The Pro-Israel Right Is Shifting the Definition of Anti-Semitism

 https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/08/anti-israel-anti-semitism/683765/

Extraordinary claims—such as the charge that the Jewish senator from Vermont is anti-Semitic to the point of spreading ancient slanders against his own people—require extraordinary evidence. Yet large segments of the conservative and even centrist wings of the American pro-Israel movement have whipped themselves into such a frenzy of paranoia that they are making accusations like this without much effort at justification.

Conflating criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism is not new, but it has exploded in the post–October 7 era, in which the rising menace of genuine Jew-hatred on the left and right alike has been accompanied by a growing chorus of hyperbolic, bad-faith accusations. This dynamic might seem paradoxical, but the two phenomena exist in a natural symbiosis. Anti-Semites often insist they are being targeted merely for criticizing Israel; their defense becomes more effective when many people are, in fact, being called anti-Semitic merely for criticizing Israel.

Zionist antisemitism

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zionist_antisemitism

Zionist antisemitism or antisemitic Zionism refers to a phenomenon in which antisemites express support for Zionism and the State of Israel. In some cases, this support may be promoted for explicitly antisemitic reasons. Historically, this type of antisemitism has been most notable among Christian Zionists, who may perpetrate religious antisemitism while being outspoken in their support for Jewish sovereignty in Israel due to their interpretation of Christian eschatology. Similarly, people who identify with the far right, particularly in Europe and the United States, may support the Zionist movement because they seek to expel Jews from their countries and see Zionism as the least complicated method (in comparison to ethnic cleansing or genocide) of achieving this goal and satisfying their racial antisemitism.[a]

Pentagon defends Hegseth's use of 'Pulp Fiction prayer'

<

No rockets but no relief: Nahariya residents see no end to war despite Lebanon ceasefire

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/no-rockets-but-no-relief-nahariya-residents-see-no-end-to-war-despite-lebanon-ceasefire/?utm_source=The+Weekend+Edition&utm_campaign=weekend-edition-2026-04-19&utm_medium=email

After six weeks of relentless Hezbollah attacks, residents of northern Israeli city feel bewildered and betrayed by the government’s seemingly sudden decision to stop fighting

“We’re not naïve,” said Guetta, whose parents immigrated to Israel from Libya. “This isn’t the end of this war or the end of the wars. As long as we’re here, there will be war.”

“The government capitulated to Iran and the United States,” Attias said glumly. “The Iranians say, ‘Yes, yes,’ but they do what they want.”

Snakes & ‘insane’ rants: SEE Trump’s decline as reported by NYT, WH Vet SPEAKS

‘What kind of DELUSIONAL reality are we living in?’: Manosphere bros SICK of Trump as MAGA fractures

As Trump claims ‘no sticking points’ and that deal possible in days, Iran insists he’s lying

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-says-no-sticking-points-at-all-predicts-deal-with-iran-could-come-in-days/

President says US will remove Iran’s enriched uranium ‘at leisurely pace,’ but Iran denies it; also claims Iran will stop backing Hamas, Hezbollah; US and Iranian officials say significant gaps remain

US President Donald Trump signaled growing optimism Friday about a potential deal with Iran to end the war amid a temporary ceasefire, saying negotiators could meet as soon as this weekend and that an agreement may be reached within days. He boldly claimed there were “no sticking points,” even as US and Iranian officials cautioned that major key issues remain unresolved.

The US leader spoke with several news outlets Friday and issued a long series of posts on his Truth Social network, following the Iranian announcement that it had opened the Strait of Hormuz as a response to the Israeli-Hezbollah ceasefire in Lebanon, with Trump predicting a deal to permanently end the war in a matter of days and saying that the US would remove Iran’s enriched uranium at a “leisurely pace.”

Iran swiftly denied any readiness to relinquish its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and it did not confirm another Trump claim, that it was ready to halt its support for proxy terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah — issues that have hitherto prevented an agreement.

IDF soldiers face threat from IEDs as Lebanon ceasefire terms prove weaker than previous deal

 https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bkb1ik11azl

Two days after the ceasefire in Lebanon took effect, it is already clear that its terms are less favorable than those agreed following Operation Northern Arrows at the end of 2024. Now, the main concern in the IDF is improvised explosive devices planted before the ceasefire in areas under Israeli control.

One such device in the village of Jabin, about 3.5 kilometers from the border, killed reservist paratrooper Barak Kalfon, 48, from the community of Adi in the Jezreel Valley on Saturday. Three other soldiers were wounded in the incident, two moderately and one lightly. Kalfon was among the first to enter the structure alongside the company commander. During the search, the explosive device planted by Hezbollah detonated. The initial assessment is that it was not remotely triggered.

Similar incidents have occurred during ceasefires in the Gaza Strip, and the IDF is placing particular emphasis on the threat. Defense Minister Israel Katz paid tribute to Kalfon, saying: “Barak was a brave and dedicated fighter and a devoted family man. In his civilian work as an engineer at Rafael, he made a significant contribution to Israel’s security, combining the highest level of professional commitment with many years of meaningful reserve service in defense of the state.” 

Trump declares war in Lebanon over

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/423124

Updated US intelligence assessments indicate that Iran still holds a significant arsenal, amounting to roughly half of the capabilities it had before the outbreak of the conflict with the United States and Israel.

According to the data cited by The New York Times, Iran currently possesses 60% of its missile launchers and 40% of its UAV (drone) capabilities.

Tensions between the United States and Iran have once again reached a peak following a decision by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to once again close the Strait of Hormuz-less than a day after announcing its reopening following the ceasefire in Lebanon.

On Saturday, the IDF said that since the ceasefire came into effect, IDF soldiers south of the "yellow line" in southern Lebanon have identified in several incidents in which terrorists violated the ceasefire understandings by approaching from north of the yellow line toward IDF soldiers, posing an immediate threat.

Following their identification, and in order to remove the threat, the Israeli Air Force, together with ground forces, conducted precise strikes against the terrorists.

Artillery fire was carried out in support of the ground troops operating in the area, and terrorist infrastructure sites used to facilitate attacks were struck in response to the threats.

Earlier on Saturday, IDF soldiers identified a terrorist cell that violated the ceasefire understandings and approached IDF soldiers operating south of the ''yellow line" in southern Lebanon, a defense line dedicated to preventing an imminent threat to Israel’s northern communities.

Iran's Revolutionalry Guards 'mosquito fleet' is a serious threat in the Strait of Hormuz

 https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rjxpoi11a11x

 Despite U.S. claims of crippling Iran’s navy, the Revolutionary Guards’ fast-boat fleet continues to enforce a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, using guerrilla tactics and hidden bases to disrupt global oil shipping routes; they have been a nuisance in the Persian Gulf for decades

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly boasted that Iran’s navy was almost entirely destroyed in the war, but he has largely ignored the fact that another Iranian naval force — that of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), rather than the regular Iranian navy — remains operational and continues to pose a significant threat to ships and tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC /navy relies on small, fast boats that are hidden in fortified bases along Iran’s coastline or on islands in the strategic waterway. Although the U.S. military has sought to destroy them as well, it has acknowledged that only about half have been sunk so far, without providing exact figures.

Using these boats, which are sometimes armed with missiles or drones, along with concealed launch sites near the strait’s shores, Iran has continued to enforce its blockade of the strategic passage through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply normally flows. 

Netanyahu shocked Trump 'prohibited' strikes on Lebanon, believes it inconsistent with ceasefire

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-893414

Trump’s public remarks appeared to exceed the text of the US-backed truce, prompting Israeli officials to seek clarification while clashes on the ground continued.

Israel was surprised by US President Donald Trump’s announcement that the IDF is “prohibited” from continuing strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to a Saturday Axios report.

The report noted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was “personally stunned and alarmed” by the post, and that Israeli officials sought clarification from the White House.

This comes after Trump posted on Truth Social that Israel was prohibited from “bombing Lebanon any longer,” and that the US will work with Lebanon separately and “deal with the Hezbollah situation in an appropriate manner.”

FBI Director Kash Patel bashes media over Atlantic story, threatens lawsuit

 https://thehill.com/homenews/5838055-fbi-director-kash-patel-bashes-media-over-atlantic-story-threatens-lawsuit/?__vfz=medium%3Dconversations_top_pages

FBI Director Kash Patel has threatened to sue The Atlantic after the magazine reported that his colleagues have grown alarmed by what it described as episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences.

The magazine published a story on Friday titled “The FBI Director Is MIA,” citing conversations with more than two dozen people, including current and former FBI officials, members of Congress, hospitality-industry workers and others.

“Speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information and private conversations, they described Patel’s tenure as a management failure and his personal behavior as a national-security vulnerability,” reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick wrote.

The report stated that Patel has been known “to drink to the point of obvious intoxication” in front of White House and other Trump administration staff and that on multiple occasions within the past year, “members of his security detail had difficulty waking Patel because he was seemingly intoxicated.”

IDF confirms strikes on Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon, in first since ceasefire

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-confirms-strikes-on-hezbollah-operatives-in-lebanon-in-first-since-ceasefire/

Army says it acted in accordance with deal, which allows Israel to strike in ‘self-defense’; Hezbollah official says terror group ‘not concerned’ by Israel-Lebanon talks

The Israeli military on Saturday confirmed carrying out several strikes in southern Lebanon over the previous day against Hezbollah operatives who “violated the ceasefire understandings,” in the first such action since the truce took effect at midnight between Thursday and Friday.

The announcement of the strikes came a day after US President Donald Trump said that Israel was “prohibited” from bombing Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, though a US official later clarified to The Times of Israel that while IDF can not carry out any offensive military operations, the terms of the truce allow it to carry out defensive strikes against “planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks.”

This is the scariest question about Putin — and Trump

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/04/16/russia-putin-threat-europe-nato-raises-questions-about-trump/

Russian President Vladimir Putin, always paranoid about enemies, may be feeling cornered this spring. His army is at a standstill in Ukraine, despite suffering enormous casualties. He appears powerless to help Iran, one of his few allies. And his best friend in Europe, Hungary’s Viktor Orban, just got dumped.

Here’s Rumer’s stark warning: “Having invaded Ukraine under the false pretext of needing to secure its western flank, Russia is poised to emerge from the war less secure, more resentful, and more threatening to Europe than before the war. Its threat perceptions will cast a long shadow over Europe.”

Putin is a risk taker, as his invasion of Ukraine showed. What if he decides that his window of opportunity to challenge NATO and impose a new order is closing? In the most ominous passage of his report, Rumer writes: “If Putin is truly intent on imposing his vision of European security on the continent, he may decide that time is not on his side, as Europe is racing to rearm, and launch an attack against a Baltic neighbor to demonstrate that NATO’s Article 5 is essentially a dead letter.”

What would Trump do if Putin struck a European country? For me, that’s the scariest question. Trump spends so much time bad-mouthing NATO that Europeans already doubt the credibility of American security guarantees. His latest anti-NATO tirades have focused on its refusal to aid the United States and Israel in the Iran war. Before Rutte visited Washington this month, Trump called NATO a “paper tiger” that “Putin’s not afraid of.”