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NYC If Mamdani Gets Elected As Mayor
Trump Warns “Cost-Cutting Republicans” on Big Beautiful Bill: “Don’t Get Too Crazy” Before Reelection
Sen. Rand Paul Opposes Trump’s Bill, Cites $5 Trillion Debt Ceiling Hike
California Gov. Newsom Sues Fox News for $787 Million Over Edited Trump Call Segment
Report: Saudi King Gives Palestinian Terrorists’ Families Free Trip to Mecca
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has stirred controversy by sponsoring 1,000 Palestinian family members of terrorists to perform the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, even as the kingdom remains under the spotlight for its potential normalization of ties with Israel.
This development was reported through Palestinian Authority outlets and highlighted by Palestinian Media Watch, raising new concerns about the Saudis’ stance toward Palestinian violence.
While there has been ongoing talk of Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords, the latest move — a grant seen as honoring those tied to acts of terror — suggests that Saudi leadership has not turned its back on supporting individuals responsible for deadly attacks against Israelis.
Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority, publicly expressed gratitude to Saudi leaders, saying, “thanked Saudi Arabia and its leadership for the generous grant they provided this year to 1,000 Palestinian pilgrims from among the families of the Martyrs, the prisoners, and the wounded” [Official PA TV News, June 9, 2025]. The term refers to Palestinians who were killed, captured, or injured while carrying out attacks — and their relatives were flown to Mecca under the king’s sponsorship.
According to Palestinian Authority television, this act symbolizes enduring “loyalty” to the attackers and a pledge of “constant sponsorship and honoring” their families.
The issue of providing material support to relatives of Palestinian terrorists has repeatedly complicated American-Palestinian diplomatic relations. Now, Saudi Arabia’s involvement adds another layer of complexity as it weighs potential diplomatic ties with Israel.
Observers note that while Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, has shown greater willingness to explore a relationship with Israel and promote reforms within the kingdom, his father, King Salman, appears far more hesitant and continues to adhere to older policies rooted in support for the Palestinian cause — including controversial acts like this pilgrimage grant.
{Matzav.com}
‘Make the Middle East Great Again’: Netanyahu Thanks Trump for Support 10
Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu expressed appreciation to President Donald Trump for his vocal support, after Trump denounced what he described as a “political witch hunt” designed to destabilize Israel’s leadership. Trump’s endorsement included a variation of his signature phrase, calling to “Make the Middle East Great Again.”
Responding on the platform X, Netanyahu thanked Trump and echoed the president’s phrasing, writing, “Together, we will make the Middle East great again!”
The wording mirrored President Trump’s recent slogan usage, which he employed to call for assertive and visionary leadership throughout the region.
This exchange came after President Trump posted on Truth Social, where he harshly criticized Israel’s legal proceedings against Netanyahu and advocated for the charges to be dropped.
“It is terrible what they are doing in Israel to Bibi Netanyahu,” President Trump wrote. “He is a War Hero, and a Prime Minister who did a fabulous job working with the United States to bring Great Success in getting rid of the dangerous Nuclear threat in Iran.”
President Trump also highlighted Netanyahu’s role in handling the crisis involving Israeli hostages held by Hamas, while condemning the legal case against the prime minister. “How is it possible that the Prime Minister of Israel can be forced to sit in a Courtroom all day long, over NOTHING (Cigars, Bugs Bunny Doll, etc.). It is a POLITICAL WITCH HUNT, very similar to the Witch Hunt that I was forced to endure.”
Trump also warned that the case could have serious repercussions on ongoing diplomatic efforts.
“This travesty of ‘Justice’ will interfere with both Iran and Hamas negotiations,” President Trump wrote. “In other words, it is INSANITY doing what the out-of-control prosecutors are doing to Bibi Netanyahu.”
He invoked the United States’ longstanding strategic alliance with Israel, stressing that American leadership would not tolerate what he sees as an injustice.
“We are not going to stand for this,” Trump declared. “We just had a Great Victory with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu at the helm — And this greatly tarnishes our Victory,” he concluded. “LET BIBI GO, HE’S GOT A BIG JOB TO DO!”
President Trump’s latest remarks come amid his broader campaign to pressure Israeli authorities to end Netanyahu’s prosecution, arguing that it threatens critical joint efforts involving national security and diplomacy.
Breitbart News previously noted that Trump first demanded the case be dropped following the U.S.-Israel victory in the 12 Day War against Iran, highlighting that several charges had already begun to unravel.
This latest show of solidarity points to a growing trend among conservative voices who are raising alarms about judicial overreach and its potential impact on global leadership and Middle East stability.
Notably, just hours after President Trump’s renewed public comments, an Israeli court granted a one-week delay in Netanyahu’s corruption trial. While no formal link was drawn, the timing of the postponement sparked renewed speculation.
{Matzav.com}
Another Deal, Few Details: U.S.-China Try to Defuse Trade War With Vague Pact
FIREFIGHTERS AMBUSHED: Two Dead, Multiple Others Injured After Being Lured Into A Deadly Trap In Idaho
NOT BACKING DOWN: Muslim Socialist Zohran Mamdani Doubles Down On Plan To Target ‘Whiter Neighborhoods’ With Higher Taxes
Socialist New York City mayoral contender Zohran Mamdani reaffirmed on Sunday his intention to raise property taxes in what he described as “richer and whiter neighborhoods,” maintaining that billionaires should not exist in society.
Mamdani, labeled by one wealthy opponent as “the Fidel Castro of New York,” defended his tax-the-wealthy platform as not racially motivated—even as it focuses on white homeowners in particular areas.
“That is just a description of what we see right now. It’s not driven by race. It’s more of an assessment of what neighborhoods are being under-taxed versus over-taxed,” Mamdani told NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”
He further claimed that the city’s property tax framework is unfair, noting that even current Mayor Eric Adams had pledged to reform it early in his term.
“We’ve seen time and again that this is a property tax system that is inequitable. It’s one that actually Eric Adams ran on, saying that he would change in the first 100 days,” the pol said.
When asked whether emphasizing race could turn off some voters, Mamdani dismissed the concern and insisted that he’s simply stating facts as they are.
The candidate criticized New York’s dwindling tax base but blamed the city’s steep cost of living for driving people out. He highlighted his plan to boost taxes on the top 1% as part of the solution.
“We are talking about our tax base growing smaller and smaller each day, with New Yorkers leaving to New Jersey, to Pennsylvania, to Connecticut,” Mamdani said. “If we do not meet this moment, we will lose the city.”
Although he acknowledged that implementing his tax policies would require cooperation from Albany, Mamdani argued that his goal is to shift the conversation and change what people view as politically achievable.
He didn’t hold back on his views of extreme wealth either.
“I don’t think that we should have billionaires, frankly,” he said.
New York City currently hosts more billionaires than any other city in the world, with a count of 123.
Asked specifically about billionaire supermarket mogul John Catsimatidis—who warned he might shutter his stores if Mamdani wins—Mamdani was unbothered.
“In order to run New York City suddenly as mayor, do you not need the support of a billionaire businessman like John Catsimatidis?” host Kristen Welker asked.
Mamdani replied, “I don’t know if I need his support specifically.
“But I want to make clear that my vision for this city is a vision for every single New Yorker, including business leaders across the city,” he said.
Mamdani added that raising the city’s corporate tax rate to align with New Jersey’s could actually help business owners, not hurt them.
“And the reason I say that is that my proposals, even the ones to increase the top corporate tax rate of New York to match that of New Jersey, are ones that would also benefit those business leaders. Because when I have conversations with them, what I also hear is just how expensive this city is, which is preventing them from attracting and retaining the talent they need to grow their business.”
Catsimatidis, who also owns WABC radio, was blunt in his reaction to Mamdani’s anti-billionaire rhetoric.
“Zohran is trying to be the Fidel Castro of New York,” Catsimatidis told The Post.
He shared that during a 1990 visit to Cuba, he saw firsthand the devastation of that country.
“If Zohran is elected mayor, he’ll make New York City the next Detroit,” Catsimatidis added.
In the same interview, Mamdani again refused to condemn the controversial slogan “globalize the intifada,” a phrase widely seen as encouraging violence against Jews. Welker pressed him repeatedly, but he declined to disavow it.
“That’s not language that I use. The language that I use and the language that I will continue to use to lead this city is that which speaks clearly to my intent, which is an intent grounded in a belief in universal human rights,” he said.
“I don’t believe that the role of the mayor is to police speech in the manner.”
But House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who represents areas of Brooklyn, said on ABC’s “This Week” that the phrase is unacceptable.
“‘Globalizing the intifada’ by way of example is not an acceptable phrasing. He’s gonna have to clarify his position on that as he moves forward,” Jeffries said of Mamdani.
Despite the criticism, Mamdani said he’s confident of his chances in the general election this November.
He faces a crowded field, including independent incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, GOP nominee Curtis Sliwa, former Governor Andrew Cuomo—who Mamdani bested in the Democratic primary and who may still run independently—and independent candidate Jim Walden.
“Ultimately, it’s a referendum and how [Adams] made this city so unaffordable,” Mamdani said of the race. “For too long, politicians have pretended to simply be bystanders to a cost of living crisis. They’ve actually exacerbated it. And our vision is one that will respond to it and make this a city affordable for every New Yorker.”
WATCH:
{Matzav.com}Report: Trump Working On Deal To Release All Israeli Hostages Held In Gaza
President Donald Trump is actively engaged in promoting a comprehensive agreement intended to secure the release of Israeli hostages and bring the fighting between Israel and Hamas to a close, according to individuals familiar with the ongoing diplomatic discussions who spoke to The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.
“We’re optimistic a deal can be reached,” a US official stated.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu convened a high-level meeting with several cabinet ministers and senior members of Israel’s defense establishment at the IDF’s Southern Command to assess the state of military operations in Gaza and consider future steps.
A primary point of discussion at the meeting was whether Israel should dispatch negotiators to upcoming talks, which are likely to be held in either Qatar or Egypt.
A source informed the Post that about three-quarters of the points under negotiation have been agreed upon in recent weeks. “The remaining 25% includes key matters such as the humanitarian situation, the conclusion of the war itself, and the guarantees Israel is demanding to prevent Hamas from rearming.”
Speaking at the headquarters of the Shin Bet, Netanyahu remarked, “We will have to resolve the situation in Gaza and defeat Hamas, and I believe we will accomplish both goals. Beyond that, broader regional opportunities are emerging – and in nearly all of them, you are partners.”
A proposal that has once again been brought into the discussion is the possibility of forcing Hamas’s top leadership into exile, a concept previously covered by the Post.
Although Hamas had earlier rejected exile as part of any arrangement, the idea has reemerged during the latest round of talks.
{Matzav.com}
Satellite Images Reveal Ongoing Activity At Fordow Nuclear Site After Israeli and U.S. Strikes
Fourth of July Fireworks Tradition Faces Uncertainty Under China Tariffs
Abbas to U.S.: “Israel Is Undermining Ceasefire Efforts and Preventing an End to the War”
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel on Sunday of deliberately sabotaging international efforts to bring about a ceasefire and end the ongoing war in Gaza. His comments were conveyed to the United States in an official message, expressing frustration with what he described as Israel’s escalating military actions.
According to a statement from Abbas’s spokesman, the Palestinian leader issued a warning regarding what he called an Israeli “threat” to evacuate additional residents from Gaza. Abbas claimed this was a precursor to “a new and destructive military operation.”
In a letter addressed to the United States, Abbas urged Washington to “compel Israel to stop issuing threats and to take active steps toward achieving a ceasefire—if it genuinely seeks real regional stability.”
The statement went on to claim that “Israel’s current policies endanger the possibility of reaching an agreement and increase the risk of annexation in the West Bank—developments that could lead to further wars and long-term instability throughout the region.”
It concluded with a sharp accusation: “Israel’s actions confirm its clear intention to thwart international efforts for a ceasefire and an end to the war.”
Abbas also warned that “any initiative that ignores Palestinian rights—based on international legitimacy and international law, including the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital within the 1967 borders—is doomed to fail. Such a path will not bring security, peace, or stability, but rather exacerbate chaos in the region.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
A NEW ERA BEGINS: Two New Lakewood Wedding Halls Launch, Offering Chasunos For Just $13,000
State Approves Immediate Return Home of 7 of 13 Worst-Hit Gaza Border Communities
The Israeli government on Sunday approved the immediate return of residents to seven of the 13 southern communities devastated during the October 7, 2023 Hamas assault. These communities were among the hardest hit during the brutal terror onslaught.
All military restrictions in these areas have been removed, and critical infrastructure has been restored to allow residents of Re’im, Kerem Shalom, Nirim, Ein Hashlosha, Sufa, Nir Yitzchak, and Netiv Ha’asara to come back starting Tuesday if they choose.
Those who do not return by July 31 will lose access to government-funded rental housing.
Work is expected to wrap up in Nachal Oz during August, opening the door for residents there to return in time for the new academic year.
Kissufim residents are projected to receive the go-ahead in November 2025, with the communities of Holit, Kfar Aza, and Be’eri slated for return sometime in 2026.
Kibbutz Nir Oz, where Hamas terrorists stormed nearly every home and either murdered or abducted roughly a quarter of its 400 residents, has not yet received a return date. Only six homes were left untouched in the brutal assault that left 117 people dead or kidnapped.
Nir Oz residents recently finalized an agreement with the state, which includes over NIS 350 million (about $95 million) for long-term recovery and reconstruction. The kibbutz’s rebuilding effort is in its earliest stages, and residents remain in temporary housing in Kiryat Gat paid for by the government.
Ze’ev Elkin, the minister overseeing the rehabilitation of communities along both the Gaza and Lebanese borders, stated, “Thanks to a deep partnership with the communities, the Tekuma Directorate [responsible for rehabilitating the Gaza border area] and local authorities, we were able to shorten schedules, expand budgets, and create an infrastructure that allows not only a return, but growth as well.”
He also pledged that the region would be “restored, developed, and be a symbol of the strength, resilience and resurrection of Israeli society as a whole.”
Aviad Friedman, who heads the Tekuma Directorate, emphasized that with the lifting of military constraints, residents can now return “as a community” to their homes.
Nir Mesika, who leads the Construction, Housing and Infrastructure Division of the directorate, said his team quickly realized that the rebuilding effort had to break with conventional methods. “Given the extraordinary events on every scale that occurred in the region on October 7, the physical rehabilitation had to be different.”
Mesika explained that the agency’s model gave local communities a major role in shaping their own recovery, saying, “with the understanding that this was the way to advance the healing and rehabilitation processes of the communities themselves. We will continue to work with full vigor, together with the communities, until the entire process of building and rehabilitating the settlements in the region is completed.”
Immediately following the Hamas invasion — during which around 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 taken hostage — authorities evacuated 46 farming communities and the city of Sderot, all within about four miles of the Gaza border.
As of the end of May 2025, the Tekuma Directorate reported that 92% of those displaced had gone back to their homes.
The government’s long-term objective is to nearly double the Gaza border population from 64,000 before the war to 120,000 by October 2033.
Still, it remains unclear how many of the 5,000 people from the 13 most devastated towns and kibbutzim will ultimately return, or how long they’ll stay if they do.
The Habayta Forum, an advocacy group for the hardest-hit areas, estimated in May that about 30% would never come back. The State Comptroller placed the figure at closer to 13%.
Though much of the physical damage has been repaired, communities close to Gaza are still affected by the sounds and tremors from Israel’s military campaign. The booming echoes of airstrikes continue to rattle homes near the border day and night.
In Kibbutz Nirim, community leader Maya Liberman reported that shockwaves from nearby IDF strikes have caused fresh structural damage across the community. “Shutters fall out, windows burst, doors dislocate, pergolas separate from houses, and drinking glasses break. The kibbutz just moves,” Liberman told The Times of Israel. “There are also big underground pipe bursts that were never an issue before this war.”
The damage stems from ongoing Israeli airstrikes aimed at Hamas military sites and underground tunnel networks in Gaza.
“You don’t have to be clever to understand that there’s a war on, and it’s very hard to be here [close to the border] and to sleep,” said Ziv Mazliach, chairman of the Habayta Forum and a Kfar Aza resident currently living in Kibbutz Ruhama. “I live in Ruhama, and my house moves whenever [the IDF] bombs northern Gaza. I don’t know how many will come back even if the army decides it’s okay.”
Mazliach highlighted a recent survey by the Forum showing that many residents of the border communities are struggling financially and emotionally.
According to the poll, just 45% of 585 respondents from 11 frontline communities were employed full-time — a sharp drop from the 70% employed before October 7. Among those not working at all (28.1%), nearly half said emotional or mental challenges were the primary reason.
Nearly 60% of those surveyed said their expenses had skyrocketed since the war began, and more than 70% admitted feeling more financially insecure than before the Hamas attack.
Mazliach said that while the reconstruction was “very nice,” much more is needed to rebuild lives. He insisted that the return of the hostages, rebuilding trust in the government, and significant investments in job opportunities, education, healthcare, and psychological services were all essential. As he put it, helping people recover takes “more than plaster and paint.”
{Matzav.com}
Report: US Planning To Lean On Dermer To End Gaza War During DC Meetings
Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer is expected to face mounting pressure from the Trump administration when he arrives in Washington tomorrow, according to a U.S. official and an Arab diplomat who spoke with The Times of Israel. The administration is urging Israel to bring the conflict in Gaza to an end.
According to the two sources, international mediators have been hoping Israel would send representatives to Cairo to finalize negotiations on several unresolved matters. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opted to send Dermer to Washington instead, aiming to align with the U.S. position ahead of renewed proximity talks in Egypt.
Among the key issues holding up progress, the sources explain, is Hamas’s insistence on a permanent end to hostilities. Israel, by contrast, is pushing for a limited pause in fighting that would preserve its right to resume military operations later. Hamas, with support from Arab mediators, is also demanding either a return to previous aid distribution systems or the creation of a new mechanism to replace the current one overseen by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. While Israel defends the GHF as necessary to stop Hamas from diverting supplies, critics say the setup has resulted in Gazans walking long distances, often through dangerous areas under Israeli military fire, just to access basic food provisions.
Hopes were high among Arab mediators that Israel might commit to sending a team to Cairo during a senior ministerial session held late Sunday night. However, according to reports, the meeting concluded without any formal decisions being made.
The Arab diplomat noted that earlier this month, efforts were made to bring Israeli officials to Doha to consider a compromise framework developed jointly by Qatar and Egypt. This proposal was designed to combine elements of Hamas’s latest demands with a new initiative presented by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff.
The mediators were anticipating the Israeli team’s arrival in Doha on June 13. Instead, Israel initiated its first wave of strikes in its campaign against Iran on that same morning. Following the escalation, Israel informed the mediators that hostage negotiations would be paused while Israel concentrated its efforts on countering the Iranian nuclear and missile threat, the diplomat said.
Once a ceasefire with Iran was achieved on June 22, President Donald Trump conveyed a clear message to Prime Minister Netanyahu: it was time for the conflict in Gaza to come to a close, according to the same two sources.
{Matzav.com}
Mossad Trolls Iranian Officials: We See You Follow Us On Social Media, We Follow You, Too
On Sunday evening, the Mossad posted a message on its official X account, taking aim at several high-ranking Iranian officials: IRGC Commander Mohammad Pakpour, Iran’s military chief Abdolrahim Mousavi, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
The Israeli intelligence agency wrote that it “conducted a thorough review of the page’s followers and was not surprised to find that the honorable gentlemen Pakpour, Mousavi, and Araghchi are among our most loyal viewers.”
The post also pointed out that these officials make efforts to conceal their activity. “Of course, they use their ‘secondary’ phones, and two of them even utilize private internet connections.”
The message continued with a tongue-in-cheek remark: “As a token of appreciation, we are also following them.”
Speaking directly to Iranian citizens, the Mossad advised them that they’re welcome to keep reading the updates but warned against engaging with the page publicly. “We will continue to provide important news updates,” the post continued.
Pakpour and Mousavi were appointed to their current posts only recently, following the deaths of their predecessors in Israeli airstrikes.
Mossad has played a significant role in Israel’s recent conflict with Iran, not only by gathering intelligence but also by launching offensive operations. Israeli drones reportedly took off from covert Mossad-operated launch sites inside Iran as part of the IDF’s initial assault.
This deep infiltration has shaken the Iranian leadership. Reports from both local and international sources indicate that the regime has begun a massive internal crackdown, targeting civilians suspected of cooperating with foreign intelligence agencies.
According to Fars News, a media outlet affiliated with the IRGC, more than 700 people have been detained over the past 12 days in connection with espionage accusations. The suspects are believed to have links with Mossad, the CIA, and MI6.
{Matzav.com}
Trump: I Thought Iran Would Join The Abraham Accords, They Would Have Been Better Off
President Donald Trump disclosed in a Fox News interview on Sunday that momentum is building among nations considering joining the Abraham Accords in the wake of recent U.S. military actions against Iran.
“We have some really great countries in their write now, and I think we’re going to start loading them up. Because Iran was the primary problem,” the President stated.
In a surprising twist, Trump revealed that Iran itself had once been viewed as a potential signatory to the historic peace agreements. “We had a period of time when I thought Iran would join the Abraham Accords along with everyone else. Frankly, they would have been better off than where they are write now.”
Turning to the issue of Iran’s nuclear program, Trump emphasized that no nuclear material had been removed from the key Fordow site ahead of the U.S. strikes. “They didn’t move anything,” Trump replied when asked about the reports. “You know what they moved? Themselves; they were all trying to live.”
He went on to describe the aftermath of the mission, highlighting the skepticism Iran had toward the success of such an operation. “They didn’t think it was doable, what we did, and what we did was amazing. There were energy commissions that went there now. It’s just thousands of tons of rock in that room right now.”
Detailing the extent of the damage inflicted, Trump said: “The whole place was just destroyed, and the other two also. Israel was able to do damage, but we did the final damage. We have the greatest submarines in the world. We launched 30 rockets from submarines, every single one of them hit their target.”
He offered high praise for the American airmen involved in the mission, particularly the B-2 bomber pilots, and announced plans to honor them personally. “These people flew 36 hours in a small space, and they flew so brilliantly, and they hit a small target, half the size of a refrigerator, from 50,000 feet in the air going at a rapid speed.”
Reflecting on the efforts to reach a peaceful solution prior to the strikes, Trump said he initially believed diplomacy might succeed. “But they said they wanted enrichment. Enrichment doesn’t mean like air conditioning, and it doesn’t mean to jack up your car. Enrichment is a bad word. I said, ‘You have so much oil, what do you need that for?’ And they answered: ‘We need it. We need it.’ I wouldn’t let that happen. I think people wouldn’t have understood it if I allowed that to happen. So we had a 60-day talk, and that delayed them a lot. And then we said, ‘let’s go at it,’ and it worked out.”
{Matzav.com}
MAILBAG: It’s Time to End the “Shidduch Freezer” and Fix Our Broken System
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