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Progressive frontrunner in crucial Senate race faces backlash over comments praising Hamas raid

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:08:56 -0400

Graham Platner's past controversial comments are once again garnering negative attention for the surging progressive candidate in a crucial Senate race in Maine that could determine the chamber's majority.

Platner, a U.S. Marine and Army veteran who served four combat tours of duty in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, praised the military tactics used by Hamas in comments he made on Reddit about a graphic video posted online of a 2014 Hamas raid in which terrorists killed at least five Israeli soldiers.

The archived posts from Platner's now-deleted Reddit profile under the username "P-Hustle" were reported this week by the Jewish Insider.

Commenting on the deadly raid by Hamas, Platner wrote, "Looks like an all around well executed and successful small unit raid to me." His comments appeared on the Reddit forum r/CombatFootage, a discussion board for video and photographs of past and current military actions.

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The Jewish Insider highlighted in its report that Platner, responding to another Reddit user who criticized the Hamas "execution" of the Israeli soldiers, said, "Pragmatically I have little problem with killing an enemy combatant who you attempt to capture but for whatever reason cannot. From a strictly professional standpoint, this was a damn fine looking and successful raid against a superior opponent, I dig it."

ӣ��Ƶ reached out to Platner's campaign for comment but didn't receive a response at the time this story published.

Platner, an oyster farmer who is backed by progressive Senate champions Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, is the clear polling and fundraising frontrunner as he faces off in a June primary against two-term Gov. Janet Mills. She enjoys the support of Senate Democratic Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

The winner of the Democratic primary will take on moderate Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November's midterm elections. Democrats view Collins as vulnerable as she seeks a sixth six-year term in the Senate in the left-leaning Northern New England state, and the race is considered a must-win for Democrats as they try to claw back the chamber's majority from the GOP.

Platner, 41, has campaigned in front of large and energetic crowds across Maine since launching his outsider campaign, thanks to support from a Democratic base angry with President Donald Trump's second-term agenda and mad at its party's leaders in the nation's capital.

Platner is being advised by Morris Katz, who was a top consultant last year on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's historic campaign.

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The conflict between Israel and Hamas dates back four decades, with the fighting persisting to the present.

Hamas killed roughly 1,200 people in a sneak attack on Israel Oct. 7, 2023. Israel's ensuing military campaign in Gaza over the past two and a half years has resulted in more than 72,000 people killed, according to health officials in the Palestinian territory.

Platner has joined other progressive Democrats in labeling the Israeli attacks on Palestinians living in Gaza a genocide and in criticizing ongoing U.S. military support for Israel.

"History is going to remember what our leaders did not do, the power they did not use to save the lives of innocent people. They’re going to be remembered for it, and as we move forward, we’re going to have to get people in positions of power who do not believe that the mass slaughter of children is an acceptable behavior of an ally," Platner said at a recent candidate forum.

Past Platner comments on Reddit regarding rape have also stirred controversy. Among them is one from 2013, which Platner later deleted, that people concerned about rape should not "get so f---ed up they wind up having sex with someone they don’t mean to."

Platner apologized for his controversial Reddit posts after they made headlines last fall soon after he launched his Senate campaign.

"For those of you who have read these things and been offended, have read these things and seen someone that you don’t recognize, I am deeply sorry," he said in a video that went viral.

Platner also grabbed plenty of negative attention for a tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol. The candidate said last fall that he got the skull and crossbones tattoo in 2007 while drinking with fellow Marines stationed in Croatia. He said that he covered up the tattoo with a new design after learning it resembled a Nazi symbol.

PLATNER CONFRONTED ABOUT CONTROVERSIAL TATTOO

Pointing to the multiple controversies, Platner campaign manager Ben Chin said that month that "Mainers know that Graham should not be defined by the worst thing he said on the internet over a decade ago."

But National Republican Senatorial Committee regional press secretary Samantha Cantrell on Thursday told ӣ��Ƶ Digital in a statement, "When someone shows you who they are, believe them: Graham Platner has a Nazi tattoo and cheers on Hamas as they murder Israeli soldiers."

Platner, in an interview last week, attributed some of his prior views to the "culture" he experienced during his military service.

"I came out of a hyper-masculine, hyper-violent place," Platner told host Major Garrett on CBS News' "The Takeout" podcast. "We have a crude sense of humor in the infantry. … We certainly have a, I would say, narrow view of a lot of topics. And that colored my opinions and my beliefs.

"Once I left and came out and interacted in the civilian world with lots of different people with very different experiences than my own, many of those beliefs and thoughts and even just language changed significantly over time," Platner explained.

IS THE REPUBLICAN SENATE MAJORITY AT RISK IN MIDTERM ELECTIONS?

The remarks drew criticism from Republican officials with military backgrounds who pushed back on the suggestion that such views are reflective of American military culture.

Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, a retired Air Force general, responded to the comments on social media by rejecting the characterization outright.

"I served nearly 30 years and never saw a Nazi tattoo on one of our service men or women," Bacon said.

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Sen. Tim Sheehy of Montana, a former Navy SEAL, also criticized Platner’s explanation in a post on X.

"I must have missed the day in basic training where they taught us to get Nazi tattoos and say women deserve to be raped," Sheehy said.

ӣ��Ƶ' CJ Womack contributed to this report.

Trump predicted Israel-Lebanon leaders would speak ‘tomorrow’ — Beirut shut it down as ceasefire emerges

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:15:25 -0400

President Donald Trump announced Thursday that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire beginning at 5 p.m. Eastern Time, in what he described as a major step toward ending weeks of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

Trump said he had spoken separately with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that both sides had agreed to begin formal talks aimed at reaching a broader peace agreement.

"I just had excellent conversations with the Highly Respected President Joseph Aoun, of Lebanon, and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel," Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday.

Trump said he has directed Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan "Razin'" Caine to work with both sides to achieve what he called a "lasting peace."

IDF UNCOVERS HEZBOLLAH WEAPONS STASH INSIDE HOSPITAL IN LEBANON

The president later said he plans to invite Netanyahu and Aoun to the White House for what he described as the first meaningful talks between Israel and Lebanon since 1983.

"Both sides want to see PEACE, and I believe that will happen, quickly!" Trump wrote.

The announcement came after days of intense U.S. diplomacy and appeared to resolve an earlier dispute over whether Aoun would speak directly with Netanyahu.

"We are trying to create a little breathing room," Trump wrote on Truth Social Wednesday, adding that the leaders of Israel and Lebanon had not spoken in some 34 years and saying, "It will happen tomorrow."

Earlier Thursday, Lebanese officials had insisted that Aoun would not speak directly with Netanyahu before a ceasefire was reached.

Three Lebanese officials told Reuters that Aoun had no plans to speak with Netanyahu in the near future, and two of the officials said Lebanon's embassy in Washington conveyed that position to the Trump administration before Aoun held a phone call with Rubio.

A senior Lebanese official later told ӣ��Ƶ Digital that there was intense domestic pressure inside Lebanon against further contacts with Israel while the fighting continued.

According to the official, many in Lebanon believed the government had already entered negotiations without receiving anything in return, making a ceasefire a prerequisite for any direct contact.

But shortly afterward, Lebanon's presidency announced that Aoun had spoken directly with Trump.

According to the Lebanese presidency's official X account, Aoun thanked Trump for his efforts to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon and achieve what it described as a lasting peace and stability that could pave the way for a broader regional peace process.

Aoun, who served as commander of Lebanon's U.S.-backed armed forces before becoming president in 2025, said an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon would be a necessary first step before Lebanese troops could fully deploy to the border region.

The diplomatic dispute comes as the White House presses for a broader deal to end the regional war that erupted after Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group entered the conflict March 2 in support of Iran.

Hezbollah's intervention opened a new front in Lebanon just 15 months after the last major Israel-Hezbollah war.

Pakistan, which helped mediate the April 8 ceasefire between Israel and Iran, said ending the fighting in Lebanon is essential to preserving that agreement.

ISRAEL WARNS HEZBOLLAH ‘PLAYING WITH FIRE,’ PRESSES LEBANON TO ACT ON WEAPONS PLEDGE

"Peace in Lebanon is essential for peace talks," Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi said.

The Israeli security cabinet met late Wednesday to discuss a possible ceasefire in Lebanon, according to Israeli media.

Israeli officials have signaled openness to negotiations, but they are also insisting on continuing military operations until Hezbollah is pushed away from the border.

Israeli cabinet minister Gila Gamliel told Israeli media that Netanyahu had been expected to speak with Aoun "for the first time after so many years of no contact between the two countries."

Israel and Lebanon remain formally at war and have had no direct leader-to-leader contact in decades.

The latest U.S. diplomatic push follows a rare meeting Tuesday in Washington between Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad and Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter.

Those talks, held at the State Department under U.S. mediation, marked the first face-to-face discussions between senior Israeli and Lebanese officials in more than three decades.

Still, the prospect of a direct call between Netanyahu and Aoun has run into strong opposition inside Lebanon.

Hezbollah, which has opposed any contact with Israel, remains publicly against negotiations.

At the same time, Lebanon's government has increasingly distanced itself from Hezbollah since the terror group entered the war.

The Lebanese government formally banned Hezbollah's military activities March 2 and has spent the past year trying to disarm the Iranian-backed group without triggering a broader civil conflict.

Meanwhile, fighting intensified Thursday in southern Lebanon.

IRAN THREATENS TO END CEASEFIRE OVER HEZBOLLAH'S EXCLUSION FROM TRUCE DEAL

Battles continued around the border town of Bint Jbeil, Lebanon, a longtime stronghold of Hezbollah — an Iran-backed terror group — that Israeli officials see as a key objective in the current offensive.

Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israeli forces were close to "overcoming" Hezbollah in Bint Jbeil.

The Israeli military's immediate objective is to push Hezbollah farther from the border and prevent anti-tank missiles and other direct-fire weapons from threatening northern Israeli communities, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said in an interview with ӣ��Ƶ Digital.

He said Israeli troops are now holding what the military calls "defense lines" several kilometers inside Lebanon, positions designed to keep Hezbollah gunmen and anti-tank squads from once again overlooking Israeli towns.

"We're going to make sure we keep diminishing them," Shoshani said.

Lebanese security officials also said an Israeli airstrike destroyed the last remaining bridge over the Litani River leading into southern Lebanon.

The strike effectively cut off nearly a tenth of the country from the rest of Lebanon after earlier Israeli attacks destroyed other crossings.

HEZBOLLAH, IRAN UNLEASH COORDINATED CLUSTER BOMB STRIKES ON ISRAEL IN MAJOR ESCALATION

Israel has vowed to turn the area south of the Litani River into a "no-go zone" for Hezbollah.

Israeli military chief of staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Wednesday that Hezbollah operatives would no longer be allowed to operate south of the river.

The Litani River, which runs roughly 20 miles north of Israel's border, has long been viewed by Israel as the line beyond which Hezbollah forces should not be allowed to operate.

Hezbollah responded Thursday with fresh rocket fire into northern Israel.

Warning sirens sounded in several Israeli communities, sending residents into bomb shelters. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

More than 2,100 people have been killed in Lebanon since March 2 and more than 1.2 million have been displaced, according to Lebanese authorities.

Israeli officials say Hezbollah attacks have killed two Israeli civilians and 13 Israeli soldiers during the same period.

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ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to the State Department, Lebanon's embassy in Washington and the Israeli government for comment, but did not receive responses in time for publication.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Dozens of Dems flip on Israel, vote to ban arms sales in protest of Iran war

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:00:22 -0400

More Senate Democrats than ever before voted to halt arms sales and military bulldozers to Israel as an act of protest against President Donald Trump’s war in Iran.

The late-night vote on Wednesday, which saw both of Sen. Bernie Sanders', I-Vt., resolutions fail, signaled a shift among Senate Democrats, who in several previous attempts by the progressive had joined Republicans to support the Jewish state.

Combined, Sanders’ resolutions would have blocked nearly $500 million in arms and equipment sales to Israel. One resolution would have halted the sale of roughly $295 million in Caterpillar bulldozers, while the other would have stopped the sale of nearly $152 million worth of 1,000-pound bombs.

Though they failed without Republican support, Sanders viewed the swell of Democratic backing as "progress."

GOP HOLDS WITH TRUMP ON IRAN WAR, BUT CRACKS EMERGE AS DEADLINE NEARS

"Today, more than 80% of the Democratic caucus stood with the American people and voted to block U.S. military aid to [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and his horrific, illegal wars," Sanders said in a statement.

"When we started this effort there were just 11 votes," he continued. "Now, there are 40. That shift reflects where the American people are."

The shift comes after Israel's strikes in Lebanon threatened a fragile ceasefire, and broader peace talks, to end fighting in Iran.

Senate Democrats weren’t fully aligned on both resolutions — 40 supported halting the sale of bulldozers to Israel, while 36 voted to block bomb sales. Notably, the last time the Senate voted to disapprove arms sales to Israel, 27 Democrats voted yes. Before that, only 19 did.

ROGUE DEM BUCKS PARTY ON TRUMP WAR POWERS, CALLS IRAN ‘47-YEAR-OLD WAR CRIME’

Notably, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who has been a vocal critic of the war, voted against Sanders' resolutions.

Lawmakers who flipped their votes were quick to stress that they still support Israel but viewed their votes against the sale of weapons and military equipment as a referendum on the war in Iran.

Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., who previously voted against Sanders’ attempts to halt arms sales to the Jewish state, said in a statement that her decision to flip was "informed by President Trump’s and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s reckless decision to go to war."

"I have serious questions about any supplemental expenditures for this war, let alone additional sales of weapons for the same war to Israel," Hassan said.

SCHUMER BLASTS TRUMP’S IRAN WAR AS FAILURE, MOVES TO REIN IN HIS WAR POWERS AMID CEASEFIRE

The vote, coupled with overwhelming Democratic support to rein in President Donald Trump's war powers in the Middle East earlier on Wednesday, could be viewed as a preview of the power Democrats may wield over an expected supplemental spending request to fund the war in Iran, which the administration has yet to send to Congress.

The price tag of that package has fluctuated from as much as $200 billion to as low as $50 billion. Because of the influence Senate Democrats could have over funding the war effort, Republicans are considering including the request in a party-line package.

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Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., explained her vote against "1,000 pound so-called ‘dumb bombs’ and military bulldozers" was meant to highlight a stark contrast between supporting Israel and supporting the war.

"But being pro-Israel today is not simply about supporting the political or military agenda of Prime Minister Netanyahu, just like being pro-American should not be equated with loyalty to President Trump," she said.

Israeli strike on Hezbollah more devastating than 2024 pager attack, IDF says

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:00:59 -0400

Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terrorist group, saw its command structure across Lebanon come under what Israeli officials described as one of the most devastating blows of the war April 8.

Nearly simultaneously, explosions tore through Beirut, Lebanon, the Beqaa Valley and southern Lebanon as roughly 50 Israeli aircraft struck more than 100 Hezbollah targets.

The targets were not rocket launchers or weapons depots, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), but the nerve centers of the organization — command rooms, intelligence headquarters and offices where Hezbollah commanders planned the next stage of the fight.

BROTHER OF MICHIGAN SYNAGOGUE ATTACKER WAS HEZBOLLAH TERRORIST, ISRAEL ALLEGES

The strike marked a new phase in the war between Israel and Hezbollah, which erupted March 2 after Hezbollah entered the conflict in support of Iran, one day after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Since then, Hezbollah has fired rockets, drones and anti-tank missiles into northern Israel, while Israel has responded with widening airstrikes and a ground offensive inside southern Lebanon.

"Within only a minute, the IDF eliminated 250 Hezbollah terrorists in three areas simultaneously," the Israeli military said in a statement, adding the assessment is still ongoing.

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an IDF spokesman, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital the strike was the result of weeks of intelligence work.

Israeli intelligence agencies tracked Hezbollah operatives as they moved between apartments, offices and safe houses across Lebanon.

"The timing had to do with the preparations," Shoshani said. "There was weeks of amazing intelligence."

Asked whether the operation showed Israel still has deep penetration inside Hezbollah despite months of war, Shoshani pointed to the scale of the attack.

"The fact that we were able to find 250 terrorists hiding in different locations in Lebanon, many of them in locations for recent weeks, eliminating them in real time, I think the capabilities speak for themselves," he said.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned Wednesday's strikes.

"The scale of the killing and destruction in Lebanon today is nothing short of horrific," said United Nations Human Rights Chief Volker Türk. "Such carnage, within hours of agreeing to a ceasefire with Iran, defies belief."

"This response will continue until the Israeli-American aggression against our country and our people ceases," Hezbollah said in a statement.

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The strike drew a comparison to the "beeper" operation in September 2024, when thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah operatives exploded almost simultaneously across Lebanon and Syria in an operation widely attributed to Israel.

The blasts killed more than 40 people and wounded roughly 4,000, according to Lebanese authorities, while Hezbollah later acknowledged that about 1,500 fighters were taken out of action. The operation shattered Hezbollah's communications network and became the benchmark in Israel for a strike that fundamentally changed the battlefield.

"The beeper had more … effective injuries. That was the purpose of it," Shoshani said. "But both targeted hundreds of terrorists and within 60 seconds."

Like the beeper operation, he said, the April 8 strike was intended not just to kill operatives but to throw Hezbollah into disarray.

"It was important to the aspect of creating disarray, of breaking their chain of command, breaking their command and patrol capabilities and kind of tilting the organization out of balance," he said.

A former Israeli intelligence official, speaking on background, said the strike may not have reached the level of the beeper operation, but it appeared to hit an unusually broad layer of Hezbollah's middle ranks.

Hezbollah remains in shock from the blow, according to the former official, even if that has not yet been reflected in a drop in its rocket fire.

But he cautioned against judging the operation only by the number of people killed.

The real measure, he said, is whether the strike changes the course of the war and leaves Hezbollah less able to operate.

The IDF said many of those killed belonged to Hezbollah's Radwan Force, Hezbollah's most capable and best-trained combat unit, intelligence apparatus, missile units and aerial Unit 127.

The Israeli military said most of the targets were embedded inside civilian areas.

"Most of the infrastructure that was struck was located within the heart of the civilian population," the IDF said.

HEZBOLLAH, IRAN UNLEASH COORDINATED CLUSTER BOMB STRIKES ON ISRAEL IN MAJOR ESCALATION

Shoshani said Israel warned civilians to evacuate before the strikes, but Hezbollah moved its operatives into new civilian locations.

"When we gave the warnings for areas, civilians moved out, then Hezbollah saw that they moved out and started hiding behind civilians in new locations," he said.

Despite the blow, Israeli officials say Hezbollah remains a major threat. Shoshani said the group, which before the war possessed between 150,000 and 200,000 rockets and missiles, still has the ability to fire into Israel.

"They still are a real threat for our civilians," he said.

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The strike comes as Israel and Lebanon opened their first direct talks in more than three decades at the U.S. State Department in Washington.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has signaled willingness to discuss normalization and the eventual disarmament of Hezbollah, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted there will be no ceasefire until Hezbollah is dismantled and pushed back from the border.

Within hours of the diplomatic opening, Israeli warplanes again struck Lebanon and Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Trump blasts close ally Meloni, says she’s failing US on Iran

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:39:16 -0400

Tensions between Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni escalated Tuesday after the U.S. president publicly rebuked one of his closest European allies, accusing her of lacking "courage" and failing to support Washington’s efforts against Iran.

In a phone interview with Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera, Trump called Meloni "unacceptable" and said he was "shocked" by her stance, according to the outlet’s English-language version.

The dispute with Trump was further fueled by Meloni’s criticism of his recent remarks targeting Pope Leo XIV, which she called "unacceptable," prompting Trump to respond that "she is the one who is unacceptable."

In a scathing rebuke of the Vatican’s call for Middle Eastern de-escalation, President Trump took to Truth Social to blast Pope Leo XIV. Labeling the pontiff "WEAK on Crime" and "terrible for Foreign Policy," Trump warned him to "focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician." The post, which quickly went viral, accused the first American pope of "catering to the Radical Left" at the expense of global security.

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In the interview to Corriere della Sera Trump also reiterated criticism of Pope Leo, saying the pontiff "has no idea what’s going on in Iran" and "doesn’t understand" what is at stake.

She "isn’t giving us any help, I’m shocked by her," Trump said about Meloni in the six-minute conversation.

He went further, accusing Meloni of relying on Washington while refusing to act.

"They depend on Donald Trump to keep it open," he said, referring to global energy routes through the Strait of Hormuz.

The comments mark a sharp shift in tone toward Meloni, who attended Trump’s 2025 inauguration and was praised by him as "a great leader" just weeks ago.

The White House and Meloni’s office did not immediately respond.

The public rift comes as Meloni has begun distancing herself from both Washington and Jerusalem amid mounting domestic and political pressure over the widening Middle East conflict.

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On Tuesday, Meloni confirmed in a statement that Italy had suspended the automatic renewal of a long-standing defense cooperation agreement with Israel, signaling a significant recalibration in ties.

"In light of the current situation, the government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defence agreement with Israel," she said, according to Reuters.

The move follows recent tensions between Rome and Jerusalem, including Israeli warning shots fired near Italian troops serving in southern Lebanon under a U.N. mandate, as well as growing Italian criticism of Israeli military operations in the region.

Israel downplayed the impact of the decision, saying the agreement was largely symbolic and "has never contained any substantive content," Reuters reported.

In Israel, opposition leader Yair Lapid sharply criticized the government following Italy’s move.

"Italy’s decision to suspend the defense cooperation agreement with Israel is another embarrassing failure of the prime minister and the non-existent foreign minister," Lapid wrote on X.

TRUMP SAYS HE'S CONSIDERING PULLING US OUT OF NATO OVER IRAN WAR STANCE

"Meloni is not a left-wing progressive European leader," she added. "She belongs to the conservative right and understands the need to fight terrorism."

Meloni’s shift reflects what analysts describe as a broader political repositioning, as the war’s economic fallout, particularly rising energy costs, weighs heavily on Italy’s import-dependent economy and public opinion.

Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani defended Meloni, reaffirming Italy’s alliance with the United States while emphasizing that cooperation must be grounded in "loyalty, respect and mutual frankness."

The escalating tensions highlight growing fractures within Western alliances as the U.S.-led confrontation with Iran reverberates across Europe, forcing leaders like Meloni to balance strategic partnerships with domestic political realities.

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The Israel Defense Ministry declined to comment.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Trump squeezed between Israel and Turkey as Netanyahu, Erdogan escalate feud

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:03:10 -0400

Tensions between Israel and Turkey are escalating sharply, with a war of words between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reaching new heights and placing President Donald Trump in an increasingly delicate position between the two sides as tension escalates.

The latest flare-up underscores a broader geopolitical clash about Iran, Gaza and regional influence, even as Washington attempts to maintain cooperation with both sides.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan accused Israel of deliberately seeking a new adversary following its confrontation with Iran, saying the Israeli government is attempting to portray Ankara as its next enemy.

"After Iran, Israel cannot live without an enemy," Fidan said in a televised interview with the state-run Anadolu news agency. "We see that not only Netanyahu’s administration but also some figures in the opposition — though not all — are seeking to declare Turkey the new enemy," he said.

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The rhetoric reflects a sharp deterioration in relations that have been strained since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack and the war in Gaza, but have now escalated into direct confrontation between the two leaders.

Netanyahu, in remarks posted on X Saturday, accused Erdoğan of siding with Iran and its proxies, writing that Israel "will continue to fight Iran’s terror regime… unlike Erdogan who accommodates them and massacred his own Kurdish citizens."

Erdoğan has intensified his criticism of Israel’s military campaign, accusing its leadership of war crimes and backing international legal action against Israeli officials.

In one of the most incendiary exchanges, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement claiming, "Netanyahu, who has been described as the Hitler of our time due to the crimes he has committed, is a well-known figure with a clear track record. An arrest warrant has been issued against Netanyahu by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Under Netanyahu’s administration, Israel is facing proceedings before the International Court of Justice on charges of genocide."

The escalation has not been limited to rhetoric. Erdoğan previously has suggested Turkey could take more assertive military action in the region, referencing past interventions, remarks that have raised alarms in Israel.

Israeli officials have responded forcefully.

Defense Minister Israel Katz has dismissed Erdoğan’s threats as bluster, while officials warn that Turkey’s regional posture, particularly its engagement in Syria, is being closely monitored.

For both leaders, analysts say, the escalation also serves domestic goals. For Trump, the situation presents a growing challenge.

The administration relies on Israel as a central partner in confronting Iran, while also depending on Turkey, a NATO ally, for regional diplomacy and mediation efforts tied to ceasefire negotiations and broader Middle East strategy.

That balancing act has become increasingly difficult as tensions between Jerusalem and Ankara intensify.

ISRAEL UNMASKS IRAN-DIRECTED HAMAS CASH NETWORK IN TURKEY AS ANKARA PUSHES FOR GAZA ROLE

Gönül Tol, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and author of "Erdogan’s War: A Strongman’s Struggle at Home and in Syria," told ӣ��Ƶ Digital, "The Trump administration has played a role in making sure the two countries do not clash in Syria. How Turkey and Israel are managing their differences in Syria, where stakes are high for Erdogan, is telling. But this doesn't mean the two will try to undermine each other's interests from the eastern Mediterranean to Levant to Horn of Africa."

"I think for both leaders, Netanyahu and Erdogan, escalating rhetoric serves a domestic purpose," Gönül added, "Anti-Israeli and pro-Palestinian sentiment in Turkey is very strong. At a time when Erdogan is struggling to resolve the country's growing economic problems, responding to Netanyahu's statements harshly scores points domestically and burnishes his strong leader image. But I do not think this rhetoric will turn into direct military clashes between the countries. Despite their military presence and clashing interests, Turkey and Israel have a quiet understanding where each accepts the other's sphere of influence in the country and try to deconflict."

In a policy webinar hosted by the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, Turkish academic Hüseyin Bağcı argued Turkey's ties with Washington limit the likelihood of direct conflict.

"The Turkish state is not interested in fighting with Israel because the Turkish government has very good relations with the United States of America," he said. "You cannot be good with America and then be in conflict with Israel."

TRUMP FACES MIDDLE EAST TEST AS NETANYAHU BALKS AT ERDOGAN’S GAZA TROOP HOPES

From the Israeli perspective, however, concerns center on actions rather than rhetoric.

Retired Israeli strategist Gabi Siboni said Turkey's behavior in Syria is shaping threat perceptions.

"I don’t know what Erdogan thinks. I know what he does, and I see what we see in our area," Siboni said in the webinar, adding, "There are true security concerns when we’re talking about what is happening in Syria. … Israel is not going to accept any type of military entrenchment of foreign actors."

Bağcı maintained that the tensions are largely political.

"There is no structural conflict between Israel and Turkey," he said. "The rhetoric is political … but the geography and the interests remain."

The tensions are also being fueled by renewed friction over Gaza-bound aid flotillas, a long-standing flashpoint in Israel–Turkey relations.

A new Turkish-linked flotilla departed from Barcelona Monday, raising concerns in Israel about a repeat of past confrontations. The issue carries deep historical weight: in 2010, Israeli commandos boarded the Gaza flotilla raid, in which 10 were killed, triggering a years-long diplomatic rupture between the two countries.

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Recent reports that Turkish prosecutors are seeking prison sentences for Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, over flotilla-related incidents have further escalated tensions, reinforcing how unresolved grievances continue to inflame the current crisis.

While the confrontation remains largely rhetorical for now, the sharp escalation in language, and the competing interests driving it, highlight the fragility of the regional landscape and the limits of Washington’s ability to keep both sides aligned.

ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to the Turkish Embassy in Washington, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, and the White House but did not receive a response in time for publication.

NYT columnist 'torn' about rooting for Iranian regime's downfall since it would give a win to Trump, Netanyahu

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 07:00:24 -0400

New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman said he's "torn" about efforts to remove the Iranian regime over concerns it would politically benefit President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"I find myself, Michael, in a situation where I really want to see Iran defeated militarily," Friedman told CNN host Michael Smerconish on Saturday. "Because this regime is a terrible regime for its people in the region."

"And nothing would improve the region more than the replacement of this regime with the regime in Iran that was focused on enabling its people to realize their full potential and integrating peacefully with other countries and stop occupying Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. So, I'm all for that," Friedman continued.

WASHINGTON POST COLUMNIST ARGUES MUSLIMS SHOULDN'T HAVE TO ASSIMILATE IN AMERICA

Friedman then turned to what he calls the "problem" of a successful regime change in Tehran.

"The problem is I really don‘t want to see Bibi Netanyahu or Donald Trump politically strengthened by this war, because they are two awful human beings," the Times columnist said. "They are both engaged in anti-democratic projects in their own countries. They‘re both alleged crooks. They are terrible, terrible people doing terrible things to America's standing in the world and Israel's standing in the world."

"And so I really find myself torn. I want to see Iran militarily defeated, but I do not want to see these two terrible people strengthened," he added.

AL JAZEERA OP-ED PRAISES US-ISRAEL OPERATION AGAINST IRAN, SAYS DEMS, MEDIA CRITICS ARE WRONG

The "torn" feelings from the New York Times columnist sparked a lot of attention among critics.

"What kind of sick hate must @tomfriedman have that he roots for USA to lose to a terrorist regime who has killed thousands of Americans?" Trump's Israel Ambassador Mike Huckabee reacted.

"I didn’t vote for Obama but I praised him for taking out Bin Laden," Huckabee added.

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"I commend @tomfriedman for his refreshing candor," California Post opinion editor Joel Pollack wrote. "Yes, there are some Democrats who want America to lose militarily, so Trump and Netanyahu can't 'win' politically. Trump isn't running again and you can't vote for/against Netanyahu. The left has no foreign policy, only domestic."

"A perfect distillation of TDS," ӣ��Ƶ chief political analyst Brit Hume said.

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MORNING GLORY: The US-Iran negotiations in Islamabad became Reykjavík 2.0

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 05:00:04 -0400

From the moment the talks between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran commenced in Islamabad, Pakistan on Saturday, only one of three results could follow: Munich, 1938 with the U.S. appeasing Iran; Reykjavík, 1986 with diplomatic deadlock; or Appomattox, 1865 with the exhausted and broken Iranians surrendering to the reality of hard power.

Turns out it was Reykjavík 2.0 with Vice President JD Vance instead of President Reagan exiting the meetings looking stone-faced and irritated as he announced an end to the talks and the departure of the United States delegation.

A blockade of all shipping from all Iranian ports commenced Monday at 10 AM pursuant to President Trump’s order to the U.S. Navy. The Navy has already commenced mine-clearing operations in the international waters in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday — during the talks. Quite a signal, that.

President Trump has indicated that renewed strikes on the teetering Islamic Republic of Iran are possible as well. Israel continues to pummel Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy in Lebanon.

TRUMP VOWS TO HIT IRAN 'VERY HARD' AFTER OBLITERATING NEARLY '90 PERCENT' OF REGIME MISSILES

It was a very bad weekend for terrorists in the Middle East as well as for the mother ship regime that supports them all in Tehran. The ayatollahs and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that prop them up are down to their fifth-string "generals," and the impotent "elected officials" of Iran who have never had other than the power the IRGC allocated to them.

The Iranian regime has survived on terror and bluster for 47 years. Now, it’s on the edge of collapse because of Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The fact that these two men are orchestrating the strategic defeat of a sinister, lunatic regime that, as recently as January 8–9, murdered more than 30,000 of its own people in two days, has the left in America and around the world working through cognitive dissonance. It would be amusing were the Iranian people not suffering so under the boot of the Islamist fanatics and the cost in American and Israeli lives in the dozens.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: 5 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM TRUMP’S IRAN ADDRESS

Our domestic left know they should actually cheer the ongoing collapse of the power of the theocrats in Tehran and the threat they present to the world. But the fact that the cartoon villains living in their collective heads rent-free 24/7/365 — Trump and Netanyahu — are the pair deconstructing the baddies leaves the lefties in legacy media and the Democratic Party stuttering and mumbling.

Many of them are also carrying the (very heavy) sunk costs of the absurd "Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action" from the halcyon days of peak Obama in 2015. The JCPOA was indeed the worst deal America ever made, but they held it up as an achievement for the ages. Trump blew it up. They haven’t recovered.

Like super-seniors pining for their glory days during the Elvis craze, the political equivalent of the 1950's teeny-boppers from Team Obama and his supporters in the legacy media are downcast, feeling left behind and increasingly certain that no one will ever fall for their "echo-chamber-leading- from-behind" shtick again.

IRAN WAR NEARS ‘COMPLETION’ AS TRUMP EYES DEADLINE — WHAT THE ENDGAME COULD LOOK LIKE

Not only has their beloved JCPOA been revealed as idiocy, but now Trump and Netanyahu have also revealed the Islamic Republic to have been less than the mighty superpower Team Obama built them up to be or at least put them on the path towards being.

More danger is ahead, but clarity is a wonderful thing. Serious people have always had the Iranian regime’s number. Silly podcasters and successive Democratic presidents may not have understood the depth of the evil they faced in Tehran, but the center-right and national security hawks never saw anything but menace. A reminder that it was Senator Tom Cotton who first and loudly blew the whistle on the fraud that was the JCPOA, just as he did on the Wuhan lab leak. Perhaps listen to Cotton next time an international crisis arises and not Beltway sharpies with podcasts?

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Team Obama may not have just been dense. They may simply have been afraid of confronting the killers in Iran.

No matter. Their era of appeasement is over now. The Vice President gave the Iranian regime a third chance to back away from the edge. The Iranians missed their first chance during 60 days of negotiation in 2025, which was followed by Midnight Hammer.

They missed on the second swing as well, just before the start of Epic Fury.

Now they have swung and missed… again. Three strikes and you are out. And blockaded. Not to mention broke and broken.

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Bravo to the American military for the swift and nearly complete devastation of the Iranian military. And thanks to our superb ally Israel. Prayers continue for the families of the fallen in this battle, those who have been wounded and those still in harm’s way.

It’s not over, but the beginning of the end of the Islamic Republic has arrived.

Hugh Hewitt is a ӣ��Ƶ contributor and host of "The Hugh Hewitt Show" heard weekday afternoons from 3 PM to 6 PM ET on the Salem Radio Network, and simulcast on Salem News Channel. Hugh drives Americans home on the East Coast and to lunch on the West Coast on over 400 affiliates nationwide, and on all the streaming platforms where SNC can be seen. He is a frequent guest on the ӣ��Ƶ Channel’s news roundtable, hosted by Bret Baier weekdays at 6 p..m ET. A son of Ohio and a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Michigan Law School, Hewitt has been a Professor of Law at Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law since 1996, where he teaches Constitutional Law. Hewitt launched his eponymous radio show from Los Angeles in 1990. Hewitt has frequently appeared on every major national news television network, hosted television shows for PBS and MSNBC, written for every major American paper, has authored a dozen books and moderated a score of Republican candidate debates, most recently the November 2023 Republican presidential debate in Miami and four Republican presidential debates in the 2015-16 cycle. Hewitt focuses his radio show and his column on the Constitution, national security, American politics and the Cleveland Browns and Guardians. Hewitt has interviewed tens of thousands of guests from Democrats Hillary Clinton and John Kerry to Republican Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump over his 40 years in broadcasting. This column previews the lead story that will drive his radio/ TV show today.

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Israeli man built bomb lab for Iranian plot targeting ex-PM Bennett, authorities say

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:48:26 -0400

Israeli authorities arrested a 22-year-old Haifa resident for his involvement in an Iranian-backed plot to assassinate a high-ranking Israeli official, with the intended target believed to be former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, reports say.

Ami Gaydarov, 22, was arrested last month on suspicion that he was working with an Iranian agent to gather intelligence and build a bomb for use in a terror plot against a high-ranking Israeli official. Gaydarov was unaware of the target's identity. A gag order on his arrest was recently lifted, allowing Israeli media outlets to report on the case.

Authorities said Gaydarov first made contact with his Iranian handler in August 2025 and was paid roughly $23,000 — most of it in cryptocurrency — to carry out tasks in preparation for the assassination plot.

Gaydarov allegedly rented an apartment in the city's downtown area to serve as a laboratory for the bombs.

TOP IRANIAN OFFICIAL, COMMANDER KILLED IN STRIKE, ISRAEL DEFENSE MINISTER SAYS

"To facilitate the contacts with his handlers, Gaidarov purchased dedicated phones and rented an apartment in Haifa where he produced the explosive substance, while documenting his activities in videos and photos that were sent to his handler as proof of compliance," the Israeli police force said.

In connection with the plot, Israeli authorities have also arrested three other suspects, including Sergey Leibman and Edward Shovtiuk. The fourth suspect has not been named. Authorities said indictments for the four suspects should occur in the "coming days."

The terror plot was uncovered as part of Israel's "Operation Roaring Lion," a major military campaign launched against Iran on February 28, coinciding with the start of the war with Iran.

The arrest of the four men comes as Israeli authorities have won more than 40 indictments against more than 60 defendants working on behalf of the Iranian government. Just two months ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered that the citizenship of Israelis convicted of espionage for Iran be stripped of their citizenship.

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Since the outbreak of the war with Iran, pro-Iranian attacks linked to radical groups have been on the rise. Just last week, French officials reported that a pro-Iran group was behind a failed bomb plot on a Bank of America office in Paris.

Chief prosecutor behind Israel war crimes charges faces disciplinary action amid sexual misconduct allegations

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 08:16:46 -0400

The International Criminal Court’s Chief Prosecutor, who brought charges against Israel’s prime minister and former defense minister on war crimes and crimes against humanity, is facing disciplinary proceedings against him over allegations of sexual misconduct.

After more than a year-long process of investigating the claims that Karim Khan engaged in sexual misconduct with a subordinate staffer, the Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) has voted in favor of pursuing disciplinary proceedings against Khan, Reuters reported.

According to The New York Times, the alleged victim revealed the sexual contact with Khan to her husband and several colleagues in April 2024. After colleagues confronted Khan in May, the judges’ report cites a witness who noted that Khan "jumped at the ‘lifeline’ of an alternative narrative when another colleague present said he ‘suspected whether Mossad played a role behind the scenes.’"

ICC PROSECUTOR BEHIND NETANYAHU ARREST WARRANTS STEPS ASIDE AMID SEXUAL MISCONDUCT PROBE

Just weeks later, Khan filed arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The Trump administration sanctioned Khan in February 2025 as a response to the war crimes warrants against the Israeli officials.

Eugene Kontorovich, a professor at George Mason University, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital that the fact that Khan "specifically blamed the Mossad for his problems shows he is fundamentally compromised and the investigation that he launched… in any normal legal system would be dismissed with extreme prejudice."

He said it was a sign of "how broken" the ICC is "that such a politicized investigation would be allowed to proceed."

The disciplinary action came as 15 member states voted in favor of moving forward to discipline Khan, with four votes against and two abstentions. In a letter read aloud during the meeting, prosecutors’ office officials noted they were not in favor of Khan remaining in his position as chief prosecutor.

SCANDAL LEAVES INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT GRASPING FOR LEGITIMACY AMID PROBE OF ISRAEL

The vote represented a change from the consensus of three judges who determined last month there was insufficient evidence to prove the allegations against Khan "beyond a reasonable doubt," according to the New York Times report. The judges based their findings on a United Nations’ investigation done by the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) turned up more than 5,000 pages of evidence. While the U.N. investigation report determined that Khan had "non-consensual sexual contact" with the employee, the judges’ report found there was no evidence of misconduct.

In a press release, the Association of International Criminal Law Prosecutors (AICLP) noted "structural deficiencies" made clear through the proceedings against Khan.

Among these are an Independent Oversight Mechanism whose processes were "inadequate to the task" when it closed an inquiry into the assault after the alleged victim "declined to file a formal complaint" and claimed she feared retaliation. "The Court cannot credibly prosecute the gravest crimes against persons while tolerating a culture in which its own staff are inadequately protected," the AICLP argued.

Khan’s alleged retaliation against the staff who supported the complainant further concerned the AICLP. "We observe that the standard for fitness to lead the world’s foremost international criminal prosecution office is not simply the absence of proven misconduct beyond reasonable doubt," the AICLP wrote. "It also includes the demonstrated capacity to command the trust of the institution’s own staff, and that trust, on the evidence now before the Assembly of States Parties, appears to be deeply and publicly fractured."

The AICLP believes that "a prompt, principled, and transparent resolution is not only a matter of fairness to the individuals directly involved, but a prerequisite for restoring the operational integrity of an Office on which the cause of international criminal justice depends."

Prior to the announcement of the Bureau’s decision to pursue disciplinary action against Khan, the ICC directed ӣ��Ƶ Digital to a press release in which the President of the ASP "expresse[d] concern at the recent media reporting concerning the ongoing disciplinary process regarding the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court." The ASP President called "for due respect for the privacy and the rights of all parties concerned, as well as the integrity of the ongoing process."

Peter Gallo, formerly an investigator with the OIOS, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital that "trying to deflect attention away from the facts of the allegation by blaming Israel is an indication of the anti-Israel bias which clearly exists, and which reduces the ICC to a tool of political warfare rather than any kind of court of justice."

Gallo noted that "the panel of judges appear to be hung up on there being insufficient evidence to meet the ‘beyond all reasonable doubt’ standard," and questioned why "one particular international civil servant [should] be subjected to a ridiculously high standard of proof when lower ranking staff are not."

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The ICC did not respond to follow-up questions about whether investigations into Gallant and Netanyahu will continue should Khan be removed from his post.

The OIOS did not respond to ӣ��Ƶ Digital’s request for comment on its report.

Reuters contributed to this report.

MORNING GLORY: President Trump leads the West to a big win against Iran

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 05:00:49 -0400

"A big win for President Trump IF the Strait opens and stays open."

As part of The Panel on "Special Report," that was my instant reaction when Bret Baier asked all five of us to assess the just announced two-week ceasefire in the battle with Iran. While Dasha Burns, Mark Penn and Juan Williams demurred one way or the other, Kellyanne Conway agreed with me and elaborated, citing President Trump’s long-established pattern of negotiation having brought about at least a temporary win.

The test of how big a win it actually is will be revealed in the rest of the two weeks. The crucial issue is, can whomever in Iran wrote the check promising the Strait of Hormuz would open actually be able to cash it?

If so, the world’s oil supply will surge a bit and the remnants of the Iranian regime will have a chance to inventory the destruction that has rained down on their forces for five weeks.

TRUMP’S IRAN STRATEGY IS WORKING AND TEACHING OUR FOES WHAT DETERRENCE MEANS

If the Strait doesn’t reopen to unmolested traffic, or the attacks on Israel and our Gulf allies don’t cease, another round of the third Gulf war will soon commence.

The first round began with the disaster of the invasion of Israel from Gaza and the massacre and kidnapping which followed on October 7, 2023. With a combination of help and hurdles, the U.S. under the (maybe) direction of President Biden stood with our embattled ally, and Israel struck back hard against Hamas to the south, Hezbollah to the north and from the Houthis across the Arabian peninsula. The Jewish State absorbed the first direct attack from Iran with our help. The reality of the menace from Iran and its proxies was revealed to the world.

When President Trump returned to the Oval Office, the Israelis got their hostages back because of pressure brought to bear by the president and his team. A ceasefire took hold and the remnants of Hamas and the Hezbollah forces retreated to their tunnels and hideouts, all of their senior leadership dead.

IRAN REVEALS 10-POINT PLAN FOR PEACE WITH THE US – HERE'S WHAT'S IN IT

The next round began in June 2025, with Israel’s Operation Rising Lion and ended with America’s Operation Midnight Hammer. The Iranian nuclear program was obliterated and its air defenses shattered. The people of Iran then rose in December to demand change and were massacred in January. The world saw clearly the lunacy of the Khamenei 1.0 regime. The U.S. and Israel planned their next attack.

They struck with devastating results on February 28 with Operation Epic Fury and Operation Roaring Lion. At the enormous cost of 13 precious American lives and a score of seriously wounded U.S. soldiers and dozens of casualties in Israel and the Gulf States, the allies shattered every aspect of the terrorist regime in Tehran.

We don’t know who is running what in Iran, but we have more forces en route and anywhere from a day to two weeks to assess the massive intelligence haul of the past 96 hours, which includes the near miraculous rescue of the downed American airmen and the fractured, frantic and ineffective response of the disabled IRGC to the chance to capture one of our invaluable warriors.

The rescues humiliated the Iranian regime — again — and ongoing damage to their military industrial base continued unabated. Within the hours of the incredibly complex rescue missions also came the B-2s again, to drop Massive Ordinance Penetrators on two locations in Tehran in the midst of the rescue operation, as IRGC senior leadership unwisely gathered.

The public doesn’t know who is left alive on the IRGC side, but reports of a critically wounded Khamenei 2.0 and still more erasures from the IRGC command structure leave the regime tottering. There is still no internet for the people of Iran. The remnant is afraid of us, Israel and their own people.

President Trump issued his ultimatum. His never-evolving critics denounced his language though it got through to whomever is running the bunkers in Iran. (It’s absurd to read the post by President Trump as threatening the Iranian people when the "civilization" he was referring to was manifestly the one oppressing the "Great People of Iran," the one which the president stated in the post had ruled for 47 years through "extortion, corruption and death.")

Incredibly, some in the Manhattan-Beltway national security left tried to turn this post into the threat of the use of nuclear weapons or slightly less insane lesser degrees of disproportionate attack on civilians, which it never was. Insta-experts declaimed how attacks on bridges and power plants were war crimes. Online hysteria among those suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome reached new heights.

Then someone within the regime blinked, and the president took the big win. Instantly, his online critics went from "He’s a war criminal" to "TACO Tuesday." Their collective 180 doesn’t make sense. They don’t make sense. They have lost the thread. A mortal enemy of the West for nearly a half century has been pummeled, its leadership destroyed, its proxies battered. Five weeks of battle have shown the world that Iran cannot defend itself and possesses only missiles and drones that fire mostly ineffectively at anyone they can reach.

Time will quickly tell us if the new set of rulers atop the smoking ruins of the IRGC command chart can follow through on the promise that secured the ceasefire. If not, President Trump can initiate another round of pummeling with more and updated intelligence on what is going on within the regime.

MIKE PENCE: TRUMP AND OUR INCREDIBLE MILITARY ARE ENDING 47 YEARS OF IRANIAN TERROR

It is far from over, but long conflicts never resolve in a month. The most relevant history to consult comes from the closing decade of Cold War I.

During the summer of 1983, President Ronald Reagan, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and French President Francois Mitterrand planned deployment to Europe of the Pershing II missile as well as nuclear-capable cruise missiles.

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Enormous domestic and international pressure tried to make them stop, but they didn’t. Instead, they established deterrent and telegraphed Western will to the Soviets. Along with Reagan’s SDI, support of the Mujahideen in Afghanistan and his walk-out at Reykjavík, the West turned the momentum of the Cold War, through the last acts of which President George H.W. Bush adroitly managed the West, and that decades old drama ended in dissolution of USSR in December 1991.

HEGSETH DECLARES 'DECISIVE MILITARY VICTORY' OVER IRAN

Note that’s an eight-year unbroken stretch of American presidents’ commitment to winning crucial battles along the way which preceded the strategic victory.

To accomplish such huge shifts on the world stage, the West’s enemies must believe the U.S. and its allies are (1) strong and (2) can use that strength despite domestic political opposition and legacy media hatred on both sides of the Atlantic. Snap judgments of every twist and turn have to be made, but the first five weeks of this phase of the 47-year war with the regime have been an enormous success, and probably made inevitable the transformation or collapse of the Iranian regime. It also revealed a terrible sclerosis among the European allies that stood with us in the first Cold War. The good news is that it also revealed the immense capabilities of our most important ally, Israel, as well as the recognition of reality from our Gulf State allies. Fundamental things are afoot in the Middle East, most of them very good indeed.

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The U.S.-Israel-Iran battles of 2025 and 2026 are already pivot points in world history, and we aren’t close to the end of this drama. But the U.S. has re-established deterrence via President Trump’s moves here and across the world. He and Prime Minister Netanyahu not only just ordered and oversaw the crushing of the Iranian nuclear program and military-industrial base in ways we can barely know, they also ordered the destruction of four or more levels of radical and corrupt regime leadership and brought much closer the prospect of real freedom for the Iranian people.

We won’t know for years how to fully assess the past five weeks, but with the ‘83-‘91 example of strategic will and patience in mind, Tuesday night was a very good night for the West — if the Iranian regime reopens the Strait and ceases fire soon. If the Iranian regime cannot control its missile and drone forces because the leadership is dead or impotent, the war will resume. But freedom for the long-suffering Iranian people and stability in the Middle East has never been closer since 1979.

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Israel approves sweeping death penalty legislation targeting terrorism, EU condemns move

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:54:57 -0400

JERUSALEM: Israel’s Parliament, the Knesset, on Monday passed a law mandating the death penalty for Palestinian terrorists convicted of deadly acts of terrorism, sparking anger from European countries and an Israeli opposition leader.

Lawmakers voted 62-47 in favor of far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s legislation to prescribe the death penalty by hanging. Ben Gvir and his party, Otzma Yehudit, proposed the measure.

Otzma Yehudit lawmaker Tzvika Foghel, who chairs the National Security Committee and advanced the bill through the committee under his leadership, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital that Israelis are fed up with policies of containment and compromise.

NETANYAHU URGES COURT TO REVOKE PALESTINIANS' ISRAELI CITIZENSHIP AFTER CONVICTIONS FOR VIOLENT CRIMES

"For too many years, we have tried to please the entire world, even when we were being murdered in our streets. Since October 7, we have shifted to an offensive approach so that we can dictate the reality in the future," he said.

Foghel said the death penalty for terrorists is part of a broader shift in Israel, driven by the recognition that no other country faces a reality in confronting radical Islamic terrorism in Gaza, Lebanon, Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), as well as in Yemen and Iran.

"The death penalty for terrorists who burned, raped, mutilated and abused children and parents is the same punishment we established for the Nazis," he said.

Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said, "The EU has a principled position against the death penalty in all cases and in all circumstances. Israel had long upheld a de facto moratorium on both executions and capital punishment sentencing, thereby leading by example in the region despite a complex security environment."

She added, "The approval of the Death Penalty Bill by the Israeli Parliament marks a grave regression from that practice and from Israel’s own commitments. We are deeply concerned about the de facto discriminatory character of the Bill."

ANALYSTS SAY GAZA 'CIVILIAN' DEATHS INCLUDE HAMAS, OTHER TERROR MEMBERS WORKING AS MEDICS, MEDIA WORKERS

Israel has applied the death penalty only once in the state’s history for the Nazi mass murderer Adolf Eichmann in 1962. The death penalty exists on the books in Israel, but Israeli courts have limited latitude to apply execution to cases beyond penalties for Nazi war criminals.

Former Prime Minister and current leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party, Yair Lapid said the legislation is fundamentally flawed because it does not apply to Hamas terrorists involved in the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre that killed 1,200 people.

"This law is not a show of force; it is a sign of panic. This law is more extreme than anything in the United States, and they know it will get struck down by the law. It isn’t a law for justice or for deterrence, it is a law for public relations," he added.

Likud lawmaker Dan Illouz, a supporter of the legislation, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital that the events of Oct. 7 underscored, in his view, the need to prevent terrorists from viewing the kidnapping of civilians as a viable means of securing the release of imprisoned militants.

"The death penalty shatters that equation. It serves as the ultimate deterrent, ensuring that terrorists know their actions lead only to their own demise, not a negotiated release. We are a life-loving nation, but to protect life, we must deal decisively with those who seek to destroy it," he said.

"Prime Minister Netanyahu's vote in favor was crucial. It projects an unmistakable message of strength and moral clarity from the very top of Israel's leadership. By personally casting his vote, the Prime Minister showed our enemies, and the entire world, that our government is completely united and unyielding in our resolve to eradicate terrorism and defend our citizens," he added.

MICHIGAN SYNAGOGUE ATTACKER WAS INSPIRED BY HEZBOLLAH, SOUGHT TO KILL AS MANY JEWISH PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE: FEDS

The Israeli Channel 12 political commentator, Amit Segal, wrote that he supports "executing terrorists who attempt to murder civilians — especially the monsters of October 7," but was critical of Ben Gvir’s legislation.

He wrote in his newsletter, "The law defines terrorism as acts ‘to negate the existence of the state,’ a definition that could apply to groups such as extremist Haredi factions and violent members of the ‘Hilltop Youth’ (which Ben-Gvir supports.)

Segal said that "while Ben-Gvir’s law is essentially a campaign stunt, a more responsible law is making its way through the system. Proposed by MKs Simcha Rotman and Yulia Malinovsky, the law establishes the practical mechanisms — procedural and evidentiary — to secure convictions of Nukhba terrorists, after which the death penalty could be imposed."

Another Likud lawmaker, Amit Halevi, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital that the central element of the legislation is the distinction between criminal offenses and crimes against the state or against humanity.

"A terrorist commits his crimes as part of an ideology aimed at killing, oppressing and controlling all Jews. These terrorists, if they could, would kill every one of us. They are ideological murderers, in a different category from ordinary criminals, and that is a critical point of the bill," he said.

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Halevi added that further efforts are needed to clearly delineate crimes against the state, including what falls within that category and what does not.

"Generally speaking, this legislation is a step in the right direction. Much of the criticism I hear relates to ordinary criminals. People do not understand the enemy — who he is and what this war is about," he said.

Exclusive: Sara Netanyahu warns of surging antisemitism and importance of Jewish-Christian alliance

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 06:30:03 -0400

EXCLUSIVE: Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has warned about the growing dangers of antisemitism and attempts to undermine the relationship between Christian and Jewish communities.

Her remarks followed her four-day visit to the U.S. for the "Be Best" First Ladies’ Summit, attending at the invitation of first lady Melania Trump.

In exclusive comments to ӣ��Ƶ Digital, she said extremist elements on both the far left and right continue to promote antisemitism despite the historical record of where it leads and are seeking to undermine Israel and divide support within the Christian community.

"Israel has never had a prime minister like my husband, who during every visit to the United States makes it a point to meet with leaders of the Christian community, embrace them, listen to them, and maintain a close and genuine relationship as true partners and friends," she told ӣ��Ƶ Digital.

CHRISTIAN PASTORS, INFLUENCERS JOIN 1,000-STRONG ISRAEL MISSION BACKING JEWISH STATE, FIGHTING ANTISEMITISM

"Their courage in standing firm against the enemies of Israel is worthy of appreciation. They are our [unofficial] ambassadors, and I hope our partnership will continue to grow and strengthen," she added.

Netanyahu said that in July, Israel hosted the president’s close adviser and White House Faith Office head, Paula White-Cain, for a special event attended by both her and the prime minister, which was broadcast to millions of Christian viewers worldwide.

Following Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, killing of 1,200 people in Israel, antisemitism surged globally, including in the U.S.

Sara Netanyahu was raised in Israel by her parents, Shmuel and Hava Ben-Artzi. Her father, a Bible scholar and educator, instilled in her an appreciation for the Jewish people’s historical connection to the land of Israel.

"The Holocaust was a moment in history that cannot and will not be repeated," Netanyahu told ӣ��Ƶ Digital, against the backdrop of the ongoing U.S.-Israel military operation against the Islamic Republic of Iran, whose leaders have repeatedly threatened to commit genocide against the Jewish state.

Post-Oct. 7 attacks include the May 2025 killing of two Israeli Embassy staff in Washington by Elias Rodriguez, who allegedly shouted "Free Palestine!" upon arrest, and a June attack by Mohamed Sabry Soliman that wounded 12 at a pro-Israel rally, later killing one victim.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SUES HARVARD OVER ALLEGED FAILURE TO PROTECT JEWISH AND ISRAELI STUDENTS, SEEKS BILLIONS

Incidents also rose after Operation Epic Fury began Feb. 28, described by Netanyahu as a preemptive move against Iran and its terror proxies.

Investigators said Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, accused of attempting a March 12 attack on a Michigan synagogue, was radicalized by Hezbollah.

Meanwhile, a federal probe last month found some faculty members "legitimized and amplified antisemitism" during protests against Israel’s war in Gaza. Encampments spread on campuses, often demanding divestment from Israel-linked institutions and Jewish organizations.

On March 20, the Trump administration sued Harvard, alleging it failed to protect Jewish and Israeli students and enabled antisemitism.

"We are in an existential war — a war of good versus evil — against a force that seeks to destroy Israel and the world," she said.

"Leaders of the Iranian regime have publicly burned the flags of Israel and the United States. They have called Israel the ‘Little Satan’ and America the ‘Great Satan.’"

She continued, "Israel has never had a better friend than Donald Trump. Together with the [Israeli] prime minister, they are reshaping the Middle East and creating an opportunity for a new future for the entire free world," she added.

During her U.S. visit, Netanyahu met with multiple first ladies, delivered a speech at the U.S. State Department, held talks with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., engaged with technology and AI companies and hosted a large meeting with parents of children serving in the Israel Defense Forces.

MELANIA TRUMP WELCOMES HUMANOID ROBOT TO WHITE HOUSE FOR HISTORIC AI SUMMIT

Netanyahu attended the "Be Best" First Ladies’ Summit, a global technology conference of first ladies hosted by Melania Trump, focused on expanding access to distance-learning technologies for children and teenagers.

Netanyahu, a child psychologist who works three times a week at the Jerusalem municipality, has immersed herself in the issue.

The visit also carried economic implications, leading to expanded dialogue with Microsoft and Meta at the global level.

Netanyahu told ӣ��Ƶ Digital that companies expressed interest in advancing investments worth tens of millions of dollars to implement advanced AI models for remote learning among children and youth — particularly in Israel, where educational continuity has been disrupted by the security situation.

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"Israel is a leading country among advanced Western nations — in morality, values and certainly technology. Israeli innovation impacts people around the world every day in fields such as cybersecurity, fintech and agriculture. We contribute our knowledge and build strategic partnerships that bring Israel closer to its allies," she said.

"There is strong appreciation for Israel worldwide, and when countries recognize our contributions, they choose partnership over extremism and hatred," Netanyahu concluded.

Al Jazeera op-ed praises US-Israel operation against Iran, says Dems, media critics are wrong

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 07:40:26 -0400

Operation Epic Fury is receiving praise from an unlikely source. Al Jazeera, the Qatari government-funded news organization, published an op-ed Monday declaring in the headline, "The US-Israeli strategy against Iran is working."

"Two weeks into Operation Epic Fury, the dominant narrative has settled into a comfortable groove: The United States and Israel stumbled into a war without a plan. Iran is retaliating across the region. Oil prices are surging, and the world is facing another Middle Eastern quagmire. US senators have called it a blunder. Cable news has tallied the crises. Commentators have warned of a long war... But this narrative is wrong," the piece began.

"Not because the costs are imaginary, but because the critics are measuring the wrong things. They are [cataloging] the price of the campaign while ignoring the strategic ledger."

Muhanad Seloom, an assistant professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, authored the piece.

"When you look at what has actually happened to Iran’s principal instruments of power – its ballistic missile arsenal, its nuclear infrastructure, its air [defenses], its navy and its proxy command architecture – the picture is not one of US failure. It is one of systematic, phased degradation of a threat that previous administrations allowed to grow for four decades," he continued.

KT MCFARLAND: OPERATION EPIC FURY PROVES IT IS BOTH AMERICA FIRST AND PROUDLY MAGA

Seloom marveled at how "every aspect of Iran’s ability to project regional power is being successfully degraded" and "collapsing in real time."

He also pointed out how Iranian ballistic missile launches "have fallen by more than 90 percent" since Operation Epic Fury was first underway, dropping from 350 to roughly 25 — similar to its drone launches going from 800 on Day 1 to 75 by Day 15.

"Hundreds of Iranian missile launchers have been rendered inoperable. According to some reports, 80 percent of Iran’s capacity to strike Israel has been eliminated," Seloom wrote. "Iran’s naval assets, fast-attack craft, midget submarines and mine-laying capabilities are being liquidated. Its air [defenses] have been suppressed to the point at which the US is now flying nonstealth B-1 bombers over Iranian airspace, a decision that signals near-total confidence in air dominance."

FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE CALLS ON TRUMP ADMIN TO 'TAKE CARE' OF IRAN FOR GOOD

The Qatari professor insisted the Iranian regime is facing a "strategic dilemma" — that firing any remaining missiles will expose the launchers and would promptly be targeted by the US and Israel while reserving missiles "forfeits the ability to impose costs of the war."

"This is a force managing decline, not projecting strength," Seloom said.

After highlighting the damage to Iran's nuclear facilities, Seloom pushed back against Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who claimed the Trump administration misjudged Iran's retaliation, as well as CNN's suggestion that the administration lost control over the war regarding the Strait of Hormuz, saying their framing "inverts the strategic logic."

HEGSETH BLASTS BRITS, SAYS IRAN'S CHAOTIC RETALIATION HAS DRIVEN ITS OWN ALLIES 'INTO THE AMERICAN ORBIT'

"Closing the strait was always Iran’s most visible retaliatory card, and always a wasting asset. About 90 percent of Iran’s own oil exports pass through Kharg Island and then the strait," Seloom wrote. "China, Tehran’s largest remaining economic partner, cannot receive Iranian crude while the strait is shut. Every day the blockade continues, Iran severs its own economic lifeline and alienates the one major power that has consistently shielded it at the United Nations. The closure does not just hurt the global economy; it accelerates Iran’s isolation."

He continued, "Meanwhile, the naval assets Iran needs to sustain the blockade – fast-attack boats, drones, mines, shore-based antiship missiles – are being degraded daily. Its naval bases at Bandar Abbas and Chahbahar have been severely damaged. The question is not whether the strait reopens but when and whether Iran retains any naval capacity to contest it. Critics compare the challenge of escorting a hundred tankers daily to an impossible logistical burden. But you do not need to escort tankers through a strait if the adversary no longer has the means to threaten them. That is the operational trajectory."

Seloom also pushed back against the notion that the war is expanding through Iran's proxies like Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iraqi militias, stressing that the command structure of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) "has been decapitated at multiple levels" and that the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei "eliminated the apex of the [authorization] pyramid."

"When proxies launch retaliatory attacks across the region, this is not evidence of an expanding network; it is evidence of predelegated response authority, which is what a [centralized] command system activates when it anticipates its own destruction," he wrote. "Predelegation is a sign of desperation, not strength. It means the centre can no longer coordinate. The attacks will continue, but they will become increasingly uncoordinated, strategically incoherent and politically costly for the host states where these groups operate."

Seloom went on to say President Donald Trump's rhetoric "has not helped" combat critics who question the endgame, which the professor said is the "permanent degradation of Iran’s ability to project power beyond its borders through missiles, nuclear latency and proxy networks." He also acknowledged critics like Murphy have a "legitimate concern" about what happens in Tehran after the fighting stops, something he says the Trump administration needs to lay out.

"Call it strategic disarmament. This is closer to the approach of the Allies to Germany’s industrial war-making capacity in 1944-1945 than to the US war on Iraq in 2003," Seloom said. "The campaign’s execution has been imperfect, its public communication poor and its post-conflict planning incomplete. War is never clean. But the strategy – the actual strategy, measured in degraded capabilities rather than cable news cycles – is working."

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Israel hammers Iranian internal security command centers to open door to uprising

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 09:27:37 -0500

The Israeli military's latest wave of airstrikes in Iran dealt a serious blow to the country's brutal internal security apparatus, opening the door for a potential uprising.

During the strikes, Israel "dropped dozens of munitions on the Basij and internal security command centers that are subject to the Iranian terror regime," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Wednesday. "The targeted command centers were used by the Iranian regime to maintain control throughout Iran and maintain the regime’s situational assessments."

Since the start of Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. has hit nearly 2,000 targets as it carries out a sweeping military campaign aimed at dismantling the regime's security apparatus and neutralizing threats. Adm. Brad Cooper of U.S. Central Command confirmed the number of targets hit in a video message.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij militia, Iran's volunteer paramilitary force, were behind the violent crackdown on protesters in January. The bloody crackdown saw regime actors firing on crowds and conducting mass arrests of Iranian protesters. Some had seen the protests as a sign that regime change in Iran was getting nearer, though it did not occur.

EXILED IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE SAYS US STRIKES MARK 'BEGINNING OF THE VERY END' FOR REGIME

Israeli and U.S. officials have hinted at the possibility of regime change in Iran as both countries take aim at Tehran's military and security sites.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message announcing the launch of Operation Epic Fury, which Israel calls Operation Rising Lion, that it was time for Iranians "to rid themselves of the yoke of tyranny." Similarly, President Donald Trump said in a message to the Iranian people on Feb. 28 that "the hour of your freedom is at hand."

"When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be, probably, your only chance for generations," Trump said.

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"America is backing you with overwhelming strength and devastating force. Now is the time to seize control of your destiny, and to unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is close within your reach. This is the moment for action. Do not let it pass," the president added.

Ali Vaez, director of the Iran project at the International Crisis Group, told The Wall Street Journal that the path to regime change through foreign airstrikes and popular uprising on the ground has "a bet that rests on no clear historical model." Vaez also warned that the idea "ignores the resilience of entrenched authoritarian systems like the Islamic Republic."

The IDF said on Monday that Israel had hit headquarters, bases and regional command centers that belonged to the regime's internal security apparatus.

"These bodies were responsible for, among other things, suppressing protests against the regime through violent measures and civilian arrests," the IDF said.

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It is unclear who will lead Iran after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day of the operation. Since then, Israel and the U.S. have made it clear that regime leaders chosen to replace him would be targets. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned on Wednesday that anyone chosen to replace Khamenei would be considered "a target for elimination" if they continued to threaten Israel, the U.S. and regional allies.

The killing of key leaders might not be enough to cause an uprising, as the regime has a monopoly on weapons in most of Iran, the WSJ reported, adding that Basij militants are still patrolling the streets.

ӣ��Ƶ Digital's Morgan Phillips and Efrat Lachter contributed to this report.

Trump says Iran is 'running out of launchers' as regime is 'being decimated'

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 13:44:39 -0500

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the Iranian regime is "running out of launchers" as its forces are "being decimated."

The president made the remarks despite saying that the Iranian military is expected to "keep lobbing missiles for a while," according to Politico. The State Department is urging Americans to depart immediately from more than a dozen countries across the Middle East, warning of "serious safety risks" as the Iran war intensifies.

"They’re running out, and they’re running out of areas to shoot them, because they’re being decimated," Trump told Politico. "They’re running out of launchers."

Trump’s comments come as the Israel Defense Forces announced Tuesday that "targets belonging to the Iranian terror regime in Tehran and Isfahan were struck."

LIVE UPDATES: ISRAEL STRIKES IRANIAN LEADERSHIP MEETING ABOUT KHAMENEI SUCCESSION PLAN

"Throughout Iran, industrial sites used by the Iranian regime to produce weapons, particularly ballistic missiles, were targeted," the IDF said.

"Isfahan: Dozens of targets related to the ballistic missiles array, including launchers and missile storage sites, were struck," it added.

AMERICANS IN MORE THAN A DOZEN MIDDLE EAST NATIONS URGED TO FLEE

The United States launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran and Israel launched its parallel campaign, Operation Roaring Lion, on Saturday.

"The Air Force personnel, the fighters — both women and men — the commanders and the technical teams, are doing amazing work in defense and offense. All of Israel must appreciate their contribution to the defense of Israel's civilians and to striking those who seek our harm," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on X on Tuesday.

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"We are on the fourth day of Lion's Roar," he added. "We are roaring and we are acting."

ӣ��Ƶ Digital’s Ashley Carnahan and Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.

Netanyahu insists US and Israel's strikes on Iran won't lead to 'endless war'

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 22:34:59 -0500

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured Americans on Monday that there won't be an "endless war" in the Middle East as the United States and Israel continue striking the Iranian regime.

"You're not going to have an endless war," Netanyahu told ӣ��Ƶ' Sean Hannity in an exclusive interview. "This terror regime in Iran is at the weakest point that it's been since it hijacked Iran from the brave Iranian people 47 years ago. So this is going to be a quick and decisive action. And we're going to create the conditions first for the Iranian people to get control of their destiny, to form their own democratically elected government, which will make a different Iran altogether."

Netanyahu insisted that the destruction of the Iranian regime would pave the way for "many peace treaties" with other Muslim countries in the region and that it would "change the world."

"If we go through what we plan to do, I think it will create conditions for peace," the prime minister said. "This is not an endless war. This is, in fact, something that will usher in an era of peace that we haven't even dreamed of."

LONGTIME TRUMP CRITIC CREDITS HIM FOR RESTORING ‘CREDIBILITY OF US DETERRENCE’ AS IRAN STRIKES UNFOLD

Netanyahu specifically cited Saudi Arabia as a nation he believes has "a lot to gain" from the Iranian regime's fall and that peace between Saudi Arabia and Israel will be "very close" as a result.

"So this is a gateway for peace, for broader peace. And I believe that we can achieve it," Netanyahu continued. "The most important thing to understand is that when we work together, President Trump and I, we achieved, in fact, four breakthroughs for peace. Brokered by President Trump working together with me, we brokered — we brought forward the Abraham Accords, which was four peace treaties with four Arab countries. And now working together against Iran, we will be able to bring many, many more peace treaties. So this is not an endless war. This is a gateway to peace. It's the exact opposite of what people are saying."

FETTERMAN BLASTS IRAN STRIKE CRITICS, AYATOLLAH'S APOLOGISTS: 'LET'S SEE WHO GRIEVES FOR THAT GARBAGE'

Netanyahu laughed at the "ridiculous" assertion Trump's critics have said that the president was dragged into a war with Iran by Israel.

"Donald Trump is the strongest leader in the world," he said. "He does what he thinks is right for America. He does also what he thinks is right for future generations... Iran is committed to your destruction. And whether people understand it or not, the leader has to understand it. Donald Trump understands it. You don't have to drag him into anything. He does what he thinks is right, and this is right."

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He doubled down on the dramatic military action his country and the U.S. have taken with "Operation Epic Fury."

"The reason that we had to act now is because they were," Netanyahu said. "After we hit their nuclear sites and their ballistic missiles program, you’d think they learned a lesson, but they didn’t because they’re unreformable. They’re totally fanatic about this—about the goal of destroying America. So, they started building new sites and new places, underground bunkers that would make their ballistic missile program and their atomic bomb program immune within months."

"If no action was taken now, no action could be taken in the future," Netanyahu continued. "And then they could target America. They could blackmail America. They could threaten us and threaten everyone in between. So, action had to be taken. And you needed a resolute president like Donald J. Trump to take that action."

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Fetterman blasts Iran strike critics, Ayatollah's apologists: 'Let's see who grieves for that garbage'

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 15:59:18 -0500

As Democrats line up to denounce President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s joint strikes on Iran’s ruling regime, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is doing the opposite, forcefully defending the operation and rebuking members of his own party who call it reckless.

The Pennsylvania Democrat, who has increasingly staked out unapologetic pro-Israel positions, has openly questioned why critics from both the far-right and far-left are making hay over the strikes, arguing the operation was necessary to counter Tehran’s aggression. His stance is widening a visible fracture inside the party over how far to back Israel amid escalating regional tensions.

On Monday, Fetterman wrote that he’s "not sure why it’s controversial to anyone to appreciate and celebrate wiping out 49 leaders of one of the most evil regimes in recorded history," after Trump announced the potentially four-week mission was ahead of schedule after discovering several top Iranian officials being targeted were reportedly in the same area and could be taken out at once.

TRUMP’S IRAN STRIKE ROCKS TEXAS SENATE RACE AS DEMS DEMAND ‘WAR POWERS,’ GOP APPLAUDS PRESIDENT

After the initial strike on Saturday, Fetterman reposted an image from the "Israel War Room" that showed a Wanted-style poster of Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei with the word "Eliminated" burned across it.

"Let’s see who grieves for that garbage," Fetterman captioned.

The former Pennsylvania lieutenant governor later credited Trump, saying in a statement that he "has been willing to do what’s right and necessary to produce real peace in the region."

"God bless the United States, our great military, and Israel."

He also openly questioned members of his own caucus, who have otherwise agreed that Iran cannot be permitted to nuclearize.

"Every member in the U.S. Senate agrees we cannot allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon," he wrote on X.

IRAN DIDN’T ADAPT TO AMERICA'S PLAYBOOK. RUSSIA AND CHINA ALREADY HAVE

"I’m baffled why so many are unwilling to support the only action to achieve that. Empty sloganeering vs. commitment to global security — which is it?"

He said Saturday he would be a "hard no" if Democrats forced a war powers resolution vote to claw back Trump’s authority.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., told Richmond press on Monday that he intends to press for a vote on a War Powers Resolution he filed in January focused on Iran.

Kaine wondered aloud in a separate public statement whether Trump is "too mentally incapacitated to realize we had a diplomatic agreement with Iran…"

"The Senate should immediately return to session and vote on my War Powers Resolution to block the use of U.S. forces in hostilities against Iran. Every single Senator needs to go on the record about this dangerous, unnecessary, and idiotic action," Kaine said.

Fetterman was not the only Democrat to sound off on critics of the Iran strike. Former New York Mayor Eric Adams, who is also a former NYPD officer, lambasted what he called the political fringes for ignoring the human rights abuses, mass murder and attacks on Americans committed by Khamenei, 86, and his predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

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Rep. Gregory Landsman, D-Ohio, also praised the operation against Iran and compared the killing of Khamenei to taking out Usama bin Laden, but stopped short of endorsing Trump’s broader plans.

"There’s a lot of folks in Congress who don’t trust this president and I’m one of those people. In the end I trust the generals and I trust our military," he told the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Tel Aviv analyst shelters from 30 missile sirens in 48 hours, says Iran won’t 'recover'

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 22:06:32 -0500

The past 48 hours in Tel Aviv have been unlike anything seen before, a leading security analyst has said, as sirens blared amid missile threats following Operation Epic Fury and U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran.

"We are facing a biblical event — nothing less," Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital speaking from his shelter in the city.

Like many Israelis, Michael said he had spent hours in reinforced rooms during the ongoing barrage, adding that he was "very experienced in this."

"But this all requires time and determination, and I do hope that Trump will also have them both," he said, speaking shortly after the president released a video message stating that the military operation would continue "until all of our objectives are achieved."

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"Trump is the only one who can make the change — and that change will impact the entire region and the international order for years to come," Michael added.

As of Sunday, Tel Aviv remained under a state of emergency following Iranian missile attacks that caused casualties and widespread damage.

According to The Associated Press, Iranian missile and drone strikes have killed approximately 11 Israeli civilians and wounded dozens more in retaliation for the U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran.

Shrapnel from missile impacts damaged at least 40 buildings in Tel Aviv, and authorities reported at least one death in the area from falling debris.

The Philippine Embassy in Israel confirmed the death of a Filipino national after a missile strike hit Tel Aviv on Saturday.

TOMAHAWKS, B-2 STEALTH BOMBERS AND ATTACK DRONES POUND OVER 1,000 IRANIAN TARGETS IN 24-HOUR BLITZ

"We enter our shelter once the siren is heard and stay there until the Home Front Command announces that we can leave," Michael said.

"Usually, it is about 20 to 30 minutes — unless there are further sirens during our stay. Since yesterday morning, it has happened around 30 times."

Israel's President Isaac Herzog also visited an impact site in Tel Aviv on Sunday, delivering a message of resilience.

"The people of Israel and the people of Iran can live in peace. The region can live in peace. But what undermines peace time and again is terror instigated by this Iranian regime," Herzog said.

EXILED IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE SAYS US STRIKES MARK 'BEGINNING OF THE VERY END' FOR REGIME

Following the reported killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and roughly 40 senior Iranian officials, Iran formed a provisional leadership council.

Iran named Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, President Masoud Pezeshkian and Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i to lead roles.

"The Supreme Leader did not complete the necessary groundwork regarding his own succession," Michael added.

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"Pezeshkian will face very troubling challenges due to their heavy losses, severe disruptions to control and command systems, and the massive bombing and attacks across Iran, including Tehran," he said.

"Even if this regime doesn’t collapse, it will never be able to reconstitute itself, recover or return to its previous position," Michael added.

Trump convenes first 'Board of Peace' meeting as Gaza rebuild hinges on Hamas disarmament

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 05:00:24 -0500

President Donald Trump’s newly created Board of Peace is set to hold its first meeting Thursday, with administration officials and participating countries framing the gathering as a step toward implementing the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire and reconstruction effort rather than a moment likely to deliver an immediate breakthrough.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement, "President Trump is proud to welcome representatives from more than 40 nations to the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace on Thursday for a major announcement on Board of Peace actions aimed at establishing enduring peace in the Middle East. Since the president and his team ended the war between Israel and Hamas last October, we have maintained the ceasefire, delivered historic levels of humanitarian aid, and secured the return of every living and deceased hostage. The Board of Peace will build on that progress and prove to be the most consequential international body in history."

At least 40 countries are expected to attend the inaugural session in Washington, where Trump is slated to chair discussions on a multibillion-dollar reconstruction framework, humanitarian coordination and the potential deployment of an international stabilization force.

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Officials said representatives will come from across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America, and speakers are expected to include President Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Jared Kushner, Tony Blair, Ambassador Mike Waltz, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, High Representative Nickolay Mladenov and other participants.

Trump unveiled the initiative at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month. Initial members include the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Pakistan, Turkey, Israel, Hungary, Morocco, Kosovo, Albania, Bulgaria, Argentina, Paraguay, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Indonesia and Vietnam.

On Sunday, Trump said members of the initiative had already pledged $5 billion toward rebuilding Gaza and would commit personnel to international stabilization and policing efforts. "The Board of Peace will prove to be the most consequential international body in history, and it is my honor to serve as its Chairman," Trump wrote in a social media post announcing the commitments.

Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, has announced a plan to train a future Gaza police force, while Indonesia has committed thousands of troops to a prospective international stabilization mission expected to deploy later this year.

The United Arab Emirates, a founding participant in the initiative, said it plans to continue its humanitarian engagement in Gaza.

"The UAE remains committed to scaling up its humanitarian efforts to support Palestinians in Gaza and to advancing a durable peace between Israelis and Palestinians," the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, noting its role as a founding member of the Board of Peace and part of the Gaza Executive Board.

Even as Gulf and regional partners signal willingness to fund humanitarian needs, long-term reconstruction remains tied to security conditions on the ground.

TRUMP SEEKS DAVOS SIGNING CEREMONY FOR GAZA BOARD OF PEACE

Disarmament remains the central test

Analysts say the meeting’s significance will hinge less on headline announcements and more on whether participants align on the unresolved core issue shaping Gaza’s future: Hamas’ disarmament.

Ghaith al-Omari, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute, argued the meeting’s credibility will depend on whether participants coalesce around a clear position on disarmament. "Unless there is going to be a joint statement coming out of it that clearly says Hamas has to disarm — to me the meeting would be a failure," he said, because it would show "the U.S. cannot get everyone on the same page."

Funding is also expected to dominate discussions, though diplomats and analysts caution that pledges may not translate quickly into large-scale reconstruction.

"We’re going to see pledges," al-Omari told ӣ��Ƶ Digital, "with a footnote that a pledge does not always translate to deliverables," urging attention to which countries commit funds and whether the money is earmarked for humanitarian aid, stabilization or long-term rebuilding.

John Hannah, a senior fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), also cautioned that early financial pledges are unlikely to translate into immediate large-scale reconstruction. "I can’t imagine that much of that initial pledge or any of it is going to actual long-term or even medium-term reconstruction of Gaza. Just too many parties won’t support it, pending actual progress on the core question of disarmament and demilitarization of Hamas," he said.

Hannah added that the financing challenge remains enormous. "It’s been a major outstanding question: How are you going to fund this tremendous bill that is going to come due over the course of the next several years?" he said. "I’ve been watching this now for 35 years, and if I had $100 for every time a major Arab country pledged support for the Palestinians but not delivered, I’d be a relatively wealthy man."

NETANYAHU AGREES TO JOIN TRUMP’S GAZA BOARD OF PEACE AFTER INITIAL PUSHBACK

Netanyahu signs on despite Turkey, Qatar tensions

The initiative has also highlighted political tensions surrounding Israel’s participation, particularly given the involvement of Turkey and Qatar.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed on to the agreement last week during a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, placing Israel formally inside the framework despite earlier Israeli objections to Ankara and Doha playing a central role in Gaza’s future.

Hannah said Netanyahu’s decision reflects strategic calculations tied to Washington. "I think the prime minister doesn’t want to anger the president. He’s prioritizing his really good strategic relationship with Trump over this tactical difference over Turkey and Qatar," he said. "The prime minister is just making a basic calculation of where Israel’s interests lie here and trying to balance these competing factors."

US MILITARY TO OVERSEE NEXT PHASE OF PEACE DEAL FROM COORDINATION BASE IN ISRAEL

European allies raise legal concerns

Beyond Gaza, the initiative has sparked concern among European allies, many of whom have declined to join the board.

European officials told ӣ��Ƶ Digital the group’s charter raises legal and institutional questions and may conflict with the original U.N. framework that envisioned a Gaza-focused mechanism.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, European leaders argued the Board of Peace’s mandate appears to diverge from the U.N. Security Council resolution that initially supported a Gaza-specific body.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the resolution envisioned a time-limited structure tied directly to Gaza and to the U.N., but that the board’s current charter no longer reflects those provisions. "The U.N. Security Council resolution provided for a Board of Peace for Gaza… it provided for it to be limited in time until 2027… and referred to Gaza, whereas the statute of the Board of Peace makes no reference to any of these things," she said. "So I think there is a Security Council resolution but the Board of Peace does not reflect it."

In response, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz criticized what he described as excessive concern over the initiative and argued the status quo in Gaza was unsustainable, and attacked what he said was "hand-wringing" about the Board of Peace — saying the cycle of war with Hamas in control had to be broken.

UN AMBASSADOR WALTZ REVEALS TRUMP'S MIDDLE EAST PEACE PLAN IS ‘THE ONLY WAY FORWARD’

Not a replacement for the United Nations

Despite European unease, analysts say the Board of Peace is unlikely to replace the U.N. system.

Al-Omari dismissed the idea that the initiative poses a serious institutional challenge, arguing that major powers remain deeply invested in the existing multilateral structure.

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Hannah agreed, saying the administration appears to view Thursday’s meeting primarily as incremental progress rather than any kind of major breakthrough. "The way the administration is looking at this is just another sign of continued progress and momentum, rather than any kind of major breakthrough," he concluded.

Vatican declines to join Trump’s Gaza ‘Board of Peace,’ calls for UN leadership

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 03:34:56 -0500

The Vatican will not join President Donald Trump’s newly formed Board of Peace, its top diplomatic official said Tuesday, signaling reluctance from the Holy See to take part in the post-war initiative.

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said the Holy See "will not participate in the Board of Peace because of its particular nature, which is evidently not that of other States," the Vatican’s official news outlet reported.

The Board of Peace, which was chartered in January and includes nearly 20 countries, is tasked with managing recovery efforts in the Gaza Strip after the Israel-Hamas war.

While responding to questions about Italy declining to join the board, Parolin said "there are points that leave us somewhat perplexed," adding that "there are some critical points that would need to find explanations."

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"The important thing is that an attempt is being made to provide a response," he said. "However, for us there are certain critical issues that should be resolved."

Parolin continued, "One concern is that, at the international level it should above all be the UN that manages these crisis situations. This is one of the points on which we have insisted."

Pope Leo, the first U.S. pope, received an invitation to join the peace board in January.

TRUMP ENVOY WARNS HAMAS OF 'SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES' AS ADMIN LAUNCHES PHASE TWO OF GAZA PLAN

Leaders from 17 countries participated in the initial charter signing ceremony in Davos, Switzerland, in late January, including presidents and other senior government officials from Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Central and Southeast Asia.

Israel formally joined the board last week ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting with Trump at the White House.

Several other countries were also invited by the White House, including Russia, Belarus, France, Germany, Vietnam, Finland, Ukraine, Ireland, Greece and China.

TRUMP MEETS NETANYAHU, SAYS HE WANTS IRAN DEAL BUT REMINDS TEHRAN OF ‘MIDNIGHT HAMMER’ OPERATION

Poland and Italy on Wednesday said they would not join.

Trump announced Sunday that board members have pledged more than $5 billion in aid for Gaza.

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The president said the funding would be formally pledged during a meeting Wednesday in Washington, D.C.

ӣ��Ƶ Digital's Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

Israeli intelligence sources reject claims Jeffrey Epstein was Mossad operative following document releases

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 12:13:10 -0500

A wave of recent reporting and newly released documents detailing the relationship between former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Jeffrey Epstein has reignited claims that Epstein worked for Israel’s Mossad, a theory Israeli intelligence sources and senior political leaders are forcefully rejecting.

Ex-Israeli intelligence officials told ӣ��Ƶ Digital that Epstein never worked for Mossad, describing the allegation as baseless and inconsistent with how the agency operates.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly pushed back on the claims, writing on X: "Jeffrey Epstein's unusual close relationship with Ehud Barak doesn't suggest Epstein worked for Israel. It proves the opposite."

PRINCESS SOFIA OF SWEDEN BREAKS SILENCE ON EPSTEIN ENCOUNTERS AFTER DOJ FILE RELEASE

In the same post, Netanyahu escalated his criticism, writing: "Stuck on his election loss from over two decades ago, Barak has for years obsessively attempted to undermine Israeli democracy by working with the anti-Zionist radical left in failed attempts to overthrow the elected Israeli government."

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also sharply dismissed the accusations, writing: "As a former Israeli Prime Minister, with the Mossad having reported directly to me, I say to you with 100% certainty: The accusation that Jeffrey Epstein somehow worked for Israel or the Mossad ran a blackmail ring is categorically and totally false. Epstein’s conduct, both the criminal and the merely despicable, had nothing whatsoever to do with the Mossad or the State of Israel. Epstein never worked for the Mossad."

Ex-Mossad director Yossi Cohen also rejected the claims in a podcast interview with The Free Press, saying Epstein had "absolutely nothing" to do with the Mossad — "not an agent, not an operative, nothing."

The strong denials come amid renewed scrutiny of emails, financial records and communications included in U.S. Justice Department materials and other public reporting, none of which indicate that Epstein cooperated with Israeli intelligence.

Barak, who served as prime minister from 1999 to 2001 and later as defense minister in Netanyahu’s government, has become one of Netanyahu’s most vocal political opponents.

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In a statement to ӣ��Ƶ Digital, Barak’s office fired back, describing Netanyahu’s remarks as politically motivated and reiterating that he regrets ever meeting Epstein while denying any wrongdoing.

"Barak has repeatedly and publicly stated that he regrets ever meeting Jeffrey Epstein. There is no credible allegation—none—that Barak engaged in any illegal or inappropriate conduct," the statement said.

Barak’s office also called Netanyahu’s attacks "the desperate acts of a failed and panicked politician" and "a pathetic attempt to divert attention from his catastrophic record," accusing the prime minister of attempting to shift blame for national failures.

Newly surfaced materials continue to document Barak’s personal and professional interactions with Epstein, including stays at Epstein’s New York apartment and meetings arranged through the financier.

EXCLUSIVE: EPSTEIN EMAILS RELEASED AS DOJ SAYS NO CRIMINAL OR INAPPROPRIATE CONDUCT BY TRUMP

Emails cited in document releases describe the apartment as being used by Barak and his then-wife during visits to the United States, with staff coordinating logistics and maintenance requests tied to the property.

Other communications referenced financial ties and introductions facilitated by Epstein, including meetings with prominent business figures, as well as broader correspondence and internal notes referencing allegations, warnings and speculation surrounding Epstein’s activities.

Barak has acknowledged meeting Epstein multiple times and said he regrets the association. In a previous interview, he said he never witnessed improper behavior and never participated in anything illegal.

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"At times during my occasional visits to the United States, I was sometimes a participant in a breakfast or lunch or dinner at his New York townhouse, together with respected American public figures," Barak said. "At no point in my dealings with him did I ever witness any improper behavior, and I certainly never participated in anything like that."

Netanyahu urges court to revoke Palestinians' Israeli citizenship after convictions for violent crimes

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 01:56:12 -0500

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday asked a court to revoke the Israeli citizenship of two Palestinian men convicted of terrorism offenses.

The effort appears to be the first use of a law enacted three years ago allowing the revocation of citizenship and subsequent deportation of Palestinian citizens who were convicted of certain violent crimes such as terrorism and received financial support from the Palestinian Authority as a reward.

Netanyahu filed court documents arguing that the severity of the crimes, along with payments the men reportedly received from a Palestinian Authority fund, justify pulling their citizenship and expelling them from the Jewish State.

The prime minister has long claimed the fund rewards violence, including attacks on civilians.

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But Palestinian officials have contended that it is a safety net for the broad cross section of society with family members in Israeli detention. They also accused Netanyahu of focusing on the relatively small number of beneficiaries who carried out the attacks.

When the law passed, critics argued that it allowed Israel's legal system to treat Jewish and Palestinian people differently. Civil rights groups said that basing a deportation law on Palestinian Authority payments effectively excluded Jewish Israelis, including settlers convicted of attacks against Palestinians, from the threat of losing their citizenship, as the statute targeted people of a certain race.

Netanyahu said this week that the government launched proceedings against the two men and that similar cases would be brought in the future.

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Israeli officials said Mohamad Ahmad, a citizen from Jerusalem, was convicted of "offenses that constitute an act of terrorism and receiving funds in connection with terrorism." He allegedly received payment after he was sentenced in 2002 for a shooting attack and served 23 years before his release in 2024.

Mohammed Ahmad Hussein al-Halsi was sentenced in 2016 to 18 years behind bars for stabbing elderly women. He also allegedly received payments while in prison.

Ahmad would be deported immediately, while al-Halsi would be removed upon his release, as individuals are subject to removal to Gaza once their sentences are complete under the 2023 law, which applies to citizens or permanent residents convicted of "committing an act that constitutes a breach of loyalty to the State of Israel," including terrorism.

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The general director of Israel's Adalah legal center, Hassan Jabareen, called the move to use the law "a cynical propaganda move" by Netanyahu. He said stripping citizenship violated the most basic principles of the rule of law, including by acting against people who have completed prison sentences.

"The Israeli government is attempting to strip individuals of the very foundation through which all rights are protected, their nationality," he said on Thursday, according to The Associated Press.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Trump meets Netanyahu, says he wants Iran deal but reminds Tehran of ‘Midnight Hammer’ operation

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 15:21:48 -0500

Iran dominated the agenda in Wednesday’s White House meeting between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with both leaders signaling that diplomacy with Tehran remains uncertain and that coordination will continue if talks fail.

In a post on Truth Social following the meeting, Trump said he pushed for continued negotiations but left open other options.

"There was nothing definitive reached other than I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a deal can be consummated. If it can, I let the Prime Minister know that will be a preference. If it cannot, we will just have to see what the outcome will be… Last time Iran decided that they were better off not making a deal, and they were hit with Midnight Hammer — That did not work well for them."

Netanyahu’s office said the leaders discussed Iran, Gaza and broader regional developments and agreed to maintain close coordination, adding that the prime minister emphasized Israel’s security needs in the context of negotiations.

FROM GAZA TO IRAN: WHAT’S AT STAKE IN TRUMP-NETANYAHU MAR-A-LAGO TALKS?

Earlier in the day, Netanyahu formally joined the U.S.-backed Board of Peace, signing onto the initiative ahead of the meeting after weeks of hesitation. The move places Israel inside a forum that includes Western partners as well as Turkey and Qatar, whose involvement in Gaza has drawn criticism in Jerusalem.

Experts say the decision reflects strategic calculations tied to both Gaza and Iran.

Dr. Dan Diker, president of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, said Netanyahu’s participation is directly linked to cooperation with Washington and to shaping postwar arrangements in Gaza.

"It is in Israel’s interest for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to join the Board of Peace. He needs a place at that table even alongside adversarial powers such as Muslim Brotherhood-aligned countries Qatar and Turkey. Netanyahu’s membership in the Board of Peace is an important element in his cooperation with President Trump to help implement the 20-point plan, with deradicalization, disarming Hamas and demilitarization as the first three non-negotiable actions."

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Diker said the decision is also tied to Iran. "More strategic reason that Netanyahu’s membership on the Board of Peace is important is that it represents an element of cooperation to counter the Iranian regime. Netanyahu is likely counting on action against the Iranian regime from the Iranian people themselves and from the United States in the coming weeks. In exchange, Netanyahu continues to cooperate in implementing the 20-point plan in Gaza as part of a quid pro quo."

Blaise Misztal, vice president for policy at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, described Israel’s move as a pragmatic choice shaped by the incomplete implementation of the Gaza deal and the broader regional threat environment.

"The implementation of the Gaza peace deal leaves much to be desired. Hamas, despite being given 72 hours to release all hostages, took over 100 days to do so; Hamas has still not disarmed; there is neither an International Stabilization Force nor any countries jumping at the chance to join it; and the Board of Peace comprises countries that have shown themselves enemies of peace with Israel."

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He said Israel ultimately chose engagement over isolation. "Proceeding with the deal — including joining the Board of Peace — is Israel’s least bad option. Israel has a better chance of countering or balancing Turkish and Qatari influence on the Board of Peace by being in the room with them, rather than outside it."

Misztal also linked the timing to Iran. "With the United States having a real chance to disarm, or even topple, the Iranian regime and the risk that Tehran might yet lash out at Israel, there is no interest in doing anything that would risk restarting the war in Gaza."

Israel joins Board of Peace ahead of Netanyahu-Trump meeting

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 13:22:45 -0500

Israel formally joined the Board of Peace on Wednesday ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House.

Netanyahu signed the document in the presence of Secretary of State Marco Rubio shortly before his scheduled talk with Trump, marking a diplomatic step as the two leaders prepare to discuss regional security and ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The prime minister said on X that while the talks would cover several issues, including Gaza, they would "first and foremost" center on negotiations with Iran.

Leaders from 17 countries participated in the initial Gaza Board of Peace charter signing ceremony in Davos, Switzerland, in late January, including presidents and other senior government officials from Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Central and Southeast Asia.

TRUMP SEEKS DAVOS SIGNING CEREMONY FOR GAZA BOARD OF PEACE

Netanyahu was not present at the ceremony, where world leaders signed the founding charter alongside Trump, who was seated at the center of the stage.

His office, however, said he would accept Trump’s invitation to join the Peace Board, following earlier concerns he had raised about the makeup of the Gaza executive board, particularly the roles of Qatar and Turkey.

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A handful of other countries were also invited by the White House to join, including Russia, Belarus, France, Germany, Vietnam, Finland, Ukraine, Ireland, Greece and China, among others. Poland and Italy on Wednesday said they would not join.

Netanyahu’s visit to Washington comes as the U.S. expands its military presence in the Middle East while talks with Iran remain ongoing.

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Trump has deployed the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and the USS Michael Murphy, a guided-missile destroyer, as his envoys meet with Iranian officials in Oman.

Other U.S. naval assets, including the USS Bulkeley, USS Roosevelt, USS Delbert D. Black, USS McFaul, USS Mitscher, USS Spruance and USS Frank E. Petersen Jr., are positioned across key waterways surrounding Iran, from the eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea to the Persian Gulf, and Arabian Sea.

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