Feed aggregator

President Donald Trump said Monday that the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s only real misstep during their long friendship came in the immediate aftermath of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, recalling that the South Carolina Republican quickly regretted publicly breaking with him.

Speaking during a phone interview on “Fox & Friends,” Trump said Graham’s criticism following the Capitol attack was an isolated incident in an otherwise strong relationship.

“He had one bad moment, and that was on the Jan. 6 thing when he stood up [and said], ‘All right, now I’ve had it. That’s it. I can’t do it anymore,’” Trump said.

According to the president, Graham reached out shortly afterward to express regret over what he had said.

“Then he called me like about 40 minutes later, and he said, ‘Did I really say that? I can’t believe it.’ And he took it back.”

Graham, 71, died suddenly from an apparent aortic dissection related to cardiovascular disease. In the hours following the January 6 riot, he appeared to distance himself from Trump after the violence temporarily halted Congress’ certification of Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory.

Addressing the Senate after order had been restored, Graham said, “Trump and I, we’ve had a hell of a journey. I hate it to end this way. Oh my God, I hate it. From my point of view, he’s been a consequential president,” before adding, “All I can say is count me out. Enough is enough.”

That split proved to be short-lived. By May 2021, Graham had once again become one of Trump’s strongest Republican allies, telling reporters, “Can [Republicans] move forward without President Trump? The answer is no. I’ve determined we can’t grow without him.”

Trump also reflected on the evolution of their relationship, noting that Graham had once been one of his fiercest critics during the 2016 Republican presidential primary.

While campaigning for the GOP nomination, Graham warned that if Republicans chose Trump as their nominee, “we will get destroyed … and we will deserve it.”

Despite those early attacks, Trump said their relationship changed dramatically after Graham ended his presidential campaign.

“Once that ended, he’d left the race, and once that ended, I became really good friends with him,” Trump recalled, adding with a touch of humor that Graham’s post-January 6 comments meant “I give him a 99 instead of a 100.”

{Matzav.com}

A report published by The New York Times alleges that former Mossad director David Barnea secretly cultivated ties with former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, viewing him as a possible successor to Iran’s ruling clerical regime.

According to the report, Barnea and Ahmadinejad held covert meetings in Hungary during 2024, using a climate conference at Ludovika University of Public Service as cover for the undisclosed discussions.

The report states that Ahmadinejad’s own security personnel became suspicious after he reportedly disappeared on at least two occasions during the conference for extended periods. When questioned about his whereabouts, he reportedly told them he had been meeting with university professors.

The New York Times, citing former U.S. officials, reported that Barnea personally traveled to Budapest for the meetings. According to the report, Mossad later informed the CIA that contact with Ahmadinejad had been established. The report further claims that Israeli intelligence helped finance portions of Ahmadinejad’s travel and housing expenses and continued meeting with him outside Iran in the years that followed.

The report also alleges that when the war with Iran began, Israel carried out an operation to extract Ahmadinejad and move him to a secure location inside Iran. According to the report, Ahmadinejad was deeply unsettled by the rescue mission and became disillusioned after learning of what was described as an Israeli plan to return him to power. It says he eventually departed the safe house under circumstances that remain unknown.

The report concludes by claiming that Ahmadinejad is now under house arrest by the intelligence arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps after Iranian authorities allegedly uncovered much of his reported contact with Israel.

{Matzav.com}

A newly disclosed handwritten document by slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar reveals that he believed Israel might respond to a massive Hamas assault with a nuclear strike on Gaza—yet he nevertheless pressed ahead with planning the October 7, 2023, massacre.

The document, dated August 2022, was obtained by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, with portions published Sunday by Israel’s Channel 12. While another Sinwar document surfaced last year, the newly released material contains significant details that had not previously been made public.

According to the report, Sinwar meticulously outlined an ambitious battle plan that envisioned an invasion on a far greater scale than what ultimately took place. His blueprint called for 25 simultaneous breaches of the Israel-Gaza security fence, with each breach carried out by a “well-trained” force of 100 terrorists tasked with seizing 25 key junctions along the border.

The plan also assigned 2,210 terrorists to attack 221 smaller communities throughout southern Israel, while another 1,600 were designated to assault eight larger population centers. Sinwar further allocated 1,200 terrorists to strike Israeli cities and another 2,000 to attack military installations. Altogether, his envisioned invasion force totaled roughly 10,000 terrorists, though he wrote that no individual participant would know the operation’s full scope.

In reality, the October 7 invasion involved far fewer attackers. According to Israel Defense Forces estimates, approximately 5,600 terrorists crossed into Israel that day, including roughly 3,500 Hamas operatives, about 580 members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and another 1,400 armed Gazans.

Among Sinwar’s written instructions was a chilling directive targeting Israeli civilians. “The goal is to expel the settlers with their vehicles,” he wrote, referring to residents of southern Israel. He instructed that “priority” should be given to children and women, while ordering that “the men aged 17-50 are to be taken hostage” and that “all phones must be taken, along with any additional documents they are carrying on their person.”

Channel 12 reported that the documents demonstrate Sinwar fully understood the enormous risks associated with launching such an attack. According to the report, he acknowledged that there was no guarantee Iran—or its regional terror proxies, including Hezbollah—would join Hamas in the war, despite Hamas’s apparent expectation that they would.

The memo also shows that Sinwar anticipated an overwhelming Israeli response. He wrote that Israel would “not hesitate to use all means and weapons at its disposal” following the massacre, adding, “They may even use an atomic bomb, no less.”

Even so, Sinwar believed Hamas could exploit the initial shock of the assault. “But first, it will be surprised by the attack and enter into chaos,” he wrote, describing the invasion as “a campaign of life or death,” while calling for “a popular operation of returning to the villages and recapturing them symbolically.”

Although Israel is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, it has never officially acknowledged having such an arsenal and remains outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The newly released excerpts follow another Hamas document made public by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center in October 2025. That earlier document, also written by Sinwar, detailed plans to deliberately create “horrifying images” during the October 7 massacre and broadcast the atrocities live to maximize psychological impact.

President Donald Trump announced Monday that the United States is reinstating its naval blockade of Iran while introducing a new policy requiring cargo passing through the Strait of Hormuz to pay a 20% fee for the protection provided by the U.S. military.

The move follows Iran’s attempt to impose its own tolls on commercial shipping using the strategic waterway, which had operated without transit fees before the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran on February 28.

Announcing the new policy, Trump declared, “The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as ‘THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,’ but as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World.”

He added, “The process and formation will begin immediately.”

The latest developments come after U.S. forces carried out major strikes over the weekend against Iranian military assets in an effort to restore freedom of navigation through the vital oil shipping corridor.

Late Sunday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that American forces had struck dozens of Iranian targets, including missile launchers, drone capabilities, small naval vessels, coastal radar installations, and air-defense systems.

Earlier in the conflict, the United States had imposed a naval blockade on Iran but lifted it before signing a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding with Tehran in mid-June.

Under that agreement, commercial vessels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz were guaranteed “safe passage” and exempted from transit fees for a 60-day period while American and Iranian negotiators worked toward a broader agreement to end the conflict.

The memorandum stated: “The Islamic Republic of Iran will conduct dialog with the Sultanate of Oman to define the future administration and maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz in discussion with other Persian Gulf or littoral states in line with the applicable international law and the sovereign rights of coastal states of the Strait of Hormuz.”

Despite the temporary agreement, negotiations eventually collapsed after the U.S. lifted its blockade.

Iran subsequently announced that ships “will not be covered by safe passage guarantees and will not benefit from insurance coverage or associated liabilities” unless they traveled through maritime routes specifically authorized by Tehran.

According to the report, Iran had initially hoped to generate as much as $40 billion annually through the toll system in cooperation with Oman, but Omani officials declined to support the proposal.

In recent weeks, U.S. Central Command has coordinated with the International Maritime Organization to escort commercial vessels through the southern shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz, which runs along Oman’s coastline.

Tensions escalated again after Iran reportedly opened fire on commercial vessels, disrupting maritime traffic and derailing the ongoing diplomatic negotiations.

A U.S. official said Friday, “What we’re demanding is that the Iranians issue a public statement that acknowledges all channels of the Strait of Hormuz are open, and they’re not shooting at ships anymore.”

The official added, “They’re either going to give us that statement, or we’re not going to have a good outcome.”

{Matzav.com}

A critical Israeli parliamentary vote on recognizing the violence against Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during World War I as a genocide has been suspended, an Israeli official said.

The move comes at a delicate diplomatic time with the region facing renewed turbulence following the breakdown of a ceasefire with Iran over its persistent attacks in the Gulf. It also follows a NATO summit in Turkey last week at which Ankara pushed U.S. President Donald Trump to acquire American F-35 fighter jets.

The Israeli Cabinet had unanimously approved a proposal last month to classify the violence as genocide amid fast-deteriorating ties with Turkey over Erdogan’s inflammatory language against Israel, and a vote had been planned in the Israeli parliament to give final approval to the move.

The Israeli official told JNS on Sunday that the vote had been suspended.

The Knesset is set to go to summer recess at the end of the week and will be out of session until the Oct. 27 national elections.

A spokesman for Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who put forward the proposal in the Cabinet last month, did not return calls or messages for comment.

In the past, Israel has refrained from officially labelling the century-old violence as a genocide, but with relations with Turkey in free fall, it went ahead with the move in the Cabinet.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu has described the violence against Armenians as a genocide, but until now no formal vote was ever taken on the issue.

Turkey, which has been one of the biggest critics in the world of Israel over the war in Gaza, called the Israeli cabinet move “politically motivated.”

A decision to freeze the parliamentary vote could be seen as part of an international effort to reduce tension between the two countries amid the regional turbulence.

Last month, Azerbaijan condemned the Israeli Cabinet’s recognition and urged the government to reverse the move.

The secular Shi’ite Muslim country has historic ties with both Turkey and Israel and has long worked to serve as an interlocutor between its two allies.

Azerbaijan’s position is both significant and sensitive for Israel as Israel and Bakuhave long forged a strategic relationship rooted in a centuries-long affinity between the two nations which has blossomed into a robust security- and energy-related focus.

Three years ago, Azerbaijan made history by becoming the first Shi’ite Muslim country to open an embassy in Israel, defying threats of violence from Iran, and has maintained its staunch alliance with Israel throughout this time of regional wars. JNS

{Matzav.com}

Israeli authorities on Sunday granted city status to the Yerushalayim suburb of Givat Ze’ev, officially making it the fifth Jewish city in Judea and Samaria.

The declaration, signed by Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, head of the Israel Defense Forces’ Central Command, came after initial approvals by the Defense Ministry’s Settlement Administration and the Interior Ministry, Arutz 7 reported.

Givat Ze’ev, located in Samaria some three miles northwest of Yerushalayim, has more than 35,000 residents, and the new municipal status is intended to allow for further growth.

Mayor Yossi Asraf called the move “a historic moment” for Givat Ze’ev, saying city status would help strengthen municipal services and manage the community’s expansion plans.

“Turning Givat Ze’ev into a city is first and foremost a major growth engine,” Asraf said in a statement cited by Arutz 7. He added that despite the new status, the municipality would seek to preserve the community’s “warm and rural atmosphere.”

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also serves as a second minister in the Defense Ministry tasked with civilian affairs in Judea and Samaria, welcomed the decision.

“The declaration of Givat Ze’ev as a city is part of a broader policy we have been leading in recent years to reinforce and strengthen settlement through the establishment of dozens of new communities, the legalization of farms, declarations of state land and now a new city—Givat Ze’ev,” Smotrich stated.

Yisrael Ganz, head of the Binyamin Regional Council and chairman of the Yesha Council, the umbrella organization representing Judea and Samaria residents, noted that Givat Ze’ev had become the fifth city in the region, after Modi’in Illit, Beitar Illit and Ma’ale Adumim in Judea, and Ariel in Samaria.

“Thousands of families have chosen to build their homes in Givat Ze’ev over the years, and it has grown into a thriving city of more than 35,000 residents,” Ganz said.

“We will continue to strengthen the settlement not through words but through actions, and ensure continued development and construction throughout Judea and Samaria,” he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu’s government has led an unprecedented drive to expand Israel’s control of Judea and Samaria, having approved tens of thousands of homes and dozens of new communities in the past three-and-a-half years. JNS

{Matzav.com}

The Knesset is entering what could be its final days before dissolution, with the coalition launching an aggressive legislative blitz aimed at passing nine major bills in just 84 hours. Several of the measures carry major implications for the chareidi community and Israel’s political landscape, setting up a frantic race against the clock.

The Knesset plenum is scheduled to convene today at noon, with the Basic Law: Torah Study expected to be the first bill brought to the floor for its second and third readings. Because it is a Basic Law, the legislation will require the support of at least 61 members of the Knesset to become law.

Behind the scenes, coalition parties are locked in a battle over the legislative agenda, each pushing to ensure that its highest-priority bills are considered first. With limited time remaining before the Knesset is expected to dissolve, there is growing concern that not every measure will make it through the legislative process by week’s end.

Among the bills the coalition hopes to pass are the Basic Law: Torah Study, legislation freezing the arrests of bnei yeshiva and granting relief to draft evaders, the bill separating the role of the attorney general, the academic separation bill, kashrus reform, communications reform, the regional broadcasting bill, and several election-related measures dealing with campaign financing and election procedures.

For the chareidi parties, the two centerpiece bills are the Basic Law: Torah Study and the legislation suspending the arrests of bnei yeshiva. Their passage is viewed as the coalition’s final major test before the chareidi public following months of tension over the draft law and the enforcement measures directed at yeshiva students.

Meanwhile, the election timetable was finalized Sunday night. Political parties will submit their candidate lists on September 7, Israelis will head to the polls on October 27, and official election results are expected to be released on November 4.

The central question now is whether the coalition can muster the votes needed to complete its ambitious legislative agenda before the Knesset dissolves—or whether some of its most significant proposals will be left unfinished.

{Matzav.com}