Sunday, April 27, 2025

04/27 Links: How Israeli Military Technology Continues to Improve the US Military; Gaza war papers reveal secret planning with Iran, Hezbollah; Qatar sabotaged hostage deal for Hamas

From Ian:

Ruthie Blum: Saluting the IDF for reminding us of the broader mission
A video of troops in Gaza is broadcast, as is a clip of the honorees on a field trip to the area of the terrorist invasion barely more than a year and a half ago.

Every recipient is announced individually, with a description of his or her unique contribution to the war effort. A picture of each is displayed on a massive screen as he/she walks to the podium, salutes and receives a plaque.

The applause is loud. Genuine. But it is nearly deafening when an officer in the new haredi brigade is presented with a commendation.

The roaring reflects an understanding that encouragement and praise are better for ultra-Orthodox enlistment than hostile coercion. It also illustrates a kind of societal unity purported by the press and protest movement to be non-existent.

Cohesiveness comes across, as well, in the closing address by the commander of the ground forces. He speaks of a collective responsibility for the Jewish homeland, weaving a thread through Zionist history to the present.

He pays tribute to the memory of the Six Million and to all those who fell or were wounded defending the country, including during the current multi-front battle. His remarks are delivered between Yom Hashoah, the commemoration of the Nazi genocide, and Yom Hazikaron, Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism—the eve of Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israeli Independence Day.

His words hold special significance for the men and women at the gathering who are returning to fight in Gaza. Yet, given the nature and extent of the ongoing war against the Jews, they should be repeated and resonate far beyond the confines of a conference hall.

This necessity becomes particularly apparent when leaving the premises, after standing to sing “Hatikvah,” Israel’s national anthem. The mood gradually shifts from celebratory to pragmatic—a resumption of the usual daily grind, accompanied by a pervasive gnawing anxiety about the future.
Ben Shapiro: Defending Israel simply means telling the truth
In the year and a half since Israel experienced the darkest day in its history, Ben Shapiro, a Jewish-American publicist, author, and thought leader, has become a fixture in Israeli public discourse. He hasn't left the information battlefront for a moment: debating journalists who know nothing about Israel but are quick to attack it, answering critics in the media, and fighting back on every possible front.

Shapiro's uncompromising advocacy for Israel has earned him many enemies worldwide. This week, when it was announced he had been chosen to light a torch at the Independence Day ceremony, it surprisingly became apparent that he has critics in Israel as well. A vocal minority from the left attacked Shapiro and those who selected him, attempting to portray him as "controversial" – a familiar tactic used whenever Israel decides to honor someone who fights relentlessly for the country without self-pity or selfish calculation, but doesn't belong to the "correct" left-wing circles.

Shapiro remains unfazed by attempts to smear him as "backwards" regarding homosexuality, abortion, and transgender issues. "I've seen many attempts to distort my actual positions from many on the Israeli left, particularly in the media," he says in an exclusive interview with "Israel Hayom." "It's not particularly surprising – their way of distortion is well-known. I have never said homosexuality is a mental illness, nor do I believe that. Here are my actual positions: I believe in the traditional definition of marriage, and that the state should offer benefits to such marriages because it's in the state's inherent interest to support father-mother-children nuclear families. I do not believe in the regulation of same-sex relationships. I am entirely pro-life because I believe unborn human beings deserve to live. I believe men cannot become women, that there are only two sexes (male and female), and that men with gender dysphoria remain men."

But more than anything, he doesn't understand what connection his positions on these and other issues, whether someone likes them or not, have to the underhanded attempt to disqualify his selection to light the Independence Day torch – and along with him, the vast majority of Israelis don't understand either: "After all, even those who disagree with me on these issues should celebrate and honor the establishment of the State of Israel, which represents the fulfillment of God's promise to the Jewish people and stands as a bulwark against enemies of the West. While I'm always happy to discuss my views and do so daily – for instance on my podcast, which is listened to by millions of people – what's far more important, particularly at this time in history, is recognizing that despite all our disagreements, we must not undermine the unity of celebrating Israel's Independence Day."

In this unifying message, he is right. Few know better than he how to distinguish between the essential and the trivial, between allies and enemies. It's no wonder that due to his willingness to defend Israel in every forum and at all times, he's often called "Israel's defender."
'I saw what radical Islam looks like': Saudi blogger Loay Alshareef dismantles Hamas' lies
"I've received death threats online, thank God they haven't translated into actual death threats yet," Loay Alshareef, the Saudi blogger who has become one of the prominent Arab voices defending Israel, shared. "But you know what? I used to be on the opposite side. I saw what radical Islam looks like. I know how it poisons the heads, minds, and hearts of Muslims, and I'm not going to be intimidated in any way."

This is Alshareef's third visit to Israel, following a brief 24-hour visit during Ramadan. This time, invited by the Jewish Statesmanship Center, he came to explain to the institute's graduates how to address the burning issues in the Arab world, in the new order in the Middle East after a year and a half of war that has completely transformed the region.

Alshareef, wearing a tailored suit and speaking with a distinct Arabic accent, has been one of the leading voices supporting Israel since the outbreak of Operation Strength and Sword. For his hundreds of thousands of social media followers, he explains in both Arabic and English how anti-Zionist activists and terrorist organizations, led by Hamas, inject propaganda and hatred of Israel into public discourse, flooding networks with what he calls "the big lie" about Israel.

"Until I was 20, I was the quintessential mainstream Arab-Muslim in the Muslim world – radical against Jews, anti-Jewish, anti-Israel, anti-everything related to most non-Muslims, especially Jews and Christians," Alshareef recounted. "The indoctrination in schools throughout the Middle East was so radical that it completely shaped my worldview."

"Did everyone think like you?" I asked. "Most did," he responded. "Thank God things have now changed dramatically in Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates also has a wonderful ministry of tolerance. Many people have left radicalism behind, but it still maintains its influence on so many people across the region."

Alshareef's current visit lasted five days, during which he toured the City of David, where Jerusalem became the capital of the people of Israel, and Masada, where Jews fought to the death for their faith and nation. "Masada is proof of how Jews survived and fought back against those who wanted to destroy them. It's very important that people know the history of Masada and the Jewish rebellion against those who wanted to take the most important thing about the Jewish people – their identity."


John Spencer: How Israeli Military Technology Continues to Improve the US Military
After the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the US Department of Defense undertook an extensive evaluation of the conflict, commissioning no fewer than 37 separate studies, including a still-classified seven-volume report on weapon systems. American military personnel walked the battlefields alongside Israeli commanders who had fought there, analyzing the strategies and technologies that enabled Israel to prevail against overwhelming odds. The lessons drawn from Israel’s battlefield successes would profoundly shape US military doctrine, directly influencing the development of AirLand Battle doctrine and the “Big Five” weapon systems—Apache helicopters, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, Patriot missile systems, Abrams tanks, and Black Hawk helicopters. These advancements, combined with new operational approaches emphasizing speed, firepower, and joint-force coordination, would redefine modern warfare.

Since that study, the US military’s enduring engagement with Israeli defense innovations continues to influence the US military’s combat strategies and systems. From tank protection systems to artificial intelligence-powered warfare solutions, Israeli defense firms and research institutions have consistently delivered cutting-edge innovations that have found their way into the American military. Many of these technologies were born out of Israel’s unique security challenges and its need for rapid innovation in urban and asymmetric warfare. The US military has adopted many of Israel’s systems and integrated them into combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and various counterterrorism operations worldwide.

The Israeli Emergency Bandage: A Battlefield Lifesaver
While Israeli innovations have shaped military doctrine and force structures, they have also had a direct impact on individual warfighters, as seen in battlefield medical advancements. The Emergency Bandage—a simple yet highly effective hemorrhage control dressing developed by an Israeli military medic—has saved countless American lives. First introduced in the 1990s, the bandage features a built-in pressure applicator that allows soldiers to treat severe wounds with one hand.

The US military adopted the Emergency Bandage in the early 2000s, particularly as it faced increasing casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan due to IEDs and small arms fire. It is now standard issue in the individual first aid kits of American soldiers, special operations forces, and first responders.

Active Protection Systems: Trophy’s Battlefield Impact
Israeli advancements in force protection have dramatically increased the survivability of armored platforms in combat. The Trophy Active Protection System (APS) is one of the most significant Israeli contributions to armored warfare. Developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, the Trophy APS provides a layered defense against incoming anti-tank guided missiles and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), automatically detecting, tracking, and intercepting threats before they reach the vehicle. First battle-tested by the Israel Defense Forces in 2011, the Trophy APS quickly proved its effectiveness in combat situations.

One of the greatest challenges in urban warfare is the vital need for mobile protected firepower—tanks and armored vehicles must operate in dense environments where threats lurk behind every corner and through every window. Traditionally, urban combat has exposed these vehicles to devastating RPG ambushes launched from concealed positions in buildings, alleyways, subterranean networks, and elevated vantage points like upper stories and rooftops—highlighting the multidimensional threat posed by the urban battlespace. The Trophy APS revolutionized urban warfare by reducing this vulnerability, allowing tanks to maneuver through the labyrinth of dense urban combat with far greater survivability. The system’s ability to neutralize RPG fire before impact has greatly contributed to the restored utility of heavy armor in close-quarters battle, a critical capability that modern militaries, including the United States, have sought to preserve.

Recognizing the increasing threat of modern anti-tank weapons, the US Army integrated the Trophy APS onto M1 Abrams main battle tanks beginning in 2018. By 2020, Trophy-equipped Abrams tanks had been deployed in Europe. Its ability to keep tanks in the fight by neutralizing anti-tank guided missiles has significantly influenced armored warfare for both nations.
Americans strongly support US-Israel ties, see Iran proxies as direct threat: Poll
Despite post-Oct. 7 campus upheavals, a trend toward isolationism and a surge in global antisemitism, a clear majority of Americans remain steadfast in support of the U.S.-Israel relationship.

That is the conclusion of a poll conducted in March whose findings were released at the Jewish News Syndicate’s International Policy Conference taking place in Jerusalem, April 27-28.

Nationwide, 65% of Americans consider the U.S. relationship with Israel either “very” or “somewhat important,” highlighting the bipartisan and cross-generational recognition of Israel as a vital ally in the Middle East.

Attitudes have changed little from a similar poll in September 2024. Then, 62% of Americans said the U.S.-Israel relationship was “very” or “somewhat important.”

“Our polling data in the U.S. and Israel, now and in the past, has consistently illustrated how the U.S.-Israel relationship is ingrained in the fabric of Americans,” said Jennifer Sutton, executive director of the Council for a Secure America, which sponsored both polls.

CSA, a U.S. nonprofit, focuses on issues related to U.S. energy independence and the historic 2020 U.S.-brokered agreement between Israel and several Muslim states.

“CSA is committed to championing the ideals of global energy security and promoting the importance of the Abraham Accords and their critical impact on geopolitical security, investment and global trade,” Sutton told JNS.

In tandem with the nationwide survey, CSA conducted a poll focusing on nine energy-producing or “heartland” states: Iowa, Indiana, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.

There, the change was more dramatic. The proportion of those viewing the U.S.-Israel relationship as “very” or “somewhat important,” rose from 51% in September to 65% in March.

The survey also found a majority (53%) of U.S. adults agree that “America should take a leadership role in stabilizing and ending conflict in the Middle East,” reflecting support for continued engagement—especially in partnership with democratic allies such as Israel, Sutton said.
Qatar sabotaged hostage deal to secure better terms for Hamas
Israel Hayom has learned that Qatari officials supported Hamas in rejecting the latest proposal presented to the terror organization. The Israeli military is expected to increase pressure in Gaza in the coming days if there is no progress in negotiations. The plan has not received final approval as Israeli officials want to give another opportunity to advance negotiations.

The increased activity is expected to include mobilizing several reserve divisions to capture additional territories in Gaza and increase friction with Hamas. A framework for this plan, developed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), was presented to the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet last week but has not yet received final approval. This is because Israeli officials want to give Hamas another opportunity to advance negotiations in an effort to return as many hostages as possible quickly.

It is possible that Hamas would have accepted the Egyptian compromise proposal due to a combination of military pressure from the IDF, the halting of humanitarian aid, and heavy diplomatic pressure applied by Egypt and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. However, the agreement was not advanced because of weakness in the Israeli negotiating team led by Minister Ron Dermer, and because United States Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff's main focus was directed toward mediation efforts between Russia and Ukraine and nuclear talks with Iran.

Additionally, it turns out that Qatar exerted counter-pressure not to accept the proposal, claiming that a better agreement for Hamas would be possible in the future, including the release of all hostages in exchange for ending the war. This would be an agreement that Israel would find difficult to accept because it also includes a ceasefire for 5-7 years with international guarantees, as well as the rehabilitation of Gaza, measures that would effectively preserve Hamas rule.

These previously unpublished details reveal three insights. First, contrary to statements by cabinet ministers that the military operation in Gaza is stagnating, IDF activity has actually succeeded in creating effective pressure on Hamas that could have been translated into a diplomatic achievement in the form of a partial agreement to release hostages.

The second insight is that the current negotiating team, headed by Dermer, is not effectively advancing the interests of the hostages. A source familiar with the negotiations described Dermer's activities as "between borderline and negative," and said that Israel is not pushing for a solution. Dermer's role was to pressure the Americans, led by Witkoff, to put pressure on Qatar. This did not happen, and Qatar pursued an independent policy that effectively torpedoed the talks.

The third insight relates to the "Qatargate" affair, which is currently under investigation. Associates of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who worked for Qatar promoted interests that contradict those of the State of Israel and even endanger its national security. This mainly involves the negative campaign conducted against Egypt, which claimed that Cairo had a role in the deception preceding the October 7 attack. These are baseless claims that damaged the strategic relations between the countries.
Gaza war papers reveal secret planning with Iran, Hezbollah
Newly uncovered documents captured in Gaza during the ongoing war reveal extensive coordination between Hamas, Iran, Hezbollah and Qatar in the years leading up to the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, shattering the widely held perception that Hamas planned the assault alone.

Intelligence obtained from letters, conversations and meetings in Beirut and Tehran shows that Yahya Sinwar, Hamas leader in Gaza, and Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas political chief based in Qatar, maintained continuous contact with Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and senior commanders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to a detailed report by Israel’s Channel 12 News.

Already in 2021, following the IDF’s “Operation Guardian of the Walls,” Sinwar began formulating an attack plan, with Iranian and Hezbollah backing, the documents show. Hamas requested $500 million from Tehran over two years to fund its war preparations.

In high-level meetings, Nasrallah explicitly endorsed the goal of Israel’s destruction, while Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reportedly approved Hamas spearheading the attack without Hezbollah’s full participation.

Captured communications also indicate Hamas sought to establish a “military” force of 250 operatives in Southern Lebanon, leveraging Hezbollah infrastructure to open a second front against Israel.

The revelations raise new questions about Israeli intelligence failures. Despite warnings from the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet) as early as 2019 regarding Hamas’s use of Qatari cash infusions, and evidence of escalating coordination between Hamas and Iran, the Mossad continued to support a policy of economic incentives aimed at stabilizing Gaza, according to the report.

A Mossad internal review concluded that operational details of Hamas’s plans were not conveyed to Iran or Hezbollah, and therefore no concrete warning could be issued. However, analysts suggest the captured documents point to critical intelligence gaps that could have enabled Israel to thwart the devastating Oct. 7 assault.
How Mossad stole Iran's nuclear playbook
In January 2016, the Israeli Mossad discovered suspicious activity being conducted by the Iranian Defense Ministry. Intelligence information indicated that ministry personnel were diligently collecting documents from various sites throughout the country and secretly transporting them to a civilian warehouse in an industrial area in southern Tehran.

When Mossad tried to understand what these documents had in common, they concluded they were all related to the Iranian nuclear program. "Prepare to bring these materials home," ordered the then-Mossad director, Yossi Cohen, to his operatives.

It took only two years until the order, which initially seemed impossible to execute, was fulfilled with remarkable success. In January 2018, Mossad operatives broke into that warehouse in the heart of Iran and returned home with what became known as the "Iranian nuclear archive" – "half a ton of incriminating documentation about Iran's nuclear program," as described by a source who was exposed to the materials in their entirety.

Among the vast material stolen from the nuclear archive were documents that revealed intelligence previously unknown to Israel. Among other things, they revealed names and locations of several sites where Iran had previously conducted secret military nuclear activities. "These sites only came to our attention following the theft of the archive," the source says.

But the documents from the nuclear archive revealed even more. They contained unequivocal evidence of Iran's deception attempts regarding the supervision of its nuclear program. More precisely, the papers stolen from Tehran demonstrated, in black and white, how Iran did everything in its power to hide its activities from the IAEA, the International Atomic Energy Agency of the UN, the international body supposed to monitor civilian nuclear programs worldwide and prevent the development of nuclear weapons.
Russia to fund construction of new nuclear plant in Iran
Russia will fund the construction of a new nuclear plant in Iran, Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad said at the closing ceremony of the 18th Joint Economic Cooperation Commission on Friday.

The two countries will undertake "the construction of new nuclear energy facilities and the completion of phases two and three of the Bushehr power plant using Moscow's credit line," Paknejad said.

Russia has helped Iran build its first nuclear reactor at Bushehr, in the south of the country.

Paknejad's comments came as US and Iran officials met in Oman on Saturday for a third round of nuclear talks. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff held the talks in Muscat through Omani mediators, a week after a second round of talks took place in Rome that both sides described as constructive.

Expert indirect talks took place in Muscat to design a framework for a potential nuclear day prior to the lead negotiators' meeting.

Trump said that the third round of talks is going well. "I think we're doing very well on an agreement with Iran... That one is well on its way - we could have a very, very good decision. And a lot of lives will be saved," he told reporters in the Oval Office.

The talks will continue next week, with another "high-level meeting" provisionally scheduled for May 3.
Iran nuclear deal must remove enrichment capabilities, Netanyahu tells JNS
Israel will only agree to a nuclear deal with Iran that eliminates Tehran’s capacity to enrich uranium, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the JNS International Policy Summit on Sunday.

The only way to prevent the Islamic Republic from building a nuclear weapon is to dismantle “all the infrastructure of Iran’s nuclear program,” he said, adding, “That is the deal.”

Israel, he continued, “cannot live with anything short of that—anything short of that could bring you the opposite result, because Iran will say, all right, I won’t enrich, wait, run out the clock, wait for another president, do it again.” This, he said, was “unacceptable.”

According to the prime minister, “a bad deal is worse than no deal.”

“And the only good deal that works is a deal like the one that was made with Libya, that removed all the infrastructure,” he declared, echoing remarks he made during an April 7 meeting at the White House.

He emphasized that while it is “important” that Jerusalem and Washington share the same goals, “We have to make sure that Iran does not get nuclear weapons.”

In addition to eliminating Tehran’s ability to enrich uranium, the prevention of Iran’s development of ballistic missiles should also be addressed, he continued.

“I think these are the two requirements. I said to President Trump that I hope that this is what the negotiators will do,” he said. “But I said one way or the other, Iran will not have nuclear weapons.”

Iran and the United States concluded a third round of indirect nuclear talks on Saturday in Muscat, Oman, with both sides citing “serious progress” but warning that significant disagreements remain.


‘Folly’ to think Palestinian state will produce peace, Netanyahu tells JNS
The notion that a Palestinian state will produce peace is “folly, nothing more than folly,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the JNS International Policy Summit in Jerusalem on Sunday evening.

“I’m saying this for the ambassadors who are here—all of you know this,” he said. “We just tried a Palestinian state in Gaza,” he continued. “You saw what that brought, right?”

The Jewish state had been “attacked savagely, horribly” on Oct. 7, 2023, said Netanyahu. When German Chancellor Olaf Schultz, who visited Israel early in the war, “saw the film of the horrors and visited the sites, he said there: they’re exactly like the Nazis,” the Israeli premier recalled.

“And I said, well, they’re different. Not in intent, not in savagery—but the Nazis tried to hide their crimes. And these people carry GoPro cameras, live, you know, they’re ecstatic about the blood they shed, the people they butcher, the women they rape, the men they beheaded, the babies they burned,” he continued.

“You cannot build peace and security on lies. If you do so, sooner or later, these lies will crash on the realities of the Middle East,” he said.

The premier spoke for some 30 minutes about the ongoing seven-front war, which he said was “really a one-front war with Iran and its proxies.”

With regard to the Gaza Strip, he said, “There’s still more to be done.” Israel must finish the war in Gaza, “get our hostages back and destroy Hamas. Hamas will not be there and we’re not going to put the P.A. there,” he said, referring to the Palestinian Authority.

“Why replace one regime that is sworn to our destruction with another regime that is sworn to our destruction?” asked the longtime leader.

Israel will “in any case” control Gaza militarily, according to Netanyahu.
Israeli FM: We won’t appear before ICJ in UNRWA hearings
Israel will not participate in upcoming International Court of Justice hearings regarding the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced on Sunday.

Sa’ar’s office sent out a statement announcing the decision, and he confirmed it during a Q&A at the JNS International Policy Summit in Jerusalem.

“Instead, Israel’s position on this matter will be delivered tomorrow (28.4) at a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” the ministry’s statement read.

The U.N.’s top court is set to hear statements by lawyers from more than 40 states arguing that Israel’s ban on all cooperation with UNRWA is a breach of the U.N. charter.

The five days of hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague are expected to focus on whether Israel acted unlawfully when it rescinded the immunities it had afforded to UNRWA.

Sa’ar noted that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague had summoned Israel three times before the current hearings.

“I don’t think there is any precedent for a democratic country, or even a non-democratic country, to be brought to the ICJ,” he said. Israel, he added, “will not take the defendant’s stand” before the United Nations.

Sa’ar accused the Palestinian Authority and its backers of leading the international legal assault against the Jewish state at the ICJ, where Israel is also facing war crimes charges, and the International Criminal Court, where it is facing genocide charges. Israel and the United States, as well as Hungary, rejected these allegations.
Sa’ar tells JNS Policy Summit: Encouraging Gaza emigration ‘most moral and humane thing’
Encouraging voluntary emigration from Gaza is the “most moral and humane thing to do,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said in an interview at the JNS International Policy Summit on Sunday night.

This is true of anyone who thinks Palestinians “are human beings and not just as a weapon against Israel,” Sa’ar declared in a conversation with summit chairman Richard D. Heideman.

Arab nations “are trying to deny the rights of the Gazans, their free will or free choice to immigrate,” continued Jerusalem’s top diplomat.

Emigration should be possible under two conditions, he said.

“First, that a certain person or a certain family wants to immigrate from its free will and free choice. They should have been given the same right as any other person on earth, from Syria, from Afghanistan or from any other place. And the second condition should be that there is a state which is really to accept on the other side,” he added.

The Israeli Security Cabinet on March 22 approved Defense Minister Israel Katz’s proposal to establish a directorate within his ministry to facilitate the voluntary emigration of residents from the Strip.

Katz stressed that the initiative aligns with the vision of U.S. President Donald Trump, who is seeking to turn the 25 miles of Gaza’s coastline into a real estate development and relocate some 2.2 million residents.

“We are working with all means to implement the U.S. president’s vision, and we will allow any Gaza resident who wants to move to a third country to do so,” Katz said last month.

Some 36,000 Gazans, or almost 2% of the coastal enclave’s population, have left the Strip since the start of the war prompted by Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel, Channel 12 News reported on Friday.
‘Saudi Arabia seeks end to Gaza war as pathway to Israel ties’
Saudi Arabia needs the war against Hamas in Gaza to conclude—and some framework for a Palestinian state to be articulated, however unrealistic—before it can finalize a normalization deal with Israel, the chairman of a nonprofit promoting Israeli-Arab diplomacy said on Sunday.

“When Saudi Arabia signs a normalization deal with Israel, that will mark the end of the Arab-Israeli conflict in the Middle East,” said Dan Feferman, chairman of Sharaka, speaking at the JNS International Policy Summit in Jerusalem. “At least a dozen other Arab countries will follow.”

Feferman cautioned, however, that Riyadh, as the custodian of Islam’s holiest sites, cannot be seen as abandoning the Palestinian cause—even if Saudi leadership acknowledges that a two-state solution may no longer be realistic.

On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump said that the kingdom may very well join the four Arab countries that signed the Abraham Accords with Jerusalem during his first term.

“I think Saudi Arabia will go into the Abraham Accords. … We had four countries in there, it was all set. We would have had it packed. Now we’re going to start it again,” he said, referring to the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan that normalized ties with the Jewish state in 2020.

Although Trump did not say when this diplomatic development might occur, he alluded to a time frame after his trip to the Middle East next month, where he is slated to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE.

“There are seismic changes underway in the Middle East, and we will only see them advance under Donald Trump,” said Victoria Coates, vice president of the Heritage Foundation’s Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy and a former U.S. deputy national security advisor, during a panel discussion on “The New Middle East.”

“The best thing Israel can do is win this war—then peace with these countries will follow,” said Bobby Rechnitz, chairman of the Abraham Accords Roundtable and a Los Angeles-based entrepreneur. He added that economic cooperation would cement regional peace.

“You don’t need to wait for Saudi Arabia; eventually, they will come along,” Rechnitz said.
This is an existential election for Jewish Canadians
After nearly a decade of Liberal government, we are watching history repeat itself. Synagogues are being burned, schools shot at, businesses attacked, and hatred paraded openly through our streets. These are not isolated incidents — they are warnings. And ignoring them now would be a deadly mistake.

This election is not just political. For Jewish Canadians, it is existential. Our future in this country hinges on choosing leadership willing to act decisively against rising hate.

Across Canada, Jews and our institutions have become primary targets. According to Statistics Canada, antisemitic hate crimes have risen over 400 per cent under Liberal leadership. Though Jews represent less than one per cent of the population, we were the target of 70 per cent of all religiously motivated hate crimes in 2023. Yet as antisemitic violence overflowed across Montreal — cars torched, windows smashed, synagogues and Jewish schools under siege — the country’s leader was literally dancing the night away at a Taylor Swift concert, tone-deaf to what was happening.

The federal response to such violence has been shameful. Liberal ministers routinely fail to call out antisemitism directly or unequivocally. Their silence and ambiguity send a message: Jew-hatred is tolerated in Canada.

Some hope that things will improve under Mark Carney. The facts say otherwise. His first statements as Liberal leader included an attack on Israel. One of his first actions as prime minister was pledging another $100 million in taxpayer-funded aid to Palestinian organizations — despite widespread evidence that such aid ends up in the hands of Hamas. When a heckler yelled “There’s a genocide happening in Palestine!” Carney responded, “I’m aware. That’s why we have an arms embargo.” He later claimed he hadn’t heard the word “genocide.”

Carney promoted Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly despite her disturbing record. Under her watch, Canada abandoned its democratic ally, Israel, after the October 7 attacks — blocking exports, equating Israel with Hamas, and breaking Canada’s long-standing bipartisan support at the UN. In October 2023, Joly falsely blamed Israel for bombing a hospital — a claim disproven within days. She still hasn’t deleted the post.

In conversation with former NDP leader Tom Mulcair, Joly justified Canada’s foreign policy shift by saying, “Have you seen the demographics of my riding?” That kind of electoral calculus is dangerous. When leaders pander instead of lead, anti-Israel rhetoric quickly turns into real-world violence.


Why Kashmir’s jihadists are targeting tourists
In India, the rise of Hindu nationalism, and Modi’s political deification, remain stumbling blocks in addressing the country’s security challenges. Grandiose vows against Pakistan are unlikely to be complemented by accountability over New Delhi’s intelligence failures. Instead of addressing any of the hard questions surrounding the Pahalgam attack, Modi and his confidante, Home Minister Amit Shah are likely to use the incident to rekindle the BJP’s decreasing popularity and cheerlead a military retaliation similar to 2019.

Returning to a state of war and volatility is precisely what TRF wants. They targeted tourists, the backbone of Kashmir’s economy, timing the manoeuvre to coincide with J.D. Vance’s arrival, similar to the 2000 Chittisinghpura massacre of 40 unarmed Sikhs, which took place during Bill Clinton’s visit to India.

The Pahalgam attack, carried out by a group that speaks a sophisticated language of ‘resistance’ against ‘settler-colonialism’, yet carries out brute Islamist violence against non-Muslims, has returned Kashmir to the global map of jihadism while the world’s eyes have been on Gaza and the Middle East. TRF and its backers hoped that providing an anti-colonial cover to the massacre of innocent civilians would win them sympathy similar to the celebration of Hamas’s bloodlust around the world. But just as Gazans are rising up against Hamas, Kashmiris too have rejected the jihad with protests and the closure of businesses in the immediate aftermath of the slaughter.

These protests are an offshoot of the economic gains that both Kashmir and India have made in recent years, safeguarding which would be in the best interests of both the union territory and the centre. For Pakistan, which itself is also reeling from an escalation in jihadi attacks, any continuation of the ‘good Taliban, bad Taliban’ policy to differentiate between outbound and inbound outfits will continue to backfire on the financially crippled state.


Commanders battled terrorists, saving 100 rookies at Zikim training base on Oct. 7
Junior officers and commanders at the Home Front Command’s training base near Kibbutz Zikim in southern Israel sacrificed their lives to save more than 100 new recruits as Hamas terrorists tried to attack the facility during the October 7, 2023, onslaught, an Israel Defense Forces probe published on Sunday showed.

Six of the commanders were killed in the battle, and all but one of the young trainees emerged alive. The Hamas terrorists failed to capture the base.

The slain commanders included Maj. Adir Abudi, 23, the trainees’ company commander; Cpt. Or Moses, 22, the deputy company commander; Lt. Yannai Kaminka, a platoon commander; Lt. Adar Ben Simon, 20, another platoon commander; Staff Sgt. Eden Alon Levy, 19, a squad commander; and Staff Sgt. Omri Niv Firshtein, 20, Abudi’s driver.

Cpl. Neria Aharon Nagari, 18, who had only enlisted in August, two months before the onslaught, was killed while trying to help those wounded in the fighting.

The Zikim base was one of several IDF facilities targeted by Hamas amid the terror group’s October 7, 2023 onslaught, during which some 5,600 terrorists stormed across the border, massacred some 1,200 people and took 251 hostages to Gaza.

The IDF probe highlighted the junior commanders’ bravery and quick thinking during the defense of the base amid the Hamas attack. None of the commanders, many of them women, had any significant combat experience compared to other troops deployed to the Gaza border that morning.

However, the probe also pointed to errors, including the fact that the base commander remained in his hometown of Sderot, which was also coming under attack by Hamas, and did not attempt to reach the base.

The investigation also noted that the base, which served as a training facility, was not “synchronized” with the operational army bases in the Gaza Division’s Northern Brigade. (Following the October 7 attack, the base was handed over to the 162nd Division for operations in northern Gaza, and the Home Front Command now uses another facility in the West Bank for training.)


IDF targets high-quality Hezbollah weapons in Beirut building
The IDF struck Hezbollah infrastructure in the terror organization’s stronghold of Dahiyeh in southern Beirut, as the materials posed a significant threat to Israel, Defense Minister Israel Katz’s office confirmed on Sunday.

“Israel will not allow Hezbollah to build up its capabilities and pose any threat anywhere in Lebanon,” the ministry said. “The Lebanese government bears direct responsibility for preventing these threats.”

It also said Israel will insist on achieving its war objective of safely returning the residents of the North to their homes.

A source familiar with the details told The Jerusalem Post that the Trump administration was briefed before the attack occurred and “everything was coordinated.”

This was the first IDF attack in Lebanon and Hezbollah’s stronghold since two strikes in late March and early April, which had been the first strikes in Beirut since the November 27, 2024, ceasefire between the parties.

Israel had said the attacks around a month ago came in response to rocket fire from Lebanon, even though it was perpetrated by a Palestinian terror group and not by Hezbollah.

Following those attacks, Hezbollah threatened to reignite a larger war between the sides, should Israel continue to strike in Beirut.

Accordingly, the air force strike on Sunday was a risky move and would only have been made due to a much more dangerous and unusual threat, defense sources indicated.

The attack followed an “urgent and important warning to residents of southern suburbs of Beirut,” issued by IDF Arabic Spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee earlier.


Israel is NOT committing genocide, says EXPERT in Genocide, David Hirsh
David Hirsh is a british genocide expert, a sociologist and professor at Goldsmiths, University of London. He is known for his work in sociology, particularly related to genocide and antisemitism. Hirsh earned his PhD at the University of Warwick with a dissertation titled "Crimes Against Humanity and International Law."

He has written several books and articles on topics such as genocide, human rights, and antisemitism. His book Law Against Genocide: Cosmopolitan Trials (2003) is considered an important contribution to the understanding of international law and genocide and was awarded the Philip Abrams Memorial Prize for best first book in sociology. In this book, he analyzes, among other things, the British trial of Anthony Sawoniuk for Holocaust-related crimes committed in Belarus in 1942.

Hirsh has also been active in opposing academic boycott proposals against Israel and is a leading critic of antisemitism on the political left in the UK. He is a co-founder of Engage, a network that works against academic boycotts of Israel, and has been a central figure in the fight against antisemitism at British universities.


Comedy Cellar USA: How Populism Fails: When Anti-Elite Movements Turn Against the Jews - The Atlantic's Yair Rosenberg
Yair Rosenberg is a staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of its newsletter Deep Shtetl, about the intersection of politics, culture, and religion. Previously a senior writer at Tablet Magazine, he has also written for The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Guardian, and his work has received recognition from the Religion News Association and the Harvard Center for Jewish Studies.


Kassy Akiva: Israel’s National Security Minister Responds To Bottle-Throwing Yale Crowd
While Ben-Gvir labels himself as a free speech advocate, he said the protesters outside his event were not engaged in free speech.

“Throwing bottles at me, trying to physically hurt me,” he said. “That is no freedom of speech. They want to intimidate, they want to shut people down.”

He added that he supports Trump’s plan to deport foreign students who are supporters of terrorists.

“I fully support Trump’s policy on U.S. universities,” he said. “I hope it will bring change because, in many places, the universities have turned into grounds for terrorism and support for terrorism. Who do they support? Child murderers? Women murderers?”

Ben-Gvir was invited to speak at Shabtai, founded in 1996 as a Jewish alternative to other Ivy League intellectual discussion societies, though it is not officially affiliated with the university. Non-Jews are also invited, with prominent figures such as Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy among the ranks of affiliates.

Ben-Gvir, who hasn’t traveled to the United States since he was a child, said he came at his son’s urging.

“My son was here in Miami, he was a bit in New York several months ago, he told me ‘dad, you must come, you must come,’” Ben-Gvir recalled. “First of all the people: they are such good people. Good people. They love the country … and the things I encountered, I felt great love, great embrace.”

When asked why Americans should support Israel, Ben-Gvir said that the Jewish state is helping fight America’s enemies.

“I think Israel also fights America’s war — our war is not just for Israel,” he said. “Understand, those Hamas folk, my neighbors in Hebron, they don’t want only Hebron. They want Jerusalem, Acre, Haifa and Jaffa. If you question them a bit further, they tell you that their end goal is the entire world. Everywhere there would be caliphates. Everything will be Hamas.”

Ben-Gvir added that he is enjoying the close relationship with the Trump administration and hopes that the president follows through with his plans to take over Gaza and relocate Gazans.

“Trump has an excellent plan,” he said. “It is correct, it is right and it is ethical.”


Cops clash with anti-Israel protesters outside NYC synagogue where Israeli minister was set to speak before event canceled
Anti-Israel protesters Sunday clashed with cops outside a Brooklyn synagogue where Israel’s embattled security minister was set to speak — with the speech ending up canceled and at least one arrest.

The protest outside Congregation Shaare ZIon on Ocean Parkway turned violent shortly after 9:30 a.m. as NYPD officers and some members of the crowd scuffled while the rowdy mob demonstrated against Sunday’s scheduled speech by Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

The speech was nixed, and the under-fire minister is now set to return home a day early, the Israeli outlet Haaretz reported.

The violent clash came two days after anti-Israel demonstrators and Hasidic Jews scuffled outside the Chabad-Lubavitch world headquarters in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, where Ben-Gvir made an appearance. Police said at least a half-dozen people were arrested at that protest.

Last week, protesters also hurled water bottles at Ben-Gvir after an event near Yale University’s campus.

Photos from Sunday’s scene in Brooklyn showed cops taking some protesters into custody, including one who was wrestling with police on the ground — as counter-protesters confronted the demonstrators.


Mayor bans singer who announced ‘Haifa, Palestine’ concert
Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav on Sunday banned Israeli Arab singer Lina Makoul from participating in events held by the municipality after she announced the previous day that her concert would be held in “Haifa, Palestine.”

“Lina Makoul, you should understand: Haifa is a city in the Jewish and democratic State of Israel, and it will remain so forever,” Yahav wrote in a post on social media. “Nothing, certainly not you, will change that.

“Music is meant to connect people, and I regret that you use your talent to harm coexistence and the state in which you grew up. As long as I am mayor, you will not perform in any city event,” he continued.

Yahav’s decision bans Makoul from participating in municipality-organized events such as Independence Day celebrations, but does not stop her from appearing at municipality-owned venues.

Makoul was born in Ohio to Israeli Christian parents and raised in Acre, north of Haifa. The singer, who won The Voice Israel in 2013, has described herself as American-Palestinian in media interviews.

In 2018, Makoul sparked controversy when announcing that she would not perform at Independence Day events, in protest of the Jewish state.


Hamas supporters interrupt London Marathon
Two demonstrators disrupted the London Marathon on Sunday by throwing red powder across Tower Bridge and calling for a trade embargo against Israel.

The protest, organized by activist group Youth Demand, took place around 10:35 a.m. during the elite men’s race, the London Standard newspaper reported. Two individuals crossed the barriers and threw the substance onto the roadway before the City of London Police swiftly detained them.

Youth Demand identified the activists as Willow Holland, 18, from Bristol, and Cristy North, a live-in carer from Nottingham. Both wore T-shirts emblazoned with the message: “Youth Demand: Stop Arming Israel.”

In a statement shared by the group, Holland said she joined the protest out of frustration as traditional demonstrations had failed to stop British support for Israel. “Thousands are being killed in Gaza, our government is doing nothing, and I refuse to be complicit in a genocide funded by our politicians,” she said.

North stated, “Palestinians are running out of time. Our government is still arming Israel despite widespread public outcry, making us complicit in breaching both U.K. domestic and international humanitarian law.”


DeepMind UK staff to unionize and challenge deals with Israel links, FT reports
Google DeepMind staff in Britain plan to unionize to challenge the company’s decision to sell its artificial intelligence technologies to defense groups with ties to the Israeli government, the Financial Times reported on Saturday.

About 300 London-based staff of Google DeepMind have been seeking to join the Communication Workers Union in recent weeks, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

Google, Google DeepMind, and the CWU did not immediately respond to a Reuters’ request for comment.

Media reports that suggest Google is selling its cloud services and AI technology to the Israeli Ministry of Defense have caused disquiet among employees, according to the report.

Google has run into trouble previously regarding its connections to Israel when it dismissed 28 employees last year who protested against the tech giant’s cloud contract with the Israeli government.
Israel's role in clearing the Qatari fog from US campuses
As Israel investigates where Qatari funds were directed via the Prime Minister’s Office and how they were funneled into Gaza, the Jewish Diaspora is already drawing sobering conclusions. In the United States, Qatari money poured into academic institutions has done more than fund education – it has helped bankroll a campaign of hatred and incitement.

The same dollars that supported prestigious programs also planted deep roots of antisemitism, enabling antisemitic displays and anti-Israel protests that erupted just hours after the Simchat Torah massacre on October 7.

American Jews have found themselves asking how, in a country built on liberal democratic values, a massacre of Israeli civilians could be met not with condemnation but with protests supporting the terrorist perpetrators, rapists, murderers, and kidnappers. How did campuses – meant to be bastions of critical thinking – become epicenters of anti-Israel vitriol and thinly veiled antisemitism?

A new documentary by Wendy Sachs, October 8, shines a powerful light on this disturbing phenomenon. The film traces the explosion of pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses less than 24 hours after Hamas’s barbaric attack on Israeli civilians. It shows how, in the words of its creators, anti-Israel sentiment quickly metastasized into explicit antisemitism. The film also highlights the destructive role of social media, which amplified incitement, spread disinformation, and targeted Jews and Israelis whose identities are known or visible.

The documentary identifies Students for Justice in Palestine as one of the main drivers behind these campus protests, often organizing demonstrations that veered into harassment, intimidation, and violence. But behind these student groups looms a larger question: Who’s funding all of this?

Qatari funding in US higher education
According to a 2022 report from the National Association of Scholars, Qatar invested a staggering $4.7 billion in US higher education between 2001 and 2021. Cornell University alone received $1.8 billion, Georgetown University $760 million, and many other institutions benefited from Qatar’s generosity. But what exactly was being bought?

In universities where Qatar gained a foothold, scholarships were disproportionately awarded to students from specific backgrounds. Research grants were steered toward projects with predetermined narratives. Activist student groups pushing anti-Israel agendas were often given tacit, if not explicit, support.

This was not a coincidence. It was a long game – one that Israel and the Jewish community were too slow to recognize.

While the Israeli government, the Diaspora Affairs Ministry, the Jewish Agency for Israel, and other organizations made only modest investments in campus outreach and education, Qatar was shaping hearts and minds – laying a strong foundation and implementing groundwork for a generation of students to view Israel as a pariah state. Year after year, Israel’s legitimacy eroded in the eyes of tens of thousands of students. And Israel, tragically, failed to grasp the magnitude of the threat.
‘Willful ignorance’ at Northwestern University
On the second night of Passover, vandals at Northwestern University desecrated the building that houses the Holocaust Educational Foundation with antisemitic graffiti.

Given that Northwestern has a $20 billion endowment, was patrolling a known target overnight during Passover too much of a burden or expense, or perhaps, “willful ignorance?”

Contrast this with what would happen if people were regularly attacked in a dimly lit corner on Northwestern’s campus. We know the answer. There’d be rightful outrage, and the university would take action. They’d install lighting, cameras and patrols.

Yet when it comes to protecting Jewish spaces and students, many universities fail to take concrete action. They could, if only they wanted to. To be clear, this is not a free-speech issue, it is a conduct issue.

Trespassing is conduct, not speech. Vandalism is conduct, not speech. Blocking entrances is conduct, not speech. Spitting on police is conduct, not speech. Stopping traffic is conduct, not speech. Disrupting commencement is conduct, not speech. Tagging benches with graffiti is conduct, not speech. Barricading yourself in a building is conduct, not speech. Taking over a meeting is conduct, not speech. Attacking someone is conduct, not speech.

And it’s all illegal conduct. Pro-Palestinian groups that attack others, barricade themselves in school buildings and spray graffiti around campus need to be held accountable.

Jews don’t need any favors. They need the rules applied equally to all. And if a pro-Israeli group attacks others or invades the quad, they should be shut down and expelled. This is not complicated.

Handing out a flier is free speech. Holding a sign is free speech. Throwing a brick through a window, no matter the message scribbled on it, is not free speech—it’s conduct.

If any other group were targeted by the same type of conduct being committed against Jewish students, it would happen perhaps once or twice before it would be shut down. It would not be celebrated. The students behind the targeting would be rightly disciplined, even expelled. But when it comes to Jews, too many universities look the other way. If you want a definition of antisemitism, there you have it: Antisemitism is a special form of hypocrisy.
After 300 Arrests at Campus Hamas Riots, LA Will Charge Only 2 Jews
During the UCLA Hamas riots, it was routine for the terrorist supporters to mace and assault Jewish community members and students. And for campus security to refuse to intervene, take down evidence or call the police.

The media covered up the situation.

And even those who were actually arrested after weeks of this are getting a pass.

The City Attorney’s Office received over 300 referrals from arrests made during the mass protests on the campuses of UCLA and USC in April and May, 2024, and declined to file criminal charges on most of the referrals.

Three others will be referred to informal prosecutorial proceedings.

2 out of over 300. Not 300 arrests, but 300 referrals from arrests. And even those arrests are only the tip of the iceberg.

But it gets better. The only two people charged are the Jewish targets of the pro-Hamas mobs.

The vast majority of pro-Hamas perpetrators have their cases dropped.

CAIR is cheering the move which should tell you everything.

Three, including a fellow named ‘Ali Abuamouneh’ are being routed to ‘diversion’ hearings. Only Edan On and Matthew Katz, Jewish community members who fought back against the Hamas mobs, are being charged.
Teachers union halts appointment of Corbyn ally as general secretary
A teaching union has dramatically decided to halt its appointment of hard-left veteran Matt Wrack as its new general secretary after a legal challenge raised serious concerns about the uncontested election.

Sources told Jewish News on Sunday that the NASUWT teaching union has reopened nominations for the leadership role and had reversed last Tuesday’s announcement on the appointment of Wrack.

It is understood that union chiefs took legal advice their handling of the nomination process ahead of a hearing scheduled at the High Court in London on Monday.EXCLUSIVE: Teaching union faces legal challenge over uncontested election of veteran left-winger Wrack

Neil Butler had attempted to stand for election as the executive’s canidate but his bid was rejected on the grounds that as a non-member union employee he was ineligible despite being a former member and teacher.

The move was welcomed by the sizeable continguent of Jewish teachers who are members of the union, and who had been supportive of the legal challenge mounted to Jeremy Corbyn ally Wrack’s appointment.

Wrack – a former head of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) for 20 years who failed to get re-elected in January – was announced as the unopposed new leader last week as the executive’s “preferred candidate”.

He would have become the first leader in the NASUWT’s history never to have been a teacher or lecturer, despite the union having strict rules about recruiting only new members with sufficient educational experience.

His history of hardline statements in support of Corbyn, including downplaying the “so called antisemitism” scandal that erupted under the former Labour leader, and one-sided anti-Israel statements, left many members of the usually moderate union fearful of the direction it might now take.

“This is a victory for ordinary members, including around 1000 Jewish teachers in the NASUWT,” one source told Jewish News.

“This was an attempted take over of a moderate trade union that stands up for up for its members by the far left who want to drag it into the same niche political direction as some other unions.”


Explosion at Iranian port severely impacts regime, Iran expert says
The mass explosion at the Shahid Rajaee port in the southern Iranian city of Bandar Abbas, which took place on Saturday, has significantly impacted the Iranian regime, according to Beni Sabti, an expert in the Iran program at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS).

“The port that blew up in the southern Iranian city was the most important port for the Iranian regime,” Sabti told Maariv on Sunday.

He said the reason for the port’s importance was “not only because it was the largest port in Iran, but because the hub was used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to transfer weapons to terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and the Houthis.”

It was also used “to illegally transfer oil to China,” Sabti added.

“Various tankers operated there, disappearing and reappearing, essentially collecting oil from the port or bringing in goods that Iran needs,” he said. “This location and this port were extremely critical to the survival of the Iranian regime.”

Sabti was hesitant about determining what the cause of the explosion was.

“It is still very early to know whether it was an accident or deliberate sabotage,” he said. “Personally, I find it hard to believe it was sabotage, especially at this time, given the ongoing talks between Iran and the United States.”


Iran Explosion Caused by Missile Fuel Supplied by China: Report
A deadly explosion at an Iranian port that killed at least 28 people on Saturday was caused by chemicals used for ballistic missile fuel, which had in turn been imported from China, according to media reports Sunday.

As Breitbart News noted Saturday, “A huge explosion … destroyed large parts of the Iranian port of Shahid Rajaee southwest of Bandar Abbas along the shores of the Persian Gulf. … The port is located in southwestern Iran and is one of Iran’s main oil facilities. … The explosion occurred as Iran began a third round of nuclear talks with the United States in Oman.” The death toll, as of Sunday, is at least 28, with over 1,000 wounded.

The New York Times reported, in addition, that the explosion was caused by missile fuel components:
A person with ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that what exploded was sodium perchlorate, a major ingredient in solid fuel for missiles. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss security matters.

The security firm Ambrey told The Associated Press that there were indications that the blast resulted from improper storage of sodium perchlorate at the port. The Financial Times reported in January that China had shipped the chemical to Iran, whose stocks of missile propellant were depleted last year when it and its proxy, Hezbollah, launched missiles at Israel. The explosion recalls a massive blast at a port in Beirut, Lebanon, in 2020, where explosive chemicals had been stored, allegedly by Hezbollah, which allegedly intended to use the chemicals in anti-Israel weaponry.


Heirs of Jewish collector settle over Nazi-looted Manet painting in Emil G. Bührle
The overseers of the Emil G. Bührle collection have reached a settlement with the heirs of a Jewish collector over a Nazi-looted Édouard Manet painting, ARTnews reported on Thursday.

The painting, Manet’s La Sultane (c.1871), is one of the 205 pieces from the collection that have been loaned to Kunsthaus Zurich since 2012, where it may remain according to the new settlement.

Bührle, of the collection’s namesake, was a German Swiss manufacturer who sold weapons to both Allied and Nazi Germany forces during the Second World War. His arms dealing led him to become Switzerland’s wealthiest man at the time. He both directly and indirectly benefited from slave labor in concentration camps, the report said. He was also allegedly known to have purchased a slew of Nazi-looted art.

The museum housing the La Sultane opened a new wing for this specific collection in 2021, leading to a number of public protests. This led artists, including Miriam Cahn, to threaten to remove their work from the institution.

“I no longer want to be represented in ‘this’ art museum in Zurich,” Cahn, who is Jewish, wrote in her 2021 open letter. “I wish to remove all my works from the Zurich Art Museum. I will buy them back at the original sale price.”

The backlash led the city of Zurich and museum trustees to commission a report from the president of the German Historical Museum, Raphael Gross. His report found that over a quarter of the 205 loaned pieces appeared to belong to Jewish owners. He called the collection “tainted on a scale that is possibly unique in Switzerland.”

His report advised that research on the pieces and collection be continued. Gross also recommended that the Kunsthaus initiate a public debate on the collection’s loan and that the museum set up a committee to adhere to the Washington Principles, the nonbinding principles that representatives of 44 nations and 13 NGOs agreed to in 1988, according to the ARTnews report.

The first of these said principles was that any art confiscated by the Nazis, and not subsequently restituted needed to be identified.
Man arrested for smuggling Sydney caravan terror suspect out of Australia
A man who helped a suspect wanted on terror charges for his involvement in a series of antisemitic incidents across Sydney was arrested, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported in March.

Sayet Erhan Akca, who fled Australia in 2023 after a warrant for his arrest was issued, is wanted as a high-level suspect by the Australian Joint Counterterrorism Task Force. He is suspected to have taken part in the Dural caravan hoax, as well as several other antisemitic attacks in Sydney and its suburbs.

On March 20, Australian police arrested Sean Eamon Ryan on suspicion of helping Akca escape the country before he could be tried on the previous drug charges.

Police believe that Ryan, 57, and another man crewed a boat that helped Akca escape to Thailand. The report noted that the three left Queensland in northern Australia and arrived in Thailand by November 2023.

Prosecutors told an Australian court that Ryan sailed a boat to Thursday Island with passengers he knew were not allowed to leave the country. Lawyers said that he was involved in an "unlawful exit of criminals from Australia," according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation report.

"Alleged criminals facing serious charges and potential penalties of life imprisonment will often do almost anything to avoid facing court," Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commander Naomi Binstead said. "But anyone who helps someone leave the country risks being imprisoned for significant periods themselves."
WWE star deletes antisemitic post after press inquiry
For over a year, WWE—the global wrestling entertainment powerhouse now also streaming on Netflix—has been receiving repeated alerts: screenshots, videos and documentation revealing a disturbing pattern in Canadian wrestler Sami Zayn‘s public activity.

Zayn, one of the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment)’s most prominent stars, has promoted antisemitic and anti-Zionist content on social media and in public appearances—liking hate pages, sharing inflammatory articles, and wearing shirts of openly anti-Zionist bands. WWE’s silence in the face of these actions has raised serious concerns.

During a live event on Monday, Zayn was caught on video cursing at Israeli fans. Hours later, he posted on X: “hoes stay mad.”

Before publishing this article, Israel Hayom contacted WWE executives. We asked whether the organization was aware of Zayn’s posts and if they aligned with WWE’s stated values. Two hours after our questions were sent, one of Zayn’s most offensive tweets was deleted. No comment, apology or explanation has been issued since.

Zayn, whose real name is Rami Sebei, was born in 1984 in Laval, Quebec, to Syrian migrants from Homs.

The first documented case came in November 2023, when Zayn liked a post on X titled “Israel’s Final Solution for the Palestinians.”

The article featured a Star of David merged with a Nazi flag and accused Israel of genocide, drawing Holocaust comparisons and blaming Israel for the massacre of its own civilians on Oct. 7, 2023.

It concluded with the statement: “Israelis who cheer the Palestinian nightmare will soon live a nightmare of their own.”

Since then, dozens of complaints have been submitted to WWE by Jewish organizations, journalists and online activists. They provided consistent evidence: likes on antisemitic content, follows of accounts calling for Israel’s destruction, and reposts likening Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler. In one post from September, Zayn shared a photo of an armed Arab child with a sign reading: “Act now before it’s too late.”

His public behavior followed suit. A few months ago, he shared enthusiastic praise for a documentary about the Irish band Kneecap—a group known for extreme anti-Israel messaging. Just last week, during its performance at the Coachella festival in California, Kneecap projected onstage the message: “F*** Israel. Free Palestine.”


Self-proclaimed Hamas operative in US Air Force indicted over pipe bomb plot: ‘Been a terrorist since I was a kid’
A self-described Hamas operative who infiltrated the US Air Force and once boasted that he’s “been a terrorist since he’s been a kid” was hit with additional charges this week alongside two Pittsburgh women after the feds foiled an apparent terror plot involving a pair of pipe bombs.

Mohamad Hamad, 23, who has dual citizenship in the US and Lebanon, was already charged for defacing a synagogue was hit Tuesday with a nine-count superseding indictment along with Talya Lubit, 24, and Micaiah Collins, 22.

“Mohamad Hamad lied about his loyalty to the United States, among other false statements, in an attempt to obtain a Top-Secret security clearance,” Acting US Attorney Troy Rivetti said.

“During that time, he openly expressed support for Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Hamas. In addition to his previously charged role in defacing Jewish religious property, he also conspired with others named in this Superseding Indictment to manufacture and detonate destructive devices.”

Hamad and Lubit, were both previously indicted for scrawling red anti-Zionist graffiti on the Chabad of Squirrel Hill’s synagogue and defacing the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s office building.

The new charges center around Hamad’s alleged lying to federal officials during his bid to gain a top-secret security clearance and his development of explosive devices.

Shortly after enlisting in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, a reserve component of the Air Force, in June 2023, Hamad, who lived in Coraopolis, Pa., privately messaged an associate in Ohio that “[i]t’s still Palestine on top though make no mistake,” prosecutors allege.

During his Air Force training, Hamad privately shared footage of Hamas’ violent attacks against Israel with an associate and wrote that “Us Muslims never surrender or back down,” the indictment claims.


How Hank Greenberg fought antisemitism, defeated the Nazis and became a baseball legend
Hank Greenberg, baseball’s most celebrated Jewish star of the 20th century, combined prodigious power at the plate with unwavering courage in the face of antisemitism and wartime service, leaving a legacy that transcended the diamond.

Greenberg, who stood 6-foot-4 and hailed from an Orthodox Jewish family, struggled to find suitors early in his career. Signed and released by the New York Yankees—then anchored at first base by Lou Gehrig—and passed over by the New York Giants, he finally caught on with the Detroit Tigers in 1930. He didn’t become a regular until 1933, but went on to win two American League MVP awards, lead Detroit to four World Series appearances (winning in 1935 and 1945), and earn four All-Star selections.

In 1938, with Detroit in a tight pennant race, Greenberg refused to play on Yom Kippur, drawing harsh criticism from the press and his own team’s management. After consulting his rabbi and his father, he chose to play on Rosh Hashanah—homering twice in a key victory—and sat out the Day of Atonement. The Tigers lost that afternoon, but rebounded to capture their first World Series title in 30 years.

Greenberg was as outspoken as he was talented. During a 1930s game in Chicago, a White Sox player on the bench hurled the slur “stinking kike” at him. Greenberg confronted the visitor’s dugout, demanding the offender’s identity; no one admitted to the remark. On another occasion, an opponent asked him, “Is it true Jews have horns?”—a question that revealed the depth of prejudice he faced. In Detroit—home to antisemitic industrialist Henry Ford—Greenberg quickly became a protector of the local Jewish community. He answered bigotry with baseball, transforming himself into a symbol of Jewish-American pride and resilience.

Just as he reached the peak of his career in 1941, Greenberg was drafted into the U.S. Army. Originally classified unfit due to flat feet, he insisted on a second examination and won his way into service. He was briefly discharged under a new age exemption on Dec. 5, 1941, only to re-enlist two days later after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He served nearly four years as an officer in the China-Burma-India theater, helping to identify B-29 bomber bases, and remains the longest-serving major leaguer in U.S. military history.




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This blog may be a labor of love for me, but it takes a lot of effort, time and money. For 20 years and 40,000 articles I have been providing accurate, original news that would have remained unnoticed. I've written hundreds of scoops and sometimes my reporting ends up making a real difference. I appreciate any donations you can give to keep this blog going.

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