Speaking from the NATO summit in the Netherlands on Wednesday, President Trump disclosed that Israeli operatives had been dispatched to assess the damage at the Iranian nuclear sites hit in the recent U.S. airstrikes. According to Trump, those operatives confirmed that the facilities were completely destroyed. He also maintained that the operation had been executed so swiftly that Iran had no time to extract any enriched uranium.
Trump continued to push back against leaked intelligence indicating that Iran’s nuclear program could potentially recover within a few months. He repeated his stance that the attack had crippled Iran’s capabilities for years to come. “Israel is doing a report on it now, I understand, and I was told that they said it was total obliteration,” Trump said to reporters.
“You know they have guys that go in there after the hit, and they said it was total obliteration,” he added. “I believe it was total obliteration.”
Trump argued that the enriched uranium being processed at the targeted sites could not have been evacuated before the assault. “They didn’t have a chance to get anything out because we acted fast. If it would have taken two weeks, maybe. But it’s very hard to remove that kind of material, very hard and very dangerous for them to remove it,” he said.
He also emphasized that Tehran had advance warning that a strike might be imminent, which likely deterred personnel from remaining at the sites. “Plus they knew we were coming, and if they know we’re coming, they’re not going to be down there.”
He went on to assert that Iran’s nuclear ambitions had been thrown off course for “basically decades,” though he made clear that if the regime attempted to restart its program, the U.S. would not hesitate to act again. “The last thing they want to do is enrich anything right now. They want to recover, and we won’t let that happen,” Trump declared.
“Number one, militarily, we won’t. I think we’ll end up having somewhat of a relationship with Iran. I see it. Look, I’ve had a relationship over the last four days. They agreed to the ceasefire, and it was a very equal agreement. They both said that’s enough.”
His remarks came in response to a classified report from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) that was leaked to CNN. The assessment suggested that Iran’s nuclear program could be rebuilt within a few months. The White House strongly refuted the findings.
“This alleged ‘assessment’ is flat-out wrong and was classified as ‘top secret’ but was still leaked to CNN by an anonymous, low-level loser in the intelligence community,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X.
She added, “The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran’s nuclear program.”
“Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000-pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration.”
{Matzav.com}
NEW YORK — Declaring “Tonight, we made history,” 33-year-old Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani claimed victory Tuesday night in the city’s hotly contested Democratic mayoral primary, becoming the presumptive nominee and front-runner to be New York City’s first Muslim mayor.
With 93% of the ballots tallied, Mamdani led the pack with 43.5% of the vote, pulling ahead of former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who had been widely considered the frontrunner until recent weeks. Cuomo conceded after trailing at 36.4%, acknowledging the insurgent candidate’s unexpected surge.
“I will be your Democratic nominee for the mayor of New York City,” Mamdani told a jubilant crowd of supporters.
While Mamdani’s campaign has focused heavily on economic issues, such as the city’s spiraling grocery prices—proposing a publicly owned grocery chain to drive down costs—it is his record on Israel and statements about Jewish issues that have ignited a firestorm of controversy throughout the race.
Despite his efforts to center the campaign around bread-and-butter concerns, Mamdani’s long history of anti-Israel activism has drawn deep criticism from Jewish organizations, elected officials, and concerned citizens alike.
On October 8, 2023—just one day after Hamas launched its bloody massacre in southern Israel—Mamdani issued a public statement condemning Israel while avoiding any direct criticism of Hamas.
“I mourn the hundreds of people killed across Israel and Palestine in the last 36 hours. Netanyahu’s declaration of war, the Israeli government’s decision to cut electricity to Gaza, and Knesset members calling for another Nakba will undoubtedly lead to more violence and suffering in the days and weeks to come. The path toward a just and lasting peace can only begin by ending the occupation and dismantling apartheid,” Mamdani wrote.
It was only later that he described the October 7 attacks as a “horrific war crime,” adding, “My support for Palestinian liberation should never be confused for a celebration of the loss of civilian life.”
The state legislator has also become known for defending the phrase “Globalize the Intifada,” a slogan widely perceived as a call for expanding the violent anti-Israel uprisings of the early 2000s. When questioned about its use, Mamdani offered a historical framing: “The very word [intifada] has been used by the Holocaust Museum when translating the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising into Arabic, because it’s a word that means struggle.”
This defense sparked widespread outrage. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum issued a stern rebuke, calling Mamdani’s invocation of the Holocaust “outrageous” and “especially offensive to survivors.”
In a follow-up statement, Mamdani doubled down: “As the highest profile Muslim candidate in NY history, I feel an obligation to speak out against violence and against bad faith or misinformed efforts to manipulate language in ways that only contribute to the division we’re seeking to overcome. I’ve repeatedly condemned any calls for violence.” He added that the slogan “is not the language that I use,” but argued, “the role of the mayor is not to police language.”
Throughout his political career, Mamdani has been a vocal supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. In 2021, he posted: “We pay our electeds with our tax $$$ to represent us but they go on paid-for trips to Israel. We have 3 letters for them: #BDS. Every elected must be pressured to stand with Palestinians, oppose Apartheid & assert that the fight for dignity knows no exception.”
That same year, he told the Muslim Democratic Club of New York: “Speaking up for Israel comes with everything you might want, and we need to show that it’s not that way anymore. There are consequences for speaking up in favor of apartheid.”
Mamdani has also refused to clearly state whether he would promote BDS policies as mayor. And while the movement targets Israel, Mamdani has not advocated for boycotting any other country.
His associations have drawn further scrutiny. In April, he appeared in a livestream with Hasan Piker, a left-wing influencer who has been accused of making antisemitic remarks, including offensive descriptions of Orthodox Jews and Holocaust-related mockery. Asked about his choice to appear with Piker, Mamdani responded: “I am willing to speak to each and every person about this campaign, and I’ve said that from the beginning.”
As a lawmaker, Mamdani was one of just five members of the New York State Assembly who declined to sign resolutions honoring Israel or commemorating the Holocaust. When pressed, he cited an internal office policy of not signing onto emailed resolutions and said he had voted for Holocaust remembrance resolutions in past years. “I understand this has caused pain and confusion for many,” he said.
He has also authored the “Not on Our Dime!” Act—legislation aimed at prohibiting charitable donations from supporting Israeli military operations or settlement activity. Although the bill has virtually no path forward in Albany, Mamdani has promoted it as one of his marquee achievements. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie publicly criticized the bill, a rare move, and 66 legislators signed a letter calling it “a ploy to demonize Jewish charities with connections to Israel.”
The lawmakers warned that the bill threatened organizations “with wide ranging missions from feeding the poor to providing emergency medical care for victims of terrorism to clothing orphans.”
Mamdani has also taken heat for his actions and rhetoric following the October 7 attack. On October 13, he rallied outside Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s home, urging action “against the indiscriminate killing of Palestinians as we sit on the brink of a genocide.” He has since repeatedly used the term “genocide” to describe Israel’s actions in Gaza—terminology strongly condemned by the Anti-Defamation League.
In the weeks following Hamas’s massacre, Mamdani flooded social media with pro-Palestinian content, and he was arrested during protests in New York. He has criticized lawmakers who attend Israel Day Parades and has taken credit for helping block a state resolution marking Israel’s Independence Day.
In a 2021 interview, Mamdani recounted: “Every year they introduced this resolution commending Israel’s day of independence, and this year, it was introduced, it was scheduled to go up, and I called the central staff of the assembly, and I made it clear that if this resolution were to come to the floor, I would speak in opposition… The resolution has yet to come to the floor.”
He added with a smile, “Just the fact of registering opposition—that business as usual cannot continue—is so, so important. We must not cede any ground to apartheid and to supporters of apartheid.”
As Mamdani prepares for a general election campaign, the Democratic Party—and the broader New York electorate—now faces a profound question: Can a candidate who has alienated large segments of the city’s Jewish population and openly supported movements considered by many as discriminatory still unify and lead America’s most diverse metropolis?
{Matzav.com}At the NATO summit held in the Netherlands on Wednesday, President Trump drew a striking parallel between the recent U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear installations and the atomic bombings of Japan in World War II. He suggested that, like the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the overwhelming force used in the recent military action brought the conflict to an end. “I don’t want to use an example of Hiroshima. I don’t want to use an example of Nagasaki, but that was essentially the same thing that ended that war,” Trump stated.
Trump maintained that his surprise offensive targeting Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure was the decisive factor in bringing about the cease-fire between Iran and Israel after nearly two weeks of hostilities. “Had we not succeeded with that hit, that hit ended the war,” Trump asserted, referring to the weekend airstrikes on three key Iranian nuclear sites.
He further emphasized that without those precise attacks, the conflict would likely still be raging. “If we didn’t take that out, they would have been they’d be fighting right now,” Trump said.
Challenging internal government assessments, Trump reinforced his assertion that the strikes resulted in the complete destruction of Iran’s nuclear facilities. He dismissed reports that suggested Iran could rebuild its program in a matter of months, labeling them as inaccurate and misleading.
Trump also addressed concerns that Iran may have evacuated enriched uranium before the strikes, firmly rejecting that notion. “They didn’t have a chance to get anything out because we acted fast. If it would have taken two weeks, maybe. But it’s very hard to remove that kind of material, very hard and very dangerous for them to remove it,” he said.
He added that the Iranians were aware of the possibility of an impending attack, which discouraged them from taking the risk of remaining at the targeted facilities. “Plus they knew we were coming, and if they know we’re coming, they’re not going to be down there.”
According to Trump, the damage inflicted was so severe that it has likely derailed Iran’s nuclear ambitions for many years to come. “They just went through hell. I think they’ve had it. The last thing they want to do is enrich,” he said. Trump concluded by predicting that Iran would never attempt to revive its nuclear efforts, saying, “they’ll ever do it again.”
{Matzav.com}The devastation wrought by Iran’s missile and drone assault on Israel over the past two weeks has resulted in an estimated NIS 5 billion ($1.47 billion) in property damage—roughly double the total damages recorded from the October 7 Hamas invasion and the subsequent 20 months of conflict combined, a top official revealed, the Times of Israel reports.
Amir Dahan, who heads the Compensation Department at Israel’s Tax Authority, told the Knesset Finance Committee that the unprecedented toll was due to the sheer force of the few Iranian missiles that breached Israel’s air defenses. “These are figures we have never seen for direct property damage,” he said. The limited number of successful strikes nevertheless caused widespread destruction, demolishing entire apartment complexes and triggering shockwaves that shattered windows across multiple city blocks.
As of Monday, claims related to Iran’s ballistic missile attacks had already reached NIS 4.5 billion ($1.32 billion), with estimates suggesting another half-billion shekels still to come. By contrast, total damages from October 7, including destruction from Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, have added up to roughly NIS 2.5 billion ($735 million).
More than 40,000 claims tied to the latest escalation have been submitted so far, and officials expect that figure to climb past 50,000, particularly as factories and businesses continue to evaluate the impact. Whether that projection takes into account the ceasefire announced Tuesday morning—brokered by the United States—remains unclear.
Although the financial toll is greater, the current number of claims is still lower than the 70,000 filed between October 7, 2023, and June 12, 2025, reflecting the prolonged nature of the earlier conflict.
Israeli authorities report that Iran launched more than 550 ballistic missiles during the 12-day conflict. Just 31 of those missiles reached populated areas, yet the damage was severe. Tehran also launched roughly 1,000 drones; only one succeeded in striking a residential building—in Beit She’an. In addition to direct impacts, falling debris from interceptors and missile fragments contributed to damage in multiple locations.
Among the most damaging incidents were direct hits on the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot and the Bazan oil refinery in Haifa. While specific damage estimates were not disclosed, Dahan acknowledged both were severely impacted.
Of the 38,700 damage claims submitted before Tuesday’s rocket attack in Beersheba, which destroyed a residential building and killed four people, about 31,000 were for structural damage, 3,700 for vehicles, and 4,000 for personal property such as appliances and furniture.
Tel Aviv accounted for roughly 25,000 of the total claims, followed by Ashkelon (10,800), Haifa and Acre (2,600), and Yerushalayim (94), based on partial Tax Authority data.
Roughly 11,000 people whose homes were rendered uninhabitable are currently being housed in hotels, while another 4,000 have found shelter with family or friends, according to the Federation of Local Authorities. The Interior Ministry recently confirmed that homeowners whose residences were destroyed or severely damaged in the war will not be responsible for paying property taxes during the period of displacement.
Before Israel launched its preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure on June 13, the country’s property compensation fund held NIS 9 billion ($2.64 billion). Since then, the fund has received NIS 6 billion ($1.76 billion) in new claims related to the Iranian assault, in addition to NIS 1.5 billion ($440 million) still pending from the earlier round of fighting.
Dahan noted that 130 appraiser teams are actively deployed across the country, attempting to visit damage sites the same day claims are filed. A new digital platform has also been introduced, allowing residents to upload images of damage and receive compensation of up to NIS 30,000 ($8,815) within 72 hours.
Homeowners can also claim compensation for personal belongings: up to NIS 25,187 ($7,400) for furniture and NIS 30,914 ($9,084) for electronics. For larger claims, the government offers a supplemental insurance plan at an additional 0.3% premium on the declared value. While only 600 Israelis were enrolled in this plan before the current war, over 50,000 have joined since the launch of Operation Rising Lion, according to a Calcalist report.
The financial shockwave has rippled far beyond physical destruction. Economic paralysis due to emergency regulations has shuttered schools and businesses, prompting the Finance Ministry to unveil a comprehensive relief package for those affected.
Under the plan, small businesses earning less than NIS 300,000 ($86,000) annually will receive fixed continuity grants based on assessed damages. Larger businesses—with annual revenues up to NIS 400 million—will be eligible for partial reimbursement of their operational expenses, calculated between 7% and 22% of losses. Additionally, they will be refunded for up to 75% of their salary expenses tied to war-related disruptions.
The maximum compensation for businesses earning up to NIS 100 million ($28 million) has been set at NIS 600,000 ($172,000).
{Matzav.com Israel}
LAKEWOOD, NJ — For the third time in less than 24 hours, large portions of Lakewood were plunged into darkness as another major power outage struck the township Monday night, leaving over 3,000 Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) customers without electricity.
The blackout, caused by a blown circuit at a local substation, wreaked havoc across the eastern side of town, disrupting traffic, events, and daily life — and reigniting long-standing criticism of the utility provider.
The outage affected key residential and commercial zones, including Ridge Avenue, New Hampshire Avenue, and Oak Street. Multiple traffic lights in the area were rendered inoperable, creating dangerous driving conditions during peak evening hours.
Compounding the chaos, several wedding halls lost power mid-event, disrupting simchos and forcing guests and staff to scramble in the dark until generators could be procured.
The evening outage followed two earlier blackouts that struck the township in quick succession. Nearly 2,000 customers were left without power for several hours Tuesday afternoon, and more than 1,000 residents experienced outages early that same morning.
All told, thousands of homes and businesses in Lakewood faced power disruptions during a single 24-hour span — and during one of the hottest days of the year.
Temperatures soared past 100 degrees on Tuesday afternoon. With air conditioning units offline and refrigeration compromised, residents were left sweating and scrambling to preserve food and safety.
JCP&L’s failure to keep up with Lakewood’s growing power needs has once again come under fire. For years, residents and local officials have accused the company of falling dangerously behind in infrastructure upgrades, particularly as the town’s population — and electricity usage — continue to skyrocket. Summer after summer, power outages have become a grimly predictable pattern in Lakewood, especially during heatwaves when electricity demand surges.
“Every time the temperature rises, the grid collapses. It’s beyond unacceptable — it’s reckless,” one frustrated resident said. “We’re paying for service, not excuses.”
Despite repeated complaints, calls for action, and mounting pressure from the community, JCP&L has yet to demonstrate meaningful improvements in reliability. Tuesday’s blackouts, stacked back-to-back-to-back, have only deepened concerns over the utility’s ability — or willingness — to adequately serve Lakewood’s rapidly expanding population.
As residents contend with boiling homes, disrupted simchos, and melting freezers, the question remains: How many more outages will it take before JCP&L finally gets serious about keeping the lights on in Lakewood?
{Matzav.com}