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Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett sharply criticized Economy Minister Nir Barkat on Monday over his “Israel Basket” initiative with Carrefour, accusing him of effectively boycotting hundreds of thousands of Israelis living in Judea and Samaria. Barkat fired back with a pointed response, escalating the public clash between the two.

Bennett, who heads the “Together” party, attacked the program in a post on X, writing: “Economy Minister Nir Barkat is boycotting half a million Israeli citizens who live in Judea and Samaria.”

He continued his criticism, saying: “Instead of lowering prices through competition, he invented a foolish move in which Israeli taxpayers transfer 50 million shekels to Carrefour — the same chain that boycotts residents of Judea and Samaria for anti-Israel reasons. This is a shameful capitulation to the antisemitic BDS. Both a failure and a disgrace. I will not allow anyone to boycott half a million wonderful Israelis.”

Bennett attached a screenshot showing a map of Carrefour branch locations, which indicated that the chain does not operate stores in Judea and Samaria. While Carrefour does not maintain physical branches in those areas, it does provide online delivery services to some communities there.

In the months following the October 7 attack, the global Carrefour chain became a target of a BDS campaign, which led, among other steps, to the closure of its operations in Jordan in early 2024. Last year, the company also shut down its operations in Oman and began operating there under the “Hypermax” brand.

Barkat responded with a post of his own on X, stating: “The former head of the Yesha Council who changed his skin in order to steal the position of prime minister together with Mansour Abbas, and who called Judea and Samaria the ‘West Bank,’ will not preach to a government that has carried out a tremendous revolution in settlement, established more than one hundred new communities, and is investing hundreds of millions, together with the Economy Ministry, in building new industrial zones. You are a failure and a disgrace.”

At the center of the dispute is the “Israel Basket” initiative promoted by Barkat in recent months, which began being sold through Carrefour last month. The program was designed by the Economy Ministry to encourage supermarket chains to offer lower prices on a range of basic goods, in exchange for a government-backed marketing campaign spearheaded by Barkat, who allocated 50 million shekels for the effort during an election year.

The initiative has drawn significant criticism over how the products included in the basket were selected, with critics arguing that health considerations were overlooked and that specific brands were chosen arbitrarily instead of broader product categories. In addition, most Israeli supermarket chains chose not to participate in the tender, leaving Carrefour as the only bidder — and eventual winner. A Channel 12 News review conducted when the basket launched found that prices were actually higher than those offered by competing chains.

The Economy Ministry responded: “Unfortunately, today no retail chain operates branches in every part of the country without exception. However, in certain areas of Judea and Samaria, Carrefour’s online ordering service is available. The main goal of the ‘Israel Basket’ project is to encourage competition and reduce prices across all supermarket chains — a reduction in prices that we are already seeing in practice in chains operating in Judea and Samaria. The Ministry of Economy and Industry continues to examine additional ways to expand the project’s reach to more cities and communities.”

{Matzav.com}

Iran launched missiles toward the United Arab Emirates on Monday evening, shortly after residents across the country received emergency alerts warning of a potential incoming strike and urging them to take shelter. An all-clear notification was issued not long afterward.

UAE officials also reported that Iranian attack drones were deployed in the incident, with at least one drone reportedly hitting a petrochemical facility.

Earlier in the day, the United States military said that US Navy guided-missile destroyers had entered the area after passing through the Strait of Hormuz as part of an operation known as “Project Freedom,” which is intended to keep key shipping lanes open.

American forces are currently working to reestablish safe maritime passage for commercial vessels. As part of the initial phase, two US-flagged merchant ships successfully navigated the strait and continued on their routes without incident.

According to a weekend report by the Financial Times, Israel has transferred its advanced “Iron Beam” air defense system to Abu Dhabi. The system uses laser-based technology to intercept incoming rockets and drones.

The deployment is aimed at countering escalating threats from Iran, which has increasingly relied on coordinated drone and missile attacks against countries in the Gulf.

Sources familiar with the matter said the defensive setup includes multiple layers of protection, integrating the “Iron Beam” system—already used this year along Israel’s northern border—with Elbit Systems’ “Spectro” system, which is capable of detecting drones at distances of up to 20 kilometers.

Reports also indicate that Iron Dome batteries have been positioned in the UAE, alongside the arrival of dozens of Israeli military personnel and advisors to help operate and maintain the sophisticated defense systems.

{Matzav.com}

U.S. military forces destroyed six Iranian vessels that had been deployed to harass shipping in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, as President Trump issued a sharp warning that Iran would be “blown off the face of the earth” if it disrupts efforts to reopen the vital waterway.

Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), told reporters during a press briefing Monday that Iran has typically sent “between 20 and 40 small boats” to threaten commercial traffic in the strait, but noted that “today, we saw just six, and eliminated them quickly.”

“We have an enormous amount of capability and firepower concentrated in and around the Strait, including 864 Apache and MH 60 Seahawk helicopters,” Cooper said, adding that Iran’s military strength has been “dramatically degraded.”

The military action came a day after President Trump unveiled “Project Freedom,” an American effort aimed at clearing the Strait of Hormuz, where maritime movement has been heavily restricted for months following the launch of Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28.

After Iranian officials warned they would oppose any attempt to reopen the passage and insisted that vessels must coordinate with Tehran before entering, Trump told Fox News that the regime would be “blown off the face of the Earth” if it targets U.S.-flagged ships.

“We have more weapons and ammunition at a much higher grade than we had before,” Trump told correspondent Trey Yingst. “We have the best equipment. We have stuff all over the world. We have these bases all over the world. They’re all stocked up with equipment. We can use all of that stuff, and we will, if we need it.”

The president also said that Iran has grown “much more malleable” in negotiations that have been stalled since mid-April.

{Matzav.com}