WAR WITH IRAN - DAY 64 MAY 02,26 - ISRAEL SENT LASER SYSTEM TO THE UAE.

JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)

WAR WITH IRAN - DAY 64 MAY 02,26 - ISRAEL SENT LASER SYSTEM TO THE UAE.

THE NEXT US-ISRAEL HIT ON IRAN SHOULD BE VERSE 37. ALL OFFENSIVE NUKE SITES MISSLES,DRONES,AND OF COURSE KHEMENI AND THE IRGC GUARDS.THEN AFTER IRANS REGIME CHANGE. MUSLIMS COME TO JESUS BY THE MILLIONS.

JEREMEIAH 49:32-39 (IN IRAN AT THE BUSHEHR OR ARAK NUKE SITES AND ALL OFENSIVE WEAPONS DESTROYED IN IRAN)
Jeremiah 49:32-39    
32 Their camels shall be a booty, and the multitude of their cattle a spoil: and I will scatter to all winds those who have the corners [of their hair] cut off; and I will bring their calamity from every side of them, says Yahweh.
33 Hazor shall be a dwelling-place of jackals, a desolation forever: no man shall dwell there, neither shall any son of man sojourn therein.(Location & Size: It was strategically located along the Via Maris (Way of the Sea), a major trade route connecting Egypt with Syria and Mesopotamia.)
34 The word of Yahweh that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam,(IRAN) in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying,
35 Thus says Yahweh of Hosts: Behold, I will break the bow of Elam,(IRANS OFFENSIVE WEAPONS) the chief of their might.(MISSLES AND NUKE SITES)
36 On Elam (IRAN) will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of the sky, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation where the outcasts of Elam shall not come.(SINCE 1979 IRANIANS HAVE GOTTIN OUT OF IRAN BECAUSE OF KHEMENI AND HIS APOCOPOLIPTIC DEATH CULT BELIEF-BLACK HATER 12ERS)
37 I will cause Elam (IRAN) to be dismayed before their enemies, and before those who seek their life;(ISRAEL THE LITTLE SATAN AND THE U.S THE BIG SATAN) and I will bring evil on them, (MISSLES) even my fierce anger,(FIRE) says Yahweh; and I will send the sword after them,(IRANS OFFENSIVE WEAPONS) until I have consumed them; (DESTROYED THEM ALL NUKE SITES,MISSLES ETC)
38 and I will set my throne in Elam,(IRAN WILL BECOME A CHRISTIAN NATION) and will destroy from there king (KHEMENI, ISLAM) and princes, says Yahweh.(IRANIAN ARMY GUARDS)
39 But it shall happen in the latter days, that I will bring back the captivity of Elam,(IRAN) says Yahweh.(WERE IN THE LATTER DAYS NOW)

WHEN ARE THE 500 MILLION MIGRATING BIRDS IN ISRAEL IN THE SPRING TIME.(GET READY ISLAM TO BE BIRD SEED FOR THESE BIRDS)
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/m0bXU5Xqc5M
The 500 million migratory birds in Israel during the spring arrive from Africa and head toward Europe and Asia, with the peak migration occurring in March and April. While migration starts in late February, the most intense movements, particularly of birds of prey, storks, and pelicans, occur during the third week of March and continue into April. 
Key Details on the Spring Migration
Peak Period: Mid-March through April.
Main Migration Route: The birds use the Great Rift Valley, which includes the Hula Valley and Eilat, acting as a "bottleneck" where millions of birds fly through the narrow land bridge.
Best Spots: The Hula Lake Park (Northern Israel) and the Eilat Birding Center (Southern Israel) are primary locations for observing the migration.
Key Species: Hundreds of thousands of white storks, along with black kites, raptors, and pelicans, pass through over these months.
uration: The spring migration runs from late February and continues into June, though the heaviest traffic is in March/April. 

The 500 million migratory birds fly over Israel in the fall between late August and mid-December. The peak migration period for the autumn, when the highest volume of bird traffic occurs, is typically October and November. 
Key Fall Migration Details
Location: The Hula Valley (Agamon Hula Park) in northern Israel is the premier spot to witness this phenomenon.
Timing: Migration starts as early as late June with some waders, but intensifies from mid-August through November.
Peak Festival: The "Annual Hula Valley Bird Festival" is usually held in November to align with the peak migration traffic.
Key Species: Many birds of prey (raptors), including honey buzzards and steppe eagles, cross during this time, along with massive flocks of storks and cranes.
While roughly 500 million birds pass through in the autumn on their way to Africa, the same number crosses again in the spring (mid-February to May) on their way back to Europe and Asia. 

JEREMEIAH 49:23-27
23  Concerning Damascus.(SYRIA) Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea;(WAR SHIPS WITH NUKES COMING ON SYRIA) it cannot be quiet.
24  Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.
25  How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy!
26  Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the LORD of hosts.
27  And I will kindle a fire (NUKES OR BOMBS) in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Benhadad.(ASSADS PALACES POSSIBLY IN DAMASCUS)

Israel sent laser system to UAE to help intercept Iranian missiles and drones — report-Sources say Jerusalem also sent a surveillance system and other weapons to the Gulf state, marking a major development in security cooperation with the Abraham Accords ally By ToI Staff Today, 2:01 pm-MAY 1,26

Israel dispatched a version of the Iron Beam laser-based air defense system to the United Arab Emirates during the recent fighting with Iran to help protect the Gulf nation from missile and drone attacks, according to a report on Thursday, in a significant step for the defense ties between the two countries.According to The Financial Times, Jerusalem also sent over an advanced surveillance system known as Spectro to help the UAE detect Iranian drones from up to 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) away.The report comes on the heels of a piece by Axios earlier in the week, which asserted that Israel deployed an Iron Dome Battery to the Gulf nation and sent several dozen troops to operate it.Citing a source familiar with the matter, The Financial Times reported that Israel also sent additional, unspecified weapons systems to the UAE.“It’s not a small number of boots on the ground,” the source said.The newspaper reported that in addition to the equipment, Jerusalem also provided the UAE with real-time intelligence on missile launches from Iran heading toward the Gulf state.Reports that Israel has provided significant military assistance to the UAE appear to be among the first publicly disclosed cases of cooperation beyond joint training exercises.Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi established diplomatic, economic and security ties in 2020 under the Abraham Accords, a deal motivated in part by the shared threat of Iran.Although Bahrain also signed the accords at the same time, and, like the UAE, came under attack from Iran during recent fighting, there is no indication as to whether it received similar support from Israel.Sources familiar with the matter told the Financial Times that the various defensive and offensive systems to the UAE were mostly prototypes, or otherwise not fully integrated into Israel’s own systems.This was done, it said, to keep up with the fast pace of the war.The Iron Beam — a high-power laser interception system — was only recently integrated into the Israel Defense Forces’ defense array, with the first operational system delivered to the military in December 2025.The system was in development for more than a decade after it was first unveiled in 2014. It was declared operational in September after completing development and final tests.Within Israel, it is intended to supplement and complement the Iron Dome and other air defense systems, shooting down smaller projectiles and leaving larger ones for the more robust missile-based batteries such as the David’s Sling and Arrow systems.As long as there is a constant source of energy for the laser, there is no risk of it ever running out of ammunition. Officials have hailed the system as a potential “game-changer” in the battle against projectile attacks.According to the Axios report earlier in the week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the deployment of the Iron Dome — and presumably the other systems — following a call with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.Since the war began on February 28, Israeli and Emirati officials have said the two countries have been in close military and political coordination, with the Israeli Air Force also carrying out strikes in southern Iran during the war to neutralize short-range missiles threatening Gulf states.Between February 28 and April 8, when a tenuous ceasefire took effect, Tehran fired some 550 ballistic and cruise missiles and more than 2,200 drones, according to the Emirati defense ministry, making it the most targeted country in the region, including Israel.While most projectiles fired at the UAE were intercepted, some struck military and civilian targets, reportedly prompting Abu Dhabi to seek assistance from allies.Stav Levaton and Emanuel Fabian contributed to this report.

Once plagued by civil war, Syria now sells itself as a safe corridor amid Iran conflict-Damascus offers Baniyas port as an alternative to Hormuz oil route, as official says there’s no interest in allying with either one of its ‘strategic enemies,’ Iran and Israel By ABBY SEWELL Today, 12:56 pm-MAY 1,26

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — Ahed Badawi lived for more than a decade in Bahrain, a small Gulf country that — unlike her native Syria — rarely made headlines.It provided a refuge for her, her sister and their elderly mother during Syria’s 14 years of civil war.“Nothing at all ever happened there,” she said. “I mean, the Bahrainis don’t even know what war is.”But after the US and Israel attacked Iran, sparking a regional war, Bahrain and neighboring Gulf countries found themselves in Iran’s crosshairs. So the family fled back to their home in Aleppo, which was once the site of some of the civil war’s fiercest battles but now offered a safe haven.War-battered Syria has stood out as one of the few spots of calm in the region’s latest conflagration. Its leaders have been working to rebuild relations with Arab and Western countries that had shunned Syria under former president Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted in December 2024 by rebels, who then installed a new government.Since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war with Iran on February 28 and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Damascus has seized on the opportunity to strengthen those relationships by staying neutral.Syria has “presented itself as the solution to strategic crises in the region,” said Obayda Ghadban, an official with the Syrian Foreign Ministry.Syria positions itself as a safe corridor.After the US-Israeli attacks, Iran rained missiles not only on Israel but on Gulf countries hosting US bases. In Lebanon, the dormant war between Israel and Hezbollah reignited as the Iran-backed terror group began firing rockets over the border. And Iraq — which is home to both Iran-backed militias and US bases — found itself in the crosshairs of both sides.Despite missiles flying overhead — and occasionally falling on Syrian territory — Syria managed to stay on the sidelines and positioned itself as an alternative transport route for oil exports that could no longer be sent through the strait.“Syria, which was once an arena for others’ conflicts, has today chosen, through the will of its people and institutions, to be a bridge to security and a fundamental pillar of the solution,” interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said last week at a meeting of European leaders in Cyprus.He touted his country as “the alternative and secure artery connecting Central Asia and the Gulf to the heart of the European continent.”Since Iran blocked access to the strait, oil shipments have been trucked from Iraq into Syria and shipped to European markets via Syria’s Baniyas port, bypassing the Hormuz route. A key border crossing between northern Iraq and Syria reopened last month after being closed for more than a decade, with officials touting it as an additional route for energy exports.The overland route is less efficient and more expensive than shipping exports through the strait, but it provides a workaround as long as Iran maintains its stranglehold on the channel.Country has ‘strategic enemies’ on both sides-Ghadban said his country had no interest in allying with either side in the war.“The parties participating in it are strategic enemies of Syria, whether we talk about Iran and its affiliates, or if we talk about Israel and its aggressive expansionist policy in Syria,” he said. “Both parties have an interest in weakening Syria.”Iran was a key ally of Assad and came to his aid during the civil war, as did Hezbollah and allied Iraqi militias. That put them in conflict with the groups that are now ruling in Damascus.Israel, meanwhile, has been suspicious of and sometimes openly hostile toward Syria’s new Islamist-led authorities. After Assad’s fall, the Israeli military seized control of a UN-patrolled buffer zone in southern Syria and has been occupying it.In the early weeks of the US-Israeli war against Iran, some had speculated that Syria might join the fray to settle scores against Hezbollah.But the Syrian military made no such move, and al-Sharaa and other officials insisted they had no interest in intervening in Lebanon.US withdrawal helps Syria stay on the sidelines-Noah Bonsey, senior adviser on Syria with the International Crisis Group, said that while “Damascus was really clear from the beginning that it wanted no part of this war and signaled to everyone accordingly,” its ability to actually stay out of the fray was in part due to fortuitous timing.Eastern Syria had for years hosted bases housing US troops, but the US had drawn down its presence before the war with Iran started.After fighting broke out between forces of the central Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in northeastern Syria in January, the US military moved thousands of suspected Islamic State militants held in detention centers in Syria to Iraq. The military also scaled down its own presence in Syria, where the main mission was to prevent a resurgence of ISIS.“Because the withdrawal had gone so far by the time the war [with Iran] started, there were very few US assets and personnel still in the country” that could have drawn Iranian fire, Bonsey said.Syria is not immune to economic pain-Syria may have gained politically from its neutral positioning in the regional war, but it will still suffer from the conflict economically, Bonsey said.Damascus had counted on Syria’s postwar reconstruction receiving investment from wealthy Gulf Arab countries once known for their shopping malls and skyscrapers.But now those countries will have fewer resources and “less bandwidth to spare for lower-priority issues” as they focus on “shoring up their own defense and getting their own economies back up to speed” after the war, Bonsey said.While Syria could benefit in the long term from infrastructure projects such as proposed rail lines and gas pipelines that would link the Gulf to Turkey and to European markets, those projects will take years, if they happen at all.In the meantime, Syria’s new government faces increasing discontent from the population over the country’s flagging economy.But Badawi, for now at least, is happy to be back home, despite the difficulties.“There’s nothing like being in your own country,” she said. “When you’re in your own country, you feel a different kind of security.”

Israel said bracing for Iran fighting to resume soon, as Trump briefed on military options-Amid preparations for renewed fighting, CENTCOM reportedly requests hypersonic missile be sent to Mideast for potential use; Iranian president decries ‘intolerable’ US naval blockade By Stav Levaton-and Agencies Today, 5:20 am-MAY 1,26

Israel is on heightened alert, ramping up preparations for a possible return to fighting with Iran, amid indications that US President Donald Trump may be nearing a decision on renewed military action, Israeli television reported Thursday.The report came as Trump was briefed at the White House on military options by US Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper. At the same time, Israeli officials held a series of intensive consultations amid what they see as growing momentum toward a decision in Washington.According to Channel 12, Israeli officials were bracing for the possibility that negotiations between the US and Iran could collapse as early as the start of next week. The report cited cabinet ministers briefed in recent days as assessing that the US may need to “give a push” to its pressure campaign in the Strait of Hormuz through military strikes on Iranian gas and energy facilities, as well as government infrastructure.As part of the buildup, Israel and the US were also reportedly working to project a credible naval threat against Iran.Ahead of Trump’s briefing with Cooper, a US official told Reuters that the US president would be updated about plans for a series of fresh military strikes to compel Iran to negotiate an end to the conflict.The Axios news site said another plan, intended to be shared with Trump during the briefing, involved deploying ground forces to take control of part of the strait to reopen it to commercial shipping. Trump is also considering extending the US blockade or declaring a unilateral victory, officials have said.Amid the preparations for a potential resumption of hostilities, Bloomberg reported Thursday that CENTCOM has requested the long-delayed Dark Eagle hypersonic missile be sent to the Middle East for potential use against Iran, marking the first time Washington would deploy the technology.The request by Central Command was made after Iran shifted its missile launchers out of range of the US Army’s Precision Strike Missile, the current technology it has deployed, a person with direct knowledge of the request told Bloomberg, adding the request to the military was still pending.CENTCOM declined to comment on the report.Meanwhile, Defense Minister Israel Katz warned earlier Thursday that while Israel supports the United States’ diplomatic efforts with Iran, it may “soon be required to act again” to remove the “existential threats” posed by the Islamic Republic.“Iran has suffered extremely severe blows over the past year, blows that have set it back years in all areas,” said Katz during a ceremony promoting the next Israeli Air Force chief, Omer Tischler, to the rank of major general.“US President Trump, in coordination with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is leading the effort to complete the campaign’s objectives in a way that ensures Iran will not return to being a threat to the existence of Israel, to the United States, and to the free world for generations to come,” he said.“We support this effort and provide the necessary backing, but we may soon be required to act again to ensure the objectives are achieved,” Katz added.But the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ aerospace force, Majid Mousavi, threatened on Thursday that even a “short and tactical” enemy operation would be met “with painful, prolonged, and extensive strikes,” while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the blockade of his country’s ports was effectively an “extension of military operations” by Washington.“Continuation of this oppressive approach is intolerable,” he added.Despite Pezeshkian’s remarks, Trump reportedly told oil executives and national security officials this week to prepare for a prolonged US blockade designed to force Tehran to surrender its nuclear program.Oil prices struck a four-year high on Thursday. International benchmark Brent crude soared more than seven percent to $126 a barrel before easing in afternoon trading in London.Trump faces domestic political pressure to end the military operation, which is unpopular even among parts of his base and has driven up costs at the pump for American consumers.Iran’s economy is also suffering, with the rial falling to historic lows against the dollar.Iran has proposed easing its chokehold over the Strait of Hormuz if Washington lifts its blockade and broader negotiations take place. But the Trump administration has insisted that Iran’s nuclear program be on the table.Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Thursday evening that it was not reasonable to expect quick results from US talks.“Expecting to reach a result in a short time, regardless of who the mediator is, in my opinion, is not very realistic,” he was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

German military said to be surprised by decision-US pulling 5,000 troops from Germany amid spat with Trump over Iran war-Senior Pentagon official says German rhetoric against Washington’s policy ‘inappropriate and unhelpful’; withdrawal to be completed within 6-12 months By Reuters Today, 3:28 amUpdated at 7:21 am-MAY 2,26

WASHINGTON  — The United States is withdrawing 5,000 troops from NATO ally Germany, the Pentagon announced on Friday, as a rift over the Iran war widens between US President Donald Trump and Europe.Trump had threatened a drawdown in forces earlier this week after sparring with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said on Monday the Iranians were humiliating the US in talks to end the two-month-old war and that he did not see what exit strategy Washington was pursuing.A senior Pentagon official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said recent German rhetoric had been “inappropriate and unhelpful.”“The president is rightly reacting to these counterproductive remarks,” the official said.The Pentagon said the withdrawal was expected to be completed over the next six to 12 months. Germany is home to some 35,000 active-duty US military personnel, more than anywhere else in Europe.The official said the drawdown would bring US troop levels in Europe back to roughly pre-2022 levels, before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggered a buildup by then-president Joe Biden.The official also cast the decision in terms of the Trump administration’s push for Europe to become the main security provider on the continent. But it is nonetheless another potent reminder of Trump’s willingness to respond to perceived disloyalty by allies.Reuters exclusively reported last week an internal Pentagon email that outlined options to punish NATO allies that Washington believes failed to ​support US operations in the war with Iran, including suspending Spain from NATO and reviewing the US position on Britain’s claim to the Falkland Islands.Clashes with Europeans-It is unclear if more withdrawals from Europe will follow. On Thursday, Trump said “probably” when asked whether he would consider pulling US troops out of ​Italy and Spain.Last month, he threatened to impose a full US trade embargo ​on Spain, where the Socialist leadership said it would not allow its bases or airspace to be used to attack Iran. The United States has two important military bases in Spain: Naval Station Rota ‌and Morón Air ⁠Base.Trump has also clashed with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni over the Iran war and Trump’s criticism of Pope Leo. The US president said in April that Meloni, once a strong Trump supporter, lacked courage and had let Washington down.Trump has chastised NATO allies, too, for not sending their navies to help open the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway, a chokepoint for global oil shipments, has remained virtually shut during the Iran conflict, causing market turmoil and unprecedented disruption in energy supplies.“The president has been very clear about his frustrations about our allies’ rhetoric and failure to provide support for US operations that benefit them,” the senior Pentagon official said.German ties fray-Merz has said Germans and Europeans were not consulted before the US and Israel started attacking Iran on February 28, and that he had conveyed his scepticism about the conflict directly to Trump afterwards.Trump has long wanted to reduce the US troop presence in Germany. He pushed for a reduction of about 12,000 troops at the end of his first term, but that cut was never enacted. Trump lost the election, and Biden reversed the plan.Trump’s Wednesday announcement that he was reviewing US troop levels in Germany surprised German military officials who spoke to Reuters, citing what they called constructive meetings at the Pentagon earlier in the day.They argue that Germany has done more than other allies to support the US war in Iran, including allowing the use of bases and giving permission for overflights. Germany is also home to a huge military hospital in Landstuhl.Earlier this week, the German government approved key targets for its 2027 budget, including a strong commitment to ⁠increase defense spending.Imran Bayoumi, a former Pentagon official, said that while the cuts in Germany were not as drastic as they might have been, they nonetheless risked further dividing the United States and Europe.“European leaders will likely push more to bolster their defense spending, viewing Washington as increasingly unreliable and untrustworthy,” said Bayoumi, now with the Atlantic Council.As part of Trump’s withdrawal decision, a brigade combat team now in Germany will be pulled out of the country, and a long-range fires battalion that the Biden administration had planned to begin deploying to Germany later this year will no longer deploy, the official said.

If stockpile not removed in deal, IDF will have to act again-IDF official says Iran war will be ‘one big failure’ if enriched uranium not removed-Top officer says Islamic Republic ‘can pounce on nuclear program’ if talks don’t see its stockpile taken away; says IDF’s ‘hands tied’ in countering Hezbollah drone threat due to truce By Emanuel Fabian-1 May 2026, 8:55 pm

A senior Israeli military official said on Friday that if Iran’s stockpile of more than 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium is not removed from the country in the wake of the recent war, the campaign could be considered “one big failure.”Israeli officials have said that this stockpile is sufficient for 11 nuclear bombs if enriched further. Iran has long maintained that its program is peaceful, despite enriching uranium at near-weapons-grade levels.Israel launched its campaign against Iran on February 28, alongside the United States, to degrade the Iranian regime’s military capabilities, distance threats posed by Iran — including its nuclear and ballistic missile programs — and “create the conditions” for the Iranian people to topple the regime, the military and other Israeli leaders have said.The senior officer said that if, under the ongoing negotiations between the US and Iran, no agreement is reached to remove the uranium stockpile and halt enrichment in the country, the achievements of the 40 days of fighting will have been for nothing.“If the nuclear objective is not achieved, then everything we did in Iran will be one big failure. The evil Iranian regime can pounce on the nuclear program,” the official said during a briefing for reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity.The officer added that “if the uranium is removed from Iran through diplomatic means, we have done our part.” However, if that does not happen, Israel would need to launch another operation in Iran to achieve the objective.During a recent visit to southern Lebanon, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said that “every [goal] the political echelon defined for us regarding the current campaign in Iran and Lebanon has been achieved and even beyond that.”“In doing so, we have created the operational conditions for the processes now being led by the political echelon,” he stated.IDF’s hands ‘tied’ in LebanonThe officials said the Israeli military is optimistic that a solution will be found to counter the fresh threat of Hezbollah’s first-person view (FPV) fiber-optic cable-guided drones, which have been repeatedly used in attacks on Israeli troops in southern Lebanon and northern Israel in recent weeks.The military official said the IDF has been taking the threat seriously and working to develop and test systems to counter fiber-optic FPV drones, which are immune to electronic jamming. However, it is unlikely that any such system would be ready in the short term, he said, nor would it provide a hermetic solution to the threat.“There is no magic solution. But we are optimistic that we will find a solution for the drones,” he said.Still, the official said the most effective way to counter the threat would be to target the drone operators deep in Lebanon and Hezbollah’s supply chain for the drones.However, this is currently not possible due to the ceasefire, as Israel is only permitted to target imminent threats to troops in southern Lebanon, such as drone operators actively piloting a drone.“We need to go on the offense,” the officer said, while noting that currently, “our hands are tied.”The Israeli Air Force has been assisting ground troops in Lebanon in dealing with the FPV drone threat by deploying mobile radars to detect them and alert forces, who can then attempt to shoot them down.The IAF has also carried out interceptions, reporting that it shot down at least 27 FPV drones using the short-range Iron Dome air defense system.While the military has deployed the Iron Beam — a high-powered laser system designed to shoot down drones and other aerial threats at a far lower cost per interception — it has seen limited use and has not yet been declared operational within the IDF. The senior officer said the Iron Beam’s coverage is partial, and more time is needed for a wider and more complete laser-based defense array.

President says plans exist to 'blast the hell out of them'Iran submits new proposal to end war; Trump says he’s ‘not satisfied’Offer sent via Pakistan said to envision US unwinding blockade at start of Hormuz talks rather than as precondition; suggests nuclear negotiations in exchange for sanctions relief By Jacob Magid and Agencies 1 May 2026, 11:10 pmUpdated at 2:17 am

US President Donald Trump on Friday said he was dissatisfied with a new ceasefire offer from Tehran and confirmed he had been briefed on ways to “blast the hell out of them” if no deal were reached.“They want to make a deal, but I’m not satisfied with it,” Trump told reporters outside the White House.“They’ve made strides, but I’m not sure if they ever get there,” he said.In response to a separate question, Trump said: “They’re asking for things that I can’t agree to.”He also claimed the talks were complicated because Iran’s leaders were “not getting along with each other, and it puts us in a bad position.”Confirming that US Central Command chief Adm. Bradley Cooper had briefed him this week about military options in Iran, Trump said: “Do we want to go and just blast the hell out of them and finish them forever, or do we want to try and make a deal — those are the options.”Trump said that he would prefer “on a human basis” not to bomb Iran, but that he also doesn’t want the country to obtain nuclear weapons.Iranian state media and a Pakistani official had said earlier Friday that Tehran had submitted its latest proposal, without elaborating.The official, who is involved in Pakistani mediation over the war, said Islamabad had received the proposal late on Thursday and forwarded it to Washington.Talks have faltered over Iran’s nuclear program and control of the Strait of Hormuz, which is under competing Iranian and US naval blockades.The Wall Street Journal on Friday cited people familiar with the details as saying Iran’s new proposal drops its demand that the US blockade end before talks take place on lifting the Iranian blockade. Iran’s new proposal reportedly offers that Hormuz talks instead commence simultaneously with the US unwinding its blockade and guaranteeing no further attacks.The new proposal also offers to discuss Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for US sanctions relief, the people cited by the Journal said, adding that Iran has indicated it would be willing to hold talks with the US in Pakistan if Washington is open to the new offer.The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has caused unprecedented disruption to energy markets, choking off 20% of the world’s oil and gas supplies and causing a record rally in oil prices. Global oil prices reached a four-year high on Thursday following reports that Trump was to be briefed on new strike plans.On Friday, the US warned shippers that they risked sanctions if they paid tolls to Iran to pass through the Strait. An EU official told AFP that the bloc’s foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas had spoken with Iran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi by phone Friday about diplomatic efforts to reopen the strait.Underlining the concerns of Gulf states, which rely on the strait to export oil, UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said that the “collective international will and provisions of international law” were the primary guarantors of freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.“And, of course, no unilateral Iranian arrangements can be trusted or relied upon following its treacherous aggression against all its neighbors,” Gargash wrote on X.Trump official claims truce reset clock on Congressional authorization-Iran launched missile and drone strikes across the region in response to the bombing campaign that the US and Israel launched on Iran on February 28 in a bid to destabilize its regime and destroy its ballistic missile and nuclear programs.Trump announced a two-week ceasefire on April 8, and then extended it indefinitely hours before it was set to end last week.A senior Trump administration official said Friday that the ceasefire “terminated” hostilities between the US and Iran for the purposes of the 1973 US War Powers Act.The act requires US presidents who launch hostilities without congressional approval to either end them within 60 days or seek an extension from lawmakers.Trump formally faced that deadline for the Iran war on Friday, but his administration is arguing that the ceasefire has reset the clock.Meanwhile, Iran’s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei insisted in a video statement Friday that the US achieved “nothing” during the war, and that Tehran was open to negotiations but would not “back down” in them.“The Islamic Republic has never shied away from negotiations… but we certainly do not accept imposition,” said Ejei in the statement, which was carried by the judiciary’s Mizan Online website.“We do not welcome war in any way; we do not want war, we do not want its continuation,” but Iran is “absolutely not willing to abandon our principles and values in the face of this malicious enemy to avoid war or prevent its continuation,” Ejei said.Two senior Iranian sources told Reuters on condition of anonymity that Iran has activated air defenses and plans a wide response if attacked, having assessed that there will be a short, intensive US strike, possibly followed by an Israeli attack.Unnamed US officials and two other informed sources were also cited by NBC on Friday as saying Iran has been preparing for the ceasefire’s potential collapse by digging out missiles and other munitions from both underground storage units and under rubble.Washington has assessed that Tehran wants to be ready to quickly renew drone and missile attacks if the war resumes, the report said, adding that Trump would decide how to proceed in the next few days.Meanwhile, an explosion of leftover bombs from strikes during the war against Iran killed 14 members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iranian media reported on Friday.A report by the Nournews website, believed to be close to Iran’s security, said the explosion happened near the northern city of Zanjan, which is northwest of Tehran.It was the largest number of IRGC members reported to be killed since the ceasefire began on April 7. The report said the ammunition included cluster bombs and air mines dropped during the fighting.

PROOF HALF ON EARTH DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD (8 BILLION ON EARTH) (DO NOT EVER LISTEN TO ANYBODY THAT SAYS THE WORLD IS ENDING.ITS NEVER GONNA HAPPEN-4 BILLION WILL BE LEFT ON EARTH TO GO INTO JESUS" 1000 YEAR RULE)(THAT DOES NOT SOUND LIKE THE END OF THE WORLD TO ANY ONE, DOES IT-NOT ME.THE EARTH IS JUST RENOVATED.NEVER ENDED.

REVELATION 6:7-8 (8 BILLION- 2 BILLION = 6 BILLION)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 BILLION) to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).

REVELATION 9:15,18 (6 BILLION - 2 BILLION = 4 BILLION)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMBS)

HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)

LUKE 17:34-37 (8 TOTAL BILLION - 4 BILLION DEAD IN TRIB = 4 BILLION TO JESUS KINGDOM) (HALF DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD JUST LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS)(GOD DOES NOT LIE)(AND NOTICE MOST DIE IN WAR AND DISEASES-NOT COMETS-ASTEROIDS-QUAKES OR TSUNAMIS)
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.(half earths population 4 billion die in the 7 yr trib)
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.

MATTHEW 24:37-42 (THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-SURE NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

WORLD TERRORISM

GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.(CAN YOU SAY TORNADOES,HURRICANES,VOLCANOES,EARTH QUAKES,LANDSLIDES,FLASH FLOODING,EXPLOSIONS,SNOW STORMS,THEN FINALLY NUKESAND ANY OTHER JUDGEMENTS THE EARTH CAN VOMIT THE SINNERS OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH WITH.

MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places,(DIFFERNT PLACES AT THE SAME TIME) and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

2 Peter 3:6-7 Amplified Bible (AMP) (HOT SUN, NUKES ETC)
6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 
7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in the moon,(MAN ON THE MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the stars;(ASTEROIDS-PROPHECY SIGNS) and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear,(TORNADOES,HURRICANES,STORMS) and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:(DESTRUCTION) for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.(FROM QUAKES,NUKES ETC)

GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her,(HAGAR) Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(FATHER OF THE ARAB/MUSLIMS) because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he (ISHMAEL-FATHER OF THE ARAB-MUSLIMS) will be a wild (DONKEY-JACKASS) man;(ISLAM IS A FAKE AND DANGEROUS SEX FOR MURDER CULT) his hand will be against every man,(ISLAM HATES EVERYONE) and every man's hand against him;(PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM BEING BEHEADED) and he (ISHMAEL ARAB/MUSLIM) shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.(LITERAL-THE ARABS LIVE WITH THEIR BRETHERN JEWS)

ISAIAH 14:12-14
12  How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-ISLAM) how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14  I (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)

JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.(ISLAM MURDERS IN THE NAME OF MOON GOD ALLAH OF ISLAM)

And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE.

Joel 3:2-King James Version (YOU DIVIDE JERUSALEM IN HALF - YOUR POKING GOD IN THE EYE - GOD SAYS AN EYE FOR AN EYE AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH- YOU WANNA DIVIDE JERUSALEM IN HALF -  HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION 4 BILLION DIE ON EARTH.
2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE.

London assailant charged with attempted murder over terror stabbing of two Jews-Essa Suleiman also charged with attempted murder in an unrelated incident on the same day; report reveals he was imprisoned in 2008 for stabbing a police officer and his dog-By ToI Staff and Agencies Today, 11:38 am-MAY 1,26

The London Metropolitan Police said Friday that it has charged 45-year-old Essa Suleiman with attempted murder following a Counter Terrorism Policing investigation into an antisemitic terror attack during which two Jewish men were stabbed on Wednesday.Suleiman has been charged with two counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of a bladed article in a public place in relation to the attack, police said.The Somalia-born British citizen is suspected of stabbing Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Shine, 76, in an attack on Wednesday in the heavily Jewish neighborhood of Golders Green, in north London.Both victims were taken to the hospital in serious condition. Rand has since been discharged, police said, and Shine remains hospitalized in a stable condition.Suleiman has also been charged with attempted murder in relation to a separate incident earlier on the same day in south London, police said.He has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court later on Friday.Following the attack, officials raised the national terrorism threat to its second-highest level, meaning another terrorist attack within the next six months is highly likely, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed stronger action to protect Jewish people, who have been repeatedly targeted in recent months.The attack, in addition to deepening the already heightened fears of London’s Jewish community, has raised questions about the efficacy of the British government’s counter-radicalization measures.Police said on Thursday that Suleiman was referred to the government’s counter-radicalization Prevent program in 2020, but his case was closed within six weeks.Prevent was already under increased scrutiny following the murder of three children by Axel Rudakubana in Southport in July 2024. Rudakubana had been referred to the deradicalization program three times in three years, and his case was closed each time.On Friday, The Telegraph reported that Suleiman had previously been jailed for stabbing a police officer in 2008.Suleiman, who was 27 at the time, was handed a sentence of imprisonment for public protection after stabbing Police Constable Neil Sampson in the head, face and leg with a bread knife during a violent altercation, the newspaper reported.Suleiman also stabbed Sampson’s dog, a German Shepherd named Anya, in the stomach as she tried to protect Sampson, The Daily Mail reported, a feat for which she was later awarded the PDSA Gold Medal, an animal bravery award.His prison sentence had no set time limit, with the judge instead recommending that he be released only if he was determined to no longer be a risk to the public.It was not clear from the report when Suleiman was released from prison and whether the judge’s recommendation had been taken into consideration when releasing him.The attack on Wednesday was the latest in a string of violent acts targeting London’s Jewish community. It took place just 300 yards from the site of an arson attack targeting four ambulances owned by Jewish charity Hatzola, which were parked outside a synagogue.The government has been accused of failing to protect Britain’s Jews, and Starmer was met by protesters chanting “Keir Starmer, Jew Harmer,” as he visited Golders Green on Thursday.Addressing the claim from the newly formed terror group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI) that it was behind the attack, Starmer said his government would seek “stronger powers to tackle the malign threat posed by states like Iran, because we know for a fact that they want to harm British Jews.”HAYI is believed to have links to Iran and has claimed credit for some of the recent antisemitic incidents in the UK and elsewhere in Europe.Starmer also suggested that people who use the phrase “globalize the intifada” should be prosecuted, describing the popular anti-Israel chant as a call for “terrorism against Jews.”“Of course, we protect freedom of speech and peaceful protest in this country,” the prime minister said during an address. “But if you are marching with people wearing pictures of paragliders without calling it out, you are venerating the murder of Jews. If you stand alongside people who say globalize the Intifada, you are calling for terrorism against Jews and people who use that phrase should be prosecuted.”Meanwhile, Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood acknowledged that massive pro-Palestinian protests have increased the pressure on the Jewish community, and suggested the government would do more to limit them.But despite Starmer and Mahmood’s declarations that more must be done, the Daily Mail reported on Thursday that significant changes were unlikely, as ministers in the House of Lords recently voted down proposals to ban the pro-Palestine marches, forcing the government to adopt more limited restrictions that could only limit the demonstrations rather than put a stop to them.Britain is home to some 280,000 Jews. The northwest London suburb of Golders Green is one of its epicenters, home to kosher restaurants, multiple Jewish schools and several dozen synagogues, as well as large Asian and Middle Eastern communities.Britain’s chief rabbi has said that UK Jews are facing a campaign of violence and intimidation.The number of antisemitic incidents reported across the UK has soared since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza, according to CST. The group recorded 3,700 incidents in 2025, up from 1,662 in 2022.In October 2025, an attacker drove his car into people gathered outside a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur and stabbed one person to death. Another person died during the attack after being inadvertently shot by police.

Scared and angry UK Jews demand government do more to address antisemitic violence-After Golders Green terror stabbing, the latest antisemitic attack in Britain, members of Jewish community say they ‘don’t feel safe anymore,’ express skepticism that government will act By Reuters Today, 6:44 am-MAY 1,26

LONDON — Scared, angry at the government, and wondering whether they need to leave the country, British Jews in the north London suburb of Golders Green were reeling a day after a terrorist attacker stabbed two men in the street.

Members of the Jewish community said they were looking for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to show he can address the root causes of increasingly frequent antisemitic attacks and keep them safe.“People are really concerned, people are afraid, people are uncomfortable walking in the street, people are blaming obviously the government for not doing anything about what’s going on,” Shloime Rand, one of the men stabbed on Wednesday, told ITV News. Both victims are in a stable condition.Wednesday’s stabbing was the most serious and violent in a spate of recent attacks aimed at Jews in London, and comes less than a year after a deadly attack at a synagogue in Manchester.Starmer, whose wife is Jewish, has pledged more funding for community policing organizations, including the one that helped stop Wednesday’s knifeman, and has promised legislation to stop “malign state actors” hiring proxies to conduct attacks.“We must absolutely deal with the root causes of both antisemitism and extremism,” Starmer said as he held a meeting with criminal justice agencies.New attack, old response-For some, the official response felt all too familiar.A Jewish News digital front page decried what it called a “Bull$#@# Bingo” response, declaring “Jews Bleed. Cue the cliche” above a list of statements of solidarity commonly used by politicians.The local lawmaker and chief of London’s police force were both heckled as they spoke to the media on Wednesday.“Is the government going to do anything meaningful? Well, let’s wait and see. Don’t hold your breath,” solicitor David Pearl, 69, told Reuters on Thursday morning.He said he wanted to leave Britain but his children did not. “I don’t feel safe anymore.”Calev Swabel, a 21-year-old intern, said he understood the sentiment.“I love England. I’m a proud British Jew and a Jewish Brit, but it really does worry me. (That’s) something that I’ve never felt before,” he told Reuters.Political dimension-The incident comes ahead of local government elections on May 7, in which Starmer’s Labour Party is expected to suffer heavy losses, in part due to a perception that they have failed to achieve much for the centrists who backed them in July 2024 and also alienated many on the party’s traditional left wing.Starmer visited the area on Thursday, where his arrival was greeted by a small group of protesters shouting “shame on you.” His opponents have also been quick to go to the scene and amplify the message that the government is not doing enough.The opposition Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, was there within hours, calling antisemitism a “national emergency.”Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage visited on Thursday, saying the interests of British Jews had been overlooked in order not to upset parts of Labour’s voter base, drawing a direct line between left-wing anti-Israel protests and rising antisemitism.“There’s a feeling that we’ve been appeasing or pandering a segment of the population for electoral purposes, rather than standing up for what’s right,” he told reporters.Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood acknowledged the intensity and scale of pro-Palestinian protests had put pressure on the Jewish community, but said the government had sought to limit them.She said it was up to all faiths and viewpoints to speak out against antisemitism.“When I take the stand that I am taking against antisemitism, I am doing so as a practicing Muslim. It is absolutely in line with my faith,” she told BBC radio.“What I want for all of our citizens, our Jewish citizens, and Muslim and others, is safety and security and the freedom of this land.”Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

US urges Lebanese president to meet Netanyahu, suggests sit-down could lead to IDF pullout-US embassy in Lebanon says direct engagement with Israel ‘can mark the beginning of a national revival,’ as political leaders in Beirut remain at odds over the talks with Jerusalem-By Jacob Magid-and Agencies Today, 3:47 am-MAY 1,26

The US appeared to be intensifying its efforts to arrange a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, suggesting Thursday that a sit-down could lead to Israeli forces withdrawing from southern Lebanon amid the shaky ceasefire with Hezbollah.“A direct meeting between President Aoun and Prime Minister Netanyahu, facilitated by President Trump, would give Lebanon the chance to secure concrete guarantees on full sovereignty, territorial integrity, secure borders, humanitarian and reconstruction support, and the complete restoration of Lebanese state authority over every inch of its territory—guaranteed by the United States,” read a statement from the US Embassy in Lebanon.The Trump administration has been pushing such direct engagement between the two leaders for weeks, with little success, with its intentions for the truce it brokered to enable talks on a peace deal, potentially shaking up Lebanon’s internal dynamics and its role in the region. But Lebanese leaders remain at odds over the negotiation format and ultimate goal.Aoun faces significant domestic pressure, including threats from Hezbollah, and it’s unclear whether he would be willing to meet Netanyahu while Israeli forces continue to occupy a buffer zone in southern Lebanon, where the shaky US-brokered ceasefire has failed to effectively halt the war.“Lebanon stands at a crossroads. Its people have a historic opportunity to reclaim their country and shape their future as a truly sovereign, independent nation,” read the statement from the US embassy.“Direct engagement between Lebanon and Israel, two neighboring countries that should have never been at war, can mark the beginning of a national revival. The extended cessation of hostilities, achieved at the personal request of President Trump, has given Lebanon the space and the opportunity to put all of its legitimate demands on the table with the full attention of the United States government,” the statement continued.“This is Lebanon’s moment to decide its own destiny, one which belongs to all its people. The United States is ready to stand with Lebanon as it seizes this opportunity with confidence and wisdom. The time for hesitation is over,” the US embassy added.Aoun has defended face-to-face talks with Israel in Washington, and has said the ceasefire should be transformed into “permanent agreements.” Although he has stopped short of explicitly calling for a peace deal, two sources familiar with Aoun’s position told Reuters he had privately expressed his readiness to normalize ties with Israel to stop the war.Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, is opposed to direct talks, reflecting the Iran-backed Lebanese terrorist group’s position. Berri believes Lebanon should seek a non-aggression pact with Israel, but not a full peace deal, two Lebanese sources familiar with his position told Reuters.Saudis said to advise against Aoun meeting Netanyahu soon-The growing rift among top Lebanese officials has thrown a wrench into Saudi efforts to help Lebanon’s leaders forge a united position over the negotiations with Israel, Lebanese sources and foreign officials told Reuters.Last week, Saudi envoy to Lebanon Prince Yazid bin Farhan visited Beirut to encourage Aoun, Berri and Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to set out a single position on the talks and to signal their unity through a tripartite meeting, according to two senior Lebanese political sources who met with bin Farhan and a Western official briefed on the talks.But plans to hold such a meeting this week were derailed by rising tensions, all three sources said, after Berri publicly accused Aoun of making statements about negotiations that were “inaccurate, to say the least.”There was no immediate response to requests for comment from Aoun’s office or from the Saudi government media office. Aoun met Salam on Thursday, the presidency said in a statement, without mentioning Berri.The splits between Aoun and Berri, who hold their positions according to a power-sharing system that divides Lebanon’s top posts by religion, reflect broader divisions within Lebanese society over the negotiations with Israel.Some Lebanese see direct talks and a swift peace deal as the only way to end a long history of Israeli invasions into Lebanon.But Hezbollah and much of its broader Shiite Muslim constituency are firmly opposed to face-to-face talks and to normalizing ties. Some people protesting against talks earlier this month called for the government to be toppled.Saudi Arabia’s intervention with Lebanese leaders was driven by the risk of such instability — as well as its concern that Lebanon was moving towards peace with Israel too swiftly, according to a Gulf source with knowledge of the matter, two senior Lebanese political sources, and the Western official.Bin Farhan sought and received reassurances that Hezbollah would not seek to topple the Lebanese government, and cautioned Lebanese leaders last week that Beirut’s progress toward peace with Israel should not outpace Saudi Arabia’s, the four sources said.Riyadh’s longstanding position has been that it will only sign up to the Abraham Accords normalizing ties with Israel if there is agreement on a roadmap to Palestinian statehood.Bin Farhan also advised Lebanese authorities against Aoun meeting Netanyahu soon, the two senior Lebanese political sources said.However, Saudi Arabia does want Lebanon to work toward a “detente” with Israel that would halt instability, the Gulf source and one of the Lebanese sources said.Israeli strikes have killed more than 2,500 people in Lebanon and displaced more than 1.2 million since the latest round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah began on March 2, according to Lebanese authorities, whose casualty figures don’t differentiate between civilians and combatants. The Israeli military has said that it has killed over 1,900 Hezbollah operatives, including hundreds of members of the terror group’s elite Radwan Force, since hostilities escalated amid the war with Iran.Seventeen IDF soldiers and one Defense Ministry civilian contractor have been killed in southern Lebanon during the fighting against Hezbollah. Two civilians were also killed by Hezbollah rockets, and an Israeli civilian was mistakenly killed in the north by Israeli artillery shelling.

Top general in West Bank warns ‘Jewish terrorism’ could spark Palestinian uprising — report-Central Command chief Avi Bluth reportedly cautions that Palestinians ‘won’t remain indifferent forever’ to settler violence, which he laments is ‘causing unfathomable damage to Israel’By Stav Levaton-and ToI Staff Today, 2:20 am-MAY 1,26

Israel Defense Forces Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth recently warned that rising settler violence in the West Bank could spark a Palestinian uprising, according to a Thursday report.Describing the phenomenon as “Jewish terrorism,” Bluth cautioned that “it’s quite a miracle the Palestinian public is still indifferent… but it won’t remain indifferent forever,” the Haaretz daily reported, citing remarks he made in a closed forum on an unspecified date.Bluth reportedly said he recently warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet that, although overall Palestinian terror levels are low, tensions are building beneath the surface, while advising on measures to lower tensions, such as allowing the transfer of funds to the Palestinian Authority that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has held up.“The coffee brewing is a good coffee — the level of terrorism is at its lowest — but there’s a constant simmer and we don’t know where it will spill over. And when it spills over, it spills quickly,” he was quoted as saying.Bluth also reportedly pointed to a direct link between settler attacks and Palestinian violence, saying, “We know today of people [Palestinians] who were harmed in ‘price tag’ attacks and immediately afterward went out to carry out an attack.”The term “price tag” is used by extremist Jews to describe attacks carried out against Palestinians, the military, and other targets as retribution for Israeli government decisions they perceive as being oriented against settlers.According to Haaretz, Bluth argued that much of the violence originates from wildcat outposts established without state coordination and described perpetrators as “fringe anarchist youth,” adding that their actions are “infuriating” and “causing unimaginable damage to the State of Israel and the Zionist enterprise.The general criticized what he described as weak law enforcement, saying punishments handed down to suspects were “a joke” and failed to deter further attacks, the report said, adding that he also criticized Defense Minister Israel Katz’s decision to end the use of administrative detention for Jewish suspects.Bluth reportedly said some settlers sought to exploit the war with Iran to escalate violence, saying they believed it was “the time to conquer Area A,” referring to the part of the West Bank under full control of the Palestinian Authority following the Oslo Accords.“You need to meet these people… they are causing unfathomable damage to the State of Israel and Zionist enterprise,” Bluth was quoted as saying. “I know communities in the West Bank where they say, ‘I am against violence but the time has come for us to deter,’ but don’t see the slippery slope they are leading the country down.”According to Haaretz, Bluth also said “these people don’t see Arabs as human beings and think they can burn people, burn homes with their occupants – and unfortunately they do so time and again,” calling the phenomenon “a disgrace to the Jewish people” and noting that he was personally “ashamed” of the matter.Critics accuse the government of turning a blind eye to violent attacks by settlers, which have become increasingly deadly in recent years.Extremist settlers, sometimes in mobs, have been recorded assaulting Palestinians, torching cars, and damaging property. Arrests in such cases are rare, and convictions are even less common, though the attacks take place on a daily basis.The Israel Defense Forces has also faced criticism for often standing by while attacks unfold — with troops sometimes actively participating — or failing to prosecute those responsible.Some critics claim that the overwhelming impunity enjoyed by attackers demonstrates that the violence is sanctioned, if not encouraged, by the government.IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir last month issued a sharp condemnation of settler violence, calling attacks against Palestinian civilians and soldiers in the West Bank “morally and ethically unacceptable” and a major strategic impediment.

LA police investigating attack on Jewish teacher outside synagogue as hate crime-No arrests made yet in assault outside Adas Israel, where violence erupted during an anti-Israel protest in 2024; ‘I thought it was the end of my life,’ says 32-year-old victim-By Grace Gilson Today, 12:49 am-MAY 1,26

JTA — A Jewish man was assaulted on Monday evening behind a Los Angeles synagogue in what police say is being investigated as a hate crime.The assault, which took place behind Adas Torah, an Orthodox synagogue, in the heavily Jewish neighborhood of Pico-Robertson, occurred after the victim said he was followed for a short distance by a man in a car.“All of a sudden, he just opens the door,” the victim, a 32-year-old Judaic studies teacher, told the Jewish News Syndicate. “I don’t know what he was saying. He pounced me, immediately put his hands over my neck, shaking me back and forth, trying to choke me.”During the assault, the victim said that the man used a “window breaker” as a weapon while he was choked. As the assailant left, the victim claimed he said “free Palestine.”“I thought it was the end of my life,” the unnamed victim told JNS.In a separate interview with local news outlet KTLA, the victim said: “Any religion, any race, no one should be afraid, worried or intimidated to walk outside with pride for what values they hold or what religion they practice.”Jewish man ATTACKED near LA synagogue The attacker got out of his car, lunged at a Judaic studies teacher, and tried to strangle him Advertisement 'He pinned me to the corner, says 'Free Palestine,' and goes back to his car,' the victim said pic.twitter.com/FCH99xQkqT — RT (@RT_com) April 30, 2026-No arrests have been made for the assault as of Thursday morning, according to a Los Angeles Police spokesperson.The attack was not the first to hit the Pico-Robertson neighborhood in recent years. In 2023, a man shot two Jewish men outside their synagogues on consecutive days. The assailant, Jaime Tran, 30, who had a history of making violent antisemitic remarks, was sentenced to 35 years in prison in 2024.“We are outraged by the violent assault at Adas Torah synagogue last night,” David Englin, the senior regional director of the Anti-Defamation League of Los Angeles, wrote in a post on X. “Jewish Angelenos should not have to think twice about walking home from synagogue.”Israel Bachar, the Israeli consul general to the Pacific Southwest, decried the attack in a post on X, writing that it was the same synagogue that came “under attack” by pro-Palestinian protesters during a June 2024 protest.The demonstration, which erupted into violent clashes between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protesters at the time, has since been cited by proponents of a new bill introduced in California that would create a buffer zone around houses of worship.“This morning, I specifically attended prayers at Adas Torah to make clear: We will never allow hate to win,” Bachar wrote on X. “We must ensure that good triumphs over antisemitism’s evils.”Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Lebanon’s internal splits over talks with Israel trip up Saudi mediation efforts-Riyadh’s envoy visits Beirut to bridge differences on approach to Jerusalem, but can’t overcome tension between pro-diplomacy president and Hezbollah-allied parliament speaker-By Reuters and ToI Staff 30 April 2026, 11:43 pm

BEIRUT, Lebanon – A growing rift between top Lebanese officials has thrown a wrench into Saudi efforts to help Lebanon’s leaders forge a united position over historic negotiations with Israel, Lebanese sources and foreign officials told Reuters on Thursday.Saudi Arabia, which sponsored the 1990 agreement that ended Lebanon’s 15-year civil war, has deepened its engagement in recent days with Lebanon, where a shaky US-brokered ceasefire has failed to fully halt the nearly two-month war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group.Ties between Riyadh and Beirut had been strained for years due to Hezbollah’s power over Lebanese politics and security, but the Sunni kingdom sees an opening after the group was severely weakened by war with Israel in 2024.The US intended for the April 16 truce between Israel and Lebanon to allow for direct talks on a peace deal, potentially shaking up Lebanon’s internal dynamics and its role in the region. But Lebanese leaders remain at odds over the negotiation format and ultimate goal.Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun has defended face-to-face talks with Israel in Washington, and has said the ceasefire should be transformed into “permanent agreements.”Although he has stopped short of explicitly calling for a peace deal, two sources familiar with Aoun’s position told Reuters he had privately expressed his readiness to normalize ties with Israel to stop the war.Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, is opposed to direct talks, reflecting the Shiite group’s position. Berri believes Lebanon should seek a non-aggression pact with Israel, but not a full peace deal, two Lebanese sources familiar with his position told Reuters.Last week, Saudi envoy to Lebanon Prince Yazid bin Farhan visited Beirut to encourage Aoun, Berri and Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to set out a single position on the talks and to signal their unity through a tripartite meeting, according to two senior Lebanese political sources who met with bin Farhan and a Western official briefed on the talks.But plans to hold such a meeting this week were derailed by rising tensions, all three sources said, after Berri publicly accused Aoun of making statements about negotiations that were “inaccurate, to say the least.”There was no immediate response to requests for comment from Aoun’s office or from the Saudi government media office. Aoun met Salam on Thursday, the presidency said in a statement, without mentioning Berri.The splits between Aoun and Berri, who hold their positions according to a power-sharing system that divides Lebanon’s top posts by religion, reflect broader divisions within Lebanese society over the negotiations with Israel.Some Lebanese see direct talks and a swift peace deal as the only way to end a long history of Israeli invasions into Lebanon.But Hezbollah and much of its broader Shiite Muslim constituency, who have borne the brunt of Israel’s attacks, are firmly opposed to face-to-face talks and to normalizing ties. Some people protesting against talks earlier this month called for the government to be toppled. Like its Iranian patron, Hezbollah seeks to destroy Israel.Saudi Arabia’s intervention with Lebanese leaders was driven by the risk of such instability – as well as its concern that Lebanon was moving toward peace with Israel too swiftly, according to a Gulf source with knowledge of the matter, two senior Lebanese political sources and the Western official.Bin Farhan sought and received reassurances that Hezbollah would not seek to topple the Lebanese government, and cautioned Lebanese leaders last week that Beirut’s progress towards peace with Israel should not outpace Saudi Arabia’s, the four sources said.Riyadh’s longstanding position has been that it will only sign up to the Abraham Accords normalizing ties with Israel if there is agreement on a roadmap to Palestinian statehood.Saudis keen for Lebanon-Israel ‘detente,’ sources say-US President Donald Trump, keen to expand the accords, said this month he would invite Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the-White House for talks.Bin Farhan advised Lebanese authorities against Aoun meeting Netanyahu soon, the two senior Lebanese political sources said.However, Saudi Arabia does want Lebanon to work toward a “detente” with Israel that would halt instability, the Gulf source and one of the Lebanese sources said.Fighting erupted in Lebanon when Hezbollah began attacking across the border after Israel and the US launched their joint campaign against Iran on February 28 in a bid to destabilize the regime and destroy its nuclear and ballistic missile capacities.Israel launched massive airstrikes in Lebanon in response to the Hezbollah terror group’s rocket barrages, and launched an operation in southern Lebanon to establish a buffer zone to protect residents of Israel’s north.Despite the ceasefire, Hezbollah has fired rockets at northern Israeli communities, though most attacks have been on troops in southern Lebanon or on the Israeli side of the border.

Israel has higher cost of living than wealthier European nations, study shows-Sharp rises in food and housing prices in the past two decades are the main factors, fueling the ever-rising cost of living in Israel, the Aaron Institute for Economic Policy finds By Sharon Wrobel-Today, 12:18 am-MAY 1,26

Soaring housing costs and steep food prices are the main drivers behind Israel’s high cost of living, which has overtaken even some of the wealthiest countries in Europe, according to a study by Reichman University’s Aaron Institute for Economic Policy.“The cost of living in Israel is very expensive, and when you add the security situation and almost three years of war, it is not surprising that we are starting to see signs of emigration of quality human capital – meaning that more Israelis are leaving the country than are coming back,” Dr. Sarit Menahem-Carmi, a senior researcher at the Aaron Institute for Economic Policy at Reichman University told The Times of Israel. “If nothing changes and affordability continues to decline, this is a catalyst for emigration.”The study, led by Menahem-Carmi, found that the cost of living in Israel has surged over the past two decades and has become more expensive even when compared with some of the wealthiest countries in Europe – Austria, Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Sweden – where GDP per capita is higher.The research showed that the average household consumption basket (including food, housing, electricity, health, and education) in Israel is 21 percent more expensive than in the richest countries in Europe. In comparison to countries where GDP per capita is lower – Greece, Cyprus, Italy, and Spain – the cost of living in Israel, as measured by the average consumption basket, was found to be 68% more expensive.The study is based on data from the Central Bureau of Statistics and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.A comparison of the cost of living in developed countries by the OECD lists Israel as the fourth most expensive place to live. The burgeoning cost of living has long been a flashpoint, culminating in massive protests in 2011 that saw hundreds of thousands camp out in city streets throughout the country, demanding that the government take action to make household expenses, such as food and housing, more affordable.“The issue of tackling the cost of living has been on the table of decision-makers for more than a decade, and not only has there been no improvement, but Israel is becoming more and more expensive because structural import and other regulatory barriers are not removed, while the population keeps on growing,” said Menahem-Carmi. “Addressing the cost of living effectively is complex and requires policymakers to be determined and persistent, but the ability of the government to execute has been very low.”An analysis of the consumer basket of average Israeli households identified ever-rising housing and food prices as the main components fueling the country’s high cost of living, said Menahem-Carmi.That was not always the case. In 2005, housing prices in Israel were 31% lower than in the wealthy countries surveyed in the study, while today they are 26% higher, according to the study. Housing prices in Israel are 85% higher than in countries with a lower GDP per capita, such as Greece, Cyprus, and Spain.Successive Israeli governments have for years promised to lower ever-climbing housing prices nationwide. The sky-high costs have put home ownership out of reach for many Israelis.When it comes to food prices, costs in Israel in 2005 were 26% lower than in the group of wealthy countries surveyed in the study, while today they are 27% higher.The study also found that during the last two decades, the cost of fruits and vegetables has risen by 86%, while milk and dairy products, including cheese, increased by 47%.“The main reason for the rise in prices of agricultural produce in Israel is the nature of the support of farmers,” said Menahem-Carmi. “Unlike the overwhelming majority of developed countries, which support agricultural production via direct subsidies, support in Israel is provided indirectly through a price mechanism, by restricting imports of fresh produce and imposing customs duties, which limit competition and lead to price increases.”In the dairy sector, competition is curtailed as the market is governed by centralized planning and a state-approved quota system. The government controls the volume and sets the price of raw milk that farmers sell to dairy producers. A controversial dairy reform plan, advanced by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, to abolish tariffs and flood the Israeli market with imported dairy products, was pulled last month amid political pressure and fierce opposition from farmers.“The import restrictions and stringent regulations coincide with rapidly growing demand, driven by Israel’s fast population growth and a rising standard of living,” said Menahem-Carmi.From 2000 to 2024, local production of fruit and vegetables grew by only 10%, while Israel’s population grew by 52%.To tackle the high cost of living in Israel, the Aaron Institute recommends policymakers remove structural barriers to increase competition by abolishing the milk quota system, lowering import barriers, gradually reducing tariffs, and cutting excessive regulation and bureaucracy.“The regulatory procedure for imports into Israel is strict, lengthy, and expensive, especially for food and toiletries – a process that excludes small players and strengthens the large ones,” said Menahem-Carmi.In the housing market, the government needs to create incentives for local authorities to approve residential building permits, the study recommended. In addition, residential construction needs to be planned around public transportation.“The solutions exist and can be executed, but only if the government commits to a coordinated approach involving all necessary ministries,” said Menahem-Carmi. “Addressing the cost of living does not involve the need for large budgets and will significantly improve the standard of living in Israel.”

Two detained Gaza flotilla leaders brought to Israel for questioning-Israel says Palestinian-Spanish citizen Saif Abu Keshek, Brazilian Thiago Ávila to be questioned and provided consular visits, accuses them of belonging to sanctioned Hamas front By ToI Staff and Agencies Today, 2:25 pm-MAY 2,26

Two activists who led a flotilla bound for Gaza have arrived in Israel, the Foreign Ministry said Saturday, after several boats were intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters off Crete earlier in the week.“Saif Abu Keshek, a leading member of the PCPA — an organization designated and sanctioned by the United States as a Hamas front — and Thiago Ávila, who operates with the PCPA and is suspected of illegal activity, have arrived in Israel,” the ministry said in a tweet, without providing evidence.The ministry was referring to the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, which the US Treasury says “claims to provide medical care to Palestinian civilians but in fact supports the military wing of Hamas.”The ministry said the two will be taken for questioning by law enforcement authorities and will receive a consular visit from the representatives of their respective countries.Abu Keshek, a Palestinian-Spanish citizen, and Ávila, a Brazilian citizen, are members of the Global Sumud Flotilla’s steering committee, which is behind the repeated attempts to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.Some 175 other activists, who had been aboard the flotilla and were detained when Israel intercepted many of the ships, disembarked in Crete.The latest attempt to reach Gaza comes less than a year after Israeli authorities foiled the previous effort by the group. Participants, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, detained on those flotillas were questioned in Israel before later being deported.Saif Abu Keshek is a leading member of the PCPA, a front for the Hamas terrorist organization. The PCPA is an organization designated and sanctioned by the United States. Advertisement Saif Abu Keshek serves as a liaison between senior Hamas officials and international actors, and he assists… pic.twitter.com/17U9KJ6wDI — Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) May 1, 2026-Israeli officials repeatedly denounced the flotillas as publicity stunts, saying they brought insignificant amounts of aid.The Israeli Navy intercepted the latest flotilla, comprised of 58 boats, overnight between Wednesday and Thursday off the coast of Crete, hundreds of nautical miles (over 1,000 kilometers) from Israel.During past attempts to challenge the naval blockade, the Navy has intercepted the boats much closer to Gaza’s shores, which the flotilla was expected to reach over the weekend.The Foreign Ministry has said that “due to the large numbers of vessels participating in the flotilla and the risk of escalation, and the need to prevent the breach of a lawful blockade, an early action was required in accordance with international law.”The Navy called on the remaining activists to either turn back or sail to Ashdod if they had humanitarian aid, to allow it to be inspected before entering Gaza. It warned that they, too, would be stopped if they tried to continue on their course.Organizers said 31 of the remaining vessels have continued on their route and will attempt to “break the illegal siege of Gaza.”The flotilla set sail earlier this month from Barcelona, Spain. Organizers have said more than 70 boats and 1,000 people from around the world would be participating, with more vessels joining the original boats as the flotilla sailed east across the Mediterranean.The Global Sumud Flotilla appealed for international support after Israel said Abu Keshek and Ávila would be taken to Israel.“We demand that all governments do all they can to pressure the Israeli regime to release all the illegal abductees,” the group said Friday.Spain and Brazil have not yet commented on the detention and transfer to Israel of Abukeshek and Ávila, but they said in a joint statement with several other nations late Thursday that Israel’s interception of the flotilla and detention of the activists in international waters “constitute flagrant violations of international law and international humanitarian law.”Israel’s ties with Spain and Brazil are already shaky, with both countries’ left-wing governments among the most critical of Israel internationally.The war in Gaza, triggered by the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, has led to severe shortages of food, water, medicine and fuel. However, aid had flowed steadily into Gaza since a ceasefire last year.Israel and Egypt have imposed varying degrees of blockade on Gaza since the Hamas terror group seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007 in a violent coup.Israel said it was necessary to limit Hamas’s ability to smuggle in arms, a stance it has reiterated since the October 7, 2023, attack that started the Gaza war. Critics of the blockade said it amounts to collective punishment of the Strip’s roughly 2 million Palestinians.

Police raid Arab-majority party offices and confiscate Palestinian flag-MK Ofer Cassif says the event has ‘a significant chilling effect on freedom of expression and association’ in Israel; it is unclear if the officers had a search warrant By ToI Staff Today, 1:23 pm-MAY 2,26

Police raided the Umm al-Fahm offices of the youth wing of the Arab-majority Hadash party on Friday, tearing down and confiscating a Palestinian flag ahead of a May Day rally, the Haaretz daily reported.The incident is the latest in a series of incidents of police confiscating Palestinian flags, even though they are not outlawed.Footage showed a masked officer ripping the flag off the wall before leaving. Hadash officials told Haaretz that the police did not identify themselves, and it was unclear if they had a search warrant for the premises.Activists told the newspaper that raids are not uncommon ahead of events such as rallies. A May Day rally, which celebrates the history of labor organizing, is expected to take place Saturday.Party activists called on the officers to stop, but did not confront them.Other activists and senior party officials, including former Knesset member Dr. Yousef Jabareen and regional party secretary Marid Farid, arrived at the club after the police left.Jabareen told the Walla news site that he holds far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who is in charge of policing, responsible.“It is a provocative and thuggish step with no legal basis whatsoever. This behavior is a continuation of the Ben Gvir police’s policy of silencing and suppressing freedom of expression,” he said.Hadash-Ta’al lawmaker Ofer Cassif wrote to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to demand an investigation.“Breaking into a club belonging to a legal party on the eve of a legal protest march has a significant chilling effect on freedom of expression and association,” Cassif wrote.Hadash said they would continue to ensure there would be a large showing at the May Day rally.In response to the incident, the police said that “as part of operational activity in the Umm al-Fahm area, forces are working to maintain ongoing security and public order in the region to ensure public safety.”“The circumstances of the incident will be examined,” the statement added.Displaying a Palestinian flag is not illegal, but police regularly confiscate them, claiming they disturb the peace and can lead to incitement.Last week, police detained a resident of the central city of Modiin for wearing a kippa displaying a Palestinian flag alongside an Israeli one, and later cut up the religious head covering to remove the symbol.

Green Party leader criticizes police for taking down stabber-Top UK cop: British Jews facing greatest ever threat amid ‘epidemic’ of antisemitism-London Metropolitan Police chief Mark Rowley says he has asked for funding for 300 armed officers to protect city’s Jewish community; Starmer mulls ban on some anti-Israel protests-By ToI Staff and Agencies Today, 12:27 pm-MAY 2,26

The UK’s top police officer said in an interview published Saturday that British Jews are facing their greatest ever threat, with social media fueling an “epidemic” of antisemitism and called for 300 armed officers to be deployed to protect the Jewish community of north London.“If you overlay three things now — hate crime, terrorism and hostile state activity — you add all that together, that combined effect with that building of ideology online, that is really dangerous and troubling,” said Mark Rowley, head of London’s Metropolitan Police.“And Jewish communities feel that and you can see that in how they talk, how it’s making them change their lives. That’s an ­appalling state of affairs,” he said.He told The Times that British Jews are on the “hate” list of every racist and extremist group.“Whether you’re extreme left, whether you’re an Islamist terrorist, ­whether you’re a right-wing terrorist, and some hostile states as well, now with some sort of Iranian-related threats. There’s a sort of ghastly Venn diagram that they’re at the middle of,” he says.Asked if the British Jewish community faces its greatest threat, Rowley responds: “That has to be true.”The comments came after the police said Friday that it had charged 45-year-old Essa Suleiman with attempted murder following an antisemitic terror attack during which two Jewish men were stabbed on Wednesday.Suleiman has been charged with two counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of a bladed article in a public place in relation to the attack, police said.The Somalia-born British citizen is suspected of stabbing Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Shine, 76, in the attack in the heavily Jewish neighborhood of Golders Green, in north London.Since then, Britain has raised its national terrorism threat level to “severe,” signaling that a terrorist attack is considered highly likely.Rowley said he has requested urgent government funding to recruit 300 officers to protect the Jewish community. He said he wants a dedicated group of neighborhood officers and firearms officers to be permanently stationed in northwest London, calling it “essential.”Banning anti-Israel rallies-Also Saturday, Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in an interview that banning some pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel marches could be justified, especially when they call for the intifada to spread, a term widely seen as calling for violence against Jews.Labour leader Starmer is under pressure to act. Wednesday’s stabbing was the most serious and violent in a spate of recent attacks aimed at Jews in London, and comes less than a year after a deadly attack at a synagogue in Manchester.Starmer visited the scene of the attacks and a Jewish volunteer ambulance service on Thursday and was booed by some locals, who accused him of not doing enough to protect them.They also denounced pro-Palestinian activists holding marches in British cities, which began after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza.The prime minister, a former human rights lawyer and chief public prosecutor whose wife is Jewish, said many Jewish people had told them they were affected by “the repeat nature” of the protests.“I’m a big defender of freedom of expression, peaceful protests,” he told the BBC in the interview broadcast Saturday. “But when there are chants like ‘globalize the intifada’, that’s completely off limits. Clearly, there should be tougher action in relation to that.”The intifada refers to the Palestinian uprisings against Israel in 1987-1993 and the early 2000s, with the Second Intifada featuring waves of suicide bombings and other deadly shooting and stabbing attacks against Israeli civilians.Starmer said he wanted to police the language used on marches more strongly and that there were “instances” when some protests should be stopped altogether.Discussions had been taking place with the police for some time about what further action could be taken, he added.In December last year, police in London and the northwest city of Manchester said they would arrest anyone chanting “globalise the intifada”.The Jewish community in Britain views the chant as “very, very dangerous,” said Starmer.On Thursday, the UK increased its security alert level to “severe” — the second highest — in part because of the attack in Golders Green, as well as the threat from Islamist extremism and the far-right.The police have also said they would look closely at all calls about future protests.Not fit to lead any political party-The police response to Wednesday’s stabbing also fuelled controversy with the leader of the left-populist Green Party, which has made major gains in recent months, accusing police of brutality in how officers apprehended Suleiman.Green Party leader Zach Polanski retweeted, without comment, a post on X alleging that officers were “repeatedly and violently kicking a mentally ill man in the head” when he was already incapacitated after being tased.The accusation, which Polanski later withdrew and apologized for, sparked angry retorts from Starmer and Rowley.Starmer said Polanski was “not fit to lead any political party” and said officers acted correctly, fearing the stabber could have been carrying explosives.“I don’t know what was going through the mind of those officers, but if I were there, I’d be thinking: ‘He’s going to detonate something. He’s going to blow me up and everybody around here.’ And in those circumstances, I think you can quite see why what could have gone through their mind is: ‘We need to do whatever we can to disable this guy,’” Starmer told the BBC.“You have to make a decision in that split moment according to the situation as you understand it to be. And for politicians to wade in, as Zack Polanski did, is disgraceful. He’s not fit to lead any political party,” Starmer said.Starmer’s comments came after Rowley wrote a letter to Polanski, saying that his unfounded claims could have a “chilling effect” on policing.Apprehending violent and dangerous criminals is a full contact and messy task which may appear shocking to observers with little experience of policing in the real world.” Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley writes to Zack Polanski. pic.twitter.com/qqT0OzERjD — Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) April 30, 2026-Polanski, who is Jewish, apologized on Friday, saying that: “Everyone in leadership has a responsibility for lowering the temperature at a time of such tension, and I apologise for sharing a tweet in haste.”Ahead of local elections next week, Polanski’s party has been embroiled in a string of antisemitic scandals.

Two men shot dead in apparent underworld hit in central Israel-Police believe killings are part of an ongoing feud between crime families in the cities of Ramle and Lod; incident takes place hours before a man was shot dead in Rahat By ToI Staff Today, 10:15 am-MAY 2,26

Two men were shot dead while driving near the central city of Ramle, in an apparent underworld hit, medics and police said Saturday, as a violent crime wave continues to grip Israel’s Arab community.Paramedics who arrived on the scene shortly after midnight Friday declared the two men, around 25 years old, dead at the scene, the Magen David Adom ambulance service said.The shooting was believed to be linked to an “ongoing blood feud” between crime families from the Ramla and Lod area, and officers are searching for suspects, police said.Police suspect the assailants followed the vehicle and fired at close range as it approached the interchange. The car then veered onto the shoulder and crashed into the guardrail.According to the Ynet news site, the identity of the victims is known to the police.The report also said that a burned vehicle, believed to have been used by the assailants, was found in the nearby city of Lod after the killings.“The hitmen lay in wait for the victims from the moment they left their homes in order to carry out the killing at an isolated spot on the road, a source familiar with the case told Channel 12 news.Police were concerned about a possible retaliatory attack in response to the killings.The killings came just hours after a resident of the southern Bedouin city of Rahat, Ismail Abu Aabed, 27, was shot dead.The three incidents brought the number of homicide victims in Israel’s Arab community to 98 since the start of the year, according to the Abraham Initiatives, a watchdog that tracks crime-related killings in Arab society. To date, the number of Arab homicide victims is at least 18 percent higher than last year’s figure at the same point in time.Many in Israel accuse National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir of allowing crime to fester in Arab communities, arguing that police under the far-right politician’s oversight have neglected enforcement in Arab towns.The minister took office toward the end of 2022. In 2023, his first full year in office, homicides in Arab society soared to over 240 — more than double the toll in 2022, which at the time had been the bloodiest year on record.Under Ben Gvir’s guidance, critics charge, police have done little to curb organized crime in Arab towns, instead prioritizing fighting terrorism or lawlessness affecting Jewish areas.Community members say gangland activity has driven an influx of gun violence, worsening existing blood feuds between families.The violence has cast a pall across the community, with innocent passersby regularly caught in the middle of deadly shootings. In many Arab towns, shop owners now close by sundown, and parents say they are afraid to let their children leave home.

US approves arms sales of over $8.6 billion for Israel, Qatar, Kuwait and UAE-Almost $1 billion okayed for laser-guided weapons kit for Israel; US said to warn European allies to expect delivery delays for weapons as Iran war drains stockpiles-By Reuters and ToI Staff Today, 2:58 amUpdated at 7:25 am-MAY 2,26

WASHINGTON — The US State Department said on Friday it was approving military sales totaling over $8.6 billion to Middle Eastern allies Israel, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.The announcements came as the US and Israel’s war against Iran marked nine weeks since its start and more than three weeks since a fragile ceasefire came into effect.Friday’s announcements by the State Department included approving military sales to Qatar of Patriot air and missile defense replenishment services costing $4.01 billion and of Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems (APKWS) — a laser-guided weapons kit — costing $992.4 million.They also included approval of the sale to Kuwait of an integrated battle command system costing $2.5 billion and to Israel of Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems costing $992.4 million.The State Department approved a sale to the UAE of APKWS for $147.6 million.The principal contractor in the APKWS sales to Qatar, Israel and the UAE was BAE Systems, the State Department said.RTX and Lockheed Martin were the principal contractors in the integrated battle command system sale to Kuwait and in the Patriot air and missile defense replenishment sale to Qatar, the State Department added.Northrop Grumman was also a principal contractor in the Kuwaiti sale.Meanwhile, Washington has warned European allies, including the UK, Poland, Lithuania and Estonia, to expect long delivery delays for US weapons as the war against Iran drains stockpiles, the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter.Throughout the war with Iran, Israel and Washington’s Gulf allies came under attack from Iranian missiles and drones.Trump confirmed on Friday that he had been briefed about additional military options in Iran, and expressed dissatisfaction with a new ceasefire proposal by Tehran.Israel launched its campaign against Iran, alongside the US, to degrade the Iranian regime’s military capabilities. The ceasefire declared by Trump last month came with core declared goals of the war unfulfilled, including ensuring that Iran does not attain nuclear weapons, destroying its missile program, and creating the conditions for the Iranian public to overthrow the regime.

NATO seeks clarity as US to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany amid rift with Europe-Trump says he is considering pulling US troops from Italy and Spain as well, due to their opposition to the war against Iran; NATO says it shows Europe’s need to invest in defense By W.G. Dunlop Today, 4:25 pm-MAY 2,26

WASHINGTON (AFP) — NATO said on Saturday it was working with the United States to understand Washington’s decision to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany as a rift in transatlantic ties deepens over the Middle East war.The Pentagon’s announcement of the troop withdrawal follows a spat between US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said on Monday Iran was “humiliating” Washington at the negotiating table. Trump fired back by saying that Merz “doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”It also came as Trump announced that tariffs on cars and trucks from the European Union will increase to 25 percent next week over accusations that the bloc did not comply with a trade deal signed last summer.Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said on Friday the withdrawal of around 5,000 troops from Germany was expected “to be completed over the next six to twelve months.”“This decision follows a thorough review of the Department’s force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theater requirements and conditions on the ground,” Parnell said in a statement.There were 36,436 active-duty US troops in NATO ally Germany as of December 31, 2025, compared to 12,662 in Italy and 3,814 in Spain.German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Saturday the US troop withdrawal “from Europe and also from Germany was to be expected.”NATO said it was “working with the US to understand the details of their decision on force posture in Germany.”“This adjustment underscores the need for Europe to continue to invest more in defense and take on a greater share of the responsibility for our shared security,” NATO spokeswoman Allison Hart wrote on social media platform X.‘Why shouldn’t I?’Trump has made a number of threats to slash US troop numbers in Germany and other European allies during both his terms in office, saying he wants Europe to take on greater responsibility for its defense rather than depending on Washington.He now appears determined to punish allies who have failed to back the Middle East war or contribute to a peacekeeping force in the crucial Strait of Hormuz waterway, which Tehran’s forces have effectively closed.Trump  also accused German automakers such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW of ripping off Americans, saying on Friday that Germany and “other European nations have not adhered to our trade deal.”Germany would likely be hit hard by a sharp vehicle tariff because it is responsible for a significant portion of EU auto exports.Trump said on Thursday he might pull US troops from Italy and Spain due to their opposition to the war. “Italy has not been of any help to us and Spain has been horrible, absolutely horrible,” he told reporters in the Oval Office.“Yeah, probably, I probably will. Why shouldn’t I?” Trump said.German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Thursday during a visit to Morocco that Germany was “prepared” for a reduction in US troops and was “discussing it closely and in a spirit of trust in all NATO bodies.”However, Wadephul said large American bases in Germany are “not up for discussion at all” and cited the example of Ramstein Air Base, which he said has “an irreplaceable function for the United States and for us alike.”Ukraine support-The EU said on Thursday the deployment of US troops in Europe was in Washington’s interest, and that the US was “a vital partner in contributing to Europe’s security and defense.”Trump, however, took aim at Merz again, telling him to focus on ending the Ukraine war instead of “interfering” on Iran.European powers have been on alert since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. A spate of drone incursions in the past year, as well as US promises to move away from defending the continent, have pushed the issue to the top of the agenda.Merz has made national security a priority, announcing unprecedented investments in an army that has been underfunded and under-equipped for decades. He has also reaffirmed support for Ukraine.

Spirit had 4,119 domestic US flights scheduled May 1-15-US’s Spirit Airlines declares immediate bankruptcy amid Iran war price fuel surge-Telling passengers not to go to the airport, the major, low-cost US airline cites ‘oil prices and other pressures’ for abruptly shutting down after failing to secure Trump-proposed bailout-By Sabrina Valle, David Shepardson, Rajesh Kumar Singh and Doyinsola Oladipo Today, 3:40 pm-MAY 2,26

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — Bankrupt discount carrier Spirit Airlines ceased operations on Saturday, the industry’s first casualty linked to the Iran war, after failing to ‌secure creditor support for a US government bailout plan.The collapse of the carrier following a doubling in jet fuel prices during the two-month-old Iran war will cost thousands of jobs.It is a blow to US President Donald Trump, who had proposed $500 million to save Spirit despite opposition from some of his closest advisers and many Republicans in Congress.No US carrier of Spirit’s size — it accounted for 5 percent of US flights at one point — has liquidated in two decades. Spirit helped keep fares lower in markets where it ​competed against major carriers.A Spirit board meeting had ended without an agreement to rescue the company, a person close to the discussions told Reuters late on Friday.“Unfortunately, despite ​the Company’s efforts, the recent material increase in oil prices and other pressures on the business have significantly impacted Spirit’s financial outlook,” Spirit said in a ⁠statement announcing “an orderly wind-down of operations.”All flights have been canceled, the statement said, asking passengers not to go to the airport.Spirit had 4,119 domestic flights scheduled between May 1 and May 15, offering 809,638 seats, according ​to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.Global carriers are contending with surging jet fuel prices since the US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, in the air travel industry’s worst crisis since the COVID-19 ​pandemic.Spirit was already struggling to turn a profit before the fuel shock.Spirit built its brand around affordable fares for budget-conscious travelers ready to eschew add-ons such as checked bags and seat assignments. That demand tapered off after the pandemic as passengers preferred to opt for comfort and experience-based travel, leaving ultra-low-cost carriers struggling to adapt.Spirit’s shutdown will benefit rivals such as JetBlue Airways and Frontier Airlines, also reeling from the cost shock. Spirit’s volatile over-the-counter stock plunged 25% on Friday, while Frontier ​rose 10% and JetBlue gained 4%.In an early sign, competitors were ready to fill the gap, JetBlue said it would expand its service from Fort Lauderdale, one of Spirit’s key markets, with 11 new cities and ​more flights on existing routes.Trump said on Friday that the White House had given Spirit and its creditors a final rescue proposal after talks hit an impasse over a $500 million financing package that would have helped the airline keep operating ‌through bankruptcy.“If ⁠we can help them, we will, but we have to come first,” Trump told reporters. “If we could do it, we’d do it, but only if it’s a good deal.”Fuel-price shock-The collapse shows how the Iran war’s fuel-price shock has exposed weaker airlines.Spirit’s restructuring plan assumed jet fuel costs of about $2.24 a gallon in 2026 and $2.14 in 2027, but prices had climbed to around $4.51 a gallon by the end of April, leaving the carrier unable to survive without fresh financing.Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Reuters he had tried to get many airlines to buy Spirit but found no takers. “What would someone buy?” Duffy asked. “If no one else ​wants to buy them, why would we buy them?”A ​creditor close to the deal said that “The Trump administration ⁠made an extraordinary effort to try and save Spirit, but you can’t breathe life into a corpse.”Spirit had reached a deal with its lenders that would have helped it emerge from its second bankruptcy by late spring or early summer. But the spike in jet fuel prices derailed those plans, upending Spirit’s cost projections and complicating its bankruptcy exit.The ​airline flew around 1.7 million US domestic passengers in February, with a 3.9% market share, down from 5.1% last year, Cirium data showed.After Spirit’s announcement, major ​US carriers rolled out rescue-fare ⁠options for affected passengers.Frontier announced systemwide discounts and plans to add summer routes, JetBlue offered $99 fares through Wednesday, Southwest introduced special fares, United capped prices on one-way tickets and American added rescue fares while reviewing options to boost capacity on key routes.Last month Trump said his administration was looking to buy the embattled carrier at the “right price.”It would have been the latest move by the government to intervene directly in corporate America. Last year, the US ⁠government took a 10% ​stake in Intel, among other moves into US critical minerals firms.Sources said that the administration had proposed $500 million in financing in exchange ​for warrants equivalent to 90% of Spirit’s equity. There had been disagreements inside the Trump administration over whether and how to fund the bailout, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.