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Friday, February 27, 2026

02/27 Links Pt1: How The West Aided And Abetted Oct. 7; US UN School Principal for Participating in October 7; US superiority over Iran is obvious, the endgame is not

From Ian:

How The West Aided And Abetted The Oct. 7 Attack On Israel
U.S. contributions to UNRWA, ended in 2018 during Trump’s first term, were reinstated under Biden, sending hundreds of millions of dollars to Hamas via the United Nations “relief” organization. Worse, in the weeks after the attacks, Biden essentially rewarded Iran for funding Hamas, equipping it, and training its terrorists by releasing $6 billion in funds frozen by the Trump administration; ending Trump era oil sanctions, allowing Iran to increase its oil exports by 80%; and granting more than $10 billion in sanction waivers to the Ayatollah’s regime. All of this after Iran not only attacked Israel, but U.S. troops in the Middle East 83 times during Biden’s first two-and-a-half years in office.

In a book that is superb in all but its conclusions, While Israel Slept: How Hamas Surprised the Most Powerful Military in the Middle East (released September 2025), authors Yaakov Katz and Amir Bohbot place a preponderance of blame for the failures of Oct. 7 on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had returned to office as prime minister just nine months before the attack, while the Biden administration is presented as a benevolent, even heroic, protector dealing with an ungrateful client state. That blame can be placed on a succession of governments, ministries, intelligence services, and the IDF there can be no doubt. But the Biden administration was a villain, playing both arsonist and fireman.

Hamas terrorists knew exactly where to go upon breaching the border fence because the Biden administration, following a policy not too dissimilar from the open border policy forced on the America people, pressed the Israelis to issue work visas to Gazans. Netanyahu refused. But the governments of his successors – Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid – issued them by the thousands. Sinwar saw the intelligence gathering opportunity this presented and seized it. The Israelis had unwittingly built a Trojan Horse in which his terrorists would be concealed. Hamas agents, posing as workers, entered Israel and hid weapons, scouted police stations, military bases the IDF thought secret, and kibbutzim, noting who lived where, and even who did and didn’t have a dog.

By the time Netanyahu returned to office in December 2022, he was presented with a fait accompli: more than 20,000 Gazans had work visas. He could cancel them, thereby risking the wrath of the United States and probable riots in Gaza, or maintain the status quo. At this point, it was too late. Not only did the fox already know the layout of the henhouse, but he set the table for the coming feast. Netanyahu’s guilt is, in the main, that of a myriad of others prior to the attack: He didn’t see it coming.

If the young woman who served as my IDF border guide was as yet untouched by cynicism, the same could not be said for SM. You don’t reach this level of the political game with your idealism intact. Former IDF – they all are – and longtime political operator, he’s seen too much. But he’s pleasant, informative, and interested in what I uncovered approximately 265 miles southwest of where we now sit.

For several years I had been investigating USAID corruption throughout South and Central America. I then followed the trail to Cairo. While there, I also wanted to get the Egyptian perspective on the Palestinians. That took only a minute and may be neatly summarized as they don’t want any of them. So, I turned my full attention to USAID. Once a small office within the U.S. Embassy, USAID Cairo was now a stand-alone compound that was more fortress than staging area for American benevolence to the third world. For the uninitiated, USAID has often served as a front for some of the United States government’s more nefarious activities, from forced sterilizations to CIA operations. My visit there would set off a chain reaction of events involving a standoff with the Egyptian secret police, absurd accusations of espionage, a raid on my hotel, and questions from the House Oversight Committee. (You can read the full story here.)

A couple of weeks after I got back to the United States, 19 men, in body armor and wielding AR-15s, surrounded my house in silence and under the cover of darkness in what is known as a “swatting” incident. Is there a connection? Possibly, possibly not. But it seems more than a little coincidental to the Israelis. (The FBI reassures me that they continue to investigate.)
Andrew Fox: Israel needs an Iron Dome to combat disinformation
So what would a serious response look like? How do we create an “Iron Dome” for disinformation?

Firstly, inoculation. Just as vaccines train the immune system, “prebunking” trains the mind. Teach people the common disinformation techniques before they encounter them, and how to spot emotional language, scapegoats, false dilemmas, fake experts, and doctored visuals. When you can name the trick, you are less likely to fall for it.

Secondly, transform media literacy into bias literacy. “Check the URL” is not sufficient. People need to practice recognizing their own psychological triggers: “Am I sharing this because it is true or because it is satisfying?” Develop habits like lateral reading, especially during breaking news: opening new tabs, cross-checking claims, and seeking independent corroboration before reacting or sharing.

Thirdly, redesign the attention economy. When algorithms reward outrage, society will drown in outrage. Platforms should introduce friction to rapid resharing, downrank known falsehoods and coordinated networks, and provide timely context from credible sources. Provenance and authenticity signals for images and videos should become as standard as spam filters. Regulators should demand transparency on political adverts and state-linked outlets without sliding into outright censorship.

Finally, focus on trust and empathy. Corrections land best when delivered by trusted messengers such as community leaders, local journalists, educators, and creators who can speak in a shared language without contempt. Disinformation feeds on social fracture; rebuilding civic trust is part of the cure.

In the social media age, truth will never be effortless again, but it can still win if we stop treating disinformation as a nuisance and start treating it as a psychological assault on the public mind.
Andrew Fox: US superiority over Iran is obvious, the endgame is not
Iran’s retaliation options are not limited to shooting down aircraft. Tehran can deploy asymmetric means: missile and drone strikes on regional infrastructure, harassment of shipping, blocking the Strait of Hormuz, cyber operations, and proxy violence. It is reported that Iranian military figures have warned of a shift away from “restrained retaliation” in response to any US attack, including the possibility of targeting US assets in the Persian Gulf region. The point is not that Iran can defeat the United States militarily (it cannot), but that it can force Washington to defend a broad perimeter while undertaking an air campaign, and that it can do so in ways that increase the risk of miscalculation and escalation.

There are even darker escalation pathways. If the regime believes it is facing extinction, it might choose options it would normally avoid because they could provoke catastrophic retaliation. We must seriously consider the logic of a cornered state: if the leadership believes the end is near, the temptation to shock, terrorise, or internationalise the conflict increases, or even deploy chemical or biological weapons. The best approach is through deterrence and risk management, but nonetheless, it remains a vital part of the strategic landscape that any serious planner must evaluate.

US military planning will expect sustained, weeks-long operations against Iran if the president orders an attack, on a scale far beyond a one-night “message strike”. Whether this becomes reality depends not only on military feasibility but also on how quickly the White House can turn bombing into a genuine political collapse inside Iran. If that collapse does not materialise, the Trump administration will be tempted to limit objectives: target nuclear and missile infrastructure, punish command nodes, then cease while claiming victory, leaving the regime bruised but still standing. This temptation grows with each week the regime survives, as every additional week of operations turns a war plan into a domestic political liability.

The military outcome of a strike campaign is never uncertain if the question is whether the United States can destroy what it can locate. The more difficult question is whether destroying what they find leads to the political results Washington desires. Airpower can coerce, degrade, terrify, and even trigger internal collapse if the regime is already decaying and an alternative power is ready to take advantage. However, decades of such operations show that air campaigns do not create legitimacy, govern territory, or shape the internal deals that determine who rules when the bombs cease. Aerial dominance does not equate to lasting political control, and “victory” defined solely in terms of target destruction often results in complex, long-term instability.

These are the risks. That said, it is entirely possible that the planned campaign will achieve great success and will lead to a smooth transition to a democratic and free Iran. This is not out of the question. However, the regime has learned that survival is the key to success, and it will now organise itself around staying alive rather than appearing strong. It can adapt tactically more quickly than Western publics can respond emotionally. It can raise costs without securing victory, and even if Washington can destroy the tools of Iranian power from the air, it cannot simply bomb its way to a clean succession.

The United States will be able to break Iranian capabilities. Whether it can break the regime’s grip, and what, exactly, replaces it if it does, is the part that should keep us skeptical of anyone guaranteeing a short war with a neat ending.


Americans more sympathetic to Palestinians than Israelis for first time in Gallup poll
More Americans are sympathetic to Palestinians than to Israelis for the first time since Gallup began tracking the question in 2001, according to a survey that the polling group released on Friday.

From 2001 to 2025, Israelis consistently enjoyed double-digit leads over the Palestinians in the reported sympathies of American adults.

In the latest Gallup poll, 41% of Americans answered “Palestinians” to the question, “In the Middle East situation, are your sympathies more with the Israelis or more with the Palestinians?” Just 36% say their sympathies are more with Israelis, a 22 percentage point decline from Gallup’s February 2023 poll before the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.

Gallup surveyed 1,001 U.S. adults from Feb. 2-16, 2026, with a margin of error of plus or minus 6 percentage points.

In line with other polling in recent years on similarly phrased questions, Gallup found strong partisan and generational differences in how Americans view the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Democrats and Americans aged 18-34 are the most likely to report being more pro-Palestinian than pro-Israel, with Palestinians beating Israelis in sympathy among Democrats by 48 percentage points and among young adults by 30.

Support for Israel has declined substantially among all age groups and among independents since before Oct. 7. Support for Israel has also lessened among Republicans in the last three years, although they remain far more likely to report supporting Israel (70%) than the Palestinians (13%).

While Democrats and young Americans have been trending away from support for Israelis and towards Palestinians for about a decade, Gallup describes the attitude among Americans aged 35 to 54 as having shifted “decisively” in the past year.

“In 2026, 46% say they sympathize more with the Palestinians, compared with 28% who sympathize more with the Israelis,” Gallup writes. “This is a near reversal of opinion among this age group compared with 2025, when 45% gave more sympathy to the Israelis and 33% to the Palestinians.”


France indicts five for sending Hamas $47 million disguised as ‘aid’
Prosecutors in France have indicted five people for financing Hamas to the tune of at least $47 million through at least two associations described as focused on humanitarian aid, according to French media reports.

The suspects, who have not been named, are linked to the Humani’Terre and Soutien Humani’Terre associations, Le Journal du Dimanche newspaper reported. Last year, France’s Interior Ministry said it was freezing the funds of that association and people linked to it, including a Jordan-born attorney named Khaled al-Shouli, 60.

Al-Shouli was among the lawyers representing alleged victims of Israel in a petition submitted in August 2024 to the International Criminal Court, arguing it had jurisdiction to issue a warrant for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. That action and others resulted in an arrest warrant issued by the ICC against Netanyahu in November 2024.

The Hamas-affiliated Quds News Network quoted Al-Shouli as saying in June 2023 that an earlier appeal to the ICC against Israel was a form of “resistance” to the “occupation.” This “justified all forms of the Palestinian resistance,” he said, using a formulation that is widely understood to be a euphemism for violence.

Le Journal du Dimanche quoted sources at France’s National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office, who said the defendants had sent funds to Hamas under the cover of humanitarian aid.

The suspects are under judicial supervision and being investigated for financing a terrorist organization, organized breach of trust and money laundering related to terrorism, according to the report. The charges follow recent searches conducted at Humani’Terre’s offices and at the homes and offices of current or former association officials.

The indictments follow an investigation opened on Nov. 3, 2023, shortly after Hamas’s terrorist attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Authorities conducted searches on Jan. 31, 2024, seizing computer equipment and financial documents from the associations.
France denies role in drafting Palestinian constitution enshrining ‘pay for slay’
France did not take part in drafting the Palestinian Authority’s proposed constitution released earlier this month, which enshrines payments to terrorists in Israeli prisons, the French Embassy in Israel told Jewish Insider, despite PA President Mahmoud Abbas and French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement of a joint committee on the matter last year.

The embassy told JI that the constitution’s “first draft was not written in coordination with France, and we were exposed to it with the broader public.”

“As part of the joint committee to strengthen the building of a Palestinian state … a delegation of French constitutional law experts is expected to examine the draft that was published and present recommendations,” the embassy spokeswoman stated.

Ofer Bronchtein, Macron’s advisor on Israeli-Palestinian affairs, told JI that the committee had met “here and there,” but like the embassy spokeswoman, did not know when they would meet next.

France recognized a Palestinian state last September and after Abbas wrote a letter to Macron saying he was committed to a two-state solution while calling for “an end of the Israeli occupation.” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot interpreted the letter as promising “the end of allowances for the families of prisoners convicted on terrorism offences.”

Macron and Abbas met in Paris in November to announce a committee to establish the framework for a Palestinian state, including drafting a constitution. France reportedly raised concerns to the Palestinians about its practice of paying terrorists and their families, and Macron said after the meeting that Abbas agreed to an audit by an American company to ensure that the payments had ended.

Abbas had previously promised to stop the payments to terrorists last February, yet i24News reported on Wednesday that the PA had paid NIS 500 million ($161 million) to terrorists and their families in the past year. The PA has granted monthly payments, higher than the average Palestinian salary, to those imprisoned for committing or attempting acts of terror, or to their families. The amount paid increases with a longer prison sentence, thus incentivizing killing more Israelis.

The day before the presidents’ meeting, Abbas fired his finance minister, Omar Bitar, for continuing the payments, but Israel has accused Abbas of not intending to end the program, called “pay for slay” by its critics.

The PA draft constitution, published this month, includes two articles guaranteeing “protection and care for the families of martyrs, and the wounded, and prisoners, and those released from the occupation prisons, and the victims of genocide,” as well as “comprehensive care for the families of martyrs, the wounded, and prisoners, and those released.” One of the articles is part of the “public rights and freedoms” chapter, of which the draft states: “it is not permissible to conduct any constitutional amendment.”

The French Embassy said that when it comes to “the matter of ‘pay for slay,’ our stance is known and clear: This phenomenon must stop. The PA made a commitment to France on this matter, and it will be examined through an independent audit. We will act with determination and without compromising on this matter.”
Israel OKs 1,300 homes in Samaria’s Kedumim
The Supreme Planning Council of the Israeli Defense Ministry’s Civil Administration on Thursday approved the construction of more than 1,300 housing units in the western Samaria community of Kedumim.

The 1,338 homes in the planned Nahalat Esther neighborhood will more than double the size of Kedumim, which currently has some 4,850 residents living in around 1,050 households, Israel National News reported. The roughly 60-acre neighborhood will feature a green valley at its center.

In total, the Kedumim Local Council is planning 3,000 homes in four planned neighborhoods, according to the report.

Kedumin Local Council head Oziel Vatik welcomed the final approval of Nahalat Esther, calling it a “historic day” in the community’s 50th year.

“We are setting out on a new path of growth, construction and renewal, for the benefit of the founding generation and for generations to come,” he said. “Kedumim, a pioneer of settlement in Samaria, is now rising to the next level of development as it continues to grow, expand and lead.”

Vatik in the statement thanked Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a resident of Kedumim who also serves as a minister in the Defense Ministry responsible for civilian matters in Judea and Samaria.

Smotrich and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have led an unprecedented drive to expand Israel’s hold on Judea and Samaria.

Over the past 24 months, the two leaders oversaw the establishment of 69 communities, approved more than 60,000 housing units and classified tens of thousands of hectares of land as state property.
David Harsanyi: What Trump should tell the public about Iran
The Iran Firsters in the U.S., which include isolationists like Tucker Carlson and liberal leftists like Ben Rhodes (whose antagonism toward the Jewish State was so extreme that his nickname in the anti-Israel Obama White House was “Hamas”), want the mullahs to obtain nuclear weapons. Their hatred of Israel and Jews has led them to become apologists for the most corrupt, violent and illiberal regime on the planet.

They like to point out that international leaders have been warning Iran was on the cusp of developing nuclear weapons for decades, and yet it’s never come true. Indeed, Iran can sit perniciously close to weaponizing its uranium for a long time. But the Iranian program has been slowed by the U.S., Israel, and probably other nations, through cyber warfare, clandestine operations, assassinations, sabotage and military efforts. Every time we interrupt the clerics, they become more sophisticated and more careful.

Never once will any of Iran’s Western propagandists, however, concede that Iran can choose peace whenever it likes. What the U.S. is reportedly asking of the mullahs in Geneva is completely reasonable for a signer of the nonproliferation pact:

First, Iran must completely dismantle its nuclear sites and programs. If the Iranian regime truly has no interest in obtaining nuclear power, as it claims, this should be no problem. We bombed the country once, and we could do it again.

Second, Iran needs to hand over existing stockpiles of enriched uranium to the U.S. The only reason Iran has them is for a nuclear weapons program. If Iran wants a reactor to continue low-level enrichment for medical purposes, it’s welcome to it.

Three, unlike the toothless deal agreed to by Barack Obama, a new deal can have no sunset clauses. No enrichment ever. Islamist warmongers shouldn’t get their hands on weapons of mass destruction today, or in 10 or 20 years.

Four, no sanctions relief until Iran upholds its end of the agreement. “Supreme Leader” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has never been voted into any office by the people of Iran, refers to the U.S. as “the most wicked, sinister enemy.” Khomeinism is a zero-sum apocalyptic cult. The clerics are not rational actors who can be trusted to sign and abide by international agreements.

Iran is an enemy of the U.S. Of our allies. Of Christians. Of peaceful Muslims. We are not the world’s policemen, but we also can’t turn inward and ignore reality and long-term threats. One of the slogans of the Islamic Revolution is “America can’t do a damn thing against us.”

But that isn’t the case, is it?
Trump ‘not thrilled’ with Iran negotiations
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Friday that he is displeased with the progress of talks with Iran intended to address the Islamic Republic’s nuclear and ballistic-missile programs.

Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House on Friday afternoon before boarding Marine One for a trip to Texas, the president accused Iran of negotiating in bad faith.

“We’re not exactly happy with the way they negotiated,” Trump said. “They cannot have nuclear weapons, and we’re not thrilled with the way they’re negotiating.”

“It’d be wonderful if they negotiate, really, in good conscience—good faith and conscience—but they are not getting there so far,” Trump added.

Trump has ordered a massive U.S. military buildup in the Middle East during the talks with Iran, the most recent round of which concluded in Geneva on Thursday.

Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who is mediating the talks, said on Thursday that Iran and the United States had made “significant progress” and that the two sides had exchanged “creative and positive ideas.”

During his State of the Union address on Tuesday, Trump accused Iran of continuing to pursue nuclear weapons, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday that Iran is seeking to develop ballistic missiles that could reach the continental United States.


UN watchdog says it can’t verify whether Iran has suspended all uranium enrichment
Iran has not allowed the United Nations nuclear agency access to its nuclear facilities bombed by Iran and the United States during a 12-day war in June, according to a confidential report by the watchdog circulated to member states and seen Friday by The Associated Press.

The report from the International Atomic Energy Agency stressed that it “cannot verify whether Iran has suspended all enrichment-related activities,” or the “size of Iran’s uranium stockpile at the affected nuclear facilities.”

The report also said some of Iran’s most highly enriched uranium, close to weapons grade, was stored in an underground area of its nuclear site in Isfahan. It was the first time the IAEA has reported where uranium enriched to up to 60% purity, close to the 90% of weapons grade, has been stored. The tunnel complex’s entrance was hit in US and Israeli military strikes last year but the facility seems largely unharmed, diplomats say.

Iran has four declared enrichment facilities, but the report warned that because of the lack of access, the IAEA “cannot provide any information on the current size, composition or whereabouts of the stockpile of enriched uranium in Iran.”

The report stressed that the “loss of continuity of knowledge … needs to be addressed with the utmost urgency.”

While Iran, whose leaders are sworn to Israel’s destruction, denies seeking nuclear arms, it has enriched uranium to levels that have no peaceful application, obstructed international inspectors from checking its nuclear facilities, and expanded its ballistic missile capabilities. The US is seeking a deal to limit Iran’s nuclear program and ensure it does not develop nuclear weapons.

Highly enriched material should be verified regularly
The IAEA reported that Iran had informed the agency in a letter dated February 2 that normal safeguards were “legally untenable and materially impracticable,” as a result of threats and “acts of aggression.”

The confidential report also said Friday that Iran did provide access to IAEA inspectors “to each of the unaffected nuclear facilities at least once” since June 2025, with the exception of a power plant at Karun that is under construction.

Iran is legally obliged to cooperate with the IAEA under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, but suspended all cooperation after the war with Israel.
Rubio to travel to Israel amid Iran tensions
The U.S. State Department announced that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will proceed with his trip to Israel on March 2-3.

The trip falls within the 10- to 15-day window U.S. President Donald Trump gave to Iran on Feb. 19 to reach a deal with the United States.

“The Secretary will discuss a range of regional priorities, including Iran, Lebanon and ongoing efforts to implement President Trump’s 20-Point Peace Plan for Gaza,” Tommy Pigott, principal deputy spokesperson for the State Department, stated on Feb. 27.

On Feb. 26, Rubio called Iran’s refusal to discuss its ballistic missile program “a big problem” and an “unsustainable threat” to the American home front.

The news comes as the U.S. authorized non-emergency staff to leave Israel over the potential danger of a war with Iran, and issued a travel advisory.

Dylan Johnson, assistant secretary of state for global and public affairs, stated that Rubio would still travel to Israel, even if non-emergency staff leave the country.


Hidden camera video outlines alleged Iran-linked plot to kill Trump
Anewly released undercover video shown in a Brooklyn courtroom captures an alleged Iran-linked operative describing a 2024 plot to assassinate Donald Trump.

The operative who prosecutors say tried to hire two men to kill Trump for $5,000 upfront demonstrated the plan by placing a vape pen on a napkin to signify his “target,” the hidden camera video released by the New York Post shows.

“This is the target. How will it die?” Asif Merchant said in the meeting.

Merchant, 47, a Pakistani national who entered the United States in April 2024, is accused of attempting to recruit individuals he believed were hired killers.

Prosecutors said he offered cash payments and discussed staging a protest near a campaign rally to create confusion and allow the attackers to escape.

Although Trump was not explicitly named in the recorded exchanges, court documents show that he – then a leading candidate – was the intended target, the Post reported.

Prosecutors allege Merchant believed Trump’s policies had harmed Muslim-majority countries and acted with backing from individuals allegedly connected to Iran.

The scheme began to unravel when a Pakistani-American acquaintance, a former US Army linguist, alerted authorities after growing suspicious of Merchant’s plans. The FBI then arranged undercover meetings that were secretly recorded.


Trump Admin Blacklists UN School Principal for Participating in October 7
The Trump administration formally blacklisted a principal at a United Nations school in Gaza after federal investigators unearthed evidence that he participated in the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks as a member of Hamas's East Jabaliya Battalion, the Washington Free Beacon has learned. It is the first time the United States has banned a terrorist affiliated with a U.N. humanitarian agency from participating in U.S. foreign aid projects, according to a nonpublic investigative summary provided to Congress and reviewed by the Free Beacon.

The State Department this week informed U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) school principal Hafez Mousa Mohammed Mousa that he is now on the U.S. government's blacklist, prohibiting him from participating in all American foreign aid projects for a period of 10 years. The Trump administration made the determination after the United States Agency for International Development's inspector general, an independent investigatory agency, documented conclusive evidence that Mousa moonlighted as a high-ranking Hamas captain.

"Mousa is an operative of the Hamas East Jabaliya Battalion and coordinated communications with other suspected Hamas members during the October 7 attacks while serving as an UNRWA school principal," the inspector general wrote. Mousa allegedly closed his UNRWA school early on October 7 and contacted at least 20 fellow Hamas operatives, ordering them to infiltrate Israel "with cars and weapons," according to the State Department.

A USAID spokesman, who confirmed the enforcement action against Moussa, said other Hamas-linked UNRWA staffers will face similar repercussions in the coming months as part of a larger administration effort to ensure U.S. taxpayers do not fund terror-tied foreign entities. The USAID inspector general—the chief oversight authority responsible for tracking U.S. foreign aid—has conducted an investigation into UNRWA for months and built a list designed to prevent Hamas-linked employees from working in the U.N. aid system ever again, the Free Beacon reported in November.

"We are incredibly proud of this investigation," the USAID spokesman said. "The Trump Administration will not tolerate taxpayer dollars failing into the hands of terrorists. This debarment is part of an ongoing effort and you can expect similar actions to follow."
World Bank faces calls to fire Israel-bashing top economist who sued Trump over sanctions against his wife
The World Bank is facing calls to fire an Israel-bashing top economist who sued President Trump over US sanctions that were slapped on his wife, a UN human rights lawyer, for alleged antisemitism and support of terrorism, The Post has learned.

Two US officials want the World Bank to boot Massimiliano Cali, who works in the bank’s Middle East and North Africa unit, after he filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday on behalf of his wife Francesca Albanese — the UN special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories whose inflammatory statements drew sanctions last year.

Cali himself has made anti-Israel comments that have caused concern inside the bank and may violate its code of conduct on social media use, according to sources inside the international lender.

The Italian, who declined to comment, made waves internally for a string of now-deleted posts in which he labeled Israel, a World Bank member, as a “colonial and apartheid project” that is “perpetrating a genocide in Gaza.”

“If the Bank is truly committed to enforcing its own guidelines for employee conduct, this staffer seems to be in willful, blatant violation of those rules. It is obvious that they should be dismissed,” a US official told The Post.


IDF says it struck Hamas operatives after gunmen emerged from tunnel in Rafah
Hamas’s civil defense agency reported seven people killed in IDF strikes in Gaza on Friday, as the military said it struck Hamas operatives throughout the Strip after several Palestinian gunmen emerged from a tunnel in southern Gaza’s Rafah.

According to Palestinian media, five people were killed in pre-dawn IDF strikes on facilities of the Hamas-run police stations in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis and central Gaza’s Bureij refugee camp.

Hamas, in a statement, confirmed that “some police sites were targeted tonight and several officers killed,” and accused Israel of committing a “blatant [ceasefire] violation under false pretenses.”

Another two people were reportedly killed in separate IDF strikes in northern Gaza’s Beit Lahiya in the morning and in a displaced people’s camp in Khan Younis in the afternoon.

Khan Younis resident Ahmad Mohammad Joudeh said of the people killed in Khan Younis overnight that “Israeli aircraft bombed them mercilessly, without warning, without knowing whether they were civilians or soldiers.”

“You just need to move, to meet with your neighbor, to gather with friends late at night at one or three in the morning, and they will strike you,” he said.


Jonny Gould: "I was taught to hate them. Now they're my people" - Rawan Osman | Jonny Gould’s Jewish State Ep 198
How do you unlearn a lifetime of state-sponsored hate? What happens when the "enemy" you were taught to loathe becomes your home?

In this provocative conversation, I meet Rawan Osman - a woman of Syrian and Lebanese heritage who grew up in a world where the "Jew" was the ultimate, untouchable enemy. Rawan’s worldview shattered during a simple trip to a grocery store in France. What started as a visceral panic attack at the sight of Hebrew turned into a life-altering epiphany. "That gentleman converted me from an enemy to an ally simply by deciding to be kind," she says.

It wasn’t just a change of heart; it was a total identity reset. From the discovery of her Mizrahi Jewish blood to the "chutzpah" of a tradition that encourages you to argue with God, Rawan deconstructs the patterns of prejudice with unflinching clarity. But what is the personal cost of choosing conviction over comfort? How do you rebuild an identity when your family and friends remove themselves from your world? Rawan offers a raw, rare roadmap for finding truth in a region defined by shadows. This isn’t just a conversion story - it’s a wake-up call for the future of the Middle East.


Erin Molan: If Trump Doesn’t Act… The West Falls.
President Trump faces a defining decision on Iran — and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

As the largest U.S. military buildup in the Middle East since 2003 unfolds, tensions with Iran are rising — and the consequences go far beyond Tehran. In this urgent conversation, Erin Molan is joined by Eric Stakelbeck, host of Stackelbeck Tonight and The Watchman, to break down what happens next.

If America steps back… who steps in?
If President Trump acts… what changes?

From Iran’s regime and its alliance with China, Russia, and North Korea — to Europe’s cultural crisis, mass migration, and the 2028 U.S. election — this episode asks the question many are afraid to confront:

Is America truly the last line of defense for Western civilization?

This is not just about foreign policy.
It’s about the future of the West.

⏱️ CHAPTERS
00:28 – The Imminent Question: Is a Strike on Iran Coming?
01:55 – Trump’s Red Line & U.S. Military Buildup
03:21 – The Iranian People vs. The Regime
04:31 – China, Russia & The “Gathering Storm Coalition”
06:59 – India, Israel & Shifting Global Alliances
09:30 – Europe’s Cultural Crisis & “Cultural Confidence”
13:31 – 2028 & Why America May Be The West’s Last Hope


Seth Mandel: The Problem of Anti-Americanism
Sure, Carlson has focused most acutely, at least of late, on spreading anti-Semitism, the one activity that seems to bring him any true joy and the reason he gets out of bed in the morning. But in his promotion of those who question whether the Allies were actually the villains of World War II, Tucker and his guests muse over whether American and Britain are actually much worse than the Nazis.

On the left, there’s the “pro-Palestine” protest movement that is often just as openly anti-American as Carlson. Anti-Israel encampments featured “Death to America” signs. Pamphlets at the University of Michigan’s pro-Hamas demonstrations proclaimed: “Ultimately, our main task as revolutionaries in the United States remains to be the unmaking of the American empire.” There was also the simpler “Freedom for Palestine means Death to America.”

In North Carolina, protesters took down the American flag. So did demonstrators at Yale, where students could see protest signs saying “the United States of AmeriKKKa is a death country.” In Washington DC, protesters set fire to an American flag.

And why would it be any different? After all, these schools are teaching “decolonization theory” that sees the U.S. as the center of “colonialism and imperialism” akin to the way Iranian figures argue that the U.S. is the “Great Satan” and Israel merely the “Little Satan.”

Then there is the fact that the propaganda flowing through left-wing institutions—including universities and the media—is enabled by propagandists for the Chinese Communist Party and spread on Chinese-controlled social media.

These aren’t “critics of Israel.” They are useful idiots for America’s most powerful enemies no less than similar-minded activists were during the Cold War. It’s naïve in the extreme to think that these latest “sympathy” polls are merely an Israeli public-relations crisis and not a sign that America’s domestic extremists are on the march.
Conservative Jewish professor who rejected Hitler comparisons invokes one for Carlson
In the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election, Jeffrey Lax, a descendant of Holocaust survivors who has lobbied against antisemitism at the college where he teaches, criticized liberals who compared Donald Trump to Hitler.

Now Lax, a law professor who defines himself as center-right and appears frequently on Newsmax and Fox News, is rethinking the idea of modern-day Hitler comparisons. In fact, he’s ringing that bell on a key Trump ally: Tucker Carlson.

“I never, ever, thought this day would come, but for the first time in my life, I am going to compare a human being to Adolph Hitler,” Lax tweeted on Friday. “Understand that I am the grandchild of 4 Holocaust survivors. I’ve spent a lifetime urging people NOT to compare anyone to Hitler. But… Tucker Carlson’s views, rhetoric, and influence remind me of Adolph Hitler.”

Lax was responding to Vice President JD Vance’s favorable comments about the interview Carlson, a far-right pundit, did last week with Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel. The interview ignited new allegations of antisemitism, but Vance did not suggest any concern. That, Lax says, is a big problem.

“This situation is as dead serious as a heart attack, and with @JDVance now expressly and abhorrently legitimizing Carlson’s views, we are in a national Antisemitism State of Emergency,” Lax continued.

It was a dramatic outlay of angst about antisemitism on the right for a figure who has campaigned against left-wing anti-Israel activism at the City University of New York, where he teaches. But Lax said in an interview that he could not remain silent.

“For me to get to this point, it had to be something that was so deeply disturbing on many levels,” he said. Carlson’s call for genetic testing for Jews, he said, crossed that line. “If anything I’ve ever heard is Hitler-esque, when you talk about Jews having to prove that they’re Jews with DNA — if DNA testing was available in the days of Hitler, do you not think that Hitler would have used it?”

Lax emphasized that he was speaking specifically of “early Hitler, the early years, before he took power, before he actually, physically caused anybody to be killed. I’m talking about the rhetoric. He could’ve been stopped at that point. People didn’t take Hitler seriously.”
Tucker Thought We Wouldn't Notice This (We did)
Tucker Carlson tried to pull the rug out from under Israel’s very foundation, but what if the real story completely flips the script? In this episode of "Basic Law", you’ll learn why the viral “gotcha” about Israel’s Law of Return and the Brother Daniel case doesn’t unravel the Jewish claim to the land, but actually reveals the deep, complex evolution of Jewish identity in the modern world. Aylana Meisel cuts through the half-truths, exposing how history, law, exile, survival and sovereignty collide in ways most commentators conveniently ignore. You’ll walk away understanding not just what the Law of Return really says, but what Israel’s identity debates teach the entire West about nationhood, borders and self-determination in an age allergic to all three.


Prince Harry & Meghan Visit Jordan NGO Employing Staff Who Posted Pro-Hamas Content
Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, arrived in Jordan this week on a surprise visit reportedly coordinated with World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The trip, announced under 24 hours in advance, included meetings in Amman with WHO representatives and participants from various humanitarian bodies, including the United Nations. The couple also visited the sprawling Za’atari Refugee Camp, home to tens of thousands of displaced Syrians.

But it was their final stop – a youth center operated by the Jordanian NGO Questscope – that raises serious and unavoidable questions.

The Questscope Connection
Questscope presents itself as a youth-focused humanitarian organization operating across Jordan.

However, a review of publicly available social media posts from several individuals identified as staff members reveals content that goes far beyond humanitarian advocacy.

HonestReporting has verified that the Facebook accounts in question belong to the individuals identified as Questscope staff.

Among the material shared:
- Images glorifying Hamas-affiliated militants
- Posts praising armed “resistance”
- Graphics celebrating rocket attacks launched from Gaza
- Repeated assertions that “Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine”
- Imagery associated with organizations designated as terrorist groups by the United States and the United Kingdom

In one instance, a staff member shared an image of masked militants wearing Hamas headbands. In another, posts echoed messaging closely aligned with Hamas narratives during periods of escalation.


Winston Churchill statue daubed with graffiti calling him ‘Zionist war criminal’
The statue of Sir Winston Churchill in Westminster has been defaced with graffiti branding the former prime minister a “Zionist war criminal”.

Other phrases including “Stop the Genocide” and “Free Palestine” were sprayed in red paint on the bronze sculpture in Parliament Square, Westminster.

Further graffiti read “Never again is Now” and “Globalise the Intifada”.

The statue has been cordoned off and was being cleaned on Friday morning.

The Metropolitan Police said officers were alerted shortly after 4am and were on scene within two minutes. In a statement, a spokesperson said: “Overnight, the Winston Churchill statue in Parliament Square was graffitied with red paint.” Police confirmed that a 38-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated criminal damage and remains in custody.

A spokesperson for the Jewish Leadership Council said: “We are disgusted by the defacing of the Churchill statue in Parliament Square. In targeting the statue of a British hero who led this country in the fight against the Nazis, the perpetrator has found a perverse way to combine a hatred of Jews with a disdain for Britain.”


Anti-Israel activist Nerdeen Kiswani sues Betar USA, alleging violation of civil rights
The founder of radical pro-Palestinian group Within Our Lifetime has sued the right-wing militant Zionist group Betar USA, alleging that it violated her civil rights by putting out social media “bounties” on her and harassing her with beepers.

Anti-Israel activist Nerdeen Kiswani announced she had filed the lawsuit on Wednesday evening. She accused the revamped historic Revisionist Zionist group of violating the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, which makes conspiring against an ethnic minority a federal crime.

The lawsuit comes more than a month after Betar USA agreed to cease its operations in New York following a settlement with the state’s attorney general, which Kiswani’s lawsuit notes. The office of Attorney General Letitia James found that Betar USA had engaged in a “campaign of violence, harassment, and intimidation against Arab, Muslim and Jewish New Yorkers.”

“For years, Betar USA stalked & harassed me even offering $1,800 for someone to hand me a beeper while I was pregnant,” Kiswani wrote on X. “Last month, the NY AG found they engaged in bias-motivated harassment and threats. Still, they faced no real consequences. So I’m filing a lawsuit.” She included a crowdfunding link for the suit, which has raised $4,000 in the first 16 hours.

In a statement, Betar USA called Kiswani a “terror supporter” and called the suit “an attack on Zionism itself” that “represents a serious danger to American and diaspora Jewry.” In a follow-up post on X, the group also said it welcomed a deposition against Kiswani and Within Our Lifetime, adding, “Let’s see where the money is coming from and how much you’ve cost NYC.”

Kiswani, an ethnic Palestinian born in Jordan who came to the United States as a refugee at 1 year old, has sparked outrage and accusations of antisemitism in New York and beyond with her pro-Palestinian activism and aggressive attitude toward Zionists.

“We don’t want zionists in Palestine, NYC, our schools, on the train, ANYWHERE,” she tweeted after a man was arrested for allegedly calling to eject Zionists from a subway car.




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