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Lebanon accuses Iran of inserting IRGC terrorists into country 'under guise of diplomatic activity'

Fri, 15 May 2026 17:14:22 -0400

The Lebanese government filed a sharply worded complaint with the United Nations arguing that the Islamic Republic of Iran has abused diplomatic immunity by refusing to recall its ambassador after Beirut demanded his expulsion and to stop alleged terrorist activities on its soil, according to a recently surfaced letter from late April.

The disclosure of the letter, which is reportedly a precedent-setting move by Lebanon, comes amid a second day of talks in Washington between Israel and Lebanon to normalize relations (the countries are in a state of war) and dismantle the Iranian-regime-backed Hezbollah terrorist movement in Lebanon.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Friday that "The United States facilitated talks between Israel and Lebanon have resumed today and are ongoing. The atmosphere of talks has been very positive, even exceeding expectations."

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State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott wrote on X on Friday that "On May 14 and 15, the United States hosted two days of highly-productive talks between Israel and Lebanon. The April 16 cessation of hostilities will be extended by 45 days to enable further progress. The State Department will reconvene the political track of negotiations on June 2 and June 3."

He added that, "In addition, a security track will be launched at the Pentagon on May 29 with military delegations from both countries. We hope these discussions will advance lasting peace between the two countries, full recognition of each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and establishing genuine security along their shared border."

As the sides report back to their capitals, the potentially game-changing letter in which Lebanese ambassador to the U.N. Ahmad Arafa, slammed Iran for inserting alleged terrorists from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) into Lebanon "under the guise of diplomatic activity," has given hope to critics of Iran and Hezbollah.

Arafa said, according to the letter, that Iran committed "unlawful acts in blatant defiance of the decisions of the Government of Lebanon." He continued, "This Iranian conduct constitutes direct and blatant interference in the internal affairs of Lebanon and drags the country into a war it did not choose to become involved in."

The U.S. and the European Union have classified the IRGC as a terrorist entity.

The letter took the Iranian Ambassador to Beirut, Mohammad Reza Sheibani, to task for "blatant interference" in Lebanon.

According to Lebanon’s U.N. letter, Beirut argued that Iran is violating the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and interfering in Lebanon’s state of affairs.

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When asked about the details of the letter, a spokesperson for Lebanon’s ambassador to the U.S. declined to comment. The spokesperson also declined to weigh in on the current talks with Israel in Washington.

Walid Phares, a leading U.S. expert on Lebanon and the Mideast, told Fox News Digital that "Many have considered the Lebanese memo to the U.N. as the start of the Lebanese government change of attitude towards Iran and a sign of escalation by Beirut. While the tone of the letter and its narrative make people feel that there is a government resistance to Iran and Hezbollah reality is still lesser."

He added that "The subject of the last quarrel is a legal change of status regarding the presence of Iranians on Lebanese soil. The Lebanese government has decided not to grant Iranians, government, and private citizens an automatic visa waiver, which upset Iran and Hezbollah. Besides, Tehran is furious at the fact that the Lebanese government has not been helpful in dealing with the elimination of a number of IRGC members killed in Lebanon by Israel. Tehran blames the foreign ministry of Lebanon, particularly foreign minister Youssef Raggi, for the ‘lessening of solidarity with Iran."'

According to Phares, "Raggi represents a Lebanese Christian bloc in the parliament, who is not sympathetic to the regime. However, the actual talks in D.C. are designed by the Lebanese government to show the Trump administration that the ‘state wants to talk’ but not to reach an agreement that would trigger Hezbollah's wrath. The leaders of the Lebanese state are not yet where the U.S. and Israel expect them to be."

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A regional official well-versed in the U.N. dispute told Fox News Digital that Lebanon "argued that Iran had not given the Lebanese foreign ministry the list of all Iranians and the details about their place of stay. And that’s why Israel targeted that hotel in Lebanon in which six were killed, which is true."

The official said that "Iran had not told the foreign ministry of Lebanon about those six people."

Israel, Jews targeted worldwide as well-funded leftist, Islamist groups join for ‘Nakba 78’ protests

Fri, 15 May 2026 06:27:06 -0400

A global network of anti-Israel activist groups is mobilizing coordinated "Nakba 78" protests across the United States and around the world today, with organizers using the anniversary of Israel’s founding to challenge the Jewish state’s right to exist.

A Fox News Digital investigation found that about 425 organizations — including communist groups, Muslim advocacy organizations and anti-Israel activist coalitions attributed with blatant antisemitism — are working together in a coordinated transnational protest network with a combined funding footprint of about $1 billion in annual revenues.

The groups have organized an estimated 736 events across 39 countries this weekend in locations including New York , Chicago, Los Angeles, London and Sydney, according to an analysis of protests listed at a website organizing actions against Israel. Organizers describe the demonstrations as marking the "Nakba," an Arabic word for "catastrophe" used by Palestinians to describe the founding of Israel on May 14, 1948, the displacement of Palestinians and their historical grievance.

The "Nakba 78" protests reflect a "sinful marriage between the radical left and radical Islamism, the groups that hate Western liberal democracies and desire to destroy them," Dalia Ziada, a Middle East scholar and Washington, D.C.-based coordinator at the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, told Fox News Digital.

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Global network

Critics say that the coordinated organizing of the mass protests reveals a global antisemitic movement that presents itself as humanitarian while mainstreaming rhetoric that denies Jewish self-determination and the right of Israel to exist as a state.

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In New York City yesterday, the People’s Forum, a pro-communist activist hub and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, funded by a Marxist tech mogul, Neville Roy Singham, made signs at an "art build" for a protest today against the "ongoing Nakba." Their Marxist comrades within the Party for Socialism and Liberation are fanning out across the country to rail against Israel’s existence.

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Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., a member of the Senate Judiciary and Finance Committees, told Fox News Digital that she is very concerned about the Chinese Communist Party and its sympathizers using the U.S. nonprofit industry to create an infrastructure to pull people together to undermine the United States.

"One of the things we know about the Singham group and about the Chinese Communist Party is they are going to look for a fellow bad actor… and they're going to try to partner with them in causing chaos in our cities," Blackburn said.

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Blackburn added that such efforts are part of a broader strategy.

"There is no limit to what the Chinese Communist Party will do to create chaos in the United States,": she said.

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Follow the money

Over almost a decade, Singham has funneled $278 million into a network of nonprofits, including the People’s Forum, CodePink and BreakThrough BT Media, which have organized a steady wave of anti-Israel protests in the United States, particularly after the brutal Oct. 7, 2023, massacre of Israelis by Hamas militants, and they are now supporting this year’s "Nakba 78" protests.

A Fox News Digital investigation identified the flow of Singham’s money into nonprofits promoting the propaganda of the Chinese Communist Party, and U.S. Treasury, Justice, State Department officials are investigating their funding structures and operations in the U.S. Lawmakers in the House Judiciary, Oversight and Ways and Means committees are also investigating the Singham network and the nonprofits it supports for possibly violating laws that require agents of foreign interests to register with the Justice Department, as well as other possible improprieties.

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A Fox News Digital investigation of mobilization materials, social media posts, event graphics, coalition lists and public announcements found that the "Nakba 78" campaign isn’t about a ceasefire to conflicts or a two-state solution, but the dismantling of the state of Israel itself.

The U.S. is the No. 1 hub for events with 187 events, followed by the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Canada, Spain, France, Ireland and Australia, all countries with organized Muslim and Palestinian diaspora communities.

Organizers say they are standing against "genocide," "apartheid’ and U.S. "imperialism."

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In the San Francisco Bay Area, University of California, Berkeley lecturer Hatem Bazian is slated to speak at a three-day "Islam, Memory and the Nakba" conference in Burlingame, Oakland and Los Gatos. In Brooklyn, activists with the Palestinian Youth Movement, Al-Awda and Within Our Lifetime are continuing a "Nakba Week of Action" that included violent protests directed at Jews at Manhattan's Park East Synagogue and Brooklyn's Young Israel of Midwood earlier this week.

In London, police are preparing for a major "Nakba 78" march amid warnings about hate speech and public disorder. In Sydney, activists are calling demonstrators to town hall for a protest declaring, "Stop the Genocide! Free Palestine!"

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Anti-Israel rhetoric

Fox News Digital used a large-language model to analyze scores of "Nakba 78" protest literature and found that 85% of the protest language repeatedly parrots the language of U.S. adversaries, framing the United States as a "fascist" and "imperialist" nation and Israel as a "genocidal settler state," a "Zionist entity," a "Zionist project" and part of a "grand settler-colonial design," erasing any use of the country’s name. The other 15% frame the protests as "solidarity with Palestine."

The organizers’ materials call for "Unity, Liberation, Return," an arms embargo and end to U.S. aid to Israel and the "right of return" for millions of Palestinian in the diaspora, in a demand Israel’s defenders argue would demographically end Israel as a Jewish state. The chants on social media are filled with the battle cry to destroy Israel "from the river to the sea," a phrase that critics argue denies Israel its existence.

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Under a working definition of antisemitism by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, criticism of Israel isn’t antisemitic, but antisemitism may include "denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination," including by claiming that Israel’s existence is a "racist" endeavor, applying double standards to Israel or comparing contemporary Israeli policy to that of "the Nazis." The definition isn’t legally binding but widely used by governments, law enforcement and civil society groups as an educational and analytical tool.

"Nakba 78" protesters reject that charge, framing their activism as "anti-Zionist," "anti-colonial" and "anti-imperialist."

The network analysis found that the Palestinian Youth Movement, which works closely with the far-left activists at the People’s Forum in midtown Manhattan, is a central organizing node across many North American events, appearing with socialist, Muslim, student and local activist partners in city after city. The Party for Socialism and Liberation, Freedom Road Socialist Organization and Democratic Socialists of America chapters provide an "anti-imperialist" infrastructure, while groups such as American Muslims for Palestine, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Muslim American Society and Students for Justice in Palestine broaden the campaign into Muslim spaces.

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The result is a synchronized campaign running on three tracks: street protest, ideological education and "agitprop," a Soviet-era tactic used to describe "agitation propaganda" designed to foment discord in a society.

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Coordinated global protests

In New York City, organizers have structured the demonstrations as a "Nakba Week of Action," following clashes outside synagogues earlier this week involving groups including the Palestinian Youth Movement New York City, Al-Awda New York/New Jersey and Within Our Lifetime.

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They plan to gather today at 4:30 p.m. in Washington Square Park, with the rallying cry, "RESISTANCE SINCE 1948," and another protest is set for 2 p.m. on Saturday at 72nd St and 5th Avenue in Bay Ridge, in a neighborhood filled with Muslim halal meat grocery stores and local mosques.

Within Our Lifetime, co-founded by a local activist Nerdeen Kiswani, has long been one of New York’s most confrontational anti-Israel groups. The Anti-Defamation League says Kiswani has promoted "extreme anti-Zionist rhetoric," including calls for "Zionists" to be excluded from community spaces.

Brooke Goldstein, executive director of The Lawfare Project, a nonprofit that challenges antisemitism in the courts, told Fox News Digital that authorities should closely monitor conduct at the demonstrations, particularly near Jewish institutions and places of worship.

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"When there is assault, vandalism, trespass, obstruction, targeted harassment, discriminatory denial of access, or coordinated conduct that creates a hostile environment in schools, workplaces, or federally-funded institutions, this is action. Not protected speech," Goldstein said.

Goldstein said Jewish communal spaces are increasingly being treated "as proxies for the Israeli government," adding that authorities should closely watch for obstruction, intimidation and violence targeting Jewish communities.

In Los Angeles, a May 16 protest is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Israeli Consulate on Wilshire Boulevard, but organizers are calling the location the "Zionist Consulate." Local partners include the Party for Socialism and Liberation, the ANSWER Coalition – another major Marxist group in the Singham network – and Nodutdol, a pro-communist Filipino group. The materials reviewed by Fox News Digital describe the conflict as part of a "grand settler-colonial design" targeting "sovereignty and freedom" across the Middle East.

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In Boston, the Palestinian Youth Movement Boston and the Party for Socialism and Liberation teamed up on Wednesday with the National Iranian American Council, which supports the theological regime that runs the Islamic Republic of Iran, for a teach-in, "Arab Gulf States and U.S. Imperialism," at the Boston Liberation Center in Roxbury, followed by an action today at 4 p.m. at the "Zionist consulate" on Washington Mall.

In Detroit and nearby Dearborn, Mich., the campaign fuses foreign policy with domestic economic grievances. In promoting their protests, the organizers accuse the U.S. and Israel of threatening "genocidal attacks" from Palestine to Iran and Lebanon, while arguing that "illegal wars" are driving up fuel prices and making basic needs harder for working-class Americans to afford.

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‘Axis of Resistance’

In Chicago, organizers from local chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine and American Muslims for Palestine, two groups that UC Berkeley lecturer Bazian established, are rallying to also support the Islamic Republic of Iran and its "Axis of Resistance" against Israel and the U.S.

"What we are seeing is the spread of jihadist radical Islamist racist ideologies married to extreme-left Marxism," said Goldstein. She noted these groups "don’t agree on anything other than destroying America and killing Jews."

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Internationally, the mobilization is also escalating. London police said the Nakba Day protest will form up in Exhibition Road in Kensington before marching to Waterloo Place via Brompton Road and Piccadilly, with a rally at the endpoint.

In Sydney, the site of an assault on Jewish worshipers earlier this year by a pair of father-son Muslim extremists, organizers plan a nationwide "Nakba Day" protest today at 6 p.m. at Town Hall, according to event listings, alleging Palestinians are living through "another modern day Nakba."

Across the materials, the "Nakba 78" label functions as more than a historical commemoration. It links 1948 to the present day, presenting Israel’s founding, U.S. support for Israel, the war in Gaza, and regional conflicts involving Iran, Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq as one continuous struggle. Fox News Digital’s review found the repeated use of "ongoing Nakba," "78 years of genocide," "apartheid," "settler-colonialism," "U.S. imperialism" and "resistance" as unifying slogans.

Ziada said the alliance between the far-left and Islamists intensified after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas militants, creating a "moral umbrella" for the movement and giving organizers "moral legitimacy to go on and accelerate the process of destroying the West."

Ziada said that "they all agree on one thing, which is destroying the United States or weakening the western world."

Late Friday, as protesters readied their pre-printed signs, a video rallied their foot soldiers: "The harder they attack, the stronger we fight back!"

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Fox News Digital's Kyle Schmidbauer, Tessa Hoyas and Preston Mizell contributed to this report.

Carville warns Democrats anti-Israel ‘loudmouths’ could cost elections

Thu, 14 May 2026 17:34:23 -0400

Democratic strategist James Carville warned Wednesday that anti-Israel activists aligned with Democrats could damage the party politically, while insisting that "most" antisemites "are not Democrats."

Carville said during an appearance on Jim Acosta's podcast that he fears the increasingly bitter divide over Israel and antisemitism could hurt Democrats electorally and morally if the party is seen as tolerating hatred.

"This antisemitic stuff, it’s sickening man! It’s a real problem," Carville said. "It’s not a made-up problem. It’s a real, real, real definitely problem, and it’s getting worse."

He argued that while some anti-Israel activists are aligned with Democrats, many are not members of the party, despite public perceptions tying them to Democrats during campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war.

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"And the fact that there are some Democratic-aligned people, most of them are not Democrats, all right?" Carville said.

"That’s when it would drive me crazy, when they were protesting Joe Biden at Columbia, and we thought they were saying, ‘Hey, hey, ho ho, genocide Joe must go.’ And the Democrats were getting blamed for that. A lot of these people are not Democrats. Understand that."

The longtime Democratic strategist also warned that the loudest anti-Israel voices were overshadowing the broader party.

"I don’t want to be part of a political party that tolerates hatred, or sometimes encourages it," Carville said.

"I don’t think that’s where the majority of Democrats are, to be fair, but certainly not where the majority Democratic officeholders are," he continued. "But these loudmouths are getting heard above everybody else. And this is not a good idea. This is a terrible idea."

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The comments came as Democrats continue to grapple with internal divisions over Israel following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack and Israel's military response in Gaza. The issue has fueled protests on college campuses and sharp disputes inside the Democratic coalition over U.S. support for Israel.

Carville, who has long identified as a staunch supporter of Israel, said criticism of the Israeli government should not be conflated with hostility toward the country or Jewish people.

"Attack the government of Israel all you want to. I don’t like it. I can’t stand it," Carville said. "But I like the state of Israel. You can’t conflate the regime with the people."

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Carville also lamented the collapse of past peace efforts in the Middle East and said he believes reconciliation remains possible.

"I love Israel. I don’t get it," Carville said. "And I don’t have anything against them. I like Palestinian people. That’s some of the nicest people I know."

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"If people spent as much time, and it could have been reconciled, Bill Clinton and Ehud Barak and this thing totally under control," Carville said. "The neocons killed it, we ought to go back to it."

Non-Jewish professor says he was fired for calling out Hamas supporters in online post

Thu, 14 May 2026 11:11:08 -0400

A non-Jewish Canadian professor says he was fired from his university for defending Israel in a social media post as antisemitism exploded across Canada following Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attacks.

Paul Finlayson told Fox News Digital that he lost his job at Canada’s University of Guelph-Humber after taking a strong stance online about the massacre and kidnapping of Israelis and foreigners — including Americans and Canadians.

Finlayson responded in November of 2023 to a LinkedIn message from an overseas educator who he said was "calling for the eradication of Israel." Though the author later deleted his post and all corresponding comments, the National Post quoted from Finlayson’s response in a December 2023 article.

"If you say ‘from the River to the Sea’, you’re a Nazi," Finlayson wrote. "I’m not neutral. I stand with Israel. I stand against antisemites who want nothing but dead Jews: who take millions from their education and health care budgets and spend it on making war…You stand with Palestine means you stand with Hitler. You don’t want peace, you want dead Jews…They murdered 1,400 innocents and took 250 hostages and the people celebrated rapist monsters as heroes."

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Since the post, Finlayson says he has faced a targeted campaign against him which has affected his professional standing and job prospects.

Finlayson said that students at the school found his LinkedIn reply before the post's author erased the thread, leading to outcry. While meeting with a student in his office on Nov. 27, Finlayson said an administrator waited outside, eventually presenting him with a suspension letter.

A copy of the suspension letter, provided by Finlayson, cites "inappropriate online comments" and places the professor "on leave pending the outcome of the investigation." It directed Finlayson not to contact "any of your departmental staff or students or broader members of the [university]."

Finlayson said he was "very well-liked" by students, who ranked him among the highest in the business department faculty. He said that rumors about the accusations against him destroyed his academic reputation, which included formulating courses and writing textbooks.

"My trial has been by defamation, and it continues by defamation," Finlayson said of the "Kafkaesque" situation that ensued.

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He says that his union, OPSEU Local 562, refused to represent him. The union did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Finlayson was officially fired by the university in July 2025. He provided a copy of his termination letter, which stated that after a "formal complaint of discrimination and harassment," an investigator found that his "conduct violated the Ontario Human Rights Code and Humber’s Human Rights and Harassment Policy, and that [he] engaged in reprisal under both of those instruments."

The Humber harassment policy states that "anyone who attempts Reprisal or threatens Reprisal against a person who initiates a complaint or participates in proceedings under this Policy may be subject to disciplinary action."

The same policy says that "Humber upholds and supports the right to equal treatment without Discrimination" based on prohibited grounds, which include antisemitism.

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The University of Guelph-Humber did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions about Finlayson’s suspension, investigation and firing, and about whether anti-Israel posts shared by its students and a professor at the University violate the Humber Human Rights and Harassment Policy.

The University of Guelph’s "UofGforPalestine" Instagram page, which presents itself as the account of "students, staff, and faculty who stand in solidarity with Palestine," has shared posts with the inverted red triangle that Hamas uses to mark targets. Like the U.S., Canada designates Hamas as a terror group.

In November 2024, the group shared photos on its Instagram account of a guillotine that "appeared on a walking path" in Guelph, which featured photos of the heads of Canadian, American and Israeli leaders coated in red paint. Though purported to be an "anonymous submission," the post notes its "message" as "Death to empire, death to colonialism and imperialism, death to the war machine."

A University of Guelph-Humber professor whom Finlayson believes brought the case against him has posted inflammatory rhetoric on his own LinkedIn account, calling Israel a "terrorist state," and stating that the world "cannot have both" peace and Israel.

The professor did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

While Finlayson lost his position, elsewhere in Canada, activism led to starkly different circumstances for three staffers at York University, who were among 11 individuals charged with "hate-motivated mischief" in Nov 2023 for plastering a bookstore with photos accusing a Jewish CEO of genocide, and splashing the store with red paint, as reported by the National Post.

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Though they were initially suspended from the school, at least two staff members appear to have current profiles on the York University website. One, a professor, most recently taught courses at the school in the Winter 2026 semester. York University did not respond to requests for comment about its restoration of staff members’ roles.

Since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, antisemitism has exploded in Canada. In April, B’nai Brith Canada’s League for Human Rights released a report showing that 6,800 antisemitic incidents took place in the country in 2025, representing a 9.4% increase over 2024. On average, this represented 18.6 incidents a day and was the "highest volume" the group has recorded since it began tracking incidents.

Hamas used sexual violence 'deliberately and systematically' on Oct 7, commission report finds

Thu, 14 May 2026 09:46:04 -0400

WARNING: This article includes graphic and disturbing accounts from the October 7 massacre in Israel.

Hamas and its Palestinian collaborators used sexual and gender-based violence "deliberately and systematically" as an inherent part of a wider strategy of the 2023 massacres in southern Israel, according to a report released Tuesday by the Civil Commission on Oct. 7 Crimes Against Women and Children.

The Israeli nonprofit said its investigation documented evidence of abuse at multiple sites during the Oct. 7 terror invasion, including the Nova Music Festival, kibbutzim near the Gaza border, Israel Defense Forces bases, among hostages in captivity and in the condition of recovered bodies showing signs consistent with sexual violence.

According to the report, investigators identified at least 13 recurring forms of abuse, including rape, sexual torture, shootings directed at victims’ genital areas and abuse carried out after death.

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Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy, founder and chair of the Civil Commission and a principal co-author of the report, told Fox News Digital that the greatest challenge in compiling the findings was the team’s repeated exposure to graphic material and the trauma associated with reviewing it on a regular basis.

"We had to not only collect materials, but also review and analyze it alongside forensic experts while witnessing human suffering at its worst," Elkayam-Levy said. "What motivated us was the denial, the hesitation and the questioning. We wanted to ensure that the world knows what happened to the victims.

"For us, it is a final act of justice for the victims," she added.

The report also detailed cases in which sexual violence was inflicted in front of or involving family members, including one incident in which relatives were allegedly forced to carry out acts on each other.

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It further accused Hamas and allied perpetrators of using videos, digital platforms and social media as tools to magnify psychological harm, spread fear and publicize the attacks, including by distributing sexualized material.

Elkayam-Levy said she hopes the findings will not remain confined to academics, human rights organizations or activists, but will also be studied by counterterrorism and national security experts to better understand and confront such atrocities.

"We cannot prevent what we do not fully understand," Elkayam-Levy said. "No single prosecution could ever capture the full magnitude of these crimes in the way this report does. It is therefore critical that policymakers, decision-makers, members of Congress and senators find ways to formally recognize these findings and hold hearings so we can begin addressing this issue. We want the findings of this report to receive formal institutional recognition."

The report, Elkayam-Levy noted, underscores that victims of the Oct. 7 atrocities came from 52 countries, highlighting the global scope and impact of the attack.

Witness testimony cited in the report included an account of a woman being sexually assaulted before being beheaded. Another witness described seeing a woman dragged from a vehicle, pinned against a wall, repeatedly raped and then stabbed, with the assault allegedly continuing after her death.

In another case, a witness described discovering the body of a man whose genitals had been severed, lying beside the body of a woman holding them, in what the report described as an apparent effort to degrade and humiliate the victims.

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Investigators said some female victims were found naked or partially unclothed, with evidence of severe mutilation and objects including grenades, nails and household tools inserted into their bodies. The report also cited gunshot wounds, cuts and burn injuries concentrated on intimate areas.

The report said some female bodies brought to morgues showed broken pelvises or legs, bloodied underwear and additional trauma to the abdomen or groin.

Former hostages, both women and men, have also testified to rape, sexual torture and other forms of abuse during abduction or captivity, according to the report. It said some female captives reported sexual assaults while receiving treatment in Gaza hospitals for injuries sustained during the attacks.

Male hostages likewise described sexual abuse while in captivity, including assaults in showers and incidents carried out under armed threat while victims were naked, the report said. One former hostage recounted being sexually assaulted when a captor forcibly rubbed his genitals against the victim’s anus.

Last month, former hostage Rom Braslavski recounted the abuse he said he endured during captivity in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital.

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"They would hit me with whatever they had on hand. I underwent severe torture, bondage and sexual abuse. Everything they could do to me, they did. My body is still covered in scars. After four months of torture, I was clinically dead, rolling my eyes and passing out. They decided to stop the violence and brought doctors to treat me with injections and gave me food again," he said.

The report said sexual and gender-based violence was "widespread and systematic" and constituted an "integral component" of both the Oct. 7 attacks and the subsequent treatment of captives, while calling the prosecution of such crimes an "urgent" priority to be pursued through international accountability mechanisms.

Among its recommendations, the commission called for targeted sanctions against individuals and entities accused of carrying out or materially supporting the Oct. 7 attack and its aftermath. It also urged action against what it described as denial, minimization or politicization of the sexual crimes committed during the massacre and in captivity.

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"The Commission further recommends that Israel adopt a comprehensive gender strategy within its prosecutorial framework and establish a specialized chamber or panel of judges dedicated to the prosecution of sexual and gender-based crimes committed on October 7th and during captivity," the report said.

Elkayam-Levy said the report has received widespread international attention, including front-page coverage in U.S. and global media outlets. "We feel the discussion has shifted from questioning whether these crimes occurred to examining their consequences," she said. "There is now a substantial legal evidentiary foundation preserved in a secure archive that cannot be denied."

Israeli PM Netanyahu initiating defamation lawsuit against New York Times over controversial ‘dog rape’ story

Thu, 14 May 2026 08:35:58 -0400

The Israeli government will initiate a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times over columnist Nicholas Kristof’s contentious "dog rape" story, the Israel Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday.

Kristof penned the controversial piece headlined, "The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians," that features men and women alleging "brutal sexual abuse at the hands of Israel’s prison guards, soldiers, settlers and interrogators." Many critics blasted it as "propaganda" and poked holes in the reporting, specifically a claim that dogs have been trained to sexually assault Palestinians.

"Following the publication by Nicholas Kristof in The New York Times of one of the most hideous and distorted lies ever published against the State of Israel in the modern press, which also received the backing of the newspaper, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar have instructed the initiation of a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times," the Israel Foreign Ministry wrote on X.

"Today I instructed my legal advisers to consider the harshest legal action against The New York Times and Nicholas Kristof," Netanyahu wrote on X. "They defamed the soldiers of Israel and perpetuated a blood libel about rape, trying to create a false symmetry between the genocidal terrorists of Hamas and Israel’s valiant soldiers. Under my leadership, Israel will not be silent. We will fight these lies in the court of public opinion and in the court of law. Truth will prevail."

The New York Times did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment but issued a lengthy statement Wednesday evening defending the story.

ISRAEL FOREIGN MINISTRY CONDEMNS NEW YORK TIMES PIECE AS 'ONE OF THE WORST BLOOD LIBELS' IN MODERN PRESS

"Nicholas Kristof’s deeply reported piece of opinion journalism starts with a proposition to readers: ‘Whatever our views of the Middle East conflict, we should be able to unite in condemning rape.’ He draws together on-the-record accounts and cites several analyses documenting the practice of sexual violence and abuse conducted by various parts of Israel’s security forces and settlers," Times spokesman Charlie Stadtlander wrote.

Stadtlander continued, "The accounts of the 14 men and women he interviewed were corroborated with other witnesses, whenever possible, and with people the victims confided in — that includes family members and lawyers. Details were extensively fact-checked, with accounts further cross-referenced with news reporting, independent research from human-rights groups, surveys and in one case, with U.N. testimony. Independent experts were consulted on the assertions in the piece throughout reporting and fact-checking."

The Times has now issued multiple statements standing by the piece. Kristof's column has faced widespread scrutiny.

NEW YORK TIMES FACED INTENSE SCRUTINY IN 2023 OVER ISRAEL-HAMAS COVERAGE

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert pushed back against The New York Times after he was quoted appearing to validate explosive allegations of systemic sexual violence against Palestinian prisoners.

"To try to make sense of what I found, I called up Ehud Olmert, who was prime minister from 2006 to 2009," Kristof told readers. "Olmert told me he didn’t know much about sexual violence against Palestinians but was not surprised by the accounts I had heard."

Kristof went on to quote Olmert, who said, "Do I believe it happens? Definitely. ... There are war crimes committed every day in the territories."

However, Olmert took exception to the placement of his quote, which was placed toward the bottom of Kristof's report.

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"Mr. Kristof's article includes claims of extraordinary gravity: that Israeli authorities have directed the rape of children, that dogs have been used as instruments of sexual assault, that systematic sexual torture is state policy. I did not validate these claims," Olmert said in a statement obtained by The Free Press.

"I have no knowledge supporting these claims as I said to Mr. Kristof. Therefore, the positioning of my quote after pages of such allegations misrepresents my views."

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Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., also called out the Times.

"WTF @nytimes!" Gottheimer wrote on X. "Nick Kristof amplifies proven Hamas-affiliated sources and their propaganda, while the NYT continues to gloss over the systematic sexual violence, rape, and mutilation Hamas committed on October 7, now fully documented in the new Civil Commission report.

"We should expect better from the paper of record, particularly with allegations as serious as these. It’s almost as if the NYT is on Hamas’ payroll," the Democratic lawmaker added.

Fox News' Joseph Wulfsohn contributed to this report.

Jewish Dem lawmaker pans NY Times, suggests paper on 'Hamas' payroll' for Palestinian prisoner dog rape report

Wed, 13 May 2026 18:00:41 -0400

Note: This story contains graphic allegations of sexual violence.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., joined the growing choir of critics lambasting The New York Times for its explosive report alleging systemic sexual violence targeting Palestinian prisoners, including training dogs to rape them.

A report authored by Times columnist Nicholas Kristof went viral Monday outlining claims from 14 men and women who say they were "sexually assaulted by Israeli settlers or members of the security forces." The allegations range from abuse of genitalia to penetration by a dog.

"We should expect better from the paper of record, particularly with allegations as serious as these. It’s almost as if the NYT is on Hamas’ payroll," the Democratic lawmaker added.

FORMER ISRAELI PM ACCUSES NY TIMES OF MISREPRESENTING HIS COMMENTS IN VIRAL PRISONER DOG RAPE STORY

The New York Times did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment but issued a lengthy statement Wednesday evening defending the story.

ISRAEL FOREIGN MINISTRY CONDEMNS NEW YORK TIMES PIECE AS 'ONE OF THE WORST BLOOD LIBELS' IN MODERN PRESS

The Gray Lady has drawn heavy backlash from critics over Kristof's report, including by the Israeli government.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry called it "one of the worst blood libels ever to appear in the modern press."

"In an unfathomable inversion of reality, and through an endless stream of baseless lies, propagandist Nicholas Kristof turns the victim into the accused. Israel — whose citizens were the victims of the most horrific sexual crimes committed by Hamas on October 7, and whose hostages were later subjected to further sexual abuse — is portrayed as the guilty party," the Israel Foreign Ministry wrote on X.

"This publication is no coincidence. It is part of a false and well-orchestrated anti-Israel campaign aimed at placing Israel on the U.N. Secretary-General’s blacklist," it added. "Israel will fight these lies with the truth — and the truth will prevail."

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who was quoted in Kristof's story, accused the Times of mischaracterizing his comments after saying, "Do I believe it happens? Definitely."

"I have no knowledge supporting these claims, as I said to Mr. Kristof. Therefore, the positioning of my quote after pages of such allegations misrepresents my views," he added.

NYT COLUMNIST 'TORN' ABOUT ROOTING FOR IRANIAN REGIME'S DOWNFALL SINCE IT WOULD GIVE A WIN TO TRUMP, NETANYAHU

The Times pushed back against Olmert's criticism, telling Fox News Digital, "Mr. Olmert was one of many people that Nick Kristof spoke to for his column, offering the former prime minister the context and overview of what he was writing. Olmert's quote was given on the record, tape-recorded and is presented accurately and in appropriate context to readers."

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Former Israeli PM accuses NY Times of misrepresenting his comments in viral prisoner dog rape story

Wed, 13 May 2026 14:11:39 -0400

Note: This story contains graphic allegations of sexual violence.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is pushing back against The New York Times after he was quoted appearing to validate explosive allegations of systemic sexual violence against Palestinian prisoners.

A report authored by Times columnist Nicholas Kristof went viral Monday outlining abuse claims from 14 men and women who say they were "sexually assaulted by Israeli settlers or members of the security forces." The allegations range from abuse of genitalia to penetration by a dog.

ISRAEL FOREIGN MINISTRY CONDEMNS NEW YORK TIMES PIECE AS 'ONE OF THE WORST BLOOD LIBELS' IN MODERN PRESS

Kristof went on to quote Olmert, who said, "Do I believe it happens? Definitely. ... There are war crimes committed every day in the territories."

However, Olmert took exception to the placement of his quote, which was placed toward the bottom of Kristof's report.

"I have no knowledge supporting these claims as I said to Mr. Kristof. Therefore, the positioning of my quote after pages of such allegations misrepresents my views."

A spokesperson for The New York Times told Fox News Digital, "Mr. Olmert was one of many people that Nick Kristof spoke to for his column, offering the former Prime Minister the context and overview of what he was writing. Olmert's quote was given on the record, tape-recorded and is presented accurately and in appropriate context to readers."

NYT COLUMNIST 'TORN' ABOUT ROOTING FOR IRANIAN REGIME'S DOWNFALL SINCE IT WOULD GIVE A WIN TO TRUMP, NETANYAHU

The report drew heavy backlash from critics, with many questioning the credibility of Kristof's sources, some of whom are vocal supporters of the terrorist group Hamas that carried out the Oct. 7 attack. Others called it "propaganda."

The Israeli Foreign Ministry has condemned the report, calling it "one of the worst blood libels ever to appear in the modern press."

‘60 MINUTES’ HOST RIPPED FOR ASKING EX-HOSTAGE IF HAMAS STARVED HIM BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T HAVE ENOUGH FOOD

The Times defended Kristof amid the mounting criticism.

"Nicholas Kristof is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who has reported on sexual violence for decades and is widely regarded as one of the world’s best on-the-ground reporters documenting and bearing witness to sexual abuse experienced by women and men in war and conflict zones," Times spokesperson Charlie Stadtlander wrote.

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"He traveled to the region to report firsthand on the stories of the Palestinians who suffered abuse, and his article collects accounts in the victims’ own words, backed by independent studies."

The great betrayal: How radical progressives are dynamiting the Black-Jewish alliance

Wed, 13 May 2026 07:00:55 -0400

For nearly a century, the alliance between the Black and Jewish communities was the bedrock of America’s moral center — a "covenant" forged in the fires of the Civil Rights Movement and cemented with shared blood on the roads of the Jim Crow South. But today, that historic bond is being systematically dynamited by a new wave of radical progressives who prefer toxic tropes and "us-versus-them" identity politics over actual history.

The first detonator was pulled by "Squad" member Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., shortly after the October 7, 2023, terror attacks in Israel. Rather than offering a standard policy critique of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), Lee, according to Politico, used a private Facebook post to deploy one of the most inflammatory weapons in the progressive arsenal, accusing the non-partisan advocacy group of practicing "textbook anti-blackness."

She did not stop there. According to Politico, Lee further labeled the organization — and by extension, its mission of strengthening the U.S.-Israel bond — an "existential threat to the Black community and its right to self-determination."

THE GLOBAL INTIFADA IS HERE. HAMAS-ALIGNED NETWORKS BROUGHT TERROR TO US SOIL AND WE NEED TO STOP IT

In August, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., in remarks to the People’s Conference for Palestine gave her support to its new campaign to kick AIPAC out of U.S. politics. The campaign’s website says, "AIPAC threatens free speech, devastates workers' economic interests, advocates for endless wars and sabotages international diplomacy — all at the cost, and against the will, of the American people."

Let’s call this what it is: a political hit job disguised as social justice.

When the "Squad" and their allies target AIPAC, they aren't just debating foreign policy; they are reviving the oldest, ugliest "dark money" smears in the antisemitic book. They paint Jewish political participation as a "foreign intrusion" or a "nefarious force" designed to subvert Black and American interests. This narrative doesn’t just ignore the facts; it spits on a century of shared struggle.

The intellectual heart of this alliance wasn't found in some smoke-filled D.C. boardroom. It was found on the campuses of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the 1930s. When America’s elite, "White" Ivy League institutions slammed their doors shut on Jewish scholars fleeing Nazi Germany, HBCUs opened theirs. These Jewish professors didn't arrive as "colonizers" or "outsiders"; they stood side-by-side with Black students to dismantle the ugliness of racial segregation.

Indeed, Dana's parents witnessed this firsthand at Howard University in the 1960s. They didn't see a zero-sum contest for influence. They saw Jewish and Black leaders as brothers-in-arms in a shared pursuit of the American promise. To hear modern politicians frame Jewish advocacy as inherently antagonistic to Black communities is an insult to every freedom rider who sat on those buses.

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But the rot is spreading beyond the fringes. Even mainstream political heavyweights like Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and California Gov. Gavin Newsom have reportedly begun "distancing" themselves from AIPAC-bundled funds. When leaders of that stature show fear and start running for the hills, it signals that the fringe’s "dark money" smear campaign’s stench has reached the top. It suggests that support for Israel — once a pillar of bipartisan American consensus — is being rebranded by the radical left as a "problematic" liability, almost illegitimate.

By framing AIPAC and Jewish political engagement as an "existential threat," Rep. Lee and her colleagues aren't "standing up" for the marginalized. They are actively hindering the very coalition-building that moved this country from the back of the bus to the Civil Rights Act. They are trading a hundred years of hard-won progress for a "sensational" 24-hour news cycle and a few more "likes" from the anti-Israel extreme and delusional fringe.

This is a dangerous game. When we allow political leaders to suggest that one group’s advocacy is a threat to another group’s existence, we don't just lose a lobby — we lose our moral center. We invite suspicion to replace solidarity.

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Only a few weeks ago, Israel commemorated Yom HaShoah, the Holocaust Remembrance Day, for the millions of Jews who were murdered by the Nazi regime’s evil. Those undermining Israel’s very legitimacy (not political criticism) and the Jewish community’s right to fight for what they believe in, assisted by media pundits and propagandists bent on telling lies and darkening people’s hearts, are facilitating another war of elimination.

Daniel Goldhagen’s "Hitler’s Willing Executioners — Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust" shows that the Holocaust wasn’t just the work of a few monsters, but of ‘ordinary’ people conditioned by a culture of hate. Today, that same conditioning is being mass-produced in digital echo chambers, turning political discourse into a new ‘industry of lies’ that dehumanizes before it annihilates. It is antisemitism cloaked in politics and diplomacy, which nevertheless results in the massacre of Jews in Hebron, Gaza, Pittsburgh and Australia.

It is the production line of the next generation of those same willing executioners.

Over the past year and a half, the Trump Administration has done much to address antisemitism, especially in higher education, where, since Oct. 2023, Jewish students have been targeted and even physically assaulted. Leo Terrell, the Chair of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, has made it clear — through actions, not just words — that there will be consequences for allowing a poisonous environment of antisemitism on college campuses and expanded the Task Force’s focus to include elementary and high schools.

But it’s not only up to the government to fight this disease. More needs and must be done by us, the "ordinary people." Not just by passive remembrance, but by taking action. It is time to stop the smears. It is time to reject the "woke" wedge being driven between Blacks and Jews, and between America and its Jewish community. It is time for the silent majority to cry out and make a stand — politically and publicly. If we allow these suspicion-laden tropes to win, the only victors will be the extremists who want to see America divided.

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Let’s remember the history that actually built this country, and do this not for Israel, not for the Jewish community, but for America and us all.

New York Times defends controversial anti-Israel piece, 'no truth' to retraction claims

Tue, 12 May 2026 21:00:54 -0400

Note: This story contains graphic allegations of sexual violence.

The New York Times stood by one of its opinion writers on Tuesday after they wrote a controversial piece claiming that Palestinians were regularly being sexually abused by everyone from Israeli prison guards to dogs.

The paper's latest statement came in response to journalist David Shuster claiming that he heard reports of the NY Times planning on retracting opinion columnist Nicholas Kristof's piece after it received backlash from readers as well as the Israel Foreign Ministry.

"Hearing from longtime friends @nytimes there are already discussions, including up the masthead, about retracting @NickKristof column. Issues with source credibility and lack of evidence. No indications the Kristof sourcing mistakes were deliberate. Still problematic," Shuster wrote on X Monday night.

NEW YORK TIMES FACED INTENSE SCRUTINY IN 2023 OVER ISRAEL-HAMAS COVERAGE

The NY Times eventually responded to this claim, saying there was "no truth" to the rumor and defending Kristof as "one of the world’s best on-the-ground reporters."

"There is no truth to this at all. Nicholas Kristof is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who has reported on sexual violence for decades, and is widely regarded as one of the world’s best on-the-ground reporters documenting and bearing witness to sexual abuse experienced by women and men in war and conflict zones," NY Times spokesperson Charlie Stadtlander said.

He continued, "He traveled to the region to report firsthand on the stories of Palestinians who suffered abuse, and his article collects accounts in the victims’ own words, backed by independent studies."

NEW YORK TIMES 'BY FAR' HAD THE WORSE ISRAEL-HAMAS COVERAGE IN US MEDIA, JERUSALEM POST EDITOR SAYS

Kristof's piece headlined, "The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians," featured men and women alleging "brutal sexual abuse at the hands of Israel’s prison guards, soldiers, settlers and interrogators."

In the article, he alleged that Palestinians "had their genitals yanked or were beaten on the testicles," "some men had to have their testicles amputated by doctors," and metal batons were used to rape men. Kristof also said a Gaza journalist claimed he was "mounted" by a dog.

Several commentators have called Kristof's report into question, remarking that many of the "14 men and women" he interviewed have ties to Hamas or anti-Israel activism.

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The Israeli Foreign Ministry condemned the piece, calling it "one of the worst blood libels ever to appear in the modern press" and warned that "the truth will prevail."

"In an unfathomable inversion of reality, and through an endless stream of baseless lies, propagandist Nicholas Kristof turns the victim into the accused. Israel - whose citizens were the victims of the most horrific sexual crimes committed by Hamas on October 7, and whose hostages were later subjected to further sexual abuse - is portrayed as the guilty party," the Israel Foreign Ministry wrote on X Monday.

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Inside the Christian border town in Lebanon that says it survived by defying Hezbollah

Tue, 12 May 2026 17:39:48 -0400

The church bells still ring in Rmeish on the Lebanon-Israel border.

While much of southern Lebanon has suffered destruction during the war between Israel and the terror group Hezbollah, the predominantly Christian border town close to Israel remained largely untouched. Churches are still standing. Homes remain intact. Residents say the village avoided Israeli strikes because locals refused to allow Hezbollah fighters to operate from inside the town.

"There was more than one attempt for them to come to the outskirts or the entrance of the village to launch rockets from there," one resident told Jusoor News. "The young men of Rmeish confronted them and prevented them from entering."

"That led to the protection of Rmeish from any Israeli attacks," the resident said. "The Israelis do not target aimlessly. They target launch sites."

HEZBOLLAH DISARMAMENT DEADLOCK RISKS CIVIL WAR, ANALYSTS SAY, AS US PREPARES FOR ISRAEL–LEBANON TALKS

The account offers a rare public glimpse into open resistance to Hezbollah inside southern Lebanon, where criticism of the Iranian-backed terrorist group is often met with accusations of treason or collaboration with Israel.

Tarek, a Christian social activist from Rmeish who spoke by phone with Fox News Digital, said residents of the town have long-faced pressure because they refused to align with Hezbollah.

"After 2000, when Israel left, we were always labeled as collaborators of Israel," Tarek said. "We suffered a lot from this stigma."

He said Hezbollah supporters accused the town of cooperating with Israel simply because it escaped the destruction seen in neighboring villages.

The interviews come as the Trump administration brokers talks between Israel and Lebanon aimed at stabilizing the border and addressing Hezbollah’s military presence in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem recently rejected any discussion about disarming the group, while U.S. officials continue pushing to strengthen the Lebanese state over the armed terror group.

Tarek argued Hezbollah’s grip on Lebanon cannot be separated from Iran.

"The Lebanese government has been ruled by Hezbollah for almost 36 years," he told Fox News Digital. "They are deeply entrenched in all arms of the government, security, army and institutions."

"If the president or prime minister says they want peace, Hezbollah will resist that," he added.

Tarek said weakening Iran is the key to weakening Hezbollah.

IRAN COULD ‘ACTIVATE’ HEZBOLLAH IF US TARGETS REGIME, TRUMP’S INNER CIRCLE TO DECIDE: EXPERT

"It’s about cutting the head of the octopus, which is the Iranian regime," he said. "Once you cut the head, Hezbollah will no longer function."

Another resident said many in the town increasingly believe "Hezbollah’s project is an Iranian project, not a Lebanese one."

Another woman from the village described living surrounded by war while trying to keep the town outside the fighting.

‘WAR FOLLOWED US’: A SYRIAN FAMILY FLED BEIRUT AFTER ISRAELI BOMBARDMENT TO FACE REPRESSION, BOMBING AT HOME

"We are in the middle, and the war surrounds us from all sides," she said. "This makes us live in a state of fear, anxiety, insecurity and instability."

A man from the village said residents had endured decades of wars that they have nothing to do with.

"We decided to remain steadfast," he said. "Where would we go?"

An older resident said his family has suffered from violence along the border since the 1970s.

"We are tired of wars," he said. "We want nothing but peace."

Despite accusations from Hezbollah supporters, residents insisted they do not regret standing up to the terrorist group.

"All accusations of treason are rejected," one resident said. "The people of Rmeish want to live safely on their land."

Another resident added: "Just because I don’t believe in your project doesn’t mean I’m a traitor."

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Ahed Al Hendi, a senior fellow at the Center for Peace Communications, told Fox News Digital that, "The defiance shown by Christians in southern Lebanon reflects a major shift in the country’s internal dynamics. For more than two decades, many Christians living near the border suffered under Hezbollah’s dominance, yet were stigmatized and often afraid to speak openly against it."

"Today," Al Hendi added, "with the changing balance of power, they are increasingly confronting Hezbollah publicly and speaking out against what they see as its tyranny."

Israel Foreign Ministry condemns New York Times piece as 'one of the worst blood libels' in modern press

Tue, 12 May 2026 12:43:15 -0400

Note: This story contains graphic allegations of sexual violence.

The Israel Foreign Ministry blasted The New York Times on Monday for publishing what it called "one of the worst blood libels ever to appear in the modern press" after a left-wing columnist reported that Palestinians are regularly being sexually abused by everyone from Israeli prison guards to dogs.

Times opinion columnist Nicholas Kristof penned the controversial piece headlined, "The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians," that features men and women alleging "brutal sexual abuse at the hands of Israel’s prison guards, soldiers, settlers and interrogators." Many critics blasted it as "propaganda" and poked holes in the reporting, while the Israeli government promised "the truth will prevail."

"Whatever our views of the Middle East conflict, we should be able to unite in condemning rape," Kristof wrote, noting that supporters of Israel denounced sexual violence that occurred during the Hamas-led terror attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

NYT COLUMNIST 'TORN' ABOUT ROOTING FOR IRANIAN REGIME'S DOWNFALL SINCE IT WOULD GIVE A WIN TO TRUMP, NETANYAHU

"And yet in wrenching interviews, Palestinians have recounted to me a pattern of widespread Israeli sexual violence against men, women and even children," Kristof wrote, adding that "American tax dollars subsidize the Israeli security establishment, so this is sexual violence in which the United States is complicit."

Kristof spoke with "14 men and women who said they had been sexually assaulted by Israeli settlers or members of the security forces." He noted that the Israeli government rejected the claims but added, "just as Hamas denied raping Israeli women."

The liberal columnist went on to claim that some Palestinians "had their genitals yanked or were beaten on the testicles," "some men had to have their testicles amputated by doctors," and metal batons were used to rape men. Kristof then said a Gaza journalist claimed he was "mounted" by a dog.

"He tried to dislodge the dog, he said, but it penetrated him," Kristof wrote.

"Other Palestinian prisoners and human rights monitors have also cited reports of police dogs being coached to rape prisoners," the Times columnist added. "Think of it this way: The horrific abuse inflicted on Israeli women on Oct. 7 now happens to Palestinians day after day."

NYT COLUMNIST ADMITS ‘SOMETHING HAS GONE BADLY WRONG’ IN WEST COAST STATES BECAUSE OF DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP

The Israel Foreign Ministry has condemned the report as malicious and false.

"This publication is no coincidence. It is part of a false and well-orchestrated anti-Israel campaign aimed at placing Israel on the U.N. Secretary-General’s blacklist," they added. "Israel will fight these lies with the truth - and the truth will prevail."

The New York Times did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Kristof called the response a "critical take" from Israel’s Foreign Ministry and shared a free link to the story.

Pro-Israel media watchdog Honest Reporting called the piece "journalistic malpractice" and sharply criticized his reliance on "freelance journalist" Sami al-Sai as a source.

Yechiel Leiter, Israel's ambassador to the United States, posted a video urging Americans not to "buy into their blood libels."

"The only clear crime on display here is the violation of journalistic standards by Mr. Kristof and his paper," Leiter said, blasting "questionable" sources with ties to the terror group Hamas.

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Many others took to social media with critical thoughts on the piece:

As criticism piled up, the paper defended Kristof’s piece on X.

"Nicholas Kristof is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who has reported on sexual violence for decades, and is widely regarded as one of the world’s best on-the-ground reporters documenting and bearing witness to sexual abuse experienced by women and men in war and conflict zones. He traveled to the region to report firsthand on the stories of the Palestinians who suffered abuse, and his article collects accounts in the victims’ own words, backed by independent studies," Times spokesperson Charlie Stadtlander wrote.

Kristof wrote on Tuesday, "I appreciate the intense interest in my column. For skeptics, why not agree on Red Cross and lawyer visits for the 9,000 Palestinian ‘security’ prisoners? If you think these abuse allegations are false, such monitoring visits would be protective. So why not?"

Kristof is aligned with the Democratic Party, which has become sharply more anti-Israel in recent years, and even made an aborted bid for Oregon governor as a Democrat.

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Video shows clashes erupt outside synagogue as anti-Israel mob wreaks havoc at real estate expo

Tue, 12 May 2026 10:31:59 -0400

Dramatic video from Monday night shows clashes between Israel supporters and keffiyeh-clad anti-Israel agitators at a real estate expo in Brooklyn, following a similar clash last week.

The footage, taken outside the Young Israel Synagogue, shows a chaotic scene where the two sides square off on a sidewalk, while anti-Israel mobs swarm the street, some waving Palestinian and Hezbollah flags.

Four people were taken into custody as the chaos unfolded around 6:45 p.m. on Ocean Avenue, the NYPD said.

In the video, a male Israel supporter raises fists in front of a mob, many of whom hold signs with anti-Israel messaging. At one point, the man deploys pepper spray in the direction of the mob.

WATCH: Violent anti-Israel mob protests outside Brooklyn synagogue

The clash was instigated by the anti-Israel brigade, which was protesting a real estate expo, "The Great Israeli Real Estate Event," showing off property for sale in Israel, which they say is in "stolen land" in the "occupied" Palestinian territory in the West Bank.

ANTI-ISRAEL MOB DESCENDS ON BROOKLYN COLLEGE IN NYC AS AGITATORS BRAWL WITH POLICE, GET TASED

According to the Jerusalem Post, the mob was organized by the Palestinian Assembly for Liberation Al-Awda of New York and New Jersey. The organization calls for the "de-colonization of Palestine.

Later video from the confrontation showed at least one anti-Israel agitator being arrested by NYPD officers after a scuffle that ended with the arrestee being thrown to the pavement.

The Jerusalem Post noted that anti-Israel crowds shouted slogans including, "Brick by brick, wall by wall, Zionism will fall," and "Free Palestine."

JEWISH SAFETY IN NEW YORK DEPENDS ON CLEAR LINES AND MORAL COURAGE FROM MAMDANI

"We’re here today to send a message to the city and to send a message to the organizers that these kinds of events cannot and will not stand in New York City," said Taher Dahleh, an organizer with the Palestinian Youth movement, according to Spectrum News 1.

A similar expo last week also drew protests.

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A recent "buffer zone" bill passed in New York City in March limits protests near places of worship. The "NYC Houses of Worship Law" passed in March and requires the NYPD to cordon off areas to protect worshippers at their discretion.

The law took effect in April, but the NYPD is expected to present a formal plan for enforcing it to Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the city council in early June.

Neither Mamdani's office nor the NYPD returned Tuesday morning comment requests.

Iran regime power players may eye Russia in Assad-style escape as US talks falter: expert

Mon, 11 May 2026 17:09:12 -0400

The apparent collapse of high-stakes U.S.-Iran negotiations has intensified fears that senior figures inside Tehran’s leadership could flee to Russia, seeking refuge to "continue their insurgency and undermine any new regime," an analyst warns.

The breakdown in talks comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also told CBS’ "60 Minutes" that toppling Iran’s regime could now even be a realistic outcome.

Netanyahu noted that any collapse would dismantle the "scaffolding" of Tehran's global terror proxy network, also potentially ending Hezbollah's influence in the region.

"The whole scaffolding of the terrorist proxy network that Iran built collapses if the regime in Iran collapses," Netanyahu said.

HERE’S WHAT A POST-AYATOLLAH IRAN COULD LOOK LIKE IF WAR WITH ISRAEL LEADS TO REGIME’S FALL

"I think you can’t predict when that will happen. Is it possible? Yes. Is it guaranteed? No," he warned.

With diplomatic options perhaps exhausted and the regime's stability in question, an expert suggests the exit strategy any leadership may be eyeing might be similar to that of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who fled Syria in 2024.

"If the situation deteriorates further, some senior figures could potentially follow a path like Bashar al-Assad’s inner circle and seek refuge in Russia," Middle East expert Saeid Golkar told Fox News Digital.

IRANIAN REGIME ELITES ALLEGEDLY MOVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OUT OF COUNTRY AMID SANCTIONS

Golkar, a senior adviser at United Against Nuclear Iran, noted that flight destinations would likely depend on rank.

While top commanders like Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf might head to Moscow, lower-ranking figures would more likely seek shelter in Iraq or Afghanistan, where the IRGC maintains operational connections, he clarified.

"For the most senior figures, Russia would probably be the most likely destination, again as we saw with Bashar al-Assad," Golkar said, noting many officials have already moved wealth into "financial networks outside Iran."

The current crisis started following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier in 2026 during the onset of Operation Epic Fury.

While his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was named successor, reports continue to indicate he was severely injured in the strikes and has been absent from recent negotiations.

INSIDE IRAN’S RULING IDEOLOGY: HOW A ‘HOLY MISSION’ AND MESSIANIC DOCTRINE FUEL REGIME EXTREMISM

Golkar explained that the "invisible state," or Bayt-e Rahbari, was designed to survive decapitation, while the ideological cost of fleeing for leaders would be high.

"Inside the regime’s ideological culture, leaving the country during the collapse would look like desertion," Golkar noted.

However, as military fractures deepen and succession remains uncertain, the "Assad model" of seeking Russian protection appears increasingly attractive to those at the top.

Mojtaba, however, is "either dead or in bad condition that he cannot send any video or voice message," Golkar added.

"If he had died from his injuries, there was no clear natural successor. He was the continuation of the regime."

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"Still, the system was designed for continuity during a crisis," Golkar said, adding that the goal is to "make sure the regime could survive even if formal institutions were damaged, leaders were killed, or civilian government stopped functioning."

"I would describe it as a regime designed not just to govern, but always to try and survive decapitation," Golkar added.

Netanyahu reveals he wants American financial support for Israel to 'draw down to zero'

Mon, 11 May 2026 12:42:16 -0400

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he hopes to draw U.S. financial support to his country "down to zero" during an interview on Sunday.

CBS News' Major Garrett asked Netanyahu if he believed it was time for Israel to reset its financial relationship with the United States and the prime minister agreed, saying he even raised the issue with President Donald Trump.

"Absolutely. And I've said this to President Trump," Netanyahu said. "I've said it in — to our own people."

He told CBS it was time for his country to wean itself off both the financial and military support from the U.S.

NEW STUDY PROPOSES MAJOR SHIFT IN US-ISRAEL STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP APPROACH AWAY FROM AID

"I want to draw down to zero the American financial support, the financial component of the military cooperation that we have," Netanyahu said. "Because we receive $3.8 billion a year. And I think that it's time that we weaned ourselves from the remaining military support."

When pressed about a timeline for when this could occur, he said over the next decade.

"I said, let's start now and do it over the next decade, over the next 10 years, but I want to start now," the Israeli leader said. "I don't want to wait for the next Congress. I want to start now."

NETANYAHU WARNS OF ‘EIGHTH FRONT’ IDEOLOGICAL BATTLE FOR AMERICAN HEARTS AND MINDS WITH CHRISTIAN LEADERS

Netanyahu argued that the dramatic shift in public opinion in his country could be traced to the rise in social media.

"Israel has gone to unbelievable lengths to get innocent civilians out of harm's way," he said. "We text message millions of text messages to them—make millions of phone calls to them, pamphlets, leaflets, you name it, OK? We have seen the deterioration of the support for Israel in the United States almost — I would say, it correlates almost 100% with the geometric rise of social media."

"And that, by itself, is not what caused it," Netanyahu continued. "And I don't believe in, you know, in censoring them or anything. But I'll tell you what happened. We have several countries that basically manipulated social media. And they do it in a clever way. And that's something that has hurt us badly."

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When asked about the war in Iran, he told "60 Minutes" that a lot had been accomplished, but said there was a lot more to be done.

"I think it accomplished a great deal, but it's not over, because there's still nuclear material, enriched uranium that has to be taken out of Iran," Netanyahu said. "There are still enrichment sites that have to be dismantled. There are still proxies that Iran supports. There are ballistic missiles that they still want to produce."

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"Now, we've degraded a lot of it, but all that is still there, and there's work to be done," he added.

Israeli PM Netanyahu argues public opinion shift on Israel 'correlates almost 100%' to social media

Sun, 10 May 2026 22:30:05 -0400

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed on "60 Minutes" Sunday that the dramatic shift in public opinion on his country could be traced to the rise in social media.

"Israel has gone to unbelievable lengths to get innocent civilians out of harm's way," Netanyahu said. "We text message millions of text messages to them—make millions of phone calls to them, pamphlets, leaflets, you name it, OK? We have seen the deterioration of the support for Israel in the United States almost — I would say, it correlates almost 100% with the geometric rise of social media."

He continued, "And that by itself is not what caused it. And I don't believe in, you know, in censoring them or anything. But I'll tell you what happened. We have several countries that basically manipulated social media. And they do it in a clever way. And that's something that has hurt us badly."

IRAN-LINKED INFLUENCE CAMPAIGN PUSHES ANTI-ISRAEL MESSAGING DISGUISED AS US VOICES

Netanyahu acknowledged that Israel has made "mistakes" in its war against Hamas but emphasized that they were not deliberate actions.

"Israel is besieged on the media front, on the propaganda front, and we've not done well on the propaganda war," he said.

Netanyahu remarked that even host Major Garrett would not be immune to negative propaganda if there was enough pressure against him.

CONTRIBUTOR FOR FAR-LEFT OUTLET CALLS FOR 'WIPING OUT ISRAEL,' SAYS ISRAELIS 'MUSTN'T FEEL SAFE'

"I can paint you as a monster," Netanyahu said. "And if I say it often enough, enough people will believe it."

An NBC News poll in March found that only 32% of Americans view Israel positively while 39% of Americans saw the nation in a negative light. The shift was far more pronounced among Democrats and independents, while Republicans were still largely sympathetic to the Jewish state.

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This shift in opinion followed Israel's war with Gaza, as well as the U.S.-led military strikes on Iran.

During the interview, Netanyahu indicated that the war with Iran was "not over" yet despite significant accomplishments.

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"I think it accomplished a great deal, but it's not over, because there's still nuclear material, enriched uranium that has to be taken out of Iran. There are still enrichment sites that have to be dismantled. There are still proxies that Iran supports. There are ballistic missiles that they still want to produce. Now, we've degraded a lot of it. But all that is still there, and there's work to be done," Netanyahu said.

Trump-backed Board of Peace, Israel 'will take action' if Hamas remains out of compliance: Netanyahu advisor

Sun, 10 May 2026 12:09:40 -0400

Michael Eisenberg, a top advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, says Israel and the newly-created Board of Peace will "take action" against Hamas if it does not comply with the peace terms it agreed to.

Eisenberg made the comments during an interview with Fox News on Sunday. He said Hamas is currently out of compliance with a wider peace agreement and is refusing to give up its weapons to "demilitarize" Gaza.

"I think all the options are on the table since Hamas is noncompliant with the 20-point plan, and they haven't delivered their weapons like they were supposed to. And so we'll have to wait and see. But like I said, this is incredibly well thought out. Give President Trump a tremendous amount of credit and his team of people credit. They've literally thought through every stage of this from beginning to end," Eisenberg said.

"And by the way, and as President Trump said, there's an easy way and a hard way. Everyone prefers the easy way, which is Hamas. With the help of the mediators delivers the weapons, but if they don't, there's a hard way too.," he added.

TRUMP CONVENES FIRST ‘BOARD OF PEACE’ MEETING AS GAZA REBUILD HINGES ON HAMAS DISARMAMENT

Eisenberg went on to say that Iran must also eventually give up control over Gaza under the 20-pont plan agreed to between the U.S., Israel and Hamas.

"Hamas is still there. But the 20-point plan says they cannot be there. They cannot be a part of government. They cannot bear arms. They have to become Swedish, basically, in order for them to stay in any role in Gaza. And so I suggest they do that sooner rather than later. And I think progress is slow. You can't microwave a 30-year problem. It doesn't work. Sociologists," he said.

Eisenberg's comments come amid multiple peace negotiations across the Middle East. Israel is hashing out an agreement to deal with Hezbollah in Lebanon and the U.S. is in talks with Iran.

WHAT ISRAEL WANTS FROM AN IRAN PEACE DEAL: NO ENRICHMENT, MISSILE LIMITS AND STRICT ENFORCEMENT

Netanyahu said last week that Israel and the United States remain in "full coordination" as negotiations continue.

"We share common objectives, and the most important objective is the removal of the enriched material from Iran, all the enriched material, and the dismantling of Iran’s enrichment capabilities," Netanyahu said at the opening of a security cabinet meeting.

On the nuclear issue, former Israeli National Security Advisor Yaakov Amidror said Israel’s position remains uncompromising.

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"Weaponized uranium must leave Iran," Amidror said. "The Iranians must not be allowed to enrich uranium."

Alongside the nuclear issue, Israeli analysts say Iran’s ballistic missile program has become equally central to Israel’s security concerns.

Some Democrats privately disgusted by Hasan Piker but are afraid to publicly criticize him, House Dem claims

Sun, 10 May 2026 10:57:12 -0400

Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, is accusing members of his own party of applying a "double standard" on antisemitism, arguing in a New York Times guest essay that Democrats have failed to forcefully condemn anti-Israel rhetoric and antisemitic comments from figures on the political left.

"There should be one response to those who express hatred toward any American: condemnation," Gottheimer wrote in the essay published Sunday. "Hate is hate. It doesn’t get a pass because it comes from your side of the aisle."

Gottheimer, one of Israel’s most outspoken Democratic defenders in Congress, singled out progressive political commentator Hasan Piker, accusing him of promoting "antisemitic and anti-American extremism" while continuing to receive support and public appearances from Democratic politicians.

"Sadly, we’ve seen several prominent Democrats appear on his show and even campaign with him, granting his views legitimacy," Gottheimer wrote.

FOX NEWS ‘ANTISEMITISM EXPOSED’ NEWSLETTER: WHO IS HASAN PIKER AND WHY CAN'T DEMOCRATS CONDEMN HIM?

The congressman contrasted Democrats’ criticism of President Donald Trump over his past interactions with White nationalist Nick Fuentes and the party’s condemnation of the 2017 Charlottesville rally with what he described as reluctance to confront antisemitism originating from the far left.

"Across the Democratic Party’s ideological spectrum, right-wing hate is consistently condemned," Gottheimer wrote. "But today, too many Democrats are noticeably and shamefully silent when antisemitism comes from the far left."

Gottheimer said some Democrats privately acknowledge concerns about inflammatory rhetoric but avoid public criticism out of fear of backlash from progressive activists.

'CHEERLEADING FOR TERRORISM': TWITCH STAR CALLED FOR NEW 9/11, DISMISSED HORROR OF OCT 7

"I’ve spoken to congressional colleagues who have privately told me that many things Mr. Piker has said are disgusting," Gottheimer wrote. "Yet they’ll say nothing about it in public."

Gottheimer listed out some of Piker's most extreme remarks, including referring to Orthodox Jews as "inbred" and America deserving 9/11, "both statements he halfheartedly walked back."

"Mr. Piker traffics in antisemitic and anti-American extremism that has been met by silence from many on the Democratic left," Gottheimer wrote.

He also criticized recent actions by members of his own party toward Israel, including Senate votes opposing military equipment sales to the country amid ongoing concerns over Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.

PRO-ISRAEL DEM SAYS THOSE WHO WON'T DECRY HAMAS OVER OCT. 7 ATTACK 'HAVE NO BUSINESS' POSING AS HUMANITARIANS

"Last month, most Senate Democrats voted for two measures that would have blocked sales of military equipment to Israel," Gottheimer wrote, questioning whether the shift reflected principle or political pressure from "a small but vocal and growing segment of the political left.

Gottheimer further accused Democrats of disproportionately targeting Israel compared to other U.S. allies with documented human rights concerns, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey.

"The Democratic condemnation piled on Israel’s government is overwhelming in comparison to other allies," Gottheimer wrote.

The Anti-Defamation League reported earlier this year that antisemitic incidents in the United States reached record levels in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attacks, citing thousands of reported cases involving harassment, vandalism and assaults.

Piker has defended himself against accusations of antisemitism, while calling on Democrats to be the anti-Israel party.

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Fox News Digital reached out to the DNC and Hasan Piker for comment, but did not immediately hear back.

North Korea updates constitution to require automatic nuclear strike if Kim Jong Un is assassinated: report

Sat, 09 May 2026 23:56:24 -0400

North Korea has updated its constitution to require a retaliatory nuclear strike if leader Kim Jong Un is assassinated, according to a report.

The Telegraph reported the change comes amid heightened global tensions following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other officials during a recent conflict.

Khamenei was killed in an Israeli strike in Tehran as part of a coordinated U.S.-Israeli military operation earlier this year, Fox News Digital previously reported.

The constitutional revision was approved during a session of North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly, which opened March 22 in Pyongyang, the outlet said.

ISRAEL TARGETS IRAN’S SUPREME LEADER IN SWEEPING STRIKES AS US JOINS ‘OPERATION EPIC FURY’

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) briefed senior government officials this week on the update, according to the report.

The revised policy outlines procedures for retaliatory action if North Korea’s leadership is incapacitated or killed.

"If the command-and-control system over the state’s nuclear forces is placed in danger by hostile forces’ attacks … a nuclear strike shall be launched automatically and immediately," the updated provision states.

KIM JONG UN CALLS SOUTH KOREA ‘MOST HOSTILE ENEMY,’ SAYS NORTH COULD ‘COMPLETELY DESTROY’ IT

Reuters previously reported that North Korea revised its constitution to define its territory as bordering South Korea and remove references to reunification, reflecting Kim’s push to formally treat the two Koreas as separate states.

That marked the first time North Korea included a territorial clause in its constitution.

Last month, Kim pledged to further strengthen the country’s nuclear capabilities while maintaining a hard-line stance toward South Korea, which he has called the "most hostile" state.

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Kim has also accused the United States of "state terrorism and aggression," and signaled North Korea could take a more active role in opposition to Washington amid rising global tensions.

Fox News Digital's Alex Nitzberg and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Israeli police say Iran using WhatsApp, Facebook, blackmail to recruit spies as latest attempt foiled

Fri, 08 May 2026 06:00:50 -0400

The arrest of two Israeli air force personnel on allegations of espionage has underscored Iran’s expanding efforts to penetrate Israel’s military by recruiting operatives from within.

Over the past year and a half, Israeli police, working alongside the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), have investigated more than 20 cases involving an estimated 40 to 50 suspects. Most remain in custody, though investigators believe additional suspects are still at large.

Capt. Sefi Berger of the Israel Police’s Lahav International and Major Crimes Unit, which investigates Iranian espionage cases, told Fox News Digital that Tehran primarily seeks intelligence that could aid attack planning, along with information on high-profile individuals and other sensitive targets.

IRAN ARRESTS DOZENS ACCUSED OF SPYING FOR ISRAEL IN NEW INTERNAL CRACKDOWN

Payments vary widely. One network of seven suspects reportedly received about $300,000, while an Iron Dome reservist was allegedly paid $1,000 — and in some cases, even less.

"People may think they will get rich, but the money is not life-changing," Berger said. "In one case last year involving two soldiers, one received just $21 and has been in prison for a year and a half."

Iranian recruitment tactics include infiltrating WhatsApp and Facebook groups used by Israelis seeking freelance work, as well as pornography websites, where agents allegedly use compromising material to blackmail individuals into cooperating. Recruitment also relies on emotional manipulation of individuals whose moral judgment may be compromised.

"When recruiting a person, a relationship can develop between the handler and the spy. Sometimes the asset is looking for a father figure or a friend — someone who listens without judgment," Berger said.

Former Shin Bet handler Gonen Ben Itzhak, who spent years recruiting sources within Palestinian society, told Fox News Digital that the issue is particularly serious, saying he has not previously seen so many attempts — and some successful cases — of spying against Israel.

IRANIAN REGIME SPREADING ANTI-ISRAEL PROPAGANDA ACROSS DOZENS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS: REPORT

"The million-dollar question is who makes a good recruit. We don’t have a clear answer. There are certain indicators that someone may be more susceptible. The Iranians use social media — something we didn’t have in the same way — and it’s a powerful tool to identify potential motives," he said.

As a handler, Ben Itzhak said he sought to recruit as many viable candidates as possible while avoiding individuals likely to attract suspicion, such as known criminals. He described the process as gradual and often uncertain.

"At first, they need to agree to meet in secret. Sometimes they come but won’t share information. I would start with simple questions — who leads Hamas in their village," he said.

"Sometimes it takes time. Some refuse to cooperate, some may even act as double agents. In many cases, they are trained to collect information without being exposed. It’s a process," Ben Itzhak added.

On Friday, indictments were filed against an Israeli civilian and three soldiers arrested in March on suspicion of working for Iranian intelligence and carrying out security-related missions under its direction before enlisting in the IDF.

As part of the alleged operations, the defendants documented and sent their handlers photos and videos of locations including train stations, shopping centers and security cameras, and were at one point instructed to purchase weapons. They also allegedly transferred documents from the Air Force Technical School, where some of the suspects had studied.

In March, 22-year-old Haifa resident Ami Gaydarov was arrested on suspicion of manufacturing explosives intended to target a senior Israeli figure at the direction of an Iranian agent.

Last month, a man from the Israeli-Arab city of Qalansawe was detained on suspicion of allegedly spying for "a hostile actor, mediated through the Al Jazeera channel." According to the investigation, Miqdad Moder Hosni Natur made contact with his handler after being introduced while searching for job opportunities through the Qatari-owned news organization.

Under Israeli law, contact with a foreign agent carries a sentence of up to 15 years in prison. Providing intelligence can result in more than 10 years’ imprisonment, while aiding the enemy during wartime carries a minimum sentence of life imprisonment and, in extreme cases, the death penalty.

Berger also warned against attempts by Israelis to deceive foreign agents, stressing that any contact is a serious offense.

DANISH NATIONAL WANTED IN GERMANY ARRESTED AFTER ALLEGEDLY SPYING ON JEWISH TARGETS FOR IRAN

"We had a hotel worker near the Dead Sea who falsely told Iranians that a group of Israelis would arrive. He said it was a lie, but I explained he had effectively put a target on that hotel, its staff and guests, and encouraged an attack," Berger said.

"People unfamiliar with this world should not engage in it. Contact is an offense, providing information is an offense, and aiding the enemy is the most severe," he added.

While most suspects remain in custody awaiting trial, some cases are advancing through the courts.

One concluded case involved 70-year-old Moti Maman, who was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison after twice entering Iran, where he met with intelligence agents to discuss carrying out terrorist activity in Israel. He also discussed the possibility of assassinating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

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Former Mossad operative Gad Shimron told Fox News Digital that while the espionage efforts have caused damage, their impact appears tactical rather than strategic. However, he cautioned against complacency.

"The electronic Iron Dome is trying to catch Israelis willing to work for the Iranians, and I believe it is quite efficient," he said. "But one should never underestimate the enemy. I am sure they are investing a lot of effort and that they have some successes we don’t yet know of."

MORNING GLORY: Trump should demand a clear victory over Iran and reject weak compromises

Thu, 07 May 2026 05:00:40 -0400

Since the battle with Iran began on February 28, there have been so many reports of "deals" with the rump regime atop the ruins of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that it seems almost silly to respond to another one.

But Israeli journalist Amit Segal usually cross-checks all reports of deals — including the most recent one from Axios’ Barak Ravid — with senior Israeli officials, so I pay attention to Segal’s posts. On Wednesday, Segal quoted Ravid, posting on X:

"According to @BarakRavid the U.S. and Iran are at the closest point to an agreement since the war began. The framework includes:

The U.S. and Iranian naval blockade will be gradually lifted during the detailed negotiation period.
The United States will commit, in the memorandum of understanding, to gradually lift sanctions and release tens of billions of dollars from frozen assets.
Negotiations are still underway on the duration of the uranium enrichment freeze. Three sources said the freeze would last at least 12 years, and one source estimated the final outcome would be 15 years. In addition, the U.S. wants to include in the agreement a clause stating that any Iranian violation regarding uranium enrichment will extend the freeze period.
Two sources claimed that Iran would agree to transfer the highly enriched uranium it possesses out of the country.
The United States expects to receive Iran’s response within 48 hours regarding several key points in the draft framework agreement."

STEVE FORBES: NO MORE DELUSIONS — AMERICA HAS TO FINISH THE JOB IN IRAN

That would be a terrible "deal," one that would draw fierce criticism from the GOP’s Iran hawks who want President Trump to "finish the job" and do so in dramatic fashion.

The "end game" doesn’t have to be humiliation of the remnants of the rump regime atop the ruins of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps atop the shattered Iranian "government." But they are "lunatics" as both President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have called them — "insane in the head" Rubio added Tuesday from the White House press podium — and that’s generous.

The "leaders" left standing in Iran (the ones with the guns at least) are fanatical killers who cannot be trusted. The blockade should stay in place until full commercial traffic to every country not named Iran resumes through the Gulf. The repudiation of enrichment has to be complete and the remains of the highly enriched uranium, now buried under rubble at various sites after U.S. precision strikes, has to be dug up and turned over to us. The Iranian missile and drone programs must have caps on the number of missiles and their range, and those programs must be subject to a strict verification regime. Finally, the regime must turn on the internet for its people and turn off the money spigot for Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.

These are reasonable demands and the fanatics in Iran — unless they are irrational (they may be) — must see them as such. President Trump doesn’t surrender leverage. He’s got it. We have to hope he uses every ounce of it.

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Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner don’t want their names on a "second Munich agreement," and they have walked away before. President Trump should not want to risk the victory he has won that is one for the ages by letting Iran off the floor.

I don’t believe anything, but worry about everything. Iran is finally cornered and desperate. Let’s pray that President Trump finishes off this radical and piratical regime and goes down in history as the president who brought stability to the Middle East.

What Israel wants from an Iran peace deal: No enrichment, missile limits and strict enforcement

Wed, 06 May 2026 16:30:45 -0400

As President Donald Trump signals progress toward a possible agreement with Iran, Israeli officials and analysts increasingly are outlining what Jerusalem believes any deal must include to prevent Tehran from rebuilding its military and regional power.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel and the United States remain in "full coordination" as negotiations continue.

US AND IRAN CLASH OVER URANIUM ENRICHMENT AS NUCLEAR TALKS RESUME IN ROME

"We’ve had very good talks over the last 24 hours, and it’s very possible that we’ll make a deal," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Wednesday.

At the same time, Trump warned that if negotiations fail, "we’ll have to go a big step further."

For Israel, the question is not simply whether the war ends, but whether Iran emerges from negotiations weakened or repositioned to rebuild. Israeli officials fear a weak agreement could allow Tehran to preserve strategic capabilities, regain economic breathing room and eventually restore the regional network of armed groups that threatened Israel before the war. Jerusalem is also seeking guarantees that any future deal preserves military leverage and freedom of action if Iran violates its commitments.

Against that backdrop, Israeli analysts say Jerusalem’s red lines focus on four core areas: dismantling Iran’s enrichment infrastructure, restricting its ballistic missile program, preventing Tehran from rebuilding Hezbollah and Hamas, and ensuring the regime does not gain political legitimacy or strategic relief from the negotiations.

No enrichment, no sunsets

On the nuclear issue, former Israeli National Security Advisor Yaakov Amidror said Israel’s position remains uncompromising.

"Weaponized uranium must leave Iran," Amidror said. "The Iranians must not be allowed to enrich uranium."

Israeli journalist and commentator Nadav Eyal agreed, adding that Israel is seeking a much stricter framework than previous agreements.

"Israel wants Iran to stop enrichment for as long as possible and for the enriched material to leave Iran," Eyal said, adding that Jerusalem is looking for "an arms control agreement that would be extensive and robust."

Avner Golov, vice president of the Mind Israel think tank, told Fox News Digital that Israel also wants Iran’s underground nuclear infrastructure dismantled entirely.

"In the nuclear arena, what matters is the removal of the enriched material, the destruction of the underground facilities, including those still being built, and a prohibition on new sites," Golov said.

Golov also warned against "sunset clauses" that would allow restrictions to expire after several years.

"There must be an agreement without sunsets," he said, calling for "unprecedented monitoring and supervision, anywhere, under any conditions and not dependent on Iranian approval."

Jonathan Ruhe, Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) fellow for American strategy, told Fox News Digital, "Ultimately the United States and Israel should have strongly similar redlines for an acceptable deal," he said, including "shutting down Iran’s nuclear weapons program completely, permanently and verifiably."

Ruhe said that goes beyond Iran handing over highly enriched uranium and includes shutting down remaining enrichment-related facilities at Pickaxe and Isfahan.

UN'S ATOMIC AGENCY'S IRAN POLICY GETS MIXED REVIEWS FROM EXPERTS AFTER US-ISRAEL 'OBLITERATE' NUCLEAR SITES

Missiles seen as equal threat

Alongside the nuclear issue, Israeli analysts say Iran’s ballistic missile program has become equally central to Israel’s security concerns.

"One of the key questions is whether there will be any sort of limitation on the ballistic missile program of the Iranians," Eyal said. "Israel sees this as no less of an existential threat than the nuclear issue."

Amidror warned that without missile restrictions, the threat could eventually extend beyond Israel and Europe.

"If there are no restrictions on the missile program, then missiles that today can reach half of Europe will, within five to 10 years, be able to reach the United States," he warned.

Golov argued that a nuclear-only agreement would leave Iran free to rebuild a missile shield protecting a future nuclear breakout.

"A deal that focuses only on the nuclear program would allow the Iranians to produce thousands of missiles and create a protective shield around their nuclear program."

Ruhe similarly said limiting Iran’s missile arsenal must include preventing Iran from rebuilding production capabilities damaged during the war.

IRAN DRAWS MISSILE RED LINE AS ANALYSTS WARN TEHRAN IS STALLING US TALKS

Hamas, Hezbollah and the proxies question

Another major Israeli concern is that sanctions relief or renewed trade could funnel money back to Iran’s regional proxies.

"Israel is demanding that the Islamic Republic isolate itself from involvement with Lebanon and Gaza and stop supporting armed groups that operate against Israel," Eyal said.

"For Israel, it is a material issue that the money injected into Iran will not be used to rebuild the proxies in the region," he added.

Amidror said Iran’s ability to support Hezbollah and Hamas has already been weakened by the collapse of regional supply routes.

"The Iranians cannot effectively support the proxies because there is no longer a land bridge from Iran to Syria," he said, but warned that if negotiations leave the impression that Washington backed down, Iran’s regional proxies could emerge stronger even after the war.

No ‘victory image’ for Tehran

Ruhe similarly argued that Israel wants to avoid any agreement that restores legitimacy to the Iranian regime without fundamentally weakening it.

"Avoiding anything that legitimates Iran’s regime and abandons the Iranian people" is critical, Ruhe said, including "giving guarantees against future attacks or compensating Tehran for wartime damages."

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Ruhe warned that for Israel, a "bad deal" is ultimately any agreement that restrains Israel’s future freedom of action against Iran and its proxies.

"This is one big reason Iran wants to ensnare the Trump administration in open-ended negotiations that sideline military options and create daylight between Washington and Jerusalem," Ruhe said.

Fetterman calls NYC protesters 'pro-Hezbollah/Hamas,' puts own Democratic Party on blast

Wed, 06 May 2026 14:40:02 -0400

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., described protesters who demonstrated in New York City on Tuesday as "Pro-Hezbollah / Hamas s[---]heads," and indicated that the Democratic Party should speak out against them.

"Mob of Pro-Hezbollah / Hamas s[---]heads raging against law enforcement and terrorizing the NYC Jewish community near a synagogue and day care," Fetterman wrote in a Wednesday post on X.

"Where’s my party’s condemnation?"

ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS CLASH WITH NYPD OFFICERS NEAR SYNAGOGUE

Fetterman made the comments when sharing a post on X that featured video footage in which people could be heard engaging in what sounded like an anti-Zionist chant.

The Forward reported that a spokesperson for Park East indicated that the synagogue had rented space for the Great Israeli Real Estate Event.

"Park East Synagogue remains steadfast in our commitment to peaceful worship, and we are grateful for the NYPD's tireless efforts in protecting the community of our historic landmark synagogue," a Park East Synagogue spokesperson said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital.

JOHN FETTERMAN BREAKS WITH PARTY OVER 'ORGY OF SOCIALISM' MAY DAY PROTESTS

Fetterman is a staunch supporter of Israel.

"In the face of consistent attacks, past and present, our special ally and its people have shown true strength and resilience," he declared in a post on X last month.

"Israel: I’m proud to stand on the right side of history, and this voice and vote will never waver. Happy Independence Day!"

ANTISEMITIC VIOLENCE ESCALATES AS DEADLY WEAPON ATTACKS SURGE IN 2025: REPORT

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In a March post, the senator declared, "As a Democrat, I’m deeply proud to stand with Israel through the horror of 10/07. I’m deeply proud of our military and what they’ve accomplished in Epic Fury. Picking country over party is never wrong."

Antisemitic violence escalates as deadly weapon attacks surge in 2025: report

Wed, 06 May 2026 06:19:11 -0400

Antisemitic violence escalated in 2025, with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) noting in its annual audit that attacks with deadly weapons surged, even as overall incidents declined.

"Stopping the growing trend of antisemitic attacks and assaults requires a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach involving government action at all levels, community engagement, education and robust enforcement," ADL CEO and National Director Jonathan Greenblatt told Fox News Digital.

The organization recorded 6,274 antisemitic incidents in 2025, an average of about 17 every day, including 203 assaults, 32 of which involved a deadly weapon, a 39% increase from 2024. Additionally, the ADL recorded 4,003 instances of antisemitic harassment and 2,068 acts of vandalism. While the attacks occurred across the country, the states that saw the most incidents were New York (1,160), California (817) and New Jersey (687), according to the ADL.

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The number of incidents in 2025 represented a 33% decrease from 2024, when the ADL recorded 9,354 incidents across the U.S. However, the ADL said that the number of incidents remains "considerably higher" than it was in the years before Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks. The organization said that 2025 was ranked as the third-highest year for antisemitic incidents after 2023 and 2024.

"A 33% decrease indisputably is an improvement and a shift in the [right] direction. At the broadest level, anti-Jewish hate came down considerably," Greenblatt said. "However, it’s also not that simple. While antisemitic incidents are down compared to the historic highs of 2023 and 2024, they remain 70% higher than what we saw in 2022, and much higher than what we witnessed in preceding years. It is almost as if we have two eras – pre-October 7 and post-October 7."

College and university campuses saw the sharpest decline in antisemitic incidents as activity tied to anti-Israel protests declined, according to the ADL. In 2025, the ADL recorded 583 antisemitic incidents on college campuses, a 66% decrease from 2024, when 1,694 incidents were recorded. The ADL has also pushed colleges and universities to address antisemitism and released new report cards evaluating campus responses.

Less than half of antisemitic incidents in 2025, about 45%, were related to Israel or Zionism, according to the ADL. That marked a notable drop from 2024, when roughly 58% of incidents were tied to Israel. Additionally, antisemitic incidents occurring at or near anti-Israel protests dropped by 67% in 2025, but still totaled 856 cases.

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Despite this decrease in the number of incidents, the ADL reported a "historic high" in antisemitic assaults and attacks with deadly weapons in 2025, noting a 39% increase. This included the deadly shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 2025, in which Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky were killed. Days later, on June 1, 2025, a firebombing attack left 82-year-old Karen Diamond severely injured. Diamond later died as a result of the attack.

"The increase in assaults involving a deadly weapon is one of the most alarming findings in this year's audit," Greenblatt told Fox News Digital. "Tragically, three people were murdered in antisemitic attacks this past year — the first fatalities in the U.S. from antisemitic attacks since 2022."

"This tells us that antisemitism is not only persistent but it's actually intensifying. Behind every one of these incidents is a real person: a family threatened at their synagogue, a rabbi attacked on the street, a student harassed on campus," he added.

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In a statement on the audit, ADL Senior Vice President for Counter-Extremism and Intelligence Oren Segal said that the spike in attacks involving deadly weapons showed the threats that American Jews face.

"Even as overall incidents declined, the surge in physical assaults is a stark reminder that a historically high level of antisemitism puts Jewish lives at risk," Segal said.

The ADL's findings reveal a troubling trend: even as antisemitic incidents decline, they are becoming increasingly dangerous.

Michigan Senate race: El-Sayed’s ties to extremist fuel antisemitism concerns among Jewish voters

Wed, 06 May 2026 06:00:05 -0400

As Michigan’s open U.S. Senate race intensifies, some Jewish residents across the state say Democratic contender Abdul El-Sayed’s candidacy is amplifying concerns over antisemitism as tensions surrounding Israel continue to reverberate far beyond foreign policy.

Michigan, home to one of the nation’s largest Arab American populations, has become a major political battleground where Middle East politics are increasingly intersecting with local fears over neighborhood security and communal stability.

With a history spanning over 260 years, the state’s Jewish community feels under attack, especially since the March terrorist attack against Michigan’s largest synagogue in Bloomfield Hills.

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"I’m a lifelong Michigan resident, and when somebody runs for office in our state, it’s always been somebody who is not based on hate," said Steve Cohen, a Michigan resident who spoke about El-Sayed’s campaign rhetoric. "Mr. El-Sayed not only is spewing hate, but he’s spewing it at political conventions and everywhere. With our history in Michigan, it’s shameful. He’s not a qualified candidate. It’s time for the Jewish community, and, for that matter every other community, to stand up and say no, and enough is enough," he told Fox News Digital.

His and the concerns of others came back into the spotlight after Michigan’s recent Democratic State Convention, where several attendees described chaotic scenes tied to Israel-related issues.

Howard, another Michigander, who asked that his last name not be used, said El-Sayed supporters and activists "flooded the convention with voters" after registering as Democrats in the weeks leading up to the event.

"All you had to do was register within 30 days," he said. "They shouted down people like Haley Stevens and others who had supported Israel. It was a circus. Anybody who had ever supported Israel was targeted. Many residents left frightened by what they saw." Stevens is running against El-Sayed in the Democratic primary.

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Howard added that many Michigan residents now fear what this signals politically.

"Mr. El-Sayed’s campaign appears centered on hostility toward Israel, and many Michigan residents are frightened about what that means for the future," he said.

In response to concerns raised by some Michigan residents over antisemitism, community safety and criticism surrounding his campaign appearance alongside Hasan Piker, El-Sayed emphasized his personal understanding of religious prejudice.

"I understand what it’s like to be discriminated against for how I pray," El-Sayed said. "This is why I will always stand against antisemitism and stand with my Jewish brothers and sisters and their right to practice their faith safely, freely, and unabashedly," he told Fox News Digital.

Addressing criticism over his decision to campaign alongside Hasan Piker, he said, "Obviously, I don't agree with some of the statements Hasan has made. But we play this game where we platform police and pretend that we're not allowed to talk to certain groups of people because they said something we disagree with. That's just not how the world works. And if we did that, we would be dividing ourselves, just like our politics is. I reject that game, and I go and talk to anyone, because I believe that there's an opportunity to actually persuade them."

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Jesse Arm, vice president at the Manhattan Institute and a pollster originally from Michigan, said the Michigan Senate battle is becoming a broader test for voters concerned about extremism, public safety and political direction.

"This race is becoming a proxy fight over whether Michigan Democrats remain a normal political party or continue drifting toward a faction that treats antisemitism and anti-American extremism as tolerable," Arm said. "For many Michiganders, not just Jewish voters, the question of whether the people seeking power take their safety seriously is no longer abstract."

Fox News Digital spoke with multiple Michigan residents and community members, though several declined to go on record publicly, citing fears of being targeted socially or professionally by extremists.

Their concerns emerge as antisemitic incidents continue to rise amid broader national fears. According to the American Jewish Committee’s 2025 State of Antisemitism in America report, 91% of American Jews surveyed said recent violent antisemitic attacks have increased their concerns about safety, reflecting broader fears echoed by Jewish communities in battleground states like Michigan.

Several Michigan residents described growing anxiety about whether increasingly aggressive anti-Israel activism could further inflame tensions in neighborhoods that have historically balanced diverse religious and ethnic communities.

While El-Sayed has positioned himself as a progressive voice on key issues, critics say his political rise reflects growing tensions within Democratic politics over Israel.

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Earlier this month, Michigan Senate candidate Mallory McMorrow, who is running against El-Sayed, said her Jewish husband was allegedly accosted by a Michigan Democratic activist who directed an antisemitic slur at him in front of their 5-year-old daughter.

McMorrow has also criticized El-Sayed’s decision to campaign alongside left-wing streamer Hasan Piker during recent appearances at Michigan State University and the University of Michigan.