Iran is winning by losing: how Tehran turned Gulf victims into its biggest lobbyists

 https://www.ynetnews.com/opinions-analysis/article/bj5yw3c1ml

Something extraordinary happened on Monday that no analyst predicted and no diplomatic textbook describes. The leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, three countries whose territory Iran has been striking for weeks, picked up the phone and called Donald Trump to beg him not to bomb Tehran. They succeeded. The scheduled American military assault on Iran, set for Tuesday morning, was called off. Not by negotiations. Not by Iranian concessions. By the very nations bearing the brunt of Iranian aggression.

Trump said Monday evening he had planned a very major attack but put it off, for a little while, hopefully maybe forever, after receiving requests from Gulf leaders to give negotiations more time. He said the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had each personally urged him to delay the planned strike, citing ongoing negotiations with Tehran and expressing confidence that a deal would be reached. Trump, framing the concession as deference to allies rather than weakness, agreed to stand down.

This is the paradox at the center of the current ceasefire. Iran attacks the Gulf states. The Gulf states then lobby Washington for restraint on Iran's behalf. Tehran fires at the hand that feeds the argument for its survival. And the hand, rather than withdrawing, extends further.

'Bibi's hair was on fire:' Inside the call between Trump, Netanyahu on Iran ceasefire talks - Axios

 https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-896906

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump had a difficult conversation on Tuesday about ceasefire talks, Axios reported on Wednesday. 

Trump reportedly called Netanyahu on Tuesday to inform him that mediators were working on a "letter of intent" to end the war and launch a month-long period of negotiations, which would include matters such as Iran's nuclear program and opening the Strait of Hormuz.

Two Israeli sources stated that the two leaders were in clear disagreement about how to deal with Iran moving forward. One US source briefed on the call told Axios that "Bibi's hair was on fire after the call." 

Trump says Netanyahu will ‘do whatever I want’ on Iran after pair said to hold tense call

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/irgc-threatens-war-will-spread-far-beyond-the-region-if-us-renews-attacks-on-iran/

US President Donald Trump asserted Wednesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will do “whatever I want” when it comes to a potential military strike on Iran, in remarks made a day after the pair reportedly held a tense call on the subject.

The two leaders disagreed on the path forward during the call, as Netanyahu was highly skeptical of the framework, believing the US should continue applying military pressure on Iran to further weaken the regime by destroying its critical infrastructure, two Israeli sources said.

The US source said that Netanyahu’s “hair was on fire after the call,” though Israeli sources noted that Netanyahu “is always concerned” about how negotiations with Iran will go, even during stages that previously failed.

Iran Sticks to Its Guns as Trump’s Threats Begin to Lose Power

 https://www.newsweek.com/iran-sticks-to-its-guns-as-trumps-threats-begin-to-lose-power-11967826

Almost three months into the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran and nearly five weeks since President Donald Trump announced a blockade of the Islamic Republic, a defiant Tehran shows little sign of budging in the face of the White House's fiery threats.

Rather, the conflict appears thus far to be emboldening Iranian leadership. Despite the loss of their supreme leader, the killing of other key commanders and decision-makers and the destruction of considerable firepower, Iranian officials have largely put domestic divisions aside and closed ranks to maintain a hefty set of demands to end the war on their own terms.

It's a costly bet. Yet the price for the White House, the region and the world is adding up as well.

"I think that the Trump administration has led itself into a very tight corner," Saikal said. "It has kept changing its goalposts and doesn’t really know how to end the war. President Trump has pathologically never been able to accept defeat. He has now narrowed his objective to ‘no nuclear weapons’, despite the fact that Tehran has always said that it won’t produce nuclear weapons."

Trump national Shabbat divides America’s Jews ahead of National Mall prayer rally

 https://jewishpostandnews.ca/uncategorized/trump-national-shabbat-divides-americas-jews-ahead-of-national-mall-prayer-rally/

As part of a 250th anniversary celebration of the United States, President Donald Trump is calling on Americans to pray together in a nine-hour marathon on the National Mall Sunday featuring a host of Christian speakers — and one rabbi.

But first, Trump is calling on Jews to mark Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest from sundown Friday to nightfall Saturday, and encouraging other Americans to consider embracing the ritual as well.

The exhortation has received mixed reviews from the American Jewish community. Some Jews have said they appreciate the gesture and recognition of a central tradition to Judaism, and even are promoting their own Shabbat services as part of “Shabbat 250.”

Others say Trump is appropriating Judaism to promote conservative political goals and Christian nationalism, a movement backed by a portion of Trump’s base that scholars say could push the country in a direction that is less hospitable to Jews.

Support for the initiative has been strongest among Orthodox Jews, who tend to be more politically conservative. Rabbi Josh Joseph, executive vice president of the Orthodox Union, endorsed Trump’s call soon after it was made

Trump announced a national Shabbat — and a giant celebration of Christianity the very next day

 https://forward.com/culture/824974/shabbat-250-rededication-trump-christianity/

To celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States, President Trump has announced several religious ceremonies. This weekend is Shabbat 250, in honor of Jewish Heritage month, beginning Friday night and carrying into Saturday.

“We celebrate the contributions that Jewish Americans have made to our way of life, we honor their role in shaping the story of our Nation, and we remember that religious devotion, learning, and service to others are enduring pillars of a thriving culture,” the announcement says.

But that recognition of Judaism is followed the very next day by Rededicate 250, a celebration “about the history and the foundations of our nation, which was built on Christian values,” as Paula White-Cain, Trump’s senior faith advisor, said in a webinar earlier this month for the National Faith Advisory Board, adding that attendees shouldn’t worry the event might include “praying to all these different Gods.”

“The vast majority of the speakers are Christian,” Baldwin said. “If you do see another religion represented, it would probably be in a modest way, talking about religious freedom.”

All this is certainly mixed messaging as far as  the place of Jews in the nation’s celebrations is concerned.

Rededicate 250 will feature dozens of Christian speakers including pastors; figures such as Dr. Larry Arnn, the founder of Hillsdale College, a private, conservative Christian school; members of the Trump administration including Pete Hegseth, who has openly voiced support for Christian nationalism; Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus on the hit Christian show The Chosen; and a selection of Christian musical performers. Rabbi Meir Soleveichik is the sole non-Christian slated to participate.

Cassidy becomes fourth GOP senator to back Iran war powers measure limiting Trump

 https://thehill.com/homenews/5886024-bill-cassidy-iran-war-powers/

Sen. Bill Cassidy, who lost his bid for a third term in Saturday’s Louisiana Senate Republican primary, on Tuesday became the fourth Republican senator to vote to advance a war powers resolution directing President Trump to withdraw U.S. armed forces deployed against Iran.

“Republicans should be ashamed of the Senators that just voted with Democrats in attempting to take away our Powers to fight and defend the United States of America. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul, Josh Hawley, and Todd Young should never be elected to office again,” Trump posted on Truth Social after the January vote.

US, Israel planned to install Ahmadinejad in Iran and helped him escape country

 https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bka4o351fx

The New York Times reported overnight Tuesday that the United States and Israel had an unexpected candidate for that “someone from within” — perhaps the last person anyone would have imagined as suitable, or willing: former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, long considered one of Israel’s bitterest enemies.

According to officials in Washington, the extraordinary plan was developed by Israel and later joined by U.S. intelligence officials. But senior American officials said it quickly went awry. Officials briefed on the matter and a person close to Ahmadinejad told the paper that the Israeli strike on the first day of the war at Ahmadinejad’s home in Tehran was meant to free him from the house arrest he was under. But after he nearly was killed in the strike, and was wounded, he changed his mind and decided, at least at that point, not to take part in the coup operation.

The American and Israeli choice of Ahmadinejad to replace Iran’s leadership was unusual, to say the least. During his presidency from 2005 to 2013, he repeatedly threatened to “wipe Israel and Zionism” off the map. He was known as a Holocaust denier and did not hesitate to use blatant antisemitic rhetoric.

A GOP primary has become a costly battle over Israel. Will it matter in the long run?

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/a-gop-primary-has-become-a-costly-battle-over-israel-will-it-matter-in-the-long-run/

Pro-Israel groups are spending millions to unseat Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, but even if he loses, it may not be dead end for his fellow Republican opponents of Israel, whose numbers seem to be growing

A closely-watched Republican congressional primary, taking place on Tuesday after breaking fundraising records, is like a bingo card of recent American — and American Jewish — political discourse.

The election is centered on support for Israel and US President Donald Trump. Jewish groups and donors have spent heavily on the campaign. Both sides are running ads with AI deepfakes. Tucker Carlson has weighed in.

Massie has consistently voted against US aid to Israel — including its missile defense system, Iron Dome. In the closing days of the campaign, he announced a bill to register the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. He’s also been accused of antisemitism for reasons that have nothing to do with Israel. AIPAC, the Republican Jewish Coalition and Christians United for Israel have all lined up behind Gallrein and spent heavily on him.

Secretary of Defense has time to campaign against advocate of revealing Epstein Files

'The biggest presidential corruption scandal in U.S. history': Trump shocks nation with brazen grab

The Shocking Truth About Assimilation & Intermarriage - Rabbi Yehudah Silver

Yeshiva is artificial institution - Rav Hutner (translated)

originally published May 18, 2012

Click here for Yiddish - © Translation by Daniel Eidensohn

Yeshiva represents a failure of ideal state of father to son Torah teaching. Discusses two aspects of Matan Torah - 1) Father to son 2) Direct from G-d

  Rav Yitzchok Hutner from Pachad Yitzchok - Shavuos

Trump tries to take $1.7B from taxpayers for allies

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Ggy1B7aJFs4

Huge unprecedendented corruption scandal

GOP Sen. Cassidy calls out Trump DOJ’s $1.8 billion compensation fund as ‘slush fund’

 https://thehill.com/homenews/5884237-cassidy-calls-out-trump-fund/

“I don’t actually see any legal precedent for that. We are a nation of laws, you can’t just make up things whole-piece,” Cassidy told reporters when asked about the legal compensation fund for Trump allies who were prosecuted or investigated by the Biden Justice Department.

The administration announced the creation of the compensation fund after Trump withdrew his lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service demanding $10 billion in damages for an IRS contractor leaking his tax returns to media outlets.

“Somebody explained it to me this way, an attorney. … It is as if somebody sued themselves and agreed upon a settlement with themselves that’s going to be funded by the rest of us. If that’s the case: What?!” he said.

The only Iran deal Trump can get is no better than Obama’s ‘horrible’ JCPOA

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/the-only-iran-deal-trump-can-get-is-no-better-than-obamas-horrible-jcpoa/

The US president pulled out of his predecessor’s 2015 agreement, saying it didn’t address Tehran’s ballistic missiles or proxies. Neither will any conceivable deal, even after weeks of bombing and a month of threats

After over a month of insults, threats, and wildly unrealistic demands from the Iranians, Trump is somehow still telling reporters that Tehran wants to make a deal.

But unlike eight years ago, Trump now seems unbothered by a deal that focuses almost entirely on the nuclear issue, with Tehran still unwilling to give an inch on proxies or missiles

Fake AI ‘rabbis’ spread antisemitism on TikTok

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/426641

The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) has released a major new report uncovering a coordinated network of fake, AI-generated "rabbis" flooding TikTok with antisemitic content, in what experts warn is a dangerous escalation in the weaponization of artificial intelligence to spread hate.

The study, conducted by CAM’s Antisemitism Research Center (ARC), identified at least 49 TikTok accounts posing as Jewish religious figures while disseminating conspiracy theories and classic antisemitic narratives to a vast global audience. Collectively, these accounts have amassed more than 950,000 followers and generated over 10 million likes, demonstrating both the scale and effectiveness of the operation.

Among the accounts identified were profiles such as @rabbirothstein and @rabbi_silverstein, which presented themselves as authentic rabbis while promoting harmful and misleading claims about Jews. By framing these messages as so-called "insider truths," the network attempts to normalize antisemitism and make it more digestible for mainstream audiences.

The Greatest Threat Facing the Jewish People Isn't Antisemitism

 https://aish.com/the-greatest-threat-facing-the-jewish-people-isnt-antisemitism/

There is a threat far more pernicious than antisemitism, one that is causing greater damage to our people at a faster pace than any external enemy ever could. It's called assimilation.

The real issue is not the Draft

 At this time approaching Shavuos it is time to think about the future of Religious society. I think the real concern is not the draft but the loss of control of the new generation. The post regarding arson caused by frum youth is indicative of the problem. The youth are attatched to Torah not by values and ideology but rather culture and pleasure. Our young students expect to be entertained and to have fun. The army provides a realistic alternative platform. The demonstations have trained a generation to disrespect  authority which is not limited to secular ones. Similarly the tremendous social pressures for wealth collides with the difficult reality of earning a living wage. The failure of rabbis to solve the marriage crisis and other things also caueses disrespect 

There have been a number of historic periods when Jews assimated Such as WWI The Communist takover. America until the 1960's. the reurn to Israel after Babylonian Exile The Golden Age of Spain. In Israel assimilation is a real problem  and explains the resistance to secular and vocational training. Even in fanatic Mea Shearim there is often zero or negative growth due to assimilation. I was told that Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach was the only one of his Cheder that stayed frum. Among the Religious Zionists and Modern Orthodox it is fairly common to lose religion. While in America there was Reform and Conservative and in Europe the Haskala and Reform. The loss of Jewish women before Beis Yakov or the loss of German and Hungarian Jews before Rav Hirsch.  

I think a significant reason for the long time ignoring of abuse was the feeling that the resolution would undermine religious authority the same for marital problems and feministic issues

Eastern European Jews were told to stay in Europe and starve or face the Nazis rather than possibly assimilate in America or Israel

Bottom line the draft is resisted primarily because of the real concern that the 'youth will give up observance

Mass DC prayer event with top White House officials seeks to reclaim US Christian roots

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/mass-dc-prayer-event-with-top-white-house-officials-seeks-to-reclaim-us-christian-roots/

Thousands of people gathered Sunday in downtown Washington DC, for a mass prayer festival featuring speeches by top Trump administration officials — an event critics see as an overt display of Christian nationalism undermining the US’s separation of church and state.

Attendees sang and swayed to Christian music blared out on the National Mall, along with addresses by Christian pastors. One rabbi is also included in the lineup for the event, called “Rededicate 250,” which came one day after a “Shabbat 250” that was promoted by US President Donald Trump and received mixed reactions from Jewish leaders.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson were listed as guest speakers. Trump and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio were set to address the crowd via video.

The gathering was organized by the White House as part of a program of celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary and, in a video message inviting Americans to attend, Hegseth said it was an opportunity to “rededicate this republic to God and country.”