Saturday, June 28, 2025

06/28 Links: The 12-day gamble: How the Israel-Iran war unfolded; Haaretz: the lies continue; Hamas offers bounties to kill GHF aid workers; Glastonbury: The permitted racism

From Ian:

Bigger Than Just Iran
This was not, however, the first time Israel used its military against an enemy’s nuclear program. The history is noteworthy. Israel sent its air force to hit Iraq’s Osirak reactor in 1981 and to hit Syria’s nuclear facility in 2007. No major retaliation, let alone a new war, resulted, and neither Iraq nor Syria even tried to revive their nuclear weapons programs. Both decided it was not worthwhile to rebuild, given Israel’s determination to prevent any such program from succeeding.

Trump’s action has produced criticism from the left and also within his political camp. Some MAGA critics have argued that Iran is a distraction from containing China and ending reckless government spending. Those are important priorities, but the spread of nuclear weapons is one of the greatest threats in the world to the security, prosperity, and well-being of Americans. Even by the strictest standards of MAGA restraint in world affairs, the United States has to prevent such proliferation.

If Iran became a nuclear power, the danger would extend beyond aggression, sponsorship of terrorism, and other bad actions by Iran. Iran’s achievement would spur Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, and other states in the Middle East and beyond to become nuclear powers too. The number of nuclear powers in the world, now fewer than 10, could in short order grow to 20 or 30. This would create greater risks of catastrophic accidents and "dirty" bomb terrorist attacks. If the world had dozens of nuclear powers, the likelihood of nuclear conflict would increase. Even a limited nuclear exchange could produce enormous harm, and not just to the parties involved in the exchange. It could gravely damage Americans by devastating global markets and supply chains, poisoning Earth’s atmosphere, and contaminating agriculture.

The blow struck by Operation Midnight Hammer will reverberate globally. Any country seeking a nuclear bomb—or considering providing one to others—now understands the United States may use force against it. This credible threat will make nonproliferation diplomacy more effective. It will reassure America’s allies that Washington is intent on maintaining the nuclear status quo.

The U.S. attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities is more than a tactical military success. It is a strategic reaffirmation of American global leadership. Nuclear nonproliferation efforts since 1945 have not been a perfect success. But they have been astonishingly effective. They represent one of the most significant achievements of the United States (and key partners) in international security. That fewer than 10 nations possess nuclear weapons today reflects the effectiveness of combined diplomatic, economic, and military pressures. The strike against Iran reinforces the point—critical to the interests of the United States and the world in general—that rogue states pursuing nuclear weapons will face not just disapproving diplomacy and economic sanctions, but maybe also military destruction. It’s a harsh but constructive message.
‘The stars aligned’: Why Israel set out for a war against Iran, and what it achieved
Over the past decades, Israel has come up with numerous different plans to attack Iran’s nuclear program. None of them were activated, nor were they considered ready. Until this month.

In the early hours of June 13, the Israel Defense Forces launched what it dubbed a “preemptive” operation against not just the Iranian nuclear program, but the wider threat of Iran’s ballistic missiles and its overarching plans to destroy Israel.

The war began with surprise strikes carried out by the Israeli Air Force in Tehran and other areas of Iran, some 1,500 kilometers from Israel. The sudden assault was multifaceted.

In what is now known as Operation Red Wedding, some 30 top Iranian military commanders — including the three most senior generals — were eliminated in near-simultaneous strikes in Tehran, which, according to the IDF, disrupted Iran’s command and control and prevented it from responding to Israel for nearly a full day.

Most significant among them was the chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ air force, Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, who was killed alongside the rest of the top brass of the IRGC Aerospace Force — responsible for Iran’s ballistic missiles and drones — as they met in an underground command center to prepare Iran’s retaliation.
The 12-day gamble: How the Israel-Iran war unfolded
A window of opportunity emerged. Iran’s proxies had been depleted in the wake of the Oct. 7 massacre. At great cost, Israel was able to weaken Hamas and also impair Hezbollah. The Lebanese terrorist group agreed to a ceasefire in November 2024. With US President Donald Trump in office, Israel’s leadership believed it could act against Iran. Iran also lost out in Syria when the Assad regime fell in December 2024. This meant that the road was now open to Iran.

The road was open because the new government in Damascus opposes Iran. Iraq is a weak state and can’t stop Israel’s efforts against Iran, even though Iraq has pro-Iranian militias. The Kurdistan Regional Government in northern Iraq also fears Iran’s power and is likely pleased to see the regime weakened. That means Israel felt it could act.

Israel’s initial sorties were effective against parts of the nuclear program and key officials in Tehran. In addition, Iranian nuclear scientists were targeted. Iran fired back, killing more than 24 Israelis in several days. It also wounded up to 3,000 people in 12 days of war and caused 10,000 Israelis to be displaced, as Iranian missiles destroyed neighborhoods.

Around 50 missiles impacted Israel of the 500 that were launched. Israel continued daily strikes on Iran, destroying its air defenses and going after other Iranian regime elements.

On June 22, the US joined the war with an attack on three nuclear sites, including using massive munitions on Fordow. This was supposed to have destroyed key parts of the nuclear program. It is likely that many parts remain and that Iran can rebuild its ballistic missiles. The question now is whether Iran will change its tune and stop trying to move toward a nuclear weapon. Iran is weakened, but its regime has not collapsed. Israel’s 12-day war was a gamble, and it was made possible by a unique set of circumstances. Much remains to be seen if it was the game changer that some people think it was.
Mossad had 'boots on the ground' in Iran for over a decade before war - report
Mossad agents had been monitoring nuclear sites in Iran for nearly 15 years before the start of the Israel-Iran War, The Times reported on Friday.

According to leaked intelligence documents seen by The Times, the Mossad realized that Iran’s capability, knowledge, and components of the nuclear program expanded beyond the main sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.

An intelligence source told The Times that the Mossad had “boots on the ground” at several different locations across Iran since 2010.

Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan were destroyed by US and Israeli strikes at the start of the month, though there has been notable debate about the damage to the sites.

The intelligence documents showed that Iran aimed to produce at least 1,000 long-range missiles a year, and wanted to amass an arsenal of 8,000 missiles.

However, the Islamic Republic reportedly started the war with Israel with a maximum of 2,500 missiles.

An intelligence cited in the documents said that Mossad agents visited every workshop and factory that were later attacked during the war to target “the entire industry that supported the manufacturing of large amounts of missiles.”

Israel launched the 12-day war based on intelligence that Iran was building centrifuges at sites in Tehran and Isfahan.

Spies built maps of nuclear enrichment sites, infiltrated IRGC
An intelligence source cited in the documents said that Mossad agents visited every workshop and factory that were later attacked during the war to target “the entire industry that supported the manufacturing of large amounts of missiles.”

Israel launched the 12-day war based on intelligence that Iran was building centrifuges at sites in Tehran and Isfahan.

The Times reported that the US attack on Iran targeted seven parts of Iran’s main uranium enrichment site, Natanz. Israeli intelligence used spies on the ground to create a map of Natanz and identify aboveground and underground structures that included piping, feeding, and solidification of uranium. The Israel Air Force also targeted electric infrastructure, a research building, the site’s transformer station, and a backup generator.

The IDF also targeted several other sites related to nuclear weapons developments, such as Isfahan and the Shariati military site.

Many of these were reportedly set up by the SPND, an organization led by now-dead Iranian nuclear physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. He was reportedly assassinated by Israel in 2020 by a satellite-controlled machine gun.

Additionally, the leaked documents showed that the Mossad had infiltrated the IRGC headquarters as well as the Sanjarian nuclear site, which reportedly developed nuclear weapons components.


Iran-Israel war is over — but the real story is just beginning...| Our Middle East
This isn't the end of the war; it’s the beginning of a new chapter—the war after the war. Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs President Dan Diker and Senior Fellow at JCFA and the Gatestone Institute Khaled Abu Toameh unpack the volatile aftermath of the Israeli-American strikes that crippled Iran’s nuclear program—yet left the Islamic Republic standing.

Diker and Abu Toameh take viewers inside the Arab world's response to the degraded but still dangerous Iranian regime. What are the Arab leaders saying behind closed doors? Why is there cautious optimism among Sunni states like Saudi Arabia and the UAE? And how could this moment reshape future alliances across the region?

The discussion explores the true impact of Iran’s struck nuclear and ballistic missile infrastructure, while emphasizing that the IRGC remains active—conducting house-to-house purges and assassinations. Abu Toameh highlights that many Arab states view the Iranian regime itself, not just its weapons, as the real threat—due to its ongoing funding and arming of proxies like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. The episode also confronts the muted response from Palestinian leadership, Hamas’ continued hold on Gaza despite military setbacks, and the cultural reality that prevents internal concessions or compromise.

Diker and Abu Toameh further examine why Arab leaders remain publicly cautious while privately welcoming Iran’s setback, how conspiracy theories about Western coordination with Iran are flourishing in Arab media, and why Israel’s inability to dismantle Hamas undermines its deterrence—even as it regains “strong horse” status regionally.

As both experts explain, this moment could open new doors for Israeli-Arab cooperation, encouraging the expansion of the Abraham Accords and new security alignments in the region. Our Middle East delivers rare, unfiltered insight into a post-strike Middle East still holding its breath—waiting for what comes next.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction: The War After the War
01:52 Iran’s Regime Still Stands
04:03 Iran’s Proxy Network Across the Middle East
06:45 Nuclear Program vs. Regime Change
09:30 Arab World’s Public vs. Private Reactions
12:25 Why Arabs Fear the Iranian Regime
15:40 Iranian-Backed Attacks on Arab States
18:10 Saudi-Iran Rapprochement and MBS Strategy
20:35 Arab Media Conspiracy Theories
23:48 Arab Victimhood and Religious Narrative
26:10 Palestinian Silence on the Iran Conflict
29:02 Sunni vs. Shia: Palestinian Distrust of Iran
31:55 Can Outside Pressure Influence Hamas?
35:12 Understanding Hamas’ Culture of Defian




Notorious Iranian prison chief escaped airstrikes after intelligence sends warning
The director of Iran’s Evin Prison escaped the jail before airstrikes and after threats on his life attributed to Israel, Fox News reported on Saturday.

Hedayatollah Farzadi, who was known for his numerous human rights violations, escaped after Israeli authorities allegedly contacted his adult son, Amir Husseini Farzadi.

The messages seen by Fox show that the entity messaging Amir Farzadi told him to try to convince his father to release political prisoners. If he did, the messages alleged, his life would be spared in airstrikes.

The messages, which were shared with Fox by an Israeli intelligence source, an agent told Amir to tell his father to open the prison, warning of an attack in the coming minutes.

When Amir asked if something had happened to his father, the alleged agent said that nothing would happen if he told his father about the message.


FDD: Khamenei Skips State Funeral Held for IRGC Commanders, Nuclear Scientists Eliminated by Israel
Latest Developments
Funerals Held in Tehran: Thousands attended a mass Iranian state funeral in Tehran on June 28 to honor Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) members and nuclear scientists killed during the 12-day conflict with Israel. Several senior regime officials attended the event, including Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and the commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force, Gen. Esmail Qaani. Crowds observed as trucks carrying the caskets of Gen. Hossein Salami, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, and other eliminated figures proceeded slowly down Tehran’s Azadi Street.

Death to America, Israel Chanted: Throughout the ceremonies, mourners chanted slogans against the United States and Israel during what Iran’s state-run Press TV called the “funeral procession of the Martyrs of Power.” The deceased reportedly included 60 people, including 16 nuclear scientists and 10 senior Iranian commanders. Pezeshkian thanked the crowds for attending, stating, “With love, you bid farewell to the martyrs of the homeland, and the voice of our unity reached the world.”

Khamenei Doesn’t Show: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was absent from the ceremonies, having not appeared publicly since before the conflict began on June 13. A cardboard cutout of Khamenei was displayed at the funeral alongside images of two deceased Iranian figures, former Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini and former President Ebrahim Raisi. The elusive Khamenei did, however, take to his Farsi-language Twitter account, saying “the Iranian nation should know that the reason for the opposition to America is that they want Iran to surrender, and this is a great insult to the Iranian nation by the Americans, and such a thing will never happen.”


The Spectator: ‘The regime is in chaos’ – how war could lead to peace in the Middle East
For the magazine this week, Tom Gross writes about why we should welcome regime change in Iran. Could war actually lead to peace for the region? Tom joins Freddy Gray to discuss the piece.




IDF downs rocket fired from Gaza
The Israel Defense Forces on Friday night intercepted a rocket fired by Palestinian terrorist in the Gaza Strip.

The attack triggered air-raid sirens in the southern Negev, with no reports of injuries or damage.

Earlier, the IDF announced that troops operating in Gaza had destroyed a tunnel Palestinian terrorists used to carry out a deadly attack during the 2014 war.

The tunnel, located in the Beit Hanoun area in northeastern Gaza, was approximately one kilometer long.

During “Operation Protective Edge” in 2014, terrorists emerged from the tunnel and killed four Israeli soldiers: Lt. Col. Dolev Keidar, Second Lt. Yuval Heiman, Sgt. Maj. Ksahoon (Dani) Bainsin and Sgt. First Class Nadav Goldmacher.

“This operation reflects the IDF’s commitment to dismantling previously utilized terrorist infrastructure and preventing its reuse,” the military said in a statement.
Houthis fire ballistic missile at Israel
Houthi terrorists in Yemen launched a ballistic missile toward Israel early Saturday morning, the Israel Defense Forces said.

“An interceptor was launched toward the missile, and the missile was most likely successfully intercepted,” the IDF said in a statement.

The attack triggered air-raid sirens across the central, western and southern Negev, as well as in the Arava and Dead Sea areas and parts of Judea.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The IDF on Wednesday afternoon intercepted a drone launched toward Israel by Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.

“The UAV did not enter the country’s territory. No alerts were activated, in accordance with policy,” the military stated.

Earlier on Wednesday, senior Houthi official Hazam al-Asad took to social media to congratulate “the Islamic Republic of Iran and all the free people of the nation” following the ceasefire that ended 12 days of war with Israel.

“True victory is to adopt the cause of supporting Palestine, to confront the American hegemony, to stand against the Zionist entity, to thwart its goals, as well as to strike deep into its core without hesitation, without concern for calculations or losses,” al-Asad wrote.
Veteran Hamas operative who helped plan Oct. 7 killed in Gaza City strike, IDF says
One of the founders of Hamas, who was also one of the planners of its onslaught of October 7, 2023, was killed in an airstrike in Gaza City on Friday night, the Israel Defense Forces announced Saturday.

Hakem al-Issa, who served as chief of staff at the “combat and administrative support division” in the Palestinian terror group’s military wing, was killed in a strike in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City, according to the military.

The IDF said Issa was a “central source of knowledge and one of the last senior Hamas operatives who held high-level positions before October 7 and remained in the Gaza Strip.”

“In the past, Issa led Hamas’s force build-up efforts in the Gaza Strip, was one of the founders of the military wing’s operations division, served as head of the training division, and was a member of Hamas’s general military council,” the IDF said in a statement.

The military added that Issa “played a significant role in planning and executing the murderous massacre on October 7.”

During the war, including in recent days, “Issa served as head of combat support, advancing terror plans from the air and sea against Israeli civilians and IDF troops operating in the Gaza Strip,” the IDF said.

“Alongside advancing these plans, Issa worked to rebuild Hamas’s arrays that were damaged during the war,” the statement continued.


IDF kills senior Hezbollah terrorist in Southern Lebanon
The Israel Defense Forces on Saturday killed Hassan Muhammad Hammoudi, the Hezbollah commander responsible for the Iranian-backed terrorist group’s anti-tank missile operations in the Bint Jbeil sector, the military said.

Hammoudi directed numerous anti-tank-missile attacks against Israel during the recent war. He was targeted in an airstrike in the area of Kounin in southeastern Lebanon, the army said. Both Bint Jbeil and Kounin are in the Nabatiyeh Governorate

“The IDF will continue to operate to remove any threat posed to the State of Israel,” the military added.

On Friday, Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck a Hezbollah site in the Nabatieh Governorate, targeting a facility used to manage the terrorist group’s fire and defense systems in the Beaufort Ridge area.

According to the IDF, the site was part of a significant underground infrastructure project that was previously destroyed during the war but had recently been the focus of Hezbollah rehabilitation efforts.

“The presence of this site and the attempts to reestablish it constitute a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” the military said in a statement.

On Thursday, an IAF strike in the village of Baraachit, located less than four miles from the border, killed a commander in Hezbollah’s Radwan Force, a unit of terrorists specialized in infiltrating Israel and capturing areas around the Jewish state’s northern frontier, the IDF said.

In a separate strike, a terrorist in the Hezbollah’s observation force was killed in the Beit Lif area, according to the army.
US-backed Gaza aid org. says Hamas is targeting its staff in Gaza
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said Saturday night that reports of Hamas targeting its personnel and aid workers in Gaza are credible.

"According to these reports, Hamas has placed bounties on both our American security personnel and Palestinian aid workers—offering cash rewards to anyone who injures or kills them," the aid organization said in a statement.

The organization claimed that Hamas has positioned its terrorists near humanitarian zones in recent days to disrupt their operations.

Despite Hamas's targeting of aid workers, GHF confirmed that as of Friday, nearly two million meals and over 26,000 boxes of aid have been delivered to Palestinian civilians.

Allegations against the IDF
The GHF statement follows IDF and Israeli denial of a report published by Haaretz which claimed soldiers had shot at civilians collecting aid. These accusations were addressed by GHF, which denied knowledge of such events but said that they awaited the findings of an investigation.

“There is a claim from an anonymous IDF soldier alleging chaos at our aid sites. To date, there have been no incidents or fatalities at or in the immediate vicinity of any of our distribution sites," the organization said in a statement. “We restate that areas outside of GHF’s perimeter are controlled by the IDF. It is vital that aid-seekers stay on the dedicated passage and closely follow instructions from our Facebook posts. We have also requested the IDF to do more to ensure our passages are kept safe for aid-seekers and investigate any allegations of harm at or near our aid sites.

“While we wait to hear from Israel to investigate these serious allegations further, GHF will continue to focus on feeding as many people as is safely possible within the constraints of a highly volatile environment — and we are doing it successfully day after day, delivering nearly 50 million meals to date since our operations began a month ago — even as other aid organizations struggle to deliver aid safely to beneficiaries.”


Andrew Fox: Haaretz: the lies continue
Now, let’s discuss logistics. The piece depicts the aid distribution centres as Kafkaesque hellscapes. That’s not entirely wrong, but Haaretz again manipulates by omission.

Yes, the GHF aid mechanism is chaotic. Hundreds or thousands of desperate civilians rush to the aid centres for limited supplies, and supplies vanish within minutes. However, Haaretz fails to explain why these centres are open for only short periods. It is because allowing crowds to grow beyond control raises the risk of stampedes and violence. The system is flawed but not malicious.

I interviewed an IDF soldier who has taken part in crowd-control situations in Gaza. Let me explain what “firing toward” means: warning shots. That might mean rounds hitting 100 meters short, up in the air, or well off to the side—anything to disperse a potentially dangerous crowd without causing casualties.

This is not a tactic the British Army typically employs, but it is important to note that they have never faced a comparable situation. To provide context, I served as the British Army’s public order lead for 16 Air Assault Brigade in 2018-9. My role involved validating the public order training of the other company commanders within the brigade. I possess an expert-level understanding of this subject in a military context.

I can assure you: in a kinetic, combat environment, it would be unfeasible for the IDF to don riot gear and deploy forces for public order drills (as pictured above) in situations like those at the GHF in Gaza. Such an approach would likely lead to disaster. The IDF has very few crowd control options available, given the immediate and serious threat posed by IEDs and ambushes from Hamas. Warning shots are an extreme option, but not unreasonable in the circumstances.

Most importantly, Haaretz wants you to forget this central, inconvenient truth: this is happening during a war. A real war. Not a riot on the streets of Belfast, nor a protest in central London. This is a hostile territory where terrorists have repeatedly launched attacks, including near aid sites, and soldiers are forced to make split-second decisions under mortal threat. To judge IDF actions in Gaza using the standards of peacetime police or military crowd control is to replace analysis with ideology.

Could some soldiers accidentally miss and hit someone? Yes. That is tragic and warrants investigation. However, the article itself acknowledges that the IDF is already examining those incidents. To jump from that to “deliberate killing fields” is not responsible reporting. It is narrative laundering.

In short: Haaretz deliberately mistranslated its source material to feed an English-speaking audience a lie. Then it pieced together half-truths, one-sided quotes, and convenient omissions to create a cartoon villain narrative of Israeli brutality, even when its sources contradicted that story.

This is not journalism. It’s information warfare, and Haaretz is fighting for the other side.


"They Need To Face The FULL Force Of The Law!" | Palestinian Activists ARRESTED After RAF Break-In
Three people have been arrested on suspicion of a terror offence, after two planes at an RAF base were vandalised in an action claimed by soon-to-be banned campaign group Palestine Action.

Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) said a woman, aged 29, of no fixed address, and two men, aged 36 and 24, from London, have been taken into police custody after the incident at RAF Brize Norton on June 20.

They are accused of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism, contrary to Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

A 41-year-old woman, of no fixed address, was also arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, they said.

Author Jake Wallis Simons says the activists arrested after attacking RAF planes in a base "need to feel the full force of the law", amid the Government wanting to ban Palestine Action.

"Keir Starmer is setting himself up for a showdown with his own party!"


'Leftist Lawyers Enabling JIHADIS' | Palestine Action Spreading 'Intifada' In British Prisons
Three people have been arrested on suspicion of a terror offence, after two planes at an RAF base were vandalised in an action claimed by soon-to-be banned campaign group Palestine Action.

Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) said a woman, aged 29, of no fixed address, and two men, aged 36 and 24, from London, have been taken into police custody after the incident at RAF Brize Norton on June 20.

They are accused of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism, contrary to Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

A 41-year-old woman, of no fixed address, was also arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, they said.

Palestine Action previously posted footage online showing people inside the Oxfordshire base, with one person appearing to ride an electric scooter up to an Airbus Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker, before spray painting into its jet engine.

This comes as Palestine Action have reportedly claimed to want to spread 'intifada' within British prisons.

Journalist Jake Wallis Simons says leftist Western activists and their lawyers, "are enabling the jihadis and thwarting the state's attempts to get our house in order."

'Leftist Lawyers Enabling JIHADIS' | Palestine Action Spreading 'Intifada' In British Prisons


Kneecap Glastonbury Performance Blasted | Police Arrest Palestine Action Vandals
Journalist Nicole Lampert finds it "deeply concerning" that the left and far-left, are unable to condemn even the most basic acts of terrorism.

"There are people within our own society that are working against our country."

Kneecap’s performance at Glastonbury Festival will not be live-streamed but is likely to be made available on-demand, the BBC has said.

A number of politicians have called for the Irish rap trio to be removed from the line-up and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said their performance would not be “appropriate” after one of the members was charged with a terror offence.

A woman who wore clothes resembling those of Holocaust concentration camp prisoners at a Palestine Action protest has been questioned by the Metropolitan Police, the force has said.

Images of the protester, whose identity the police have not disclosed, circulated on social media, showing the woman dressed in striped clothes, hat and face mask.

Yellow symbols depicting the crescent moon and star of Islam were sewn on to the shirt and hat, and the protester held a sign with the hashtag “We Are All Palestine Action”.


White House demands congressman apologize for telling Jewish official ‘go back to 1930s
The White House demanded an apology from Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) for telling Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff for policy, on social media to “go back to 1930s Germany.”

“What an absolutely disgusting comment from a congressman to a Jewish White House official,” said Anna Kelly, White House deputy press secretary. “Mark Pocan must apologize, not just to Stephen but to his constituents, and then seek professional help.”

“This crazed antisemitic hatred from Democrats emboldens radicals to target Jewish Americans,” Kelly said.

Miller wrote on social media, after the anti-Israel New York state representative Zohran Mamdani secured the Democratic nomination for city mayor, that “New York City is the clearest warning yet of what happens to a society when it fails to control migration.”

Some Congress members, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), agreed with Miller. Others accused him of being racist.

Pocan, emeritus chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, directed an expletive at Miller and wrote, “go back to 1930s Germany.”

It wasn’t clear if he knew that Miller is Jewish, although the White House official, an immigration hardliner, has discussed his religious identity, Israel and Jew-hatred often on social media.

“Eric, I’m Jewish. My Jewish brothers and sisters were murdered in the Nazi Holocaust. Your Hitler jokes, delivered on behalf of Kamala, are beyond sick,” Miller wrote to Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) in October. “They are sinister. Vile. Hateful. You dishonor the memory of 6 million murdered Jews with your venom and lies. Shame on you.”
Washington Post: ‘Mamdani’s victory is bad for New York and the Democratic Party’
New York City’s embrace of a socialist candidate on Tuesday night reverberated nationwide and quickly dominated the national news cycle. Although the final ranked-choice results won’t be known until next week, by Wednesday morning—with 93% of votes counted in the Big Apple’s Democratic mayoral primary—the ultra-progressive 33-year-old state representative Zohran Mamdani was leading former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo by 7.1 points. And contrary to one Gen Z pundit’s claim, the upset wasn’t simply the result of Cuomo’s out-of-touch social media team posting horizontal videos instead of vertical ones on Instagram.

Republicans see the antisemitic, anti-ICE Mamdani’s very possible victory as a great gift. They know that his radical proposals, which include free city buses, free child care, rent freezes, and city-owned grocery stores, would run the city into the ground. The Democratic Socialist, who equates capitalism to “theft,” insists these initiatives would be funded by a 2% wealth tax on the top 1% of taxpayers in the state and an increase in the state’s corporate tax rate from 7.25% to 11.5%.

Democrats also recognize that a Mamdani administration would be a disaster for the city, and this has sent party leaders into full-blown panic mode.

On Thursday, the Washington Post editorial board, in its capacity as the communications arm of the Democratic Party, published a sharply critical op-ed.

When the Washington Post declares that “Zohran Mamdani’s victory is bad for New York and the Democratic Party,” it’s effectively the Democratic National Committee speaking through its loudest megaphone. This op-ed wasn’t just an opinion piece — it was a clarion call to establishment Democrats everywhere to move heaven and earth to stop what they recognize as a political and economic disaster in the making.

Summing up the folly of Mamdani’s proposals, the editors wrote:
Such a massive minimum wage would depress low-skilled employment. His rent freeze would reduce the housing supply and decrease its quality. Cutting bus fares would leave a transit funding hole that, unless somehow filled, would erode service. Meanwhile, the grocery business operates on thin margins, and his plan for city-run stores would probably lead to fewer options, poor service and shortages, as privately run stores closed rather than try to compete with city-subsidized shops.
Daniel Greenfield: Zohran Mamdani at Terror Mosque That Urged ‘Guide the Shooting’ of Hamas
Zohran Mamdani, who has been chosen by 5% of the electorate and by the Democrat Party, as their candidate, appeared at a Brooklyn terror mosque where an Imam had previously prayed that Allah aid Hamas terrorists and “guide their shooting”.

In January, Mamdani, a Muslim candidate who only recently became a citizen, tweeted that he was joining “Jummah prayers at the Islamic Society of Bay Ridge today.” The tweet showed him appearing to speak next to Imam Muhammad Al-Barr.

5 months earlier, widely publicised video had appeared of Al-Barr at the same mosque praying for Islamic terrorists killing Jews.

“Oh Allah, we ask you to liberate Palestine from the occupiers and the plunderers. Oh Allah, grant victory to our mujahideen (Jihadist) brothers in Palestine,” Al-Barr prayed. “Oh Allah, annihilate those who occupied their lands.”

Al-Barr then hailed the Hamas terrorists who were “holding out, steadfast, after 316 days? 316 days! We ask Allah to make them strong and guide their shooting.”

This was far from the first event involving the terror mosque which Mamdani attended that praised terrorism, and expressed hatred for Jews and Christians.

MEMRI had documented multiple hateful examples.

Hamas flags were waved at a pro-terrorist rally that prayed at the hate mosque and a funeral service for a Hamas leader.

In a Friday sermon at the Fort Hamilton Islamic Society of Bay Ridge in Brooklyn on January 12, 2024, the speaker said that “the Christians, who are complicit [with the Jews] and agree and support them – they insult Allah” because they “attribute to Allah a son” and added: “What good can be expected from people whose hearts are corrupt?”


Candace Owens accuses rabbi of bribing pastors to criticize her; Jewish group shoots back
In the alleged email, which Owens said she had verified through “screen recordings,” Riskin offers an unnamed pastor “a donation of $2,500 in Bitcoin to your congregation” in exchange for a recording or summary of any remarks they might deliver “encouraging awareness, compassion, and caution when engaging with media voices that spread division under the cover of opinion.”

The quoted email refers specifically to Owens and Carlson, saying they’ve used language that “lately has crossed a line” and “veered into rhetoric that echoes classic antisemitic tropes.”

In a post on X, Ohr Torah Stone President and Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Kenneth Brander responded that Owens’ accusation was “entirely false, baseless, and defamatory.”

In response to Owens’ allegations, an Ohr Torah Stone spokesperson told JTA that Ohr Torah Stone “denies that email’s from the organization.”

In a statement emailed Thursday following an inquiry by JTA into the validity of the email, Brander lambasted Owens, writing that his organization “does not engage in smear campaigns.”

“Rabbi Riskin and Ohr Torah Stone don’t spend time thinking about Candace Owens,” the statement read. “We are entirely focused on our mission of educating the next generation, supporting agunot [women whose husbands deny them a Jewish divorce], and building bridges between all segments of society and different faiths.”

“We do not engage in smear campaigns, and we certainly don’t make unsolicited offers — Bitcoin or otherwise — to anyone. The claim is absurd and bears no connection to reality,” the statement continued.


Dave Rich: The permitted racism
Everyone knows that, despite all the talk of free speech, if Kneecap had led their fans in chants of “up Combat 18” at their gigs and waved the flag of National Action - a banned neo-Nazi terrorist group - they would not be playing at Glastonbury and their set would not be broadcast on the BBC. But because Kneecap chose to celebrate Hamas and Hizbollah rather than neo-Nazi terrorists, they get the backing of Paul Weller, Massive Attack, Fontaines DC, and dozens of other luminaries of the music industry. Hizbollah, let’s not forget, is a thoroughly antisemitic, murderous organisation. They killed 85 people in blowing up the AMIA Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires in 1994, and have left a bloody trail of anti-Jewish terrorism around the world ever since. They invented the antisemitic lie that 4,000 Israelis (or Jews, they tend not to make a distinction) didn’t turn up to work in the World Trade Centre on 9/11, because those attacks were supposedly a Jewish plot. But in the fashionable, progressive music industry, supporting Hizbollah does not make you a racist. It makes you a free speech hero.

Meanwhile, Oi Va Voi, a band of Jewish heritage that plays Jewish and Israeli-themed music, has had their gigs cancelled, not for anything they have said or done, but simply because they have an Israeli singer, and these supposed champions of free speech in the music industry are silent. The double standards are so stark it reeks of prejudice.

Is it antisemitic to chant “Death, death to the IDF”? Or is it ‘only’ anti-Israeli? When you are calling for people to be killed, such semantics tend to feel rather irrelevant. In 2004 Sacha Baron Cohen showed how easy it is to get a music crowd to sing along with a call for Jews to be killed, but Borat’s “Throw the Jew Down the Well” was satire. Bob Vylan’s equivalent was chillingly sinister.

Still, it leaves us with the clarifying virtue of knowing where we stand. Now we know that it’s OK to call for Israelis to be killed, and a Glastonbury crowd will chant along. The festival is inclusive, we are told by its owners, and open to all: even to those who want to see the mass murder of our fellow Jews in Israel. And despite all the warnings and previous complaints about the BBC’s inadequacies in this area, despite the obvious and predictable controversy surrounding Kneecap, and despite the fact that we are living through a time of such heightened extremism and antisemitism, our national broadcaster was so ignorant or complacent or complicit that they managed to broadcast “Death, death to the IDF” to the nation. Incitement to violence via the licence fee - just when you thought a new low was impossible, they found a way.

If anyone is still wondering why so many Jews are asking what has happened to this country: this is why. Whether it meets an academic, technical definition of antisemitism is beside the point. Murderous hatred is alive in our society, and it is directed at people like us. If that doesn’t bother you, if it doesn’t ring every alarm bell in your anti-racist consciousness, then you aren’t the anti-racist you think you are. You’re just an antisemitic fellow traveller with a Glastonbury wristband.
Kneecap lead “F*** Keir Starmer” chant at Glastonbury
The BBC, which normally broadcasts Glastonbury sets live, confirmed on Saturday that the Kneecap set would not be livestreamed.

Kneecap did not directly address the BBC’s decision not to stream their set live, but commenting on the number of Palestinian flags in the audience, Chara said: “The BBC editor is going to have some f**king job.”

The trio repeatedly thanked Glastonbury and the Eavis family (Michael Eavis established the festival in 1970): “I want to say a big thank you to the Eavis family. The pressure that that family was under and they stood strong, fair play to them.”

The group thanked the family for “standing by Kneecap and standing by Palestine.”

Referring to their Coachella set in California when the band projected “f*** Israel” onto the stage, they said, “I spoke at Coachella and everybody in that f***ing tent agreed with me. The Israeli and the US media do not want to believe that young Americans agree with us.”

The trio’s performance began with a montage of different political and media figures criticising them. The audience booed when an audio clip of Jewish reality star Sharon Osbourne saying “shame on Glastonbury, they have destroyed it with one pathetic band” was played.

There were more boos when the band asked if “anyone [is] going to Rod Stewart tomorrow? I mean the man is older than Israel.” Steward, who has previously performed in Israel, is headlining the festival’s Pyramid Stage and recently accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of pursuing the “annihilation” of Palestinians and repeating “exactly what happened to the Jews.”

Approached for comment, Glastonbury told the JC: “Glastonbury Festival does not condone hate speech or incitement to violence of any kind from its performers."


BBC broadcasts Glastonbury ‘Death to IDF’ chant ahead of Kneecap show
Ahead of Kneecap, the rapper Bobby Vylan had launched into an incendiary rant at one stage about “Zionists”

Glastonbury and the BBC are facing a new storm after a performer led the crowd from one of the festival’s main stages in chants of “Death, death, death to the IDF.”

Rock-rap act Bob Vylan was broadcast encouraging the “Death to the IDF” chant five times during their appearance on the West Holts stage ahead of Irish anti-Zionist rappers Kneecap.

The embassy of Israel later responded to the chants saying it was “deeply disturbing” hearing the chants about the IDF.

In a day of shame at Glastonbury, when Kneecap appeared on stage to a sea of Palestinian flags from fans, the group’s Naoise O Caireallain, who performs under the name Moglai Bob, urged fans to “riot” outside a London court.

Kneecap’s Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh is due to appear before Westminster Magistrates on 20 August.

After calling for fans to riot outside court next month, Kneecap’s O Caireallain appeared back on stage a few minutes later and attempted to backtrack on his initial comments. He appeared to have been acting under instructions as he told fans he didn’t really mean to call for a riot.

But he blasted the charges against his band mate as “trumped up.”

Ahead of Kneecap, the rapper Bobby Vylan had launched into an incendiary rant at one stage about “Zionists” in the music industry as he encouraged fans to chant “Free Free Palestine” and defended Kneecap.

The BBC broadcast the Bob Vylan set without edits or bleeps to cover any chants or lyrics that might be deemed offensive.

Vylan also said: “Hell yeah, from the river to the sea, Palestine must be, will be free, inshallah.”

He later launched another rant against music industry figures who had protested about Kneecap playing at Glastonbury.

Vylan blamed “Zionists” in the music industry including a “bald-headed” c**t he worked with.


UKLFI: Bob Vylans reported to police following illegal Glastonbury chants
Although Bobby Vylan and his co-singer keep their identities secret, UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) has discovered that his real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, he is aged 34 and lives in Ipswich, and is sole director of two companies, Ghost Theatre Ltd (company number 15363944) and Lavy Hill Ltd (company number 15013737).

UKLFI has reported Mr Robinson-Foster to the Avon and Somerset Police after his performance, which was widely shared by the media and on social media. During this performance he shouted out “Death, Death to the IDF” several times, encouraging the crowd, to repeat the offensive refrain.

UKLFI believes that Robinson-Foster may have breached Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 because he used threatening and abusive words and behaviour within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress.

He may also breached Section 18 (1) (b) Public Order Act 1986 by using threatening and abusive words and having regard to all the circumstances, racial hatred was likely to be stirred up.

A UKLFI spokesperson said: “The BBC broadcast Bob Vylans’ set, without cutting anything out, despite the obviously illegal content. They failed to exercise any judgment over the content of its broadcast, however hate filled it was. They should have cut the broadcast of this sickening chant, which incited hatred and death against the IDF – and against all Israel, since every Jewish Israeli must enlist with the IDF.

The band was evidently after cheap publicity, which it achieved, by broadcasting shocking content, trying to trump Kneecap. No one had heard of “Bob Vylan” until now, and the BBC pandered to this band by its failure to stop airing this vicious incident.

The band was able to lead a gullible audience into a chant of “Death Death to the IDF”, demonstrating how easily led a crowd can be lead, just as crowds were lead to follow death chants to Jews in Nazi Germany. “
Israel, UK officials slam BBC over 'Death to IDF' chant at Glastonbury Festival
The BBC has been heavily criticized by the United Kingdom government after it broadcast a rap group leading a "Death to the IDF" chant at the Glastonbury Festival on Saturday, the Telegraph reported.

The incident occurred ahead of a performance by Kneecap, an Irish rap group known for its pro-Palestine stance. Festivalgoers were seen waving Palestinian flags, with some reports estimating that thousands joined in chanting against the IDF.

British rapper Bob Vylan took to the stage and repeated the chant during his set, while voicing support for Kneecap.

Cultural Secretary Lisa Nandy called the BBC director-general, Tim Davie, and demanded an explanation as to why the performance was broadcast live.

"We strongly condemn the threatening comments made by Bob Vylan at Glastonbury," a spokesperson for Nandy said.

"The Culture Secretary has spoken to the BBC director-general to seek an urgent explanation about what due diligence it carried out ahead of the Bob Vylan performance, and welcomes the decision not to re-broadcast it on BBC iPlayer."

“Whilst the BBC doesn’t ban artists, our plans ensure that our programming meets our editorial guidelines," the BBC said in a statement. "We don’t always live stream every act from the main stages and look to make an on-demand version of Kneecap’s performance available on our digital platforms, alongside more than 90 other sets.”


Glastonbury distances itself from performer’s ‘Death to IDF’ chant
Ahead of Kneecap, the rapper Bobby Vylan had launched into an incendiary rant at one stage about “Zionists”

Glastonbury Festival has distanced itself from calls for the murder of Israelis after footage emerged of a performer leading chants of “Death, death, death to the IDF” on one of its main stages, prompting a police review.

The controversial scenes unfolded on Saturday during a performance by rap-punk duo Bob Vylan on the West Holts stage, shortly before the equally provocative Irish group Kneecap. Vylan was filmed leading the crowd in multiple anti-Israel hate chants, including “Death, death to the IDF,” while launching into tirades against “Zionists in the music industry”.

In a statement promptly issued to Jewish News on Saturday evening, Glastonbury organisers said: “Glastonbury Festival does not condone hate speech or incitement to violence of any kind from its performers.”

The festival’s remarks came as police confirmed they are now assessing footage of the performances to determine whether any criminal offences were committed.


Ireland declares war on West Bank dates and avocados over trade ban with Israel
As President Donald Trump was seriously engaged in ending the Israel-Iran War, the Irish government was farcically engaged in initiating a war against Jewish grown dates and avocados and determined to enact the first Boycott Jews law in Europe since the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945.

The law, which it delusionally promotes as “an important step to uphold international law” and is reflecting “Ireland's commitment to a two-state solution,” violates international law and is of no relevance to Israelis and Palestinians resolving conflict and having the capacity to or implementing a viable two-state solution.

The general scheme of what is a draft law published on Wednesday last is lugubriously entitled the “Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill. Its stated objective is to prohibit the “importation of goods originating in an Israeli settlement.” It is to apply to every type of goods, whether grown or manufactured, and to raw materials.

“Israeli settlements” are said to be “a city, village or industrial zone located in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including east Jerusalem,” the postal code of which is designated by the EU as ineligible for preferential treatment under the EU/Israel association agreement. Essentially, it is to apply to goods originating from the West Bank, aka Judea and Samaria, and east Jerusalem, and also from Gaza, despite there being no “Israeli settlements” in Gaza since 2005.

The reference to “Israeli settlements” is an intended euphemism for Jewish settlements that presents in the current era as politically more correct and less offensive than using the word “Jewish.” It does not conceal that it is Jews who are intended to be targeted by the Bill, and that is the view of the Irish government that no Jews should reside or work in the specified territories, including east Jerusalem.
Iceland to call for EBU to ban Israel at London meeting in July
The European Broadcast Authority (EBU) will discuss a call from Iceland’s public broadcaster to ban Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest in its upcoming meeting of the EBU General Assembly in London from July 3-4, according to a report in Eurovision Fun News.

The minutes from an April board meeting of RÚV, Iceland’s broadcaster, were just published in European media.

Prior to this year’s Eurovision competition in May, where Israel’s song, “New Day Will Rise” performed by Yuval Raphael came in first in the popular voting and second overall, there were calls from artists and broadcasting authorities throughout Europe to ban Israel’s participation due to the war in Gaza. These broadcasting authorities included Iceland, Slovenia, Finland, the Netherlands, and Ireland. Raphael, a survivor of the Nova Music Festival massacre, gave a heartfelt rendition of the song despite threats and protests over her participation. Following the final, these calls to ban Israel next year intensified.

Just before the competition took place in May, Ireland’s broadcaster was given a commitment from the EBU that the issue of Israel's participation in the song contest would be brought up for "a broader discussion among members,” according to N12.

Voting against Israel
In April, the Icelandic public broadcaster, RÚV, instructed Stefán Eiríksson, its director-general, to vote in favor of excluding Israel from Eurovision and the EBU if the EBU were to consider a proposal to ban Israel. Eiríksson made a presentation about Israel’s participation at the April meeting of its board.

According to the website, Eurovision Fun, the text of the decision by RÚV’s board read:
“The Board of Directors thanks the Director-General for his report on the current state of affairs regarding participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, organized by the EBU. The Board of Directors makes the following recommendations to RÚV:

If a proposal is made at the EBU level to expel the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation from the organization and/or the Eurovision Song Contest due to actions by the Israeli government towards residents of the Gaza Strip, the Board of Directors will recommend that RÚV support such a proposal after consulting with the Board. This recommendation draws on the precedent set with the exclusion of Russia and Belarus, due to the unacceptable actions of their governments.”
House ed panel will keep probing ‘scourge’ of campus Jew-hatred
The House Education and Workforce Committee has been working to fight Jew-hatred “plaguing” U.S. college campuses and will keep fighting that “scourge,” Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), the congressional panel’s chair, said at the March on Washington for Jewish Civil Rights at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday.

“University leaders must be held accountable when they fail to address antisemitism, which happens far too often,” he said.

“Fighting antisemitism means we must understand it,” the congressman told participants. “We have seen college protesters wave signs with slogans like ‘anti-Zionism does not equal antisemitism’ to justify hostile intimidation of Jewish students and faculty.”

School administrators who “refuse to acknowledge this reality” become part of the problem, Walberg stated. “By refusing to act, university presidents tell the world that antisemitic harassment will not be punished, and in some cases, it may even be encouraged.”

Organizers of the march, who declined to be named, told JNS they were “especially moved” by Walberg’s speech.

“All Americans for Jewish civil rights took a step forward with the march yesterday,” they told JNS. “We will not allow violence and discrimination against Jews to become normalized. We refuse to remain silent.

The march was held in memory of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, Israeli embassy staffers shot and killed by a gunman last month outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.


'No one is allowed to take law into their own hands': Netanyahu decries Jewish attack on reservists
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the Jewish rioters who attacked IDF reservists in the West Bank between Friday night and Saturday morning, and called for accountability.

"The State of Israel is a country governed by law, and no one is allowed to take the law into their own hands," he stressed, calling for a thorough investigation.

He added that the suspects represent "a small minority that does not reflect the overwhelming majority of settlers, who respect the law and serve in the IDF and security forces."

Earlier, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir and Defense Minister Israel Katz both condemned the attacks on IDF troops.

"The undermining of the rule of law and the use of violence by an extremist minority harms security and stability in the area," the IDF wrote in a statement.

Israel Katz slams rioters who harm IDF soldiers
Zamir spoke with the commander of Battalion 7114 as well as the commander of the Binyamin Brigade.

"Our mission in this sector is to thwart terrorism. Violent riots harm our ability to carry out this mission — maintaining daily life, protecting the settlements and residents, and preventing terror," Zamir said.

"There is a wonderful, law-abiding community here, and actions like these by a group of extremists primarily harm the population, undermine security in the area, and divert our forces from their primary mission. If this violence and extremism are not dealt with decisively and systematically, it could end in disaster," Zamir stressed.

Katz called on "law enforcement authorities to act immediately to locate anyone who resorted to violence and bring them to justice.

"The State of Israel will not allow violence and those taking the law into their own hands, and will not allow harm to IDF soldiers who are courageously fighting against Palestinian terrorism in Judea and Samaria and protecting the security of the settlers day and night," he said.
PM, defense chiefs condemn settler attack on soldiers; suspects try to torch police post
Israel’s prime minister and defense chiefs on Saturday issued strong condemnations against an attack by a group of West Bank settlers on Israeli soldiers the previous night, days after a deadly settler attack on Palestinians at the same location.

Friday night saw throngs of rioting settlers attack soldiers, including a high-ranking officer, at the Palestinian village of Kafr Malik near Ramallah, after the forces arrived there to prevent them from rampaging in the village. Six Israelis were arrested following the violence.

On Saturday, a police outpost was vandalized by settlers in what authorities said was an apparent act of revenge for the arrest of the six suspects accused in the nighttime attack. The assailants tried to torch the police post in the West Bank settlement of Beit El, causing damage to the door, and spray-painted “revenge fire” on it, according to police.

Police said officers were dispatched “to locate the lawbreakers,” adding that an investigation was opened. No injuries were reported. “This is a grave and violent incident, which constitutes a clear crossing of a red line against the rule of law and sovereignty,” said a statement from the force.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement denouncing the nighttime attack, saying Israel “is a country of laws and no one can take the law into their own hands.”

He also called for an investigation “to bring to justice anyone who violated the law and acted against our soldiers.”

“These people are a small minority who do not represent the absolute majority of settlers, who are law-abiding and serve in the IDF and security forces,” Netanyahu argued.


Key Druze leader Walid Jumblatt calls on Hezbollah to turn over weapons
Walid Jumblatt, a Druze leader in Lebanon who has been a key political player in the country for forty years, has called on Hezbollah to turn over its weapons to the state. This is a potential major turning point in Lebanon and comes in the wake of the defeat of Iran by Israel.

When Hezbollah was defeated by Israel in November 2024, it led to the fall of the Assad regime in Syria. Now the weakening of Iran may also lead to changes in Lebanon.

Asharq al-Awsat, an Arabic newspaper, noted on June 27 that “Lebanon’s veteran Druze leader Walid Jumblatt on Thursday called on the Iran-backed Hezbollah group to hand its weapons over to the state, saying arms must be exclusively under government control.”

Jumblatt is also leader of the Progressive Socialist Party, which is his political vehicle for Druze representation in parliament and holds influence beyond the Druze minority. His voice is important in Lebanon and Syria. “Weapons should only be in the hands of the Lebanese state,” he said. He also said that Sheba’a Farms, an area that Israel calls Mount Dov, is part of Syria. The area is controlled by Israel and has long been claimed by Hezbollah.

Lebanese leader Aoun has called for all parties to disarm
The report noted that “Jumblatt’s appeal comes amid growing international calls for Hezbollah to disarm and for the Lebanese government to implement its longstanding pledge—reiterated in its ministerial statement and by President Joseph Aoun during his swearing-in—to ensure that only state institutions bear arms. His remarks also come as Washington renews its push to resolve files with Syria, including border demarcation, as part of wider regional realignments.”

“There’s a new chapter unfolding in the Middle East,” Jumblatt said. “If any Lebanese or non-Lebanese party possesses weapons, I hope they will hand them over to the state in a proper manner.”
Man Who Killed French Doctor ‘For Allah’ Ruled Not Criminally Responsible
Just three years ago, in Marseille, a young 40-year-old military doctor, Alban Gervaise, was brutally murdered by Mohammed—“in the name of Allah”—in front of his children’s school. There was no minute of silence or national tribute for him. His widow has just learned with horror that her husband’s murderer will not be tried because he has been deemed “mentally unfit to stand trial.”

On May 10th, 2022, Alban Gervaise went to pick up his two children, aged 3 and 7, from a Catholic school in Marseille, accompanied by his youngest daughter, who was then 20 months old. The military doctor was attacked by a madman who stabbed him repeatedly while shouting “Allah Akbar.” He succumbed to his injuries about ten days later.

The brutal murder of Alban Gervaise did not interest the media. A few rare media outlets reported the death of this man “wounded in the throat”—they preferred not to mention that his throat had been slit. A Catholic, a soldier, a husband, and a father, Alban Gervaise was not entitled to a public tribute. The military claimed that his wife had refused to publicise the case, which she vehemently denied. But the public silence surrounding the case suited many people. For Alban’s military friends, “this media silence is a second death.”

As in so many other similar cases, the psychiatric assessment of the suspect, 23-year-old Mohammed L., concluded that he was ‘completely incapable of discernment.’

From the outset, Christelle Gervaise, the doctor’s wife, was alarmed by the conditions under which the psychiatric assessment was carried out. “It is based on what the defendant says. I cannot accept that an expert report is not based on facts,” she explains, pointing out that there is no reference to the investigation file in the psychiatric report.

Very quickly, the terrorist dimension of the act was ruled out, much to the dismay of Alban Gervaise’s family and friends. “If the savage murder of my colleague, as a person, was the result of chance, I remain convinced that the choice of targeting a Catholic school to find a victim was certainly not due to chance,” a retired doctor from Laveran Military Hospital told the weekly magazine Marianne, whose view is widely shared. “There was clearly a desire to punish, to kill, to sacrifice a Christian! This has the same value as if it had happened in a church or in front of a school of another faith! To my knowledge, all the previous incidents have been classified as terrorist acts. Their impact at national and media level has been quite different.”
Rubio meets with hostage families in DC
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met on Friday in Washington with families of hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza, reaffirming the Trump administration’s commitment to securing their release.

Among those in attendance were Moshe Lavi, brother-in-law of hostage Omri Miran; Ilay David, brother of hostage Evyatar David; and Tzur Goldin, brother of Lt. Hadar Goldin, whose body has been held by Hamas since the 2014 war (“Operation Protective Edge”). Recently released hostage Iair Horn also participated, representing his brother Eitan Horn, who remains in captivity.

According to a statement from the Hostage and Missing Families Forum, Rubio pledged the administration’s “unwavering commitment” to securing the release of all 50 remaining captives. He emphasized America’s leadership in past Middle East initiatives and said that, following Israel’s recent operations in Iran and Lebanon, it remains capable of defeating Hamas.

“True victory in Gaza will only be realized when all the hostages return home,” Rubio said.

The families urged President Donald Trump to act decisively, calling the current moment a “critical window of opportunity” for a comprehensive deal.

“We’ve waited long enough,” they said. “It’s time to make brave decisions and bring all our loved ones back.”
'Hamas are coming,' pro-Palestinian group scream at fundraiser attended by Noa Argamani
People, alleged to be members of the University of Windsor's Palestinian Solidarity Group (PSG), yelled “Hamas are coming” and a number of other statements at a fundraiser in Canada attended by former hostage Noa Argamani on Wednesday, the rescued hostage confirmed on X/Twitter on Saturday.

“Hamas came. Hamas kidnapped me. Hamas murdered my friends. But I won; I survived. Now, I speak for those who can’t,” Argamani shared. “I’ll keep exposing Hamas’ crimes and fighting for the hostages’ release—including my partner, Avinatan.

“I refuse to let terror sympathizers control the narrative.”

A video of the incident shared by Argamani claimed that the alleged PSG members also blocked attendees from entering and exiting the building.

Argamani was attending the fundraiser as part of a trip facilitated by the Jewish National Fund (JNF), according to the Toronto Star.




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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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