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The government informed the High Court of Justice on Wednesday that it will not be able to complete its legislation to establish a political probe investigating government failings during Hamas’s October 7 massacre in 2023, citing “scheduling constraints.”

The notice came in response to High Court petitions challenging the government’s failure to establish a state commission of inquiry into the attacks.

Nearly three years after the massacre, no probe has yet been established amid an ongoing dispute over what kind of investigation should be conducted and who should lead it.

In its notice to the High Court, the government stated that it intends to complete the legislation after the elections, which are set for October 27.

The government argued that “it is not appropriate for the court to rule on the matter or intervene in it,” and therefore the petitions should be dismissed.

Government repeatedly blocks inquiry into October 7 massacre

The political echelon has repeatedly blocked a state commission of inquiry into the events surrounding the attacks, despite polls showing huge public support for this type of investigation.

Amid the ongoing rift between the government and the judiciary, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently spoken out against judicial appointments being in charge of the investigation.

The government has instead advanced legislation to promote a new political investigative framework that diverges from the state commission of inquiry mechanism overseen by the Supreme Court.

The political probe bill passed its first reading in June ahead of the Knesset recess that began last week.

Under the framework laid out in Ariel Kallner’s bill proposal, Supreme Court appointments would be replaced by political members selected through a Knesset-led process.

A state commission of inquiry is considered the most authoritative and independent investigative system under Israeli law. It operates entirely outside the political echelon – with members appointed by the Supreme Court’s chief justice – and has the power to subpoena witnesses and issue personal recommendations regarding individuals.

The Movement for Quality Government in Israel (MQG) sharply criticized the government’s notice to the High Court of Justice, urging a state commission of inquiry to be established.

Government continues obstruction of state’s greatest disaster

The group said that it demanded that the High Court “not allow the government to continue obstructing the investigation into the greatest disaster in the state’s history.”

“We do so on behalf of the more than 35,000 petitioners who joined us, on behalf of the bereaved families, and on behalf of the public, which has the right to know what happened in this failure and who bears responsibility.”

“We will not rest until a state commission of inquiry is established to investigate the greatest disaster in the state’s history and hold those responsible accountable,” MQG added.

The October Council, which represents bereaved family members and victims of the attacks, slammed the government’s notice to the High Court, saying that it had “revealed the truth… its sole intention was to deceive everyone and never conduct an investigation.”

“This is an unprecedented display of contempt for the court, the rule of law, and the Israeli public,” the October Council stated.

The October Council called on the High Court to respond with “the full severity of the law and to hold Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his representatives personally responsible for contempt of court.”

“The investigation, the truth, and accountability will come. No one will be able to escape them. We will make sure of that,” the group added.

US President Trump reportedly wants FIFA President Gianni Infantino to be the next Secretary-General of the United Nations, The New York Post reported on Tuesday.

Swiss-born Infantino has developed a close relationship with Trump as they worked together to organize this year’s World Cup, in which the United States was one of the host countries. Infantino gave the president the first-ever FIFA Peace Prize in December, and the two attended the World Cup Final on Sunday in New Jersey together, where they jointly presented the trophy to the champions, Spain.

Trump believes that everyone in the world respects Infantino and understands that “he has a special ability to bring people together.” Therefore, he reportedly wants the FIFA president to replace António Guterres, the current secretary-general, who is retiring at the end of the year. 

Paolo Zampolli, Trump’s special envoy for global partnerships, echoed that sentiment, noting that there are some similarities between FIFA and the UN: “At the United Nations, you have to deal with 193 member states. In FIFA, there are over 200 members [and] Gianni’s great record shows he knows how to manage.”

Trump has been antagonistic toward the UN since he retook office in January 2025. He thinks that the body does not do enough to mediate global conflicts and instead merely issues statements, which is part of what pushed him to create the Board of Peace, a body that has been a key part of the peace plan in the Gaza Strip.

Trump withdraws US from over 30 UN organizations, including WHO, UNESCO

Trump has also withdrawn the United States from over 30 UN organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), UNESCO, and the UN Human Rights Council, citing ineffectiveness and waste of taxpayer money. 

It is unclear whether Infantino, who has already declared his candidacy for re-election as FIFA president next year, wants the job or has discussed it with Trump. Either way, being chosen for the secretary-general position is a complex process.

Infantino would need the endorsement of nine of the 15 members of the UN Security Council without any vetoes from the five permanent member nations: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In addition, he would need confirmation by a majority of the 193-member UN General Assembly.

Infantino, however, has recently received backlash surrounding the reversal of USMNT striker Folarin Balogun’s one-game suspension. Balogun had been given a red card and suspended during the US victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32, but before the Round of 16 match against Belgium, Trump called Infantino about the situation. Shortly after, Balogun’s suspension was overturned, raising questions about the integrity of FIFA’s disciplinary process and Infantino’s susceptibility to political pressure.

The decision enraged several European countries, though it ultimately proved irrelevant as Belgium defeated the United States even with Balogun playing. However, there are still people who believe Infantino should be ousted as FIFA President over the controversy.

Other potential candidates, mostly from Latin America

There are other candidates for the position aside from Infantino, most of whom are from Latin America or the Caribbean, a region that has not been represented in the role since 1991 when Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru held the position. However, none of those candidates has stood out yet.

Chile’s former socialist president Michelle Bachelet is being considered, though she could face opposition from the United States. Argentina’s Rafael Grossi, the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, is also an option, though the UK may not approve of him, as it has a dispute with Argentina over the Falkland Islands.

It is possible that if Infantino were to become the organization’s next secretary-general over alternative candidates, Trump’s relationship with the UN could be repaired.

Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman explained that she had designated crocodiles as a “managed wild animal” to enable National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s proposal to surround Ketziot Prison with crocodiles, insisting that the move was not a publicity stunt in a Wednesday interview with 103FM.

Silman praised Ben-Gvir’s proposals to tighten conditions in Israeli prisons and improve the handling of the prison system. During the interview, she also addressed comments by Rabbi Dov Lando and the Likud Party’s AI-generated campaign video targeting Gadi Eisenkot.

“I signed an order allowing the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), for a specific pilot program around Ketziot Prison, where Nukhba terrorists are being held, to make specific use of crocodiles while ensuring their welfare,” Silman said.

“I don’t think this is a public relations stunt. I sat in internal discussions with the Israel Prison Service, which is a security body, and they expressed a desire to create a barrier around this prison where the Nukhba terrorists are being held. Yes, it serves as a deterrent. They have a very great fear of crocodiles. We are speaking in a language our enemies understand,” the environmental protection minister added.

Silman stated that as members of Likud and Otzma Yehudit, she and Ben-Gvir were “political partners in the same coalition.”

“I am happy in the Likud Party, and I am proud of this camp. There is a coalition partnership, and I am very proud of what Itamar Ben-Gvir is doing in the prisons.”

She continued to say that since October 7, Israel has needed to develop additional measures meant to deter security prisoners.

Silman: Crocodiles can supplement prison guards as terrorist population grows

“I was told there is significant deterrent value in having crocodiles surrounding the prisons. Everyone can laugh if they want, but the number of terrorists has increased by thousands, while the number of prison guards has not,” she said.

“Anyone who slaughtered, raped and murdered our people in such a brutal and horrifying manner should know that he is going to sleep surrounded by crocodiles. We have to remember that since October 7 the number of security prisoners has risen significantly, and there is a real need to address the situation,” she added.

Addressing the controversy sparked by comments from Degel HaTorah’s spiritual leader, Rabbi Dov Lando, who reportedly said that members of the religious Zionist community go to war in order to kill, Silman said she was unfamiliar with the specific rabbi being discussed.

Silman: ‘We need a draft law’

“I don’t know who you’re referring to. I don’t follow every haredi rabbi speaking to his own audience. He is not my personal rabbi. I am proud of religious Zionism. I respect all the rabbis of Israel. I know the haredi community and haredi voters. Everyone needs to do some soul-searching, and we need a draft law.”

“I do not regret anything I have done. I am proud that I brought down the government of Mansour Abbas, the Muslim Brotherhood, and supporters of terrorism, and I am proud of what I am doing today,” Silman concluded.

Iranian drone attacks on CIA facilities in the Gulf have prompted US intelligence analysts to investigate whether Russia assisted by providing targeting information or advanced drone technology, said four people familiar with US intelligence.

These people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss national security matters, said US intelligence officials have not yet reached firm conclusions about the possible Russian involvement in the attacks on CIA facilities. But they cited the strikes’ effectiveness and apparent precision, as well as Russia’s broader technical support for Iran, as possible evidence.

Reuters and other media have reported – and US officials have acknowledged – that Russia has provided targeting and other support for Iran in its strikes on US targets in the Gulf region generally, but the intelligence community’s investigation of possible Russian involvement in supporting the CIA facility attacks has not been previously disclosed.

At least two CIA sites were struck in March, Reuters and other outlets have reported. One of the facilities was the CIA station in Saudi Arabia, which is located in the US embassy in Riyadh, and a separate site was located in eastern Iraq. Some of the sources said additional CIA sites had been hit, but they did not disclose details.

Russia helped target facilities

One internal memo from a Western intelligence agency, described by an official in the region with access to the document, concluded Russia has likely played a role in targeting regional CIA facilities. The official discussed the memo on condition that its precise authorship not be disclosed.

Two Western officials in the Gulf who were briefed on intelligence reports said analysts thought the Saudi attack involved a pair of Russian-enhanced versions of Iran’s Shahed drones. One of the aircraft blew a hole through a vulnerable part of the embassy’s exterior and the second flew through the opening and detonated, they said. No deaths or injuries were reported.

While Russian assistance for Iran is longstanding, given the countries’ close ties, specific targeting of sensitive CIA sites would indicate Moscow is willing to go further in disrupting US operations as Washington struggles to bring the Iran war to an end.

Concerns that Russia could be providing targeting data to Iran intensified this weekend after strikes on a US air base in Jordan, where Iran struck army barracks with ballistic missiles, killing two soldiers.

The White House referred a request for comment to the CIA, which declined to provide one.

Iran’s mission to the UN, the Russian Defense Ministry and the Saudi government did not respond to requests for comment.

Secretive sites

The two Western officials in the region said Russia has helped Iran improve its Shahed drones’ ability to reach targets, and said analysts suspected that Iran used these versions in its strike in Riyadh.

Russia, said a separate source, has helped Tehran improve the accuracy of its Shahed-136s by supplying a satellite navigation system – the Kometa-M – that experts say is far more accurate and harder to jam than the one produced by Iran.

The Wall Street Journal first reported in March that Russia has provided the Kometa-M to Iran. The Kremlin denied the report, calling it “fake news.”

CIA facilities overseas include the agency’s main offices in individual countries that traditionally are housed in embassies and are called stations. Additionally, the CIA maintains offices, safe houses, logistics hubs and sites involved in surveillance or other operations.

The locations of those sites are closely guarded secrets.

The sources declined to disclose the exact number or locations of CIA facilities hit by Iranian drones. One source put the number at “more than one and fewer than a dozen.” A second source said several facilities were hit.

Russian targeting data?

US intelligence analysts have been looking into whether Iran relied on Russian targeting data for the embassy attack, said the sources.

Doubts remain, however. Some of the sources warned that Iran could have been aiming for the US embassy generally and by chance struck the CIA station.

Some analysts have concluded that few nations beyond Russia would have the means to acquire and the interest in weaponizing such sensitive targeting intelligence against the US, according to the sources.

Daniel Hoffman, a former CIA station chief and undercover operations officer, said it would not be surprising for Moscow to help Tehran target CIA facilities given their close strategic partnership.

“They share an interest in trying to reduce or eliminate US influence altogether in their self-designated spheres of influence,” he said.

An Australian man who was thought dead after leaving his home in Perth to join the Islamic State was found alive in a prison in Iraq, according to a Tuesday report by The Australian.

Known online as “Dr. Jihad,” Tareq Kamleh was presumed to have been killed in Syria over a decade ago, but was actually being held in a high-security Baghdad prison, according to the report.

His survival of the siege of Raqqa in 2017 was reportedly detailed in court documents, which The Jerusalem Post couldn’t verify, while Kamleh is currently undergoing interrogation by the country’s elite counter-­terrorism judiciary.

He is one of the 13 Australian men currently held in Iraqi prisons under suspicion of being part of ISIS, with Kamleh also being under investigation in Australia for terrorism offenses, including joining and recruiting for a banned terrorist organization.

Australia’s opposition leader, Angus Taylor, called for Kamleh to be barred from entering the country, according to a report on Wednesday by Australia’s ABC Network.

From doctor in Australia to field medic for ISIS

Kamleh was born in Perth in 1985 to a Palestinian father and a German Catholic convert mother. His family described the environment where he was raised as one that “gave little hint of future extremism.”

He graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Adelaide in 2010. The report said that his peers saw him as “a playboy, charismatic, prone to drinking heavily and pursuing romantic affairs.” 

He joined ISIS after working for years as a doctor in Australia, with the First Karkh Investigation Court in Baghdad saying that “a series of choices he later made led him to join the ISIS terrorist group, ultimately resulting in his arrest and investigation before the Iraqi judiciary.”

He appeared in several propaganda videos from the Islamic State, one of them shared a week after he left for Syria. The main video shared showed him clad in medical scrubs cradling infants, while he appeared crouched in a subterranean cave wearing a tactical vest and clutching an AK47 in another one.  

He traveled to Syria in 2015 to join ISIS and was present in the siege of Raqqa. After surviving that fight, he went to different ISIS-controlled territories, working as a field medic for the terror group. He was later detained in Iraq, where he was identified by his codename “Abu Yusuf al-Australi”, which means “father of Yusuf the Australian”.

The IDF disputed “false claims” of targeting innocent Palestinian soccer players, referees, and coaches in Gaza, revealing their identities as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists following a military intelligence assessment.

“The IDF can now disclose these terrorists’ organizational affiliations and operational roles,” the military said in a Wednesday statement.

“In many cases, they were portrayed internationally only as players, with no mention of their affiliation with terrorist organizations.”

A total of 12 terrorists were identified by the IDF, all of whom were involved in Gaza’s professional soccer community. 

PIJ terrorist Mohammed Mohammed Hassan Barakat, also a soccer player, infiltrated Israel during the October 7 massacre.

Barakat, also known as the “Khan Yunis Legend,” was one of the best soccer players in Gaza prior to October 7, reportedly having played for the Palestinian national team, The Jerusalem Post learned.

Another player, Mohammad Emad Ata Hussouna, also participated in the October 7 attacks as a Hamas terrorist, as well as soccer coach and Hamas deputy commander Mohammed Mansour.

A second coach, Ali Mahmoud Ahmed Al-Kurd, was also a platoon commander for PIJ in Rafah. Before the 2023 terrorist attacks, Al-Kurd earned his coaching certificate from the Asian Football Confederation, the Post learned.

FIFA referee named as Gaza terrorist

International FIFA referee Mohammed Sami Mohammed Khattab was also named by the IDF as a PIJ terrorist.

Additional players named in the IDF statement included Hamas commanders Mahmoud Kamal Mohammad Ali Al-Rifi, Mohammed Ziad Hussein Al-Hour, and Mohammad Nidal Mohammed Al-Hawajri, Hamas terrorist Tariq Ziad Hussein Al-Hour, PIJ commander Ahmed Mohammed Hassan Abu Al-Atta, and PIJ terrorists Abdullah Riyadh Abdullah Khattab and Mahmoud Osama Al-Jazzar.

The military described efforts to portray the terrorists as innocent civilians as “part of a broader effort promoted by various actors against the State of Israel,” accompanied by “other false narratives advanced throughout the war.”

In those campaigns, Palestinian terrorists struck and eliminated by the IDF were presented as journalists, humanitarian aid workers, and other civilian professionals, while their involvement in terrorist activity was deliberately concealed in order to promote false claims that they had been targeted because of their civilian professions,” the military added.

The IDF emphasized that it would continue its efforts to “expose cases of this nature in order to present the full facts and refute claims that do not reflect reality.”

Roman Gofman, the new head of the Mossad, met with CIA Director John Ratcliffe during his recent trip to Washington to talk about the war in Iran and the latest developments on the Iranian nuclear program, Axios reported on Wednesday. 

This was Gofman’s first trip to the US since being named chief of the Mossad back in June.

According to Axios’ sources, the visit aimed to coordinate the US and Israel ahead of the ongoing negotiations with Iran and the nuclear issue.

The report also noted that Ratcliffe was among the most pessimistic US officials on the Memorandum of Understanding signed with Iran, warning that the Iranians would have a different interpretation of the deal than the US.

Axios said that both the CIA and the Mossad refused to comment on the meeting.

Gofman’s first month as head of the Mossad

Gofman was named chief of the Mossad on June 2, after a lengthy legal battle that required a ruling of the High Court of Justice in order to be approved.

His selection was initially approved by the Senior Appointments Advisory Committee, which is tasked with examining whether any issues of integrity, conduct, or propriety could render an appointment improper.

The appointment then faced intense legal hurdles, with two petitions filed against it. One was filed by Ori Elmakayes and the Movement for Integrity in Government, and the other by the Movement for Quality Government in Israel and Forum Homat Magen LeIsrael.

Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara also opposed the appointment before the court, arguing that the committee majority’s renewed approval still could not serve as a valid basis for Netanyahu’s decision.

On June 1, the High Court of Justice rejected petitions challenging his appointment, with only Justice Dafna Barak-Erez dissenting, saying significant questions remained open and should still be examined before the appointment takes effect.

Sarah Ben-Nun and Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.

Throughout his mayoral campaign last year, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani promised on multiple occasions that he would use his powers to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should the latter ever set foot in New York.

Just last week, Mamdani told the New York Times that his administration was discussing the arrest.

Now, the mayor has backtracked on the decision, announcing in a video on Tuesday that his administration does not have the “independent legal authority to enforce this [International Criminal Court] warrant” despite reviewing “every avenue available under applicable law.”

His discovery that the arrest is not legally possible should not come as a surprise; legal experts have consistently cast doubt on the legality of Mamdani’s promise, predominantly because the US is not a party to the ICC.

This leads to an important question: did Mamdani make the arrest promise a central part of his election campaign without checking if it was in fact possible? Or did he know it was not feasible all along and just used the promise to gain votes?

Doubts of competence, doubts of reliability

The first would shed doubt on his competence, and the second, on his reliability.

If he did in fact know this all along, then his dogged and irretractable anti-Bibi campaign can only be described as polemical virtue-signaling and as a way of currying favor with his progressive pro-Palestinian voter base.

His statements suggest either a failure to examine the legal basis of the promise or a willingness to make a promise that was unlikely to be fulfilled.

As the Simon Wiesenthal Center noted, Mamdani has chosen to transform that legal reality into a televised political spectacle.

Not only does Mamdani’s posturing undermine the authority and reputability of the office which he helms, but it also directly undermines American democracy. It stands in stark antithesis to the concept of separation of powers.

It also shows that his focus is not on the issues that actually fall within his remit – such as housing, crime, and transport – but instead on the leader of a country in a different context, across several oceans.

Mamdani is not responsible for foreign policy. He does not have a state department. He is, however, the mayor of a city with the largest population of Jews outside of Israel.

Negative effects on Jewish New Yorkers

While he does not have the power to arrest Netanyahu, he does have the power to protect his city’s Jews.

This video, which singles out the one Jewish state, could have tangibly negative effects on Jewish New Yorkers at a time they are already experiencing astronomical levels of antisemitism.

Other elements of the video do not stand up to scrutiny.

After calling Netanyahu the “architect of genocide” who is “denying newborns the chance to live,” Mamdani says, “I agree with the ICC that Benjamin Netanyahu should be arrested and tried for his crimes, as I do for anyone else charged by the ICC.”

Netanyahu was never charged with genocide by the ICC.

Mamdani also speaks of the 73,000 death toll in Gaza – a number known to be peddled by the Hamas-run Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between the death of its own terrorist fighters and the death of civilians.

In some ways, Mamdani is acting in a similar manner to Arab leaders in the Middle East. Figures like Ayatollah Khamenei, Mahmoud Abbas, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi all thrust the focus onto Israel so as to shift people’s attention away from problems on the home front.

Mamdani’s obsession with Israel is time-old and time-worn.

But having made the promise a defining feature of his campaign, Mamdani now faces a political dilemma.

Abandoning it risks disappointing supporters who took him at his word; continuing to defend it means doubling down on a position his own administration now acknowledges it lacks the authority to carry out.

Haim Yavin, the veteran broadcaster known to generations of Israelis as “Mr. Television,” died on Wednesday at the age of 93, his family announced.

Yavin was one of the founders of Israeli television and the longtime presenter of the public broadcaster’s flagship Mabat evening news program.

His voice and image accompanied Israelis through elections, wars, peace agreements, political upheaval, and national tragedy for four decades. During his broadcasts beginning in 1968 until 2008, much of Israeli life came to a halt as viewers tuned in to learn what was happening in the country and the world. 

Much like Walter Cronkite in the US, who personified credibility and authority for many, Yavin was a trusted voice whose opinions, whenever he chose to express them, carried real weight.

“With profound sorrow, we part from our husband, our father, and our grandfather, who reached a ripe old age,” his family said.

His funeral is scheduled to take place at Givat Hashlosha Cemetery at 11 a.m. on Friday.

From radio to the birth of Israeli television

Yavin became permanently associated with the Hebrew word “mahapach,” meaning political upheaval, after using it during the May 1977 election broadcast as results indicated that Likud leader Menachem Begin would end the Labor movement’s decades-long rule.

Nearly two decades later, Yavin delivered one of the most painful announcements in Israeli broadcasting history following the assassination of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin in November 1995.

Yavin was born Heinz Kluger on September 10, 1932, in Beuthen, Germany, now Bytom, Poland. His family immigrated to Mandatory Palestine in 1933, when he was a baby, and settled in the Haifa area.

He began his broadcasting career at Kol Yisrael Radio in 1956, presenting news, entertainment, and music programs. He later worked in the station’s documentary department as an editor, producer, and presenter.

Yavin joined the team that established Israeli television in 1968. On July 23 of that year, he presented the first edition of Mabat LaHadashot, which focused largely on the hijacking of an El Al plane to Algeria.

He later served as the Israel Broadcasting Authority’s correspondent in the United States, covering the US government in Washington, the United Nations in New York, and other events across the country.

After returning to Israel, Yavin held several senior positions at the public broadcaster, including editor of Mabat, director of the news department, and editor and presenter of the current-affairs program Mabat Sheni.

He served as director of Israeli television from 1986 to 1990. During his tenure, broadcasting hours were expanded, and programs including Ro’im Olam, Beshidur Hoker, and Siba Lamesiba were launched.

Yavin left Channel 1 briefly in 1997 to present the investigative program Ha’erev Hahamishi on Channel 2 before returning to Mabat the following year.

He presented his final Mabat broadcast on February 5, 2008.

In 2016, several women accused Yavin of sexual harassment during their time working at the Israel Broadcasting Authority. Yavin denied the allegations.

Documenting Israeli society

Alongside his work as a news presenter, Yavin was an acclaimed documentary filmmaker who examined some of the deepest political and social divisions in Israeli society.

His documentaries included Hanivharim ’81, which followed the bitter 1981 election campaign; Gahelet Loheshet, about Soviet Jewry during the collapse of the Soviet Union; Eretz Hamitnahalim, examining the settlement movement; Te’uda Kehula, about Israel’s Arab citizens; and Tzva Ha’am, which explored changes in relations between the IDF and Israeli society.

Eretz Hamitnahalim, broadcast in 2005, generated controversy because of Yavin’s criticism of Israeli settlement policies.

In the film, he contended that the Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip were endangering the future of Israel.

“Since 1967, [the Israelis] have been brutal conquerors, occupiers, suppressing another people,” he said, calling for Israel to withdraw from these areas.

The series received more than 100 complaints to the Second Authority for Television and Radio, as well as calls from some right-wing figures for Yavin to be removed from his position at the public broadcaster.

The production later received awards for documentary filmmaking and directing.

His final documentary, Jerusalem: A City of Broken Dreams, created with director Julie Shles, aired in 2016 and examined relations between Jewish and Arab residents of the capital.

In addition to news anchoring and producing, Yavin wrote several books, including an autobiography, and recorded albums of children’s stories.

Yavin received the Israel Prize for communications in 1997, a lifetime achievement award from the Israeli Academy of Film and Television in 2003, and a lifetime achievement award from the Jerusalem Journalists Association in 2008.

‘There was no replacement for his art’

Yavin usually rejected his nickname of “Mr.Television.” 

“I didn’t give myself that nickname. I regard it with an indulgent smile. You could say it is embarrassing, but flattering,”he said. in a 2010 interview with Ynet.

But veteran broadcaster Ya’akov Ahimeir said Yavin had fully earned the title “Mr. Television.”

“He truly was Mr. Television,” Ahimeir told Walla Culture.

“He always found the right words and expressions. His eloquence was unparalleled. We worked together for many years, and I was in his shadow, like many others who work in broadcasting.”

Ahimeir also praised Yavin’s documentary work and his ability to reflect Israel’s political and social life.

“I do not think there was a replacement for his art of presenting the news, with expressions containing wisdom, precision, and humility,” he said. “Many people are mourning the fact that this voice has fallen silent.”

Journalist and broadcaster Yaron London described Yavin as a close friend, a gifted broadcaster, and an exceptionally dedicated public servant.

“He was the best news presenter we had,” London told Walla Culture, citing Yavin’s voice, expression, diction, and ability to inspire confidence among viewers.

“He was extraordinarily diligent and hardworking,” London said. “In everything he did, he served the public. He was an honest, decent, and courageous man. An extraordinary journalist.”

KAN News expressed “deep sorrow” over the death of a man it described as a cornerstone of Israeli public broadcasting.

“It is difficult to imagine a historic chapter in the life of the State of Israel in recent generations that Yavin did not mediate for the public,” the outlet said in a statement.

The broadcaster noted that Yavin had announced the 1977 political upheaval, presented the first televised Israeli news broadcast, and struggled to announce Rabin’s death after the prime minister’s assassination.

President Isaac Herzog said Yavin had accompanied Israelis through defining national moments “with professionalism, responsibility, and statesmanship.”

“His voice and face were identified with central chapters in the history of the state,” Herzog said. “He left a profound mark on Israeli journalism and public culture.”

MK Ahmad Tibi (Hadash-Ta’al) eulogized Yavin in a social media post on Wednesday. 

“Haim Yavin z”l, one of the legends of Israeli television, journalist, presenter and creator, passed away today,” he wrote on X/Twitter.

“He was a professional, honest and fair journalist who did not succumb to populism or extremism, and showed empathy for the distress of the minority. I knew him and admired his integrity and his professional honesty. May his memory be a blessing.”

But many ordinary Israelis who simply enjoyed listening to his calm voice and knowledgeable reporting took to social media to bid goodbye to a broadcaster who had been a part of their lives for decades

Yavin is survived by his wife, Yosefa, his sons, Yonatan, Michael, and Hagai, and his grandchildren. His daughter, Dafna Yavin-Reches, died in 2025.

The IDF detained several Israeli settlers on Wednesday for attempting to cross into Syrian territory, the military said.

The Israelis, who had attempted the border breach from the Hermon area, were transferred to the Israel Police for further processing. It was the settler group’s third time attempting to cross into Syria. 

The military said that it “strongly condemns” the attempted crossing, describing it as a”criminal offense that endangers civilians and IDF forces.”

The incident follows a KAN News report on Tuesday that the IDF nearly fired upon five of the group’s members near the Syrian border two weeks ago, amid suspicion that they may have been a terrorist squad attempting to infiltrate Israel.

The settlers were set to be targeted by IDF Elbit Hermes 450 “Zik” drones before being identified as observant Jews due to their peyot (side curls), KAN reported.

Israeli settlers try to infiltrate Syria for third time 

HaBashan Pioneers activists have been trying to establish Jewish settlements in Syria. Several groups of activists were arrested in recent weeks for multiple separate border crossing attempts.

On Friday, the IDF detained several Israeli civilians for illegally crossing into Syrian territory from the Majdal Shams area, the military said, following an overnight search operation.

Ruby Sadikman contributed to this report.

The US is expected to move forward with a pact for Saudi Arabia that will focus on civilian nuclear power, according to a Tuesday New York Times report.

The potential deal is raising eyebrows in Israel and the region because it does not appear to include Riyadh joining the Abraham Accords or normalizing ties with Israel.

The full details are not known, and the US Congress will want to know more about this pact. However, the story sheds light on an important issue relating to the Abraham Accords. They should be viewed as a positive incentive, and not be seen as a negative trade-off.

What this means is that the original Abraham Accords appeared to countries such as the UAE and Bahrain because these countries wanted to normalize ties with Israel. The Trump administration’s backing for this agreement back in 2020 was key because it gave the agreement a US umbrella of support.

The US has key bases in Bahrain and the UAE. Therefore, there was a sense of security in these countries. In addition, the countries felt they were getting something. At the time, it should be remembered that the COVID pandemic was keeping the world locked down. In addition, the Trump administration had floated its vision for “Peace to Prosperity” for the Palestinians.

US maintains bases throughout the region

There was talk in Israel in early 2020 about potential annexation of the West Bank. When Israel climbed down from their agenda, the UAE and Bahrain moved forward with the Accords. There was a sense that Israel had given up on annexation.

Therefore, everyone got something. US President Donald Trump is best at making deals when everyone benefits. This is how the Gaza ceasefire deal came about in September and October 2025. The administration has proven less successful when there are threats.

For this reason, the new potential nuclear pact with Saudi Arabia should be seen on its merits. Claims that Saudi Arabia should have to normalize in order to receive civilian nuclear power will make Riyadh feel that US policy is linked solely to this issue of Israel and normalization.

Riyadh will wonder why there isn’t an equal amount of pressure on Israel to move toward providing Palestinians rights. Saudi Arabia has been a key leader of the Muslim and Arab world, and it has held out a hand in peace, but it wants to see progress in Jerusalem regarding the Palestinians.

THE US has learned in the past that a policy that uses negative trade-offs with Israel or the Arab states often doesn’t work. For instance, former US Secretary of State John Kerry once said that normalization would not happen without movement on the Palestinian issue.

Rather than getting Israel to be flexible, this cudgel made Israel stubborn and made it wait out the Obama administration. Using peace as a punishment has not worked well in the past. Using peace as an incentive so that all sides feel they got something has tended to work better.

Riyadh has made it clear what it wants to see in Jerusalem. If Israel isn’t willing to have a give-and-take, then Saudi Arabia is going to say to the US that it shouldn’t be prevented from receiving things simply because Jerusalem’s policies are being too inflexible.

This is why the perceived trade-off of Saudi nuclear energy for normalization may not have worked. All Israel’s leaders felt they had to do was wait, and they felt Riyadh would then have to change tack. This is essentially what Kerry had said to Israel.

The Arab countries could wait, and Israel would have to change to get things from them. This has historically not worked. Where Trump was able to unlock the Abraham Accord was by creating a framework where the US showed its support and the UAE, Bahrain and Israel all got something. No one had to give up much.

Riyadh clear on Jerusalem position, give-and-take

“The Trump administration plans to submit to Congress a pact with Saudi Arabia to share nuclear power technology that does not include a plan for normalization with Israel or safeguards the US has long said would stop materials from being used in nuclear weapons programs, the Times reported on Tuesday.”

The Times continued, reporting that “The Trump administration plans to submit to Congress a pact with Saudi Arabia to share nuclear power technology that does not include a plan for normalization with Israel or safeguards the US has long said would stop materials from being used in nuclear weapons programs.”

Riyadh has wanted this deal for many years. It has also shown that it is willing at times to hedge on issues relating to the US. Saudi Arabia is a strong and historic partner of the US. It is also a powerful Muslim and Arab country.

It has been willing to hold talks with China and to consider its economic policies and how they might fit into other economic blocs such as BRICS or the China-linked SCO. Saudi Arabia joined the SCO as a partner in 2023. This goes back to talks before 2021. Saudi Arabia has held off on joining BRICS, an economic bloc that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Saudi Arabia has done other outreach. It signed a defense pact with Pakistan, which is a friend of the US and the Trump administration.

Riyadh’s increasingly close ties with Turkey, Syria and Egypt have raised some concerns in Jerusalem. Some Israeli policymakers appear to think Saudi Arabia is drifting away from the Abraham Accords and no longer sees them as necessary.

The feeling among some is that Riyadh is increasingly joining a “Sunni” bloc of countries that may be more hostile to Israel.

The Houthis will not be able to completely shut down the Bab al-Mandab Strait but can still cause “meaningful and foundational disruptions” that will contribute to the Islamic Republic’s pressure campaign, Aarathi Krishnan, CEO of the specialized risk advisory and anticipatory intelligence firm RAKSHA Intelligence Futures, told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.

Noting that three vessels turned from the southern Red Sea to avoid the Bab al-Mandab Strait on Tuesday, Krishnan highlighted that fewer ships would be willing to risk damage by passing through the waters.

That heightened risk will also lead to insurance premiums increasing “exponentially,” an issue that will translate to inflated prices of goods across the globe.

“When you apply enough pressure on choke points in this way, you don’t even have to physically shut them down. It’s the threat of it that will make you want to turn around or make insurance premiums so prohibitive that you won’t go through [with it]. And that’s what’s already happening,” she said, illustrating that Brent Crude Oil is now selling at a near six-week high.

Brent crude is now trading at $94.34 per barrel, up 3.66%, suggesting that supply disruptions remain a significant concern, particularly as four more tankers changed course in the Red Sea on Wednesday.

Houthis enjoy Iranian support despite loss of allies

Though Krishnan acknowledged that the Houthis were weakened significantly over the past few years, she highlighted that they have slowly rebuilt their capacity, helped in large part by Iran.

Given the disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, she said it was worth the risk for the Houthis, who have greater leverage now thanks to the escalating conflict between Washington and Tehran.

“Iran would continue to support them, potentially providing them with financial support because it allows Iran to pressure the Houthis,” she reasoned. “So that allyship, that partnership, gives the Houthis some level of protection.”

While the Houthis may enjoy some level of support, she noted that Iran is losing more allies as it escalates its attacks on the region, and those losses directly translate to an increased risk for the Houthis.

Asked why the Houthis have threatened the strait and Saudi Arabian airspace now, rather than when the war broke out in February, Krishnan answered simply that they were waiting to see whether it would fizzle out quickly, like it did during the 12 Day War in June, or whether it would be the type of regional escalation they were waiting for.

“Iran declaring earlier this week that it is treating this as a full-blown war with the US is giving, I suppose, the Houthis the opportunity to do the things that they have always wanted to do. Whereas before they were probably going at it alone, now, with the idea that potentially Hezbollah might come into it, Iran is escalating on all levels,” she said.

“This is the type of conflict that they have been pushing for for a long time.”

More concerning, she continued, is the fact that relationships in the region and markets have been damaged to such a degree that the effects of any potential ceasefire could take up to six months to feel globally.

“Let’s say a ceasefire gets declared and abided by – any tiny thing could make that ceasefire unfold, just as it has in the last couple of weeks, and that’s what I sense will happen. Even if amazingly a ceasefire happens and it holds, it’s not like everything returns to normal straight away,” she commented.

“Even if the Strait of Hormuz is reopened, ships won’t automatically start passing through the strait in 30 days. That’s physically impossible for a number of reasons. To demine it takes a long time.

“Post-Iraq, it took almost two years to demine the straits, so it’s not going to happen in 30 days. And the amount of time it would take for wartime insurance premiums to come back down – insurance companies are not going to automatically reduce them based on a ceasefire agreement. They monitor over a period of time.”

Shifting dynamics in the region

Dynamics in the region have also changed. What seemed like an increasingly likely scenario pre-October 7, Saudi-Israel normalization, has become “quite radioactive,” she said, claiming the Houthis will use it as a reason to escalate further.

Gulf nations are also now being put in a position where they have to respond, despite months of saying they want the war to end, as Iran has begun targeting civilian infrastructure, Krishnan highlighted.

All this will impact relations with the United States.

“The cost globally of all these shutdowns is hitting pretty much every country and increasing the pressure on the US administration back at home.

“The fact that, as a result of the increased attacks by the United States, Iran is now increasing its attacks on US military bases in other countries, and therefore, whether intentionally or unintentionally, targeting civilian infrastructure, is to me really breaking open a fault line between relationships in the region and the pressures between Saudi [Arabia], Oman and the US,” she explained.

“It is really through the escalation by the US administration that this has continued to expand, and now everybody is getting pulled into it. So my reading of it is that there will be a lot more pressure on the US to deescalate because the impact on the global economy is already being felt and is already hitting most countries’ inflation, even back here in the US. Economic analysts are projecting that this will have a massive impact on global GDP over the next year.”

Clearly not a supporter of the war, Krishnan described it as a “war of egos” and admitted she couldn’t see a way for it to de-escalate without Iran being handed control of the Strait of Hormuz, something that neither the Gulf states nor the US could accept.

She predicted that the war would continue to escalate, bringing further inflation for the global economy and long-term instability to the region.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed on Wednesday, on the eve of Tisha B’av that over the past three years, Israelis had prevented “the destruction of the Third Temple.” 

“Instead of a civil war, we were brothers fighting shoulder to shoulder to repel those who seek our lives,” he said, pointing out that the nation “saved Israel together.”

“We showed the world that the people of Israel are a brave people, a brave army, a generation of heroes. We repelled the terror of destruction and achieved great achievements.”

Netanyahu says Israel’s work to defend itself is not over

Netanyahu later added that he understood the work was not over, that there were still challenges ahead. However, he claimed that he intends to unite Israel in the upcoming elections. 

“I will work to establish a broad national government, a stable government that will take care of our security and our future. I know that, during an election period, there will be arguments that will make it difficult for us to see this, but I also know that we are much more united than we seem,” he said.

“Together, with God’s help, we will ensure the eternity of Israel,” he said in conclusion. 

Netanyahu’s comments come as Israel heads to elections, where the prime minister’s reigning Likud Party will face off against Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar Party, and Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid’s Together Party. 

The United Kingdom’s Scouts Association is investigating the UK Muslim Scout Fellowship (MSF) following allegations of antisemitic conduct, The Scouts Association confirmed to The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.

The matter was first raised by think-tank Henry Jackson Society (HJS), which complained that children in the Muslim branch of The Scout Association were encouraged to “paint for Gaza,” resulting in artwork featuring the antisemitic phrase “From the river to the sea.”

“We wrote to the Scout Association raising concerns. It has now confirmed it has opened an investigation,” HJS said.

Following this, the Post reached out to the Scouts, which confirmed it had received the complaint and “takes the concerns raised very seriously.”

“We have a robust process in place to ensure that matters of this nature are investigated thoroughly, impartially and fairly,” it told the Post.

‘From the river to the sea,’ map of Israel replaced with Palestinian flag

However, it said the complaint is currently at an early stage, and the organization was still establishing the relevant facts. “We will provide a response to the complainant once we have reviewed the matter in line with our policies,” the Scouts added.

The “Paint for Gaza challenge” is “dedicated to showing love and kindness toward children in Palestine.” Most of the images produced by children feature variations on al-Aqsa mosque with the Palestine flag.

Several feature the map of Israel replaced with the Palestinian flag, while others read “From the river to the sea,” a phrase widely seen as calling for the eradication of the Jewish state.

In its complaint, HJS points out that “From the river to the sea” has been criminalized in Germany.

“Given the slogan’s highly inflammatory nature, we are deeply concerned that children’s artwork bearing it has been circulated by a Scout-affiliated organization,” HJS said. “The Scouts Association has an important responsibility to ensure that all young people feel welcome and included, regardless of their background or faith.”

The Scouts Association has a commitment to political neutrality, and in its code of conduct opposes all forms of “prejudice and discrimination.”

Notably, the “Paint for Gaza” challenge was organized in collaboration with Islamic Relief, a body banned in Israel for its connections to Hamas.

Islamic Relief Worldwide, which is headquartered in the UK, has also faced severe accusations over the years regarding terrorist financing, ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, and antisemitism.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has offered one of the most revealing public accounts yet of the opening hours of the Israel-Iran war, describing how he narrowly escaped an Israeli strike on a compound where senior Iranian officials had gathered and suggesting Israel’s intelligence capabilities inside Iran extended far beyond technological surveillance.

In a more than 90-minute interview with Iranian journalist Javad Moghouei, Araghchi recounted the panic, destruction, and confusion that followed Israel’s opening strikes, while acknowledging what he described as serious security failures within the Islamic Republic.

Araghchi said he was inside the compound of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the morning the war began.

“I was with Ali Hejazi, chief of staff to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at nine o’clock, and we were finally going over a report on the negotiations,” Araghchi recalled. “I happened to have reached the part describing the heavy wartime atmosphere… then suddenly, there was an attack.”

He said the blast left the compound in ruins.

“We entered through the same beams, beds, and other wooden debris,” Araghchi said. “From the room, we came into a hall where the sound of ‘Ya Hossein’ could be heard. Water was dripping from the ceiling, and everything was in a state of ruin.”

Araghchi reveals how he escaped Israeli strikes on Iranian officials’ bunker

According to Araghchi, security personnel immediately evacuated him from the area.

“The security personnel quickly grabbed my hand, telling me I had to leave because the attacks would probably continue,” he said.

A young security official then drove him to the Foreign Ministry in an ordinary civilian vehicle.

“A young man came up and said, ‘Sir, come on, I’ll take you to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.’ The poor guy showed up with what I think was a Tipa or maybe a Peugeot 206. We got in, and he drove me to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” Araghchi said.

Araghchi also discussed what he described as Israel’s remarkably accurate intelligence regarding the movements of Iran’s senior leadership.

“This coincidence, this insight, and the fact that it happened at 9:30 in the morning, I no longer attribute this to technology or artificial factors,” Araghchi said. “I really don’t know what to make of it.”

He said Iranian authorities are investigating the possibility of human infiltration within the country’s security apparatus.

“Now the security forces are pursuing this,” Araghchi said. “I believe this security vulnerability is not only about infiltration and data theft. Sometimes it also affects the orientation of decision-making, and even worse, it influences and shapes our psychological environment.”

Despite the chaos, Araghchi said Iranian officials had prepared emergency procedures in advance.

“There was even a code,” Araghchi revealed. “If a certain code is triggered, what should we do?… The code is Code 110.”

He suggested discussions about succession or emergency leadership arrangements were considered so sensitive that officials rarely addressed them openly.

Araghchi said Iran’s leadership also abandoned its normal offices after the attacks.

“Of course, we weren’t in our offices, but near the Ministry of Foreign Affairs we had arranged alternative locations,” Araghchi said. “I don’t know how secure they really were, but in the end, there was no safe place at all. Except for the tunnel, there was nowhere safe.”

Even underground facilities, he said, had significant limitations.

“Tunnels matter, but do you know the condition for using them? If you go, you have to stay for a few days. You can’t just go in and come back quickly. So you can’t go because you have work to do outside,” Araghchi said.

The foreign minister said he repeatedly tried to minimize the risks his security personnel faced.

“Sometimes I told the guards, ‘Don’t come with me. Maybe they want to fire a missile, and you can’t do anything. You might just get killed for no reason,'” he said.

Araghchi also disclosed extensive diplomatic efforts to prevent additional fronts from opening during the conflict.

“One evening I spoke with Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq; Bafel Talabani, leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan; Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan; and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani,” Araghchi said.

“I personally called Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and warned that if even the slightest threat came from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq against us, we would take action.”

Asked whether those conversations had any effect, Araghchi replied that they had.

“The Kurdistan Regional authorities and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani assured me that they would never allow this to happen… Turkey played a significant role.”

His comments suggested Ankara worked to prevent Kurdish territory from becoming a launching point for attacks against Iran.

Iranian FM Araghchi says he has never met Mojtaba Khamenei

In another notable revelation, Araghchi said he has never met Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is widely believed to have assumed a central role in Iran’s leadership following the war.

Asked about his relationship with Mojtaba Khamenei, Araghchi replied that he had not met him yet.

“I never have. I haven’t seen him during this time. I don’t think anyone except maybe one or a few people have seen him.”

The remarks underscore the extraordinary secrecy surrounding Mojtaba Khamenei’s position within the Islamic Republic.

Although careful not to criticize the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps directly, Araghchi appeared to question decisions made in the later stages of the conflict.

Reflecting on the ceasefire, he offered an unusually candid assessment.

“If we had implemented the ceasefire ten days earlier, our achievements would have still stood,” Araghchi said. “But we had Ali Larijani, senior adviser to the Supreme Leader; Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib; Mohammad Asadollahi; and the Foolad Mobarakeh steel complex.”

The remarks appeared to amount to a rare public critique from one of the Islamic Republic’s most senior surviving officials.

Summing up his view of both the war and the negotiations, Araghchi argued that Iran had achieved its strategic objectives early in the conflict.

“In my opinion, our strategic achievements were accomplished within the first two weeks of the war,” Araghchi said. “It means realizing that the Islamic Republic cannot be subdued. In other words, they failed to achieve any of their objectives.”

The US Embassy in Jerusalem issued a security alert on Wednesday warning Americans in Israel to be cautious of organized crime activity in the country, according to a statement on the embassy’s website.

“US Embassy Jerusalem is closely monitoring reports of a spike in violence connected to rivalries between Israeli organized crime groups,” said the statement. “These attacks appear to be targeting businesses and homes associated with the groups involved, primarily in the Tel Aviv, Jaffa, and Herzliya neighborhoods.”

The embassy noted the use of grenades to target various homes and businesses, as well as private vehicles.

“Israeli National Police have responded to this spike in violence by conducting enforcement operations to disrupt violent criminal activity and arrest the leaders believed to be responsible for these attacks,” the embassy added. It noted that both the embassy itself and its Tel Aviv branch office are still operating normally.

The statement warned American citizens in Israel to “stay alert” while in central Israeli commercial districts, with an emphasis on late and overnight hours.

Americans were further warned to avoid areas with police activity and to obey law enforcement instructions, as well as to report suspicious activities to Israel Police. In addition, the embassy advised preparing a “personal security plan” and maintaining situational awareness and communication with loved ones.

Other steps encouraged by the embassy included enrollment in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) and general preparation for existing threats, such as knowing the location of the nearest protected space in case of a rocket or missile attack.

What is happening in Israel’s Japanika crime wave?

The embassy’s warning comes amid a growing organized crime wave in central Israel, with the most recent development being the arrest of a new suspect on Tuesday in connection with the grenade attack on a Japanika restaurant in Kiryat Ono on July 13.

The arrest followed an additional arrest on Thursday of an 18-year-old from Bat Yam on suspicion of also being involved in the Kiryat Ono attack.

More suspects, crime boss arrested

On Sunday, Israel Police arrested a 28-year-old resident of Kiryat Ata over his alleged involvement in the attempted arson of a Japanika branch in Haifa.

On July 14, police responded to a shooting incident at a Herzliya Japanika restaurant. That same day, Musli crime family boss Yossi Musli was arrested in connection with the series of attacks targeting the Japanika restaurant chain, according to Israeli media reports. 

Alon Hachmon, Hodaya Ran, Miriam Sela-Eitam, and Esther Davis contributed to this report.

MK Gilad Kariv, who placed third in The Democrats Party primaries, said Israel should ultimately divide the land and establish a demilitarized Palestinian state as part of a regional agreement, while accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of building up Hamas; he told 103FM on Wednesday.

Kariv discussed his party’s diplomatic vision, the continuing war, and the issue of Palestinian statehood in an interview with Ron Kofman and Prof. Aryeh Eldad on 103FM’s “Five in the Evening” program. During the interview, he sharply criticized the government’s policy toward Hamas.

“Netanyahu did business with Hamas and built it up,” Kariv said. “It was the Israeli Right that built the Hamas state, as a result of unilateral steps.”

Addressing a possible resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Kariv said his party supports separation and the establishment of a demilitarized Palestinian state as part of a broader regional agreement.

“At the end of the diplomatic process, and that will take time, the land will be divided between the two peoples, and alongside the State of Israel there will be a demilitarized Palestinian state within a regional agreement,” he said.

Asked whether it was appropriate to discuss a diplomatic vision while the war was still underway, Kariv said that alongside military action, Israel must also present a clear political objective.

“During a war that has continued for two and a half years, the moment comes when you say, alongside the military measures, what your diplomatic vision is,” he said. “I ultimately want to reach a division of the land in order to ensure the future of the State of Israel as Jewish and democratic, and to end control over millions of Palestinians.”

‘I am not ignoring the polls’

During the interview, Kariv was confronted with polls indicating broad support for Hamas among Palestinians in the West Bank, as well as concerns about the security risks that could be created for residents of the Gaza border communities and central Israel.

“I am not ignoring those polls,” Kariv said. “But you are ignoring other polls that also show a change in the trend regarding Hamas’s conduct, and the support that still exists for a diplomatic agreement. I pursue a diplomatic agreement cautiously and wisely with those forces in Palestinian society that are not Hamas, those people with whom every IDF brigade commander conducts security coordination.”

Yair Golan’s criticism of Israeli settlers

Kariv also addressed remarks by The Democrats Party chairman Yair Golan criticizing the settlement movement. He said Golan’s criticism had been directed at illegal outposts and centers of violence.

“The remarks made by Yair Golan rightly focused on illegal outposts, with an emphasis on those outposts from which organized violence against Palestinians emerges,” Kariv said.

Kariv concluded by discussing the party’s primary results and the high voter turnout.

“We have held digital votes in the past, but we have never had a situation in which 100,000 Israelis voted, and that is a major celebration,” he said.

Lebanon and Israel are scheduled to hold their next round of US-brokered talks on August 4 in Italy, a Lebanese official told Reuters on Wednesday, as the two countries begin implementing a plan for Israeli withdrawals and Lebanese army deployments in southern Lebanon.

The two longtime foes have held more than three months of face-to-face talks, billed as a way to put a permanent end to hostilities since a new war erupted on March 2 between Israel and Lebanese terror group Hezbollah, triggered by the wider regional conflict.

The ambassador-level direct meetings are unusual for countries that remain formally at war and have had no normal diplomatic relations through decades of invasion, military occupation and cross-border conflict.

Five meetings hosted by the United States produced a framework deal late last month which foresees the disarmament of Hezbollah, the progressive withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon and the deployment of Lebanese troops.

The talks have since moved to the Italian capital so delegations could discuss the technical details and guidelines of the pilot zones – the term for the geographical areas where that phased process would be implemented.

Lebanon presses for full Israeli pull-out

The first Israeli withdrawal under the pilot zone program took place this week.

Israeli forces pulled out of the southern Lebanese town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh and the Lebanese army began deploying troops there, but asked residents to delay their return until the town was cleared of unexploded ordnance.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam visited Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh on Wednesday and planted a Lebanese flag there, saying the state would work to reopen roads, clear rubble and restore public services so that residents could return.

Salam said Israel’s withdrawal was a significant first step but that Lebanon wanted a full Israeli withdrawal from all Lebanese territory.

Israel continues to occupy what it describes as a buffer zone about 10 km (6 miles) inside Lebanon along the length of the border, where Israeli troops have ordered the local populations to leave and razed villages. Israeli officials say the zone is necessary to protect northern Israeli communities from attacks by Hezbollah.

Despite a ceasefire that came into force last month, controlled demolitions have continued, Lebanese security sources said.

Tens of thousands of Lebanese people remain displaced, unable to return home because their villages remain occupied by Israeli troops or have been destroyed.

Israeli officials have said they will remain in southern Lebanon as long as Hezbollah remains armed. The group has rejected the Lebanese government’s direct talks with Israel and has refused to disarm in full.

During his first official trip to Washington, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said that Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon could remove “the root cause that Hezbollah has long cited as its justification.”

Only then could Hezbollah be disarmed, Aoun told guests at a reception at the Lebanese embassy in Washington, according to comments shared by his office.

The “Zionist Occupied Government” (ZOG) conspiracy theory increased more than threefold during the 2026 Iran war, Fighting Online Antisemitism (FOA) has revealed.

The “ZOG” conspiracy theory falsely claims a secret Jewish/Israeli cabal controls global institutions and sovereign governments, especially that of the US.

FOA looked at two 38-day periods in 2026 for its study: the baseline period (January 21 – February 27, 2026) and the war period (February 28 – April 6, 2026).

It found that the increased volume of hate content was accompanied by a focus explicitly around the term “ZOG” – which increased from 49% prevalence in the baseline period to 63% during the wartime dataset.

Public engagement with the rhetoric also intensified dramatically during the Iran conflict – conspiracy theory content, including ZOG references, received double the amount of likes and a 10-times increase in shares compared to pre-war levels.

Volume of conspiracy posts explodes

Prior to the conflict, shadow-government and anti-regime conspiracy narratives maintained a “steady, fragmented baseline,” FOA said.

The 38-day baseline period yielded a targeted sample of 988 posts. Of these 988, 485 were determined to be explicitly ZOG-related, equating to 49.1% of baseline traffic.

After the outbreak of military operations on February 28, the volume of conspiracy posts captured “exploded” by 217.6%, reaching a total of 3,138 posts.

The proportion of ZOG-related content also exploded. Of the 3,138 total, 1,977 were determined to be ZOG-related, equaling 63% of the wartime set.

“This increase highlights how the geopolitical crisis functioned as a direct volume multiplier specifically for ZOG-related content across the monitored networks,” FOA noted.

The organization also noted that within 48 hours of initial military strikes, broad anti-establishment targets were systematically replaced by localized labels: “Zionists,” “Mossad,” and “Jewish control.”

Regarding the responses of social media platforms to this hateful content, FOA said it was “deficient.” The organization flagged explicit violations, including the use of ZOG, to Meta and X/Twitter.

In terms of META, FOA said “its enforcement remains ineffective” due to a major loophole: Meta conditions its ban on ZOG to instances where it is “clearly” used as a proxy for Jewish people; however, extremists exploit this by framing antisemitic tropes as political debate.

“This structural flaw explains why Meta’s automated systems failed to remove 70% of the reported content, exposing a severe gap between corporate rhetoric and actual enforcement,” FOA said.

X did not respond to FOA’s findings.

FOA urges platforms to provide priority for verified organizations

The organization then urged platforms to provide priority queues for verified civil society organizations – such as FOA and Action and Protection Foundation (TEV) – during active geopolitical crises.

Reports from such groups should bypass automated bots and go directly to a human moderator for rapid review within a strict 24-hour window, FOA suggested.

It also urged platforms to cut off the financial incentives that drive viral hate.

For example, accounts participating in creator revenue-sharing programs (specifically on X and YouTube) should be instantly demonetized if they leverage explicit or coded antisemitic frameworks to drive engagement during international conflicts.

Overall, FOA concluded that the report “demonstrates the adaptability of contemporary antisemitism.

“Rather than relying exclusively on traditional forms of hate speech, antisemitic narratives increasingly embed themselves within broader political debates, attaching themselves to discussions of foreign policy, national sovereignty, institutional trust, and international conflict.

“Geopolitical crises, like the US-Israel-Iran conflict, act as catalysts that rapidly unite fragmented extremist communities around this framework. Ultimately, this process mainstreams fringe neo-Nazi rhetoric, weaponizing legitimate foreign policy debates to drive systemic antisemitism online,” it concluded.

A French model scout linked with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was found dead at his house on the outskirts of Paris on Wednesday, French authorities reported.

Daniel Siad, 69, was being investigated for alleged links with Epstein’s human trafficking network, something that he had denied before being questioned.

“An investigation to determine the cause of death was opened on Monday evening following the discovery,” the prosecutor’s office said.

Additionally, the prosecution said that it will carry out an autopsy on Siad’s body in order to determine the details of his death.

Siad mentioned over 1,000 times in the Epstein files

Siad was mentioned in Epstein’s declassified files over 1,000 times, according to Le Monde.  he was also under investigation for several complaints, including allegations of rape.

According to one of the letters, Siad told Epstein: “In this busyness I feel like a fisherman; sometimes I catch quick, sometimes no fish.”

During a recent interview for CNN, Siad denied the allegations against him.

“I never heard anything from anyone I introduced to him who came back to me that they had a bad situation. I believed this guy is a professional person,” he said. 

Siad’s lawyer told Reuters in an emailed statement that the modeling scout was never formally the subject of judicial proceedings.

He also claimed to believe that Epstein was casting the women he sent for Victoria’s Secret and the modeling agency MC2.

Siad was not the only French businessman being investigated for trafficking women to Epstein. Modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel was arrested in 2020 due to his ties to the late sex offender, only to be found dead in his cell in 2022, Le Monde reported.

Diamonds, which just opened in theaters around Israel, is an Italian movie that plays like Almodovar lite, about the dramatic lives of a group of female costume designers and seamstresses for movies in Rome in the 1970s.

For some, this description will promise a heavenly movie-going experience, but those who enjoyed Pedro Almodovar’s signature movie, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, but disliked many of his subsequent portrayals of emotionally unstrung women won’t find it much fun.

The movie, directed by Ferzan Ozpetek and a big box-office success in Italy, uses a framing device of the director (played by Ozpetek) in the present day, bringing together his favorite actresses to have them read the screenplay of his new movie.

This new film is about the travails of those who worked in a movie costume shop 50-60 years ago. I am not sure what this device adds, but soon the movie settles down to its period story.

The script, written by the director along with Elisa Casseri and Carlotta Corradi, focuses on the two sisters who run this costume workshop: the imperious but talented Alberta (Luisa Ranieri) and her weaker sister Gabriella (Jasmine Trinca), who is struggling with the grief of losing her child.

They are hired by Oscar-winning costume designer Bianca Vega (Vanessa Scalera) to create elaborate designs for an 18th-century, upper-class costume drama. Alberta sees this as an opportunity to get the business out of debt, since the workshop has been floundering since the death of Gabriella’s child.

Alberta insists that they can create all the costumes, not just those of the leads, and they are happy to follow Bianca’s emotion-laden directives on how each dress must mirror the inner world of the character who wears it.

An abusive husband, a withdrawn son

While the seamstresses and designers throw themselves into this project with everything they have, they also face personal dilemmas. One has an abusive husband who does not want his wife to work; another has a withdrawn son who may be mentally ill; still others have flings with the workmen who do repairs on the villa that houses the shop, while one has a young son she must bring to the workshop because she has no one to care for him.

The relative of another employee who is wanted for participating in the political demonstrations hides out there and turns out to be skilled at creating designs that supposedly add depth by illuminating the characters’ emotions. The political turmoil outside the workshop is hinted at, but is not important to the story.

While you might think this movie would be filled with beautiful costumes, we rarely get to see the finished products, and the ones shown did not look all that great. I was hoping to see gorgeous gowns like those in Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard, one of the great Italian costume dramas.

A 1970s fashion exposé

But the fruits of the seamstresses’ labor are far less impressive and, to my mind, did not illuminate any psychological underpinnings of the character, although they were meant to. Fashionistas who want to see this movie will find even more to enjoy in the 1970s outfits worn by the seamstresses and designers.

There are a few messages about how everyone has to set their ego aside and work together, and how it is important to trust their instincts. But the movie is mostly a showcase for the actresses to have their dramatic moments.

The story might have worked better as a television series, where we could have gotten to know each woman more in depth as their stories unfolded gradually. But as a feature film, Diamonds introduces each character and gives her some important moments, then moves on to the next one rather abruptly.

The cast is good, but in the end, it’s all a bit cliché, despite the intriguing setting.

The Attention Revolution, an Israeli initiative to curb child and teen smartphone use, has been spreading across the country in recent years with a goal of involving around one in 10 school children within the next two years.

“The Attention Revolution is trying to rebuild the relationship between people and digital technology,” Attention Revolution CEO Asaf Banner told The Jerusalem Post.

Banner spoke to the Post at one of the elementary schools in Tel Aviv participating in the initiative. “Cell phones are great, and technology is amazing, but we have lost our balance, and we are trying to bring it back,” he said.

Banner said the initiative, which is growing “rapidly, sevenfold” in recent years, works through the mechanism of a social contract between parents on a class-by-class level.

At the same time, the initiative is simultaneously supported by the municipalities, communities, and schools.

Social contract outlines terms on technology use

“We work with local communities around Israel and with schools, and we try to build a new norm around how to use digital technology and when children should start using it,” he said. “The pendulum has started moving.”

The individual points of the social contract, which Banner noted would be agreed upon by 70% or 80% of the parents of a given class, would outline terms such as the age at which children in that class would get their first smartphone and which apps would be allowed on those phones.

“Is there going to be WhatsApp? Is there going to be social media or not? These are the norms that are built by the parents that regard the kids,” he explained.

According to information provided by the movement, the initiative has been working with nearly a dozen municipalities across the country, including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Herzliya, and operating in 96 elementary schools and 49 secondary schools.

Together, the schools it works with serve approximately 77,500 students, says the Attention Revolution.

“Kids are getting their phones too soon. Kids are getting addicted to using social media or using their phones,” said Banner, adding that “unbalanced use of social media or smartphones can cause severe harm.”

Ample data supports the assertion.

One study, “Smartphone Ownership, Age of Smartphone Acquisition, and Health Outcomes in Early Adolescence,” published early this year in the academic journal Pediatrics, found that among 12-year-olds, smartphone owners were more likely to experience mental health issues such as depression.

They were also more prone to obesity and less likely to get sufficient amounts of sleep.

Another study, “The Association Between Social Media Addiction and Aggressive Behaviors: A Longitudinal and Gender-Specific Analysis,” published in the Journal of Adolescence in late 2024, found a relationship between social media addiction and aggression in children.

Also speaking at the north Tel Aviv elementary school, Danna, a mother of three, said that her kids spend more time being bored, but that “this is a great thing.”

“Kids need to be bored a little bit, and after the boredom comes the activity,” she said. “We see them thinking about ‘What can we do to step out of this boredom?’”

Boredom results in creative activity

As a result, she said, they engage in more creative activities than phone use, like selling toys, reading books, or playing board games.

“We see the negative impacts that having a smartphone has on developing minds,” she told the Post.

“Whether it’s from inappropriate content exposure, sexual or violent content, difficult social comparisons that cause body image issues, social issues that happen in social media and in WhatsApp groups, we’re trying to avoid all that until they’re at a stage where they’re much more developmentally ready to handle those things.”

While the Attention Revolution movement is growing around the country, one of the initiative’s largest municipal partners is Tel Aviv.

Yael Shmueli, the Attention Revolution’s Tel Aviv Elementary Schools Program coordinator, oversees an expanding number of schools in the city that have chosen to participate.

“I coordinate the initiative across 30 elementary schools in the city: 14 schools in their first year of the program and 16 schools in their second or third year,” she told the Post.

Shmueli, who had previously spent a decade working for Meta, says that the Tel Aviv-Yafo municipality has been an important partner in the organization’s work.

“We meet with the municipal team every week and work together on questions such as how to engage more parents, strengthen participation, and create continuity within each school community,” she said.

Going forward, she added, the goal is not just about reaching more schools.

“The central goal is to help schools implement the charters they have created with parents so that the agreements gradually become community norms rather than remaining documents that were published once and then forgotten.”

Her experience at Meta, she said, makes her work with the Attention Revolution particularly meaningful, saying that while digital technology makes new levels of connection possible, it can also “draw our attention away from the people who are physically beside us, particularly when using it becomes an automatic response to boredom rather than a conscious choice.”

The Finance Ministry, the Education Ministry, and the Secondary School Teachers’ Union reached an agreement on Wednesday after two months of negotiations. 

As a result of the agreement, the education system will continue its transition toward a five-day school week – one day less than the current six-day school week, which includes  Friday. 

The parties also agreed to cancel the decree docking teachers’ pay on June 8, when war broke out with Iran. 

What is more, physics teachers will receive the same 4% bonus for preparing students for the highest-level matriculation examination (Bagrut) that chemistry teachers get. 

Also, teachers who teach classes with integrated special education students will receive annual grants based on the number of children with disabilities in their classes. 

The ministries and the union also increased the number of annual early retirees from 320 to 350, citing “high demand from teachers wishing to retire early due to burnout.”

Parents association rejects Teachers’ Union threat to limit inclusion of students with disabilities

In June, as this agreement was being negotiated, the National Parents’ Leadership Association called on the Education Ministry to reject the Teachers’ Union’s ultimatum to limit the integration of children with disabilities into classrooms.

While teachers are threatening strike action over staffing shortages, parents are attacking the demand and describing it as dangerous discrimination.

In response to threats by Teachers’ Union chairwoman Yaffa Ben-David, the National Parents’ Leadership Association appealed to the Education Ministry’s director-general, demanding that the move be rejected.

“The Parents’ Leadership Association views the Teachers’ Union’s letter with great concern,” the organization said in a statement. “This is an improper, discriminatory, and dangerous demand that cannot be accepted in an education system committed to the values of equality, inclusion, and acceptance of others. Instead of fighting for additional staffing positions, the Teachers’ Union has chosen to direct the spotlight at the children themselves.”

Parents’ Leadership Association chairman Oren Ozen stated: “The state’s role is to provide teachers with the tools needed for successful integration, not to remove children from the classroom. The education system cannot afford to send a message of exclusion.”

Avichai Chiim contributed to this report.

Airports Authority (IAA) Chairman Yiftach Ron-Tal disputed claims of upcoming flight cancellations at Ben-Gurion Airport during an interview with KAN News on Wednesday.

“There will be no flight cancellations,” said Ron-Tal. “We will do everything we can to keep the skies of the State of Israel open during a season that is so important to the Israeli public.”

“I will say more than that: every day that passes, we reach new highs this year,” he added. “We have already reached 90,000 passengers per day, and everything is done in coordination with the security establishment.”

Ron-Tal’s comments come after warnings from IAA CEO Sharon Kedmi on Wednesday that the volume of incoming US Air Force (USAF) refueling aircraft would prevent Ben-Gurion from operating at the capacity needed to accommodate all scheduled flights.

“We are doing everything to avoid canceling flights,” said Kedmi. “But we cannot allow even one more refueling plane into Ben-Gurion Airport. If it does, we will start canceling flights. The public needs to prepare for cancellations and delays.”

On Monday, an emergency meeting on the issue, led by Transportation Minister Miri Regev, was held at Ben-Gurion Airport, with the directors-general of the Transportation Ministry and the IAA in attendance, along with other professionals.

Ron-Tal commented on the outcome of the meeting, saying that he agrees with the policy decisions “1,000%.”

‘No intention’ to close Israeli airspace, IAA chairman says

“There is no intention to close the airspace of the State of Israel, even in the sensitive strategic-security situation in which we find ourselves,” added Ron-Tal. 

The meeting determined that the arrival of just seven additional USAF refuelers at Ben-Gurion Airport would result in 30 canceled flights a day, disrupting travel plans for around 5,000 passengers, according to an N12 News report on Tuesday.

The Transportation Ministry announced last week that only 20 USAF refuelers would remain at Ben-Gurion by July 21, with those remaining transferred to Israel Air Force bases.

Esther Davis contributed to this report.

Defense Minister Israel Katz has declared open season on IDF Central Command Chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth and much of the already weakened efforts to restrain Jewish extremist violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

After tying Bluth’s hands on the issue once in January 2025, the defense minister is now threatening to tie them even more just as the Jewish extremist violence in the West Bank is hitting some of its worst levels.

The public attack was a barely veiled leak by Katz or his staff to Arutz 7 on July 21 accusing Bluth of being overly aggressive in cracking down on Jewish extremist violence.

Bluth’s first job is to thwart Palestinian terror and, while there is more work to be done in that area, he has been the most aggressive central commander on that playing field since the end of the Second Intifada in 2005.

He has also more actively helped with the expansion of the settlement enterprise through Israeli domestic legal channels than any of his recent predecessors.

Bluth held back due to decision ending detention for Jews

However, in his secondary role in helping the police and the Shin Bet restrain violent Jewish extremists, Bluth himself has been held back due to Katz’s January 2025 decision to end administrative detention for Jews, while continuing it for over 3,200 Palestinians, some of them for years.

There were never many Jews in administrative detention, and they were generally only held for three to six months at a time.

Sometimes there were zero, sometimes single digits, and essentially never more than very low double digits.

But Katz decided to end even the limited number of administrative detentions, instead encouraging rehabilitation and more indictments – though all signs are that it is extremely difficult to indict many of the Jews involved in extremist violence without blowing intelligence sources and methods – the same reason administrative detention is used for Palestinians.

Since January 2025, there have been ups and downs, but overall the situation of Jewish extremist violence has deteriorated to new highs in attacks, mass attacks, and general chaos.

There is no evidence that Katz’s 19 months of rehabilitation efforts have achieved any real results.

Other more moderate efforts by Bluth and by Shin Bet Director David Zini have failed to rein in the wave of Jewish extremist violence.

They have tried passing laws to outlaw face-coverings and to make it easier to give electronic ankle cuffs to certain suspects, pre-conviction, but both of these tools have relatively easy workarounds.

Instead, in recent months, Bluth has started to use more restraining orders, which prohibit certain individuals from entering Judea and Samaria.

This has been a traditional tool always used by IDF central commanders, though it has always been considered less powerful and effective than administrative detention.

Bluth’s growing use of this medium-effective tool could never be as effective as administrative detention, but is clearly having some impact on the violent Jewish extremists, as they have tripled their public social media campaign against him.

Restraining orders necessitated, inability to use administrative detention

On July 19, Bluth even made a speech talking about the need to use the restraining orders tool, and not-so-veiled, complaining about the inability to use administrative detention.

Whether responding to Bluth or to those supporting the Jewish extremists, Katz’s leak to Arutz 7 saying that he would summon the IDF central commander for being too aggressive at a time when Jewish extremist violence is out of control puts the defense minister in a new category.

When Katz ignored recommendations by the IDF and the Shin Bet to keep administrative detention for Jews at the same levels it has been for many years, to push for more rehabilitation and indictments, one could have called it an experiment.

Maybe an ill-advised experiment going against expert advice, but theoretically his new strategy had a chance.

Yet, the results have been an unequivocal failure, which is not only leading to harm against innocent Palestinians, a problem on its own, but is also undermining Israel’s fundamental standing in both US Democrat and Republican circles.

The Trump administration does not care that much about what happens in the West Bank, but has numerous times condemned Israel’s slow and limited efforts to restrain Jewish extremist violence, including from top pro-Israel figures like Us Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.

In the atmosphere of that utter failure of his idea and of the grave harm it is doing to US-Israeli relations, by suggesting weakening Bluth’s efforts even more by reducing restraining orders – a measure which is nowhere near as effective or draconian as administrative detention – Katz seems to be moving himself from the category of naïve mismanagement to Itamar Ben Gvir-levels of potentially more deliberately trying to frustrate law enforcement efforts.

Further, although Katz is the front man for these issues, they have popped up enough now that it is hard to separate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from contributory responsibility for the effort to weaken law enforcement efforts against Jewish extremist violence.

Multiple requests by the Jerusalem Post to different IDF spokespeople about whether IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir would publicly back Bluth in the battle were met with a mix of silence or comments that until Katz actually summons Bluth, no position need be taken.

If this was the first act in this play, that might be true.

But after Katz steamrolled the IDF, the Shin Bet, and Bluth regarding administrative detention after he floated a similar media trial balloon which no one pushed back on, all signs are that Zamir will not stand up to the defense minister if Katz wants to go to the mat.

One twist is that Bluth is freer now to try to stand up to Katz on his own than at any other time in his term.

He already finished two years in his role recently, and has been requesting a transfer for months, given that IDF central commander is an extremely unforgiving role.

With few other highly qualified candidates ready to take the role, Zamir has asked Bluth to stay on indefinitely.

This could give Bluth some unusual pull to stand his ground on some issues.

But regardless of how Bluth comes out on the issue, if Katz goes through with his latest threat to weaken law enforcement against Jewish extremist violence even more, he will have exposed a more deliberate problematic agenda on the issue.

Israel’s defense establishment is considering purchasing a maritime patrol and multirole aircraft designed primarily to detect submarines, according to an IDF source.

The aircraft, the Boeing P-8 Poseidon, is based on a commercial passenger jet that was converted for military use and developed for the US Navy. It is now operated by several countries worldwide.

The aircraft carries a nine-member crew, including seven mission commanders and technicians who operate its advanced systems. It has an operational radius of 2,200 kilometers in maritime environments and can be refueled in flight to extend its range.

The aircraft is equipped with advanced maritime search radar, acoustic sensors, automatic identification systems, electro-optical and infrared sensors, and vapor sensors for detecting diesel submarines. It can also carry various weapons for use against vessels above and below the surface, including torpedoes, bombs, and naval mines.

The IDF currently operates the “Oron,” an advanced strategic intelligence and surveillance aircraft used by the Israel Air Force. The aircraft is considered unique because it can support operations involving several branches and agencies, including the air force, military intelligence, the Navy, and the Defense Ministry.

A source familiar with the details said the IDF currently maintains a very high level of anti-submarine warfare capability.

The source added that discussions about acquiring the P-8 were known within the defense establishment, but that purchasing the aircraft would be extremely costly for the IDF, particularly under the current circumstances. This could change if the aircraft were included in a broader diplomatic agreement with the White House.

What threat does Turkey pose to Israel?

Purchasing the aircraft is one of several options being considered amid concerns within the defense establishment that increasingly inflammatory and extreme rhetoric from senior Turkish officials against Israel could eventually translate into action and lead to friction with the IDF.

The closest such incident occurred in recent years, when Turkey threatened to escort a protest flotilla to the Gaza Strip with missile ships. The proposal was ultimately abandoned following extensive diplomatic pressure from Israel and the US.

Israel is now handling matters involving the Turkish military with particular sensitivity. Turkey is a NATO member, and its military previously maintained extensive cooperation with Israel, including joint air force and naval exercises. Relations, however, have deteriorated over the past decade and a half, culminating in hostility in recent years.

Alongside the Egyptian navy, which is undergoing a military buildup that includes expanding its submarine fleet, the Turkish navy is considered one of the largest and most powerful in the Middle East and among NATO member states.

Its capabilities have expanded in recent years through purchases from foreign countries, including Germany, as well as the development of locally manufactured equipment.

The Turkish navy operates more than 10 active diesel-electric submarines. The oldest are used mainly for training and are being withdrawn from service, while a new series of submarines equipped with air-independent propulsion systems is under construction.

The Turkish fleet also includes frigates, corvettes, missile ships, fast patrol vessels, amphibious forces, and drone carriers.

Shikli: War with Turkey ‘could happen as early as tomorrow’

Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli warned of the growing threat from Turkey during a conference in Jerusalem on Wednesday, N12 News reported.

“There could be direct contact with the Turkish army at sea,” said Chikli. “This is not an impossible scenario; it could happen as early as tomorrow morning.”

Turkish anti-Israel rhetoric has come under fire from several Israeli politicians, including Chikli, who accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of “bigotry” over his criticism of the Jewish state despite Israeli humanitarian contributions to his country, according to N12.

“The State of Israel sent a huge delegation to rescue Turkish citizens in the largest earthquake to hit the country in recent years,” said Chikli, describing Turkey’s attitude towards Israel as “beyond imagination.”

He emphasized that, at one point, Israel had actually saved Erdogan’s life by sending an Israeli doctor to treat his cancer.

Chikli went on to describe Erdogan as a “dictator,” or a “combination of Hitler and Sinwar.” 

Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.

Maria Shahbaz, a 13-year-old Christian who was forced to convert to Islam after being abducted last year, must be provided with access to her family and psychological support, Members of the European Parliament demanded while passing a new resolution on the human rights situation in Pakistan earlier this month.

Shahbaz was married to her abductor in March, despite most provinces requiring a person to be at least 18 to marry.

She was abducted on July 26, 2025, by a 30-year-old man and immediately married to him after police in Lahore delayed filing the family’s first information report (FIR) and influenced the judge to dismiss their abduction complaint, according to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.

Five days after her abduction, the Model Town court of Judicial Magistrate Hassan Sarfaraz Cheema awarded custody of Shahbaz to her captor after accepting falsified documents claiming she was 18 years old, while ignoring evidence provided by her family proving otherwise.

In March 2026, the Federal Constitutional Court upheld the decision, formalizing her marriage.

Forced conversions, marriages major issue amongst Christian Pakistanis

Forced conversion through marriage is a common issue faced by Christians in Pakistan, according to UN figures. Twenty-five percent of those forced to abandon their faith in this manner are Christian, while the majority are Hindu women and girls. According to International Christian Concern, as many as 1,000 Christian, Hindu and Sikh girls are abducted each year.

Only five years before Shahbaz’s abduction, a 14-year-old Christian girl with the exact same name was abducted from Faisalabad. She was forcibly converted to Islam and married to her abductor, but was later able to escape, though courts had earlier ruled in her abductor’s favor, overturning a protection order and returning her to his custody.

The European Parliament urged Pakistan’s authorities to implement the national framework to end child marriage and create a national mechanism for handling complaints from families whose loved ones have been abducted and forced to convert.

Calling on Pakistan to do more to protect minorities, the MEPs demanded that perpetrators be prosecuted, the country’s judicial framework be strengthened, and abducted girls be returned safely.

‘Deeply entrenched, systemic pattern of human rights abuses’

Christian Solidarity Worldwide’s Deputy Team Leader for South Asia, “Simon,” told The Jerusalem Post, “This timely resolution by the European Parliament exposes a deeply entrenched, systemic pattern of human rights abuses where Pakistan’s judicial system has failed to protect vulnerable girls belonging to religious minority communities.

CSW echoes the European Parliament’s urgent demand that Pakistani authorities immediately secure Maria’s safety, provide her with independent legal and psychological support, and transparently overhaul its legal and enforcement mechanisms to criminalize forced conversions once and for all.

“CSW also welcomes the passage of the Child Marriage Restraint Bill by the Punjab Assembly in April 2026 and urges lawmakers across the country, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, where the legal age for marriage is currently 16 for girls, to follow suit and amend all existing laws governing marriages of Muslims and religious minorities and to standardize the legal age of 18 years for marriage.

“We also urge the government to go further and enact legislation that explicitly criminalizes forced conversion, ensuring that perpetrators and those complicit in such acts are held to account, and introduce legal safeguards to prevent the misuse of religious conversion claims in cases involving minority girls.”

Four tankers changed course in the Red Sea on Wednesday, with two signaling the Suez Canal as their new destination after Yemen’s Houthi terror group warned ships to avoid sailing to Saudi Arabian ports, ship-tracking data showed.

The Iran-aligned Houthis on Monday declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, opening a potential new front against the United States in its war with Iran and raising the threat to global energy supplies and trade beyond the Gulf.

“The threat of Houthi hostile actions against Saudi Arabia … has begun to have an overall effect on tanker activity,” ship broker Clarksons said in a note.

“There are reports of several tankers, having loaded in Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu port in the Red Sea, that have shifted course towards the Suez Canal rather than sail south towards the Bab el-Mandeb strait, while others are holding their positions waiting for further instruction.”

Higher risk of attacks

Ships with links to Israel, the United States or Saudi Arabia are at a higher risk of being attacked by the Houthis and are advised to avoid voyages through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden until the threat level decreases, the European Union’s Aspides naval force said on Wednesday in an advisory seen by Reuters.

Any vessel that recently called at, loaded cargo or discharged cargo at Saudi ports should “reduce its electronic footprint by minimizing AIS (ship-tracking) transmissions and limiting any publicly accessible digital information that could facilitate targeting,” the advisory said.

The four tankers all changed direction, two of which signaled their destination as open waters in the Red Sea, according to LSEG and MarineTraffic ship-tracking data and analysis from British maritime risk-management group Vanguard.

A fifth ship — a vehicle carrier called Liu Jiang Kou — appeared to have turned away in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday after signaling the Saudi Red Sea port of Jeddah as its next destination, shipping data showed. The vessel’s manager, China’s COSCO Shipping group, did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

Three oil tankers loaded with Saudi crude for China and India made U-turns in the Red Sea on Tuesday, heading towards the Suez Canal rather than braving the Yemeni coast. One of these tankers included the Xin Long Yang, managed by COSCO.

Critical alternative to Strait of Hormuz

A closure of the Red Sea’s southern gateway would remove a critical alternative to the Strait of Hormuz for Saudi Arabia and heighten fears of shortages.

“This (Houthi) embargo raises serious questions about the viability of eastbound routes from Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu port – the outlet for its east-west pipeline,” ship broker Braemar said in a separate note.

A number of tankers were still visible close to Yanbu’s anchorage on Wednesday, ship-tracking data showed.

Red Sea traffic has not fully recovered since Houthi attacks off Yemen’s coast began in November 2023 in what the group said was solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza war.

The group’s attacks on merchant ships only ended with the Gaza ceasefire last October.

The Houthis told shipping companies not to load or discharge cargo at Saudi Arabian ports or they may be targeted. Maritime security sources, meanwhile, said they had received recordings of separate Houthi warnings to ships in the Red Sea since Monday.

“They warn all vessels intending to proceed to Saudi ports that they will be open targets,” said one shipping source who receives updates from a ship in the Red Sea.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday traveled to attend a ceremony at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for four US service members killed in Iranian attacks in the Middle East.

The soldiers are being brought back to American soil in flag-draped caskets.

.@POTUS delivers remarks prior to departing for the dignified transfer of the 4 American heroes killed in the Middle East:

“They are indeed great heroes… We’re going to honor them… For me, it’s one of the hardest things to do as president.” 🙏🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/rTmdKPBuTU

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 22, 2026

The ceremony, known as a “dignified transfer” of the bodies, comes amid growing frustration with Trump’s war against Iran.

The war has cost US taxpayers at least $37.5 billion so far, has led to the deaths of 18 US service members and injured more than 450 troops. It has killed thousands of Iranians.

Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have raised questions about the war, which has caused global oil prices to rise and shows no signs of ending. Since the war started in February, Trump has offered differing objectives for the war.

One hundred US service members injured in Iran

US presidents, vice presidents, and dignitaries regularly attend the solemn transfer ceremonies at Dover – home of the largest US military mortuary – during times of war or conflict that result in the deaths of US troops.

The three US service members killed when an Iranian missile hit their sleeping barracks at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan on Friday were First Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, 25, Sergeant Angel S. Rampersad, 28, and Private Isabella Gonzales, 19. All three were assigned to US Army air defense brigades.

The fourth death, of Sergeant Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, occurred on Sunday in a separate incident in Erbil, Iraq, during a controlled detonation of an attack drone.

The Pentagon said on Monday that 100 service members have been injured since July 7 and 96% have returned to duty.

Four in five Americans expect ‌the US war with Iran to drag on for an extended period, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll conducted earlier this month. Some 37% of respondents approved of US military strikes against Iran.

Trump’s approval rating ⁠has hovered near the lowest levels of his political career since the conflict began, with Republican strategists warning that rising living costs have neutralized the political benefits of his tax cuts.

Higher gas ⁠prices and ​cost of living concerns pose a political risk to ​Trump’s Republican Party ahead of November’s midterm elections, in which it risks losing its House majority and possibly its control of the ​Senate.

According to a well-known folk tale, Napoleon once passed a synagogue on Tisha B’Av and was surprised to hear weeping and lamentation. 

When he learned that the mourners were grieving the destruction of the Temple 2,000 years earlier, he reportedly said, with awe, that a people capable of weeping over so ancient a loss would one day rebuild what it had lost.

In this legend, memory is a force for renewal.

But this year, on Tisha B’Av 5786, we must fear that we have forgotten. We will fast and observe the customs of our national day of mourning. We will go through the motions, yet the conclusion is unavoidable: we have forgotten.

Jewish tradition attributes the loss of sovereignty in our two previous commonwealths to the hatred within us, which ate away at the Jews’ ability to withstand their enemies. 

The burning of Jerusalem’s granaries while the enemy besieged the city remains the starkest symbol of the madness to which fraternal hatred can lead.

Today, too, we risk setting fire to the granaries of sovereignty – undermining the rule of law, eroding trust in state institutions, and weakening governance – once again, while at war with our enemies.

According to a recent JPPI survey, a majority of Israelis (55%) believe that the greatest threat to our future lies not beyond the country’s borders – in security threats and global antisemitism – but within us.

In their view, the chief danger comes not from Mojtaba Khamenei or Zohran Mamdani, but from the choices and actions inside our shared home. That intuition is not unfounded, but it requires precision.

The danger does not stem from disagreement itself, but from the way we manage it. Public life has become an arena for a “zero-sum game”: either I prevail, or I am defeated. Each camp is thoroughly convinced that the other’s victory would make our shared home unlivable. 

This apocalyptic reading of reality – to which many have become addicted – is fertile ground for fanaticism. And fanaticism, as Jewish history teaches, is the true battering ram against the walls of sovereignty.

Disagreement is not a defect to be corrected; it is an inseparable part of a living society. The real question is whether we can disagree without negating the legitimacy of the other side, without turning it into an enemy to be crushed. 

This requires empathy – not agreement. Empathy means recognizing that those who think differently from us also act from a worldview, a set of values, and a sincere concern for the country’s future. 

Try a painful exercise: if you vote on the Left, are you prepared to say that Bezalel Smotrich may be wrong, but seeks the good no less than you do? If you vote on the Right, can you say the same of Yair Golan? My guess is that each side is offended by the very comparison. And that is precisely the problem.

A ‘thin constitution’

Empathy alone, however, is not enough. A polarized society needs agreed-upon rules of the game for managing its disputes. 

Israel needs a “thin constitution” – a basic constitutional framework that would establish a durable consensus on how public life is conducted. 

Had such a framework been in place, it would have blocked the kind of sweeping constitutional overhaul attempted by the outgoing coalition. 

It would likewise dispel the mirror-image fear that, if today’s opposition wins the next election, it will impose an overhaul – a political revolution – of its own.

In the absence of agreed-upon rules for managing disagreement, each side fears that if it does not vanquish the other today, it will be trounced tomorrow. 

That fear creates a vicious cycle in which each camp uses its power to remake reality unilaterally in its own image – and in doing so assails the walls of Jerusalem in our generation. 

The three weeks between Tamuz 17, when the walls of Jerusalem were breached, and Tisha B’Av, when the Temple was destroyed, are known as Bein HaMetzarim – “Between the Straits.” 

The phrase comes from the Book of Lamentations (1:3): “All her pursuers overtook her in the straits.” 

How tragic that the pursuers threatening our future, then as now, are ourselves. Will we know how to remember what fanaticism wrought in earlier generations and break the curse?

After the election, we can begin repairing the damage by binding ourselves to entrenched rules for managing our disagreements – a “thin constitution.”

The writer is president of JPPI – the Jewish People Policy Institute – and a professor (emeritus) of law at Bar-Ilan University. 

In preparation for the holiday of Tisha B’Av, hundreds of police officers, Border Guard soldiers, and volunteers will be deployed throughout Jerusalem on Wednesday to maintain public safety and direct traffic.

According to Israel Police, security preparations were focused in the Old City, at the Western Wall, and at other holy sites.

Police and Border Guard will deploy both overt and covert forces, as well as special units, to ensure that law enforcement will be able to swiftly respond to any unusual incidents.

Roads to be partially closed for Tisha B’Av march, prayers

Police are also preparing for the Women for Israel’s Future march, which will take place on the route from Independence Park to the Dung Gate on Wednesday evening.

Gershon Agron Street,  King Solomon Street, Paratroopers Road, Sultan Suleiman Street, Jericho Road, Ophel Road, and Ma’ale Hashalom Street will be closed when the march begins at 8:30 p.m and will reopen as it progresses.

On Thursday morning between 4:30 a.m. and 9 a.m., Ophel Road and Ma’ale Hashalom Street will be closed to traffic for morning prayers.

In preparation for the end of the Tisha B’Av fast, Sultan Suleiman Street, Jericho Road, Ophel Road, and Ma’ale Hashalom Street will be intermittently closed between 4:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m.

Public transportation to the Western Wall will operate on its normal schedule throughout Wednesday and Thursday.

Israel Police urged the public to be patient, obey law enforcement instructions, and avoid engaging in any disorderly or violent conduct throughout Tisha B’Av prayers and events.

The Knesset told the High Court of Justice that even if Israel’s new system for appointing judges resulted in a lower professional standard among Supreme Court appointees, lawmakers could decide that the trade-off was justified by greater public trust and a more diverse judiciary.

The case concerns a law changing the nine-member Judicial Selection Committee, which appoints every judge in Israel.

Today, the committee includes three Supreme Court justices, two ministers, two MKs, and two representatives of the Israel Bar Association. Appointing a Supreme Court justice requires seven votes, forcing agreement between political and professional members.

Under the new law, the two Bar Association representatives would be replaced by two senior lawyers chosen separately by coalition and opposition MKs. Supreme Court appointments would require five votes, including support from both political blocs, but none of the three justices would have to agree.

Lower-court appointments would also require five votes, but would still need the support of at least one judge, one coalition-side member and one opposition-side member. The law is scheduled to take effect only when the next Knesset begins its term.

Worries that changes could weaken judicial independence

Critics, including Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara, argue that the changes would weaken judicial independence by making judges more dependent on politicians for appointment and promotion. The Knesset and government say neither the coalition nor opposition could appoint judges alone and that the changes would make the courts more representative of Israeli society.

Those concerns dominated the June 21 hearing before an expanded 11-justice panel.

Justice Alex Stein asked what a district court judge hoping to reach the Supreme Court would have to do under the new system, answering that the judge may need to “find favor in the eyes of politicians” and write rulings they liked.

Supreme Court President Isaac Amit warned that future justices could be publicly branded as the coalition’s or opposition’s choices, while Justice Yael Willner questioned whether the law’s fallback mechanism would encourage the political blocs to avoid compromise and wait until they could advance their own candidates.

The government and Knesset filings, dated Monday and Tuesday, respectively, were submitted after the court allowed the sides to supplement their arguments following the hearing. The court has issued a conditional order requiring them to explain why the law should not be struck down.

The central legal question is not simply whether the new system is wise or preferable, but whether it damages Israel’s democratic character so severely that the court may invalidate part of a Basic Law.

The Knesset argued that it did not.

“Even if we assume that the professional level of the judges appointed will decline,” it wrote, the amendment reflects the view that “it is appropriate to pay this price in exchange for increasing public confidence in the judicial system and appointing diverse judges.”

The Knesset stressed that this was a hypothetical argument, not an admission that the quality of appointments would fall.

It also said professional ability was not the only relevant consideration. The committee could consider how candidates treat litigants, how efficiently they work, their judicial approach, and the need for greater social and sectoral diversity.

The government similarly argued that considering a candidate’s worldview was not the same as demanding political loyalty.

A judge’s worldview could include their approach to individual rights, tradition, the role of the state and how readily courts should intervene in government decisions, it said. Those views may also affect how judges interpret laws or approach criminal sentencing.

The government rejected the justices’ concern that judges might tailor their rulings to improve their promotion prospects, saying that assumption was speculative and cast doubt on “the professional integrity and personal independence of Israel’s judges.”

Knesset has backup plan if committee can’t agree

It also described the committee vote as only the “final stretch” of a longer professional process involving qualifications, writing samples, recommendations, interviews and assessments. Changing who sits on the committee would not remove those professional checks, it argued.

The Knesset also defended a fallback procedure designed to fill Supreme Court vacancies if the committee remains unable to agree.

It could be activated only after two Supreme Court seats became vacant, at least a year had passed from the later of the first vacancy or the beginning of the new Knesset, and the committee had met but failed to appoint replacements.

The justice minister could then activate the procedure once during that Knesset’s term.

The coalition-side members would submit three candidates, and the rest of the committee would select one. The opposition-side members would submit another three candidates, and the other members would select a second.

If no candidate was chosen from a list within a month, however, the members who submitted that list could choose one themselves. If only one side submitted candidates, its candidate could eventually be appointed alone.

The justices questioned whether that arrangement would reduce the incentive to compromise, since each political bloc could eventually expect to advance one of its own candidates.

The Knesset acknowledged that the mechanism had disadvantages but said leaving Supreme Court seats empty for long periods would be worse.

“The sole justification for the existence of the deadlock mechanism, despite its disadvantages, is simple: The Knesset believed that its absence was a worse alternative,” it wrote.

The Knesset argued that predictions of paralysis or overtly political appointments were still unproven. Should those problems materialize, it said, the court could examine the law after seeing how it operated in practice.

“A law cannot be invalidated – certainly not a Basic Law – on the basis of unsubstantiated future assumptions,” it wrote.

The government separately reiterated this view. Allowing the court to place itself above the constitutional rules enacted by the Knesset would turn “the rule of law” into “the rule of judges,” it argued.

The government also criticized the tone of the June hearing, saying that the justices had referred to the politicization of appointments as an established fact without providing specific examples the government could address.

It said the comments reflected a “general spirit of demonization of elected officials.”

Even if the High Court has the authority to review Basic Laws, the government argued that the petitions are premature because the law will not take effect until the next Knesset. The incoming Knesset could retain, change, or repeal it before the new system begins operating.

Both the government and Knesset asked the court to dismiss the petitions.

New security procedures aimed at restricting access to the Beirut Airport’s Surveillance Radar (ASR) have seen members of Lebanon’s Shi’ite camp levy accusations of prejudice at the head of security at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport, General Fadi Kfoury, according to an exclusive published by L’Orient Today on Tuesday.

Kfoury, who took the position in January and has since faced significant discontent from Hezbollah circles, has become the target of a “media lynching” by members and supporters of the Iran-backed group, the report noted.

The former head of the Lebanese Army Intelligence Directorate’s strike force has been accused of discriminating against Shi’ite engineers working at the airport. Some of the members, reported to have connections with the Amal movement, were said to have been refused access to the ASR department, a system responsible for air traffic controllers to monitor airspace and guide aircraft.

Kfoury reportedly took the measure out of concern that Hezbollah could gain access to the sensitive information. The report comes after he allegedly detained an unnamed traveler at the airport who was deemed unwelcome in Lebanon and is expected to be returned to their country of origin following questioning by military intelligence.

Sources at the airport told the Lebanese airport that “the radar department is an extremely sensitive area” and that “security measures apply to all personnel, not just Shi’ite employees,” which he said was standard practice across the world.

Airport is ‘waging a systematic war against Shi’ites’

Though standard, figures close to Amal and Hezbollah have accused Kfoury of being “full of sectarian prejudice, mainly against Shi’ites,” and of “taking orders from the Americans.”

“He is waging a systematic war against Shi’ites, with a clear political agenda,” an anonymous Shi’ite officer involved in the airport’s security told the newspaper.

Qassem Qassir, an analyst close to Hezbollah, added, “What is happening at the airport is a continuation of the campaign against Shi’ites throughout the country… Moreover, contrary to popular belief, the airport’s Shi’ite employees are more closely linked to the Amal Movement than to Hezbollah,” he added.

Despite accusations of prejudice, it is relevant to note that Hezbollah political bureau deputy head Mahmoud Qomati explicitly threatened the airport last week, announcing in a televised interview with Al-Manar that “no more planes will land in Beirut and no more ambassadors will remain in Lebanon.” The threat came as part of discussions on the requirement of Iranian citizens to now obtain a visa to enter Lebanon and restrictions on Iranian aircraft entering Lebanese airspace.

Hezbollah spokesperson Youssef Zein told L’Orient-Le Jour that “the party is not involved in this campaign” against Kfoury, claiming it was being led only by  “independent internet users.”

Lebanon denied Hezbollah is running a smuggling network at the airport

Charles Jabbour, spokesperson for the Lebanese Forces, asserted that there was no campaign against Shi’ites and that Kfoury was unaffiliated with the Lebanese military.

“The equation is simple: Anyone determined to ensure the law is respected is systematically demonized and accused of working for Israel or the United States. His only crime is managing to break free from the deep state [embodied by the pro-Iranian party] and carrying out his national duties,” Jabbour said.

Kfoury’s colleagues made similar comments to Jabbour, arguing that he had been the target of the campaign simply because he was working to end Hezbollah and Iran’s smuggling activity through the airport, a task he was enlisted to in 2023 after Israel threatened the airport should the activity not end.

Lebanon initially tried to deny claims that Hezbollah was running a smuggling network from the airport, offering international journalists a tour of the facility in 2024. Despite Beirut’s attempts to assure the international community, reporters noted quickly that they were barred from accessing a key cargo depot and shown only a nearly-empty storage facility. The tour was arranged after airport workers told The Telegraph of Hezbollah’s arms smuggling in the airport.

Under Kfoury, the paper reported that several operations had already been thwarted.

Hamas terrorists have been working to systematically tighten their ties with clan and tribal leaders in the Gaza Strip to strengthen their position before the slated technocratic administration takes control of the area, KAN Reshet Bet reported on Wednesday.

The terror group has been promoting figures who have ties to the group to key positions within clan structures via both elections to clan councils and the appointment of local administrators, known as “muktars,” the report noted.

Earlier this month, Palestinians familiar with the matter told The Jerusalem Post that despite Hamas’s stated willingness to hand over authority to a technocratic committee, the terrorist group will not relinquish its power.

“Hamas hasn’t declared an end to its rule in the Gaza Strip,” a senior Palestinian official in Ramallah told the Post on July 6.

“What they have done is announce the dissolution of what they call the emergency committee. But at the same time, they immediately declared that another temporary governing body would run the [Gaza] Strip and appointed someone to head it.”

The report claimed that in an effort to strengthen its position, the terror group has been providing incentives and benefits to clans that work alongside it, including assisting in resolving conflicts between family members, as well as allowing access to humanitarian assistance and privileges, in order to ensure the clans’ dependence on Hamas terror leaders.

Hamas places leaders in administrative positions over regional neighborhoods, refugee camps, displaced persons’ tent villages

Palestinian security officials testified that they have identified an increased effort by Hamas terrorists to place loyal figures as heads of regional neighborhood committees within both refugee camps and displaced persons’ tent villages, KAN reported.

This was done to boost Hamas’s grip on Gazan civilians, the sources told KAN. The same sources also told KAN that there is an intention within the terror group to influence local elements in favor of its goals, maintain civil stability according ot the terror group’s perception, reduce “anarchy,” and increase the group’s oversight capabilities.

Within the strip, Hamas has created shelter and relief communities within displaced tent camps, the Post understands.

Within these camps, it has positioned members of committees that are meant to take care of people, provide services, and manage provisions of services to Gazans there. Using this as cover, Hamas terror leaders have gained a foothold in the local population, serving as a tool to control the populace, as the committee members report everything to Hamas and oversee what goes on within the camps, the Post learned.

Additionally, institutions such as Gaza’s chamber of commerce have remained closely under Hamas control.

Hamas threatens to remove benefits for attendees of anti-terror group protest

In the build-up to the anti-Hamas protest a few weeks ago, the group threatened that anyone who participated in the protests would be punished and expelled from the camps, the Post learned.

Hamas has control over some of the Gazan clans. Even if the clans would prefer not to be aligned with Hamas, they are forced to do so due to the power that the terror group has.

When Hamas announced that it was dissolving its governing body in the Gaza Strip, some clan representatives held a press conference echoing Hamas’s statements in order to give the terror group legitimacy.

This is an old tactic Hamas uses with clans and families in order to subject them to its authority.

Dana Ben-Shimon contributed to this report.

Iran’s resolve and motivation to pursue nuclear weapons has only increased following the war, V.-Adm. (ret.) Eliezer “Chaney” Marom, a former Israel Navy commander, told 103FM on Wednesday, warning that only regime change could prevent Tehran from obtaining a bomb.

“Producing a nuclear bomb is a complex and difficult undertaking. The Iranians were very close when the war began, and fortunately, we disrupted it significantly,” Marom said.

He added that, according to intelligence assessments, Iran had been extremely close to completing the process.

“They were weeks away from a nuclear weapon, unequivocally. I am not the only one saying this. All the intelligence agencies, both Israeli and American, are saying it clearly, including the International Atomic Energy Agency,” he said.

Israel must not be complacent with Iran war results

Despite the damage inflicted on the nuclear program, the former Navy commander warned against complacency, estimating that Iran’s motivation to obtain nuclear weapons had only increased following the war.

“The Iranians have drawn one clear conclusion from this entire war: ‘Had we possessed nuclear weapons, everything would have looked different.’ Therefore, their motivation is through the roof. There is only one way to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, and that is regime change,” he said.

US ‘probably do not have the capability’ to destroy Pickaxe Mountain’s nuclear plant

Marom later addressed reports that Iran had transferred thousands of centrifuges to a fortified site near Natanz known as Pickaxe Mountain. The facility was excavated in rocky terrain dozens of meters underground and is considered particularly difficult to penetrate.

“Granite is a very, very, very hard mineral. It is almost impossible to penetrate, at least with the bombs the Americans currently possess. At a depth of more than 100 meters underground, beneath a mountain made of granite, the Americans probably do not have the capability,” he said.

Marom said that during his military service, he had visited a similar underground facility in another country.

“I had the privilege of visiting such a facility in another country, also deep underground. I can only say that there really is an enormous stockpile of ammunition in that country that is located underground,” he said.

However, Marom said the fortified site was not necessarily the issue that concerned him most.

“Something else concerns me,” he said. “The Iranians have already enriched uranium to various levels. They have tons of uranium enriched to 5% and 20%, as well as the familiar figure of 440 kg. enriched to 60%. I am talking about tons. The weaponization group is very difficult to track.”

Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party would emerge as the largest faction in the Knesset if elections were held today, winning 24 seats, according to a Channel 12 poll published Monday evening.

The poll asked respondents, “If elections for the Knesset were held today, which party would you vote for?” It also found that Eisenkot remained the preferred candidate for prime minister, ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The survey was conducted by the Midgam Institute, headed by Mano Geva, in cooperation with iPanel.

The poll, reported by Channel 12 political analyst Amit Segal, showed that the entry of new parties had changed the balance between the political blocs to some extent.

Most opposition voters said they would prefer to form a government that relied on outside support from an Arab party if their bloc failed to secure the 61 seats needed for a majority.

Coalition voters want Haredi parties participating in the next government

Coalition voters, meanwhile, expressed satisfaction with the agreements reached between Netanyahu and the haredi, or ultra-Orthodox, parties. They also said they wanted the haredi parties to participate in the next governing coalition.

According to the poll, the distribution of seats between the blocs remained unchanged from the previous survey. The Zionist opposition parties received 59 seats, compared with 51 for the coalition parties.

Adding the Arab parties’ 10 seats would bring the opposition’s total to 69. Without their support, however, neither bloc would reach the 61-seat majority required to form a government.

Eisenkot also continued to lead Netanyahu in the question of suitability for prime minister, receiving 43% support, unchanged from the previous week. Netanyahu received 37%.

Opposition voters favor Arab party support over new elections

Channel 12 asked opposition voters which course of action they would prefer if their bloc failed to secure 61 seats. Some 44% said a government should be formed with outside support from an Arab party, while 28% favored holding another election.

Another 13% supported forming a unity government with Likud, 6% favored forming a government with a haredi party, and 9% said they did not know.

Coalition voters were asked whether they were satisfied with the agreements between Netanyahu and the haredi parties. Under the agreements, the haredi parties secured the passage of the Basic Law: Torah Study and protection against the arrest of draft evaders. In return, Netanyahu advanced legislation to divide the attorney general’s position and promoted the Communications Law.

Some 59% said they were satisfied with the agreements, 19% said they were dissatisfied, and 22% said they did not know.

Journalism continues to be harshly suppressed in Syria, with journalists still being disappeared and killed despite some improvements under the transitional government following the fall of the Assad regime, according to a report published last week by the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression.

At least nine journalists have been killed in Syria in connection with their work over the past five years. Six of those killings took place in connection with or after the fall of the Assad regime. Of those six cases, four involved journalists covering military confrontations related either to the regime change or unrest in the Governorate of Sweida.

The majority of those killed while carrying out their work as journalists were clearly identifiable as members of the press, wearing vests and helmets and/or traveling in vehicles marked with “press” insignia.

Those who reported the killings to the center said they were unaware of any prompt, effective, independent, or publicly disclosed investigations into the deaths.

Some journalists were also murdered while not performing their duties, as was the case with Alaa Mohammed, who was killed in his own home over what is believed to have been his political commentary.

Journalists are killed, disappeared after covering sectarian violence

Mohammed belonged to the Alawite minority, which has faced frequent attacks since the fall of the Assad regime, particularly in March 2025, when more than 1,400 people were killed in sectarian violence. His death was neither adequately investigated nor condemned by the transitional government, the center asserted.

In addition to the killings, multiple journalists faced arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and harassment, often in connection with their coverage of sectarian violence.

International media coverage of sectarian issues was also heavily restricted. The New York Times reported that Syrian authorities sealed off areas affected by the March 2025 attacks on Alawites, preventing foreign journalists from accessing them. One journalist told the center they had been prevented from conducting on-the-ground reporting in the affected area, forcing the newspaper to rely on phone interviews.

“These practices raise concerns regarding transparency, media access, and the ability of independent journalists to document events of public interest during the transitional period,” the center noted. “They also appear inconsistent with public statements by representatives of the Transitional Government emphasizing openness toward international media and a commitment to facilitating journalists’ work in Syria.”

Foreign journalists also face numerous barriers to accessing and reporting from Syria despite government commitments. Authorities have required them to disclose extensive information about the subjects of their reporting, previous publications on Syria, where they intend to travel within the country, and whom they plan to meet. Approvals to report in Syria either never arrive or are significantly delayed. Some journalists also complained that they were barred from publishing while in Syria and required to pledge that they would not report on the country upon entry for “security reasons.”

Censorship of the sectarian attacks has also seemingly continued. The center noted that in August 2025, a theatrical production was suspended after actors criticized the Transitional Government’s conduct during the attacks against Alawites and Druze.

The Transitional Government also imposed restrictions on independent reporting in certain Aleppo neighborhoods following the government’s recapture of those areas.

In some cases, it remains unknown who killed journalists during sectarian violence. Sari Majid A. Shoufi, a photojournalist for Suwayda 24, went missing while covering the attacks on the Druze in Sweida in July. His body was found after a 10-day search.

Journalists have also been detained by Syrian security forces and transferred to undisclosed locations without any explanation for their arrest, the center asserted, highlighting the case of Kurdish journalist Hassan Zaza.

Syrian government claims arrests not related to journalistic work

Zaza was taken from his home by Syrian security forces and held incommunicado for a week before being released without formal charges. The Syrian Ministry of Information confirmed his arrest but stated only that it was “related to security concerns and not connected to his journalistic work.”

American journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem was also arrested by Syrian security forces in al-Bab and taken to undisclosed locations. No formal charges against Kareem are known, and he remains in custody, while his family has received no information about his whereabouts.

Detained journalists have reportedly faced delayed access to legal counsel and a lack of transparency regarding their detention. The center highlighted the cases of Ahmed Polad and German journalist Eva Maria Michelmann.

Polad and Michelmann’s whereabouts were undisclosed for months after security forces abducted them while they were reporting on clashes between the Syrian Arab Army and the formerly US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. Their location remained unknown until April 2026, when it emerged that they were being held in detention centers in Damascus and Aleppo. Following extensive lobbying, the German government secured legal counsel for Michelmann, and she was released three months later. Polad, however, remains detained without legal representation, and the Transitional Government has not released any further information about his condition.

Legally, some protections for journalists and freedom of opinion have been introduced, but the center said these safeguards have largely been undermined by existing Assad-era legislation and new laws introduced by the transitional government.

While the 2025 Constitutional Declaration guarantees the rights to “freedom of opinion, expression, information, publication and the press,” Syria’s Law No. 20 of 2022 on Combating Cybercrime has been widely condemned by human rights organizations as a repressive tool used to stifle free expression and criminalize dissent by restricting the sharing of digital content on social media.

Additionally, Syria’s Law No. 19 of 2024, which established the Media Ministry, has been widely criticized by international watchdogs for consolidating government control over the media, allowing authorities to stifle dissent and censor information.

Outside of action by the Syrian authorities, or Syrian civilians acting with large degrees of impunity, the report noted that journalists have faced violence and death from a number of foreign nations.

The Russian military guard, for example, assaulted in March 2025 Souria Post journalists Hashim Al-Abdullah and Ehab Khaled at the Hmeimim air base, beating them, threatening them with death, and confiscating their materials during four hours of detention.

A number of journalists have also been killed in Turkey’s war against Kurdish militias, as was the case with ANHA journalists Jihan Belkin and Nazim Dashdan, who were killed in a drone attack near Aleppo as they were returning from covering clashes between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian National Army at the Tishreen Dam. Despite driving in a vehicle marked with a press insignia, Turkish or Turkish-backed forces are believed to have struck them with a drone. 

An Iranian foreign ministry official denied on Wednesday that two French diplomats were mistreated by Iranian security personnel who detained them for several hours in Tehran.

Paris swiftly dismissed the Iranian official’s comments, which were reported by state media, and has warned that there will be consequences over the incident.

The French foreign ministry summoned the Iranian charge d’affaires on Tuesday over the incident, in which it said two French embassy staff had been detained and physically intimidated by Iranian security services.

Paris said the diplomats had their phones taken, were forbidden to contact the embassy and were verbally intimidated in a breach of diplomatic conventions. It said that one of them, the cultural attache, had been subjected to physical violence.

State media quoted Iranian Foreign Ministry official Mohammad Tanhaei on Wednesday as saying that security personnel had questioned two French embassy staff after they met individuals who are being investigated for security reasons.

“Security agents transferred the two individuals to the diplomatic police as soon as they realized their link to the French embassy,” he was quoted as saying, as well as adding that there had been no intimidation.

‘Despite giving their identities and profession, they were held for four hours’

French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux denied this, saying the two diplomats had been meeting with a supplier for the embassy.

“They were acting in a professional framework and despite giving their identities and profession, were held for four hours,” he said, reiterating that one of the diplomats had been subjected to physical violence.

Confavreux said there had been a pattern of intimidation in recent months as France sought to increase its support for, and contacts with, Iran’s civil society following a crackdown on protests at the start of this year.

Since then, Tehran has sought to forestall domestic unrest with arrests, executions and street deployments by security forces as the war with the United States continues.

Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has said the incident will not go without consequences. Diplomats say Paris is considering various options and that its response could be announced on Thursday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said he had told Barrot on Tuesday that the diplomats’ actions were “unconventional and unprofessional”, and urged Paris to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.

The building Adolf Hitler was born in near the Austrian border with Germany officially begins a new life as a police station on Wednesday, a conversion Austria’s government hopes will prevent it serving as a place of pilgrimage for neo-Nazis.

After years of debate about the large, traditional terraced house in the town of Braunau am Inn, which was privately owned and had housed a charity for people with disabilities, Austria made a compulsory purchase in 2017 and announced in 2019 that it would be remodeled and turned into a police station.

Even before the conversion, the only sign of its historical significance was a rock on the pavement from the Mauthausen concentration camp with the inscription “Never again fascism” that does not mention Hitler. The rock remains in place. The only sign added to the white facade reads “Police.”

“The aim was to prevent any association with Adolf Hitler, so as to strip it of that mystique,” the head of the Austrian interior ministry’s history department, Stephan Mlczoch, told reporters on a tour of the building.

Former art museum

That mystique was encouraged by the Nazis’ cult of personality around Hitler, under whose rule the “Fuehrer birth house” was an art museum. Hitler only lived there for a few weeks in 1889 before his family moved out, Mlczoch said.

Passers-by often stop to take pictures, but their views on Hitler are usually not known. Local officials said there are now only “isolated incidents” involving visitors, fewer than before.

While they did not elaborate, the Hitler salute and other Nazi symbols are banned in Austria.

Asked about the public response to the project, Mayor Johannes Waidbacher told Reuters: “I think on the whole the people of Braunau have accepted it and can live with it.”

Waidbacher was on a commission that recommended the building be used either for a charitable or official administrative purpose. In the end, having a charity based there would have made it too accessible to the public, he said.

“I think it isn’t a bad approach, but whether it works as we all hope and expect, we’ll have to wait and see,” he said.

Never forget, or let’s forget?

There has been some opposition, including from the Mauthausen Committee, Austria’s main Holocaust survivors’ group, which has argued both that a police station is inappropriate and that more should be done to draw attention to Hitler’s crimes.

“Every year at the Mauthausen concentration camp memorial there’s a ceremony to say: never again. And in Braunau they’re saying: let’s forget as soon as possible,” said Robert Eiter of the Mauthausen Committee and the Network Against Racism and Right-Wing Extremism.

For decades, Austria argued it was the first victim of National Socialism, having been annexed by Hitler’s Germany in 1938. It now says Austrians were also perpetrators but rarely elaborates beyond that.

“The world won’t forget where the worst mass murderer in history was born. Wikipedia won’t change its entries,” Eiter said, adding there will be no reduction in the number of neo-Nazis making “the pilgrimage to Braunau.”

Some local residents questioned the house’s conversion.

“I would have preferred if they had done something else, but it is what it is,” said Irene, 74, adding that she would have wanted the charity to stay there.

Over the last few weeks, it appears Ukraine has increased the types of targets of its drone strikes in Russia. Among the recent targets have been massive warehouses and facilities of the Wildberries retailer. “Ukrainian drones have hit warehouses belonging to Russia’s biggest online retailer again, injuring 10 people, according to Russian media and the region’s governor,” BBC noted on July 22.

This is the latest strike. “Logistics hubs belonging to Wildberries in Krasnodar and Stavropol were struck during overnight strikes, forcing workers to be evacuated, the company’s owner said.” Other facilities have been struck as well. Warehouses in Tambov and Elektrostal were also struck days ago. This is important and shows how Ukraine is systematically expanding the list of target types it is striking. It comes during a shakeup at the top of Ukraine’s military. This has ramifications for the war effort. Ukraine is appearing to try to pick apart Russia’s economy systematically, targeting pieces of it bit-by-bit. This is like the proverb that says one eats an elephant, “one piece at a time.”

The war against the warehouses is being carried out by Ukrainian drones. Ukraine has become increasingly proficient in using tens of thousands of drones a week in its war with Russia. Some are small drones used on the frontline. Some are used for deep strikes. In addition, Ukraine has been striking at dozens of Russian ships in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov.

America wants to learn the right lessons

Meanwhile, the US is increasingly interested in the drone war in Ukraine. America wants to learn the right lessons. The Wall Street Journal reported that “an American manufacturer will for the first time begin producing drone boats designed and battle-tested by Ukraine.” RBC Ukraine noted that “the agreement was signed between Portland-based ReconCraft, which manufactures boats for special operations forces, and Ukraine’s Uforce, the developer of the Magura drones. The memorandum of understanding was signed last week at the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington.” It adds that “the agreement is described as a partnership agreement, under which both companies will provide materials, equipment, and personnel. According to ReconCraft co-founder Joe Silkovski, the goal is to produce hundreds or even thousands of Magura drones annually at facilities in Oregon and South Carolina.”

Ryan Evans, CEO and Founder of War on the Rocks, wrote on X, after news broke about the Ukraine drone exports, that “It’s not unfair to say that some American drone companies are worried that Ukrainian companies will wipe the floor with them because of better product. I’ve heard some US companies were actively lobbying against exactly this.”

Meanwhile, there is other news on the Ukraine front. General Dan Caine, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that a Ukrainian F-16 had downed a Russian warplane. He said this during a hearing at the US Senate Appropriations Committee in Washington. “I’ll note that recently we had the first air-to-air kill where a Ukrainian F-16 shot down a Russian fighter,” Caine said, the website Defense Blog noted.

Russia is taking increased losses

Ukraine was also reported to be replacing its Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces on July 21. The new leader is 42-year-old Mykhailo Drapatyi. He is known as a fighting general and supporter of tech innovation. He was well known for a decade for his prowess, and in 2014 he became known for driving an armored vehicle through a barricade in Mariupol. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed him to replace General Oleksandr Syrskyi. The appointment of the popular Drapatyi comes after Ukraine removed Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. It’s unclear what this shakeup will mean for the drone war on Russian vessels at sea and on the Wildberries facilities.

What matters is that Russia is taking increased losses. Moscow has no easy way out. Moscow likely welcomed the October 7 war and the US war on Iran as a way to distract from its Ukraine war. It hoped that US munitions would flow elsewhere. It believed it could “bleed Ukraine white,” as in the Battle of Verdun during the First World War. However, now the tables may be turning. Russia may be at risk of overstretch and weakening by a long war it can’t seem to resolve. The burning Wildberries is one example of how Moscow can’t seem to even control its own airspace.

US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine warned the Senators on July 21 that the US needs to invest in the military. He quoted General George C. Marshall, who said on July 22, 1940, “for almost twenty years we had all of the time and almost none of the money; today we have all of the money and no time.” With adversaries aligning, the US has many challenges on multiple fronts and domains. The character of war is changing, he said, noting how AI and drones are at the forefront. With a “low barrier to entry of affordable unmanned systems,” the threats are multiplying. Russia learned this the hard way. Caine was warning that the US needs to invest and learn quickly. 

The Central District Court in Lod convicted Jason Blaze Odeh on Wednesday of the aggravated murder of Yelena Gerenberg, finding that he planned the August 2022 killing after she rejected his repeated attempts to turn their friendship into a romantic relationship.

A three-judge panel headed by Judge Ami Kobo unanimously accepted the prosecution’s position and rejected Odeh’s account of the killing, including his claim that Gerenberg had provoked him.

“The totality of his actions leaves no shadow of doubt that he planned her death in advance and wanted it,” the court said, according to the prosecution.

Odeh repeatedly sought a romantic relationship with Gerenberg, but she refused

Odeh and Gerenberg had been friends for approximately four years. During that period, he repeatedly sought a romantic relationship with her, but she refused, the prosecution said.

Following her refusal, Odeh decided to kill Gerenberg and burn her body, according to the indictment accepted by the court. He obtained a knife and bottles of gasoline before driving with her toward her sister’s apartment several days later.

Odeh stopped the vehicle in the parking lot of the Rehovot train station, pulled out the knife and stabbed Gerenberg repeatedly in her neck, back, and hands until she died.

Gerenberg screamed during the attack, but Odeh continued stabbing her until she fell silent, the prosecution said.

He then drove to an open area in Rehovot, placed her body on the ground, poured gasoline over it and returned home. The court noted that, for reasons that remain unknown, he did not set the body alight.

The court said Odeh stabbed Gerenberg more than 10 times to ensure that the murder plan he had formulated was completed.

It also pointed to numerous lies, inconsistencies and evidentiary gaps in Odeh’s testimony in rejecting his version of events.

Odeh faces a mandatory life sentence following the conviction. Arguments regarding his sentence and any additional compensation or penalties will be heard on October 7.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Shaul and Iris Elovitch asked Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara on Wednesday to state whether the prosecution will withdraw the bribery charge in Case 4000, arguing that the unresolved question is preventing them from properly planning the remainder of the defense case.

In a joint notice filed with the Jerusalem District Court, attorneys Amit Hadad and Jacques Chen said Baharav-Miara’s position could substantially affect which witnesses and evidence the defense must present, particularly as the court prepares to expand the trial schedule to five hearing days a week beginning in October.

The request follows the court’s June 29 clarification that, after hearing Netanyahu’s testimony and cross-examination, its position from three years earlier “remains unchanged.”

In June 2023, Judges Rivka Friedman-Feldman, Moshe Bar-Am, and Oded Shaham said there were difficulties in substantiating the bribery offense in the first count of the indictment, which concerns Case 4000, and suggested that the state consider withdrawing the charge.

Judges have asked to withdraw Case 4000 before

The prosecution responded at the time that it viewed the evidence differently, that the judges had heard only part of the picture, and that further issues were expected to arise during the defense case.

In an industry that is only getting more complicated in cloud complexity, a three‑person Israeli startup is trying to rewrite how infrastructure is designed. 

AutoPipe, founded in 2024 by Unit 8200 alumni Jonathan Or and Nadav Aharon, has built an AI platform that promises to compress weeks of cloud architecture work into a single day. Its pitch is straightforward: most enterprises now run across multiple clouds, most IT projects fail, and the bottleneck is almost always architecture. AutoPipe believes that with their technology, AI can finally fix that.

Or has been building software since he was 13, and later served in 8200’s engineering and DevOps units. He told The Jerusalem Post that the idea behind AutoPipe came from watching the gap between what AI could already do in software development and what cloud teams still had to do manually. 

“With 68% of IT and cloud projects failing, the industry can no longer rely on manual prediction of how infrastructure will behave under real‑time conditions,” Or said.

AutoPipe’s platform uses a set of AI agents to perform work traditionally handled by senior cloud architects. The agents analyze customer requirements, apply architectural logic and best practices, and generate full technical deliverables, such as solution designs, documentation, and infrastructure planning outputs. 

Speaking to the Post, Or explained how he saw how quickly AI was transforming coding, yet cloud infrastructure, the foundation every application depends on, remained stuck in slow, error‑prone processes. Designing cloud systems by hand, he explained, is no longer viable when real‑world conditions are unpredictable and the stakes are high. 

He pointed to a recent example from the UAE, where a major company’s data center was hit by a rocket during the war with Iran in February. Their entire system collapsed because the architecture relied on a single availability zone with no disaster recovery. 

“Only one data center held them up. The whole system was running on this one center, and when it was shut down, it cost the company a significant amount of money and time. Had they used AutoPipe before the war, they would have understood that it was at risk,” he explained. 

Aharon, AutoPipe’s VP of R&D, described the problem from the perspective of process and explained to the Post that traditional architecture work requires an engineer to interpret requirements, plan the system, and produce extensive documentation- a cycle that, he says,  “can stretch from days to months.”

According to Aharon, architecture is even harder because there are higher requirements and far less room for error. AutoPipe’s system of multiple agents is able to produce complete architectures in hours rather than weeks while preserving the reasoning behind every decision.

AutoPipe has a team of five employees and two advisors, including senior technologists and AI researchers. The company is now building on its earlier pre-seed funding and has recently begun a $1.5 million investment round at a $6 million valuation.

The market they are targeting is customers in the US that work on cloud and infrastructure projects, and the global cloud professional services sector – one that is continuing to grow. The company has already completed dozens of customer projects, secured early-paying users, and raised a pre‑seed round from HCS Capital – all while operating quietly from Tel Aviv and in between reserve stints. 

AutoPipe’s founders are now trying to turn their early momentum into a broader commercial push. The company is expanding its customer base beyond Asia‑Pacific, preparing a US rollout, and raising a new funding round to support that growth. 

Bulgaria played down on Wednesday Iran’s warning that its plan to host US tanker aircraft would constitute complicity in “aggression and war crimes” in the Middle East, arguing that the planes would only serve logistical purposes.

Prime Minister Rumen Radev said it was “categorically out of the question for military operations in the Middle East to be conducted from Bulgarian territory.”

“These tanker aircraft are intended solely for logistical missions, and they will be refueled outside Bulgarian airspace,” Bulgarian media quoted Radev as telling ministers.

Bulgaria said it would seek approval to station several US tankers at an air base

The government said on Monday it would seek parliamentary approval to station up to eight US tanker aircraft at an air base in the Balkan country, which is a member of NATO and the European Union. Parliament is expected to greenlight the move at a session later on Wednesday.

The plan prompted a warning from Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, on Tuesday against allowing the US to use Bulgaria’s territory for military operations against Iran, which he said would make Sofia “an accomplice of aggressors and lawbreakers.”

The Bulgarian government has said it aims to station the US aircraft at the Bezmer military facility, about 260 km (160 miles) southeast of Sofia.

The US and Iran have intensified strikes since an interim ceasefire deal signed a month ago unraveled, raising the possibility of a return to all-out war.

Lockheed Martin has unveiled its MORFIUS X-Rotor system, an airborne high-power microwave (HPM) platform designed to disable large numbers of hostile drones in a single mission.

Announced at the Farnborough International Airshow, the company says the system can neutralize more than 50 unmanned aerial systems (UAS) per flight and is built for recovery and reuse to reduce operational costs. 

MORFIUS is a ground-launched system that is sensor-agnostic and compatible with existing command-and-control systems without requiring dedicated fire-control radars. The system builds on earlier MORFIUS variants that have flown since 2017 and uses the same family of HPM effectors.

Unlike missiles or lasers, which target drones one by one, HPM systems emit bursts of powerful electromagnetic energy that can disable the electronics of multiple drones simultaneously –  making them ideal for countering swarm tactics by offering rapid, wide-area neutralization without expending costly interceptors.

“MORFIUS sets a new benchmark for counter-drone capability – delivering a high kill rate while keeping the cost per kill low,” said Randy Crites, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control Advanced Programs.

“By leveraging a lightweight, field reusable high-power microwave architecture, we provide the most effective, low-cost solution on the market today and demonstrate Lockheed Martin’s ability to field innovative, affordable technologies at the speed our American and allied troops need.”

The company is accelerating prototype production and preparing additional flight tests following recent demonstrations in Arizona, California, and Oklahoma, where “it also demonstrated interception and lethal capabilities,” Lockheed said.

The introduction of MORFIUS comes as high-power microwave counter-drone systems gain traction across the defense industry. 

Epirus, a US defense tech company, has developed the Leonidas HPM system, which has undergone testing with the US Army and is being delivered to government customers. Leonidas is a ground-based platform designed to disable drones and electronic systems using software-defined microwave pulses. 

Other programs have explored high-power microwave technologies, including Boeing’s Phantom Works, which has been working on the CHAMP project along with the US Air Force Research Laboratory and Thales’s ThunderShield already demonstrating operational potential.

Israel has invested in multiple counter-UAS technologies, including working on HPM capabilities due to persistent drone activity from regional adversaries. While most publicly known Israeli programs emphasize laser-based interception, high-power microwave systems are being evaluated for their ability to disable multiple drones simultaneously and reduce collateral damage.

The prosecution filed a precedent-setting request on Wednesday to revoke the Israeli citizenship of two security prisoners convicted of plotting to help Hamas disable Cellcom’s communications infrastructure during a future war or military operation.

The request against Rani Awf and Shadi Aidi was submitted to the Central District Court at the request of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who holds the interior minister’s authority for the matter, and with the approval of the attorney-general.

According to the prosecution, it is the first time the state has sought to revoke citizenship through a special procedure that allows the request to be brought before the same court that handled the criminal case.

That procedure was added to the Citizenship Law in 2011. It allows a court that convicts someone of terrorism or certain serious security offenses to revoke their citizenship, in addition to imposing a criminal sentence, if the interior minister requests it and the attorney-general approves.

Previously, the state would have had to begin a separate case in an administrative court.

Israeli courts can revoke citizenship upon terrorism conviction

“The offenses of which the defendants were convicted justify revoking their citizenship,” the state wrote, calling the case an “extreme and exceptional” violation of the basic loyalty citizens owe to the country.

Awf and Aidi worked at Cellcom and had extensive access to the telecommunications company’s computer systems and infrastructure.

According to the prosecution, the two took a series of steps to advance a plan to shut down Cellcom’s computer and information systems during a war or military operation in order to assist Hamas.

Awf maintained prolonged contact with senior Hamas officials in Turkey and, with Aidi’s assistance, passed along sensitive information about Israeli communications infrastructure, Cellcom’s cybersecurity systems, and ways of bypassing them.

The two also planned to install technological tools that could later be used to disrupt or disable Cellcom’s communications network during wartime.

The network serves both civilian customers and Israeli security forces, meaning that a successful attack could have damaged a major national communications system at a particularly sensitive time.

The two suspects were convicted of assisting an enemy, treason

Awf and Aidi were convicted, based on their confessions, of conspiring to assist an enemy during wartime and providing information to an enemy with the intention of harming state security.

Awf was also convicted of disclosing an intention to commit treason and maintaining contact with a foreign agent.

In 2024, the court sentenced Awf to 11 years in prison, a suspended sentence, and a fine. Aidi was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison, a suspended sentence, and a fine.

The state filed the citizenship request after they were sentenced, as a continuation of the criminal proceedings against them.

In its request, the prosecution argued that the two had acted for nationalist and ideological reasons and had sought to assist Palestinian terrorist organizations by targeting one of Israel’s central communications networks.

The state described their actions as “acts of treason in the fullest sense” and a severe violation of their most basic obligation of loyalty to the country.

It also stressed the potential damage that could have been caused had the planned cyberattack been carried out.

“The steps taken by the two were intended to damage a central Israeli communications network during a military operation, in order to help the enemy in its war against the state,” the prosecution wrote.

Their conduct therefore represented “a clear and extreme breach of allegiance,” it said.

The state argued that citizenship-revocation provisions were intended for precisely such exceptional cases, in which a citizen’s actions amount to turning against the country and severing their most fundamental connection to it.

“Their actions continued over many years, involved advance planning, and were carried out consistently and systematically,” the prosecution wrote.

The two exploited information they had obtained through their work and intended to use it to assist “the most dangerous of Israel’s enemies,” it added.

The fact that they planned for the communications network to be disrupted specifically during a war or military operation made their conduct particularly serious, according to the state.

Afghan Christian convert and former government official Ziba Mastoor says she fled to Qatar earlier this month after Taliban intelligence operatives pursued her from Afghanistan into Pakistan, leaving her dependent on a temporary visa and fearful that deportation could place her life in danger. 

Her case reflects the risks confronting Afghan women and members of religious minorities who fled to neighboring countries after the Taliban seized power in August 2021. Pakistan and Iran have accelerated the expulsion of Afghans over the past year, raising concerns that vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers could be returned to Afghanistan to face further persecution. 

Since retaking power, the Taliban has largely excluded women from public life. Girls are barred from secondary schools and universities, while women have faced sweeping restrictions on employment, travel and access to public spaces. Women who protest have reported arbitrary arrest and imprisonment. 

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation and prominent Islamic scholars have rejected the Taliban’s restrictions on women as lacking a basis in Islamic law. Rights advocates accuse the Taliban of using a rigid interpretation of Islam to enforce its rule while persecuting religious minorities. 

Reports of intimidation, arbitrary detention, violence and discrimination have prompted members of minority communities to flee or conceal their identities. 

Mastoor says she held a senior government position during the administration of former President Ashraf Ghani. She told The Media Line that Taliban intelligence operatives targeted her because of her faith and attempted to arrest her during a nighttime raid on her home, but she escaped. 

Mastoor alleged that Taliban authorities later issued what she described as a sentence of “stoning to death” because she had converted to Christianity. She said officials also harassed and intimidated her parents while searching for her. The Media Line could not independently verify the existence of such a sentence. 

Responding to a question from The Media Line, Mastoor said, “I converted to Christianity in 2019. My faith guided me to make this genuine and personal choice.” 

Her parents, who are ethnic Tajik Muslims, opposed her decision, she said. 

Persistent harassment by Taliban intelligence operatives eventually forced Mastoor to flee Afghanistan for Pakistan, according to her account. Yet she said she found no lasting safety there and lived alone under the constant threat of forced return. 

A trusted contact in Kabul later warned her that Taliban operatives were attempting to locate her in Pakistan, Mastoor said, prompting her to flee again. 

She arrived in Qatar on a temporary visitor visa only days ago. Mastoor fears that she could be deported to Afghanistan when the visa expires, which she said would place her life at grave risk. 

Afghanistan’s Christian population is believed to be extremely small, and it is difficult to document because believers generally practice in secret. Mastoor estimated that only a few hundred Christians remain in the country. 

She has appealed to Christian organizations worldwide for help in preventing her return to Afghanistan. 

Fazal Ur Rehman Zadran, a Kabul-based political analyst, told The Media Line that determining the size of Afghanistan’s Christian population was difficult because openly practicing or promoting Christianity is prohibited. 

Zadran said that dozens of families from the Hazara Shiite community had converted to Christianity in previous years. Hazaras have long faced persecution, including attacks by the Islamic State group, and he suggested that such experiences may have contributed to some conversions. 

After the Taliban returned to power, many Christian families were forced to conceal their religious identities, Zadran said. According to the information available to him, some fled to Pakistan and Iran in disguise. 

Stricter deportation policies in both countries have left those families living in hardship and uncertainty, fearful that they could be returned to Afghanistan at any time, he explained. 

Qaiser Khan Afridi, a spokesperson for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Pakistan, expressed concern about Pakistan’s policy of deporting Afghan refugees and asylum seekers. 

He told The Media Line that while the UNHCR appreciates the people and government of Pakistan for “hosting millions of Afghan refugees with generosity for more than 45 years, despite facing their own economic and social challenges,” refugees should not be compelled to return to a country where their lives or freedom could be endangered. 

The UNHCR is particularly concerned about the risks facing women, girls and other vulnerable groups if they are sent back to Afghanistan, he said, and urged Pakistani authorities to ensure that any repatriation is voluntary, safe and dignified. 

The Media Line also spoke with Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s chief spokesperson, who categorically denied that a Christian community exists in Afghanistan. 

Because there is no Christian community, Mujahid said, Christians have no official status in the country, and no churches are available for worship. He did not address Mastoor’s allegations concerning her attempted arrest or reported sentence. 

‘The international response to Afghanistan’s crisis has been marked by half-measures’

Rebecca Trotter, a St. Paul, Minnesota-based human rights activist, is the co-founder and co-director of Food for Thought Afghanistan, a US and Switzerland-based nongovernmental organization supporting Afghan civil society. 

She told The Media Line that “the international response to Afghanistan’s crisis has been marked by half-measures, symbolic gestures, and rhetorical condemnations rather than meaningful action.”   

She said that even measures imposed during the Taliban’s first rule have largely not been reinstated, arguing that “the global community’s commitment to defending fundamental human rights stands in stark contrast to the Taliban’s determination to enforce its own agenda.” 

Trotter added that she believes the international community would have already openly normalized relations with Afghanistan’s de facto authorities “had it not been for the relentless efforts of Afghan civil society, both inside the country and abroad, to resist such a course.” Genuine international support for those efforts could fundamentally alter Afghanistan’s future, she argued. 

According to Trotter, “Food for Thought Afghanistan is working to relocate 60 at-risk Afghan women’s rights activists from Pakistan to safe third countries.” The organization successfully resettled 31 families last year, she said, while the remaining families continue to live in safe houses it established. 

She said the organization had also pressed Pakistan to recognize the women’s protection claims under international, Pakistani and Islamic law. 

Hadia Sahibzada, the Tehran-based founder of the Afghanistan Women’s Voice Movement and an advocate for Afghan refugees in Iran, told The Media Line that “women’s rights in Afghanistan have become one of the world’s gravest human rights crises.” 

Gender apartheid and a blatant violation of fundamental human rights

She described the Taliban’s policies as gender apartheid and a blatant violation of fundamental human rights. Forced deportation places Afghan women at immediate risk of persecution, arbitrary detention, retaliation and severe punishment after their return, she said. 

Repeated condemnations by the United Nations and foreign governments have failed to curb the Taliban’s abuses, Sahibzada argued, while the absence of accountability has allowed violations to continue. She called for those responsible to be prosecuted under international law. 

Sahibzada also urged governments not to normalize relations with the Taliban. Instead, she called for stronger diplomatic pressure, accountability measures, protection for Afghan women and the immediate reopening of schools and universities to girls. 

For Mastoor, those debates are no longer abstract. Her immediate future depends on whether she can secure protection in Qatar or another country before her temporary visa expires. Without a safe destination, she fears that the long journey from Afghanistan through Pakistan may end where it began—under the authority of the Taliban.