Thursday, August 06, 2026

08/05 Links Pt1: Two IDF soldiers killed, four seriously injured in southern Lebanon; Gen. Kellogg: Trump should stop negotiating and win against Iran; The Meaning of Haley Stevens’s Defeat

From Ian:

Gen. Keith Kellogg: Trump should stop negotiating and win against Iran
The American way of war from the Revolutionary War to World War II was straightforward. We did not fight to negotiate; we fought to win.

Americans traditionally support winners. There will be those who disagree about how to fight a war, but few can ever argue with winning. Unfortunately, today we are told negotiation is winning. It is not.

Our Founding Fathers put the awesome responsibility of commander in chief in the hands of our elected president in Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution. They presupposed that whoever was elected by the people had the wisdom to act in the best interests of our nation. In today’s world, for better or worse, that is extended by inference to the president’s advisers as well. So, the fundamental question of winning is more relevant than ever before.

I, like many others, am asking: Do we still have the will to prosecute a war to a successful conclusion? This can be simply defined as the ability to bend an enemy to our will while making minimal to no concessions. In short, do we still have what it takes to commit to the American way of war?

By extension, do the president’s advisers, from the vice president down, subscribe to that as well?

Based on the latest developments regarding Iran, I am increasingly concerned about the answer to that question. It seems the American people are being told that negotiations to a satisfactory outcome for both sides are a win-win. That is wrong. If you believe the purpose of war is a means to negotiate, then you have already lost. You wage war to win. Period.

If I were advising a commander in chief in the current conditions, here is what I would recommend.

Bring the American people along in the decision process. History has shown that Americans will sacrifice when they are brought to understand the gravity of the situation. When Americans understand that we are fighting for tomorrow and not for today, they will rally. Americans always believe in an end state that improves the future for our children and grandchildren, namely, a world of increased safety and prosperity. The president needs to explain why the fight in Iran is that fight.

Second, you cannot prosecute a war like a business deal. War is too difficult to leave to chair-bound critics, people who lack an understanding of the principles of conflict or those who contemplate dollar signs rather than strategy. This is especially true of proactive military action, or a war of choice. This is also why this war must be won, not managed. Wars of choice carry a higher threshold. Choosing to go is different from being forced to go or acting in self-defense; this is why winning matters even more. Losing a war of choice erodes deterrence more rapidly and diminishes a nation’s ability to project power.

Next, critics will always object to war and the process of war. They need to be made irrelevant during the decision-making process. Iterative decision-making is important, and sharing diverse perspectives during the national security decision-making process is critical. However, once the decision to go is made, everyone needs to be fully committed and rowing in the same direction. Internal dissent leaked to the press after an operation has begun is dangerous and places the entire operation at risk.

I recall a comment from Colin Powell, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during the 1991 Persian Gulf War. When asked about the military strategy against the Iraqi army, he said, “Our strategy in going after this army is very, very simple. First, we’re going to cut it off, and then we’re going to kill it.”

I was serving in the Gulf at the time, on the ground with the 82nd Airborne Division, and his comment, as the principal military adviser to the president, gave those of us deployed forward the confidence in our military and our commander in chief that we would fight this war to a successful conclusion. We would win it.
Melanie Phillips: My message to CENTCOM
Dear CENTCOM,
Your entire strategy is totally wrong from start to finish. Your aim is to wear down the regime until it agrees to your terms. This is a foundational error. Your aim should be instead regime change by destroying the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) that wields power in Iran.

I would say this to your Commander-in-Chief, but he hasn’t asked.

This is why America should change its strategy.

Understand that all negotiation with the regime is worse than pointless. Their agenda is non-negotiable. You cannot negotiate with fanatics who believe that producing an apocalypse will bring to earth the Shia messiah. They never, ever negotiate in good faith. They always lie. Negotiation to them is merely an opportunity to delay, to obfuscate and to exploit the weakness of America, which refracts everything through the Western belief in the overriding impulse of self-interest. This is laughable. The Iranian regime believes it has a divine command to destroy the west. America’s attachment to negotiation merely tells the regime it’s on course to achieve America’s defeat.

End the incoherent thinking. President Trump talks of forcing the regime to surrender. But he’s also pushing for a negotiated deal. Surrender is the outcome of defeat. A negotiated deal is the outcome of concessions on both sides. So which is it? It can’t be both.

Stop thinking that the regime has a pain threshold. Trump said last week: “We’ll be hitting them very hard, and you know, at some point, they’re going to say, ‘We just can’t take it anymore.’”

That point will never arrive. The regime can take infinite pain. It’s prepared to sacrifice the Iranian people and see the country’s infrastructure destroyed. As long as the regime survives in some form, it will think it’s won because it can always regroup and continue with its infernal agenda, however long it takes. Which it will do. Bombing even more stuff will therefore have only a limited effect.

Change your war aim to regime change — the only way to neutralise the unconscionable menace those fanatics represent for their people, the region and the world. That means empowering the heroic people of Iran to take their country back. That means in turn preventing the IRGC from being able to continue to jail and torture them, hang them and mow them down in the streets. That means destroying the IRGC.

How? Ask the Israelis.

Bid farewell to Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. They are hopelessly compromised by their financial interests in the region. Their negotiations in both Gaza and Iran have been demonstrably farcical. Many lives have been needlessly lost as a result. They should be removed forthwith from all involvement in the war against Iran and its proxies.

Now persuade the President.

You’re welcome.
Pierre Rehov: What the Gaza Roadmap Actually Says
Everything then turns on a question the announcement left unanswered: Has Hamas agreed to surrender the power and weaponry that have defined it for decades, or only to change the label on them?

[T]he same clause in the roadmap names the custodian: the new Palestinian NCAG [National Committee for the Administration of Gaza], and "no weapons shall be transferred or handed to Israel or non-Palestinian parties." What could possibly go wrong?

When the sequence ends, NCAG alone – the Palestinian one – will be permitted to hold and control arms in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas has spent nearly four decades converting truces into arsenals.

Israel withdrew every soldier and expelled every Jewish resident from the Gaza Strip in 2005, and what grew there since is an Iranian-sponsored war machine: rockets, a vast terrorist tunnel network, weapons factories wedged into crowded neighborhoods, and a school system that teaches children that terrorism is a career.

Billions of dollars of international aid arrived, earmarked for housing, clinics and employment. Instead, the funds were used to produce weaponry and build an underground military comprising at least 350 miles of terror tunnels with 5,700 entry shafts, and command centers in and under hospitals.

[W]hat Hamas has done just during this ceasefire: Israeli military intelligence estimates that Hamas has rehabilitated its forces to roughly 27,000 men under arms, while the movement continues paying monthly salaries to some 49,000 officials, running 13 municipalities and the ministries of economy, education, health and welfare, collecting taxes on commerce, and skimming the international aid funds. It still rules about 40 percent of the Gaza Strip, the part where most of the population lives.

The clans that fought against Hamas are excluded. Hamas itself is merely processed, "vetted," reassigned and kept on salary.

Verification rests on institutions that scarcely function.... Certifying the demilitarization of a territory holding 27,000 trained and heavily armed Hamas terrorists is not a mission for a company-sized pilot project.

Above that force sits a Gaza Executive Board on which Turkey and Qatar hold seats, two governments whose usefulness to Washington derives precisely from their access to Hamas. Qatar, Hamas's patron, has been invited to certify the disarmament of its client.

"Qatar is at the top of funding terrorism worldwide.... Even more than Iran," according to Udi Levy, a former senior official of Israel's Mossad spy agency who dealt with economic warfare against terrorist organizations.

Qatar most likely sees its sole mission in Gaza as making sure that Hamas remains armed and in power to further the agenda of the Muslim Brotherhood, of which, largely thanks to funding from Qatar, Hamas is the Palestinian branch.


Fetterman gives Dems a stinging reality check as Mao-praising communists seize the spotlight
Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman railed against the growing influence of socialists and communists in the Democratic Party on Tuesday, warning that figures such as socialist streamer Hasan Piker are pulling the party toward a more radical future.

"I would never try to elevate … a communist just because [Piker] has followers on some, on Twitch, whatever that is. But overall, if you identify with a communist who praises Mao and Cuba and for these places, that should be foreign to any Democrat. Without a doubt, that's having an impact," Fetterman told Fox News Digital on the sidelines of the Israel on Campus Coalition conference Tuesday.

Piker has emerged as an influential voice on the Democratic left, backing socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and campaigning alongside Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed as left-wing candidates court his millions of online followers. Piker has openly praised Mao Zedong and carried water for Cuba’s communist regime, blaming America for the island’s suffering.

Speaking with Fox News Digital after addressing the Israel on Campus Coalition's National Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Fetterman said the direction of his party has become "troubling" and pointed to Tuesday’s primaries as the latest test of whether Democrats will continue embracing candidates aligned with the party’s progressive flank.

Democratic establishment candidates notched several victories in Tuesday night’s primaries, including Rep. Wesley Bell’s defeat of DSA-backed former Rep. Cori Bush’s comeback bid in Missouri. The high-stakes Democratic Senate primary in Michigan, however, remained too close to call early Wednesday, with Abdul El-Sayed, who has drawn support from prominent socialists, facing the more moderate Rep. Haley Stevens.

"I see the midterms right now that the more radical, the more anti-Israel, and the people have turned Israel as to the ultimate litmus … When you have Gov. Newsom describing Israel as an apartheid state. He knows better, that that's not true," said Fetterman.

The Pennsylvania Democrat continued that it should be "pretty obvious" that the party should not "pander to the fringe."

"Those are core values. … Like I said, you just can't pander to those kinds of people," he added.

President Donald Trump issued his own warning earlier this summer, arguing that the Democratic Party had moved far beyond socialism.

"These are not social Democrats," Trump said in June following socialists notching primary wins in New York. "These are hardcore, godless communists. They're godless communists. All communists are godless. They don't believe in God. This is the most serious threat to our country since its existence. In my opinion, 250 years ago. This is a major threat to our country."


The Meaning of Haley Stevens’s Defeat
The same reluctance was visible on Israel. Stevens often seemed uncomfortable or unwilling to defend the substantial support she received from AIPAC and other pro-Israel Americans. Yet there is nothing shameful about saying that her campaign enjoyed the support of Jewish, Christian, and secular Americans who value the relationship with one of our closest democratic and technologically advanced allies. She could have criticized Israel’s conduct in Gaza and bragged about how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attacked her on CNN while also unequivocally condemning Hamas’s slaughter and kidnapping of innocent Israelis and Americans on Oct. 7. She could have stated that atrocities and attempts at genocide are wrong regardless of who commits them. More fundamentally, Stevens could have rejected the effort to organize Michigan politics around imported Middle Eastern grievances. Michigan Democratic Senate Primary Winner Abdul El-Sayed Holds News Conference Day After Primary Win.

After all, when a jihadist from Dearborn Heights via Lebanon attempted to ram an explosive-laden truck into a West Bloomfield synagogue preschool and murder 140 children because he was enraged by events thousands of miles away, El-Sayed suggested that condemning such an attack carried “a risk,” and then attempted to explain the attempted massacre by saying that “hurt people hurt people.” A more conventional Democrat would have stated plainly that such violence is unacceptable, unjustifiable, and profoundly un-American. And that principle would extend to supporting the elimination of terrorists responsible for the deaths of Americans. Yet after the United States killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, El-Sayed mused that “there are a lot of people in Dearborn who are sad.”

Democrats once championed America as a melting pot and assimilation as a civic ideal. Increasingly, too many appear reluctant to defend those principles lest they offend activist factions determined to refract domestic politics through the ethnic and ideological conflicts of the Middle East.

This hesitation has consequences. Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony of Detroit’s Fellowship Chapel, president of the local NAACP chapter, summarized the choice Democrats faced Tuesday more directly than Stevens—whom he backed—ever did: “Are you going to be more concerned about the West Bank than the West Side of Detroit?”

Data suggest that important blocs of Democratic voters reached a similar conclusion. Depending on the survey, black Democratic voters supported Stevens over El-Sayed by roughly 33 to 46 points. Yet as the Democratic coalition becomes whiter, richer, and more ideologically progressive, the preferences of these voters are increasingly displaced by an activist class whose moral imagination is organized around Palestine, “decolonization,” and the politics of the Global South. The party is shifting from the politics of the black church to the politics of the campus encampment.

Stevens’s own supporters appear to have taken her warnings about El-Sayed seriously. Preelection polling showed that only 57 percent said that they would support him over Republican Mike Rogers in a general election.

Party loyalty has limits. Stevens could have declined to endorse either candidate. She could have said that, while Democratic voters made their choice, El-Sayed’s conduct and judgment prevented her from campaigning for him, as fellow Michigan Democratic Congresswoman Hillary Scholten has indicated she will do. Stevens could acknowledge that the arguments she made before the primary remain true.

By instead supporting the same candidate whom she warned voters was unfit, Stevens has diminished her own credibility and validated the activist Left’s longstanding critique that establishment Democrats ultimately stand for little beyond holding office.

As for Republicans, they should not become complacent now that El-Sayed is the nominee. I have spoken with Republican strategists who believe that El-Sayed will be an easier opponent in November than Stevens would have been. Their confidence may be misplaced. Candidates aligned with the party’s socialist wing have become adept at packaging their ideas in disciplined, telegenic campaigns—as Zohran Mamdani demonstrated in New York. El-Sayed in Michigan might do the same.

Political parties rarely defeat their radical fringes by conceding the radicals’ moral or political premises. If any Democrats hope to reclaim the political center, they will first have to stop apologizing for occupying it. For now, El-Sayed’s victory says less about the strength of radicalism within the party than about the unwillingness of Democratic moderates to defend their convictions.
The 250th Test By Abe Greenwald
Via Commentary Newsletter, sign up here.
Let’s not forget the pre-Mamdani Democrats who are caving, one after another, to the radicals, their purity tests, and their destructive agenda.

At the same time, the Iranian regime—the world’s leading exporter of Islamic terrorism—has seemingly done the unthinkable and stopped the mighty American military in its tracks. While the regime holds the Strait of Hormuz hostage, the U.S. is reckoning with a shortage of defensive munitions and perhaps long-range missiles as well. Given that there is no political will for the deployment of American ground troops in Iran, the president is drifting from one false peace offer to another as Iran continues its assault on ships and American allies in the region.

And the Islamists’ fight for Western hearts and minds is also going gangbusters. Along with their allies in China and Russia, they managed to capture the battlefield of social media without facing the slightest opposition. Foreign bot armies have flooded platforms like X and TikTok with endless anti-American and anti-Semitic propaganda and amplified the voices of our internal enemies as well. This has been especially effective at turning younger Americans against the U.S. and Israel. In an article on information warfare at Mosaic, Eliana Aiken writes, “Generation Z spends an average of five hours a day on social media, nearly a full workday.” Which means that Gen Z is being babysat by our adversaries.

All of this is to say that in the year of America’s Semiquincentennial and the 25th anniversary of 9/11, we are being called upon to fight for our country once again. This strikes me as propitious. Patriotism is not supposed to be an exercise in nostalgia but a persistent expression of love for country and a commitment to its vigilant defense. We can defeat Islamists at the ballot box. The U.S. armed forces can of course triumph over the Iranian regime. And we can repel the information assault from abroad. But we must commit to doing these things—to voting, arming, building, and defending what we love. As the Bicentennial is remembered for the procession of the tall ships and the popular commemoration of the Founding, let this year be remembered for our recommitment to the fight.
Ben Domenech: Democrats Are Officially The Party Of Commie ISIS
I don’t know about you, but I’ve had just about enough of these pompous establishment Democrats defending their party severing the last vestiges of its rationality and patriotism to trans itself into Commie ISIS.

We’ve seen all this before. The union of Marxists and Islamists has a long history, a high-low combo of academics with a surplus of graduate degrees and guilt entertained by the youthful passions of the proletariat into supporting the vilest anti-human agenda devised in modern times.

This way to the gulag, comrade – walk faster, you know you deserve it.

The Abdul El-Sayed victory in Michigan, even if it came more narrowly than expected and was rebuffed by rural and black voters, is just the confirmation of what was already clear. Today the organizing energy of the Democratic Party – the party that less than a generation ago stood shoulder to shoulder with fellow Republicans and Independents against the Reds and the terror-supporters alike – is driven by a group of craven, manipulative liars and a bevy of followers whose understanding of history doesn’t start til iPhone 6.

These wannabe red diaper babies want to run back the losing side in the Nixon-Khrushchev kitchen debate and repackage it for morons on TikTok, and they do it well. Pick your reasoning for why they do it. Is it all to ease the horror of their meaningless existence by creating a community of followers who hang on their words of hate for people who are more successful than they are?

Whatever is wrong in your life, you can blame it on a corporation, a billionaire, or a Jew. Sometimes you hit the jackpot with all three at once.
Pro-Israel Democrats show signs of life in Michigan, Missouri primaries
Rumors of the demise of the mainstream, pro-Israel wing of the Democratic Party turned out to be somewhat exaggerated: The Michigan Senate race between Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) and Abdul El-Sayed is a lot closer than polls suggested, while Rep. Wesley Bell (D-MO) romped to victory over his anti-Israel opponent, with the help of pro-Israel, Jewish supporters.

Bell’s sweeping 22-point victory in a rematch over former Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) was an early election night highlight for Jewish and pro-Israel groups, which poured money and organizing efforts into ensuring the virulently anti-Israel Bush didn’t get a chance to return to Congress. AIPAC’s super PAC spent over $3 million on ads attacking Bush as corrupt and extreme, resources which likely played a key role in Bell’s landslide margin.

There were some other silver linings for the moderate side of the Democratic Party on Tuesday night: Michigan state Sen. Jeremy Moss won comfortably to succeed Stevens despite facing attacks over his pro-Israel record from his opponents. And Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), the moderate ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee who faced harassment and threats over his longstanding pro-Israel record, won a clear majority of the vote against far-left challengers in Washington state’s all-party primary.

But there were plenty of warning signs about the changing ideological direction of the Democratic Party, as we’ve previously seen in deep-blue congressional districts across the country. Despite Stevens’ closer-than-expected showing, she still trails El-Sayed even after winning endorsements from top Democratic officials (including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer) and being the beneficiary of tens of millions in outside spending led by AIPAC’s ad blitz.
Mamdani faces questions over ties to outlet accused of antisemitic tropes
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing questions about his relationship with Uncivilized Media, a Qatar-based controversial outlet that has been accused of spreading antisemitic conspiracy theories.

Mamdani sat with the Uncivilized Media in 2023, and Fox News Digital found that he was still following the account on Instagram as of July 24, 2026. However, he appeared to have unfollowed the account, and as of July 27, 2026, he was no longer listed as a follower on Instagram. However, clips from his interview with Uncivilized Media were shared as collaborative posts on Instagram, meaning they appeared on both Mamdani's account and the outlet's account.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and other experts on online antisemitism say that Uncivilized Media has produced content accusing Jews and Israelis of seeking global domination, being inherently colonialist and controlling the media, among other conspiracy theories. The organization noted several examples of what it said was Uncivilized Media pushing antisemitic tropes, including a July 2026 video in which Uncivilized Media accused Israelis of attempting to "colonize the world."

Oren Segal, the ADL's senior vice president of counter-extremism and intelligence, told Fox News Digital that Uncivilized Media routinely promotes "classic tropes about Jews" in its content. He said that while the outlet's interviews with Mamdani did not focus on these conspiracies, some Jewish New Yorkers have wondered how exactly the mayor's views diverge from those held by the outlet.

"When one appears on any platform, it kind of normalizes the rest of the content that is out there," Segal told Fox News Digital, adding that neither he nor the ADL were accusing Mamdani of promoting or endorsing all of Uncivilized Media's content.

"What we are saying is that the connections between him and this particular digital entity raise questions for many New Yorkers who are curious as to whether the rest of the programming on there is something he believes in," Segal added.

In his interview with Uncivilized Media, which was originally posted on Sept. 11, 2023, Mamdani said the issue of the Palestinians was "central to my identity," framing it as a struggle for freedom.

"We say we care about freedom and justice and self-determination and yet, for some reason, we draw a line when it comes to Palestinians," Mamdani said.


Harris backs El-Sayed following Michigan Senate primary win
Former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris quickly threw her support behind Abdul El-Sayed after the former Wayne County public health director won Tuesday’s Democratic primary for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat.

Harris, who remained neutral during the primary contest between El-Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), sent a fundraising email backing the Democratic nominee, who would become the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate if he defeats former Republican congressman Mike Rogers in November.

In the email, Harris stressed the importance of the Michigan race to Democrats’ hopes of regaining control of the Senate.

One of the arguments leveled against El-Sayed during the primary was his far-left positions on issues placed him out of the mainstream in a race against former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.).

“Let me be clear: There is no Democratic Senate majority without Michigan,” Harris wrote. “The midterm elections are the best chance we have to put a real check on Donald Trump’s corruption and push back against this administration.

“The stakes are too high for us to hold back,” she added. “We have to do everything in our power to make sure Abdul wins this race for Michigan and the entire country.”

Harris described the Democratic primary as “hard-fought” and urged the party to unite behind El-Sayed.

“Now, Abdul takes on a Republican opponent with millions in the bank and the promise of tens of millions of dollars in outside spending,” Harris wrote. Through mid-July filings, Rogers reported roughly $5.6 million cash on hand, compared with about $2.7 million for El-Sayed.

“That is why Abdul El-Sayed needs us all to get behind him so he can fend off the attacks coming from Republicans across the country, and keep this critical Senate seat blue,” the former vice president wrote.
After El-Sayed secures Michigan Dem Senate nod, Jews should vote for those who prioritize their safety, ZOA head says
After Dr. Abdul El-Sayed’s victory in the Michigan Democratic Senate primary against Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), Jews should “take very seriously any threats or condemnations of the Jewish people or Israel,” according to Morton Klein, national president of the Zionist Organization of America.

“The safety and security of Jews and the Jewish state should now become the priority when we decide whom to vote for,” he told JNS.

Klein didn’t endorse any candidate but said that “the priority of whom we vote for in this era should be who will protect Jews and the Jewish state best.”

“All other issues become secondary during this era of rising Jew-hatred,” he told JNS.

El-Sayed has described the Israeli government as “bloodthirsty” and “as evil as Hamas,” called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a war criminal, opposed the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of Jew-hatred and defended campaigning with antisemitic commentator Hasan Piker.

Klein urged greater Jewish engagement and advocacy. “Jews now should become more active to protect Jewish and Israeli interests by sending letters regularly to our elected officials, by sending letters to newspapers defending Jews and Israel and condemning our enemies,” he told JNS.

Criticizing Israeli government policies is fair game, as “it’s legitimate to criticize the policies of any government—America, Israel, France or Italy,” Klein said. “But when someone is only condemning the policies of Israel and not saying a word about the policies of Sudan or Somalia or Iran or Iraq or Syria or Turkey, then one has to become suspicious that it’s really Jew-hatred.”

“I criticize Israeli policy all the time,” he told JNS. “I condemn the Oslo Accords and the Gaza withdrawal. I condemn the establishment of a Palestinian state, when some Israelis support it. Obviously, I’m not antisemitic. That is legitimate.”


Commentary Podcast: Abduly Noted
Today we discuss Abdul El-Sayed's tiny margin of victory in Michigan in contrast to polls that predicted a landslide, as well as the sorry state of the Democratic establishment and what these results tell us about the November election. Plus, the remarkable story out of the UK regarding fabulist Cambridge Professor Jason Arday, which grew out of a report on supposed plagiarism in his work, and Simon & Schuster's shame in publishing antisemitic author Susan Abulhawa.




AIPAC-backed candidates advance to November elections after primary wins across five states
AIPAC announced on Wednesday that 30 candidates it backed won primary elections on Tuesday in Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Virginia and Washington, advancing to the November general election.

The group said that more than 215 candidates it has supported from both parties have now secured nominations during the 2026 election cycle.

In Michigan, AIPAC-backed Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) lost the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate to Abdul El-Sayed. The organization said it was disappointed by the outcome and plans to oppose El-Sayed’s candidacy in the general election, citing concerns about his positions on Israel.

AIPAC also highlighted the Democratic primary victory of Jeremy Moss, a Michigan state senator, in the 11th Congressional District. Moss is seeking to succeed Stevens in the Democratic-leaning seat, and the group said his win maintains representation from a candidate it considers supportive of the U.S.-Israel relationship.

In Missouri’s 1st Congressional District, AIPAC congratulated Rep. Wesley Bell (D-Mo.) on defeating former Missouri congresswoman Cori Bush in the Democratic primary. The organization said its members and affiliated super PAC, United Democracy Project, supported Bell’s campaign, while criticizing Bush over her positions on Israel, her opposition to AIPAC and what it described as her failure to condemn Hamas.

AIPAC said additional victories by candidates it backed across the five states demonstrated continued voter support for candidates who favor a strong U.S.-Israel relationship.


Anti-Israel Michigan state rep. McKinney defeats sympathetic incumbent in US House primary
Progressive Donavan McKinney, who pledged to sever military aid to Israel, has defeated a pro-Israel advocate in a US House Democratic primary race in Michigan.

McKinney, a state representative, challenged incumbent US Rep. Shri Thanedar in Michigan’s 13th District as fierce debates over US support for Israel shaped the state’s Democratic primaries. McKinney won the race with 51.9% of the vote to Thanedar’s 48.1% after 99% of ballots were counted on Wednesday morning, according to The Associated Press.

He is heavily favored to win the overwhelmingly Democratic district in November’s general election, when he will face Republican candidate T.P. Nykoriak, who ran uncontested.

McKinney, a democratic socialist backed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib and other prominent progressives, largely focused his campaign on domestic issues like championing workers, reducing income inequality and bolstering public health in a district that encompasses much of Detroit and its western suburbs. A Black politician, he has also pushed for Black representation of the majority-Black district, which is the poorest in Michigan.

The last section of McKinney’s platform on his campaign website is labeled “Palestine.” He vowed to “end the military aid and arms that America gives to Israel” and to sign the Block the Bombs Act, a resolution that would prohibit the sale of certain weapons to Israel, which gained record support among Democrats in Congress earlier this year. A separate amendment that would eliminate military aid to Israel won votes from a majority of House Democrats last month. However, the amendment failed as the only Republican who backed it was its sponsor, Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie.

“Israel needs to immediately end the genocide and release all Palestinians who have been detained, as well as allow the remains to be reunited with the families of their loved ones,” McKinney said on his website.

McKinney added that the United States must “resume funding for UNRWA and other NGOs that aim to help end the famine, ensure full access to high-quality medical care, and provide full access to humanitarian aid for Palestinians.”


Israeli ambassador halts talks with Lebanon, cites Beirut’s ‘repeated misleading leaks,’ source tells JNS
A second day of U.S.-brokered talks between Israel and Lebanon ended early in Rome on Wednesday, after the Jewish state requested that negotiations be suspended, a source on the Israeli negotiating team told JNS.

Yechiel Leiter, Israeli ambassador to the United States and head of the Jewish state’s delegation, asked U.S. mediators to halt the talks about three hours before their scheduled conclusion. The envoy did so “following repeated misleading leaks by the Lebanese delegation,” according to the source.

Multiple media reports detailed purported developments from the negotiations on Tuesday and Wednesday. It was not immediately clear which of those leaks led to Leiter’s decision.

Talks are expected to resume on Thursday, the final scheduled day of this round, the source told JNS.

The Lebanese president’s office stated that “the American side asked the Lebanese and Israeli delegations to stop today’s meeting.” The pause was sought “to complete its contacts,” the office said.

Israeli and Lebanese technical teams opened a second round of negotiations in Rome on Tuesday, the seventh round of U.S.-facilitated talks aimed at implementing the trilateral framework agreement reached earlier this summer.

The current round follows separate White House meetings between U.S. President Donald Trump and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the launch of the first pilot zones in southern Lebanon.

“These discussions bring together technical teams from both governments to advance full implementation of the trilateral framework, including the pilot zone process, verified disarmament of Hezbollah and other Iran-backed security threats, redeployment of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon and laying the ground for a comprehensive peace and security agreement,” Tommy Pigott, a U.S. State Department spokesman, said on Tuesday.

“The United States remains fully committed to supporting both governments as they carry this process forward in a manner that delivers lasting security for both countries, eliminates security threats to Israel and restores Lebanese state authority throughout the south,” Pigott stated.


Two IDF soldiers killed, four seriously injured in southern Lebanon
Two IDF soldiers were killed, and four others were severely injured during a combat mission in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, the military announced in a statement on Thursday morning.

The issued statement identified the fallen soldiers as Major (Res.) Harel Birenstock, aged 34, from Efrat in Gush Etzion, and Chief Master Sergeant (Res.) Tamir Vaknin, aged 33, from Eilat. The names of the other four injured reservists were not released.

Birenstock was married and a father of four, including a six-month-old baby.

The two reservists were killed during an operation to search sites in the Majdal Zun area that had not previously been inspected by the IDF, according to a Walla report.

During the searches, their squad entered a booby-trapped house, where an explosive device detonated, causing part of the building to collapse. Troops rushed to assist the soldiers trapped beneath the rubble. Birenstock and Vaknin were evacuated along with four other soldiers who were wounded to varying degrees.

'Birenstock, Vaknin were dedicated to reserve duty'
Defense Minister Israel Katz eulogized the two fallen soldiers in a statement posted to X/Twitter, saying, “On behalf of the entire defense establishment, I extend my deepest condolences to the families of Maj. (Res.) Harel Birenstock, a company commander in Battalion 2855, and Master Sgt. (Res.) Tamir Vaknin, a soldier in Battalion 2855, who fell in battle in southern Lebanon.”

He added: “Harel and Tamir left behind families and full lives, yet they dedicated themselves to reserve duty with commitment, devotion, and a profound sense of mission. They fell while working for the security of the State of Israel and its residents in the North.”

He also expressed support for the families during this difficult time and wished a speedy recovery to the four wounded soldiers.

The Eilat Municipality issued a mourning notice following Vaknin's death, describing him as “one of the finest sons of the city of Eilat.”

“Tamir, of blessed memory, was a hero of Israel, the salt of the earth, who fought bravely to defend the State of Israel. May his memory be a blessing," the statement read.


IDF launches precise strikes in southern Lebanon in retaliation for Hezbollah ceasefire violations
The IDF began a wave of precise strikes against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon on Wednesday after – for the first time since June – issuing an evacuation warning for civilians in the area of the strikes.

The military stated that the strikes were initiated in retaliation for blatant ceasefire violations by Hezbollah.

Early Thursday morning, the IDF launched a new wave of airstrikes in southern Lebanon, killing four, N12 News reported citing Lebanese media.

The IDF’s Arabic Spokesperson, Lt.-Col. Ella Waweya, issued the evacuation warning for the village of Al-Mansouri on X/Twitter, instructing all residents to move at least 1,000 meters north of the village.

Waweya warned that anyone who remains near Hezbollah facilities or terrorists is putting their life at risk.

Also on Wednesday, Walla reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is delaying the military response against Hezbollah due to fears of American criticism.


MirYam Institute: Debating The So-Called Plans To Disarm Hamas
Israel faces a crucial question: can Hamas really be disarmed in Gaza, or does the latest proposal contain a fatal flaw?

In this episode of The Benjamin Anthony Show, MirYam Institute CEO Benjamin Anthony is joined by internationally renowned urban warfare expert John Spencer to examine the proposed plan to disarm Hamas, the future of Gaza, and what it means for Israel's long-term security.

John Spencer argues the proposal represents genuine forward progress. Benjamin Anthony believes it is fundamentally detached from reality and warns that, unless the plan changes, Hamas could ultimately exploit the very system designed to dismantle it.

Topics include:
• Israel's security after October 7
• The plan to disarm Hamas in Gaza
• Hamas weapons decommissioning
• The proposed international stabilisation force
• Gaza's future governance
• The role of the United States, Saudi Arabia and Egypt
• De-radicalisation and the future of Gaza
• Why Benjamin Anthony believes the proposal contains a fatal flaw

Chapters:
00:00 The Fatal Flaw
00:48 Can Hamas Really Be Disarmed?
03:08 John Spencer Sees Progress
10:49 Benjamin Anthony Challenges The Plan
21:23 Can Verification Really Work?
28:49 Saudi Arabia, Gaza & Israel's Security
38:43 Benjamin Anthony's Alternative
54:08 Final Thoughts & John Spencer's New Book


State of Tel Aviv: Hamas Has Agreed to Disarm? Really?
FDD Senior Fellow and former IDF Spokesperson, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus is back and dives deeply today on three issues: What’s really going on with Hamas? How should we interpret the tension between IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and Minister of Defense, Yisrael Katz? And of course - we get into Iran. Trump seems to be very indecisive and there are strong signs that the power struggle within Iran between the “moderate” political leadership and the hardline IRGC is becoming more entrenched. Conricus and I discuss the many concerning signs around the much-ballyhooed Board of Peace “agreement” with Hamas to disarm and relinquish power that was announced a few days ago. People have been writing to me and asking - “Is this real?” Who better to turn to on that question than Jonathan Conricus..

There are no clear terms, no protocols for overseeing and verifying disarmament and no indication that Hamas is actually serious about any of these initiatives. But President Trump needs a win…..and a distraction from the mess in which he’s entangled in Iran. And he seems to think that a very porous “agreement” with Hamas will divert attention from Iran. We discuss all that and more - with an interlude in the middle section about political brinksmanship between the IDF Chief of Staff and the Minister of Defense.







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Elder of Ziyon - حـكـيـم صـهـيـون



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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