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A new poll taken in the aftermath of Israel’s 12-day war with Iran shows Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu gaining ground politically — but not enough to reclaim a governing majority. The survey, conducted by Channel 12 following a ceasefire widely seen as a military and strategic success for Israel, gives Netanyahu’s Likud party 26 seats in the 120-seat Knesset — a modest four-seat gain from pre-war polling. Yet despite the bump, Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition remains short of the 61-seat majority needed to govern. According to the poll, the current coalition would muster only 49 seats, down from the 64 it held prior to the war. Opposition parties collectively would control 61 seats, while Arab parties, traditionally reluctant to join any government, would hold the remaining 10. Sources close to the prime minister reportedly expressed disappointment, saying Netanyahu had anticipated a much stronger surge in support following the war, which saw Iran’s missile and drone capabilities severely degraded and Iran’s nuclear program in shambles, in what many viewed as a defining moment for Israeli deterrence. The standout political shift comes from former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, whose newly re-launched party is projected to win a striking 24 seats — positioning him as the second-largest political force and a viable challenger to Netanyahu. The poll marks the first time this year that Netanyahu leads Bennett in a head-to-head popularity question. When asked who is best suited to serve as prime minister, 38% of respondents chose Netanyahu, compared to 35% for Bennett. Another 21% said neither were fit for the role, and 6% were undecided. Still, Netanyahu maintains a clear edge over other opposition leaders, including Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid. The rest of the political map remains deeply fractured. The left-wing “Democrats” would secure 12 seats, while Yair Lapid’s centrist Yesh Atid, Shas, and Avigdor Lieberman’s nationalist Yisrael Beytenu each pull in nine seats. United Torah Judaism polls at eight seats, and Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s National Unity collapses to seven. Far-right Otzma Yehudit registers just six seats — a sharp fall from its previous electoral performance. Arab parties Hadash-Ta’al and Ra’am each receive five seats, continuing to hold sway as kingmakers unlikely to align with either major bloc. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israel’s Home Front Command announced Tuesday evening a full return to normalcy across the country, lifting all restrictions that had been in place during the recent Iran war. The decision followed a situational assessment and was approved by Defense Minister Yisroel Katz.

According to the updated guidelines, all regions of Israel—except for the Gaza border communities—are now permitted to operate without limitations in all areas of daily life. Schools, workplaces, and public gatherings may resume normal activity after nearly two weeks of intense fighting and in light of the current ceasefire.

In the Gaza periphery, educational activities may now take place without restriction, subject to instructions from the Ministry of Education and local municipalities. Workplaces in that region are also authorized to operate as usual.

Gatherings and public services are now allowed for up to 2,000 participants, except in towns officially classified as being in a state of emergency, where restrictions will remain in effect.

The Airports Authority also confirmed that Ben Gurion Airport and Haifa Airport are resuming full operations. The limitations on the number of incoming and outgoing flights, as well as on the number of passengers per flight, have been lifted. Entry to airport terminals for both travelers and accompanying individuals is once again permitted.

Starting Wednesday morning, duty-free shops in the airports will reopen, in accordance with all relevant security and regulatory guidelines. Border crossings will continue functioning as normal.

The Home Front Command urged the public to remain vigilant and stay informed by following official updates through the National Emergency Portal and the Home Front Command’s mobile app.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel HaRav Kalman Bar published a halachic letter on Monday, in which he explains why, despite the war, getting married during the three weeks is forbidden. Last week, HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Yosef called on couples from the Sephardi and even Ashkenazi sectors to get married during the three weeks rather than postpone their weddings. He explained that “there is no greater time of need than this,” and emphasized that even those who are generally machmir should be lenient this year, emphasizing, “המחמיר בזה יוצא שכרו בהפסדו.” Although as of Tuesday morning, the war is officially over, the dilemma for couples who postponed their weddings due to the war still exists due to the difficulty in finding available chasunah halls after Tisha B’Av. In a lengthy response to questions by engaged couples who asked whether they can marry during the three weeks, HaRav Bar paskened that there is no heter to get married during these days, despite the circumstances. The Rav explained the reasons for the minhag not to marry during the three weeks, saying that mourning and joy are contradictory. In addition, the Rav noted that “it is not a good siman” to marry during these days, and חמירא סכנתא מאיסורא (danger is stricter than prohibition), and therefore we have not found any posek who permitted this, and certainly not with a fancy seudah. HaRav Bar emphasized that the poskim did not allow marriage even on the night of the 17th of Tammuz [before the fast begins], even at a sha’as hadchak (time of need). HaRav Bar noted that the Sephardim who are noheig to hold chasunos until Rosh Chodesh Av are of course, permitted to wed during those days and ended with “כל המתאבל על ירושלים זוכה ורואה בשמחתה.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

The House of Representatives decisively rejected a renewed bid by Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) on Tuesday to impeach President Trump in response to the recent U.S. military strikes in Iran. Despite anger among some Democrats over the weekend’s events, the vote revealed little momentum within the party to pursue impeachment at this time.

In a lopsided 344-79 vote, the House opted to table Green’s resolution, effectively shelving the effort. Notably, 128 Democrats joined their Republican colleagues in voting to dismiss the measure, signaling bipartisan resistance to launching another impeachment proceeding.

Rep. Green has long been one of Trump’s most outspoken critics, frequently calling for impeachment over a range of issues involving both foreign and domestic policy. His latest resolution centered on Trump’s decision to authorize airstrikes against three Iranian targets without first obtaining congressional approval.

Filing the resolution once again on Tuesday, Green asserted that Trump violated his constitutional responsibilities by bypassing Congress before initiating military action. The resolution states: “In his conduct of the office of President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, abused the powers of the presidency when he disregarded the doctrine of separation of powers by usurping Congress’s power to declare war and ordered the United States military to bomb another country without the constitutionally mandated congressional authorization or notice to Congress — cognizant of the fact that should another country’s military bomb a facility within the United States of America, it would be a de facto declaration of war against the United States of America.”

{Matzav.com}

Following the conclusion of Operation “Am K’Lavi” and the significant blows dealt to Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is considering a diplomatic visit to the United States, which would include a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.

According to senior diplomatic officials, formal discussions between Yerushalayim and Washington have yet to begin, but the intention is to schedule the visit as soon as possible—potentially within the next few weeks. One official noted, “The goal is to create a symbolic and international moment of victory over Iran—both on the diplomatic stage and in the court of global public opinion.”

The planned trip is being described behind the scenes as a “victory celebration,” although the exact timing remains uncertain, and it is still unclear whether the visit will proceed without delays.

Within Israel’s political sphere, the move is seen as an effort to reinforce the legitimacy of the recent military campaign, especially amid increasing debate over the impending ceasefire. For Netanyahu, the meeting—should it materialize—would serve to project strength and mark a personal achievement in reaffirming ties with one of Israel’s most important allies.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s main international gateway, Ben Gurion Airport, is returning to full operations after the Home Front Command lifted all wartime travel restrictions, the Israel Airports Authority announced Tuesday. Effective immediately, limitations on the number of incoming and outgoing flights, as well as passenger capacity per flight, have been removed. In addition, entry restrictions for travelers and accompanying individuals at airport terminals have been fully lifted. “The restrictions on the number of incoming and outgoing flights, as well as the number of passengers on each flight, have been lifted,” the Airports Authority said in a statement. “In addition, restrictions on the arrival of passengers and accompanying persons at the airports have been lifted.” Duty-free shops at Ben Gurion and other airports are set to reopen beginning Wednesday morning, operating under updated security and regulatory protocols. The Airports Authority urged travelers to stay informed by checking with their airlines for the latest flight schedule updates. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

MK Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Yisrael Beytenu party, issued a stark warning on Tuesday in response to President Donald Trump’s announcement of a diplomatic initiative aimed at ending hostilities with Iran. Lieberman expressed deep concern that this approach could backfire, posing significant dangers not only to Israel but to the wider region as well.

In a post shared across his social media platforms, Lieberman praised the accomplishments of Israel’s military and intelligence agencies during the conflict, calling them “extraordinary military achievements.” However, he criticized how the war is winding down. “The final chord is particularly bitter and jarring,” he wrote, voicing his disappointment with what he described as a retreat into diplomacy instead of forcing Iran into a full surrender.

Lieberman argued that shifting to talks with Tehran is a strategic miscalculation. “Instead of unconditional surrender, the world is entering into a difficult and exhausting negotiation process,” he said, asserting that Iran has made no serious moves to abandon its nuclear program, its production of long-range missiles, or its financial and operational backing of terror organizations.

Reflecting on his earlier warnings, Lieberman reiterated that he had cautioned against allowing the Iranian regime to survive the war in a weakened state. “There is nothing more dangerous than leaving a wounded lion,” he wrote, emphasizing the threat of a still-defiant but injured Iran.

He concluded his remarks by warning that halting the war without securing a clear and definitive outcome could lead to devastating consequences. “It will certainly lead us to another war within two or three years, and under much worse conditions,” he cautioned, underlining his belief that a temporary truce without resolution would only delay the inevitable.

{Matzav.com}

In a test case for the artificial intelligence industry, a federal judge has ruled that AI company Anthropic didn’t break the law by training its chatbot Claude on millions of copyrighted books. But the company is still on the hook and must now go to trial over how it acquired those books by downloading them from online “shadow libraries” of pirated copies. U.S. District Judge William Alsup of San Francisco said in a ruling filed late Monday that the AI system’s distilling from thousands of written works to be able to produce its own passages of text qualified as “fair use” under U.S. copyright law because it was “quintessentially transformative.” “Like any reader aspiring to be a writer, Anthropic’s (AI large language models) trained upon works not to race ahead and replicate or supplant them — but to turn a hard corner and create something different,” Alsup wrote. But while dismissing a key claim made by the group of authors who sued the company for copyright infringement last year, Alsup also said Anthropic must still go to trial in December over its alleged theft of their works. “Anthropic had no entitlement to use pirated copies for its central library,” Alsup wrote. A trio of writers — Andrea Bartz, Charles Graeber and Kirk Wallace Johnson — alleged in their lawsuit last summer that Anthropic’s practices amounted to “large-scale theft,” and that the company “seeks to profit from strip-mining the human expression and ingenuity behind each one of those works.” As the case proceeded over the past year in San Francisco’s federal court, documents disclosed in court showed Anthropic’s internal concerns about the legality of their use of online repositories of pirated works. So the company later shifted its approach and attempted to purchase copies of digitized books. “That Anthropic later bought a copy of a book it earlier stole off the internet will not absolve it of liability for the theft but it may affect the extent of statutory damages,” Alsup wrote. The ruling could set a precedent for similar lawsuits that have piled up against Anthropic competitor OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT, as well as against Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. Anthropic — founded by ex-OpenAI leaders in 2021 — has marketed itself as the more responsible and safety-focused developer of generative AI models that can compose emails, summarize documents and interact with people in a natural way. But the lawsuit filed last year alleged that Anthropic’s actions “have made a mockery of its lofty goals” by tapping into repositories of pirated writings to build its AI product. Anthropic said Tuesday it was pleased that the judge recognized that AI training was transformative and consistent with “copyright’s purpose in enabling creativity and fostering scientific progress.” Its statement didn’t address the piracy claims. The authors’ attorneys declined comment. (AP)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today (Tuesday, 24 June 2025) [translated from Hebrew]: “Dear citizens of Israel, In the 12 days of Operation Rising Lion, we achieved a historic victory, which will stand for generations. We removed two existential threats: The threat of annihilation by nuclear weapons and the threat of annihilation by 20,000 ballistic missiles. Had we not acted now, the State of Israel would have soon faced the danger of annihilation. But this did not happen because at the decisive moment, we rose up and stood like lions, and our roar shook Tehran and echoed around the world. In the scriptures, it is said: ‘By stratagems shall you make war.’ The surprise opening blow of Rising Lion will go down in the annals of Israel’s wars and will be studied by every military in the world. In one strike, in one blow, we eliminated Iran’s senior command, including three chiefs-of-staff and many other senior officers. And in those same moments, we eliminated Iran’s leading nuclear scientists – those who held the knowledge, led the nuclear program and sought to bring upon us destruction and death. We destroyed the main enrichment facility in Natanz, the uranium conversion plant in Isfahan and the heavy water installation in Arak. Our friend, President Trump, stood alongside us in an unprecedented manner. On his order, the US military destroyed the enrichment facility deep underground at Fordo. We attacked dozens of installations of the Iranian nuclear program, including laboratories and factories for producing centrifuges. You certainly remember seven years ago, how in a brilliant Mossad operation, we brought to Israel the heart of Iran’s secret nuclear archive. We revealed Iran’s secret nuclear program for the annihilation of the State of Israel to President Trump, to the entire world and to you, citizens of Israel. Indeed, today, now, in this operation, we completed the work and struck the entire archive. This archive concentrated within it Iran’s overall knowledge for producing atomic bombs. We also did this. For decades, I have promised you that Iran would not have nuclear weapons. And indeed, in all of the swift actions that our soldiers carried out, we sent Iran’s nuclear project to oblivion. And if anyone in Iran tries to rebuild this project – we will act with the same determination and the same force to cut off any such attempt. I reiterate: Iran will not have nuclear weapons. With the same force and determination, we destroyed Iran’s industry for producing ballistic missiles. We destroyed dozens of missile production factories. We struck hard at their stock of missiles. We destroyed most of their launchers. In many cases, we destroyed them minutes before they could launch their missiles of death at Israel. Iran’s malicious intention, to threaten – within a few years – the existence of Israel with tens of thousands of ballistic missiles – this threat has also been removed. Regarding the Iranian regime, we struck crushing blows at this wicked regime. We eliminated many senior commanders. We destroyed command centers. We attacked Revolutionary Guards bases. We attacked Basij bases. We struck the symbols of the regime. Today, this morning, a few hours before the ceasefire, we struck the ayatollahs’ regime with the hardest blow of all since the start of the war, with the hardest blow in its history. […]

The Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, led by MK Yuli Edelstein, convened behind closed doors today at the Kirya military compound in Tel Aviv. Defense Minister Yisroel Katz joined the session and delivered a comprehensive update on the current state of Israel’s military campaigns across Gaza, the northern front, and in the Iranian sphere.

Minister Katz disclosed that Iran had been preparing to initiate a major assault, but Israel acted first to prevent it. “The Iranians planned to strike first and launch between 400 to 500 missiles in the opening strike. If we hadn’t acted first, it would have been much harder for us. Our biggest challenge was opening the skies and neutralizing Iran’s air defense systems. We controlled the skies and were able to continue.”

He continued, explaining how Israel differentiated between military targets. “During the war, we made a distinction and targeted more members of the Revolutionary Guards than the Iranian military. When we wanted to eliminate Khamenei, he hid.”

Katz reported that Israel’s military objectives in Iran had been fully realized and pointed to American assistance in the final stages. “We met 100% of the operational objectives in Iran, and the Americans helped a lot in the end,” he said. With a touch of irony, he added, “If Trump had woken up after a quarter of an hour, the strike this morning would have been even stronger.”

Outlining Israel’s future approach to the Iranian nuclear threat, Katz described a plan modeled on strategies previously used in Lebanon. “Iran no longer has the ability to produce nuclear weapons. I instructed the IDF to prepare an enforcement plan in cooperation with the Americans, based on the Lebanese model, but much more comprehensive, to enforce any attempt to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.”

He also mentioned an upcoming diplomatic mission by Prime Minister Netanyahu to coordinate policy with Washington. “Netanyahu will fly to the U.S. to build agreements with the Americans on Iran. Right now, this is just a ceasefire. We must remember that Trump canceled the central sanction on Iran selling oil to the Chinese, and as a result, Iran could become stronger again.”

Responding to concerns from Knesset members about Gaza, Katz dismissed reports of interference from legal authorities as baseless. “The military advocate is not harming the fighting. These are just false reports.” Some committee members had criticized the IDF’s limited ground movement since the Iran operation began, expressing frustration that legal constraints were forcing Israel to supply humanitarian aid to Hamas-controlled areas.

Later, Katz posted on X that he had spoken with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, expressing appreciation for Washington’s support and reiterating Israel’s commitment to the truce. “I spoke moments ago with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. I thanked him for President Donald Trump’s bold decision to act with Israel against the Iranian nuclear threat. The Secretary praised Israel and the IDF for the historic achievements made. I emphasized that Israel will respect the ceasefire — as long as the other side does. We agreed to deepen the close U.S.-Israel security cooperation,” Katz wrote.

{Matzav.com Israel}

The IDF Chief of the General Staff LTG Eyal Zamir conducted a situational assessment with members of the General Staff Forum, following the beginning of the ceasefire with Iran, and made the following remarks: “We have concluded a significant phase, but the campaign against Iran is not over. We are entering a new phase based on the achievements of the current one. We’ve set Iran’s nuclear project back by years, and the same applies to its missile program. The IDF performed at its best — the Intelligence Directorate delivered unprecedented intelligence achievements. IAF pilots operated with courage, while putting their lives at risk, thousands of kilometers from Israeli territory and struck and destroyed military targets. The Aerial Defense Array and communication units operated with their unique operational capabilities to protect the home front. Home Front Command personnel acted with ingenuity to save lives — all coordinated under the Operations Directorate. Every command, directorate, and branch contributed to the success of the operation — whether through direct participation in the Iran operation or through robust defense in their respective arenas. Despite the phenomenal achievement — we must keep our feet on the ground. Many challenges still lie ahead. We must stay focused, there’s no time to rest on our laurels. Now the focus shifts back to Gaza — to bring the hostages home and to dismantle the Hamas regime. I am proud to have the privilege to command the organization through this period. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Dancing at the Kosel tonight, as Yidden celebrate the victory of the destruction of the Iranian nuclear program.

The Rosh Yeshiva of Mir Yerushalyim, HaRav Leizer Yudel Finkel, reciting “Nishmas” at the Kosel following the end of the war with Iran.

The first Maariv at the Kosel after its been reopened following the war with Iran.

Music played on loudspeakers in the city of Rechasim, celebrating the end of the war with Iran.

Maj. Gen. (res.) Eliezer (Chayni) Marom, who once led the Israeli Navy, reflected on Operation Rising Lion and the military strikes inside Iran during an interview with 103FM. Offering a candid assessment, he shared his perspective on how Israeli expectations about its adversaries may have been inflated.

“I completely agree that we overestimated not only Iran, but also Hezbollah. In the end, we took the intelligence assessment, analyzed it, and always forgot that Israel also has an offensive capability,” said Marom.

He elaborated by citing Hezbollah’s arsenal as an example, pointing out that the figures can sound daunting when viewed in isolation. “Take Hezbollah as an example. When we say Hezbollah has 160,000 rockets and will launch 3,000 rockets a day at us, with a certain percentage hitting power stations, it sounds terrifying. But we must remember that we have significant power and excellent intelligence – we operate both defensively and offensively. That means we strike missile bases and launchers, and this essentially reduces the impact of those 3,000 rockets to nearly nothing.”

Marom observed that the ongoing conflict brought about a gradual but meaningful shift in Israel’s strategic posture. “This war, in an evolutionary way, gave us increasing courage as we progressed, and in the end, we had enough courage to strike in Iran. Ultimately, with all due respect to the ministers, the one who made the decision was the Prime Minister—no one else. And really, there was no choice. What do you want, to leave us exposed to a barrage of 500 to 1,000 ballistic missiles fired at the State of Israel? Let’s say they launch 800, and we intercept 70-80 percent depending on the day, dozens of missiles still fall here. We’ve seen what those missiles can do.”

When asked if Israel might come to regret concluding the campaign at its present juncture, Marom expressed confidence in what had been accomplished. “No, I don’t think so. Let’s look at what we’ve achieved in these twelve days—I don’t think any of us could have imagined the scale of the achievement. It is enormous.”

Turning his focus to the capabilities of Iran’s military, Marom pointed out that Israel maintains a significant edge thanks to its technological advantage and advanced defense infrastructure. “We have absolute technological superiority. We use mostly Western and American weapons, along with some Israeli systems, and this weaponry is significantly superior to anything the Iranians could get from the Russians. We’ve known this for many years. We struck freely in Syria, even when there were S-300 and S-400 systems—we knew how to neutralize them and achieve air superiority. After the October 2024 strikes, it was clear we had near-total control of the skies because we destroyed all of their anti-aircraft batteries.”

He went on to note the unprecedented level of digital coordination now possible on the battlefield. “This is also the first networked war,” he said. “A UAV or loitering munition hovers over Tehran, spots a launcher vehicle, feeds it into a command and control system, and suddenly everyone on the system sees the same image. This happens in seconds. This should make everyone understand the level of achievement we’ve reached.”

Marom wrapped up by emphasizing the vast disparity between the two militaries. “The technology we use compared to theirs is like heaven and earth. The difference is in intelligence, in the quality of personnel, in motivation, in everything combined,” he concluded.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu addressed the country on Tuesday evening to mark the conclusion of Operation Rising Lion, describing the outcome as a groundbreaking success. “In the 12 days of Operation Rising Lion, we achieved a historic victory. This victory will stand for generations. We removed two immediate existential threats – the threat of destruction by nuclear bombs and the threat of destruction by 20,000 ballistic missiles. If we had not acted now, the State of Israel would soon be facing the danger of destruction,” Netanyahu stated.

He credited the boldness of Israel’s response with preventing catastrophe. “This did not happen because at the decisive moment we stood up like a lion and our roar shook Tehran and echoed throughout the world,” he said.

Netanyahu highlighted the surprise opening strike of the campaign, which he said changed the course of the conflict. “Rising Lion’s opening blow will be recorded in the annals of Israel’s wars and will be learned by all the armies of the world. In one stroke – one blow – we eliminated Iran’s senior command, including three chiefs of staff and other senior figures,” he said.

He went on to describe the coordinated military action between Israel and the United States, crediting Trump with authorizing a key attack. “At Trump’s direction, the US military destroyed the Fordow facility. We attacked dozens of other facilities, including laboratories and centrifuge manufacturing plants. We completed the job, and we damaged the entire archive, which contained all of Iran’s knowledge to create an atomic bomb. All the careful actions our soldiers took destroyed Iran’s nuclear project, and if anyone tries to revive it, we will act with the same determination and strength to thwart any such attempt.”

Netanyahu expressed gratitude to the United States and its leader, praising their support. “I thank my friends President Trump and the US on your behalf for their role in defending Israel and eliminating the Iranian nuclear threat. The US joining not only on the defensive side – it is a historic event, it has never happened before. Israel has never had a great friend like Trump in the White House, and I thank him very much for the joint work,” he said.

The Prime Minister emphasized that Iran’s capacity to endanger Israel with mass missile strikes has been neutralized. “Iran’s intention to threaten Israel with tens of thousands of ballistic missiles has been removed. We destroyed headquarters, attacked Revolutionary Guard bases, Basij bases, and attacked symbols of power. Early this morning – a few hours before the ceasefire, we dealt the ayatollahs’ regime the hardest blow – the hardest blow in its history. We eliminated hundreds of regime operatives in the most crushing attack Tehran has seen in the last 50 years,” he declared.

He closed by turning attention to the ongoing hostage crisis, pledging unwavering commitment to their release. “We are not smug or complacent – quite the opposite. We must defeat Hamas and release all the hostages. To the families of the hostages, I say that during the war, we did not stop for a moment our efforts to bring all our hostages home, and we will not relent from this sacred mission until it is completed,” Netanyahu concluded.

{Matzav.com Israel}

President Donald Trump was formally nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize on Tuesday in recognition of his role in brokering the ceasefire between Israel and Iran. The nomination was submitted by Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), who praised Trump’s “extraordinary and historic” efforts in ending what he described as a rapidly escalating armed conflict. “President Trump’s influence was instrumental in forging a swift agreement that many believed to be impossible,” Carter wrote in a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee. He also cited Trump’s actions to halt Iran’s nuclear program, saying the president worked to ensure that “the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism remains incapable of acquiring a nuclear weapon.” The ceasefire, announced by Trump earlier this week, followed nearly two weeks of intense military exchanges between Israel and Iran, including U.S.-supported strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. If awarded – though unlikely, considering the leftist tilt of the Nobel Committee – it would mark Trump’s first Nobel Peace Prize win following multiple past nominations during his first term as president. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Members of Iran’s Jewish community are trying to project a sense of calm from their shuttered homes in Shiraz and Tehran, but fear lurks under the surface, Ynet reported. The report quoted Zahava, an Israeli from Iran who received what may be the last WhatsApp message from a childhood friend in Shiraz. “In Persian, she wrote that the police had taken the chazanim and Rabbanim in for questioning. They were suspected of collaborating with Israel. To this day, we don’t know if they’ve been released,” Zahava said from her home in Haifa, “She told us it’s best not to contact the Jews there right now—the situation is extremely fragile. We used to be in touch daily. There’s a very active WhatsApp group that keeps everyone updated, but since the war started, there’s been complete silence.” “The Jews are staying inside, too afraid to go out for fear it could cost them their lives. They’ve disconnected from the internet so that no messages or information can leak out. During times like these, we’re careful not to reach out, to avoid giving the regime any excuse to harm them,” Zahava explained. Lydia left her parents’ home in Tehran almost 30 years ago. Speaking to Ynet from her home in Holon, she revealed details of an unusual phone call she had last week with her brother and his wife. Her brother, a resident of northern Tehran, told her they were warned that Jews with ties to Israel would be arrested and sent to prison. His wife added, “We had nowhere to go, so we went to an aunt’s house in the western part of the city. It’s safer there. It’s a big house where all the children and grandchildren are staying together.” Her brother also told her that from his balcony, he saw Israeli planes bombing targets nearby. “We waved to the pilots and loved seeing the Israeli army in action,” he said. “Redemption has arrived. We thank the Creator. Now that Israel has come to help us, there will finally be peace in Iran.” Lydia added that even before the October 7 massacre, some of her relatives tried to flee to America, about five years ago. She said that they sold their belongings and packed one suitcase each, “as if they were going on vacation.” But then, everything fell apart: “Four members of the family were killed,” Lydia said. “When I spoke to them, they sounded fine. Family members who visited said they just had a mild flu—and the next day they were gone.” “Now everyone there is living in fear, not understanding how all of this suddenly fell upon them. The Iran-Iraq War was 40 years ago—most of them don’t even know what air raid sirens sound like. They’re living under existential chaos. And yet, all of that doesn’t scare them as much as the regime itself does. I’m talking about the leadership that, over the years, slaughtered, murdered, raped, cut women’s lips for wearing lipstick, issued massive fines for nothing, and turned people’s lives into hell.” Noga, a New Yorker who left Shiraz after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, said that there are still about 7,000 Jews in the city. “When there’s a conflict in Israel, the government forces the Jews to publicly declare that they’re against Zionism,” she explains. “It’s […]

After nearly two weeks of restricted air travel due to the war, Israel is officially reopening its skies, with Ben Gurion Airport set to operate 24 hours a day. Minister of Transportation Miri Regev unveiled the country’s new flight framework on Tuesday, outlining the return of commercial air travel and the resumption of outbound and inbound flights to multiple destinations.

Under the new plan, Ben Gurion Airport will operate around the clock, the Haifa airport will function daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Ramon Airport in southern Israel is expected to resume service once it returns to the Transportation Ministry’s jurisdiction.

Regev noted that several international carriers — including Tus Airways, Blue Bird, Red Wings, FlyDubai, Etihad Airways, and a Chinese airline — have already requested to reinstate flights to Israel. However, she explained, “Most foreign airlines have already redeployed their planes for the summer season, which means many of the flights will be operated by the Israeli fleet.”

El Al Airlines announced Tuesday that, “Following the ceasefire that took effect today and subject to the expansion of the rescue flight framework, El Al is preparing to ramp up its flight schedule to and from Israel starting today. The airline is working to establish an airlift to bring passengers back to Israel, operating its fleet around the clock to add thousands of seats in the coming day.”

According to the airline, “Most El Al passengers are currently in one of the eight destinations where we have continued to operate flights. We will strengthen these routes while gradually expanding the destination list. Tonight (Tuesday), rescue flights from Budapest and Bucharest will also take off.”

El Al also stated that “once the passengers booked on rescue flights are accommodated, we will open the remaining seats for public booking. Note that we have fixed one-way inbound flight prices for non-El Al customers through the end of June. Flights from Los Angeles went on sale today via the El Al website and travel agents.”

Israir also confirmed that it is preparing to expand its flight operations, pending the continuation of the ceasefire and approval from the Transportation Ministry, Israel Airports Authority, and other relevant agencies.

“In the coming days, Israir will increase the number of flights and destinations, subject to required approvals,” the airline said. Planned upcoming destinations include Athens, Larnaca, Varna, Tbilisi, Rome, London, Budapest, and Batumi.

“Israir remains committed to expanding its routes in order to safely bring all Israelis home,” the airline added. “Once approvals are granted, seats will be made available for purchase on our website. We urge travelers to check our site and social media for updates. We hope for quieter days ahead and a swift return to normalcy.”

{Matzav.com Israel}