Israeli prison guards to dogs. 

Times opinion columnist Nicholas Kristof penned the controversial piece headlined, “The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians,” that features men and women alleging “brutal sexual abuse at the hands of Israel’s prison guards, soldiers, settlers and interrogators.” Many critics blasted it as “propaganda” and poked holes in the reporting, while the Israeli government promised “the truth will prevail.”

“Whatever our views of the Middle East conflict, we should be able to unite in condemning rape,” Kristof wrote, noting that supporters of Israel denounced sexual violence that occurred during the Hamas-led terror attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

“And yet in wrenching interviews, Palestinians have recounted to me a pattern of widespread Israeli sexual violence against men, women and even children,” Kristof wrote, adding that “American tax dollars subsidize the Israeli security establishment, so this is sexual violence in which the United States is complicit.”

Kristof spoke with “14 men and women who said they had been sexually assaulted by Israeli settlers or members of the security forces.” He noted that the Israeli government rejected the claims but added, “just as Hamas denied raping Israeli women.” 

The liberal columnist went on, “Think of it this way: The horrific abuse inflicted on Israeli women on Oct. 7 now happens to Palestinians day after day.”

The Israel Foreign Ministry has condemned the report as malicious and false. 

“In an unfathomable inversion of reality, and through an endless stream of baseless lies, propagandist Nicholas Kristof turns the victim into the accused. Israel – whose citizens were the victims of the most horrific sexual crimes committed by Hamas on October 7, and whose hostages were later subjected to further sexual abuse – is portrayed as the guilty party,” the Israel Foreign Ministry wrote on X. 

“This publication is no coincidence. It is part of a false and well-orchestrated anti-Israel campaign aimed at placing Israel on the U.N. Secretary-General’s blacklist,” they added. “Israel will fight these lies with the truth – and the truth will prevail.”

Pro-Israel media watchdog Honest Reporting called the piece “journalistic malpractice” and sharply criticized his reliance on “freelance journalist” Sami al-Sai as a source. 

Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, posted a video urging Americans not to “buy into their blood libels.”

“The only clear crime on display here is the violation of journalistic standards by Mr. Kristof and his paper,” Leiter said, blasting “questionable” sources with ties to the terror group Hamas. 

Kristof is aligned with the Democratic Party, which has become sharply more anti-Israel in recent years, and even made an aborted bid for Oregon governor as a Democrat.

Fox News

Day 950 — Wednesday, May 13

Despite ferocious opposition to the war in Iran by most Democrats and by extreme “Woke Right” Influencers such as Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens, and others, Evangelical Christians in the United States overwhelmingly support the decision by President Donald J. Trump to launch Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28.

What’s more, 76% of Evangelicals want the commander-in-chief to “finish the job once and for all to protect the United States and our allies.”
They don’t want Trump to cut a weak or premature deal with the mullahs in Tehran.

Why? Because the vast majority of Evangelicals believe that if what’s left of the Iranian regime could ever build a fully operational nuclear bomb or warhead, they are evil enough to use it to cause massive damage inside the U.S. and annihilate Israel or our moderate Arab allies. 

These are the intriguing results of a poll of 1,000 American citizens, measuring public resistance and support for the war in Iran.

I have to say that I was surprised – and encouraged – to see that most Americans approve of President Trump’s decision to use the military to eliminate Iran’s nuclear missile program and Tehran’s support for terrorism.

Overall, the poll found that 52% of Americans, regardless of party, gender, race, or religion, approve. 

By contrast, 69% of Evangelicals support Trump’s decision.

That indicates Evangelicals back the decision by 17 points more than the general public.

Given the vicious and relentless effort by many in the so-called “mainstream media” – and so many voices on the extreme Left and Right – attacking the war, attacking Trump, and attacking Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, I would not have expected to see this level of support.  

Likewise, I was also encouraged to learn that fully 60% of Americans want President Trump to “finish the job once and for all to protect the United States and our allies.” 

Yet significantly more Evangelicals – 16 points more – want the U.S. to finish the job.

Tucker Carlson and other fierce critics of the war insist that Iran would never use nuclear weapons if it ever got them. Tucker himself has even suggested it might be better if Iran did have The Bomb, creating a balance of power in the Mideast. But the majority of Americans disagree. 

Fully 61% of the general public believe that “if Iran were to develop and build a nuclear weapon, do you think they would use it to attack the United States, our military, or our allies.”

Evangelicals are even more convinced.

Fully 72% of American Evangelicals say they believe Iranian leaders would use nuclear weapons against the U.S. and Israel if they could. 

all israel news 

Day 950 — Wednesday, May 13

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Tuesday that Israel may have to disarm Hamas, amid growing indications the Islamic terror group is reasserting control over parts of Gaza in defiance of a ceasefire agreement that required it to disarm.

The remarks by the top American envoy hinted at both a growing dissatisfaction over the unsettled situation with Hamas in Gaza since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire went into effect on Oct. 10, 2025, a perception overshadowed by the war with Iran, and a growing realization that disarming Hamas will likely be left to the Israeli military.

“Who’s going to actually do the disarming? I don’t know,” Huckabee told a Tel Aviv University conference. “It may end up that the only entity willing to do it will be the IDF.”

Hamas currently is in control of less than half of the Gaza Strip, with the Israeli military controlling the other half.

He expressed skepticism that the much-touted International Stabilization Force, which several nations have volunteered to join and is meant to secure and govern Gaza, would be able to disarm Hamas, noting that it was a “monitoring border force” and not a demilitarizing force.

The U.S. Ambassador said that the world should thank Israel if it is the only one willing to disarm Hamas instead of censuring it.

“The world can’t condemn Israel for doing what it didn’t have the courage to do, and that’s taking Hamas down,” he said. “You don’t send someone into the fire to put out the fire and then complain because they come out smelling like smoke.”

jns

Day 949 — Tuesday, May 12

More than two years after the deadliest terrorist attack in Israel’s history, the Knesset on Monday night approved legislation creating a special tribunal to prosecute those accused of participating in the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.

The measure passed overwhelmingly, with 93 lawmakers voting in favor and none opposed.

“This is one of the most important moments of the current Knesset,” Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin said after the vote. “Out of the terrible massacre, we rose up to fulfill our moral obligation to bring the perpetrators to justice.”

The legislation establishes a dedicated military judicial framework to handle prosecutions connected to the Oct. 7 assault, when thousands of terrorists crossed into Israel from Gaza, killing roughly 1,200 people and abducting 251 others, while committing widespread acts of murder, rape, torture and kidnapping. The tribunal will handle cases involving approximately 300 terrorists captured inside Israeli territory during the attack, along with suspects accused of involvement in kidnapping and related crimes.

Under the legislation, suspects could face charges including terrorism, wartime collaboration, genocide-related offenses and violations of Israeli sovereignty.

In the gravest cases, the tribunal would have the authority to impose the death penalty.

The bill was jointly introduced by coalition lawmaker Simcha Rothman of the Religious Zionism Party and opposition MK Yulia Malinovsky of the Yisrael Beiteinu Party.

Rothman told TPS-IL that the legislation sends “a clear and unequivocal message” to Israel’s enemies.

“The State of Israel will not forget and will not forgive,” he said. “Those who slaughtered, murdered, raped and kidnapped Israeli citizens will stand trial and pay the heaviest price.”

“This law will regulate, streamline and shorten the process of bringing the terrorists responsible for the Oct. 7 massacre to justice,” Malinovsky told JNS.

“Given the number of terrorists, crime scenes and pieces of evidence involved, legislation was necessary. This law allows judges to impose the harshest penalties available under Israeli law, including the death penalty,” she continued.

“Without this legislation, those terrorists could have died of old age before ever standing trial,” she said, adding, “This law will bring justice to the victims, their families and all citizens of Israel.”

According to the legislation, hearings will be conducted publicly in Jerusalem and broadcast to viewers. Lawmakers said the proceedings are intended not only to prosecute suspects, but also to preserve evidence of the atrocities for the historical record.

A key provision bars anyone convicted under the framework from being released in future prisoner swaps or diplomatic agreements.

Supporters argued that Israel’s existing judicial system was not designed to manage crimes of such magnitude.

“The unique scope and severity of the atrocities pose an unprecedented challenge,” the bill’s explanatory notes states, citing the number of crime scenes, suspects and victims, along with the difficulties of collecting evidence during wartime.

The law allows judges, in certain circumstances, to depart from standard evidentiary procedures. It also mandates an automatic appeal process in any case involving a death sentence, even if the defendant declines to appeal.

Despite the broad support, the legislation drew criticism from some coalition figures during deliberations. Critics argued the process could become overly lengthy and bureaucratic, and warned that details surrounding implementation of the death penalty were left to future government regulations.

Some lawmakers also questioned the projected cost of the tribunal, estimated at between 2 billion shekel ($690 million) and 5 billion shekel ($1.7 billion).

In March, the Knesset approved separate legislation authorizing the death penalty for non-Israeli terrorists convicted of murdering Israelis. The Knesset stated in Hebrew that the Death Penalty for Terrorists Bill mandates that a “resident of the area, except for an Israeli citizen or Israel resident, who intentionally caused the death of a person in an act of terrorism, shall be imposed with the death penalty, unless the military court finds that special circumstances exist under which it is appropriate to impose a sentence of life imprisonment.”

However, because the law is not retroactive, it does not apply to suspects accused of participating in the October 2023 attacks.

If implemented, the death penalty provision would mark an extraordinarily rare step in Israeli legal history.

The only person ever executed by Israel was Adolf Eichmann, one of the chief architects of the Holocaust. He was hanged in 1962 after being convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity. Israeli courts also sentenced John Demjanjuk to death in 1988 for crimes committed at Nazi concentration camps, but the Supreme Court overturned the conviction in 1993. He was later convicted in Germany and died while appealing the verdict.

JNS

Day 949 — Tuesday, May 12

The United Arab Emirates carried out military strikes on Iran, making it the only other country to join the United States and Israel in their war against the Islamic Republic, according to a Monday report.

The strikes, which the UAE has not publicly acknowledged, included an attack on a refinery on Iran’s Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

The attack took place in early April, according to the report, which said it was around the time US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire, but did not specify if it was before or after the declaration.

Iran acknowledged at the time that the site had been attacked by an unspecified enemy, then responded by firing missiles and drones at the UAE and Kuwait, the Journal noted.

The Lavan Island attack was the only specific instance of the UAE participating in the war mentioned in the report.

One of the sources told the Journal that Washington positively received Abu Dhabi’s participation in the war, after other Gulf countries refused to actively join in the conflict.

Times Of Israel

Day 949 — Tuesday, May 12

The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) sent a strategic warning to the political echelon recently, according to which the scope of the humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip is double what is required and, in effect, fuels Hamas.

An internal document written by Major General Yoram Halevi and revealed in Israel Hayom states that Gaza only requires approximately 250 trucks of aid a day to meet its basic humanitarian needs. However, Israel allows 600 trucks to enter daily, mainly due to commitments to ceasefire agreements.

A professional study conducted by COGAT with intelligence officials and international bodies found that Hamas systematically exploits the “substantial surplus” of aid in the enclave.

The document states that “each truck beyond the humanitarian requirement, in effect, strengthens Hamas,” since the organization takes control of the goods, taxes local merchants, and collects food in its storehouses.

These actions allow Hamas to maintain its civil control over the population by creating a system of economic dependence and exclusive control over the distribution frameworks and the market.

Beyond strengthening Hamas’s control, the document also warns that the huge number of trucks makes it difficult for the security forces to conduct quality inspections, dramatically increasing the chance for smuggling.

According to the data, over 75% of the contraband detected contained tobacco and cigarette products, a product of enormous economic value that Hamas uses to finance its activities. In addition, attempts to smuggle sensitive dual-use materials were detected. Additionally, forces also caught attempts to smuggle sensitive multi-use substances.

Arutz Sheva

Day 948 — Monday, May 11

After Iran issued a formal response to the latest U.S. peace proposal for ending the war, President Donald Trump said he rejected the Iranian reply, calling it “totally unacceptable.” 

On Sunday, reports said Iran had sent a response to the U.S. proposal via Pakistan, with Iranian media claiming it focused on Tehran’s demands for ending the war on all fronts, including Israel’s operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, and ending the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. 

According to Iran-affiliated Tasnim News, the regime called for an immediate end to the war, a long-term ceasefire in Lebanon, a complete lifting of all U.S. sanctions, the release of frozen regime assets and unrestricted Iranian oil exports. The regime also demanded full control of the Strait of Hormuz. 

“I have just read the response from Iran’s so-called ‘Representatives,’ Trump posted on Truth Social. “I don’t like it – TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP.” 

In another post, berating former U.S. President Barack Obama for giving Iran “suitcases” of cash, Trump said Iran was “laughing at our now GREAT AGAIN Country. They will be laughing no longer!” 

“Iran has been playing games with the United States, and the rest of the World, for 47 years (DELAY, DELAY, DELAY!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. 

“For 47 years, the Iranians have been ‘tapping’ us along, keeping us waiting, killing our people with their roadside bombs, destroying protests, and recently wiping out 42,000 innocent, unarmed protestors, and laughing at our now GREAT AGAIN Country. They will be laughing no longer!” he continued. 

All israel news

Day 948 — Monday, May 11

About 20,000 people attended a demonstration against antisemitism in London on Sunday, following a surge in attacks on Jews, the Board of Deputies of British Jews said.

Jeers and booing were heard at the rally in Whitehall, opposite the Downing Street residence of the British prime minister, when Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Pat McFadden spoke.

He told the crowd: “I feel your pain,” and assuring that he wanted to “fight against antisemitism.” One woman shouted at McFadden, the senior-most government representative at the rally: “Action, no more words.”

McFadden continued, “I want to see Jewish people have the freedom to wear religious symbols not only at worship, but in daily life, in work, in all parts of daily life. … Friends, I hear you. I am with you. I want to fight antisemitism.”

Organized by the Board and the Jewish Leadership Council, the rally featured speeches by other senior politicians, including the head of the Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, and Richard Tice, deputy leader of Nigel Farage’s right-of-center Reform UK party.

“We’ve heard all the words for so long from politicians and it’s counted for nothing,” Tice told GBNews at the rally. “The scourge of antisemitism is getting worse, the violence is getting worse, the threats, the fear and, you know, I’ve said we need action, not words.”

Tice added: “We’ve got to ban the hate marches, proscribe and ban the IRGC [Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps], proscribe and ban the Muslim Brotherhood, and also take on the weak, failing leadership of our universities that haven’t dealt with the scourge.”

This requires “courage and leadership and that’s been absent for too long and it’s got to stop,” he said.

JNS

Day 947 — Sunday, May 10

Nuclear weapons experts are raising the alarm bells over the pressing need for the Trump administration to codify in any new deal a ban on Iran’s attempts to use plutonium from its facilities to build an atomic bomb. The administration and non-proliferation experts have largely focused on the Islamic Republic’s atomic weapons facilities that use uranium as the material for building nuclear bombs. Tehran could take advantage of this blind spot and covertly build a plutonium-based nuclear weapon.

Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), told Fox News Digital: “I do believe any proposed deal with Iran needs to address the plutonium pathway to nuclear weapons. Israel struck the Arak heavy water reactor twice over the last year — in June 2025 and in March 2026. Intelligence suggested Iran had repeatedly attempted to reconstruct the facility even after the bombing, so any deal with Iran should cover the plutonium pathway.“

Iran’s regime could use plutonium from spent fuel at its nuclear reactor at Bushehr to build an atomic weapons device, according to Henry Sokolski, the executive director of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center and former deputy for nonproliferation policy in the Department of Defense (1989–1993).

Writing last month on the website of Real Clear Defense, he noted “Washington should make sure that Iran doesn’t remove Bushehr’s spent fuel and strip out the plutonium. This can and should be done without bombing the plant.“

Sokolski wrote the “Pentagon should watch to make sure Iran does not remove any of the spent fuel at Bushehr. It could do this with space surveillance assets or, as it did in 2012, with drones. Second, any ‘peace’ deal President Trump cuts with Tehran should include a requirement that there be near-real-time monitoring of the Bushehr reactor and spent fuel pond, much as the IAEA had in place with Iran’s fuel enrichment activities.“

In another article in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in April, Sokolski argued that Iran has enough plutonium for more than 200 nuclear bombs. He said, “The last time IAEA inspectors visited Bushehr was August 27, 2025. Even when agency inspectors had routine access to the plant, they only visited every 90 days —  more than enough time to divert the spent fuel and possibly fashion it into nuclear weapons.“

He added that “President Obama did not insist on such surveillance even though the IAEA asked Iran to permit it. Tehran said no.“

Recent IAEA reports have not addressed the plutonium path to a bomb with any specificity. 

JNS

Day 946 — Saturday, May 9

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video statement on Thursday confirming that Israel killed a senior Hezbollah commander in a strike in central Beirut on Wednesday night, identifying the target as the head of the Iranian-backed terrorist group’s Radwan Force.

“This is the same senior terrorist who led the plan to conquer the north,” the premier said. “He thought he could continue directing attacks against our forces and our communities from his covert terrorist headquarters in Beirut. He apparently read in the press that he had immunity in Beirut. So he read—and that will no longer be the case.”

Netanyahu said Israeli forces had killed more than 200 Hezbollah terrorist operatives over the past month and were carrying out similar operations against terrorist cells in Gaza, including on Wednesday.

He warned that “no terrorist has immunity” and said anyone threatening Israel would be targeted. He praised Israeli troops, intelligence services and the air force for their role in the operations.

The prime minister’s statement came shortly after the IDF announced the killing of Ahmed Ali Balout, who the military said “commanded dozens of terror attacks against IDF soldiers operating in Southern Lebanon, including anti-tank missile attacks and the detonation of explosive devices.”

Balout also spearheaded attempts to rebuild the Radwan Force and Hezbollah’s “Conquer the Galilee” Plan, “which was planned and advanced by the unit for years,” the military stated.

Under that plan, the Iranian-backed terrorist organization sought to infiltrate Israel, seize areas along the border and abduct hostages.

The Radwan Force “operates under the sponsorship and direction of the Iranian terror regime with the aim of harming IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians,” the IDF stressed.

Wednesday’s attack in Beirut’s southern suburbs—a Hezbollah stronghold—marked the first IDF strike in the capital since April 8.

JNS

Day 946 — Saturday, May 9

The arrest of two Israeli air force personnel on allegations of espionage has underscored Iran’s expanding efforts to penetrate Israel’s military by recruiting operatives from within.

Over the past year and a half, Israeli police, working alongside the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), have investigated more than 20 cases involving an estimated 40 to 50 suspects. Most remain in custody, though investigators believe additional suspects are still at large.

Capt. Sefi Berger of the Israel Police’s Lahav International and Major Crimes Unit, which investigates Iranian espionage cases, told Fox News Digital that Tehran primarily seeks intelligence that could aid attack planning, along with information on high-profile individuals and other sensitive targets.

Payments vary widely. One network of seven suspects reportedly received about $300,000, while an Iron Dome reservist was allegedly paid $1,000 — and in some cases, even less.

“People may think they will get rich, but the money is not life-changing,” Berger said. “In one case last year involving two soldiers, one received just $21 and has been in prison for a year and a half.”

Iranian recruitment tactics include infiltrating WhatsApp and Facebook groups used by Israelis seeking freelance work, as well as pornography websites, where agents allegedly use compromising material to blackmail individuals into cooperating. Recruitment also relies on emotional manipulation of individuals whose moral judgment may be compromised.

“When recruiting a person, a relationship can develop between the handler and the spy. Sometimes the asset is looking for a father figure or a friend — someone who listens without judgment,” Berger said.

Former Shin Bet handler Gonen Ben Itzhak, who spent years recruiting sources within Palestinian society, told Fox News Digital that the issue is particularly serious, saying he has not previously seen so many attempts — and some successful cases — of spying against Israel.

“The million-dollar question is who makes a good recruit. We don’t have a clear answer. There are certain indicators that someone may be more susceptible. The Iranians use social media — something we didn’t have in the same way — and it’s a powerful tool to identify potential motives,” he said.

As a handler, Ben Itzhak said he sought to recruit as many viable candidates as possible while avoiding individuals likely to attract suspicion, such as known criminals. He described the process as gradual and often uncertain.

“At first, they need to agree to meet in secret. Sometimes they come but won’t share information. I would start with simple questions — who leads Hamas in their village,” he said.

“Sometimes it takes time. Some refuse to cooperate, some may even act as double agents. In many cases, they are trained to collect information without being exposed. It’s a process,” Ben Itzhak added.

On Friday, indictments were filed against an Israeli civilian and three soldiers arrested in March on suspicion of working for Iranian intelligence and carrying out security-related missions under its direction before enlisting in the IDF.

As part of the alleged operations, the defendants documented and sent their handlers photos and videos of locations including train stations, shopping centers and security cameras, and were at one point instructed to purchase weapons. They also allegedly transferred documents from the Air Force Technical School, where some of the suspects had studied.

In March, 22-year-old Haifa resident Ami Gaydarov was arrested on suspicion of manufacturing explosives intended to target a senior Israeli figure at the direction of an Iranian agent.

Last month, a man from the Israeli-Arab city of Qalansawe was detained on suspicion of allegedly spying for “a hostile actor, mediated through the Al Jazeera channel.” According to the investigation, Miqdad Moder Hosni Natur made contact with his handler after being introduced while searching for job opportunities through the Qatari-owned news organization.

Under Israeli law, contact with a foreign agent carries a sentence of up to 15 years in prison. Providing intelligence can result in more than 10 years’ imprisonment, while aiding the enemy during wartime carries a minimum sentence of life imprisonment and, in extreme cases, the death penalty.

Berger also warned against attempts by Israelis to deceive foreign agents, stressing that any contact is a serious offense.

“We had a hotel worker near the Dead Sea who falsely told Iranians that a group of Israelis would arrive. He said it was a lie, but I explained he had effectively put a target on that hotel, its staff and guests, and encouraged an attack,” Berger said.

“People unfamiliar with this world should not engage in it. Contact is an offense, providing information is an offense, and aiding the enemy is the most severe,” he added.

fox news

Day 946 — Saturday, May 9

The US State Department announced on Friday that Washington will host another round of talks between Israel and Lebanon on May 14 and 15.

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement that the meeting will build on the April 23 round of talks, which was led personally by President Donald Trump.

“Both delegations will engage in detailed discussions aimed at advancing a comprehensive peace and security agreement that substantively addresses the core concerns of both countries. These talks aim to break decisively from the failed approach of the past two decades, which allowed terrorist groups to entrench and enrich themselves, undermine the authority of the Lebanese state, and endanger Israel’s northern border,” Pigott’s statement said.

He further said that the discussions in the next round “will build a framework for lasting peace and security arrangements, the full restoration of Lebanese sovereignty throughout its territory, the delineation of borders, and creating concrete pathways for humanitarian relief and reconstruction in Lebanon.”

“Both sides have committed to approaching these talks with their national interests in mind, and the United States will work to reconcile those interests in a manner that delivers lasting security for Israel, and sovereignty and reconstruction for Lebanon,” said the statement.

It noted that the US “welcomes the commitment of both governments to this process and recognizes that comprehensive peace is contingent on the full restoration of Lebanese state authority and the complete disarmament of Hezbollah, a US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.”

“These discussions represent another important step toward ending decades of conflict and establishing a lasting peace between the two countries. The United States will continue to support both countries as they seek to reach a breakthrough,” the statement concluded.

After the April 23 meeting which was attended by Israel’s Ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, and Lebanon’s Ambassador to the US, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, Trump expressed hope that a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon would be possible this year.

arutz Sheva

Day 945 — Friday, May 8

Turkey’s Ministry of National Defense research and development center unveiled the Yildirimhan intercontinental ballistic missile as a mock-up at the SAHA 2026 International Defence and Aerospace Exhibition, held at the Istanbul Expo Center on May 5-9, marking a public debut for Ankara’s first ICBM.

According to the defense ministry, the Yildirimhan (“Thunderbolt Khan”) missile can reach a speed of up to Mach 25 and has a declared range of 6,000 kilometers (3,728 miles). It uses liquid nitrogen tetroxide as fuel and is powered by four rocket propulsion engines.

At the biennial SAHA expo, Turkish defense companies and public institutions showcased newly developed platforms and technologies. In addition to the ballistic missile, the expo featured air defense systems and loitering munitions developed by Aselsan A.Ş., one of Turkey’s largest state-linked defense electronics companies.

Turkey continues to expand its defense industry capabilities, including in unmanned systems, missile technologies, air defense, aviation and space-related platforms. SAHA brought together defense and aerospace companies, procurement officials, military delegations and industry representatives from Turkey and other countries.

jns

Day 945 — Friday, May 8

President Donald Trump said Thursday that U.S. retaliatory strikes against Iranian targets were “just a love tap” and confirmed a ceasefire is in effect.

Speaking to ABC News, Trump also said “the ceasefire is going” before adding, “It’s in effect.”

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Thursday that American forces “responded with self-defense strikes” on Iranian targets after three Navy destroyers came under missile and drone fire from Iranian forces but were not struck.

The U.S. targeted three Iranian ports along the Strait of Hormuz: Bandar Abbas, Qeshm and Bandar Kargan.

The destroyers targeted by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz were the USS Truxtun, USS Mason and USS Rafael Peralta.

Fox News

Day 945 — Friday, May 8

A man was arrested yesterday (Thursday) in London after threatening Jewish passengers on a city bus with antisemitic slurs and violent threats, according to the Shomrim organization in London.

The incident occurred at approximately 3:45 p.m. on the Route 254 bus near Jessam Avenue and Clapton Road in Hackney. Shomrim volunteers reported that the suspect shouted it was a “shame Hitler didn’t kill you,” and “You should all go to the gas chambers,” while also threatening to kill Jewish children and claiming that he had a knife.

The Shomrim organization stated that the bus driver stopped the vehicle and activated the emergency alarm. Volunteers from the organization arrived at the scene and detained the suspect until officers from the Metropolitan Police arrested him.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “Police were called at 15:51 on Thursday following reports of a man making threats on a bus on Upper Clapton Road. Officers attended the scene and arrested a 50-year-old man on suspicion of making threats to kill and committing a public order offense. He remains in police custody. Police take incidents of this nature extremely seriously. The matter is being treated as an antisemitic hate crime and our investigation is ongoing.”

This was the second arrest of an alleged antisemitic attacker in less than 24 hours.

Last night, Manchester Police arrested a man in his 60s who allegedly threatened Jews in the Heaton Park area of Salford, home to a large Jewish community. According to reports, the man threatened: “I’ll take knives and slit your throats,” and shouted, “Jew, leave the country, and we’ll do it like the Nazis did in the gas chambers.”

Manchester Police arrested him on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offense.

Both incidents come amid a broader wave of antisemitic incidents across Britain in recent months, with police treating the cases as hate crimes.

Arutz Sheva

Day 944 — Thursday, May 7

The US military fired on and disabled an Iranian-flagged tanker that tried to break the naval blockade around the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, officials said.

The M/T Hasna was intercepted by American forces at around 9 a.m. EST, with a fighter jet firing its auto-cannon at the ship when it attempted to sail towards an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman, said US Central Command (CENTCOM).

“After Hasna’s crew failed to comply with repeated warnings, US forces disabled the tanker’s rudder by firing several rounds from the 20mm cannon gun of a US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet launched from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72),” CENTCOM wrote on X.

“Hasna is no longer transiting to Iran,” the military added.

The US has maintained a blockade against all ships attempting to enter or depart Iranian ports as a means of strong economic pressures against the Islamic republic.

Iranian-linked ships were the only vessels sailing through the Strait of Hormuz after Tehran shut down the oil chokepoint, which saw more than 130 ships cross its waters every day before the war.

President Trump recently said that the blockade will remain in place despite the apparent progress in US-Iranian peace talks.

Iran, which claimed that the peace talks had made no progress, has yet to comment on the latest ship to be caught by the US blockade.

Just an hour after the interception took place Wednesday, US CENTCOM said that 52 commercial vessels had been stopped and redirected by US forces since the blockade went into effect last month.

The latest interception came just two days after the US and Iran exchanged fire in the Strait of Hormuz, with the US sinking six of Tehran’s fast attack boats patrolling the waterway.

New York Post

Day 944 — Thursday, May 7

The head of a state-funded university in Norway said on Tuesday he had no plans to discipline a professor who last month called the Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, massacres “the most beautiful thing that has happened in our century.”

Following an uproar this week over comments made on April 21 by Professor Bassam Hussein of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Rector Tor Grande told broadcaster NRK that Hussein’s views do not represent NTNU, the country’s largest university.

He added, however, that “freedom of expression is strong in Norway, and it gives Hussein, like other citizens, the freedom to express his opinions, as long as they are within the broad framework of Norwegian law.”

Asked by NRK whether there would be “consequences” for Hussein, Grande replied that the university has no written rules governing how employees express themselves. He added that it would have been “natural” for Hussein to clarify to the Socialist Forum in Trondheim that his remarks were made in his “personal” capacity.

JNS contacted the Norwegian Ministry of Education and NTNU, which receives most of its funding from the state, for comment on how they view the content of Hussein’s remarks during the lecture. Neither responded in time for publication.

Eytan Halon, the chargé d’affaires at the Israeli embassy in Oslo, wrote a letter to Grande urging him to act. “As rector of Norway’s largest university, and as chair of Universities Norway and the Nordic University Association, I urge you to take action to protect your students from the dissemination of support for terror and its glorification by senior members of faculty,” Halon wrote in the letter, which he also posted on X on Tuesday.

“When rhetoric can quickly turn into action, I believe that university leadership must also show zero tolerance and take immediate disciplinary action when it comes to the support and glorification of terror,” Halon added.

Ervin Kohn, head of the National Cooperation Council for the Jewish Congregation in Oslo and Trondheim, told NRK: “I expect the rector of NTNU to go public and distance himself from this statement.”

Hussein told the Adresseavisen newspaper on Monday, “I do not consider Oct. 7 a victory or triumph, especially not in light of the many victims that day and in the time afterward. The loss of civilian life is deeply tragic, without any semblance of beauty. It should never be romanticized.”

He added: “I think there has been excessive attention paid to the use of an adjective.”

jns

Day 943 — Wednesday, May 6

U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) pushed back on criticism from former Fox News host and current podcaster Tucker Carlson, who accused them of minimizing civilian casualties in Gaza and compared their views unfavorably to those of white nationalist Nick Fuentes because of their support of Israel’s military operations in the region.

In remarks to The New York Times, Carlson accused Huckabee and Cruz of “waving away civilian deaths as if they don’t matter” and “supporting the murder of children and innocent civilians.” When asked by the newspaper to clarify his claims, a representative for Carlson responded with an email that simply said “Gaza.”

Cruz dismissed the condemnation, telling the Times that they should spend their time “actually covering people who still matter.”

“Poor Tucker needs help,” Huckabee wrote. “He’s clearly circling the drain by saying something so outrageous. No sane person ‘advocates’ for the murder of children or civilians. Even the allegation is sick and evil.”

“Tucker apparently limits his compassion to the unfortunate souls who have died in Gaza as a result of the stubbornness of Hamas to release hostages and who murdered their own citizens and intentionally put them in front of military assets where they would be most likely to become victims of the war,” he stated.

The ambassador also accused Carlson of showing selective concern for victims of the conflict and criticized his “irrational hatred of Jews in general and Israel in particular.”

“One never hears Tucker lament the massacre and mutilation of 1200 women, babies and elderly people butchered by Hamas on Oct. 7 or the torture, rape and starvation of the 251 hostages taken and held by Hamas,” Huckabee wrote. “I am heartbroken by the slaughter of innocent civilians wherever they are and whoever they are.”

“The Tucker Carlson I once knew has become someone unrecognizable,” he added. “I pray he finds himself and God. He has become a very angry and bitter man, and it’s truly tragic to watch.”

JNS

Day 943 — Wednesday, May 6

Germany is facing a sharp rise in antisemitism, with officials warning that Islamist and left-wing extremist networks are exploiting the war in the Middle East to spread anti-Jewish rhetoric, mobilize supporters and contribute to harassment and violence against Jewish communities.

These groups are using the Israel–Hamas war and broader regional tensions as a pretext to amplify antisemitic narratives, according to a study by the Hessian State Office for the Protection of the Constitution, which includes accusations of “genocide” in Gaza and portrayals of Israel as a colonial state, language authorities say is increasingly being used to justify hostility and, in some cases, violence against Jews.

German Interior Minister for the State of Hesse Roman Poseck warned that the trend is escalating.

“Antisemitism is one of the greatest threats to our social cohesion — especially from Islamism and the left-wing extremist spectrum,” Poseck said in a statement. 

The developments are raising broader concerns beyond Germany, as officials and Jewish leaders warn that similar patterns of antisemitic rhetoric tied to Middle East conflicts are emerging across Western democracies, including the United States. With Germany long seen as a bellwether due to its history and legal framework around hate speech, the findings are being viewed as a warning sign of how extremist narratives can move from the fringes into mainstream discourse.

Poseck, who commissioned the report of the Hessian State Office for the Protection of the Constitution, warned of a deteriorating social climate, saying that “antisemitic sentiments are becoming increasingly intolerable, even in public spaces.” 

“I am deeply ashamed of what Jews in Germany have to endure 80 years after the end of the Second World War,” he continued. “We Germans, in particular, bear a lasting responsibility never to forget what happened.”

Forty-six of 102 Jewish communities surveyed in Germany reported antisemitic incidents, highlighting the growing scale of the threat, a new nationwide report by the Central Council of Jews in Germany found. 

Among the most common incidents identified in the Central Council survey were verbal abuse, threatening phone calls, vandalism and antisemitic graffiti. Sixty-eight percent of respondents said they feel less safe living in Germany since the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

“Following the explosive rise in antisemitism after Oct. 7, a ‘new normal’ has emerged,” Central Council President Josef Schuster said in the press statement. “A situation in which Jewish communities require constant protection and antisemitism has become normalized as part of the public sphere.”

fox news

Day 943 — Wednesday, May 6

The Iranian Foreign Ministry denied launching missiles and drones at the United Arab Emirates, claiming that they were conducting “defense measures” aimed at US assets in a statement released on Tuesday.

The Foreign Ministry accused the UAE of “collaboration with hostile parties,” warning that such collaboration could have “dangerous consequences.” 

Earlier on Tuesday, the UAE  Defense Ministry announced that its air defenses were actively engaging Iranian missiles and drones.

jerusalem post

Day 942 — Tuesday, May 5

Two U.S. Navy destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz under Iranian fire Monday as the vessels came under a barrage of small boats, missiles and drones, according to reports.

The USS Truxtun and USS Mason were backed by fighter aircraft and AH-64 Apache helicopters during the encounter, with officials describing it as a “sustained barrage,” the report said.

Despite the attack, neither of the destroyers was impacted, with forces intercepting or deterring each threat.

fox news

Day 942 — Tuesday, May 5

The National Education Association, the largest U.S. labor union, harassed Jewish members and discriminated against them in a “sustained” manner, a complaint to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleges.

Marci Lerner Miller, director of legal investigations at the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, told JNS that the union, which has about 3 million members, has both overlooked harassment against Jewish members in the presence of union leaders and “created a really hostile environment for Jewish members of that union and also the local and state unions in many cases.”

“Because of the NEA’s permissible discrimination, it sends the message to the local and state affiliates that antisemitism is acceptable,” she said.
The center, which is representing the Louis D. Brandeis Center Coalition to Combat Antisemitism, which is a separate entity, alleges that the union violated Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Some members of the coalition are current and former Jewish members of the union.

A spokesman for the union told JNS that the “NEA does not tolerate antisemitism in any form and remains committed to ensuring that all members and students, including Jewish members and students, can work and learn in a safe and welcoming environment.”

The union considers Jews to be “white” in its use of “minority classifications to determine the percentage and numerical goals for each ‘minority’ group,” on which basis it “offers benefits and opportunities to its members,” according to the complaint.

The NEA’s “written policies required allocation of benefits, including leadership positions, mentorship, training based on racial and ethnic classifications,” Miller said.

Since the union requires in its constitution that at least 20% of its board be made up of “ethnic minorities,” white and Jewish union members have “been harmed and continue to be harmed and are denied equal access to opportunities and excluded from full participation in NEA governance,” according to the complaint.

“The policies are unlawful on their face, and it’s easier to see the connection between the NEA and its discriminatory policies and the environment that Jews are facing in the NEA,” Miller told JNS. “They’re excluded from the top down.”

The complaint alleges that Jewish members of the union experienced “severe harassment and intimidation” during a union assembly last summer, during which union leaders were present. Jewish members also faced “open hostility” and “physical intimidation” as the union weighed a proposal to boycott the Anti-Defamation League, Miller said.

“Delegates that were aligned with anti-Israel advocacy groups physically positioned themselves near the caucus members, so they didn’t feel comfortable speaking,” she said, of the union’s Jewish caucus.

“They shouted them down. They stood so close to them that they felt unable to move and trapped to the point where security eventually got involved and broke that up,” she told JNS. “But it made Jewish delegates feel very uncomfortable and made a lot of them relocate to different areas.”

According to the complaint, participants in the union assembly laughed and clapped when a Jewish delegate from Colorado referred to a Holocaust survivor killed in an antisemitic firebombing in Boulder last year.

“This was all in the presence of the leadership, including the president,” Miller told JNS. “They didn’t do anything, and they didn’t discipline anyone after the fact, even though I know there were complaints.”

The complaint also alleges that the union handbook referred to the Holocaust as “generalized tragedy affecting more than 12 million victims,” without specifying that the Nazis targeted Jews. The union changed the language without apologizing, according to the complaint.

The union labeled the entirety of Israel as “Palestine” on a map it emailed to members in October about “celebrating indigenous lands.” It also linked materials “associated with organizations that have expressed support for Hamas’s attacks” on Oct. 7, per the complaint.

Miller told JNS that “again, there was public backlash, and again the NEA removed this resource and issued a statement simply that the resource didn’t meet its standards, but it didn’t advise anyone to stop using it or publish a substitute, and the damage has already been done.”

She added that the center may sue the union. “We’ll see what kind of changes can be made in the EEOC context,” she said.

The center hopes that the complaint will result in “some accountability on behalf of the NEA and changes made to the policies and changes made to behavior,” Miller told JNS.

“This is really an important case, because what we’re seeing in schools and what we’re seeing on college campuses, we’re finding oftentimes starts long before anybody arrives on college campuses,” she said. “They’re being taught this in K-12 schools, and a lot of it is starting from teacher unions, and we really want some accountability for that.”

JNS

Day 941 — Monday, May 4

Any U.S. interference in Tehran’s maritime rules in the Strait of Hormuz would be considered a violation of the current ceasefire, a senior Iranian lawmaker warned Sunday.

Ebrahim Azizi, the head of Iran’s Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, also said the key waterway was not the place for rhetoric.

“Any American interference in the new maritime regime of the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the ceasefire,” he said in a translated post shared on X.

“The Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf would not be managed by Trump’s delusional posts!” he said.

“No one would believe Blame Game scenarios!” Azizi added.

“The Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf are not a place for rhetoric,” Azizi said in another post.

Azizi’s remarks came after President Donald Trump announced “Project Freedom,” in which the U.S. military would begin guiding ships safely out of the strait starting Monday.

The announcement came after Trump expressed doubt about a 14-point peace plan proposed by Iran over the weekend.

Fox News

Day 941 — Monday, May 4

Following reports in Lebanese media alleging that the IDF destroyed a Catholic convent in the town of Yaroun in southern Lebanon, the military acknowledged damaging a building within the compound but denied claims that it had demolished the site.

The IDF said it began operations in Yaroun to counter the activity of Hezbollah forces there, including rocket launches from the compound “multiple times” during the war. 

On Saturday, IDF Arabic Spokeswoman Lt.-Col. Ella Waweya said Israeli soldiers were in Yaroun, “working to remove threats and destroy the terrorist infrastructure established by Hezbollah in the area.” 

She said that one of the buildings on the convent, “which had no features indicating it was a religious building,” was damaged during the operations. Waweya also said that during the Iran war, “Hezbollah launched rockets several times from inside the complex toward Israeli territory,” which was the reason for the IDF operation in the complex. 

Waweya affirmed that the IDF is “committed to destroying the terrorist infrastructure established by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, and there are no intentions to strike civilian infrastructure or religious buildings.” 

“After identifying religious indicators in the complex, the forces acted to prevent further damage,” the military said. The IDF also shared images from the complex showing that the main convent building was not damaged.

Reports in Lebanese media claimed that the entire compound was leveled, with some social media accounts sharing images of damage sustained in 2024, when the IDF struck the site after detecting Hezbollah rocket launches from the compound.

George Deek, Israel’s Foreign Ministry envoy to the Christian world, dismissed the reports as “another lie.” “It’s happening again. Another lie about a monastery being destroyed. Rest assured. The monastery is intact and safe,” Deek posted on 𝕏. 

“False stories about Israel are pushed fast, checked later, and used to paint Israel as uniquely evil. This pattern isn’t accidental. It’s deliberate.“

He said that those who published the unverified reports are engaging in “reckless” behavior.

All Israel News

Day 940 — Sunday, May 3

The U.S. State Department approved a possible sale of $992.4 million worth of laser-guided rockets, or “advanced precision kill weapon system” and relevant equipment, Foggy Bottom said on Friday.

Israel sought 10,000 of the APKWS equipment, which is made by BAE Systems, the State Department said.

“The secretary of state has determined and provided detailed justification that an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale to Israel of the above defense articles and defense services is in the national security interests of the United States, thereby waiving the congressional review requirements,” the department said.

“The proposed sale will improve Israel’s capability to meet current and future threats, strengthen its homeland defense and serve as a deterrent to regional threats,” it added. “Israel will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and services into its armed forces.”

According to the U.S. Navy, APKWS is “intended as an inexpensive way to destroy targets while limiting collateral damage in close combat.”

BAE Systems says that the weapon “has also proven itself capable in air-to-air targeting of unmanned aerial vehicles and low-flying cruise missiles, as part of a counter-unmanned aerial system, as well as in ground-to-ground lethality fired from launchers mounted on vehicles and remote weapon stations.”

JNS

Day 939 — Saturday, May 2

U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday that he is “not satisfied” with Iran’s latest proposal to end the ongoing conflict.

“They want to make a deal, but I don’t. I’m not satisfied with it, so we’ll see what happens,” Trump said. “Iran wants to make a deal, because they have no military left.”

“They’re asking for things that I can’t agree to,” he added.

Iran sent the proposal through mediators on Thursday, though details remain unclear. “They want to make a deal so badly, but they’re not there yet,” Trump told reporters. “In my opinion, they’re not there.”

“Do you want to go blast the hell out of ’em and finish them forever, or do we want to try and make a deal?” he said.

The president added that he’d prefer not to continue military strikes. “On a human basis, I’d prefer not, but that’s the option,” he told reporters.
Asked if he was considering new strikes on Iran, Trump said, “Why would I tell you that?

“Right now, we have negotiations going on,” the president said. “They’re not getting there. They are very disjointed. They’re extremely disjointed. They’re not able to get along with each other as leaders. They don’t know who the leader is.”

Trump noted that this puts the United States “in a bad position,” because separate groups in Iranian leadership want different deals.

The president dismissed the need for congressional authorization for further U.S. military action against Iran, arguing that other presidents have considered the War Powers Resolution “unconstitutional” and “exceeded” the law’s 60-day limit. Trump added that the current ceasefire reset the timeline.

Arutz Sheva 

Day 939 — Saturday, May 2

U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday that he is “not satisfied” with Iran’s latest proposal to end the ongoing conflict.

“They want to make a deal, but I don’t. I’m not satisfied with it, so we’ll see what happens,” Trump said. “Iran wants to make a deal, because they have no military left.”

“They’re asking for things that I can’t agree to,” he added.

Iran sent the proposal through mediators on Thursday, though details remain unclear. “They want to make a deal so badly, but they’re not there yet,” Trump told reporters. “In my opinion, they’re not there.”

“Do you want to go blast the hell out of ’em and finish them forever, or do we want to try and make a deal?” he said.

The president added that he’d prefer not to continue military strikes. “On a human basis, I’d prefer not, but that’s the option,” he told reporters.
Asked if he was considering new strikes on Iran, Trump said, “Why would I tell you that?

“Right now, we have negotiations going on,” the president said. “They’re not getting there. They are very disjointed. They’re extremely disjointed. They’re not able to get along with each other as leaders. They don’t know who the leader is.”

Trump noted that this puts the United States “in a bad position,” because separate groups in Iranian leadership want different deals.

The president dismissed the need for congressional authorization for further U.S. military action against Iran, arguing that other presidents have considered the War Powers Resolution “unconstitutional” and “exceeded” the law’s 60-day limit. Trump added that the current ceasefire reset the timeline.

JNS

Day 938 — Friday, May 1

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine told the Senate Armed Services Committee that Russian President Vladimir Putin has aided Iran’s war effort.

He declined to go into details, citing the public nature of the hearing, but said, ”There’s definitely some action there.”

Committee Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., agreed.

“There’s no question that Vladimir Putin’s Russia is taking serious action to undermine our efforts for success in Iran,” Wicker said.

Wicker’s opening statement warned about the “four dictatorships” aligned, including Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.

“Xi Jinping leads not only China, but also an axis of aggressors,” Wicker said. “This growing alliance cannot be denied. It includes China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.

“These four dictatorships,” he continued “support each other’s aggressive endeavors. They prop each other up financially, and they scheme to undermine America’s objectives.”

Fox News

Day 938 — Friday, May 1

The United States recently shipped 6,500 tons of munitions and materiel to Israel within 24 hours, using two large sea vessels and multiple cargo aircraft, the Defense Ministry reported Thursday.

In a large-scale global logistics operation, the two cargo ships docked at the ports of Ashdod and Haifa, carrying thousands of air and ground munitions, military trucks, Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs), and additional military equipment, it said.

The operation was led by the ministry’s Defense Procurement Directorate in coordination with its International Shipping Division, its mission to the US, and the IDF Planning Directorate.

The equipment was loaded onto hundreds of trucks from the ministry’s Logistics and Assets Department and the IDF Technological and Logistics Directorate. It was then transferred to IDF bases throughout the country in an operation at the Port of Ashdod overseen by Defense Ministry Director-General Maj.-Gen. (res.) Amir Baram.

The air and sea bridge remains the “central tool for building readiness as the security situation continues to develop,” the Defense Ministry said. “Since the launch of Operation Roaring Lion, Israel has received more than 115,600 tons of military equipment in 403 airlifts and 10 sealifts.”

Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel “stands ready at every moment to act against its enemies, on every front, and wherever necessary. This expanding air and sea bridge directly strengthens the IDF’s capabilities and operational superiority.”

Baram said: “At any given moment, cargo aircraft and ships are en route to Israel, carrying thousands of tons of munitions and military equipment. This is core to the ministry’s strategy: supporting every IDF need, both through massive near-term procurement and by building readiness for a demanding security decade ahead. The impressive procurement and shipping operation we have completed will continue to expand in the weeks ahead.”

Jerusalem Post

Day 937 — Thursday, April 30

US President Donald Trump told Axios on Wednesday that he intends to maintain a naval blockade on Iran until Tehran agrees to terms addressing American concerns over its nuclear program.

The President dismissed an Iranian proposal that would have involved reopening the Strait of Hormuz and easing the blockade before resuming nuclear negotiations at a later stage.

Sources familiar with the situation told Axios that US Central Command has prepared a plan involving a limited but intense series of strikes on Iranian targets, aimed at breaking the current stalemate. These strikes would likely focus on infrastructure, after which Washington would seek to bring Iran back to negotiations under increased pressure.

Trump indicated that, at present, he views the blockade as a more effective tool than direct military action, telling Axios, “The blockade is somewhat more effective than the bombing.” He has not authorized any strikes as of Tuesday night, according to the report, and declined to elaborate on potential military plans during the interview.

Trump said the blockade is exerting significant pressure on Iran, stating, “They are choking like a stuffed pig,” and emphasized that the United States will not allow Tehran to obtain nuclear weapons. “They can’t have a nuclear weapon,” he said. He added that Iran is interested in reaching an agreement in order to see the blockade lifted, saying, “They want to settle,” but reiterated his reluctance to ease the measure under current conditions.

The President also claimed that Iran’s oil infrastructure is under strain due to its inability to export, though some analysts have questioned the immediacy of such risks.

Meanwhile, a senior Iranian security official, quoted by the English-language state outlet Press TV, warned that the naval blockade could provoke a strong response. The official stated that Iran has so far exercised restraint to allow space for diplomacy, but cautioned that continued pressure could lead to retaliatory measures.

Arutz Sheva

Day 937 — Thursday, April 30

A 45-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after allegedly running amok in a prominent London Jewish neighbourhood, stabbing two men, in what police are now calling a terrorist incident.

Two men were rushed to hospital on Wednesday morning after being stabbed by a knifeman in the Golders Green area of North London. Both victims were seriously injured but are in stable condition.

The first attack took place outside the Hager’s Shul synagogue, where a 34-year-old Jewish man who had just walked out of the building was set upon and repeatedly stabbed. Security footage from outside the synagogue shows the moment the assailant affects casually walking along the street before suddenly lunging at a man in the process of adjusting his hat, giving the victim no time to react or protect himself.

Shortly after, it is said the assailant struck again further up the road, stabbing a 76-year-old man. Coincidentally, walking between the locations of the two attacks took the assailant past the front doors of the North London Hatzola, a Jewish ambulance charity, which was the site of an antisemitic arson attack last month.

After the two stabbings, the alleged suspect then clashed with Shomrim — a Jewish community security charity active in north London — and police before being arrested. Footage from the scene of the arrest, itself just 300 yards away from where the Hatzolah ambulances were burnt out in March, officers can be seen running with the suspect away from the North Circular road, and employing their ‘tazer’ stun-guns.

Eventually the suspect, an apparently robustly-built African-heritage male wearing light coloured clothes under a navy blue jacket, falls, and is kicked in the head by an officer several times as he resists arrest. A Shomrim volunteer can be seen sitting on the suspect’s legs as officers wrestle the man into cuffs.

The Metropolitan Police said in a statement that “The suspect also attempted to stab police officers, and was Tasered before being arrested. No officers were injured.”

Counter terror police quickly took over investigation into the case, and shortly afterwards it was declared a suspected terrorist incident.

Given the frequency with which British Jews are the target of attacks now, the latest apparent terror attack has quickly seems demands of the UK government to stop talking about the need to take action, and to actually take action. The Isareli Foreign Ministry said in a statement that there have been “enough words” about antisemitism in Britain, and that “The UK must act decisively and urgently”. They said:

“After attacks on synagogues, Jewish institutions, community ambulances and now Jews targeted in Golders Green, the UK government can no longer claim this is under control. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s statements are no substitute for confronting the roots of antisemitism festering across United Kingdom. British Jews should not need security patrols and emergency volunteers to live openly as Jews.”

Britain’s Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis also said the time for talk is over. He said: “Following the anti-Semitic stabbing of two Jewish people on the streets of Golders Green this morning, words of condemnation are no longer sufficient. This must be a moment that demands meaningful action from every institution, every community, every leader and every decent person in our country. This is a hatred that we must face down together.”

President Trump’s special envoy on antisemitism Ambassador Yehuda Kaploun hit the same notes, adding: “Heartbroken and outraged by another violent anti-Semitic attack – again in the UK. Enough is enough. The UK must take decisive action to ensure the safety and security of Jewish communities now.”

In scenes reminiscent of the recent Manchester Synagogue attack, where the then-Home Secretary David Lammy was heckled by members of the Jewish community who told him the government had failed to keep them safe, the chief of the Metropolitan Police was shouted down by local residents in Golders Green.

Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley was met with a barrage of shouts of “resign” and “shame on you” as he attempted to talk to press. Labour Member of Parliament for Golders Green Sarah Sackman was also met with “resign” and “shame” jeers at the same press conference.

Breitbart

Day 936 — Wednesday, April 29

The Trump administration turned up the dial on its “Economic Fury” operation on Tuesday, implementing sanctions on 35 people and entities tied, it said, to Iran’s shadow banking sector.

The U.S. Treasury Department said that the designated people and entities helped move the equivalent of tens of billions of dollars in a coordinated effort to evade sanctions, funding Iran’s military capabilities and terror sponsorship.

“Iran’s shadow banking system serves as a critical financial lifeline for its armed forces, enabling activities that disrupt global trade and fuel violence across the Middle East,” stated Scott Bessent, the U.S. treasury secretary.

“Illicit funds funneled through this network support the regime’s ongoing terrorist operations, posing a direct threat to U.S. personnel, regional allies and the global economy,” he stated. “Financial institutions are on notice. Any institution that facilitates or engages with these networks is at risk of severe consequences.”

Largely cut off from Western financial systems, Iran turns to private companies to manage payments for imports and exports, facilitated through shell companies.

Tuesday’s sanctions hit Farab Soroush Afagh Qeshm Company, which works with Iran’s Shahr Bank to enable Iranian oil sales, the Treasury Department said. Two of the company’s senior executives were also designated.

Other front companies working with Bank Sina and Bank Sepah, affiliated with Iran’s supreme leader and the military respectively, were also sanctioned, as were Nix Energy and Tai Lung Trading, which the department accuses of facilitating the transfer of millions of dollars on behalf of already-sanctioned Iranian individuals.

“By dismantling these financial channels, we advance the administration’s policy in the conflict with Iran and underscore our commitment to imposing maximum pressure on Iran,” stated Tommy Pigott, U.S. State Department spokesman.

“While the Iranian regime enriches corrupt elites, ordinary Iranians suffer under a deteriorating economy,” Pigott said.

The administration’s sanctions-driven “Economic Fury” campaign is being run in tandem with the military’s operation “Epic Fury,” as messaging continues to be passed between Washington and Tehran on a possible resolution to their two-month-old conflict.

JNS

Day 936 — Wednesday, April 29

An American soldier stationed at Fort Polk in Louisiana was arrested last week after he told users on the popular messaging platform Discord that he planned to conduct a mass shooting at a synagogue.

Jakob Marcoulier, 22, was arrested on Thursday and charged with transmitting a threat in interstate commerce after the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center received a tip in February that he had made threats toward synagogues, according to the US attorney’s office for the Western District of Louisiana.

According to court documents, the FBI obtained audio from Discord in which Marcoulier allegedly said, “After this deployment if the Jews still have reign over our government, I am going to walk into a synagogue with my AK, with a 75-round drum mag, and all of my extra mags, with my level four plates, and my haka helmet that’s three plus, and I am going to kill every single Jew I know inside of that synagogue. And that’s my goal in life.”

During the communications, Marcoulier told the other users, “You guys will never do anything about but I will. I just have to finish this. I have to go back overseas and do what I have to do. And then you’ll see me in the news. I promise you.”

The Iran war has put Jewish institutions across the country and around the world on high alert, with attacks on synagogues, including arsons in Europe and a synagogue ramming in suburban Detroit last month.

“Threats against synagogues and Jewish Americans are threats to the religious freedom promised to every single one of us, and this Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to protecting those freedoms,” United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller said in a statement.

Jerusalem Post

Day 935 — Tuesday, April 28

U.S. President Donald Trump’s red lines for a deal with Iran have been made “very, very clear,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday, following Tehran’s latest proposal to end hostilities.

“I will confirm the president has met with his national-security team this morning,” Leavitt told reporters during a briefing. “I don’t want to get ahead of the president or his national-security team. What I will reiterate is that the president’s red lines with respect to Iran have been made very, very clear, not just to the American public, but also to them [the Iranians], as well.”

“I wouldn’t say [the president and national-security team] are considering it,” she added. “I would just say that there was a discussion this morning that I don’t want to get ahead of, and you’ll hear directly from the president, I’m sure, on this topic very soon.”

Under the Islamic Republic’s latest proposal, the regime would reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for a long-term ceasefire or permanent end to the war, a U.S. official and two sources with knowledge of the matter told Axios.

Nuclear negotiations would only start at a later stage, after the U.S. military lifts its naval blockade of Iranian ports, according to the reported details of the plan.

A U.S. official briefed on Monday’s meeting at the White House told Reuters that Trump was unhappy with the proposal.

Washington has repeatedly stressed that the nuclear issue must be dealt with from the outset, and Trump was unhappy with Tehran’s offer for that reason, the official said.

CNN cited a source familiar with the matter as saying that the president was unlikely to accept the plan, as it could remove a key piece of American leverage in the talks.

Israel has reportedly urged the United States to continue its closure of the Strait of Hormuz and not ease the naval blockade as a goodwill gesture during the talks.

According to Israeli assessments cited by Channel 12 on Sunday, the continued blockade is expected to increase pressure on the Islamic regime by reducing revenues, exacerbating internal divisions and leaving it with a choice: ease its negotiating positions or face greater instability, potentially including renewed U.S.-Israeli military action.

According to senior Israeli officials, if Tehran does not soften its position even after a prolonged blockade, the U.S. may opt for a return to fighting. Israeli officials have discussed the option of broad strikes targeting the Islamic Republic’s energy infrastructure, per Channel 12.

The Trump administration will not tolerate Iranian efforts to hold international waterways hostage, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News on Monday.

“They cannot normalize, nor can we tolerate them trying to normalize, a system in which the Iranians decide who gets to use an international waterway and how much you have to pay them to use it,” Washington’s top diplomat told Fox‘s chief foreign correspondent, Trey Yingst.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a call on Sunday that Washington “must first remove operational obstacles, including the blockade,” as a condition for “resolving issues.”

Pezeshkian said American maritime restrictions on Iran were a “clear breach of the ceasefire understandings.” Such measures, along with “threatening rhetoric” from the U.S. administration, have increased Tehran’s doubts regarding America’s commitment to the diplomatic process, he said, according to Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency.

JNs

Day 935 — Tuesday, April 28

Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, defended Iran and accused Western countries of hypocrisy on Monday, arguing that the Islamic Republic has a right to restrict movement in the Strait of Hormuz.

“There was an attempt to pin full responsibility on Iran as if it was Iran which attacked its neighbors and Iran is deliberately obstructing the navigation through the Strait of Hormuz,” Nebenzia said at a UN Security Council meeting. “In times of war, a coastal state that is under attack may limit navigation in its territorial waters for the purpose of security.”

Nebenzia also compared Western nations to pirates.

“Unlike pirates who raise their black flags with a skull and crossbones in their vessels, Western countries are attempting to conceal their lawless actions with references to unilateral coercive measures,” Nebenzia said.

“This is merely a fig leaf, the purpose of which is to conceal the fact that the [European Union] is engaged in blatant robbery at sea,” he added.

This comes after Russia and China earlier this month vetoed a Security Council draft resolution that sought to secure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Fox News

Day 934 — Monday, April 27

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the Israel Defense Forces to “vigorously” attack the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorist group, his office announced on Saturday night.

The announcement followed the launch of several rockets and UAVs from Lebanon toward northern Israeli communities earlier in the day, in violation of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire with Beirut.

The IDF announced the interception of one rocket after air-raid sirens were activated in Kibbutz Manara, Kibbutz Misgav Am and Moshav Margaliot on Saturday afternoon. A second rocket struck in an open area in the north, it said. “There are no casualties; this is a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement by the Hezbollah terrorist organization,” the military stated.

Approximately an hour later, alerts were activated in several areas in the north due to a drone infiltration.

“The air force successfully intercepted a suspicious aerial target launched from the direction of Lebanon into Israeli territory. Contact was lost with another suspicious aerial target,” the IDF announced.

In response, the military struck Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in Southern Lebanon, including “military” structures used by its Radwan Force, which functions as Hezbollah’s special operations unit and for years trained to invade northern Israel and seize communities there.

The structures, located in IDF-controlled territory south of the ceasefire line, were struck to remove threats “following Hezbollah’s use of these buildings to advance terrorist activities against IDF soldiers and the State of Israel,” it said.

Some two hours after the army announced the renewed airstrikes, more air-raid sirens blared in the area of Malkia, a kibbutz in the Galilee Panhandle, warning of a suspected UAV infiltration.

“A suspicious aerial target was identified, and contact with it was lost. The incident has concluded,” the IDF stated.

The IDF continued its campaign against Iran’s Lebanese proxy over the weekend, eliminating more than 15 Hezbollah terrorists, including three it said were killed while transporting weapons.

Air-raid sirens continued to blare in Israel’s north on Sunday afternoon, with alarms activated in a number of communities in the Western Galilee. The IDF subsequently announced it intercepted three UAVs before they crossed into the Jewish state from Lebanon.

Speaking at the weekly Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem on Sunday, Netanyahu accused Hezbollah of “essentially disintegrating the ceasefire” through its incessant terrorist attacks.

“Therefore, as far as we are concerned, what obligates us is the security of Israel, the security of our soldiers, and the security of our communities,” the premier said. “We are acting vigorously according to the rules we agreed upon with the United States, and incidentally, with Lebanon as well.”

The IDF will maintain its freedom “not only to respond to attacks, which is obvious, but to thwart immediate threats and also to neutralize emerging threats,” he added.

Over the past two weeks, the military eliminated 46 Hezbollah terrorists, and “we will act with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,” said Netanyahu.

“One might get the impression that the IDF is not active there. It is active, and it is acting with force,” he continued.

Netanyahu on Friday vowed to maintain “full freedom of action against any threat, including emerging ones,” in Lebanon. “We attacked yesterday and we attacked today. We are determined to restore security to the residents of the north,” he said.

Jerusalem has “begun a process to achieve a historic peace between Israel and Lebanon,” and according to the prime minister, “it is clear to us that Hezbollah is trying to sabotage this.”

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to extend the ceasefire between the two countries for three weeks.

The announcement followed a meeting at the White House between Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese Ambassador to the United States Nada Hamadeh Moawad.

“The meeting went very well,” Trump wrote in a social media post. “The United States is going to work with Lebanon in order to help it protect itself from Hezbollah.”

U.S. Vice President JD Vance told reporters in the Oval Office that the truce would be under the same terms as the 10-day ceasefire which the two countries agreed to on April 16.

Hezbollah ended a previous ceasefire, reached in November 2024, on March 2, when it fired rockets into Israel in solidarity with Iran. Israel and the U.S. launched a military operation in Iran on Feb. 28, which they suspended on April 8 pending talks between Iran and the U.S.

Metula Local Council head David Azulai told Ynet on Sunday that Netanyahu’s announcement of “vigorous” attacks was “pathetic.”

“There was nothing. There were strikes in Southern Lebanon, but not where they needed to be. There’s nothing new—this is just to tell us, ‘See, we’re attacking.’ It’s all one big bluff. We’ve been abandoned to our fate,” he charged.

Moshe Davidovich, head of the Mateh Asher Regional Council in the Western Galilee, added, “We understand that this is a sham ceasefire, and expect the prime minister and the defense minister to give the IDF the freedom of action to do everything necessary so that Hezbollah does not threaten the citizens of the State of Israel.”

JNS

Day 934 — Monday, April 27

A Devon man was arrested by Counter Terrorism Policing on Sunday on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts in relation to a series of attacks on Jewish, Israeli, and Iranian dissident sites in London, the Metropolitan Police announced on Monday morning.

The 37-year-old Barnstaple man was taken to a London police station for questioning.

The Sunday arrest brought the total number of people arrested since the March 23 Golders Green arsons to 26. According to the Met, eight people have been charged with arson-related offenses, and one person was convicted of arson.

The spate of attacks began with the arson of four Hatzola ambulances in the Golders Green area.

Jerusalem Post

Day 934 — Monday, April 27

Hezbollah will not surrender its weapons under any circumstances, the group’s leader Naim Qassem said on Friday, amid intensified US pressure on Lebanon to disarm the Iran-backed organisation and ongoing Israeli strikes against its operatives in southern Lebanon.

In remarks broadcast on a Hezbollah-affiliated television channel, Qassem rejected the idea outright. “We will not let anyone disarm Hezbollah or disarm the resistance” against Israel, he said, adding that “this idea of disarmament must be removed from the dictionary.”

Qassem said Hezbollah remained open to discussions about a broader “defence strategy,” but only on its own terms. Such talks, he stressed, could not take place “under the pressure of occupation” by Israel. He also called for Israel to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon, end its military actions, and for the Lebanese state to begin reconstruction efforts in affected areas.

His comments followed similar statements from senior Hezbollah figures, who have also ruled out any transfer of weapons unless Israel halts its “aggression” and withdraws completely from Lebanese territory. One official, Wafic Safa, said the issue was not disarmament but a national defence strategy aligned with the Lebanese presidency’s stated goals.

The debate comes as President Joseph Aoun has pledged to ensure that 2025 becomes the year in which the Lebanese state holds a monopoly on arms. His position reflects growing internal and external calls for Hezbollah to integrate its military capabilities under state control.

However, Hezbollah continues to frame its arsenal as essential to Lebanon’s defence, insisting it will remain armed as long as Israeli forces operate in the region.

Arutz Sheva

Day 933 — Sunday, April 26

U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday said he canceled the trip of the American delegation to Islamabad for talks on an agreement with Tehran as the Iranian representatives had already left Pakistan.

Explaining his decision on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Too much time wasted on traveling, too much work! Besides which, there is tremendous infighting and confusion within their ‘leadership.’

“Nobody knows who is in charge, including them. Also, we have all the cards, they have none! If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!” the president added.

U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were expected to touch down in Islamabad to continue the indirect negotiations with Tehran through Pakistani mediators, but the Iranian delegation has reportedly left the country.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Pakistan on Friday and met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan’s Chief of the Army Staff Asim Munir, according to the Associated Press.

Araghchi said on his Telegram account that he is currently on a trip to Islamabad, Muscat and Moscow “to coordinate closely with [Iran’s] partners on bilateral issues and consultations on regional developments.”

He emphasized “Pakistan’s special position in Iran’s foreign policy and relations and Iran’s will to further develop relations between the two countries.”

He did not disclose Tehran’s demands but said that his country’s “principled positions” were conveyed to Islamabad.

Trump spoke with Axios on Saturday, saying that “I see no point of sending [Witkoff and Kushner] on an 18-hour flight in the current situation. … We are not gonna travel just to sit there.”

Asked whether the breakdown in talks means the war was to resume, the president said, “No. It doesn’t mean that. We haven’t thought about it yet. We have all the cards. We are not going to go there to sit around talking about nothing.”

On Thursday, Iranian officials presented a unified front after reports surfaced that Tehran’s leadership was fractured.

“In Iran there are no ‘hardliners’ or ‘moderates,’ President Masoud Pezeshkian tweeted.

“We are all Iranians and revolutionaries. With ironclad unity of nation and state and obedience to the Supreme Leader, we will make the aggressor regret. One God, one nation, one leader, one path; victory for Iran, dearer than life,” he wrote.

JNS

Day 932 — Saturday, April 25

Reza Pahlavi posted a video to X on Friday criticizing European media coverage of unrest in Iran, accusing journalists of ignoring what he described as mass killings and political executions.

In the video, Pahlavi said he recently held press conferences in Stockholm and Berlin attended by more than 150 journalists, claiming that none asked about “40,000 Iranians” he said were killed during protests or about political prisoners facing execution.

He argued that European media has “abdicated their professional responsibilities” by focusing more on criticism of the U.S. and Israel than on the actions of the Iranian regime.

The remarks come a day after Pahlavi was splattered with red liquid while leaving a press conference in Berlin, according to reporting from The Associated Press. He was not injured, and German police detained a suspect at the scene. Authorities said the substance appeared to be tomato juice.

Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s former shah, has been traveling across Europe in recent weeks seeking to rally support and position himself in discussions about Iran’s future. He said in the video he will continue advocating for a democratic Iran regardless of international backing.

Fox News

Day 932 — Saturday, April 25

The Trump administration announced it’s imposing new sanctions against Iran’s shadow fleet of oil tankers.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed the punishment on a Chinese teapot refinery along with 40 shipping companies and vessels that operate as part of Iran’s shadow fleet, whose transportation of petroleum and petrochemicals provides a financial lifeline to Iran’s regime.

The sanctions are part of a campaign called Economic Fury.

“Economic Fury is imposing a financial stranglehold on the Iranian regime, hampering its aggression in the Middle East, and helping to curtail its nuclear ambitions,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. 

“At President Trump’s direction, Treasury will continue to constrict the network of vessels, intermediaries, and buyers Iran relies on to move its oil to global markets,” Bessent added.

“Any person or vessel facilitating these flows — through covert trade and finance — risks exposure to U.S. sanctions,” he continued.

The shadow fleet is the name given to the hundreds of illegal tankers that countries such as China, Venezuela, and Russia operate while trying to evade sanctions from countries including the U.S., the Washington Examiner reported.

Experts told the Examiner they believe 1,000 vessels are transporting oil in violation of various sanctions.

Hengli Petrochemical Refinery Co., the sanctioned Chinese refinery, is one of Iran’s largest buyers of crude oil and other petroleum products, having purchased billions of dollars’ worth of Iranian petroleum. 

China-based independent teapot refineries continue to play a vital role in sustaining Iran’s oil economy.

Since at least 2023, Hengli has received Iranian oil cargoes from a host of sanctioned shadow fleet vessels, which alone have delivered over 5 million barrels of Iranian crude oil. 

“Constraining Iran’s maritime trade through the blockade directly targets the regime’s primary revenue lifelines,” a senior administration official told the Examiner.

“Any person or vessel facilitating these illicit flows — through covert trade and finance — risks exposure to U.S. sanctions,” the official added.

Newsmax

Day 931 — Friday, April 24

“Israel is prepared to renew the war against Iran,” Defense Minister Israel Katz said at the end of a situational assessment on Thursday, with the military awaiting the green light from the United States to “complete the elimination of the Khamenei dynasty.“

“The IDF is prepared for both defense and attack, and the targets are marked,” said Katz.

The Defense Minister discussed the Islamic regime’s practice of oppressing its people, saying, “The terrorist regime in Iran specializes mainly in internal repression of the population through the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij.“

Katz also accused Iran of “energy extortion, with the threat of raising global oil prices.“

“Its leaders are hiding in tunnels and have difficulty communicating and making decisions,” Katz continued, “its skies are wide open, and all its national infrastructure and strategic facilities are exposed to attacks, but it declares that it is victorious.“

Katz compared Iran to its proxy terror groups of Hamas and Hezbollah, saying the country “does not care about the heavy prices paid by the population.“

Turning to future IDF attack plans, Katz described them as “different and deadly,” stating that the military will strike “the most painful places,” adding that the attacks would “shake and collapse its [Iran’s] foundations.“

Iran has reportedly tasked foreign militias with keeping civilian protests down, according to social network expert Effi Banai, who spoke to 103FM’s Sivan Cohen on Thursday. 

Social media content emerging from Iran paints a complex and increasingly tense picture, Banai said, adding that the regime appears to be trying to prevent a widespread outbreak of protests by reinforcing its presence on the ground.

“We see the pressure on the regime on social media,” said Banai. “They have brought in militias from abroad, from Pakistan, Iraq, and Afghanistan. They are helping them impose order. They go around in trucks, in civilian clothing, carrying machine guns.“

“The soldiers speak Arabic rather than Persian, [which the locals notice and comment about on social media],” Banai added. “They are imposing terror in the streets so that people won’t go out and protest. The regime knows its people are hungry, desperate, and are afraid they will take to the streets again.”

Jerusalem Post

Day 931 — Friday, April 24

Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend the ceasefire between the two countries for three more weeks, U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Thursday.

The announcement follows a meeting at the White House between Israeli ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese ambassador to the United States Nada Hamadeh Moawad.

“The meeting went very well,” Trump wrote on social media. “The United States is going to work with Lebanon in order to help it protect itself from Hezbollah.”U.S. Vice President JD Vance told reporters in the Oval Office that the truce would be under the same terms as the 10-day ceasefire to which the two countries agreed on April 16.

“We’re going to extend the ceasefire for three weeks that’s already in place between Israel and Lebanon,” Vance said.

In addition to Trump and Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and U.S. ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa also attended Thursday’s meeting at the White House with the Israeli and Lebanese diplomats.

Trump added that he expects to host a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun “in the near future.”

JNS

Day 930 — Thursday, April 23

President Donald Trump extended the ceasefire with Iran that was due to expire on Wednesday night. The president pointed to what he called a “fractured” Iranian government and raised questions about who is really in charge in Tehran.

Just hours after the Trump announcement, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) rallied supporters with a parade that included ballistic missiles in the heart of the capital. The demonstrators chanted, “Strike the final blow, and hit the heart of Tel Aviv.”

Iran’s state-run television quoted a military spokesman who threatened the United States.

“In the event of aggression and any action against Islamic Iran, the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will immediately attack the predetermined targets with power, and teach the aggressive America and the child-killing Zionist entity another lesson more severely than before.”
The show of force and rhetoric has led some to believe that Iran is run by leaders willing to resume the war.

The actions roughly coincided with Trump’s announcement to continue the ceasefire.

The president said late on Tuesday that, at Pakistan’s request, the U.S. would extend the halt in fighting indefinitely as he waits for a unified proposal from the Islamic Republic.

The two-week truce was set to expire as a second round of talks led by Vice President JD Vance looked uncertain.

Meanwhile, in Israel, no official word from the government as the nation celebrated the 78th anniversary of modern Israel’s founding.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu marked the milestone, declaring, “In shelters and hospitals, in moments of pain, in moments of joy, we have no other country and will not have another one. With God’s help, we will complete the victory, strengthen our state, and secure our future.”

CBN Israel

Day 930 — Thursday, April 23

The Arizona Legislature approved on Monday a resolution urging state agencies to use the term “Judea and Samaria” instead of “West Bank” in official communications.

House Concurrent Resolution 2047, sponsored by David Livingston, a Republican state representative, recognizes what it describes as the “historical, biblical and legal legitimacy” of Judea and Samaria and formally rejects “West Bank” as a modern political construct.

The measure passed both chambers, clearing the Senate on April 20 after earlier approval in the House. The nonbinding resolution directs state entities to adopt the terminology in government documents and references.

“Today, as Israel honors those who gave their lives defending the nation, Arizona stands with the truth about that nation’s history,” Livingston stated.

The resolution, which Livingston introduced following a 2025 visit to the region, is part of a broader national effort by some lawmakers to promote the use of biblical names for the territory west of the Jordan River, which is widely referred to internationally as the West Bank.

“Judea and Samaria are central to Jewish history and faith,” he said. “They are not political labels to be swapped out for convenience. This resolution affirms what is true and rejects language created to deny it.”

Israel Bachar, Israel’s consul general for the Pacific Southwest, praised the move, stating that Arizona “has set a gold standard in terms of state legislative initiatives that protect and enhance the U.S.-Israel relationship on the state level.”

JNS

Day 929 — Wednesday, April 22

U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran is losing approximately $500 million per day due to restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz, claiming the Islamic Republic is seeking to reopen the strategic waterway as financial pressure mounts.

“Iran is collapsing financially! They want the Strait of Hormuz opened immediately- Starving for cash! Losing 500 Million Dollars a day. Military and Police complaining that they are not getting paid. SOS!!!” Trump posted on Truth Social on Wednesday.

“Iran doesn’t want the Strait of Hormuz closed, they want it open so they can make $500 Million Dollars a day,” Trump wrote in an earlier post, adding that Tehran is “starving for cash” and facing internal strain. “They only say they want it closed because I have it totally BLOCKADED (CLOSED!), so they merely want to “save face.” People approached me four days ago, saying, ‘Sir, Iran wants to open up the Strait, immediately.’ But if we do that, there can never be a Deal with Iran, unless we blow up the rest of their Country, their leaders included!”

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, through which a significant portion of global oil shipments pass, meaning disruptions can significantly affect global energy markets.

Trump announced an extension of the ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday.

“Based on the fact that the government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our attack on the country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal,” Trump stated.

The president said he has directed the military to continue the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and has extended the ceasefire “until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other.”

The United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure on Feb. 28.

JNS

Day 929 — Wednesday, April 22

The US Treasury Department has imposed a new wave of sanctions on 14 individuals and entities across Iran, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates, targeting the procurement networks fuelng Tehran’s missile and drone programs.

This move aims to disrupt the acquisition of specialized components as Iran attempts to restore its military capabilities following recent strikes by the United States and Israel.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent justified the measures by accusing the Iranian regime of using these technologies to threaten global energy markets and strike civilian targets.

The sanctions specifically hit three individuals involved in the supply chain for Shahed drones and a Turkish firm accused of providing materials for missile fuel production. Furthermore, the administration blacklisted two Boeing 777 aircraft operated by Mahan Air, an airline the US identifies as a primary transporter of military equipment.

These financial restrictions effectively freeze the assets of the named parties and prohibit any US-linked transactions, deepening the economic isolation of Tehran’s defense sector.

The announcement comes at a volatile moment in regional diplomacy, with high-level talks in Pakistan recently collapsing and a temporary ceasefire brokered by President Donald Trump nearing its expiration. By targeting the logistical networks enabling Iran’s military activity, Washington is signaling a return to intensive economic pressure as the prospect of a diplomatic breakthrough regarding the Strait of Hormuz remains stalled.

i24 News

Day 929 — Wednesday, April 22

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said he is pursuing peace negotiations with Israel, arguing that diplomacy is the only viable path to save Lebanon from continued war and economic and social collapse.

His remarks, made during a meeting with lawmakers aligned against Hezbollah and summarized by his office, offered justification for engaging with Israel — an unprecedented step in modern Lebanese politics.

“Lebanon faces two options: the continuation of the war with all its humanitarian, social, economic, and sovereign consequences, or negotiations to end the war and achieve lasting stability,” Aoun said, according to the statement released by his office.

“I have chosen negotiation, and I am full of hope that we will be able to save Lebanon,” he stressed.

Aoun emphasized that talks are the only realistic way to “end hostilities, secure the Israeli withdrawal from occupied areas in southern Lebanon, and allow the deployment of the Lebanese army up to the internationally recognized southern border.”

Since Israel’s founding in 1948, Beirut has refused to recognize the Jewish state. Despite multiple military defeats of the Lebanses army during conflicts and Israel’s peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan, Beirut has never formally acknowledged Israel.

The diplomatic push follows recent U.S.-brokered efforts under Donald Trump, whose administration facilitated high-level talks last week between Lebanese and Israeli officials aimed at reaching a broader agreement.

Notably, Aoun did not personally attend those discussions. Reports also indicate that Aoun declined to speak directly by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite encouragement from Trump.

Trump recently announced a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. However, Israeli military operations have been focused on Hezbollah targets within Lebanese territory rather than on the Lebanese state itself.

Aoun’s remarks come months after the Lebanese government passed a resolution demanding that Hezbollah disarm. The Iranian proxy group has pledged that it will never surrender its weapons.

WIN

Day 928 — Tuesday, April 21

U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Monday that Israel did not persuade the United States to enter military operations against Iran, emphasizing that he has long believed that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon.

“Israel never talked me into the war with Iran,” the president wrote. “The results of Oct. 7, added to my lifelong opinion that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon, did.”

The comments follow criticism from conservative media figures like Tucker Carlson, who called the U.S. president a “slave” to Israel, and Megyn Kelly, who said Israel “dragged” the United States into the war.

Joe Kent, former director of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned his position while also alleging that Israel played a large role in drawing the United States into war with Iran, while former U.S. vice president Kamala Harris stated that Trump “entered a war, got pulled into it by Bibi Netanyahu, let us be clear about that.”

“Just like the results in Venezuela, which the media doesn’t like talking about, the results in Iran will be amazing,” the president wrote. “And if Iran’s new leaders (regime change!) are smart, Iran can have a great and prosperous future.”

JNS

Day 928 — Tuesday, April 21

Defense Minister Israel Katz spoke today a solemn ceremony held at the Mount Herzl National Hall for Israel’s Fallen.

“Between all of Israel’s wars there is a clear, direct line,” he said. “The State of Israel still fights for its existence and for its future, and our independence is not something given to us without cost.”

Katz also made a direct Threat to Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem.

“Nasrallah destroyed the Shiite community in Lebanon, and Naim Qassem will destroy it and will pay in the loss of homes and territory until he also pays with the loss of his head, as his predecessor did.”

Katz warned that Lebanon itself would face severe consequences if Hezbollah’s actions continue unchecked. “Lebanon will pay a heavy territorial price, like what happened to Hamas in Rafah and Beit Hanoun in Gaza.”

He went on to condemn regional militant leadership more broadly, stating that the heads of what he called the “axis of evil” are united in their fate. “They dwell together at the bottom of hell,” he said.

Katz also insited that the Lebanese government must assert control over its territory. “If the government of Lebanon continues to fail to meet its commitments, the IDF will do so in the continuation of military operations.”

Arutz Sheva

Day 928 — Tuesday, April 21

Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday denounced the U.S. Navy’s seizure of an Iranian cargo ship, calling for the “immediate release of the Iranian vessel, its sailors, crew and their families.”

The Foreign Ministry called the seizure “extremely dangerous” and “criminal.”

“There is no doubt that the Islamic Republic of Iran will use all its capacities to defend Iran’s national interests and security and to safeguard the rights and dignity of its citizens,” the Tuesday statement said.

“It is also clear that full responsibility for any further escalation in the region lies with the United States,” it added.

Iran had earlier vowed to respond after the U.S. seizure of its vessel.

Fox News

Day 927 — Monday, April 20

The US seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship after “blowing a hole” in its engine room when it tried to break past the Navy blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, President Trump revealed Sunday.

The USS Spruance destroyer intercepted Iran’s Touska cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman, taking custody of the ship after it refused warnings to stop, according to the president.

“Today, an Iranian-flagged cargo ship named TOUSKA, nearly 900 feet long and weighing almost as much as an aircraft carrier, tried to get past our Naval Blockade, and it did not go well for them,” Trump boasted on Truth Social.

“Right now, U.S. Marines have custody of the vessel,” the president added. “The TOUSKA is under U.S. Treasury Sanctions because of their prior history of illegal activity. We have full custody of the ship, and are seeing what’s on board!”

A CENTCOM video shared online by Reuters’ chief national security reporter showed the US Navy ship warning those aboard the Iranian cargo ship to vacate its engine room before firing multiple blasts.

“Motor vessel Touska, motor vessel Touska, vacate your engine room, vacate your engine room. We are prepared to subject you to disabling fire,” a Marine can be heard saying before the ship’s horn blows and blasts go off.

The seizure of the Iran-flagged vessel comes as Trump is pushing to lock down a peace deal with Iran before the two-week cease-fire wraps up on Tuesday.

New York Post

Day 927 — Monday, April 20

Hundreds of commercial tankers are stranded on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz after Iran shut the critical chokepoint on April 18, halting traffic and leaving crews trapped amid reports of gunfire and “traumatic experiences” on board.

The Strait of Hormuz is considered an international waterway under international law, through which ships have the right of transit passage, according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz, making it a critical chokepoint for global energy markets, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Iranian gunboats opened fire on a tanker the same day, while a projectile struck a container vessel, damaging cargo.

Audio released by maritime monitoring group TankerTrackers appears to capture the moment a vessel and its crew came under fire while approaching the strait, including a distress call from a crew member.

“Sepah Navy! Motor tanker Sanmar Herald! You gave me clearance to go… you are firing now. Let me turn back!” the crew member can be heard saying in the recording, according to TankerTrackers.

Iranian state media confirmed that shots were fired near vessels to force them to turn back, while the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India said the foreign secretary was deeply concerned.

Hapag-Lloyd, the world’s fifth-largest container shipping line, told Fox News Digital that it had activated a crisis team as its crews remain stuck on board vessels in the region.

“We have been working from Friday afternoon until today with the entire crisis team to bring the vessels out — in vain, unfortunately,” said Nils Haupt, senior director of group communications at Hapag-Lloyd AG.

“These events can easily lead to traumatic experiences. There is also a significant risk from sea mines, which has made insuring vessels for passage through the Strait nearly impossible.”

“The crews are well, but they are becoming increasingly impatient and frustrated. It is very unfortunate that we could not leave today,” he added. “Many ships are still stuck in the Persian Gulf.”

“Our six ships are anchored near the port of Dubai, and all crews hope for an improvement in the situation,” Haupt said.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on April 18 that the strait would remain closed until the U.S. lifts its blockade on Iranian ports, warning ships not to move from anchorage or risk being treated as “enemy” collaborators.

Iran has previously argued that restrictions on its oil exports and shipping amount to “economic warfare,” framing actions in the Strait of Hormuz as a response to foreign pressure on its economy, according to statements from Iranian officials and state media in past incidents.

“Approaching the Strait of Hormuz will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and any violating vessel will be targeted,” the IRGC said in a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.

The United States imposed the blockade on Iranian ports to pressure Tehran to reopen the strait, with U.S. Central Command saying the measures are being enforced “impartially against all vessels.”

Hapag-Lloyd said its vessels have been stuck for weeks following the initial closure after the outbreak of war with Iran on Feb. 28.

“For us, it is critical that our vessels can pass through the strait soon,” Haupt said.

“We offer all crew members unlimited data so they can video call loved ones and access entertainment. Crews are strong, but after weeks on board there is growing monotony and frustration.”

“One crew experienced a fire on board from bomb fragments. Others have seen missiles or drones near their vessels,” he added.

Fox News

Day 926 — Sunday, April 19

At a tense session of the UN General Assembly focused on the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz and its implications for global shipping, Israel’s ambassador, Danny Danon, sharply criticized France and raised allegations about its conduct.

The debate followed a failed attempt to pass a Bahraini-backed resolution in the Security Council, shifting the dispute to the broader Assembly. Speaking during the session, Danon took an unusually direct tone, singling out the French delegation.

Citing international reports, he claimed that French-owned vessels were able to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without interference, while ships from other countries were detained by Iran. Addressing France’s ambassador, Danon posed a pointed question about whether payments had been made to secure safe passage.

He argued that giving in to such pressure only strengthens Iran, describing its actions in the strait as “economic terrorism” targeting a critical artery of global trade. According to Danon, countries that comply with such demands are not ensuring stability but encouraging further coercion.

Danon warned that yielding to these tactics could lead to escalating costs and greater threats in the future, urging nations to resist what he characterized as a pattern of extortion rather than accommodate it.

Arutz Sheva 

Day 925 — Saturday, April 18

Tennessee’s legislature has voted to change references in state documents to the biblical regions north and south of Jerusalem to “Judea and Samaria.”

The term, which has always applied to the region in Israel, will replace references to the “West Bank,” which was invented and used by the international community following the liberation of the region from the Jordanians in the Six-Day War of 1967.

“The ideological and cultural conflict over Judea and Samaria represents a broader civilizational struggle between Judeo-Christian values,” state House Bill 1446 and its Senate companion Bill 1663, known as the “Recognizing Judea and Samaria Act.”

The bills say the term “West Bank” is a “deliberate attempt to erase the Jewish identity of Judea and Samaria, and to obscure the deep historical, religious and legal connections of the Jewish people to the land.”

Both houses passed their respective bills on April 9, by votes of 24-8 in the Senate and 68-21 in the House of Representatives. The measure now heads to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, for his signature.

The law mandates that any tax-funded communications from state agencies or official state materials use the historical nomenclature, rather than the more recent internationally recognized term.

Debate over the legislation largely hinged on criticisms that the measure erased Palestinian heritage or amounted to biblical indoctrination, with others saying that the legislature has more pressing, relevant matters at hand.

The bill is similar to one passed in Arkansas last April. A similar effort this year in Florida died in the Senate Rules Committee.

JNS

Day 925 — Saturday, April 18

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun gave a speech to the nation on Friday, a day after a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect.

In the speech, Aoun defended the direct talks held with Israel earlier this week, stressing that Lebanon is no longer an “arena” for anyone’s wars.

“We are confident that we will save Lebanon… we have reclaimed Lebanon and Lebanon’s decision-making power for the first time in nearly half a century,” Aoun said.

He stressed, “Today, we negotiate for ourselves… we are no longer a pawn in anyone’s game, nor an arena for anyone’s wars, and we never will be again”.

“Now, we all stand before a new phase,” Aoun continued. “It is the phase of transition from working on a ceasefire to working on permanent agreements that preserve the rights of our people, the unity of our land, and the sovereignty of our nation.”

The Lebanese President insisted that direct talks with Israel are “not a sign of weakness nor a concession.”

He added that “negotiations do not mean, and will never mean, giving up any right, conceding any principle, or compromising the sovereignty of this nation.”

US President Donald Trump, whose administration brokered the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, said on Wednesday that Aoun and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would speak on Thursday.

While such a conversation did not ultimately occur, Trump held separate phone calls with the two leaders on Thursday before announcing the ceasefire.

Arutz Sheva

Day 924 — Friday, April 17

Israel is preparing for a resumption of hostilities in Iran in case peace talks between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic are unsuccessful, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday.

In a message shared to his official social media account, Netanyahu stressed the U.S. and Israel are in constant communication over U.S. contacts with the Iranian regime.

“Our goals and those of the United States are identical: We want to see the enriched material removed from Iran, we want to see the cancellation of enrichment capabilities within Iran, and of course, we want to see the opening of the straits.”

“It is too early to say how this matter will end, or even how it will progress. In anticipation of the possibility that fighting may resume, we are prepared for any scenario,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump continues to place economic pressure on Iran, in an attempt to get the regime to agree to U.S. demands.

On Thursday, during a briefing at the Pentagon, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said that the U.S. is also prepared to restart combat operations in Iran if no agreement is reached.

“We’d prefer to do it the nice way through a deal led by our vice president and negotiating team,” Hegseth said, “or we can do it the hard way. We urge this new regime to choose wisely.”

Hegseth further stated that the Iranian regime “can choose a prosperous future, a golden bridge, and we hope that you do for the people of Iran,” but noted that if not, “they will have a blockade and bombs dropping on infrastructure, power, and energy.”

“We are watching you,” the secretary stated. “Your capabilities are not the same as ours. Remember, this is not a fair fight.”

Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday that the U.S. is preparing the “financial equivalent” of a bombing campaign.

Bessent said the administration has “told companies, we have told countries that if you are buying Iranian oil, that if Iranian money is sitting in your banks, we are now willing to apply secondary sanctions, which is a very stern measure. And the Iranians should know that this is going to be the financial equivalent of what we saw in the kinetic activities.”

All israel News

Day 924 — Friday, April 17

Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 10-day ceasefire on Thursday following calls between U.S. president Donald Trump and the leaders of each country.

After Trump announced the truce on social media, the State Department released a statement with details of the agreement between the two sides.

“Israel and Lebanon will implement a cessation of hostilities” that will start at 5 p.m. Eastern on April 16 for “an initial period of 10 days, as a gesture of goodwill by the government of Israel, intended to enable good-faith negotiations toward a permanent security and peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon,” the agreement says.

The agreement adds that Israel will retain a right to self-defense “at any time, against planned, imminent or ongoing attacks” but will otherwise cease offensive military operations in Lebanon.

The agreement does not call for a withdrawal of Israeli ground forces from Lebanon and says that the initial ceasefire may be extended “as Lebanon effectively demonstrates its ability to assert its sovereignty.”

That condition appears to be tied to Lebanon’s ability to disarm Hezbollah, as the agreement requires the Lebanese government to take “meaningful steps” from the time the ceasefire begins to prevent Hezbollah and other terrorist groups from attacking Israel from Lebanese territory.

Trump wrote in a followup post to the truce announcement that he would invite Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House for “meaningful talks.”

The agreement released by the State Department says that those negotiations would be designed to resolve “all remaining issues” and reach a comprehensive peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon, which do not have diplomatic relations and have technically been in a state of war since Israel’s founding in 1948.

An open question about any ceasefire in Lebanon is whether Israel can prevent Hezbollah from carrying out attacks on Israeli border communities.

In a statement confirming the ceasefire, Netanyahu said that the agreement allowed for Israeli troops to maintain a “reinforced security buffer zone” inside Lebanon.

“This allows us, first and foremost, to block the danger of an invasion into our communities, and secondly, it allows us to prevent direct anti-tank fire into the communities,” Netanyahu said. “The residents are now protected from these two dangers.”

Netanyahu added that he had received assurances from Trump that the U.S. president intends to continue the naval blockade of Iran and dismantle the regime’s remaining nuclear capabilities.

JNS

Day 924 — Friday, April 17

An attempted attack near the London studios of Iran International, which is affiliated with the Iranian opposition, has heightened concerns over what the broadcaster says is a growing campaign of intimidation targeting its staff.

A suspicious vehicle was denied entry at the main entrance of its site on the evening of Wednesday, April 15. Shortly afterward, incendiary devices were thrown into the car park of a neighboring building just meters from its studios.

“Our security team responded immediately, and the police and fire brigade arrived shortly afterwards. We are grateful to them for their swift response,” Iran International’s editorial board said in a statement.

Footage posted to social media appeared to show the aftermath of the attack.

London’s Metropolitan Police said on Thursday that three people aged 16, 19 and 21 had been arrested in connection with the incident.

Police said the case is not currently being treated as terrorism but is being investigated by Counter Terrorism Policing London.

The incident comes amid a sharp increase in threats and pressure directed at Iran International journalists and their families, particularly following the recent war involving Iran.

The channel temporarily relocated its operations from London to Washington in February 2023 following intelligence warnings of state-backed threats.

In March 2024, one of its presenters was stabbed outside his London home in an attack investigated by counter-terrorism police.

Meanwhile, an Islamist group with possible links to Iran claimed responsibility for the Iran International attack, as well two other attacks in north London.

Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya – The Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand – made the unsubstantiated claim by posting videos on social media.

In addition to the Iran International attack, the group also claimed Wednesday’s attack on the Finchley Reform Synagogue in London and a previous arson targeting four ambulances belonging to Hatzolah in Golders Green.

Arutz Sheva

Day 923 — Thursday, April 16

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Iran has an “inalienable” right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes during a state visit to China on Wednesday, according to the Times of Israel.

“The right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes is an inalienable right of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Lavrov said during a Tuesday press conference following a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to the Times of Israel.

Access to said uranium has been a hard line for U.S. President Donald Trump in ongoing peace negotiations with Iran.

“There will be no enrichment of Uranium,” Trump wrote in an April 8 post on Truth Social, adding that the U.S. would be working with Iran to dig up all remaining nuclear materials in the country to ensure the Islamic Republic would not have access to any uranium.

Vice President JD Vance, who led the U.S. delegation during Saturday negotiations with Iranian officials in Islamabad, Pakistan, doubled down on that red line.

“The enriched uranium that the Iranians currently possess, we have said that we want that to come our of their country, and we would like to take possession of it,” Vance told Fox News’ Brett Baier on Monday.

“The president doesn’t want to leave the next president or the president after that to be worrying about this program so we would like to get that material out of the country completely so that the United States has control over it.”

Despite the U.S. hard line, Russia’s top diplomat appeared to openly defy the U.S.’ demands, speaking in strong terms against what he viewed as American global control.

“Neither China nor Russia, nor the majority of countries throughout the world, can accept this approach,” Lavrov said in remarks posted to a Russian state website.

The peace talks in Iran stalled, according to Vance, because of their refusal to completely give up their nuclear program. Nuclear experts praised the decision.

“The U.S. team was wise to walk away once it became clear the Iranians would not agree to Washington’s core nuclear demands. Tehran maintaining enriched uranium stocks and uranium enrichment capabilities provides it with a pathway to nuclear weapons, plain and simple,” Andrea Stricker, deputy director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ nonproliferation program, told Fox News Digital.

Fox News

Day 923 — Thursday, April 16

Israel’s and Lebanon’s leaders are expected to speak directly on Thursday for the first time in decades, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday.

“Trying to get a little breathing room between Israel and Lebanon. It has been a long time since the two leaders have spoken, like 34 years,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.

“It will happen tomorrow. Nice! President DJT,” added the American leader.

Trump did not specify which leaders would take part, whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun or Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.

Israeli and Lebanese officials last engaged in direct, U.S.-backed talks following the 1982 First Lebanon War, culminating in the May 17 Agreement. The pact was the closest the two nations have ever come to a formal peace deal, but it was never fully implemented, and was formally canceled by Beirut in 1984.

Iranian-backed Hezbollah began firing rockets, missiles and suicide drones at Israel from Lebanon on March 2 in retaliation for the Jewish state’s targeted killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the opening strikes of “Operation Roaring Lion/Epic Fury” against the Islamic Republic on Feb. 28.

In response to the terrorist organization’s violation of the U.S.-brokered Nov. 27, 2024, truce agreement, Jerusalem launched an aerial campaign against Hezbollah and ordered the Israel Defense Forces to take control of additional areas in Southern Lebanon to halt cross-border attacks.

Netanyahu announced on April 9 that Lebanon had requested the reopening of direct negotiations with the Jewish state aimed at disarming Hezbollah.

After more than two hours of talks that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter said that the most important outcome of the negotiations was that Jerusalem and Beirut are “on the same side of the equation.”

JNS

Day 958 — Thursday, May 21

The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), Maj.-Gen. Yoram Halevi, demanded on Thursday that the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) immediately stop transferring any aid or support to the Turkish organization IHH, which has been designated by Israel as a terrorist organization.

COGAT had recently received information that WFP had transferred fuel to IHH within the Gaza Strip, prompting Halevi to write a letter to the organization’s head, Shaun Hughes.

In the letter, COGAT emphasized that Israel designated IHH a terrorist organization in 2008, and as such supporting its activities is illegal and “could carry severe consequences.”

IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation is a Government-organized non-governmental organization or GONGO, meaning it is closely linked to the Turkish ruling party under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

According to Israel’s Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, IHH has “two hats”: one hat is its work as a humanitarian organization that conducts legitimate humanitarian activity around the world; the other hat is “a radical, jihadi and pro-Hamas organization and involvement in terrorist attacks.”

In addition to its humanitarian actions in Gaza, IHH has also promoted the recent flotillas to the Gaza Strip, including the one stopped by the Israeli Navy earlier this week.

jerusalem post

Day 958 — Thursday, May 21

It’s not the sort of language we’re used to hearing from ambassadors, especially not from Israeli ambassadors to the United States when speaking about American Jews. At a National Task Force to Combat Antisemitism meeting at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, Yechiel Leiter called the left-wing J Street lobby “a cancer within the Jewish community.”

That sort of blunt talk about American Jews who band together to bash or pressure the State of Israel has, up to now, generally been regarded as divisive and unproductive by the Jewish establishment here in the United States, as well as the diplomats and bureaucrats back at Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem.

But as efforts to delegitimize Israel grow, alongside and as part of an unprecedented surge of antisemitism in the United States, diplomatic niceties and happy talk about a big tent is no longer appropriate to cope with a real crisis.

Democrats are falling increasingly under the sway of their intersectional base that regards Israel as a “white” oppressor and an “apartheid” state. Antisemitism that operates under the guise of hatred for Israel has become normative both on the political left and the far right.

All of the instincts and past practices of the organized Jewish community impel it, as well as Israeli diplomats, to tread lightly when it comes to Jews who join the ranks of anti-Zionists. However, in the current crisis, it is vital that the hard truths like those spoken by Leiter be heard rather than the empty talk about inclusion and a big Jewish tent. Under the current circumstances, unity with J Street and openly anti-Zionist and antisemitic groups like Jewish Voice for Peace means giving those who are actively aiding and abetting others waging war on Israel and the Jewish people legitimacy they don’t deserve.

Leiter’s undiplomatic comment was not a one-line mic drop. He explained that “the worst thing about J Street is it’s duplicitous.” Referring to the group’s stand favoring the attempts of Democrats to cut off arms sales to the Jewish state, he asked, “How can you be pro-Israel and advocate for an arms embargo on a state that’s fighting a seven-front war against Iranian proxies?”

While J Street and its defenders say they are just criticizing the Israeli government, Leiter says this stand is disingenuous.

“If they said that they were pro-Palestinian, I wouldn’t have a problem meeting with them,” Leiter said. “I meet with pro-Palestinian groups.”

“But when you come and say in such a two-faced manner, ‘We’re pro-Israel, we’re pro-democracy,’ there’s a democratically elected government in Israel,” he said. “You don’t like Netanyahu, make aliyah, vote in the next election and express yourself. Don’t say you’re ‘pro-democracy,’ and decry and defy the position of the democratic government of Israel.”

J Street, which entered the political fray in Washington in 2008, was criticized harshly in the past by two of Leiter’s predecessors, Michael Oren and Ron Dermer, who also represented Israeli governments led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But they didn’t call the group a “cancer.”

Michael Herzog, who was appointed by the short-lived government led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid from 2021 to 2022, stayed away from attacks on J Street, even if he was blunt about his negative opinion about the organization’s ally in the Senate, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt).

Leiter’s right about what J Street has been up to. They back the efforts of congressional Democrats to cut off arms sales to Israel in the midst of a war against Iran and its terrorist proxies, which began with the Hamas-led Palestinian Arab terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Indeed, since its founding, J Street has made it its sole purpose to aid efforts in pressuring the Jewish state to make suicidal concessions rejected by its democratically elected governments and the voters that put them into office.

Despite their claims to be a nominally Zionist group, the difference between its stands and those of openly anti-Zionist and antisemitic groups like Jewish Voice for Peace is increasingly theoretical, rather than a matter of actual policy and actions.

That was made evident when J Street defended Zohran Mamdani, the virulently anti-Zionist and antisemitic mayor of New York City. When the Anti-Defamation League, which was slow to recognize the peril to the Jewish community from the left, began a “Mamdani Monitor” to note his actions and statements, J Street condemned it. The group claimed that it was wrong to “conflate” what they say is “criticism of Israel’s government” with antisemitism. But Mamdani has never made any effort to conceal his opposition to the existence of the Jewish state and his desire to aid those working to destroy it.

From his time as a student at Maine’s Bowdoin College, where he founded a chapter of the openly antisemitic Students for Justice in Palestine, the 34-year-old mayor has been an ardent anti-Zionist, dedicated to supporting the war on the one Jewish state on the planet.

That takes various forms. It includes his longtime support for illegal BDS discrimination against Israel and Jews, which J Street claims to oppose. It also means falsely labeling Jews who support Israel as taking part in violations of international law, even when that means egging on antisemitic marches and demonstrations outside of synagogues. There is also his consistent backing for mobs who target Jews for intimidation, in addition to violence on college campuses and elsewhere, while chanting for Jewish genocide (“From the river to the sea”) and terrorism against Jews wherever they live (“Globalize the intifada”).

Mamdani’s hate for Israel was front and center this week, but so was his ability to rally support from left-wing Jews.

The mayor has announced that he will be the first person holding his office since the founding of the Jewish state to refuse to march in the annual “Salute to Israel” parade down Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue. Instead of making that token gesture of solidarity with the city’s Jewish residents, he commemorated “Nakba Day,” or “Disaster Day,” referring to the establishment of the modern-day State of Israel in 1948.

Mamdani did so by posting a video and a statement on social media, including a four-minute, documentary-style video created by his government-paid staff that featured an interview with a woman named Inea Bushnaq. “Inea is a New Yorker and a ‘Nakba’ survivor,” said Mamdani. In it, Bushnaq recounted her family’s departure from Jerusalem during the 1948 War of Independence, claiming that they were forced to flee because “the Zionists were coming into Jerusalem.”

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs did, in fact, flee the British Mandate for Palestine before May 1948. They did so because of the war that their leaders and the surrounding Arab nations started, most often at the behest of those who claimed they could come back after the Jews were pushed into the sea. They had rejected the U.N. partition vote in November 1947 for an Arab state alongside the new Jewish one, just as they would reject every peace offer from Israel in the decades that followed.

The failure of that effort to carry out a second Holocaust, only a few years after the first one, which resulted in the slaughter of 6 million Jews in Europe, left the Arabs disappointed. But they were still determined to continue their war on the Jewish presence in the country, a self-destructive belief that persists to this day, which has brought nothing but suffering for Palestinian Arabs.

During this same period, an even larger number of Jews were expelled or forced to flee from their homes throughout the Arab and Muslim worlds—from North Africa to the farthest stretches of the Middle East.

The plight of the Palestinian refugees was hard, but unlike the Jews, who were resettled in Israel and the West, they were deliberately kept homeless to serve as props in the ongoing war on Israel that continues 78 years later.

What was particularly egregious about Mamdani’s highlighting of one such refugee lies in the fact that—contrary to the anti-Zionist mantra about the Palestinian Arabs having been in the country from time immemorial—her family were relatively recent immigrants. Bushnaq’s relatives were Bosnian Muslims, who had arrived in what is now Israel in the 1880s, after that country was no longer controlled by the Ottoman Empire.

The Ottomans had ruled over parts of the Balkans for centuries, tyrannizing its Christian inhabitants, and some Muslims fled, fearing retribution from the new rulers. The Bushnaqs first went to Syria and then settled in Jerusalem, which was already starting to grow as a result of the initial wave of Jews returning to their ancient homeland.

Yet far from Jews being new to Jerusalem, as Bushnaq claimed, they had, of course, been there for thousands of years—long before the Muslim conquest in the seventh century C.E. While Jews had been the largest religious group in the city for many years before that, the Ottoman census in 1875 showed that they formed an absolute majority of the population.

And just to show how fake the claim that the city and country she fled was wrongly stolen from her family and other Muslims, Mamdani’s video contained one damning detail that his staff missed. The “Visit Palestine” poster on the wall behind Bushnaq was actually a work of a Zionist and Jewish artist, Franz Kraus, who saw it as part of the effort to promote the burgeoning Jewish homeland prior to 1948. Indeed, as Liel Leibovitz noted in the New York Post, if you look closely in the video, you can see that Kraus signed his work in Hebrew.

That is, as he rightly pointed out, a graphic metaphor for the fraudulent nature of the entire nakba narrative that Mamdani relentlessly promotes. Its purpose is not to help Palestinians, but to build support for the dispossession of the more than 7 million Jews of Israel. That is something that could only be accomplished by genocide—like the one the Arabs of 1948 failed to accomplish, and for which the Hamas atrocities of Oct. 7 were merely a trailer for what they wished to do to every Jew.

Yet Gotham’s Marxist mayor has had no trouble recruiting Jews to collaborate with his efforts to harm their own community.

One such person is Rabbi Miriam Grossman, a member of Jewish Voice for Peace. That’s a group that not only shares Mamdani’s desire to destroy Israel but is responsible for spreading blood libels against it. Yet she will serve in a paid government post as the mayor’s “faith liaison” with the Jewish community.

That’s an outrage and an insult to the overwhelming majority of Jews who rightly understand that Israel and support for Jewish rights to it remain an integral part of their faith and identity as a people. The events of the last 31 months testify to one basic fact: anti-Zionism can’t be separated from antisemitism. The former is merely a variant of the latter.

As much as a third of the city’s Jewish population might have voted for Mamdani last November for a number of reasons, including their blind loyalty to the Democratic Party and justified disgust with disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who was the main alternative. Still, Mamdani’s hostility to Jewish safety is no longer a theoretical argument.

The good news, however, is that the leaders of the organized Jewish world in New York have been forced by Mamdani’s actions to show some spine. Their language wasn’t as blunt as Ambassador Leiter’s about J Street. But by boycotting Mamdani’s pre-Shavuot Jewish Heritage Day reception at his Gracie Mansion official residence, they sent a message that the city’s Jews aren’t going to go along with the pretense that the mayor is anything but an open enemy of Jewish life.

Mamdani was nevertheless able to recruit some Jews to show up for his shindig. And they deserve the opprobrium not only of the Jewish community, but of all decent people who realize we are at a tipping point when it comes to the normalization of antisemitism.

Among them was the usual contingent of ultra-Orthodox Jews from the Satmar sect, who proclaim their opposition to Zionism and Israel for theological reasons that treat Jewish powerlessness as a virtue to be embraced until the coming of the Messiah. The far smaller and often violent Neturei Karta group is another problem. Such sectors of the community are willing to do business with anyone in power, regardless of whether or not they pose a threat to Jews.

Far more prominent were the left-wing Jews like Grossman and other JVP members, who see Mamdani’s hostility to Israel and mainstream Judaism as reasons to support him.

Perhaps even more significant were the comments of the man who gave the invocation at Mamdani’s sham event—Rabbi Irwin Kula, president emeritus of CLAL: The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership. CLAL became an important focus of efforts to unify the Jewish community under its founder, Rabbi Irving (“Yitz”) Greenberg. But under his successor, Kula, it has become not merely irrelevant but arguably counterproductive.

For Kula and others who seek to normalize Jewish antisemites, as well as those working to undermine and attack Israel, inclusion is the most important value. He mocked the absence of Jewish leaders as illustrative of the collapse of “the liberal Zionist consensus.”

He blessed Mamdani and urged him to “hold the complexity of this city, to parse and nuance, with care and precision, the meanings of Zionism, of antisemitism, and the inextricable connection of Jewish identity and Palestinian dignity.” Such a meaningless word salad speaks to his intellectual and moral bankruptcy. It also demonstrates that Jews, including those who hold the title of rabbi, who won’t take a stand against open Jew-hatred and delegitimization, aren’t merely harmless idealists or starry-eyed dreamers of peace.

When they work to isolate Israel—and strip it of its only ally and the means to defend itself against genocidal regimes and their terrorist auxiliaries, and treat those who seek to destroy it as praiseworthy—they have lost more than the respect of their fellow Jews. They have instead taken on the role of foot soldiers in a globalized intifada against their own people.

The primary focus of Jewish activism must be combating those on the left and the right who are normalizing antisemitism, along with publications like The New York Times that traffic in blood libels against Israel and the Jews. Yet we cannot be silent about those Jews who aid and abet them. They are, like the Satmar Chassidim, turning into a sect outside of normative Jewish life. They have little in common with those who understand that, imperfect as it may be, Israel deserves our love and support regardless of who leads it or what measures of self-defense they choose to employ against murderous enemies.

At a time when antisemitism is surging and Jewish lives are in danger, those who stand with the Israel- and Jew-haters do so outside of the Jewish community. What’s needed when dealing with them is not diplomacy or dialogue, but harsh truths like the ones spoken by Ambassador Leiter.

JNS

Day 957 — Wednesday, May 20

Germany’s domestic intelligence agency has published new guidance warning that some symbols and slogans used in pro-Palestinian activism can serve as vehicles for antisemitic or extremist messaging – including certain depictions of the watermelon symbol associated with the Palestinian cause.

The guidance, issued by the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), outlines what it describes as antisemitic and extremist forms of “Palestine solidarity” in political discourse. According to the report, anger over the Israeli–Palestinian conflict can, in some cases, evolve into broader antisemitic narratives targeting Jews collectively.

Among the examples cited were the Handala cartoon figure, the inverted red triangle often associated with “Palestinian resistance,” octopus imagery historically tied to antisemitic conspiracy tropes, and a watermelon symbol depicted in the shape of the land of Israel. The BfV described these as “bridge narratives” capable of connecting different extremist movements through shared antisemitic themes.

The inclusion of the watermelon image sparked criticism online, where the watermelon emoji has widely been used as a symbol of Palestinian identity and solidarity since the 1980s. However, the report focused specifically on versions portraying the entire territory of Israel as Palestinian land.

Additionally, phrases and slogans, such as “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free!” and “Yalla, yalla, Intifada!” were identified as expressing a desire for the elimination of the State of Israel or support for violence. 

The BfV report, “Hidden Messages – Antisemitic Codes and Ciphers,” explains that these symbols and slogans often serve as “bridge narratives,” connecting disparate groups, from left-wing extremists, right-wing extremists, and Islamic extremists in a common hatred. 

The report also noted that since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas invasion of southern Israel, certain groups within Germany’s radical left have shown increasing support for the “Palestinian liberation struggle.” 

At the same time, Islamic extremist groups and radical leftist groups are merging anti-imperialist ideology into antisemitic discourse, depicting Israel as a “colonial power,” and connected to longstanding antisemitic tropes about Jewish plots to control the world. 

Such narratives, the report said, are increasingly being used to justify violence against Jews and Israelis.

The domestic intelligence agency released the 80-page publication on antisemitic symbols, codes, and narratives primarily for teachers, educators, and the general public, to raise awareness about contemporary forms of antisemitism.

All Israel News 

Day 956 — Tuesday, May 19

President Donald Trump ripped establishment media on Monday, contending that even if Iran surrendered, outlets like the New York Times would spin it as a victory over the United States.

Trump blasted the Times and others in a Truth Social post on Monday morning:

“If Iran surrenders, admits their Navy is gone and resting at the bottom of the sea, and their Air Force is no longer with us, and if their entire Military walks out of Tehran, weapons dropped and hands held high, each shouting ‘I surrender, I surrender’ while wildly waving the representative White Flag, and if their entire remaining Leadership signs all necessary ‘Documents of Surrender,’ and admit their defeat to the great power and force of the magnificent U.S.A., The Failing New York Times, The China Street Journal (WSJ!), Corrupt and now Irrelevant CNN, and all other members of the Fake News Media, will headline that Iran had a Masterful and Brilliant Victory over The United States of America, it wasn’t even close. The Dumacrats and Media have totally lost their way. They have gone absolutely CRAZY!!! President DJT”

The post comes days after Trump scolded New York Times Chief Washington Correspondent David Sanger aboard Air Force One during the return flight from China on Friday.

“Mr. President, what would the use be of repeating the bombing? You did it for 38 days, and you did not get the political changes in Iran—” Sanger said before Trump jumped in.

“I had a total military victory, but the fake news—guys like you write incorrectly. You’re a fake guy, and guys like you write about it incorrectly. We had a total military victory,” Trump said. “We knocked out their entire navy, we knocked out their entire air force, we knocked out all of their anti-aircraft weaponry, we knocked out all of their radar.”

“We knocked out all of their leaders, number one, and then we knocked out all of their leaders in the second division, and we knocked out numerous of their leaders in the third division, and they’re very confused. We’ve had a total victory except by people like you that don’t write the truth,” Trump continued.

“I actually think it’s sort of treasonous, what you write, but you and the New York Times, and CNN, I would say, are the worst,” he concluded.

Breitbart

Day 956 — Tuesday, May 19

American anti-Israel groups held Nakba Day protests over the weekend, and while they were mainly peaceful, violent extremism and support for terrorist organizations were present at rallies across the country.

Within Our Lifetime’s march through Manhattan saw a Hezbollah flag, a flag bearing the face of deceased Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida, and an Irish flag with the silhouette of a gunman waved alongside banners calling for resistance and revolution, according to videos published by the organization.

“The Nakba lives in every bombing campaign, every demolished home, every checkpoint, every prison cell, every refugee camp, every child buried beneath the rubble, funded by the United States, carried out by Israel, supported by the Gulf countries and every other disgusting complicit actor in the international community,” WOL leader Nerdeen Kiswani said at a speech in Washington Square Park. “But the struggle also continues to live with every resistance fighter, with every Palestinian mother who continues to bear children.”

Activists from a campaign to free Tarek Bazrouk, a self-described “Jew hater” who was sentenced to 17 months in prison for three separate hate crime assaults of Jewish pro-Israel activists, said that on Nakba Day, they wished to uplift those imprisoned for championing their cause. They called for the release of Bazrouk and the Holy Land Five, a group of former Islamic charity organization officers convicted in the US of financing Hamas.

Palestinian Youth Movement, New York City, and Palestinian Assembly for Liberation Al-Awda in New York City and New Jersey (PAL-Awda) organized another protest in Brooklyn on Saturday, with the latter on social media calling the event a demonstration to “dismantle the genocidal Zionist entity.”

With an Abu Obeida flag waving in the background, a PYM NYC activist related in an Instagram video that while the day marked 78 years of “ongoing genocide” and “ethnic cleansing,” it also marked “78 years of the promise of return, the promise that every single Palestinian will return to every single inch of Palestinian land.”

“From Gaza to Jenin, from Nablus to Tulkarem, from al Quds, to Haifa, to Akko, the Palestinian people will never give up this promise, and us here in the diaspora will continue to organize our people until all our prisoners are free, and until every single inch of our land is free, and we return to a free Palestine from the river to the sea,” said the PYM activist.

In Seattle, Tariq El-Tahrir Youth and Student Network, Nidal Seattle, Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return at the University of Washington, and Seattle Students for Justice in Palestine hosted a Sunday rally.

“Long live Operation Al Aqsa Flood,” read a banner belonging to the Seattle Revolutionary Youth, referencing the Hamas operational name for the October 7 Massacre.

Activists with a Hezbollah flag and a flag featuring Abu Obeida marched alongside the banner praising the October 7 Massacre, which also featured the face of Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine airplane hijacker Leila Khaled.

In Los Angeles, the SJP chapter at UCLA staged a Friday “die in” and marched through the campus, chanting “Resistance is glorious, we will be victorious.”

“The blood of the martyrs is the seed from which resistance blooms,” read the caption accompanying one of the SJP UCLA Instagram videos.

jerusalem post

Day 955 — Monday, May 18

In a coordinated display of diplomatic maneuvering and aggressive rhetoric, top leaders of the Iranian regime used a high-profile diplomatic summit on Sunday to deflect blame for regional instability onto the United States and the State of Israel.

Speaking in Tehran during a meeting with visiting Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused Washington and Jerusalem of orchestrating a strategic conspiracy designed to fracture the Islamic world.

According to an official statement released by the Iranian presidency and quoted by the Xinhua news agency, Pezeshkian asserted that the United States and Israel have always sought to turn Muslim states against one another through creating division and distrust among them.

Attempting to position the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism as a force for regional harmony, Pezeshkian claimed that Iran seeks “cordial and lasting relations based on good neighborliness” with Muslim states in the West Asia region.

The Iranian president insisted that his administration’s foundational policy centers on expanding friendly ties with neighboring and regional states, while urging the Muslim world’s major countries to help establish lasting peace, security and stability in the region through strengthening cooperation and interactions.

Pezeshkian explicitly used the platform to lash out at the joint defensive and counter-terrorism operations executed by American and Israeli forces. In his remarks, he condemned the US and Israeli military “aggression” against Iran and the “major crimes” committed during their attacks.

Concurrently, other high-ranking Iranian officials adopted a far more belligerent tone on Sunday, issuing explicit military threats against the West.

Ebrahim Rezaei, speaking on behalf of the Iranian parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee, delivered an absolute ultimatum to Washington via the semi-official Mehr news agency.

Rezaei declared that the United States must accept Iran’s terms or “surrender” to its missiles, adding a firm warning that Iran would under no circumstances back down on its demands.

Similarly, Iranian Defense Ministry spokesperson Reza Talaei-Nik vehemently dismissed recent assessments from US Central Command indicating that the regime’s military infrastructure had been severely crippled. Talaei-Nik countered by stating that Iran stands ready to give a “decisive” response to any threat and aggression.

Capping off the wave of hostile declarations, Iranian armed forces spokesperson Abolfazl Shekarchi issued an ominous warning through the official IRNA news agency, threatening that the regime would unleash “crushing and severe blows” given any “repeated stupidity” by the United States.

The Iranian rhetoric comes amid speculation that US President Donald Trump may order a resumption of strikes on Iran, as talks on a deal to end its nuclear program stall.

Trump on Sunday posted what looked like another warning to Iran to his Truth Social platform.

Trump’s post featured a map of the Middle East and Central Asia, with the entire region overlaid with the pattern of the United States flag. The country of Iran is highlighted at the center of the map with a dozen red arrows pointing directly at the Islamic Republic.

The post came just hours after Trump warned Iran in an earlier post that “the clock is ticking”.

“For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE! President DJT,” he wrote in the earlier post.

On Saturday, Trump posted a cryptic message about Iran to his Truth Social account.

The post featured an AI-generated graphic of him and a US Navy admiral in front of stormy waters with several ships, including one flying the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran, amid reports the war could potentially resume soon.

The text above the graphic read, “It was calm before the storm.”

These posts come amid speculations that Trump is preparing to order a resumption of strikes on Iran.

Trump indicated on Friday that he would be willing to accept a 20-year moratorium on Iran’s nuclear program, but stressed that he would require “a real guarantee” from the Islamic Republic in order to reach a deal to end the war.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as he was returning from his trip to China, Trump was asked if he had rejected the latest proposal from Iran.

“Well, I looked at it, and if I don’t like the first sentence, I just throw it away,” the President replied, explaining that the first sentence of the Iranian proposal was “an unacceptable sentence because they fully agree, no nuclear, and if they have any nuclear of any form, I don’t read the rest of their letter.

Trump was then asked if 20 years is not enough for him for a moratorium, to which he replied, “No, 20 years is enough, but the level of guarantee from them is not enough. In other words, it’s got to be a real 20 years, not a fake 20.”

On Thursday, Trump warned in an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News that he is not going to be patient with Iran much longer.

“I’m not going to be much more patient. No, I’m not. They should make a deal. Any sane person would make a deal, but they might be crazy,” Trump clarified.

arutz sheva

Day 955 — Monday, May 18

The Saudi military intercepted three drones that entered the country’s airspace from Iraq on Sunday, Riyadh’s Defense Ministry announced.

Ministry of Defense Spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki said the kingdom “reserves the right to respond at the appropriate time and place” and would take “all necessary operational measures” against attempts to threaten the country’s sovereignty and security.

While Iran’s attacks have largely subsided since it agreed to a ceasefire with the United States on April 8, drones have continued to be launched intermittently from Iraq toward Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry summoned the Iraqi ambassador on April 12 over what it described as ongoing attacks and threats targeting Gulf states with drones launched from Iraq.

The United Arab Emirates on Sunday night “strongly” condemned the drone attack targeting its neighbor.

The statement expressed Abu Dhabi’s “full solidarity” with Saudi Arabia and its support for “all measures aimed at preserving its security and stability.”

Earlier on Sunday, a drone strike sparked a fire outside the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in Abu Dhabi, according to UAE authorities. It was the first time the nation’s only nuclear plant was targeted. No one as yet has taken responsibility for the strike.

The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that the UAE reported the incident, which caused a fire in an electrical generator but did not impact radiological safety levels.

Rafael Grossi, the IAEA’s director, said “military activity that threatens nuclear safety is unacceptable.”

jns

Day 954 — Sunday, May 17

“Nakba Day” protesters gathered in New York and other cities. A video from Washington Square Park showed the crowd calling for Israel’s destruction and stomping on the Israeli flag. The mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, shared a video marking “Nakba Day” on Friday, describing the Nakba as a “catastrophe” that Palestinians say began with the displacement of more than 700,000 people during Israel’s 1948 War of Independence and continues today.

“Nakba is Arabic for ‘catastrophe,’” the text in the video stated. “It refers to the expulsion and displacement of more than 700,000 Palestinians between 1947 and 1949 during the creation of the State of Israel and the year that followed.”

“The Haganah, Irgun and Lehi militias, among others, destroyed more than 400 Palestinian villages and cities, killing thousands of Palestinians and carrying out dozens of massacres,” the video states. “May 15 is the annual commemoration of the Nakba. For Palestinians, their displacement and the Nakba continue to this day.”

The video shared by Mamdani featured an interview with New York resident Inea Bushnaq, described as a “Nakba survivor.” In the clip, Bushnaq says that she fled her home because “the Zionists were coming into Jerusalem,” and noted that keys are used as a symbol of the “right of return.”

“People, of course, locked their houses when they left, and all they had of it was the key when it turned out there was no going back,” she said in the video. “It became sort of a symbol – you have the key but not the house.”

Critics, including Jewish groups, said Mamdani’s post presented a one-sided account of the 1948 War of Independence, noting it omitted Arab invasions, Jewish expulsions from Arab countries, and related violence against civilians.

The UJA-Federation of New York also criticized Mamdani, saying: “The refugees you post about exist because 22 Arab states launched a war to destroy Israel.”

“In its aftermath, 800,000 Jews were expelled from Arab lands. Your post mentions none of this. And you chose 5:40 PM on Friday to post it – as Jewish New Yorkers prepare to light Shabbat candles. We noticed,” the Jewish Federation added.

New York State Brooklyn Assemblymember Simcha Eisenstein accused Mamdani of fueling Jew-hatred in New York. NYPD data reveals that more hate crimes are committed against Jews than against all other groups combined.

“Still wondering why hatred against Jews is so high in NYC? We have a mayor who is using government resources to disseminate a narrative and incite hostile propaganda,” Eisenstein said.

“Mr. International Law guy forgot to include the fact that the Arab world rejected the UN’s partition plan to establish a Palestinian state,” Eisenstein continued, mocking Mamdani for saying he supports international law.

New York State Queens Assemblymember Sam Berger accused Mamdani of denying Israel’s right to exist, saying, “Rewriting history to portray the existence of Israel itself as the original sin is not education or remembrance. It is propaganda.”

Mamdani has been criticized by some pro-Israel groups for his public statements on Israel and the conflict. He has referred to Israeli actions in Gaza as “genocide” following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people. He has also said during his campaign that he would consider arresting Netanyahu if he entered New York while he was mayor, and later faced criticism over his stance on antisemitism definitions and related policy positions.

all israel news

Day 953 — Saturday, May 16

The Lebanese government filed a sharply worded complaint with the United Nations arguing that the Islamic Republic of Iran has abused diplomatic immunity by refusing to recall its ambassador after Beirut demanded his expulsion and to stop alleged terrorist activities on its soil, according to a recently surfaced letter from late April.

The disclosure of the letter, which is reportedly a precedent-setting move by Lebanon, comes amid a second day of talks in Washington between Israel and Lebanon to normalize relations (the countries are in a state of war) and dismantle the Iranian-regime-backed Hezbollah terrorist movement in Lebanon.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Friday that “The United States facilitated talks between Israel and Lebanon have resumed today and are ongoing. The atmosphere of talks has been very positive, even exceeding expectations.”

State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott wrote on X on Friday that “On May 14 and 15, the United States hosted two days of highly-productive talks between Israel and Lebanon. The April 16 cessation of hostilities will be extended by 45 days to enable further progress. The State Department will reconvene the political track of negotiations on June 2 and June 3.”

He added that, “In addition, a security track will be launched at the Pentagon on May 29 with military delegations from both countries. We hope these discussions will advance lasting peace between the two countries, full recognition of each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and establishing genuine security along their shared border.”

As the sides report back to their capitals, the potentially game-changing letter in which Lebanese ambassador to the U.N. Ahmad Arafa, slammed Iran for inserting alleged terrorists from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) into Lebanon “under the guise of diplomatic activity,” has given hope to critics of Iran and Hezbollah.

Arafa said, according to the letter, that Iran committed “unlawful acts in blatant defiance of the decisions of the Government of Lebanon.” He continued, “This Iranian conduct constitutes direct and blatant interference in the internal affairs of Lebanon and drags the country into a war it did not choose to become involved in.”

The U.S. and the European Union have classified the IRGC as a terrorist entity.

The letter took the Iranian Ambassador to Beirut, Mohammad Reza Sheibani, to task for “blatant interference” in Lebanon.

According to Lebanon’s U.N. letter, Beirut argued that Iran is violating the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and interfering in Lebanon’s state of affairs.

When asked about the details of the letter, a spokesperson for Lebanon’s ambassador to the U.S. declined to comment. The spokesperson also declined to weigh in on the current talks with Israel in Washington.

Walid Phares, a leading U.S. expert on Lebanon and the Mideast, told Fox News Digital that “Many have considered the Lebanese memo to the U.N. as the start of the Lebanese government change of attitude towards Iran and a sign of escalation by Beirut. While the tone of the letter and its narrative make people feel that there is a government resistance to Iran and Hezbollah reality is still lesser.”

He added that “The subject of the last quarrel is a legal change of status regarding the presence of Iranians on Lebanese soil. The Lebanese government has decided not to grant Iranians, government, and private citizens an automatic visa waiver, which upset Iran and Hezbollah. Besides, Tehran is furious at the fact that the Lebanese government has not been helpful in dealing with the elimination of a number of IRGC members killed in Lebanon by Israel. Tehran blames the foreign ministry of Lebanon, particularly foreign minister Youssef Raggi, for the ‘lessening of solidarity with Iran.”‘

According to Phares, “Raggi represents a Lebanese Christian bloc in the parliament, who is not sympathetic to the regime. However, the actual talks in D.C. are designed by the Lebanese government to show the Trump administration that the ‘state wants to talk’ but not to reach an agreement that would trigger Hezbollah’s wrath. The leaders of the Lebanese state are not yet where the U.S. and Israel expect them to be.”

A regional official well-versed in the U.N. dispute told Fox News Digital that Lebanon “argued that Iran had not given the Lebanese foreign ministry the list of all Iranians and the details about their place of stay. And that’s why Israel targeted that hotel in Lebanon in which six were killed, which is true.”

The official said that “Iran had not told the foreign ministry of Lebanon about those six people.”

fox news

Day 953 — Saturday, May 16

As Israel continues fighting wars on the battlefield, another battle is escalating in the media. It is now moving into the courtroom with one of America’s most influential newspapers: The New York Times.

Israel’s government says it plans to sue the Times. In a joint statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned an opinion piece by columnist Nicholas Kristoff as “one of the most hideous and distorted lies ever published against the State of Israel in the modern press.”

Kristoff alleged widespread abuse of Palestinian prisoners, including accusations of sexual violence involving specifically trained dogs. A spokesperson for the Times rejected Israel’s accusations, calling the lawsuit “without merit” and “part of a well-worn political playbook.”

The controversy is fueling outrage among pro-Israel advocates in the United States. Jayne Zirkle from #EndJewHatred declared, “We’ve seen this October 7th denialism from The New York Times before, and we are asking them tonight to retract, and we are demanding better honest journalism.”  

Demonstrators gathered outside The New York Times headquarters this week, accusing the paper of promoting false narratives about Israel.

Activist Zach Sage Fox claimed, “They are spreading blood libels that are truly unbelievable, to the point where they are scientifically impossible. Dogs do not rape people, but Hamas does.”

Fox continued, “The New York Times was the paper of record that downplayed Hitler’s propaganda. His murder of Jews in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. And they are doing it again.” 

cbn israel

Day 952 — Friday, May 15

The Israeli defense establishment is operating an accelerated emergency timeline to field effective countermeasures against a new and lethal aerial threat in Southern Lebanon.

Initial solutions to shooting down First-Person View (FPV) fiberoptic drones could appear in a matter of weeks to months.

On Thursday, an IDF official said that the IDF is developing and expanding the response to the drone threat. The IDF, led by the Ground Forces’ Technological Brigade, is supplying troops in Lebanon with wire mesh nets designed to counter explosive drones, the official stated.

“Thus far, approximately 158,000 square meters of netting have been supplied to the IDF. In parallel, an additional procurement of approximately 188,000 square meters is underway and will arrive at a later stage. The total amount of netting procured so far is equivalent to the area of approximately 20 soccer fields,” said the official.

The operational gap between Hezbollah and the IDF in the small drone arena is the most significant vulnerability to open up in the current war against the Iran-backed Lebanese terror organization.

Since March 2026, and particularly following the ceasefire implementation on April 18, fiber-optic-guided First-Person View drones have become Hezbollah’s most prominent weapon against IDF troops. Over a two-and-a-half-week span, Hezbollah launched approximately 80 explosive drones at Israeli troops, with a number striking their targets, resulting in fatalities and injuries.

Hezbollah’s systematic transition to fiber-optic drones is a conscious imitation of innovations from the 2025 Russia-Ukraine war. The physical fiber-optic cable connects the operator to the drone over dozens of kilometers. This fully neutralizes the option of electronic warfare and spectral jamming that Israel’s multi-layered air defenses rely upon.

The drones emit no electromagnetic signals, prevent the location of the launch source, and possess minimal radar and infrared signatures due to their small electric motors and low flight altitudes.

To confront this challenge within the required timeline, IDF Ground Forces commander Maj. Gen. Nadav Lotan established seven dedicated task forces in late April, according to a recent report by Walla News.

The teams are focusing on rapid updates of combat doctrine, detection, warning, and interception, digital and electromagnetic spectrum issues, passive defense, such as physical armor, nets, and liaising closely with defense industries to bypass traditional, slower procurement cycles.

A range of solutions is at hand, including computer-vision fire control sights that can be mounted on assault rifles, the deployment of 5.56mm fragmenting ammunition, of which thousands of crates were reportedly ordered by Israel from the United States, and the defensive nets. IDF soldiers in Southern Lebanon are now routinely spreading nets over their vehicles to prevent final-stage impacts.

Hezbollah’s FPV drones cost an estimated $300 to $400 each.

Meanwhile, Israel’s Security Cabinet decided to establish a dedicated IDF factory to produce thousands of FPV “suicide drones” every month.

The facility will be staffed entirely by Haredi soldiers, according to a report by Channel 13 News. The strategic move aims to dramatically expand the military’s FPV drone arsenal. The IDF has also been offered interceptor drones that can take on attacking FPV drones.

Other options include working with large Israeli defense companies and startups to attach lasers or machine guns to optical or acoustic sensors.

jns

Day 952 — Friday, May 15

US President Donald Trump said that he is not going to be “much more patient” with Iran’s leadership and that they can either make a deal or “get annihilated” during an interview with Fox News’s Sean Hannity on Thursday.

“I am not going to be much more patient,” Trump asserted. “Now they can make a deal, or they get annihilated,” he said, adding that “any sane person would make a deal, but they might be crazy.”

He reiterated that the US will not allow Iran to develop or obtain a nuclear weapon because “they would use it.”

As for the enriched uranium Iran already has, Trump said that he would prefer to “get it” rather than leave it “entombed” in rubble after US and Israeli strikes destroyed much of Iran’s nuclear weaponization infrastructure in June of 2025 and during Operation Epic Fury and Operation Roaring Lion.

jerusalem Post 

Day 951 — Thursday, May 14

As negotiations between Israel and Lebanon resume this Thursday, Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter indicates that discussions have advanced beyond initial parameters toward a unique, dual-track framework aimed at both a formal peace treaty and the total dismantlement of Hezbollah.

In an interview with i24NEWS, Leiter described a strategy that separates diplomatic aspirations from immediate military realities. “We’re going to move into, hopefully, setting the framework for two teams,” Leiter said. “One team that will deal with achieving peace, a peace treaty, full peace, as if Hezbollah doesn’t exist, and a security track, as if the peace talks don’t exist.”

The current round of talks marks a departure from previous sessions that centered on Israeli military withdrawals. According to Leiter, the presence of the IDF in Lebanese territory is now widely understood as a direct response to Hezbollah’s arsenal.

“This is the first time that the talks are not focused on when is the IDF going to withdraw” Leiter noted. “The focus is now on, number one, reaching a peace treaty, as if there’s no Hezbollah, and fighting Hezbollah as if there’s no peace treaty. And I think we’re going to accomplish both.”

Leiter emphasized that while Israel seeks a diplomatic breakthrough, the implementation of any agreement is contingent on the “second track”—the neutralization of Hezbollah’s military capabilities.

“We’re not going to be able to implement the peace that we signed unless the second track is fulfilled, and that’s the dismantlement of Hezbollah,” he stated. Addressing the future of the IDF’s footprint in the region, he added, “We have no immediate plans of withdrawal, and we have no designs in Lebanese territory at the same time, but we have designs on our security.”

Despite the complexities of Lebanese internal politics, Leiter expressed cautious optimism regarding a “true partner” for peace. He cited internal surveys suggesting a significant shift in public opinion, even among the Shiite population.

“The Shiites, which used to only support a peace agreement with Israel at five or 10%, has now moved to 40, 50% against Hezbollah,” Leiter claimed. While acknowledging that Lebanon remains a “not exactly functional state,” he argued that the shared goal of removing Hezbollah’s influence will eventually prevail.

“We have to be patient, but be firm at the same time,” Leiter concluded. “The shared interest in freeing that country from Hezbollah is ultimately going to win the day.”

i24 News

Day 951 — Thursday, May 14

Three Israeli civilians were wounded, two seriously, in a Hezbollah drone attack in the Rosh Hanikra area, the military and hospital officials say.

The drone struck a parking lot close to the border with Lebanon, injuring the civilians. No sirens sounded in the area, indicating that the drone was not detected by the military.

The IDF says the drone attack is a “blatant violation of the ceasefire understandings by the Hezbollah terror organization.”

Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya says it is treating two people in serious condition and one person who was lightly hurt.

Times Of Israel

Day 950 — Wednesday, May 13

The Israel Foreign Ministry blasted The New York Times on Monday for publishing what it called “one of the worst blood libels ever to appear in the modern press” after a left-wing columnist reported that Palestinians are regularly being sexually abused by everyone from Israeli prison guards to dogs. 

Times opinion columnist Nicholas Kristof penned the controversial piece headlined, “The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians,” that features men and women alleging “brutal sexual abuse at the hands of Israel’s prison guards, soldiers, settlers and interrogators.” Many critics blasted it as “propaganda” and poked holes in the reporting, while the Israeli government promised “the truth will prevail.”

“Whatever our views of the Middle East conflict, we should be able to unite in condemning rape,” Kristof wrote, noting that supporters of Israel denounced sexual violence that occurred during the Hamas-led terror attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

“And yet in wrenching interviews, Palestinians have recounted to me a pattern of widespread Israeli sexual violence against men, women and even children,” Kristof wrote, adding that “American tax dollars subsidize the Israeli security establishment, so this is sexual violence in which the United States is complicit.”

Kristof spoke with “14 men and women who said they had been sexually assaulted by Israeli settlers or members of the security forces.” He noted that the Israeli government rejected the claims but added, “just as Hamas denied raping Israeli women.” 

The liberal columnist went on, “Think of it this way: The horrific abuse inflicted on Israeli women on Oct. 7 now happens to Palestinians day after day.”

The Israel Foreign Ministry has condemned the report as malicious and false. 

“In an unfathomable inversion of reality, and through an endless stream of baseless lies, propagandist Nicholas Kristof turns the victim into the accused. Israel – whose citizens were the victims of the most horrific sexual crimes committed by Hamas on October 7, and whose hostages were later subjected to further sexual abuse – is portrayed as the guilty party,” the Israel Foreign Ministry wrote on X. 

“This publication is no coincidence. It is part of a false and well-orchestrated anti-Israel campaign aimed at placing Israel on the U.N. Secretary-General’s blacklist,” they added. “Israel will fight these lies with the truth – and the truth will prevail.”

Pro-Israel media watchdog Honest Reporting called the piece “journalistic malpractice” and sharply criticized his reliance on “freelance journalist” Sami al-Sai as a source. 

Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, posted a video urging Americans not to “buy into their blood libels.”

“The only clear crime on display here is the violation of journalistic standards by Mr. Kristof and his paper,” Leiter said, blasting “questionable” sources with ties to the terror group Hamas. 

Kristof is aligned with the Democratic Party, which has become sharply more anti-Israel in recent years, and even made an aborted bid for Oregon governor as a Democrat.

Fox News

Day 950 — Wednesday, May 13

Despite ferocious opposition to the war in Iran by most Democrats and by extreme “Woke Right” Influencers such as Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens, and others, Evangelical Christians in the United States overwhelmingly support the decision by President Donald J. Trump to launch Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28.

What’s more, 76% of Evangelicals want the commander-in-chief to “finish the job once and for all to protect the United States and our allies.”
They don’t want Trump to cut a weak or premature deal with the mullahs in Tehran.

Why? Because the vast majority of Evangelicals believe that if what’s left of the Iranian regime could ever build a fully operational nuclear bomb or warhead, they are evil enough to use it to cause massive damage inside the U.S. and annihilate Israel or our moderate Arab allies. 

These are the intriguing results of a poll of 1,000 American citizens, measuring public resistance and support for the war in Iran.

I have to say that I was surprised – and encouraged – to see that most Americans approve of President Trump’s decision to use the military to eliminate Iran’s nuclear missile program and Tehran’s support for terrorism.

Overall, the poll found that 52% of Americans, regardless of party, gender, race, or religion, approve. 

By contrast, 69% of Evangelicals support Trump’s decision.

That indicates Evangelicals back the decision by 17 points more than the general public.

Given the vicious and relentless effort by many in the so-called “mainstream media” – and so many voices on the extreme Left and Right – attacking the war, attacking Trump, and attacking Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, I would not have expected to see this level of support.  

Likewise, I was also encouraged to learn that fully 60% of Americans want President Trump to “finish the job once and for all to protect the United States and our allies.” 

Yet significantly more Evangelicals – 16 points more – want the U.S. to finish the job.

Tucker Carlson and other fierce critics of the war insist that Iran would never use nuclear weapons if it ever got them. Tucker himself has even suggested it might be better if Iran did have The Bomb, creating a balance of power in the Mideast. But the majority of Americans disagree. 

Fully 61% of the general public believe that “if Iran were to develop and build a nuclear weapon, do you think they would use it to attack the United States, our military, or our allies.”

Evangelicals are even more convinced.

Fully 72% of American Evangelicals say they believe Iranian leaders would use nuclear weapons against the U.S. and Israel if they could. 

all israel news 

Day 950 — Wednesday, May 13

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Tuesday that Israel may have to disarm Hamas, amid growing indications the Islamic terror group is reasserting control over parts of Gaza in defiance of a ceasefire agreement that required it to disarm.

The remarks by the top American envoy hinted at both a growing dissatisfaction over the unsettled situation with Hamas in Gaza since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire went into effect on Oct. 10, 2025, a perception overshadowed by the war with Iran, and a growing realization that disarming Hamas will likely be left to the Israeli military.

“Who’s going to actually do the disarming? I don’t know,” Huckabee told a Tel Aviv University conference. “It may end up that the only entity willing to do it will be the IDF.”

Hamas currently is in control of less than half of the Gaza Strip, with the Israeli military controlling the other half.

He expressed skepticism that the much-touted International Stabilization Force, which several nations have volunteered to join and is meant to secure and govern Gaza, would be able to disarm Hamas, noting that it was a “monitoring border force” and not a demilitarizing force.

The U.S. Ambassador said that the world should thank Israel if it is the only one willing to disarm Hamas instead of censuring it.

“The world can’t condemn Israel for doing what it didn’t have the courage to do, and that’s taking Hamas down,” he said. “You don’t send someone into the fire to put out the fire and then complain because they come out smelling like smoke.”

jns

Day 949 — Tuesday, May 12

More than two years after the deadliest terrorist attack in Israel’s history, the Knesset on Monday night approved legislation creating a special tribunal to prosecute those accused of participating in the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.

The measure passed overwhelmingly, with 93 lawmakers voting in favor and none opposed.

“This is one of the most important moments of the current Knesset,” Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin said after the vote. “Out of the terrible massacre, we rose up to fulfill our moral obligation to bring the perpetrators to justice.”

The legislation establishes a dedicated military judicial framework to handle prosecutions connected to the Oct. 7 assault, when thousands of terrorists crossed into Israel from Gaza, killing roughly 1,200 people and abducting 251 others, while committing widespread acts of murder, rape, torture and kidnapping. The tribunal will handle cases involving approximately 300 terrorists captured inside Israeli territory during the attack, along with suspects accused of involvement in kidnapping and related crimes.

Under the legislation, suspects could face charges including terrorism, wartime collaboration, genocide-related offenses and violations of Israeli sovereignty.

In the gravest cases, the tribunal would have the authority to impose the death penalty.

The bill was jointly introduced by coalition lawmaker Simcha Rothman of the Religious Zionism Party and opposition MK Yulia Malinovsky of the Yisrael Beiteinu Party.

Rothman told TPS-IL that the legislation sends “a clear and unequivocal message” to Israel’s enemies.

“The State of Israel will not forget and will not forgive,” he said. “Those who slaughtered, murdered, raped and kidnapped Israeli citizens will stand trial and pay the heaviest price.”

“This law will regulate, streamline and shorten the process of bringing the terrorists responsible for the Oct. 7 massacre to justice,” Malinovsky told JNS.

“Given the number of terrorists, crime scenes and pieces of evidence involved, legislation was necessary. This law allows judges to impose the harshest penalties available under Israeli law, including the death penalty,” she continued.

“Without this legislation, those terrorists could have died of old age before ever standing trial,” she said, adding, “This law will bring justice to the victims, their families and all citizens of Israel.”

According to the legislation, hearings will be conducted publicly in Jerusalem and broadcast to viewers. Lawmakers said the proceedings are intended not only to prosecute suspects, but also to preserve evidence of the atrocities for the historical record.

A key provision bars anyone convicted under the framework from being released in future prisoner swaps or diplomatic agreements.

Supporters argued that Israel’s existing judicial system was not designed to manage crimes of such magnitude.

“The unique scope and severity of the atrocities pose an unprecedented challenge,” the bill’s explanatory notes states, citing the number of crime scenes, suspects and victims, along with the difficulties of collecting evidence during wartime.

The law allows judges, in certain circumstances, to depart from standard evidentiary procedures. It also mandates an automatic appeal process in any case involving a death sentence, even if the defendant declines to appeal.

Despite the broad support, the legislation drew criticism from some coalition figures during deliberations. Critics argued the process could become overly lengthy and bureaucratic, and warned that details surrounding implementation of the death penalty were left to future government regulations.

Some lawmakers also questioned the projected cost of the tribunal, estimated at between 2 billion shekel ($690 million) and 5 billion shekel ($1.7 billion).

In March, the Knesset approved separate legislation authorizing the death penalty for non-Israeli terrorists convicted of murdering Israelis. The Knesset stated in Hebrew that the Death Penalty for Terrorists Bill mandates that a “resident of the area, except for an Israeli citizen or Israel resident, who intentionally caused the death of a person in an act of terrorism, shall be imposed with the death penalty, unless the military court finds that special circumstances exist under which it is appropriate to impose a sentence of life imprisonment.”

However, because the law is not retroactive, it does not apply to suspects accused of participating in the October 2023 attacks.

If implemented, the death penalty provision would mark an extraordinarily rare step in Israeli legal history.

The only person ever executed by Israel was Adolf Eichmann, one of the chief architects of the Holocaust. He was hanged in 1962 after being convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity. Israeli courts also sentenced John Demjanjuk to death in 1988 for crimes committed at Nazi concentration camps, but the Supreme Court overturned the conviction in 1993. He was later convicted in Germany and died while appealing the verdict.

JNS

Day 949 — Tuesday, May 12

The United Arab Emirates carried out military strikes on Iran, making it the only other country to join the United States and Israel in their war against the Islamic Republic, according to a Monday report.

The strikes, which the UAE has not publicly acknowledged, included an attack on a refinery on Iran’s Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

The attack took place in early April, according to the report, which said it was around the time US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire, but did not specify if it was before or after the declaration.

Iran acknowledged at the time that the site had been attacked by an unspecified enemy, then responded by firing missiles and drones at the UAE and Kuwait, the Journal noted.

The Lavan Island attack was the only specific instance of the UAE participating in the war mentioned in the report.

One of the sources told the Journal that Washington positively received Abu Dhabi’s participation in the war, after other Gulf countries refused to actively join in the conflict.

Times Of Israel

Day 949 — Tuesday, May 12

The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) sent a strategic warning to the political echelon recently, according to which the scope of the humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip is double what is required and, in effect, fuels Hamas.

An internal document written by Major General Yoram Halevi and revealed in Israel Hayom states that Gaza only requires approximately 250 trucks of aid a day to meet its basic humanitarian needs. However, Israel allows 600 trucks to enter daily, mainly due to commitments to ceasefire agreements.

A professional study conducted by COGAT with intelligence officials and international bodies found that Hamas systematically exploits the “substantial surplus” of aid in the enclave.

The document states that “each truck beyond the humanitarian requirement, in effect, strengthens Hamas,” since the organization takes control of the goods, taxes local merchants, and collects food in its storehouses.

These actions allow Hamas to maintain its civil control over the population by creating a system of economic dependence and exclusive control over the distribution frameworks and the market.

Beyond strengthening Hamas’s control, the document also warns that the huge number of trucks makes it difficult for the security forces to conduct quality inspections, dramatically increasing the chance for smuggling.

According to the data, over 75% of the contraband detected contained tobacco and cigarette products, a product of enormous economic value that Hamas uses to finance its activities. In addition, attempts to smuggle sensitive dual-use materials were detected. Additionally, forces also caught attempts to smuggle sensitive multi-use substances.

Arutz Sheva

Day 948 — Monday, May 11

After Iran issued a formal response to the latest U.S. peace proposal for ending the war, President Donald Trump said he rejected the Iranian reply, calling it “totally unacceptable.” 

On Sunday, reports said Iran had sent a response to the U.S. proposal via Pakistan, with Iranian media claiming it focused on Tehran’s demands for ending the war on all fronts, including Israel’s operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, and ending the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. 

According to Iran-affiliated Tasnim News, the regime called for an immediate end to the war, a long-term ceasefire in Lebanon, a complete lifting of all U.S. sanctions, the release of frozen regime assets and unrestricted Iranian oil exports. The regime also demanded full control of the Strait of Hormuz. 

“I have just read the response from Iran’s so-called ‘Representatives,’ Trump posted on Truth Social. “I don’t like it – TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP.” 

In another post, berating former U.S. President Barack Obama for giving Iran “suitcases” of cash, Trump said Iran was “laughing at our now GREAT AGAIN Country. They will be laughing no longer!” 

“Iran has been playing games with the United States, and the rest of the World, for 47 years (DELAY, DELAY, DELAY!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. 

“For 47 years, the Iranians have been ‘tapping’ us along, keeping us waiting, killing our people with their roadside bombs, destroying protests, and recently wiping out 42,000 innocent, unarmed protestors, and laughing at our now GREAT AGAIN Country. They will be laughing no longer!” he continued. 

All israel news

Day 948 — Monday, May 11

About 20,000 people attended a demonstration against antisemitism in London on Sunday, following a surge in attacks on Jews, the Board of Deputies of British Jews said.

Jeers and booing were heard at the rally in Whitehall, opposite the Downing Street residence of the British prime minister, when Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Pat McFadden spoke.

He told the crowd: “I feel your pain,” and assuring that he wanted to “fight against antisemitism.” One woman shouted at McFadden, the senior-most government representative at the rally: “Action, no more words.”

McFadden continued, “I want to see Jewish people have the freedom to wear religious symbols not only at worship, but in daily life, in work, in all parts of daily life. … Friends, I hear you. I am with you. I want to fight antisemitism.”

Organized by the Board and the Jewish Leadership Council, the rally featured speeches by other senior politicians, including the head of the Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, and Richard Tice, deputy leader of Nigel Farage’s right-of-center Reform UK party.

“We’ve heard all the words for so long from politicians and it’s counted for nothing,” Tice told GBNews at the rally. “The scourge of antisemitism is getting worse, the violence is getting worse, the threats, the fear and, you know, I’ve said we need action, not words.”

Tice added: “We’ve got to ban the hate marches, proscribe and ban the IRGC [Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps], proscribe and ban the Muslim Brotherhood, and also take on the weak, failing leadership of our universities that haven’t dealt with the scourge.”

This requires “courage and leadership and that’s been absent for too long and it’s got to stop,” he said.

JNS

Day 947 — Sunday, May 10

Nuclear weapons experts are raising the alarm bells over the pressing need for the Trump administration to codify in any new deal a ban on Iran’s attempts to use plutonium from its facilities to build an atomic bomb. The administration and non-proliferation experts have largely focused on the Islamic Republic’s atomic weapons facilities that use uranium as the material for building nuclear bombs. Tehran could take advantage of this blind spot and covertly build a plutonium-based nuclear weapon.

Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), told Fox News Digital: “I do believe any proposed deal with Iran needs to address the plutonium pathway to nuclear weapons. Israel struck the Arak heavy water reactor twice over the last year — in June 2025 and in March 2026. Intelligence suggested Iran had repeatedly attempted to reconstruct the facility even after the bombing, so any deal with Iran should cover the plutonium pathway.“

Iran’s regime could use plutonium from spent fuel at its nuclear reactor at Bushehr to build an atomic weapons device, according to Henry Sokolski, the executive director of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center and former deputy for nonproliferation policy in the Department of Defense (1989–1993).

Writing last month on the website of Real Clear Defense, he noted “Washington should make sure that Iran doesn’t remove Bushehr’s spent fuel and strip out the plutonium. This can and should be done without bombing the plant.“

Sokolski wrote the “Pentagon should watch to make sure Iran does not remove any of the spent fuel at Bushehr. It could do this with space surveillance assets or, as it did in 2012, with drones. Second, any ‘peace’ deal President Trump cuts with Tehran should include a requirement that there be near-real-time monitoring of the Bushehr reactor and spent fuel pond, much as the IAEA had in place with Iran’s fuel enrichment activities.“

In another article in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in April, Sokolski argued that Iran has enough plutonium for more than 200 nuclear bombs. He said, “The last time IAEA inspectors visited Bushehr was August 27, 2025. Even when agency inspectors had routine access to the plant, they only visited every 90 days —  more than enough time to divert the spent fuel and possibly fashion it into nuclear weapons.“

He added that “President Obama did not insist on such surveillance even though the IAEA asked Iran to permit it. Tehran said no.“

Recent IAEA reports have not addressed the plutonium path to a bomb with any specificity. 

JNS

Day 946 — Saturday, May 9

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video statement on Thursday confirming that Israel killed a senior Hezbollah commander in a strike in central Beirut on Wednesday night, identifying the target as the head of the Iranian-backed terrorist group’s Radwan Force.

“This is the same senior terrorist who led the plan to conquer the north,” the premier said. “He thought he could continue directing attacks against our forces and our communities from his covert terrorist headquarters in Beirut. He apparently read in the press that he had immunity in Beirut. So he read—and that will no longer be the case.”

Netanyahu said Israeli forces had killed more than 200 Hezbollah terrorist operatives over the past month and were carrying out similar operations against terrorist cells in Gaza, including on Wednesday.

He warned that “no terrorist has immunity” and said anyone threatening Israel would be targeted. He praised Israeli troops, intelligence services and the air force for their role in the operations.

The prime minister’s statement came shortly after the IDF announced the killing of Ahmed Ali Balout, who the military said “commanded dozens of terror attacks against IDF soldiers operating in Southern Lebanon, including anti-tank missile attacks and the detonation of explosive devices.”

Balout also spearheaded attempts to rebuild the Radwan Force and Hezbollah’s “Conquer the Galilee” Plan, “which was planned and advanced by the unit for years,” the military stated.

Under that plan, the Iranian-backed terrorist organization sought to infiltrate Israel, seize areas along the border and abduct hostages.

The Radwan Force “operates under the sponsorship and direction of the Iranian terror regime with the aim of harming IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians,” the IDF stressed.

Wednesday’s attack in Beirut’s southern suburbs—a Hezbollah stronghold—marked the first IDF strike in the capital since April 8.

JNS

Day 946 — Saturday, May 9

The arrest of two Israeli air force personnel on allegations of espionage has underscored Iran’s expanding efforts to penetrate Israel’s military by recruiting operatives from within.

Over the past year and a half, Israeli police, working alongside the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), have investigated more than 20 cases involving an estimated 40 to 50 suspects. Most remain in custody, though investigators believe additional suspects are still at large.

Capt. Sefi Berger of the Israel Police’s Lahav International and Major Crimes Unit, which investigates Iranian espionage cases, told Fox News Digital that Tehran primarily seeks intelligence that could aid attack planning, along with information on high-profile individuals and other sensitive targets.

Payments vary widely. One network of seven suspects reportedly received about $300,000, while an Iron Dome reservist was allegedly paid $1,000 — and in some cases, even less.

“People may think they will get rich, but the money is not life-changing,” Berger said. “In one case last year involving two soldiers, one received just $21 and has been in prison for a year and a half.”

Iranian recruitment tactics include infiltrating WhatsApp and Facebook groups used by Israelis seeking freelance work, as well as pornography websites, where agents allegedly use compromising material to blackmail individuals into cooperating. Recruitment also relies on emotional manipulation of individuals whose moral judgment may be compromised.

“When recruiting a person, a relationship can develop between the handler and the spy. Sometimes the asset is looking for a father figure or a friend — someone who listens without judgment,” Berger said.

Former Shin Bet handler Gonen Ben Itzhak, who spent years recruiting sources within Palestinian society, told Fox News Digital that the issue is particularly serious, saying he has not previously seen so many attempts — and some successful cases — of spying against Israel.

“The million-dollar question is who makes a good recruit. We don’t have a clear answer. There are certain indicators that someone may be more susceptible. The Iranians use social media — something we didn’t have in the same way — and it’s a powerful tool to identify potential motives,” he said.