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Ultra-Orthodox draft protesters shut down multiple highways and train routes, causing immense traffic in Israel for over two hours on Thursday. 

Two people were injured in the protests: one 21-year-old haredi protester who was hit by a car on Highway 1, and one 93-year-old man whose reasons for being injured have yet to be released. 

Footage on social media showed several haredi youths at different sites of protest getting into physical altercations with drivers and Israel Police officers. 

רכבו של דובר שרת התחבורה מירי רגב נופץ בהפגנת החרדים בכביש 6 pic.twitter.com/zgKQYuA4VH

— יואלי ברים yoeli brim (@yoeli_brim) June 11, 2026

The windshield of Transportation Minister Miri Regev’s spokesperson was smashed in one such altercation. 

Police had shut down Highway 4 south of Ramat Gan earlier on Thursday and blocked off the area from Shiva Interchange to Mosavim.  Later, protesters blocked Highway 1 near the Ganot Interchange and Highway 6 near the Ben Shemen Interchange, west of Ben-Gurion Airport.

Multiple reports emerged of protesters blocking trains in central Israel. Ben-Gurion Airport employees reported chaos at the airport after train service was suspended in both directions. 

Highways 34 and 25 near Netivot were also blocked, causing more traffic in central Israel. 

Haredi protesters fight civilians, make traffic stand still in Israel 

“At Savidor, the trains are frozen. One train that was supposed to travel to Jerusalem got diverted back, and passengers were forced to disembark,” one witness told The Jerusalem Post. 

“The Savidor Station is crowded with people either leaving the station or waiting, with little information about when the trains may be up again.”

“It’s complete chaos, a handful of fringe protesters have brought the country to a halt, and police seem to just be letting it happen,” a second witness, who claimed to have waited as Tel Aviv’s Savidor Station for over an hour and a half, told the Post. 

Another witness was stuck at Ben-Gurion Airport for over an hour. He said that cheers emerged when employees announced over the loudspeaker that trains would resume shortly. 

Airport in chaos after haredi protesters stop train traffic 

The Israel Airports Authority warned on Thursday that protests near Ben-Gurion Airport are expected to cause traffic congestion and delays, and recommended that passengers and airport staff use the train to reach the airport. 

According to a statement posted on X/Twitter, the Airport Authority said it is “prepared to maintain the operational continuity of Ben-Gurion Airport and the continuation of regular aviation activity,” adding that operations are expected to continue as scheduled.

This comes after the Knesset advanced a bill to give draft evaders the same rights as IDF soldiers.

Traffic is expected to be further strained by concerts by Omer Adam in Ramat Gan, Ben Tzur at the Moshava Stadium in Petah Tikva, and Eyal Golan at Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv on Thursday night.

Iran fired a barrage of ballistic missiles into Israel on Sunday, and US President Donald Trump publicly ordered the prime minister of Israel “not to retaliate.” Trump also told the Financial Times that Benjamin Netanyahu “won’t have any choice” because the American president calls “all the shots.”

Bibi struck back anyway, no doubt feeling it was better to upset Trump than to show voters in an election year that “Mr. Security” was America’s weak lackey.

Just days earlier, CBS and The New York Times reported leaks out of the Pentagon that the Defense Intelligence Agency is investigating Israeli espionage against the United States.

It was a week in which the temperamental Trump told Bibi he’s “f***ing crazy” and “everybody hates Israel.”

A pair of recent Pew Research Center surveys emphasized the message. One found that “60% of Americans have an unfavorable view of Israel, up from 53% last year,” and another revealed that two in three people in most of the 36 countries surveyed hold unfavorable views of Israel and Netanyahu, while only 25% were favorable.

If there’s any bipartisanship left on Capitol Hill, it is the growing opposition to the war in Iran and to unfettered aid to Israel.

This comes as Israel’s 10-year, $38-billion aid agreement is coming up for renewal amid spreading bipartisan congressional criticism, while administration insiders search for a scapegoat to blame for the unpopular war and the failure to produce the results Trump promised.

Eighty-five House Democrats wrote to Trump, reminding him of his opposition to Israel annexing the West Bank and demanding he press Netanyahu to halt bulldozing Palestinian homes in the West Bank to build more Jewish settlements.

This can’t be shrugged off, as I’ve often been told; they all hate us anyway, so it makes no difference what we do. Nor is it simply a matter of habitually inept public relations by Israel and its friends here. Like it or not, Israel’s plunge in standing here and abroad is directly related to its policies, and especially its intensive war-making since October 7.

I don’t believe Israel committed genocide in Gaza, but I can see how many feel that way in light of the massive, indiscriminate bombing, enormous death toll among women and children and the elderly, the destruction of hospitals, schools and infrastructure, frequent blocking of humanitarian aid and food, and the open lust for revenge from top leadership.

Lebanon looks like a repeat of the costly mistakes of the 1982 war. Israel has again occupied the land south of the Litani River, sent over a million Lebanese fleeing their homes, and bombed Beirut (the reason Iran gave for its latest missile salvo).

Israel’s PR problems

Little noticed in the fireworks was a speech given at The Jerusalem Post Annual New York Conference by Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, stating the obvious: Israel has an image problem and needs professional help.

He’s right, up to a point. The billionaire cosmetic heir is a personal friend of both Trump and Netanyahu. Both see themselves as PR mavens who share cluelessness about both cause and solution.

Public relations advice won’t solve their systemic problems, but Israel clearly needs help improving the substance of its message to the world if it is to begin digging out of the deep crater it has bombed itself into.

Way back in the last century, before I turned prematurely grey, I was briefing a Jewish audience about some friction between the president and the prime minister at the time (Ronald Reagan and Menachem Begin). The first question I was asked (and frequently through the years) was, “Why don’t the Israelis get some good PR advice?” 

The answer was the same then as it is today: they get lots of good advice, but they think they know better.

As I said, PR isn’t the answer, but it is a start. Lauder’s first piece of advice is valid but just a small step: take the job out of the hands of amateurs and self-aggrandizing politicians whose talents seem to be self-aggrandizement and pushing from bad to worse.

Instead of trying to gag the press, Netanyahu should gag some of his ministers. Take Amichai Chikli, his diaspora minister who acts like the anti-diaspora minister. He has been called “remarkably ignorant about Diaspora Jewish life,” confrontational, and particularly disdainful of Reform Judaism. Like so many, he has been quick to equate criticism of his government’s policies with antisemitism.

Lauder wants Israel to replace politicians and amateurs with PR professionals. That’s not easy when the prime minister lures coalition partners with promises of their own ministries or other lucrative sinecures.

Part of the problem Israel faces is that in America, cabinet secretaries serve at the pleasure of the president. In Israel, the prime minister serves at the pleasure of coalition partners who have a penchant for threatening to bring down the government if he doesn’t meet their demands.

The haredi (ultra-Orthodox) parties are masters, demanding massive funding for their substandard schools that fail to provide an education vital to real-world survival and insisting on draft exemptions so their young men can study while everyone else must serve.

American Jewry

Lauder says Diaspora Jews must be partners. Netanyahu sees himself as the leader of the Jewish people around the world and, like his predecessors, speaks of a partnership. But they’re just blowing smoke. For all the years I’ve been observing, it has been the same – “We love you but keep your advice to yourself and send us more money and weapons.”

Many Jews and their representatives in Congress are drifting away. The settlement movement is highly unpopular among most Americans, and the Netanyahu government’s failure to deal seriously with settler violence against West Bank Palestinians is eroding Israel’s standing.

American Jews are uncomfortable with the most extreme right-wing government in Israel’s history; one dominated by nationalist and religious extremists who say the largest group of American Jews aren’t real Jews.

Bezalel Smotrich, the influential finance minister and leader of the Religious Zionist party, calls Reform Judaism a “fake religion.” Three other key Netanyahu partners share the view – Shas, United Torah Judaism, and Otzma Yehudit, as well as many in Netanyahu’s Likud.

That may be Israel’s toughest PR challenge. Most American Jews identify as Reform (37%) or Conservative (17%). Orthodox Jews are about 9%, and the rest say they are unaffiliated.

I agree with Lauder. Israel must do a better job of telling its story and make Diaspora Jews feel like partners. 

But it will take more than hiring PR professionals. It demands fundamental changes. It is about how Israel governs itself, how it respects the rights of its minorities, how it treats the Palestinians and its neighbors, and how it relates to its fellow Jews.

Later this year, Israelis will go to the polls. I hope they elect a new leadership smart enough to stay out of partisan US politics, win back the trust and affection of American Jewry, reinforce its democracy, make peace with the Palestinians, and rebuild its international stature.

The challenge is not about how to shape Israel’s image but how to move toward policies that don’t alienate Israel’s natural friends. It may not be halachic, but you can’t put a kippah on a pig and call it kosher.

The writer is a Washington-based journalist, consultant, lobbyist, and former legislative director at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

A recent European financial investment in the West Bank may threaten Israeli efforts to see the Palestinian Authority abandon its pay-for-slay policy, even if the money has bypassed the PA, an expert told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.

The European Investment Bank and the European Commission announced earlier this week that the Palestinian economy received a €395 million injection to support Palestinian micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises.

The funds will bypass the PA and be channeled directly through the Bank of Palestine, the National Bank, Quds Bank, Cairo Amman Bank, and Palestine Investment Bank to “expand access to credit through local financial intermediaries,” the EIB confirmed.

As noted by Itamar Marcus, the founder and director of Palestinian Media Watch, and exclusively reported on by the Post in February, the Bank of Palestine, one of the banks participating in the program, has explicitly refused requests from the Finance Ministry to close 3,400 accounts reportedly used to distribute payments to released terrorists.

“Banks that are receiving the money directly from the EU have the bank accounts paying terror salaries to terrorists and their families,” Marcus commented. “As long as the EU continues injecting money to strengthen the economy that enables the PA to limp along, without first seeing fundamental reforms throughout Palestinian society, it is responsible for Palestinian youth being brought up to believe that violence and terror will ultimately destroy Israel. Conflict and terror will continue for another generation, courtesy of the EU.”

Funds intended to expand access to financing for Palestinian businesses

The package also includes the deployment of the remaining €2.1 million in technical assistance under a total €3.5 million envelope, of which €1.4 million has already been deployed.

EIB said the funds would “expand access to affordable financing for Palestinian businesses.”

“Palestinian businesses need reliable access to finance if they are to continue operating, investing and protecting livelihoods under extremely difficult conditions,” said EIB Vice-President Gelsomina Vigliotti.

“With these agreements, we are putting into operation the €400 million facility announced in October 2025 and making available up to $395 million through local partner banks to support Palestinian MSMEs where financing is most needed. At the same time, €3.5 million in technical assistance will help reinforce the sector at multiple levels.”

The Palestinian economy has struggled for years, with conditions worsening after Hamas’s October 7 attack prompted Israel to revoke the work permits of roughly 100,000 Palestinians on national security grounds. Economic pressures had already been in place after Israel, in 2022, legislated the withholding of Palestinian Authority funds in response to the authority’s payments to convicted terrorists and the families of slain attackers under its pay-for-slay program.

Palestine Monetary Authority Deputy Governor Mohammad Manasrah said, “The implementation of this $395 million package marks a concrete step in reinforcing the Palestinian financial sector’s ability to support businesses during a period of exceptional strain. Through five sub loans to local banks, part of which is structured as sub-debt to strengthen banks’ capital base, while the use of proceeds remains exclusively directed toward financing micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, this cooperation will broaden access to financing across Palestine, enabling businesses to continue operating, adapt to difficult conditions and sustain economic activity.”

Despite positive steps, terror glorification permeates PA society

Though Marcus said it was a positive step that the EU had “attempted to bypass the terror-supporting Palestinian Authority” to provide direct help to small businesses, he told the Post that “terror support and terror glorification permeate every aspect of Palestinian society so that whenever money is pumped into Palestinian society it is supporting the terror environment.”

The EIB operation forms part of the European Commission’s “Multiannual and Comprehensive Program for Palestinian Recovery and Resilience,” which has a budget of up to €1.6 billion for 2025 to 2027, and includes a €620 million grant specifically for the PA.

Though the EU has prohibited the use of its funds for pay-for-slay payments, critics have noted that the EU funds have allowed the PA the financial leeway to invest in the salaries of terrorists.

Marcus voiced fears about the types of protocols in place, ensuring that only businesses not participating in the glorification of terrorism receive the funds.

“For example, clothing factories and stores are producing and selling the shirts for children that have pictures of terrorists, teaching them that murderers of Israelis are their heroes and role models. Other factories and stores produce and disseminate the maps of ‘Palestine’ that erase and replace Israel. Sporting goods are sold to teams that are named after terrorists,” he explained. 

If the orders are handed down, the Golani Brigade is ready for anything, including advancing its ground forces to take over Beirut, IDF Golani Brigade Battalion 13 Commander “M” told The Jerusalem Post in an interview on Thursday.

Next, he discussed having recently taken over the Wadi Saluki area of southern Lebanon from Hezbollah, how it makes Israeli northern civilians safer, and how it pushes back Hezbollah drone and rocket launching lines, while noting that the FPV drone threat remains.

M has been in the IDF for 15 years and served in Gaza during “Chariots of Fire parts I and II” in 2025 in Khan Yunis and Rafah, after which his unit was among the first to enter Lebanon when the IDF invaded in early March of this year.

Since they were among the first to invade, M said, they encountered periodic Hezbollah resistance and engaged in close-range fighting.

In total, three soldiers from his battalion were killed, while the IDF has killed around 50 Hezbollah fighters in the general area.

Later, his battalion also found and seized or destroyed Hezbollah weapons and tunnels.

Included in the items they found were materials from Iran explaining military strategy, as well as military maps from Iran.

“There is a lot of strong spirit,” M said about his battalion’s feelings about its accomplishments.

Taking over Wadi Saluki

M and Battalion 13 took over the Wadi Saluki area around two weeks ago, in parallel with other Golani units taking over Beaufort Castle.

At the time, when M finally received orders to take over the Wadi Saluki area, his units had been waiting for weeks to do so. Until then, they had carried out repeated in-and-out penetrations in that area, but had not attempted to hold onto any areas.

Providing additional details, he said, “When we got the order that we can stay there and take over areas, our officers formulated our battle strategy and rules. Then we went out at night and penetrated through the Saluki area.”

“Next, we went beyond to the West, cutting through parts of the river. The river has some large increases in the water depth and is extremely difficult to cross through even when it is uncontested by the enemy,” he recalled.

M complimented the air force, tanks, and artillery units for helping pave the way for their advance with significant firepower against Hezbollah forces right before they made their move.

He also complimented his tactical field intelligence collection units.

“We were raised on the stories of the IDF battles at the Saluki from 1997. Now it was easier to get there,” he noted.

Soldier recounts ‘most difficult battle’ while in Lebanon

One anecdote he said involved their most difficult battle during “face-to-face combat over a house. My forces went in, and the terrorists opened fire. We killed them eventually, but their initial attacks wounded some of our soldiers. When Tuvia Lifshitz ran in to help his fellow wounded soldiers, the Hezbollah fighters shot him and killed him. Later, the IDF fighters surrounded and isolated the terrorists within the house until they killed them.”

In another instance, in a village near the Saluki area, his battalion marched through seven kilometers in the rain, and some of his soldiers were wounded by Hezbollah mortar fire.

He said that most of his forces continued to advance, while a specific rescue unit came to take care of the wounded soldiers until they could be evacuated by helicopter to medical centers.

M acknowledged, as many IDF officials have, that the military entered the Lebanon invasion without being fully ready for Hezbollah’s new FPV drone threat

M admitted that even if his advance is preventing Hezbollah from launching drones into northern civilian villages to some extent, the threat remains, especially against the soldiers in southern Lebanon.

However, he stated that using nets, special guns, and greater awareness of observing threats and listening for sounds from the air has helped somewhat reduce Hezbollah’s drone threat effectiveness.

He said that he trusted the defense establishment would eventually develop more complete solutions, though this could still take months.

M stated that he wanted the northern villagers to be able to live normal lives and his son to grow up to be able to live a peaceful life.

“There needs to be patience… This is guerrilla warfare. It’s not going to be ‘one operation, and we are done.’ You cannot just attack one area, and it is over. You need to act systematically. But we prevent attacks and invasions, and penetrations into our [northern civilian] villages. That will not and cannot happen,” he said.

“They cannot attack with anti-tank missiles, no short-range mortars or rockets, and now need to work on other things. This was our main mission. And you cannot do these things with just the air force – you need invading ground forces,” he noted.

M’s battalion is now being given a period of weeks to refill and fix their equipment and other soldiering needs, as well as some time off to refresh at home, before returning for the next mission.

He thanked all the different kinds of soldiers, including reservists and commissioned and non-commissioned officers.

M, who is married and has one child, has commanded the battalion for around one year and calls his current position a lifelong dream.

Thirteen additional hesder yeshivot – which combine Torah study with serving in the IDF – on Thursday joined prior institutions, bringing up to 25 the number that have banned their Orthodox religious-Zionist male students from joining the tank corps in protest at an IDF pilot program to integrate women into the corps.

According to the IDF, the program is only a pilot program, and it is unclear whether it will lead to placing women permanently 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.

From their perspective, it is immodest for men and women to serve together in the same tank or tank units and could lead to problematic mingling between them in such a small, secluded space.

Traditionally, religious-Zionist hesder graduates serve in male-only units, and usually in units that are composed of overwhelmingly hesder students, or at least men from Orthodox backgrounds.

The IDF appreciates the hesder program because virtually all of the program’s students, though they serve less time in the IDF than other Israeli societal sectors, because their service is split by a year of Torah study, serve in combat units, and many go on to become mid- and high-level officers.

IDF pushes to integrate women into combat

However, the IDF was informed by the High Court of Justice on April 13 that it was under a legal duty to implement, as far as possible, equal opportunity for women and men in access to combat roles, including beginning its long-delayed pilot integration of women into the tank corps by the November 2026 draft cycle.

Moreover, given that the government failed to integrate haredim into the IDF both before and since October 7, 2023, and the IDF has lost up to around 25,000 soldiers to physical or emotional harm in recent years, leaving a massive gap in human resources, the military has been pushing hard to fill combat roles with women.

One woman was even recently accepted to the elite Sayeret Matkal special forces, and women have taken on relatively new ground combat command roles as brigade and battalion commanders, and even as a missile boat commander.

Despite the IDF putting out a public response on Wednesday, noting the various ways it is still protecting hesder students from serving with women in tank units, the number of institutions barring their students nearly doubled on Thursday.

That said, two-thirds of the hesder yeshivot had not yet pulled out.

Some may be waiting to see how the pilot program pans out and whether the IDF keeps its promise to maintain women in separate tank units, unlike artillery and infantry units that now have mixed male and female units.

Don’t you just hate it when you’re heading out of Madison Square Garden after one of the most exciting basketball playoff games in history, and some nudnik comes up and wants to talk about Palestine?

If Jerry Seinfeld were doing a stand-up routine now, he might open it with this line, after FinesseFave, an influencer, waylaid him following the New York Knicks’ thrilling come-from-behind victory over the San Antonio Spurs at the Garden on Wednesday night and asked him to say, “Free Palestine.”

FinesseFave, who has several hundred thousand followers across various platforms, pushed a microphone at Seinfeld, saying, “What up, Seinfeld? What up? Can we get a ‘Free Palestine’?” to which the legendary comedian responded, “Ha-ha. It doesn’t exist,” and walked away.

The streamer shared the video with his 180k TikTok followers, adding the caption, “Clown hasn’t been relevant in decades anyway.”

Seinfeld repeatedly publicly harassed for support of Israel

Seinfeld, who created the wildly popular series Seinfeld, which ran for nine seasons, started out as a stand-up and was used to hecklers. This has helped him keep his cool on many occasions when he has been publicly harassed because of his support for Israel following the October 7 Hamas massacre in 2023 and the outbreak of war.

In February 2025, he told an anti-Israel activist, “I don’t care about Palestine,” after he was approached outside Radio City Music Hall in New York.

An anti-Israel heckler interrupted Seinfeld’s show in June 2024 at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. “We have a genius, ladies and gentlemen. He solved the Middle East,” Seinfeld said in response to the heckler. “It’s the Jewish comedians; that’s what we have to get.” The audience applauded his response.

Earlier in 2024, he was booed when he gave a commencement speech at Duke University, and some students walked out.

These instances, and several others, have not intimidated Seinfeld. In December 2023, he visited Israel, toured the remains of Kibbutz Be’eri and met there with survivors of the October 7 Hamas massacre, and went to Hostages Square in Tel Aviv to support people with family members who were being held in Gaza. On that visit, he said he was, “proud to be an ambassador for spreading the truth throughout the world.”

Maybe the next time he is approached by someone wanting him to talk about Palestine, he can use this line from the series, “The jerk store called. They’re running out of you.”

The Congressional Israel Allies Caucus hosted its annual Jerusalem Day celebration on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, bringing together lawmakers, faith leaders, and supporters of the US-Israel relationship to mark the reunification of Jerusalem and reaffirm support for the city as Israel’s capital. 

The event was organized by the Congressional Israel Allies Caucus, which is co-chaired by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA), Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX), and Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL). 

Participants included Members of Congress, Jewish and Christian leaders, and advocates of the US-Israel alliance. Senator Ted Cruz, White House Faith Office Head Paula White, Special Envoy to Combat Anti-Semitism Leo Terrell, Pastor Larry Huch, and a senior Israeli official were expected to attend and address the gathering. 

Organizers said the event highlighted bipartisan American support for Jerusalem and the relationship between the United States and Israel. The gathering also focused on faith-based diplomacy and cooperation between Jewish and Christian communities. 

Celebrating Israel’s capital return to sovereignty

“On Jerusalem Day, we join Israel in celebrating the 1967 restoration of its ancient capital city to Israeli sovereignty. This was a great day for the Jewish people and for everyone who believes in the right of every nation to exercise its sovereignty within secure borders,” said Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ). 

Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) said, “As Co-Chair of the Israel Allies Caucus, I am honored to join the Jerusalem Day Reception celebrating Jerusalem as Israel’s unified capital city.” 

“For more than 3,000 years, Jerusalem has been the eternal capital of the Jewish people, the holy city to the three Abrahamic faiths, and today is unique for its faith and history woven into the very fabric of the city. It is a place where people of diverse backgrounds and religions prosper together. I am proud to celebrate its enduring significance and the unbreakable bond between the people of the United States and Israel,” Schneider added. 

Jordanna McMillan, Israel Allies Foundation US Director, said recognition of Jerusalem and the relocation of the US Embassy to the city affirm “our shared Judeo-Christian values, commitment to religious freedom, and a strategic partnership that advances America’s interests in a more stable Middle East.” 

The Israel Allies Foundation said it coordinates the activities of more than 1600 legislators through 64 parliamentary caucuses worldwide in support of faith-based diplomacy and Israel. 

The United States will sanction thirteen individuals and entities that attempted to purchase and transfer weapons systems on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggot announced in a press statement on Wednesday.

The sanctioned persons and organizations, who reportedly sought to source weapons that included man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS), are based in Iran, Belarus, China, and Hong Kong. 

“The United States, as directed in the President’s National Security Presidential Memorandum Two, is committed to disrupting procurement efforts supporting Iran’s military programs. This action represents the commitment to stop Iran from engaging in activities related to the reconstitution of its proliferation-sensitive programs,” the statement read.

A fact sheet released by the department explicitly names and describes four entities and individuals.

First is the Armory Alliance, a Belarus-based organization that acts as a middleman for China and Iran by purchasing large quantities of MANPADS and 

Iran’s Center for Innovation and Technological Cooperation also sanctioned

Second is Mohammadmahdi Maleki, a Belarus-based Iranian employed by Armory Alliance, who actively contributed to the organization’s efforts to supply Iran with weaponry. 

Third is Iran’s Center for Innovation and Technological Cooperation (CITC), a government entity involved in acquiring satellite imagery and intelligence used to assist Iranian strikes throughout the region. They, too, have reached out to Chinese sources in attempts to procure weapons for the IRGC.

Sajjad Ahadzadeh, the head of the CITC, was also among the people sanctioned by the US State Department after being directly involved in the procurement of MANPADS and other weapons and materials for use by the Iranian government.

US pushes forward with Operation Economic Fury

The sanction designations follow the US implementation of Operation Economic Fury, a Treasury Department initiative to create a chokehold on Iran during the conflict and to sanction entities with connections to the regime in order to degrade Iran’s ability to advance its military objectives.

They are also driving the Iranian regime towards taking clandestine actions via underground banking networks and covert trade routes to circumvent sanctions and their economic consequences. 

“Today’s action supports the implementation of United Nations (UN) sanctions and restrictive measures on Iran, reimposed as a direct result of Iran’s ‘significant non-performance’ of its nuclear commitments,” Piggot said.

“UN Security Council resolution 1929 requires UN Member States to prevent the supply, sale, or transfer of conventional weapons such as MANPADS to Iran,” he continued, adding that the US is committed to maintaining maximum pressure on Iran in order to deny the IRGC access to resources to sustain their “destabilizing activities.”

The Treasury Department also pointed out that they are “maintaining maximum pressure on Iran and targeting the regime’s ability to generate, move, and repatriate funds,” having “disrupted tens of billions of dollars worth of revenue.”

The IDF promoted two officers to the General Staff earlier this week, with Guy Markizeno becoming the new prime minister’s military secretary, and Tal Politis becoming the new defense attaché in Washington.

Markizeno was promoted to Maj.-Gen. and replaces Roman Gofman, who left in order to become Mossad director.

Markizeno previously served as Defense Minister Israel Katz’s military secretary and held command positions within the military’s Artillery Corps.

The prime minister’s military secretary serves as the “ambassador of the General Staff’s thinking to the prime minister, and the ambassador of political requirements to the General Staff,” IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said.

Politis, a former Navy SEAL and deputy head of the Israel Navy, was promoted to V.-Adm. and replaces Maj.-Gen. Hidai Zilberman, who left the post in December to head the Planning Directorate. The position has been temporarily held by Brig.-Gen. Arik Ben-Dov.

Katz: ‘US-Israel strategic alliance is central pillar of Israel’s security’

“The strategic alliance between the United States and Israel is one of the central pillars of Israel’s security and of stability in the Middle East,” Katz said.

“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump, the depth of the strategic ties between Israel and the United States has reached unprecedented levels, first and foremost during Operation Rising Lion,” he added.

“I want to thank the one who filled the attaché’s place during this period and did so well, Brig.-Gen. Arik Ben-Dov, and express appreciation to the entire attaché team in Washington for its contribution during this unique period,” Zamir added.

Meanwhile, Brig.-Gen. Barak Hiram was appointed as the head of the IDF Operations Directorate’s Operations Division.

This role is widely considered the most influential Brig.-Gen. rank within the IDF hierarchy and is seen as a necessary stepping stone towards future promotions and, eventually, becoming IDF chief of staff.

Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.

The former top lawyer of the Toronto District School Board has sued his former employers for an alleged “poisoned and systemically antisemitic environment.” The Statement of Claim, viewed by The Jerusalem Post on Thursday, was submitted to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice last month.

Plaintiff Paul Koven, 59, who is Jewish, held various senior leadership positions, including executive officer, legal general counsel, and subsequently associate director of Education, Organizational Transformation and Accountability at TDSB between 2019 and 2024.

Before going on medical leave in 2024, Koven was the only Jewish executive at the TDSB.

Central to the claim is Koven’s allegation that TDSB housed a “poisoned and systemically antisemitic environment” in which Associate Director Leola Pon “made overtly antisemitic and racially divisive remarks.”

One of these took place in or about 2023 to 2024, when Pon reportedly made a “blatantly antisemitic comment” about a lawyer at a downtown law firm, who had worked with the plaintiff on high-profile litigation, saying she could not vote for him for a legal award because she had been told he was a “Zionist.”

Koven also spoke of how TDSB as an institution has been subject to numerous controversies and complaints about antisemitism, such as the Board’s dereliction, neglect or refusal to implement the report titled “Affirming Jewish Identities and Addressing Antisemitism”; a field trip in September 2024, where students were exposed to pro-Palestinian chants and anti-Israel slogans, breaching TDSB’s own policies; and the fact that the Board’s own Human Rights Annual Report found that from September 2023 to December 2023 the number of incidents of antisemitism were actually 2,000% higher (1,987%) than incidents of Islamophobia.

Hundreds of complaints made about inadequate response to antisemitism

Parents of Jewish students have, in fact, submitted hundreds of complaints to various Jewish organizations, including but not limited to B’nai Brith Canada, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, and the Jewish Educators and Families Association, about TDSB’s inadequate response to antisemitism.

Koven said that this “toxic, racially charged and discriminatory work environment” forced him to take medical leave and ultimately left him with no choice but to resign, due to constructive dismissal.

Koven is pleading that the TDSB discriminated against him with respect to employment on the basis of his Jewishness, and therefore violated his human rights.

He is seeking damages from TDSB in the amount of $750,000 for wrongful dismissal, constructive dismissal, and/or negligent misrepresentation; and $750,000 in general damages for injury to dignity, feelings, and self-respect, as well as for violation of his rights under the Human Rights Code, in relation to antisemitism.

From Pon specifically, Koven is seeking $750,000.00 in general damages with regard to antisemitism, and $100,000.00 for intentional infliction of emotional distress.

He is also requesting a declaration that TDSB and Pon are jointly and severally liable, and $1,000,000 for moral damages for bad faith in the manner of dismissal, demotion, mental distress, aggravated, exemplary, and/or punitive damages.

Antisemitism in Canadian schools

A 2025 Canadian government report revealed that nearly one-in-six antisemitic incidents in Toronto schools were initiated or approved by a teacher or occurred during a school-sanctioned activity.

About 30% of incidents involved physical antisemitism, either assault (6.2%), vandalism (14.9%), or aggressive hand gestures, such as throat slitting motions (10%). Spoken harassment, such as insults, expressions of hatred, and incitement to violence, was the second most common antisemitic attack.

Nearly three-quarters of antisemitic incidents took place in institutions under the Toronto District School Board, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, and the York Region District School Board.

Pakistan’s city of Quetta has been shaken by an attack on a female doctor while she was on duty on Saturday, June 5 at Civil Hospital, prompting outrage over workplace safety and violence against women in public institutions. Dr. Mahnoor Nasir, 29, was injured when a hospital employee allegedly threw acid on her in the ward before fleeing the scene, police and hospital sources said.

After initial treatment in Quetta, she was airlifted to Karachi’s Aga Khan University Hospital for specialized care, where hospital sources said she sustained burns to about 13% of her body, including injuries to her face, abdomen, thighs, and both hands. The hospital reported that her eyesight remains intact, although both her eyes were affected.

Balochistan Young Doctors Association (YDA) president, Dr. Abdul Hayee Baloch, told The Media Line that the attack caused severe damage to the doctor’s face, while her neck and head were also injured. He strongly criticized the government and the health department, saying that despite official claims, adequate treatment could not be provided at the government hospital, which led to her transfer to a private medical facility.

A medical technician, Abdul Razzaq Khilji, rushed to Dr. Nasir’s aid during the attack, using his jacket to shield her, and suffered burns in the process. Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti announced that he would be given a prestigious civil award, praised his actions as an example of courage and service, called him a “precious asset to society,” and said that all his medical expenses would be covered.

The suspect, identified by police as Humayun Shah, a lift operator at the hospital, was later killed in an exchange of fire with police during the ensuing manhunt. Key questions remain unanswered, including how he was able to bring acid into a government medical facility.

‘Mahnoor turned out to be a trailblazer’

Haji Ismat, Nasir’s uncle, who is accompanying her at the hospital, told The Media Line that doctors are encouraged by her progress. He said that his niece had always dreamed of becoming a doctor and that she had inspired several younger members of her family to pursue higher and professional education.

“Mahnoor turned out to be a trailblazer,” he said, noting that she was often a source of support for patients from their village and surrounding areas who visited Civil Hospital for treatment.

“On the surface, the attack targeted Mahnoor, but in reality, it has sent a wave of fear through working women across the country who have pursued higher education and professional careers,” he noted.

The attack has prompted strong condemnation from doctors and rights groups. The YDA announced a boycott of government hospital services except for emergencies, and UN Women Pakistan, the resident office of the United Nations agency for gender equality and women’s empowerment, strongly condemned the acid attack, calling it one of the most devastating forms of gender-based violence, saying there could be no justification for such a brutal act.

In a statement, UN Women Pakistan said the incident serves as a stark reminder that ending violence against women and girls requires collective action, accountability, and unwavering commitment from all sectors of society. The agency also expressed solidarity with Nasir, her family, colleagues, and women healthcare professionals across the country.

Concerns over easy availability of corrosive acid

Women’s rights activists and social media users have renewed concerns over the easy and unchecked availability of corrosive acid in local markets, including on the black market.

Pakistan’s legislative framework has completely failed to deter gender-based chemical violence, women’s rights activist Riffat Ayesha told The Media Line. She emphasized that despite a decade of legal reforms, corrosive acids remain extremely easy to obtain and are widely sold in informal markets under the thin pretext of being domestic drain cleaners or industrial agents.

Ayesha forcefully condemned the total absence of a state-mandated tracking system, demanding to know who is buying these lethal substances and for what purpose. Until the state implements strict buyer verification, she warned, the unregulated sale of these chemicals will continue to cause profound physical harm and lifelong psychological terror on women across the country.

Yasir Bashir, a Rawalpindi-based senior law consultant and member of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, told The Media Line that Pakistan’s legal system treats acid attacks as among the most serious violent crimes, combining provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code with a dedicated special law introduced in 2011.

“Under this special legislation, causing hurt through corrosive substances such as acid carries a minimum sentence of 14 years’ imprisonment, which may extend to life imprisonment, along with a mandatory fine,” he explained.

He noted that if an acid attack results in death, the case is prosecuted as murder under Section 302, which can lead to either the death penalty or life imprisonment. Courts may order offenders to pay compensation covering victims’ medical treatment and rehabilitation costs.

Overall, he said, Pakistan’s legal framework classifies acid attacks as aggravated offenses involving intentional disfigurement and severe physical harm, reflecting their long-term physical and psychological impact on victims.

Quetta-based political analyst Hazar Khan Baloch described the acid attack on a female doctor at a government hospital as highly alarming and possibly the first of its kind. He told The Media Line that the case took a troubling turn when the suspect was later killed in a police encounter.

Baloch commented that the sequence of events has raised more questions than answers, especially about the motive behind the attack and why the suspect was eliminated so quickly, possibly before a full investigation could determine key facts such as whether there were accomplices or institutional lapses.

He said the incident reflects a disturbing mix of gender-based violence, workplace insecurity, and concerns over law enforcement practices, adding that while such “swift justice” may offer immediate retribution, it risks undermining due process and deeper accountability.

An IDF officer and non-commissioned officer (NCO) were wounded by an explosive device during a counterterrorism operation in Jenin, the IDF announced on Thursday.

The officer was severely wounded, while the NCO was only lightly wounded.

Both were evacuated to receive medical attention, and their families have been notified.

Army Radio reported that IDF forces had been operating in Jenin in order to establish a permanent outpost within the refugee camp. Troops located a suspicious object and picked it up, apparently leading to the explosion.

 In a separate incident, a female IDF soldier was moderately injured by a drone strike in southern Lebanon on Thursday.

Reports added that the soldier was evacuated to a hospital to receive treatment, and her family has been notified.

Six IDF soldiers wounded in Hezbollah drone strikes

Last week, an IDF reservist was moderately wounded, and three other soldiers were lightly wounded by a Hezbollah explosive drone strike, Army Radio reported.

In a separate incident, two other IDF soldiers were lightly wounded by another Hezbollah drone explosion in southern Lebanon that same day.

The soldiers were evacuated to receive medical treatment, and their families were notified, the IDF said.

A suspected Russian hacker is in US custody after being extradited from Thailand and has been charged with facilitating a campaign of cyberattacks carried out by a Russia-aligned group that victimized numerous US companies.

Denis Obrezko, who was arrested in Thailand in November, made his initial appearance in federal court in Boston on Tuesday in connection with a case that US authorities alleged concerned a large-scale cyber espionage campaign being carried out by a group known as Void Blizzard.

The 36-year-old was charged with conspiring to commit unauthorized access to a protected computer and is now being held without bond in a case that is being prosecuted by the US Department of Justice’s National Security Division.

The Justice Department had no comment on Wednesday, and a court-appointed lawyer for Obrezko did not respond to a request for comment. 

Thailand‘s Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement the Thai government’s decision to extradite Obrezko was in accordance with Thailand’s domestic law and its obligations under the related treaties on extradition, “while fully respecting the due process of law of the defendant.”

Void Blizzard targets NATO members, Ukraine

Void Blizzard had been flagged by Microsoft in a May 2025 report as what it said was a new group that it had observed conducting cyber espionage activity against organizations important to Russian government objectives.

Active since at least April 2024, Void Blizzard’s activity has primarily targeted organizations in NATO member states and Ukraine across multiple sectors, including government, defense, transportation, media, healthcare and non-governmental organizations, Microsoft said.

An FBI agent in an affidavit filed in connection with the case against Obrezko said Void Blizzard’s activity has focused primarily on mass email harvesting across a wide range of US business sectors and industries.

The FBI has identified at least 11 US companies that have been hacked, a number that is believed to be just a fraction of Void Blizzard’s victims, the court filing said.

According to charging documents, the FBI linked Obrezko to cryptocurrency transactions that were carried out to buy a virtual private server and domain name that were used to conduct attacks targeting companies in the United States and elsewhere.

A planned meeting between New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Colombian President Gustavo Petro was quietly called off following pressure from US President Donald Trump‘s administration, The Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing several people familiar with the affair.

The two leaders had intended to conduct a private meeting followed by a public event discussing Western democracy, one source told the Washington Post, during Petro’s visit to the US due to Colombia’s representative currently holding the United Nations Security Council presidency – a position that rotates yearly among UNSC members.

One State Department official claimed that the meeting with Mamdani would have caused Petro to be violating visa restrictions made against him after he criticized the United States’ support of Israel’s war in Gaza, and urged US soldiers to “Disobey the orders of Trump. Obey the orders of humanity.”

“A visa is a privilege, not a right,” the official said. “Any individual’s US visa is at risk of revocation if they visit America and outrageously implore US soldiers to disobey orders of the duly elected president of the United States.”

“Under our UN headquarters agreements, we allow diplomats to the UN, but Office of Foreign Assets Control and visa sanctions remain in place,” the official added.

Petro has also accused the US of being “complicit in genocide” in Gaza, and has condemned its strikes on boats allegedly carrying narcotics, as well as the abduction and overthrow of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro.

Petro being punished for criticizing Trump administration, expert says

Adam Isacson, a Colombia expert at the Washington Office on Latin America, drew comparisons between the restrictions placed on Petro and other leaders whom the US has treated similarly, including former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and the Iranian delegation to the UN General Assembly last year.

“One doesn’t have to like Gustavo Petro to recognize that he isn’t in the same category as those leaders,” Isacson told the Washington Post, adding “If this is a new precedent of world leaders who criticize this administration having their UN visits truncated, then they will stop coming.”

“He’s not a dictator – his term ends in two months,“ Isacson said about Petro. “It appears that he’s being punished for the crime of criticizing the Trump administration.” 

The White House did not comment on whether Trump was directly involved in the decision to prevent Petro and Mamdani’s meeting.

Three Indian sailors have died in a US military operation to halt a tanker off Oman as part of Washington’s efforts to blockade Iran-linked shipping, Indian authorities said on Thursday.

The deaths are the first reported since the blockade began on April 13, operations which have seen the US disable eight ships and turn back more than 100 others.

Separately, the Indian embassy in Oman on Thursday reported an incident involving another tanker off Oman.

The Indian Foreign Ministry also stated that the commercial vessel MT Jalveer, which had 20 Indians on board, had also come under attack by the US navy. All the sailors on the ship were confirmed to be safe.

Of the three vessels, the ministry said, two were sanctioned by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control, while the third was in the non-compliant category.

Indian Shipping Ministry confirms sailors’ death, 13 vessels still stranded in strait

Indian Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal confirmed the three sailors had died.

“Sadly, three Indian seafarers initially reported missing are now confirmed dead after bodies have been located and identified,” Sonowal said.

The Indian Shipping Ministry also announced that, at present, there are 562 Indian seafarers on Indian flagged vessels, with a total of over 18,000 Indian sailors in the Gulf region as a whole, and 13 Indian vessels stranded in the Strait of Hormuz.

The US should take note of India’s protest against attacks on ships carrying their citizens, India’s Foreign Ministry announced.

The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said a US aircraft had carried out a precision strike on the Palau-flagged oil products tanker Settebello in the Gulf of Oman.

It “fired precision munitions into the ship’s engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces,” CENTCOM said.

India’s foreign ministry on Wednesday condemned the attack and said 21 Indian sailors had been rescued.

The Omani Navy responded to the Settebello’s distress call after it reported an engine fire following the US strike, British maritime risk management group Vanguard said.

India summons US official to lodge protest

India summoned the US deputy chief of mission to the country after lodging a “strong protest” over the incident, two Indian sources told Reuters on Wednesday.

Family members of Shivanand Chaurasia, one of the sailors who died, told reporters he had gone to sea about nine months ago and had told his father earlier this week that everything was fine.

The US attacks on vessels carrying Indian seafarers come ahead of next week’s Group of Seven summit where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to hold bilateral talks with US President Donald Trump. CENTCOM said the Settebello “violated the ongoing blockade by attempting to transport oil from Iran.”

It said the US blockade had disabled eight non-compliant vessels, redirected 134 ships that complied, and allowed 42 vessels supporting humanitarian aid to pass.

US ‌forces disabled the unladen Marivex oil tanker, which also had Indian crew aboard, in the Gulf of Oman on Monday after it attempted to sail to an Iranian port.

India is the world’s third-largest supplier of seafarers, with more than 300,000 sailors working in global shipping fleets, according to government data. Ships being targeted by the US blockade include Iranian vessels as well as so-called shadow fleet tankers, which are typically older vessels without Western insurance used to transport sanctioned oil and sailing under the flags of various nations to obscure their true ownership, cargo and movements.

“I strongly condemn any act from any party that endangers the lives of seafarers and the safety of international shipping. This is simply unacceptable,” Arsenio Dominguez, secretary-general of the UN’s shipping agency the International Maritime Organization, said on Wednesday.

At the Jerusalem Post 2026 New York Conference, Israel’s Tourism Ministry unveiled an ambitious campaign, seeking to present a country that must be experienced to be understood.

The ballroom at the conference had the familiar cadence of Israeli-American policy gatherings: tightly scripted remarks, a steady rotation of officials and advocates, and an audience accustomed to hearing Israel described in terms of strategy, resilience, and crisis management. But as the lights dimmed for the unveiling of the Tourism Ministry’s latest initiative, the atmosphere shifted.

The centerpiece was the launch of a new North American campaign titled “I Am Israel,” unveiled as part of what officials described as a broader effort to revive inbound tourism during a period of continued regional instability and reputational challenge abroad. The campaign, backed by an investment of approximately NIS 20 million, according to ministry officials, is designed to reposition Israel not primarily as a destination of sites and landmarks but as a lived experience – one mediated through people, culture, and emotional connection.

Kicking off the presentation was actor and longtime Israel advocate Michael Rappaport, who said he had visited Israel nine times in the past two-and-a-half years, and described those visits as transformative. “Tourism is not just about flights, it’s not just about hotels,” said Rappaport. “Tourism is about connection.”

The comment drew a knowing response from parts of the audience, many of whom are accustomed to Israel advocacy framed in geopolitical terms rather than personal narrative. Rappaport spoke of “gritty authenticity” and the lived texture of Israeli society – language that aligned closely with the campaign’s attempt to move away from traditional promotional imagery.

“We chose not to show only landscapes and sites,” explained Michael Izhakov, director-general of the Tourism Ministry. “We chose to show Israel through the people, through real moments, experiences, culture, and the joyful Israeli spirit.”

This shift represents a deliberate departure from the sanitized version of Israel that has characterized tourism marketing for decades. Instead of static beauty, the ministry is in a narrative of lived experience.

As Izhakov noted during his address, “For us, this connection goes beyond numbers and marketing,” emphasizing that their work aims to reach Jewish, Christian Evangelical, and pro-Israel constituencies with a message intended to be deeply personal and emotion-oriented.

WHILE THE campaign indeed leans into emotion, its grounding is firmly rooted in economic necessity, with the United States remaining the largest driver of inbound tourism to Israel.

In 2025, over 30% of all arrivals to the country originated from American soil, a notable figure compared to the 2019 peak, when nearly 1 million American visitors accounted for approximately 4.5 million total tourists. During his US tour, Izhakov has spearheaded high-level engagements with travel industry titans, community leaders, and potential investors.
As far as he is concerned, tourism is a pillar of soft international relations. “Every tourist also becomes an ambassador for us around the world,” he says. That being said, the other significant tether he referred to regarding tourism was the one that manifested between Israel and the American Jewish Diaspora.

Indeed, unlike previous efforts that focused on sheer visitor volume, the ministry is now prioritizing the development of a narrative framework in which tourism becomes a form of identity engagement.

By tapping into the historical affinity of American travelers, the ministry aims to translate personal visits into long-term advocacy. “We are meeting communities, travel agents, businesspeople, and leaders who are telling us something simple: We want to come to Israel,” Izhakov shared. This approach acknowledges that while geopolitical events fluctuate, the personal bond formed through firsthand encounters is a durable, long-term asset for the state.

Increasingly blending state-level diplomacy with the private sector’s agility, this broader outreach is bolstered by a significant structural evolution within the ministry. Departing from conventional tourism rhetoric, the ministry is integrating Israel’s technological identity into its growth strategy to ensure long-term stability and expansion.

As Izhakov declared at the conference, “In 2026, the Tourism Ministry will deepen investments in technology and artificial intelligence. Do not forget, we are the ‘Start-Up Nation.’”

This dedication to modernization is evident in internal changes like the creation of the “Lighthouse” unit, a one-stop shop overseen by the director-general that offers comprehensive support to entrepreneurs in overcoming bureaucratic challenges.

Additionally, recent government reforms permit up to 49% mixed-use development, including residential areas within hotel zones, helping developers bridge the feasibility gap and ensuring that Israel maintains a vibrant, modern hospitality sector while safeguarding its natural landscapes.

A key part of that effort, according to ministry officials, is the intentional move away from what Yoash Ben Izhak, vice president of marketing at the Tourism Ministry, described as conventional promotional language. “Our mission is not to help Israel blend in,” Ben Izhak said. “It is to ensure that Israel stands out as it has for thousands of years. We’re offering tourism with meaning.”

What comes next

The campaign’s rollout is defined by a sense of unwavering momentum that defies the cooling effect of regional instability. As Izhakov reminded the audience, the ministry refused to stand still, stating, “Even during this period, we did not stop, we did not pause our plans, we did not wait for the day after.”

The program neared its conclusion with a more somber note, briefly stepping away from the campaign presentation’s promotional tone, framing the event within the broader context of national service and conflict, and taking a moment to recognize the brave soldiers who fought to defend the State of Israel. It was the campaign itself, however, that remained the focal point of the evening.

The ministry is effectively building for the future, with Izhakov asserting, “We are not just rebuilding Israeli tourism, we are building its next generation.” Ultimately, “I Am Israel” is a strategic maneuver: that the country can be marketed not just as a destination but as an experience that must be felt.

The campaign has launched with a clear message: Israel is inviting the world to witness and interpret its narrative personally. As Izhakov concluded, “We are telling them something simple: We want you to come to Israel.”
In an era of fractured perceptions, Israel can still be marketed not just as a place to visit but as a story one is invited to enter.

This article was written in collaboration with the Tourism Ministry.

A 25-year-old Tel Aviv resident was arrested Wednesday evening on suspicion of violating the privacy of social media influencer Shir Weiss, and was questioned overnight on suspicion of rape.

The additional allegation followed a complaint filed by another woman after the Israel Police published the suspect’s photograph.

Officers from the Lev Tel Aviv police station in the Yarkon district arrested the suspect on Wednesday on suspicion of privacy violations and alleged sexual offenses. The suspect was taken in for questioning and was subsequently remanded in custody. 

The investigation was launched following a complaint filed by social media influencer Shir Weiss, who said that while she was in a Bershka store at the TLV Mall, she noticed the suspect in a neighboring fitting room allegedly peering into the stall where she was trying on clothes and photographing her.

Following the complaint, investigators conducted an extensive covert investigation during which they gathered evidence linking the suspect to the alleged offenses.

As a result, police received court authorization to publish the suspect’s photograph to locate him and establish his identity, after the evidence collected indicated suspicion beyond a reasonable doubt that he had committed the act.

Woman files rape complaint against privacy-violating suspect

After the suspect’s photograph was published with court approval, another complainant, a woman in her twenties who recognized the suspect from the published photograph, went to the Yarkon district police station and filed a complaint alleging that he raped her during the past several days.

Maariv learned that the suspect is not known to police but is well acquainted with Tel Aviv‘s nightlife scene through his work.

Police emphasized that the investigation is ongoing and said that any information from the public could help advance the legal proceedings and ensure a swift and effective response to the offenses attributed to the suspect.

During the night, the suspect was questioned regarding both complaints, which are unrelated and were filed by two different complainants. On Thursday morning, he is expected to be brought before the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court, where police will request an extension of his detention to continue the investigation.

At least 22 personnel were killed in a military helicopter crash in Pakistani Kashmir, security sources said on Thursday.

The number of personnel killed in the crash, which occurred on Wednesday, was not made public until the recent announcement, though it was stated that “All personnel on board” had been killed. 

The Mi-17 helicopter crashed near Muzaffarabad during take-off due to a technical fault, the military said in a statement on Wednesday.

Helicopter crashed, caught fire, all killed on board

The helicopter crashed while taking off and caught fire, a Reuters witness said, adding that firefighters were trying to control the flames.

Rescue teams have reached the site and a board of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the exact technical cause of the accident, it said.

An American official has died in Myanmar‘s commercial capital of Yangon, according to the US State Department, in an incident that two sources on Thursday said took place at a hotel last month.

“We can confirm the death of a US government employee assigned to US Embassy Rangoon,” a State Department spokesperson said, without providing additional details. Yangon was known as Rangoon during its colonial era.

“Out of respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones, we have no further information to provide at this time.”

The official was found at Yangon’s Sakura Residence & Hotel, which lies in one of the city’s main diplomatic hubs, according to two people familiar with the incident who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Hotel staff, reached via telephone, declined to comment and the local police station did not respond to requests for comment.

The Associated Press, which first reported the incident, said a Thai woman had been detained in connection with the death. Reuters could not immediately and independently verify the details.

“This is currently a matter of consular assistance and an ongoing police investigation being handled through the relevant official channels,” Thailand’s Foreign Ministry said, declining to comment further.

Myanmar in turmoil since military coup

Myanmar has been in political and economic turmoil since the military seized power in a coup in February 2021, arresting Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and members of her government.

The takeover triggered widespread protests, sparking a civil war that has pitted the military against a coalition of pro-democracy armed resistance forces and long-established ethnic minority armies.

In early April, former junta chief Min Aung Hlaing was sworn in as the country’s president, following a widely criticized, military-engineered election that was conducted in the throes of conflict.

A prehistoric cave is in the process of being excavated on the outskirts of Fureidis, a town south of Haifa and near the Zichron Ya’acov interchange, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced on a Thursday morning.

The ongoing excavations are funded by Ayalon Highways Company and directed by the IAA’s Prehistory Branch head Dr. Kobi Vardi and Amit Gabbay in cooperation with Prof. Ron Shimelmitz of the University of Haifa’s School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures and the Zinman Institute of Archaeology.

The cave dates back to 400,000 and 250,000 years ago, to the time of the Acheulo-Yabrudian culture – a collection of archaeological cultures in the Levant from the end of the Lower Paleolithic era.

“It is very rare to find a site in such a state of preservation,” said Vardi. “Every prehistorian who visits the site is absolutely thrilled.”

“The site, which is no less important than the well-known Nahal Me’arot site, and dates to the same period, will allow us to study in high resolution how humans lived at that time.”

Animal bones belonging to fallow deer, gazelle, and ancient horses have already been found within the cave, explained Vardi, alongside evidence of the presence of water, which may have made the site “attractive for ancient hunter-gatherer groups.”

Researchers explained that Acheulo-Yabrudian culture is characterized by their variety of advanced flint tool production methods, including small sharp handaxes, scrapers, and blades. 

Following the discovery of the site’s importance, the IAA and Haifa University plan to advance a large-scale research program aiming to reconstruct how ancient humans lived, adapted to their environments, and developed new technologies over the course of human evolution.

“We have been fortunate to excavate a unique site of global importance that has been protected from the ravages of time thanks to the exceptional conditions that existed here,” said Haifa University’s Professor Ron Shimelmitz. “This time capsule belongs to a unique period at the end of the Lower Paleolithic era, just before Neanderthals and modern humans became dominant and spread across many regions.” 

Only handful of Acheulo-Yabrudian sites found in Israel, Levant

“Only a handful of sites from this important phase have been uncovered in Israel and the wider Levant, and most of them are inaccessible for research.”

Shimelmitz explained that the gradual changes that emerged during the Acheulo-Yabrudian period “in human physiology, technology, and society foreshadowed the traits and complex behavioral patterns that developed later and characterize both Neanderthals and modern humans.”

“To a degree, they can be seen as the seeds that led to the development of our complex culture. One of the central processes taking place during this period is the transition to living in larger groups and spending longer periods at the same sites,” Shimelmitz said. “Caves from this period have yielded evidence of intensive use of fire and prolonged human activity, suggesting complex and rich camp life.”

“These are findings that many researchers associate with the development of social cooperation and the transmission of knowledge, as part of the processes of human evolution.”

“We very much appreciate the enthusiasm shown by Ayalon Highways Company in enabling us to undertake the excavation,” the researchers concluded. “The hope is that after the research is completed, this site will be open and accessible to all: to the residents of Fureidis, students at the nearby school, and anyone interested in the prehistory of the region.”

Early human handaxes found in Galilee show appreciation for aesthetics

In mid-March, a collection of Paleolithic stone handaxes found in the Sakhnin Valley of the Lower Galilee has shed new light on the cultural and cognitive world of early humans. 

The finds were presented in a study completed by researchers from Tel Aviv University and published in the journal Entin Faculty of Humanities: Tel Aviv: Journal of the Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University.

After noticing several knapped stones scattered around the valley, Sakhnin resident Muataz Shalata brought the finds to the attention of Tel Aviv University Professor Ran Barkai, an archaeologist and expert on the topic of early Paleolithic culture.

Barkai, alongside Shalata, embarked on an archaeological expedition in the valley and discovered a series of Paleolithic sites containing hundreds of large, carefully crafted stone handaxes.The axes were dated to the Pleistocene, likely made by Homo erectus, the first human species to evolve to have a humanlike body shape and gait, who had lived in the region hundreds of thousands of years ago.

“Handaxes served as the main tool of early humans for more than a million years,” Barkai said. “In the Sakhnin Valley, many hundreds of handaxes were found, indicating that the area served as an important hub of human activity over long periods of time.”

A Toronto activist group called for the US to release the Iranian regime proxy group commander who allegedly helped orchestrate attacks on Jewish, Israeli, and dissident sites and individuals across Europe and North America in the name of Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI), in a Thursday statement.

Al-Ahrar Palestinian Prisoner Support called for the immediate release of Kataib Hezbollah commander Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, who had been extradited and charged by the US Department of Justice on May 15 for various terrorism offenses related to 18 attacks.

The Canada-based organization called on activists and organizations to act against the “violent move” by the US, rejecting its criminalization and describing its attacks as legitimate wartime actions.

“Mohammad Al-Saadi deserves widespread and unconditional support for his role in struggling against imperialism, whatever that may have looked like – from having a relationship with martyr leader [IRGC Quds Force commander Qassem] Soleimani to being yet another criminalized Iranian-Arab Muslim man to potentially even being a member of the Resistance to simply stating that the US is committing war crimes against his people while in court – these are all experiences worthy of uplifting and sharing.”

The group condemned Turkey for allegedly arresting Al-Saadi before extraditing him, asserting that the country’s support for campaigns against Israel was limited to “empty statements.”

War brought to the US, expansion of ‘global intifada’

Al-Ahrar, which also has a New York and New Jersey branch, asserted that Al-Saadi had brought the war within the borders of the US, comparing him to Washington DC Capital Jewish Museum shooter Elias Rodriguez. Al-Ahrar signed the May Tariq El-Tahrir Youth & Student Network petition praising and calling for the release of the murderer of two Israeli embassy staff.

Al-Saadi was also compared to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons and Palestine Action vandals in the UK.

“All of these prisoners, many of whom are Palestinian and Arab, facing racist criminalization for participating in the struggle to liberate their homeland, are at the forefront of the movement against state repression,” said Al Ahrar. “Al-Saadi is part and parcel of this movement and international campaign – join us in calling for his liberation!”

The group also affirmed in the statement that it was part of Masar Badil Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path, which organizationally overlaps with Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network. Samidoun is proscribed as a terrorist entity for its links to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

Al-Saadi pleaded not guilty, ‘we are in a war situation’

The Al Ahrar support of the alleged HAYI mastermind came as Canada and 21 other states condemned Islamic Regime and HAYI attacks in their territories, including a March shooting against the US Toronto consulate. Al-Ahrar defended the shooting on Thursday, saying the consulate represented not only “hundreds of years of genocidal occupation and colonial conquest, but also the infrastructure that continues to facilitate this globally.”

Al-Saadi pleaded not guilty last Monday to the criminal charges against him, according to Reuters, arguing “we are in a war situation.”

Charges against him included conspiring to provide material support to Kataib Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), conspiring to and providing material support for acts of terrorism, attempted acts of transnational terrorism, conspiring to bomb a public site, property destruction by means of fire or explosives, and terrorism.

The plots attributed to him included a plan to carry out attacks against a New York City synagogue earlier this year.

Columbia University anti-Israel student activist Mohsen Mahdawi appealed on Wednesday an immigration court order to deport him to Jordan, according to his legal representation American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Mahdawi, who was arrested last April for undermining US foreign policy and government counter-antisemitism efforts with his pro-Palestinian campus activism, had been ordered removed to Jordan by an immigration judge last Wednesday.

The ACLU and other legal representatives on Wednesday appealed to the First Circuit US Court of Appeals. They have also petitioned on Wednesday to the Second Circuit, where his habeas petition is being deliberated. His legal team argued that his detention and censorship was punitive and served no legitimate purpose.

Mahdawi said that in a statement that as someone who was born in a Palestinian “refugee camp,” he thought he would be able to build his life in the US with the rights he ostensibly lacked there.

“Now the administration is abusing immigration law to silence me for speaking the truth about Palestinian suffering and genocide. When a government weaponizes immigration to punish speech, millions of immigrants and citizens feel that blow,” said Mahdawi. “This fight belongs to all who believe in democracy and every person willing to stand together in defense of the First Amendment. I take this fight to the First Circuit with love and faith – because the First Amendment is sacred, and I refuse to be silenced.”

Deportation to continue after US immigration judge rules Mahdawi not removable 

Deportation proceedings had been reinstated against Mahdawi in early May after the US Board of Immigration Appeals overturned a February decision by a US immigration judge to reject the government’s efforts to deport him, arguing that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) failed to prove he was removable.

“The original immigration judge correctly dismissed Mohsen’s immigration case before she had been fired, and the government cynically appealed the case within the Trump administration-controlled immigration court system knowing that the BIA would reverse,” Mahdawi’s attorney Cyrus Mehta said in a Wednesday statement with the ACLU. “We look forward to vindicating Mohsen’s First Amendment rights in the First Circuit Court of Appeals as well as the First Amendment rights of all other noncitizens living in the United States.”

The 34-year-old green card holder was arrested by DHS agents while he was attending a citizenship interview, with his deportation sought under the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act.

“The secretary of state has determined” that his “presence and activities in the United States would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences and would compromise compelling US foreign policy interests,” was the explanation given for the move.

A judge ruled on the same day of his arrest that Mahdawi could not be removed from Vermont while the petitions against his arrest were being considered.

Petitions against Mahdawi’s detainment have argued that his arrest was a punitive measure over his activism, in violation of a resident’s First Amendment right to protected speech and due process.

The government said that its actions were legitimate under the INA and that the Vermont court lacked jurisdiction over the matter.

Mahdawi leads pro-Palestinian protests

Mahdawi has been a student and activist at various universities in the West Bank and the US since 2014. He was the head of the Fatah Student Movement at Birzeit University in the West Bank, and at Columbia, he was one of the leaders of pro-Palestinian protests. However, Mahdawi said that he stepped back from the role in March 2024.

Mahdawi reportedly co-founded the Dar: Palestinian Student Society alongside activist Mahmoud Khalil, a leader at Columbia University’s Apartheid Divest whose own deportation order is still being challenged.

ACLU Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project Deputy director Nate Freed Wessler said that “Mohsen should never have been detained for his speech.”

“The government’s continued persecution of our client for his beliefs should send a chill down the spine of everyone in this country, because once we start allowing exceptions to the First Amendment for speech the current government doesn’t like, there’s no telling where the censorship will stop.”

Before the World Cup kicks off in Mexico City on Thursday, FIFA President Gianni Infantino is fending off concerns over potential visa issues for players and officials entering the United States.

Infantino said FIFA is focused on being a “sports organization” and would not intervene in helping the US determine approvals for entry into the country.

“We try always to find solutions, always,” Infantino said Wednesday in a World Cup news conference in Mexico City. “But then we need to respect that we are not the kings of the world who can rule over governments and police forces, and I don’t know what. We are a sports organization, we try to do our best with the means that we have.”

Without detailing circumstances or sharing knowledge of any context behind the US denying entry to Omar Artan, a referee from Somalia, Infantino called the turn of events “unfortunate.”

One US official said Tuesday night Artan was not accepted when his flight landed in Miami from Istanbul due to an alleged “association with suspected members of terror organizations.” He said FIFA understands there are also times to “chill and relax” when visa issues arise rather than creating additional conflict.

Ticket controversies, visa issues, Iranian participation

“Sometimes, to immediately start screaming and shouting has the opposite effect in terms of finding a solution,” he said.

Infantino said there are no regrets from FIFA about selecting the United States as one of the three host countries for the 48-team tournament.

Asked about the status of the Iranian team, which moved its training to Mexico and will shuttle to games in the United States and then fly back to Tijuana, Infantino clarified he is not suggesting FIFA isn’t active in aiding its tournament participants.

“I don’t mean to chill and do nothing, I mean to trust us that we are working behind the scenes, trying to understand,” he said. “There are things we are told, things we are not told. We always try to make things positive and find a solution.

“It has been successful to bring Iran to play in America, I don’t know who would’ve managed to do that … we don’t live on the moon, we live on planet Earth, and we try our best.”

He said the same applies to the ongoing investigations by attorneys general in New Jersey, New York, California, and Texas over allegations of misleading ticket price structure. FIFA revealed Wednesday that listed ticket prices were sold for an average of less than $500.

Infantino, who claimed only four complaints crossed his desk from “800,000 tickets sold” for matches in San Francisco and Inglewood, California, said FIFA will also take a chill approach to responding to the uproar around ticketing.

Why so relaxed? “Because before starting to sell 7 million tickets, we checked what we would do with the best lawyers or experts,” Infantino said.

“In California, we sold 800,000 tickets for the games in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Out of the 800,000, we had three customers who complained. The fourth one has come since. These cases were solved before the investigations started. We welcome any investigations. We’ll present everything and make our case. But it’s most important that every dollar that we generate goes back into football.”

Trump administration: Somali referee denied US entry over possible terror ties

The Somali referee, who headed to the World Cup, then turned away, was denied entry into the United States over a possible tie to terrorism, a Trump administration official claimed to Fox News.

Omar Abdulkadir Artan, 34, made it to Miami International Airport on a flight from Istanbul on Saturday but was refused entrance into the country by US Customs and Border Patrol.

“Upon further inspection by CBP, derogatory information, including association with suspected members of terror organizations, was discovered, making the traveler ineligible for admission to the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA),” the statement read, Fox News reported Wednesday.

“The traveler was refused admission and given immigration forms that provide the section of law used to complete an expedited removal under 8235 of the INA. President Trump’s administration will not allow any security threat to enter our country – full stop.”

FIFA President Gianni Infantino addressed questions about the United States controlling access for entry into the country on Wednesday at his World Cup kickoff press conference and pointed to Artan’s case.

“It is unfortunate what happened to Omar, the referee from Somalia. But again, we don’t control everything,” Infantino said. “We try, we’ll discuss, we’ll see. Maybe sometimes it’s good as well to chill, relax. We work on everything, we try to resolve everything.”

Artan was named 2025 Male Referee of the Year by the Confederation of African Football and would have been the first-ever Somali referee to take charge of a match at the World Cup.

Fox reported Artan had been issued a visa to enter the United States last week, citing the Somalia Embassy in Kenya that processed it.