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In the almost three years since the October 7, 2023, Hamas invasion of Israel, Great Britain has seen “a relentless focus on everything to do with the Jewish community in the public domain, and it’s about antisemitism or Israel,” said Adam Ma’anit, the communications manager for the Board of Deputies of British Jews.

Over the past four weeks, a flurry of performances, lectures and art exhibits has been an opportunity to move past that.

The Board of Deputies, which represents a community of diverse and often competing views under its umbrella, created Jewish Culture Month, a first-of-its-kind series held under the banner of “Less Oy, More Joy.” The month was designed to bolster Jewish communal confidence and to introduce wider audiences to aspects of Jewish life that rarely make headlines.

The month, which wrapped up Tuesday, sought to make clear that British Jewish identity is, and always has been, about far more than conflict. “We’re not defined as a community by pain,” Ma’anit told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “We’ve got great architects, writers, and musicians as well.”

Those artists were featured in more than 150 events over four weeks across the country at major museums and galleries , including London’s British Museum, Oxford’s Bodlein Library, Bath’s Little Theatre Cinema, Nottinghamshire’s National Holocaust Museum, and local synagogues and private homes nationwide.

Among them was The Klezmer Village Band, which introduced Jewish culture to primary schools in Plymouth. “We wanted to bring Jewish culture back into the community,” Plymouth Jewish Community Director Louise Clements said. “This is the first time in many years that something like this has happened here.”

One of the band’s musicians, Ilana Cravitz, also noted after the event that “music is a wordless language. People respond from inside – they stop thinking, they feel. And we really saw that today.”

British celebrities join Jewish Culture Month celebrations

Notables featured throughout the celebrations included British broadcaster and television personality Vanessa Feltz, who spoke at the opening at London’s Freud Museum; comedian Bennett Arron, who performed stand-up routines in Hampstead, London; and acclaimed British artist and vocal Israel critic Anish Kapoor, whose exhibit opening on Tuesday closed out the month.

“Part of Jewish Culture Month is about us celebrating our own culture and being proud, British Jews, and asserting ourselves in an environment where it has been the most challenging to be that very British Jew,” said Ma’anit.

The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust noted another aspect of the festival soon after it kicked off on May 16. “At a time when division and prejudice continue to affect communities across the country, initiatives like Jewish Culture Month can help build understanding and strengthen social cohesion,” it posted social media.

However, some thought it difficult to focus on social cohesion when discussing contemporary British Jewish identity without discussing how that identity dovetails with British Jews’ relationship with Israel.

It’s something that Jewish Renaissance, the online magazine of Jewish culture, raised ahead of the opening. Freelance writer and former Jewish Quarterly editor Matthew Reisz wrote that while there was definitely diversity in the program, “We seem unlikely to hear much about the deep divisions within the community, not least in relation to Israel/Palestine, or the crucial, though often tense dialogue with other minority communities on both shared and contentious issues.”

Ma’anit insisted that the choice was a deliberate one. “It’s not a rejection of Zionism or distancing ourselves from Israel,” he said. “Quite the opposite. The board’s leadership remains openly supportive of Israel and many of the figures involved in the project have deep personal and family ties to the country.”

Israeli-born Ma’anit is one of those figures. He is the cousin of the Idan family of Nachal Oz, a kibbutz close by the border with Gaza. Eighteen-year-old Maayan Idan was shot and killed by Hamas terrorists on October 7 while trying to help her father, Tsachi, hold their safe room door closed. The entire event was livestreamed by the terrorists. Tsachi was abducted into Gaza, where it was believed he was still alive as the war on Gaza raged. It was discovered only later that he had been murdered, with his body finally returned in the hostage deal in February 2025.

Ma’anit, who spent those years lobbying for the hostages’ return, appearing on news programs and organizing hostage vigils in his hometown of Brighton, has been forced to meld the personal with the professional when it comes to the post-October 7 era.

It’s why, he said, Jewish Culture Month is about creating space for aspects of Jewish identity that have been overshadowed post October 7. “The argument is not that Israel is unimportant,” he said, “it’s that Jewish life cannot be reduced to Israel alone.”

Museum lecture canceled over protester security concerns

Yet even without a focus on Israel and Zionism, the month did not pass without the conflict in the Middle East affecting the program. In May, a culture month lecture titled “Ancient Israel and Judah” at the British Museum had to be postponed, the museum said, because of “security concerns” over potential “disruptions” by protesters who had obtained tickets. The rescheduled event, held June 11, was the best-attended of the entire series, with around 4,000 people joining in person and online.

Ma’anit called the incident “overblown. It was just procedural,” he said. “People fill in the blanks and then it gets out of control.”

However, the speed with which the controversy escalated and elicited angry reactions from many in the community only served to highlight how questions about Jewish visibility and any event with “Israel” in the name – even a reference to thousands of years ago – have become highly charged in the last three years.

“It just shows how on edge the community is,” Ma’anit said.

That has intensified the need for something like Jewish Culture Month in the eyes of many British Jews. Steph Thwaites, head of a group dedicated to helping Jewish publishing professionals navigate an increasingly hostile publishing industry, said after a Jewish Culture Month event on the topic that the professionals felt “a sense of community and a source of comfort,” as well as a space to “combat anti-Jewish racism in publishing and to support Jewish creatives.”

Ultimately, as UK Communities Secretary Steve Reed put it in his speech at the launch of the festivities, Jewish Culture Month “is a time to celebrate Britain’s Jewish community and its contribution to our shared story. It’s a time for coming together. It’s a time for friendship. Jewish experience cannot just be about defending against fear; it also has to be an expression of hope and joy and freedom.”

Young people are being hired to carry out shootings at targets around Toronto, including Jewish schools and synagogues, and the US consulate, Toronto’s police chief, Myron Demkiw, told reporters on Tuesday.

Demkiw called the conference to provide an update on arrests made in multiple firearm discharge investigations, including the shooting at the US Consulate that took place on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, and the killing of a veteran Toronto police officer last week during a raid linked to the shootings.

Addressing the broader pattern, Demkiw said, “What we are dealing with in this case and in other unrelated incidents, including shootings at synagogues and Jewish schools, is a recurring and similar modus operandi, and that is criminals for hire.”

“Through encrypted messaging apps, young people are hired to carry out attacks against various targets. And in order to get paid, they’re required to film their attacks.”

He said that the police, along with the RCMP and the FBI, are still trying to determine who is paying for this.

“I know there’s been a lot of reporting about criminal groups and foreign actors, but what I can tell you is that we are still working actively to investigate who is responsible for orchestrating these criminal acts.”

What is known, Demkiw said, is that bad actors are using criminal elements in Toronto to carry out these “dangerous incidents.”

“And it is clear that some of the people hiring these criminals want to create a sense of fear in our communities, including in the Jewish community,” he added.

‘Very complex investigations’

When asked which encrypted apps are being used to recruit the youth, Chief Supt. Joe Matthews told reporters that, so far, the apps are WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal, but that the police is “expecting to uncover many more device apps.”

“These are very complex investigations. That’s why we are supporting our federal and provincial partners with legislative reform to allow us to be able to intercept encrypted apps, obviously through judicial authorization.”

Matthews said the networks “for sure” go beyond Toronto’s scope and are national, if not international.

Ze’ev Palti, the former head of the Mossad intelligence directorate, warned that he does not know how long it will be before Iran’s new leader decides whether to continue on his father’s path or change course toward a bomb in an interview with 103FM on Tuesday.

The United States and Iran agreed to a framework agreement on Sunday that is expected to advance negotiations between the two sides. Palti, who previously headed the Mossad’s intelligence directorate, laid out his view of the next stage in the campaign against Iran, of relations with the United States, and of the situation in Lebanon.

“I was not around for the Sinai Campaign and things like that, but once you are dealing with powers and fighting powers, you are almost not in focus,” Palti said, analyzing the implications of a war managed by great powers.

“This is the Americans’ war; their army did everything, and that is how it is presented there in the US. I mean, they decide, they close the war. President Trump is fed up with this whole affair and decides he has had enough of it.”

He added that Israel had no choice but to go to war with the US, noting, “The moment you decide, as in Iraq in 1981 or as in Syria in 2007, to take off and do things on your own, then no one interferes with you because you are not asking for favors. To a large extent, this war was enormous; we needed the US both for defense and offense. We need to look ahead; what we are talking about now is water under the bridge. We need to examine whether it is right to build power and capabilities so that in the future we will not need the Americans. I am deliberately looking ahead. Yes, we do need to investigate and understand whether we did everything right in order to reach a conclusion, and one can debate and challenge it.”

“These are things we need to deal with now because I do not know how much time we have until this young new leader decides whether he continues his father’s line of not rushing to the bomb, or suddenly changes course. We do not have time, we do not have time now. We must build power and give the IDF as many capabilities as possible to reorganize itself so it will be ready for the next campaign, and it will come,” he explained.

Israel must remain ready for escalation, Palti warns

Later, he clarified that Israel has slightly improved its position but still needs to be ready for escalation: “When it comes to Iran, one always has to be worried. Israel is not forsaken. We have been around this threat for several decades. Our situation is a little better now after the last two rounds, but as we understand, especially in recent days and after this botched agreement, Iran is with us for a long time.

“We have a huge challenge right now. I think it is a bit of an exaggeration to say our situation is worse than it was. There are two things, one with Iran and its missile program, and part of the bitterness is in light of the strategic plan right now, certainly in the world and in the Western world. If I deal with the Iranian issue alone, I think our situation is better than it was two years ago,” he added.

“There are always things we will not know about. When it comes to Iran’s ballistic missile issue and the program that was once about thousands, which led our decision-makers to strike in the current round, even on the nuclear issue, we knew how to assess the stages over the years. Overall, we had our finger on the pulse at a good and reasonable level. But is that always true? I do not know. Right now, a great deal of money needs to be invested to make sure that if there is a change in decision-making in Iran, we can know about it a minute before. Another thing is to build real strength inside the Mossad so that we can do things we did not do in the current campaign.”

Finally, he pointed to Israel’s weak spot at this stage of the campaign: “Our weak point is Lebanon. What sparked Iran’s firing at Israel was that same equation, that if we attack in the Dahieh, they attack us. We tried to break that equation in the strike the day before yesterday, and it did not work out so well for us, and they rushed to a nuclear agreement or to the thing they signed virtually. Lebanon is a problem, and it could develop in the coming days.”

“Be Prepared!” has been the motto of the international Scouts Movement since 1907, but it would be worth adopting in Israel for coping the not-too-likely possibility that an enemy would succeed in knocking out its entire electricity supply. In the event that Israel’s foes accomplished such a catastrophic attack, the country should be ready to cope with it.  

Now, a new study at the Yannay Institute for Energy Security of Reichman University in Herzliya has warned of potential widespread disruption to essential services in the event of a prolonged power outage in Israel. In recent years, the possibility of a nationwide blackout has evolved from a theoretical threat into an issue with immediate and far-reaching implications. It has also increasingly become part of the public conversation, following warnings issued by the Israel Electric Corporation and Noga, Israel’s national electricity system operator. 

The institute, established two years ago by the country’s first and only private university, is dedicated to advancing energy security and resilience in Israel and globally. It pioneers cutting-edge research across technology, economics, regulation, and environmental fields, addressing critical issues in energy economies and security. By producing rigorous studies and policy papers, the Institute provides data-driven, science-based proposals for designing effective, long-term energy policies, said Avri Schechter, its director, in an interview with The Jerusalem Post.

“Israel has been at war with Iran, which targeted our infrastructure, but our lights didn’t go off. We have not only to prevent it but to plan how to cope if it does. After October 7, 2023, many Israelis bought expensive generators to store electricity, but since then, they have realized they are not needed and haven’t managed to sell them even secondhand. There is no reason for Israelis to store large number of water bottles, cash under the floorboards, or endless cans of food in their pantries,” Schechter insisted. 

The institute organizes conferences, roundtables, and exclusive forums that bring together researchers, policymakers, and senior executives from the business, and public sectors and educates and empowers the next generation of decision makers in the energy sector.

Blackout could cause breakdown of life-sustaining systems

According to Schechter and Dr. Asaf Tzachor, founder and academic director of the institute, the main danger in a prolonged blackout is not just the loss of electricity itself, but the gradual breakdown of the systems that sustain life in a modern country like Israel: communications, water, transportation, healthcare, food supply, and payment systems. The question guiding the researchers was not when electricity would be restored, but how long essential services could continue to function without it. Rather than reviewing the wide range of threats facing Israel’s energy sector and electricity grid including terrorism, missile attacks, cyberattacks, and geophysical risks, the research team examined how disruptions spread from one critical system to another, ultimately developing into a multi-system national crisis. 

Schechter brought together leading experts in a variety of relevant fields and worked on the study for six months. “The risk is low, but we need to think about the repercussions, what to do, and are we ready,” he said. 

 “The purpose of this study is not to cause alarm – it’s the opposite. We call for a shared professional framework and integrated cross-sector planning. The national challenge is not only how to prevent a blackout, but how to maintain operational continuity if one occurs. After 72 hours, the challenge shifts from electricity itself to the management of essential services and the resilience of the economy. A blackout is a stress test not only for individual systems, but for the interfaces among them. If each system focuses solely on protecting itself, without cross-system coordination, localized protective measures may ultimately weaken the resilience of the system as a whole. Now is the time to prepare – during periods of routine and relative calm – through scenario planning and regular exercises.”

Many systems, from hospitals to tower elevators and water desalination plants have backups in the event of a halt in power, but these will not continue for more than a few days. Planning how to cope can be a proactive and controlled management tool aimed at preventing a widespread collapse, said Schechter, whose study examines the family ranging from a partial reduction in supply, load rationing, managed or unmanaged disruption on a regional scale to a large-scale blackout.

“When people think about a blackout, they imagine a power outage, dark windows, and candles. But the real danger lies further down the chain of consequences. Within minutes to hours, a form of ‘functional darkness’ begins to spread across critical systems, Schechter explained. “Home internet connections fail; water pumps in high-rise buildings stop working; refrigerators and freezers cease functioning. In public spaces, traffic-control systems, road signs, signals, and traffic lights are disrupted. Many essential services – including petrol stations, community healthcare services including kidney dialysis and other lifesaving hospital procedures, automated teller machine and payment systems – become dependent on backup power and connectivity. As the outage continues, resources become scarce and public pressure intensifies. Public order begins to deteriorate.”

This catastrophe will probably cause panic to spread among the citizenry, perhaps not on the first day, but the strain accumulates, and with each passing day, the economic and social fabric of the country begins to unravel, they said. 

Communications, water, transportation, are key systems at risk in blackout

One of the study’s key conclusions is that different systems require different preparedness strategies. Certain systems act as what the researchers describe as “risk multipliers” – when they fail, other systems fail with them. The analysis identifies three such systems: communications, which is essential for command and control, coordination, and the dissemination of information to the public; water, because access to safe water is fundamental to public health and institutional functioning; and transportation and fuel supply, because without the ability to move personnel, spare parts, and fuel, emergency services cannot operate effectively, infrastructure damage cannot be repaired, and generator-based backup systems cannot be maintained over time.

He stressed the need for professionals to explain an emergency situation to the general public in a way they will understand and trust. 

Schechter, who holds a BA degree in economics and sustainability from Reichman and a master’s degree in public policy from Tel Aviv University (TAU), brings over a decade of expertise in developing national economic policies in energy, renewable energy, energy storage technologies, energy efficiency, and greenhouse gas emission reduction, and setting long-term targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing energy efficiency.  

The Yannay Institute head noted that modern society has become very dependent on uninterrupted electricity. “Governments now understand the dangers and have tried to spread out the risk so that it isn’t concentrated in one place and among many sources. AI can help manage cascading infrastructure failures but its role is coordination, recognizing where the failures are, and setting priorities and procedures.”  

The road to Maccabiah 2026 officially began this week as organizers launched the Games at a festive ceremony atop Tel Aviv City Hall, unveiling the event’s theme, “More Than Ever,” and announcing that Paralympic taekwondo champion Asaf Yasur and Olympic judo silver medalist Inbar Lanir will light the Maccabiah torch at the opening ceremony in Jerusalem.

The Maccabiah, which was postponed last year due to Operation Rising Lion, will take place from July 1-14, 2026, bringing thousands of athletes, families, and visitors from Jewish communities around the world to Israel.

The launch event brought together Maccabiah officials, government representatives, municipal leaders and some of Israel’s leading Olympic and Paralympic athletes, including Artem Dolgopyat and Moran Samuel. Also in attendance were entertainers Assi Azar and Anna Aronov, who will host the opening ceremony at Teddy Stadium on July 1.

Maccabiah chairman Assaf Goren said the Games carry added significance following the challenges Israel has faced in recent years.

“Nowadays, the Maccabiah is a symbol of hope, recovery, and our determination as a people following the most difficult times that our generation has endured,” Goren said. “I am proud that we have overcome the challenges, and we look forward to welcoming thousands of guests from around the world who will come to compete, deepen connections, and strengthen Israel – this time, more than ever.”

One of the evening’s highlights was the unveiling of a new version of the official Maccabiah anthem performed by Israeli artists Nunu and Jimbo J. The pair collaborated on a contemporary arrangement of Naomi Shemer’s song originally written for the Maccabiah in 1981, with a music video filmed at the Hadar Yosef Athletics Stadium.

Minister of Culture and Sport Miki Zohar emphasized the role the Maccabiah continues to play in connecting Israel with Jewish communities worldwide.

‘Maccabiah – a bridge between Israel and Jewish communities around the world’

“The Maccabiah is a bridge between Israel and Jewish communities around the world, and in these times, amid all the challenges we face, that connection is more important than ever,” Zohar said. “The State of Israel is strong, sport leads and inspires us all, and the people of Israel live on and thrive.”

Organizers also announced the athletes and public figures who will participate in the torch ceremony during the opening festivities. Among them is Eviatar Zeitouni, a disabled IDF veteran and former Paratroopers Brigade officer who was severely wounded while defending Kibbutz Kissufim on October 7. His selection is intended to represent recovery, courage, and the rehabilitative power of sport.

Israeli soccer captains Menashe Zalka and Sheran Yeini were chosen to carry the torch on behalf of the country’s soccer community, while rhythmic gymnast Ofir Shaham, a member of Israel’s Olympic silver medal-winning team from Paris 2024, will represent a new generation of Israeli female athletes.

The torch will ultimately be passed to Yasur and Lanir, who will jointly light the Maccabiah flame. The pair symbolizes both elite athletic achievement and resilience. Yasur captured Paralympic gold in taekwondo at the Paris 2024 Games and has become one of Israel’s most recognizable Paralympic athletes. Lanir, the reigning world judo champion and Olympic silver medalist, is currently preparing for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

KKL-JNF chairman Eyal Ostrinsky described the upcoming event as one of the most meaningful in the history of the Games.

“The Maccabiah is far more than a sporting event; it is a unique and highly significant Zionist event that represents the pinnacle of the connection between Israel and world Jewry,” Ostrinsky said. “This Maccabiah is more symbolic than ever. It is the first Maccabiah since the horrific October 7 massacre and the first following its postponement due to Operation Rising Lion.”

Tel Aviv, which has played a central role in hosting the Maccabiah since Israel’s early years, will once again serve as a major hub for the Games. Organizers announced plans for “Maccabiah City,” a large-scale sports and entertainment festival at Expo Tel Aviv that will offer activities and attractions for visitors and families throughout the event.

Deputy Mayor and Acting Mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo Lior Shapira said the Games extend beyond athletic competition.

“This is an event that is about much more than sport,” Shapira said. “For us, it is a long-standing tradition that connects communities, countries, and hearts. Launching the Maccabiah during this complex period sends a clear message of resilience, unity, and continuity.”

Under the banner “More Than Ever,” Maccabiah 2026 is expected to welcome athletes from dozens of countries competing in more than 30 sports, serving as both a major international sporting event and a celebration of the enduring bond between Israel and Jewish communities across the globe.

The 43rd Jerusalem Film Festival, which will run from July 9-19, has just announced the Israeli films that will be featured in this year’s edition.

Israeli movies have always been the heart and soul of this festival, Israel’s longest-running film event, and many movies that premiered in it went on to win international acclaim. This year, the Israeli program includes a wide-ranging lineup of feature films, documentaries, shorts, experimental films, and restored classics. Most are world premieres.

The total amount of prizes to be awarded in the Israeli and international competitions this year will be about NIS 1 million.

The Haggiag Competition for Israeli Feature Films will include How to Feel, directed by Hadas Ben Aroya, about an Israeli dancer and a German poet who fall in love in Berlin, only to find their relationship shaken by a crisis that takes them to an unexpected place.

Also in the competition is Amal, directed by David Ofek and Nahad Bashir, which tells the story of a woman fighting to save her son and stop a cycle of revenge in her village, as clan violence spins out of control.

The Wedding Entertainer (The Tale of Moishe Badhan), directed by Gidi Dar, just had its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival. Written by Shuli Rand from a story by Rand and Dar, the film stars Rand, Tal Friedman, Elon Gold, and Tzofit Grant-Rand. It’s about a man who was once Jerusalem’s greatest party entertainer, whose alcoholism destroyed his career, as he battles to regain his past glory working for an American.

Where To, the debut feature by Assaf Machnes, will have its Israeli premiere following its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival. The film follows Hassan, a 55-year-old Palestinian Uber driver (Ehab Salami) in Berlin, who keeps encountering a young, lost Israeli passenger (Ido Tako) in his cab.

Efrat Corem’s Heart of Goldstars Chen Amsalem Zaguri, Israel Atias, and Menashe Noy. It tells the story of a bus ticket inspector in Ashkelon who finds an abandoned baby on a bus and takes him home, an impulsive decision that brings up past trauma.

Ruthy Pribar’s What is to Come, which premiered at Tribeca, will have its Israeli premiere in Jerusalem. It stars Ronit Yudkevitch, Yaakov Zada Daniel, and Tovit Addis-Samai, and tells the story of Yehudit, who, after nearly losing her life, escapes to Eilat and tries to begin again.

The Diamond Competition for Israeli Documentary Films will include 269, directed by Keren Yehezkel-Goldstein and Noam Stolerman, about a radical animal-rights protest movement sparked by one dramatic action in Tel Aviv, and the unexpected love story at its center.

Yael Abecassis’s I Am New follows a boy who was critically injured in a car accident at the age of three and a half. The driver was, and remains, his best friend. Built from hundreds of hours of intimate footage, the film documents his long rehabilitation and a family that insists on compassion as a key to healing.

Good Morning Gaza, directed by Hanan Brandes and Matan Skopsky, tells the story of a reservist tank driver who broadcasts an improvised podcast to soldiers over the military radio network, opening a window into the psyche of people at war through candid interviews and clips.

Sarah’s Life, directed by Shir Huri-Abu, follows a 21-year-old woman who has left the haredi world and discovers that she is unexpectedly pregnant. Moving between temporary apartments and searching for a place to belong, she is forced to confront memories from her past.

 Find Me, OK?, directed by Yola Gidron, documents two years in the lives of the mother and sisters of murdered hostage Eden Yerushalmi, who did everything they could to bring her back from Hamas tunnels, and after nearly a year of struggle, were forced to find a way to live without her.

The festival will also hold a special world premiere screening of David Fisher’s documentary The Survivor in a Tuxedo: In Search of Elie Wiesel. The film offers an intimate and searching portrait of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel, examining questions about ambition, memory, and the burden of bearing witness.

Tribute to Israeli film history

In a special tribute to Israeli film history, the festival will present restored digital versions of Uri Barbash’s classic Beyond the Walls and the short films Crows, by Ayelet Menahemi, and A Big Girl, by Nirit Yaron. The screenings are part of the ongoing restoration project of the Israel Film Archive at the Jerusalem Cinematheque, which works to preserve Israeli classics and convert them into high-quality contemporary digital formats.

The Israeli Short Film Competition will feature 16 fiction, documentary, and animated films. The winner of the best short film prize will be eligible to submit the film for consideration for the Academy Awards.

The festival will also present nine works in the Video Art and Experimental Cinema Competition, held in cooperation with Mamuta Art and Research Center. The competition showcases contemporary Israeli experimental cinema and video art made in the past year.

 The Wim Van Leer Young Creation Competition will offer a first platform for debut films by high school film students from around the country, in a festive screening of selected documentary and fiction films.

The festival will open, as always, at Sultan’s Pool under the stars, in front of an audience of 6,000 guests and movie lovers.

The opening-night film will be the Israeli premiere of Tell Me Everything, the new film by Moshe Rosenthal, at Sultan’s Pool. The film stars Assi Cohen, Keren Tzur, Yair Mazor, Ido Tako, Mor Dimri, and Neta Orbach, and will be screened in the presence of the filmmakers and actors.

Tell Me Everything had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, marking the first time in a decade that a full-length Israeli feature film was included in that festival. Produced by Green Productions and United King Films, the film is Rosenthal’s follow-up to Karaoke, which won several Ophir Awards and was a critical and popular success.

Set in 1987, Tell Me Everything tells the story of Boaz, who discovers a shocking secret just before his bar mitzvah about his admired father, Meir. Nine years later, Boaz sets out in search of his estranged father and is forced to confront the memories and choices that have haunted him ever since.

The international program, which will include Israeli premieres of films that have been shown at such festivals as Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Toronto, and many others, will be announced soon. 

The festival was conceived and founded by Jerusalem Cinematheque founder and Israel Prize laureate Lia Van Leer.

Full details, screening times, and ticket information are available on the festival’s website at https://jff.org.il/en

Over 90% of  Gaza border residents support making a law -entitled the Memory of the Massacre and Commemoration of Heroism Law- to enshrine the remembrance, heritage, and commemoration of the October 7 massacre, according to a poll released Tuesday by the “Future for the OTEF” movement. 

The survey polled more than 1,300 respondents, the majority of them residents, and found broad public support for formalizing remembrance and commemoration through legislation, alongside a strong expectation that affected communities be directly involved in shaping how that memory is preserved.

Permanent public participation mechanism 

In addition, 71% support establishing a permanent public participation mechanism involving residents, families, survivors, and representatives of affected communities as a binding legal requirement.

The poll also found that 79.2% of respondents believe decisions regarding the preservation, modification, or demolition of buildings damaged on October 7 should be led by local residents or made with their active participation in the decision-making process.

Meanwhile, 85.2% said they prefer that commemoration efforts and educational tours in the Gaza envelope be led by, or include, local residents. A further 89.4% believe the events of October 7 should be incorporated into Israel’s education system and national curriculum in the coming years.

Documenting and preserving testimonies, documents, and historical materials

According to the report, 77.8% of respondents place especially high importance on documenting and preserving testimonies, documents, and historical materials, compared to 51.3% who support the broader concept of passing down heritage and heroism to future generations.

The “Future for the OTEF” movement is calling for the proposed law to include a fixed core budget for a governing body to be established; mandatory transparency measures, including publication of minutes and annual public reporting; and the creation of professional subcommittees in the fields of education and heritage, documentation and testimonies, commemoration sites, and public participation. It also calls for a special majority requirement in key decisions regarding the shaping of memory, memorial sites, and the museum. In addition, it demands a structured public participation framework, including within the subcommittees’ work.

“The data clearly shows: the residents of the Gaza envelope want a state commemoration law for October 7, but they are not willing for the national memory to be shaped without the communities that bore the highest cost. Our goal is not to delay the law — on the contrary,” said Ohad Cohen, CEO of the “Future for the OTEF” movement. 

“To achieve this, a permanent budget, transparency, professional subcommittees, public participation mechanisms, and responsible decision-making in substantive decisions are required.”

Western diplomats told The Jerusalem Post that the framework agreement between Iran and the United States, which includes a ceasefire in Lebanon, is expected to affect the negotiations currently taking place between Israel and Lebanon.

Next week, an Israeli delegation headed by Israeli Ambassador to Washington Yechiel Leiter is scheduled to meet in Washington with the Lebanese delegation led by Lebanon’s Ambassador to the United States, Nada Hamadeh Mawad, and former Ambassador Simon Karam. 

The talks will focus on the possibility of normalization between the two countries and on the continued implementation of the agreement reached earlier this month.

At the conclusion of the previous round of discussions, Israel, Lebanon, and the United States issued a joint statement declaring a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, on the condition that Hezbollah withdraw from southern Lebanon and disarm. 

The agreement also established the launch of a pilot program under which the Lebanese Armed Forces would enter designated areas and begin disarming Hezbollah, while the IDF would simultaneously withdraw from those same locations.

Iran ‘instrumental’ in securing current ceasefire in Lebanon

Diplomats told the Post that the perception that Iran was instrumental in securing the current ceasefire in Lebanon – and the fact that the US administration has linked the negotiations between Tehran and Washington to developments in Lebanon – has weakened the Lebanese government on one hand, while failing to persuade Hezbollah to accept any measures aimed at dismantling the organization on the other.

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a close ally of Hezbollah, said on Tuesday that “the priority now is to secure an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, and this issue will be addressed during the 60-day negotiation period between Iran and the United States.” 

Berri emphasized that he opposes the establishment of “pilot zones” (a reference to the Lebanese government’s Hezbollah disarmament initiative), arguing that such an arrangement would prolong the withdrawal process for “two years.”

The memorandum of understanding explicitly states that upon signing, the ceasefire entered into effect “including in Lebanon.” 

This was widely viewed as an Iranian achievement because it effectively linked Lebanon’s situation to that of Iran, contrary to Israeli efforts to separate the various regional fronts.

On Monday, for the first time since the outbreak of the war involving Iran, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a conversation with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, signaling a renewed and public Iranian engagement in the Lebanese arena. 

According to a statement released by the Lebanese presidency following the call, President Aoun emphasized that “Lebanon’s stability and sovereignty remain at the top of the national agenda.” The statement added that Araghchi expressed hope that all parties would respect Lebanon’s sovereignty.

At the same time, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf spoke with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Hezbollah’s key political ally in Lebanon.

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday during the G7 summit in France that “Netanyahu needs to act more responsibly regarding Lebanon.” 

Trump suggests Syria should take responsibility for dealing with Hezbollah

Trump also stated that he had suggested that Syria take responsibility for dealing with Hezbollah. “I think they would do a good job,” the president said.

The proposal has faced opposition not only from Israel but also from the Lebanese government. Moreover, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has reportedly conveyed that he prefers, at this stage, not to become involved in Lebanese affairs.

Talking points circulated by the US administration to various stakeholders over the past 24 hours explicitly stated that “the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has been the most dangerous source of tension in the region, and President Trump incorporated it into the memorandum of understanding.”

The document further stressed that “the ceasefire must be preserved before any additional steps can move forward.”

A new joint Jewish-Arab political party, A Place For All of Us, was launched on Tuesday ahead of the upcoming elections, calling for shared leadership and equality in Israeli society between Jews and Arabs.

The list will be led by co-chairs Rula Daood and Alon-Lee Green and will be made up of activists from the Left-wing Standing Together movement. 

The party stated that its leaders will be both Arabs and Jews, and present the same political message in Arabic and Hebrew. It seeks to attract voters from all of Israeli society.

A Place for Us All also stated that its goals would be to focus on issues affecting the daily lives of citizens.

Among the points it said it aimed to address were violence and crime, lack of security amid an ongoing war, high cost of living, housing, construction challenges, and lack of educational solutions.

Advancing an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement 

The party noted that advancing an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement has been an “urgent issue that has been pushed to the margins.”

It stated that it aims to offer a new political home for Jews and Arabs who “work toward peace, equality, social justice, and the fight against violence and crime.”

Party members noted that the goal was not only to replace the current government but also to offer a new direction for the country.

Daood stated while launching the party that A Place for All of Us was “a truly shared Arab-Jewish party, truly equal, that grew from the ground up and will not disconnect from it.”

“We are doing this because this is the last moment to save our society,” she added, reading the party’s formation.

“We are being abandoned, murdered, our future is being burned—and I know that to fix this, it is not enough to only say what we are against.”

Daood is currently the only woman leading a political party in Israel and the first Palestinian woman to head a national political party.

Green stated that A Place for All of Us will “strengthen the effort to remove [National Security Minister Itamar] Ben-Gvir, [Finance Minister Bezalel] Smotrich, and [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu from power.”

“The party will bring out young voters who, without a Jewish-Arab party, would not have gone to vote,” he added. 

Arab parties running in the upcoming elections

Four main Arab parties were running in the upcoming elections: Hadash, Ta’al, Balad, and Ra’am. 

Hadash, Ta’al, and Balad announced last week that they would move ahead with reestablishing the Joint List without the Ra’am Party, marking a setback in efforts to reunite all major Arab parties under a single electoral slate.

Currently, the two Arab-Israeli parties in the Knesset are Ra’am and Hadash-Ta’al – the latter a reduced Joint List that agreed to run together in the 2022 election.

Hadash-Tal reserves a slot for a Jewish candidate on its list. 

The Balad Party, not in the Knesset, continues to fail to pass the electoral threshold in polls on its own.

General elections are scheduled to take place no later than October 27.

The United States has agreed to work with regional partners to “create a comprehensive plan agreed upon by both parties for the rehabilitation and economic development of the Iranian regime, while ensuring financing of at least $300 billion,” according to a reported draft of the 14-point US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding shared by Al Arabiya on Tuesday.

According to Reuters, the fund is a private investment vehicle, not a reconstruction or reparations program, and will not include any government money or grants. Companies based in the US, Gulf, Asia, South America, and Africa have all agreed to commit financing.

The fund will reportedly assist in fields such as energy, logistics, manufacturing, and transport. Additionally, it is said to be entirely different from the sanctioned $24 billion, which is discussed in a separate point of the document.

Additionally, Israel is not mentioned in the MOU, despite the first point calling for “an immediate and permanent end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon.”

The reported draft focuses primarily on the end of the ongoing conflict, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the release of all funds currently sanctioned by the US.

This comes after Israel was denied permission to view a draft of the memorandum ahead of the signing ceremony, currently scheduled to be held this Friday in Switzerland.

The plan shared by Al Arabiya also does not specify the fate of Iran’s nuclear materials, stating that “the fate of all other mutually agreed nuclear-related issues, including Iran’s nuclear needs, will be adequately addressed in a final agreement.”

US commits to contribute to rehabilitation of Iranian regime, financing of at least $300 billion

The US has also agreed to work with regional partners to “create a comprehensive plan agreed upon by both parties for the rehabilitation and economic development of the Iranian regime, while ensuring financing of at least $300 billion.”

Most notably, perhaps, is the penultimate point, stating that until a final agreement is reached, both the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States will maintain the “status quo,” allowing the Iranian regime to “maintain the status quo on its nuclear program,” while the US is not permitted to impose sanctions on Iran or strengthen its forces in the regime.

Neither the US nor Iran has confirmed the validity of this draft.

Reuters contributed to this report.

In a high-stakes media blitz spanning the last 24 hours, US Vice President JD Vance has positioned himself as the administration’s primary advocate for the controversial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the United States and Iran.

Vance, often seen as the face of the Trump administration’s “America First” foreign policy, spent the day moving from one major network to another, seeking to shape the narrative surrounding the agreement.

“This is a big day for the American people – a big win for everybody who cares about basic peace and stability in the Middle East,” Vance told Fox News host Sean Hannity in an interview that set the tone for the administration’s campaign.

The vice president’s rhetoric marks a significant departure from previous “maximum pressure” policies, focusing instead on the prospect of Iran rejoining the international community.

“The president of the United States doesn’t want just a nuclear deal, as much as that’s a win for the American people,” Vance explained to NBC. He emphasized that the administration is seeking a broader transformation of the Iranian state.

“We’re willing to give significant sanctions relief if the Iranians make the kind of long-term commitments that are necessary to be a normal country,” he told Fox News.

Vance says no US taxpayer money will go to Iran 

Vance was also quick to address concerns about the use of American taxpayer funds.

“We’re not giving them American money,” he stated flatly. “Not a single dollar of American money will go to Iran.”

Instead, Vance has framed the agreement as an economic benefit for American consumers. By de-escalating tensions in the Gulf, he argued, the deal has already contributed to improved global economic conditions.

“Fundamentally, this deal immediately reopens the Strait of Hormuz,” Vance said, pointing to a sharp decline in energy prices. “You already see oil prices from a high of $126 a barrel down to about $80 a barrel today.”

For an Israeli public and government deeply wary of the latest developments, Vance offered a mixture of reassurance and criticism. While acknowledging the friction inherent in the US-Israel relationship, he maintained that the MoU ultimately serves Israel’s interests.

“Israel has been a good partner; sometimes, one side fires and the other side responds,” he told CBS, referring to the recent cycle of exchanges between Jerusalem and Tehran. “But what we fundamentally believe is that this is going to be a good deal for the people of Israel and for the people of the Gulf.”

Trump administration claims MoU is a good deal for Israel, despite pushback

Vance suggested that the skepticism voiced by Israeli politicians is based on incomplete information.

“There’s a lot of misreporting I’ve seen in the Israeli media about what’s actually in the deal,” he told ABC, adding that some of the reporting appears to rely on information originating from Iranian media outlets affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). “But we believe it’s a good deal for the people of Israel.”

Vance’s and US President Donald Trump’s narrative has exposed a widening rift within the GOP’s foreign-policy establishment. While Vance describes a Tehran that is prepared to “change its ways” and “stop trying to fund terrorism all over the Middle East,” Senator Lindsey Graham has cautioned that the United States must “understand who we are dealing with” – a sentiment Vance addressed directly by urging the senator “not to believe the hardliner propaganda in Iran.”

Vance also argued that a new generation of Iranian leaders has grown weary of decades of isolation.

“We’re seeing even people that I would have assumed are hardliners who are kind of saying, ‘You know what? Maybe it was a mistake for us to do the things that we’ve done over the last 40 years,’” Vance claimed.

“You see people saying, ‘Our relationship with the United States over the past 47 years has been a mistake. Let’s turn over a new leaf.’”

Political analysts note that Vance’s nonstop media appearances –contrasted with the relative silence of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio – signal another phase in the emerging debate over who will succeed Trump as the Republican standard-bearer in 2028. By taking ownership of the Iran MoU, Vance is telling the Republican base that he is the leading heir to Trump’s political legacy.

Axios reported on Monday that during internal administration discussions, Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe expressed concerns and raised questions about the Memorandum of Understanding. According to the report, Ratcliffe told Trump and other senior officials that intelligence gathered by US agencies raises serious doubts about Iran’s willingness to make the nuclear concessions that Washington is seeking in a final agreement.

For now, the vice president remains the administration’s lead salesman for the deal. The stakes, however, could not be higher. Should Tehran use sanctions relief to fund its regional proxies or advance its centrifuge program, Vance’s critics – including foreign-policy hawks within his own party – will be ready to pounce.

Forum Dvorah, an NGO that works towards the inclusion of women in Israeli society, denounced the decision by hesder yeshivot to boycott the IDF’s Armored Corps in a statement on Tuesday.

“The IDF must not give in to threats of refusal and exclusion of women,” the NGO said.

“Giving in to these extreme demands means creating an army with segregation.”

The demands that the NGO was referring to were statements issued by a total of 25 hesder yeshivot, which combine Torah study with serving in the IDF – banning their Orthodox religious-Zionist male students from joining the Armored Corps in protest at an IDF pilot program to integrate women into the corps.

According to the IDF, the program is only a pilot, and it is unclear whether it will lead to the permanent placement of women in the tank corps.

Further, the pilot program involves establishing women-only tank units, such that neither secular nor religious men would be serving with women within the same tank or unit, the primary concern of the religious-Zionist institutions that are protesting.

“This is an attempt to impose a haredi service model on the entire religious public based on the exclusion of women and sectoral dictates,” the forum said.

“It is particularly worrying to see similarities to the pressure methods used by haredi leadership, which has been waging a struggle for years to evade military service.”

“This is a violation of equality, the values of the IDF, and the principles established in court rulings,” it continued.

Female soldiers greatly contribute to IDF operations, Forum Dvorah argues

“This is also a serious security violation in times of war and at a time when the IDF is suffering from a shortage of manpower. It is impossible to give up on female combat soldiers who have already proven their ability to contribute to operations,” the NGO said.

“Today, more than 20% of the IDF’s combat soldiers are women, and their exclusion would directly harm the military’s ability to win,” it added.

“Women are not a problem that must be pushed aside, excluded, or trampled on in order to please one sector or another. The IDF must stand up to threats of refusal, maintain its values, and serve the entire State of Israel,” the forum concluded.

Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.

The Reservists Party, led by former communications minister Yoaz Hendel, held internal primaries on Tuesday, continuing preparations for the upcoming elections, with candidates including reservists, bereaved family members, and wounded IDF veterans.

Thousands of registered members of the Reservists Party voted to determine the party’s candidate list through a digital vote on Tuesday.

A total of 28 candidates will compete in the primaries, the party stated. In addition to bereaved family members and reservists, those running include social activists who have pushed against the coalition’s contentious haredi draft law over the past two years.

The results will be announced on Wednesday after the digital vote takes place.

Among those running is bereaved mother Sandra Alon, whose son, Sgt. Tomer Keren was killed in combat while serving during the Israel-Hamas War.

beyond politics – a calling to help bereaved families

Alon had told The Jerusalem Post after joining the party in February that she viewed her role in the party as going beyond politics and as a calling to help bereaved families in the country who have tragically lost loved ones.

“This was not about politics for me. I was looking for a platform to help, to help people like me, to help reservists, to help wounded soldiers,” she said.

Shlomi Damari, brother of Dan Damari, who was murdered by Hamas terrorists at the Supernova music festival on October 7, is also among the bereaved family members running in the primaries.

Shortly before the voting on the primaries took place, Shvut Raanan, one of the founders of the Reservists’ Wives Forum, announced that she was withdrawing from the primaries. She had been a main party activist.

The party has presented itself as a response to the leadership vacuum following the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, and it advocates for universal conscription. Among its central principles is a refusal to join any government that includes parties whose members do not serve in the IDF.

Campaigns against the haredi, Arab parties

The Reservists have launched campaigns against the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) and Arab parties ahead of the elections, calling to bar those who do not serve in the IDF from voting and from running for Knesset.

The party still fails to pass the electoral threshold in polls. Hendel has spoken about merging with another party ahead of the elections, though no official announcement has been made on who the expected alliance will be with. General elections are scheduled to take place no later than October 27.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cross-examination in his criminal trial ended on Tuesday after nearly a year of questioning, moving one of the most politically consequential trials in Israeli history into the final stretch of his testimony before the defense resumes questioning him.

Netanyahu’s testimony is not over. He is expected to return to the Tel Aviv District Court on Wednesday for questioning by his co-defendants’ attorneys, Yediot Aharonot publisher Arnon “Noni” Mozes and former Bezeq controlling shareholder Shaul Elovitch, before his own defense attorneys conduct a short re-examination.

If the coming hearings are not canceled or shortened, his testimony is expected to end by the end of the month or within the next two to three weeks. The cross-examination ended after 94 days of testimony by the prime minister, including 59 hearings of prosecution questioning, which began last June.

Tuesday’s hearing focused largely on Case 2000, the alleged quid pro quo between Netanyahu and Mozes. Netanyahu is charged in the case with fraud and breach of trust, while Mozes is charged with offering and promising a bribe.

Both deny wrongdoing.

Mozes offers to boost Netanyahu’s positive coverage

According to the indictment, Mozes offered to improve Netanyahu’s coverage in Yediot Aharonot and Ynet and to worsen coverage of his political rivals in exchange for the prime minister using his influence to promote restrictions on Israel Hayom, the free daily newspaper that posed a major economic threat to Yediot Aharonot.

Deputy State Attorney Yonatan Tadmor pressed Netanyahu on Tuesday over his December 2014 meetings with Mozes and with the late Sheldon Adelson, then the owner of Israel Hayom.

Tadmor argued that Netanyahu tried to convince Mozes that he would work to advance a softened version of the Israel Hayom bill in order to keep Mozes from launching a full attack against him before the 2015 election.

The prime minister rejected that interpretation. He said the main issue in his discussions with Adelson was the possibility that Adelson would buy Yediot Aharonot and Ynet, and that his talks with Mozes were part of a political fight over Israel Hayom, not a criminal arrangement.

“I wanted to reach an understanding with him on a softened law,” Netanyahu said, adding that such a law could only have been relevant after the election and depending on the next coalition, and he insisted that Mozes could “think whatever he wants.”

Tadmor confronted Netanyahu with his police statement that he had been trying to “buy time” until the election and to maintain a “cold war” rather than a “hot war” with Mozes.

‘Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer’

Netanyahu responded in English: “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.”

He described Mozes as a political rival with powerful media tools. Yediot Aharonot and Ynet, Netanyahu said, had “crossed the line” in their coverage of him and his family, but that did not mean he was “doing business” with Mozes.

A cold war, he said, meant an effort to keep the fight from breaking boundaries and becoming a “catastrophe.”

The prosecution also questioned the prime minister over his decision to record conversations with Mozes and his later statements to the police.

Netanyahu said he had recorded Mozes to document what he described as the publisher’s methods of “carrots and sticks,” but that he did not view the conduct as a criminal threat or as bribery.

“No one in the world thought that positive or negative coverage was a matter of bribery,” Netanyahu said, arguing that the prosecution had invented a retrospective criminal theory around routine relations between politicians and media figures.

Tadmor argued that Netanyahu could not have publicly released the recordings because they captured what the prosecution views as a clear bribery offer by Mozes and because Netanyahu did not reject it outright.

Netanyahu denied this, saying Mozes was acting in his own interest and had offered him “nothing.” He also said he had not used the recordings because, after winning the 2015 election, the matter “left my memory.”

When Tadmor pressed him on why he initially told police he had not recorded the conversations and then gradually changed his account, Netanyahu said his memory had been refreshed during questioning.

He said he had not remembered the recordings because, from his perspective, the political battle over Israel Hayom had ended.

The hearing also briefly returned to Case 4000, the Bezeq-Walla affair, when prosecutor Yehudit Tirosh argued that Netanyahu’s willingness to discuss Mozes’s business interests undermined his claim that Elovitch never spoke to him about Bezeq.

Netanyahu said the comparison was false, because Mozes was a political rival seeking to limit Israel Hayom through legislation, while Elovitch, he said, never spoke to him about Bezeq.

The trial, which opened in 2020, includes three cases.

In Case 1000, Netanyahu is charged with fraud and breach of trust over gifts allegedly received from wealthy businessmen. In Case 2000, he is charged with fraud and breach of trust over the Mozes talks.

In Case 4000, he is charged with bribery, fraud, and breach of trust over allegations that regulatory benefits were advanced for Bezeq in exchange for favorable coverage on Walla.

Netanyahu denies all charges and has repeatedly described the cases as politically motivated.

The end of cross-examination comes after months of disrupted hearings, many shortened or canceled because of Netanyahu’s security and diplomatic schedule during the war, including the period surrounding the Iran conflict and subsequent diplomatic developments.

On Tuesday, the judges allowed Netanyahu’s testimony to be shortened by an hour and 15 minutes for security-diplomatic reasons and because he also asked for a break to join a government meeting by Zoom.

Sama Safi, a 20-year-old Palestinian-American psychology student living in the West Bank, was arrested on June 2 during an IDF raid on her home and held without charge. 

Two weeks later, Safi has yet to be charged with a crime, according to US officials as well as media outlets citing statements from her family. 

An IDF spokesperson told The Guardian that Safi and three other female students at Birzeit University in the West Bank were arrested “after promoting hostile terrorist activity and additional terrorist-related activities.” The Guardian added that another student was released the week after the arrest. 

IDF got intel on Safi from other students detained previously

Safi’s lawyer, Lea Tsemel, told The Guardian that two detained students provided Israeli security forces with information that led to Safi and three other women’s arrest. Specifically, they linked Safi and her colleagues with the student activism organization called al-Qutub, which, according to several local and international media outlets, is associated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which Israel has designated a terror organization.

Safi’s next hearing is scheduled for Sunday, Tsemel told The Guardian, adding that being involved with al-Qutub is not illegal and the information was likely “extorted” from the detainees, “probably by force.”

US senators, congresspeople call for Safi’s release 

Several US government officials released statements calling for the US to come to Safi’s aid, considering her status as an American citizen. 

Massachusetts Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen posted a video on Twitter/X on June 3 claiming Safi was taken from her home “without explanation” during a 3 a.m. raid and told security forces she was an American citizen, which he said was ignored.

Yesterday, the IDF seized 4 students from their homes in the West Bank, including 20-year-old American, Sama Safi.

The Israeli govt didn’t tell her family or the U.S. Embassy where or why she was being taken & is holding her without charges.

America must secure her release NOW. pic.twitter.com/sh4dI7JGP3

— Senator Chris Van Hollen (@ChrisVanHollen) June 3, 2026

Van Hollen said he spoke to Safi’s mother, who told him Safi has a medical condition that requires daily medication. Other family members told The Guardian that Safi was not getting enough medical attention in detention. 

Democratic senator from Oregon Jeff Merkley posted a statement on Twitter/X on June 6 saying that “Sama’s family and the U.S. Embassy don’t know where she was taken. This is a five-alarm fire. The U.S. needs to secure Sama’s release NOW.”

Also on June 6, Massachusetts Democratic Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley wrote a similar message on Twitter/X, claiming also that the IDF soldiers “terrorized [Safi’s] family” when they arrested her. 

The Jerusalem Post reached out to the IDF for comment. 

Israel has reproached the Belarusian President, Aleksandr Lukashenko, for his “deeply disturbing” comparison between the Holocaust of the Jewish people and Israel.

Lukashenko made the comparison during a wide-reaching interview with Al Arabiya on Monday.

The Belarusian president told Melinda Nucifora that “Israel must be a little more careful.

“They already have a bad reputation in the world because of the bombing of Gaza. It is a holocaust,” he said.

“Why do we speak about the Holocaust suffered by the Israelis while they themselves have killed so many people, women, and above all, children have died in the Gaza Strip?”

“Gaza was simply wiped off the face of the earth, and they are trying to build a resort on the land where these people were killed. So we say that Israel has to start thinking about its future because otherwise even nuclear weapons will not help them.”

In response, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said “the remarks made by the President of Belarus – a country that knows all too well the horrors of the Holocaust committed on its own soil – in his interview with Al Arabiya are unacceptable and deeply disturbing.”

“Any comparison between the Holocaust of the Jewish people and Israel’s just war against terrorism must be unequivocally rejected.”

‘Vile, outdated antisemitic conspiracies’

The Foreign Ministry also condemned as “equally appalling” Lukashenko’s “revival of vile, outdated antisemitic conspiracies that should have long been consigned to history.”

Later in the interview, Lukashenko said Israel “got the United States involved” in the Middle East war.

“Israel provoked the United States. The Israel lobby in the US, the Jewish lobby, is very strong in the United States. They are rich and powerful people in the United States, and they do have influence,” he said.

Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, was previously reprimanded by Israel’s Foreign Ministry in June 2024 when he claimed Jews “steal without thinking.”

During a meeting on corruption, Lukashenko said, “There is a list of 30 suspects here. Forgive me, I’m not antisemitic, but more than half of the accused are Jewish.”

“What’s going on here? Have they [the Jews] assumed a special privileged status? Stealing and not thinking about their future? In Belarus, everyone is equal before the law. Jews, Belarusians, Ukrainians, Russians, and also Poles. Everyone,” he said at the time.

A controversial anti-Israel motion scheduled for a Montreal City Council meeting has been postponed until August.

The Projet Montreal party was set to bring the motion to the Council on Monday; however, opposition from the Ensemble Montreal party and various pro-Israel groups led to the delay.

In essence, the Projet Montreal motion calls for official solidarity with Palestinians, condemnation of Israeli government actions, and suspension of municipal institutional relations with Israel while simultaneously reaffirming opposition to antisemitism.

It formally asks that the City of Montreal “recognize and denounce the apartheid regime imposed in Palestine and the genocide being perpetrated there,” while affirming that “Jewish communities in Montreal and elsewhere, as well as people of Israeli origin, cannot be held responsible for the actions of the State of Israel, and that these communities themselves face a troubling rise in antisemitism.”

Immediate suspension of ties with the current Government of Israel

It also asks that the City of Montreal suspend without delay its institutional ties with the current Government of Israel, its institutions, and its municipalities, notably by ceasing to invite representatives of Israel to official events held at Montreal City Hall, “until Israel returns to its internationally recognized borders, ceases violations of the rights of the Palestinian people, and ends its violations of international law.”

The motion cites organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, as well as the International Association of Genocide Scholars and the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention, which have characterized the actions of the Israeli government in Palestine as genocide.

It also cites the similar conclusions of Israeli human rights organizations, including B’Tselem, and the International Court of Justice.

Following the publication of this motion, Mayor Soraya Martinez’ governing Ensemble Montreal party proposed a countermotion.

Ensemble’s motion is more balanced, asking the Montreal City Council to express deep sympathy to all civilian victims of the conflicts in the Middle East, to condemn all forms of antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, and discrimination, and to reaffirm that members of the Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Israeli, Palestinian, Arab, Lebanese, and Iranian ethnic and religious communities, as well as no Montrealer, “should ever be held responsible for the actions of foreign governments, armies or terrorist organizations.”

The Ensemble motion also introduces practical measures, such as establishing a Montreal Roundtable on Dialogue and Social Cohesion that brings together representatives of the communities concerned. It also urges the Office of the Commissioner for the Fight Against Racism and Systemic Discrimination to make recommendations aimed at strengthening the prevention of hate crimes.

The submission of Ensemble’s countermotion prompted the City Council to postpone discussion until August.

B’nai Brith Canada stood behind Ensemble’s proposed motion, saying it is “more balanced, does not label Israel as an apartheid state, and is generally neutral.”

“This is, of course, preferable to B’nai Brith and (we presume) others in the community, as the original motion contains language, which is one-sided, divisive, and misleading,” the organization said in a statement.

This incident comes amid a scandal involving serious allegations about the police in Montréal-Nord (Montreal North).

‘Racial profiling, discriminatory practices’ within Montréal police

Two officers have been suspended and 14 reassigned, as there have been alarming reports of racial profiling, discriminatory practices, and even officers who allegedly cut and kept hair from racialized individuals as “trophies.”

In total, 16 police officers from Station 39 are under investigation for racist and hateful acts.

“This situation highlights serious issues that risk eroding trust between institutions and the communities they serve,” said Paola Samuel, B’nai Brith Canada’s Regional Director for Quebec and Atlantic Canada.

“Montreal’s leaders should focus on these pressing realities, restoring trust, ensuring accountability, and addressing issues that directly affect our city’s residents. Yet, instead, Projet Montréal proposes severing institutional ties with Israel, pushing the City to adopt a unilateral stance on a complex foreign conflict.”

“Montrealers deserve leadership rooted in everyday realities – public safety, social cohesion, and trust in our institutions – and not initiatives that heighten divisions and divert attention from urgent issues right here at home,” she concluded.

US Envoy to Iraq and Syria Tom Barrack arrived in Iraq this week for a series of important meetings. On June 15, Tom Barrack, who is also the US Ambassador to Turkey, wrote that he was “happy and honored to be back in Baghdad, meeting with our great US Embassy team led by Chargé d’Affaires Joshua Harris. Today I will meet with Prime Minister Al-Zaidi to convey President Trump’s support for his government, and discuss our partnership on a new direction for a strong and mutually beneficial US-Iraq relationship.”

On June 15, he met with Iraq’s new Prime Minister Al-Zaidi. Zaidi is preparing for a trip to Washington next month. He is also being encouraged to rein in Iranian-backed militias. He met with Barrack in this context. Also, Barrack has unified the US envoy files on Syria and Iraq, making Barrack one of America’s most important diplomats in the region.

Iraq is going through a transition, and so is Syria. The US wants both countries to succeed and to be US partners. A decade ago, the countries were occupied by ISIS, and Syria was run by the pro-Iranian Assad regime. Iraq was also dominated by pro-Iranian Shi’ite parties, who had thrived under former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki. The Trump administration opposed Maliki seeking a new term this year. Zaidi is seen as having high potential within the White House.

Barrack reiterated the shared commitment of the United States Government, under President Trump’s leadership, and the Government of Iraq, under Prime Minister Al-Zaidi, to a strong and mutually beneficial US-Iraq partnership, able to fulfill Iraqi aspirations for a sovereign, secure, and prosperous future and to deliver tangible benefits for Americans and Iraqis alike. Special Presidential Envoy Barrack conveyed that President Trump looks forward to welcoming Prime Minister Al-Zaidi to the White House in mid-July to discuss the future of this important relationship,” the US Department of State said on June 15.

The report by the US State Department also added that “the leaders discussed the shared aspirational vision for the Iraqi government to build a brighter future free from terrorism, to implement Iraqi plans for ensuring the complete disarmament and disbandment of all armed groups and formations operating outside the authority and control of the Iraqi state, to ensure the confinement of their weapons within the authority of the Iraqi state, and to assert full sovereignty in order to keep Iraq away from conflict and ensure that Iraqi territory cannot be used by any side to threaten regional peace.” Barrack and Zaidi discussed the urgency of these efforts.

Iraq committed to close ties with the US

Iraq says that it is committed to trade and investment and close ties with the US in this respect. Barrack and Zaidi “commended the Iraqi decision to finalize the operating license for Starlink to offer worldclass internet services for Iraqi consumers; to launch negotiations with Chevron to develop the West Qurna-2 and Nasiriyah oil fields for the benefit of both sides; to enable US companies HKN, Western Zagros, and Hunt to resume operations with full security guarantees; and to advance a memorandum of understanding with TI Capital to rehabilitate the Kirkuk-Baniyas Pipeline as a vital oil export route.” Iraq and the US are also discussing Iraq’s electricity needs and the “Excelerate Energy’s project to develop an integrated LNG import terminal at Khor Zubair.”

Barrack has credited US President Donald Trump for the new endeavors in Iraq. He sees it as an “epic chapter” in Trump’s regional policy. Barrack also traveled to meet with Kurdish leaders of the Kurdistan autonomous region. The Kurdistan Regional Government is a key partner of the US, and the US has a large new consulate in Erbil, the capital of the KRG. In the Kurdistan region, Barrack met with KRG President Nechirvan Barzani and KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, as well as Masoud Barzani. The Barzanis lead the KDP Kurdish party, the largest in the Kurdistan region.

The KDP dominates Erbil. Barrack also met with the leadership of the Kurdish PUK party, the second-largest party in the autonomous region. PUK dominates the Kurdish city and region of Sulimaniyeh near the Iranian border. Barrack met with PUK leaders Bafel Talibani and Qubad Talibani. The Talibani and Barzani families and large clans and tribes they are connected with have dominated Kurdish politics for generations in northern Iraq. They played a key role in the rebellions against the Saddam regime. They have had close ties to the US and other Western powers for many years. They also worked with the US and other members of the anti-ISIS coalition.

End of US anti-ISIS coalition 

The US anti-ISIS coalition is expected to end its role in Iraq in September. It has already wrapped up its role in Syria. Iraq is expected to try to disarm some Iranian-backed militias in Iraq. The militias have been present in Iraq in greater numbers since 2003, after the US invasion. Some militias, such as Badr, have ties to the Iranian IRGC going back to the 1980s.

In the war on ISIS, the militias benefited from a fatwa by Iraqi Ayatollah Ali Sistani, a key Shi’ite cleric. In recent years, the militias have targeted US forces, attacked the Kurdistan Region, and attacked Syria and Israel, as well as targeting the Gulf states, and kidnapped a US journalist and a Princeton researcher. As such, the militias are a major threat to Iraq. The US hopes Zaidi will try to rein them in. Barrack’s visit is about showing how Iraq and the US can cooperate. Iraq should reduce the Iranian influence and get on track with the US.

Meanwhile, reports in Erbil say that “Pearl Petroleum has proposed a $10.2 billion capital investment plan spanning from 2026 to 2035 with aims of more than doubling its natural gas production in the Kurdistan Region,” Rudaw media reported on June 15. “According to the company’s latest report, the Kurdistan Gas Project’s 10-year expansion plan estimates an increase in production from 750 million to 1.65 billion cubic feet per day by scaling output at the strategic Khor Mor and Chamchamal fields in Sulaimani province.” This is very important. “The investment by Pearl Petroleum – a consortium led by Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum – is expected to significantly boost domestic electricity supply, support thousands of local jobs, and unlock tens of billions of dollars in fiscal and environmental savings.” This is the kind of project that the US and others will support.

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he would soon release the text of a proposed agreement with Iran, speaking at the G7 summit in France.

He added that the deal explicitly states that Tehran will not pursue nuclear projects.

“Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, that’s what it says. It won’t have one.”

Trump also confirmed that the Strait of Hormuz would be operated toll-free during and after the 60-day period reportedly designated for negotiations in the agreement.

“The strait will be open toll-free, and it’s toll-free beyond the 60 days,” he said.

Trump insisted that “having a United States with a strong president” is the only way to keep the Strait of Hormuz open in the future, adding that agreements made with “bad people” don’t carry any weight.

Trump slams Obama’s JCPOA, claims Congress critics support deal 

Trump rejected comparisons between his deal and Obama’s 2015 Iran deal, saying his agreement was better. 

The president said that “Obama… could have destroyed the Middle East with the JCPOA,” which he described as a “road to a nuclear weapon,” while his own agreement was “a wall against a nuclear weapon.”

Trump also dismissed reports that congressional Republicans, including Senator Lindsey Graham (South Carolina), were skeptical of the deal.

“[Lindsey’s] not skeptical, he’s just fine,” Trump said, adding that he would agree to Graham’s suggestion of sending the deal to Congress for approval.

Graham, a strong critic of Iran and one of the main supporters of the war, had praised the White House’s deal in a post on X/Twitter this week while expressing concern over what Iran said the deal included.

“Congratulations to all for getting us to this point. Time will tell,” he wrote.

Trump also said that the US plans on destroying Iran’s enriched uranium, which he argued remained recoverable despite the US strikes on its nuclear facilities, saying the bombing caused the mountain above the site to collapse. He said excavating the material would be difficult and could only be accomplished by the United States or China, but stressed that Washington was in no rush to retrieve it. 

“When we get it, we’ll destroy it,” he added.

Trump says more Middle Eastern countries could join Abraham Accords soon

Trump also said he believed additional Arab states would join the Abraham Accords.

“I think they’re all gonna come into the Abraham Accords,” he said, noting that the conflict with Iran was the only obstacle preventing more Arab countries from joining the normalization framework.

In recent days, Trump seemed to dismiss the notion that regime change in Iran was on the table.

“As far as regime change, I never cared about regime change,” Trump told the Wall Street Journal on Sunday. Iran’s current leadership is “the third group we’ve dealt with, and this is the most rational group yet.”

This sentiment echoes that of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who on Monday told the press that regime change was never the goal of the war with Iran.

In the past two days, speculation has surrounded Trump’s deal with Tehran, which is meant to lead to an end to the war with Iran, and is due to be signed on Friday.

At the G7 meeting, Trump told reporters that he means to “go over the document with the media in a couple of days.” 

The United States denied Israel’s request to view the newly agreed-upon Memorandum of Understanding before the signing ceremony, expected to be held in Switzerland later this week, a source confirmed to The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.

Earlier on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said he would read the deal “word for word,” though he did not specify when.

As of now, the details of the deal have not been published, which reportedly has 14 separate clauses, including the withdrawal of the IDF from southern Lebanon, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and releasing some $24 billion dollars in sanctioned funds.

Future of IDF operations in Lebanon uncertain as details of MOU yet to emerge

Despite Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s announcement that the peace deal includes Lebanon, Israeli officials have not confirmed if the IDF will pull back from the area.

On Monday, an IDF source confirmed to the Post that if Hezbollah respects the ceasefire, there will be no attacks anywhere in Lebanon.

Separately, Hezbollah on Tuesday told Reuters it received assurances from Iran that it would demand a withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon in its next phase of talks with the United States.

The group told Reuters that there would be “no nuclear deal between Iran and the United States unless the Israelis withdraw” from Lebanon.