[IsraelTimes] Jerusalem said to tell Washington that attacks on ships in Red Sea ‘can no longer remain solely an Israeli problem’; Houthis launch a second missile Thursday, which falls short of Israel
Amid intensified attacks by Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... ’s Iran's Houthi sock puppets ...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him... s on maritime traffic, Israel has asked the United States to renew military operations against the rebels, Israeli television reported Thursday.
The Iran-backed Houthis — who control large swathes of Yemen, but are not the country’s internationally recognized government — reached a ceasefire agreement with the US in May, and then stopped their attacks on fat merchantmen for some two months. This week, however, they attacked and sank two vessels, killing at least four people.
Israel has told the US that ongoing Houthi assaults on shipping "can no longer remain solely an Israeli problem," the Kan public broadcaster reported.
Jerusalem called for "more intense combined attacks against Houthi regime targets — not just [Israeli] air force fighter jet strikes, but also a renewal of American attacks and the formation of a coalition including additional countries," a source familiar with the matter told the outlet.
An unnamed security official told Kan that Israel’s request for US involvement came in response to expanding Houthi aggression, saying: "A broad coalition is needed to convey to the Houthi regime that it is in danger."
The report came on the final day of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington. It did not say at what level the message was communicated.
The Houthis on Thursday also continued their ballistic missile attacks on Israel, which they did not pause as part of their ceasefire with the US, shooting two missiles at the Jewish state.
The first missile, fired in the morning, was intercepted outside Israel’s borders. The second, shortly before 10 p.m., fell short before reaching Israel; accordingly, it triggered no sirens, though its launch was identified by the military.
HOUTHI CHIEF VOWS TO KEEP UP ATTACKS ON ISRAEL-LINKED SHIPS
The Iran-backed group’s leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, declared Thursday that his militia will continue to attack any ship transporting goods linked to Israel if it attempts to pass through the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, or Arabian Sea.
He said the attacks would continue "as long as the aggression and siege of Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... persist."
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Thursday he expects Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... to exert its influence over the Houthis to make them stop attacking ships in the Red Sea.
"We condemn this in the strongest possible terms and expect Iran to exert its influence on the Houthis to put an end to it," said Wadephul at a presser in Vienna, alongside his Israeli and Austrian counterparts.
"This shows that we need an understanding with Iran as a whole, not only regarding the development, the possible development of nuclear weapons, but also regarding Iran’s regional behavior," he said.
What arrogant idiocy. Why on earth would Iran do such a thing? What leverage does a kaffir nation like Germany have, one that cannot project power to the Gulf of Iran and is clustered with the nations that buy less than 2% of Iran’s oil and whose sales, if I understand correctly, to Iran fell last year?
#3
We still have boots on the ground in Iraq and one main reason is to fight Iranian Terror Proxy Groups that are trying to destabilize Iraq. You think we are not already in a regional war? I have lived with hostility from Iran my entire life, that is by definition an endless. What was the Beirut Bombing Attack other than an attack on America. The Jew Angle is trite.
[IsraelTimes] Missiles, drones, attack boats used; 4 killed on Eternity C, 10 rescued, 11 missing; rebels chant ‘death to America, death to Israel, curse the Jews’ as ship sinks; Magic Seas crew escaped
Iran's Houthi sock puppets ...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him... s rebels in Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... released footage on Wednesday showing their deadly attack on the Eternity C fat merchantman in the Red Sea, and its subsequent sinking.
Earlier, a similar video showed an attack on the Magic Seas, which was also sunk.
Maritime officials said Houthis killed four of the 25 people aboard the Eternity C before the rest abandoned the cargo ship. Eternity C went down Wednesday morning after attacks on two previous days, sources at security companies involved in a rescue operation said.
A European naval force in the Mideast said 10 of the 25 people who were on board have been rescued, four of them pulled from the sea on Thursday.
The Houthis claim to have "rescued" a number of the others in what the US has denounced as kidnappings.
Houthi military front man Yahya Saree said the attack was carried out with an unmanned vessel and six cruise and ballistic missiles.
The Houthis later released footage of the group launching missiles at the Eternity C.
The bridge appeared heavily damaged by the attack and oil leaked from the vessel.
The video included a radio conversation between that captain and Houthis as they warned him the ship would be attacked if he did not stop, which he refused to do, insisting the vessel was in a permitted waterway.
The ship took on water from holes along its waterline before sinking beneath the waves, the rebels chanting: "God is the greatest; death to America; death to Israel; curse the Jews; victory to Islam."
"The naval force of the Yemeni Armed Forces targeted the ship Eternity C," Saree said, claiming that the vessel was headed for the Israeli port of Eilat and was attacked in support of Paleostinians in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... Operation Aspides — the EU naval task force in the Red Sea — told AFP one of the maimed crew had lost his leg.
On Monday, the Houthis said they hit the Magic Seas because its owner had done business with Israel and used its ports.
The Eternity C and the Magic Seas both flew Liberian flags and were operated by Greek firms. Some of the sister vessels in each of their wider fleets had made calls to Israeli ports in the past year, shipping data analysis showed.
The rebels released a video showing masked button men storming the Magic Seas and simultaneous explosions that scuttled the bulk carrier.
All the crew from the Magic Seas were rescued before it sank.
The Houthis, who say they are attacking ships to support Gaza amid the war there between Israel and the Hamas ..always the voice of sweet reason... terror group, have also directly targeted Israel with ballistic missiles, most recently early Thursday morning.
The Houthis said they attacked Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv with a ballistic missile.
Israel’s air defense systems intercepted the missile before it reached the country, though the attack set off sirens in many areas.
From November 2023 until the following December, the Houthis targeted more than 100 ships with missiles and drones in a campaign the rebels describe as supporting Paleostinians in the Gaza Strip during the Israel-Hamas war. The Iranian-backed rebels stopped their attacks during a brief ceasefire in the war. They later became the target of an intense weekslong campaign of Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... s ordered by US President Donald Trump ...The tack in the backside of the Democratic Party... , which ended with a ceasefire between the terror group and the US.
This week, the US appeared to indicate that it will not tolerate further attacks that disrupt shipping.
"These attacks demonstrate the ongoing threat that Iran-backed Houthi rebels pose to freedom of navigation and to regional economic and maritime security," US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Tuesday. "The United States has been clear: We will continue to take necessary action to protect freedom of navigation and commercial shipping from Houthi terrorist attacks."
Continued on Page 47
[SecureWorld] A recent audit from the U.S. Department of Justice has exposed severe vulnerabilities in the FBI's cybersecurity measures, highlighting how these weaknesses directly contributed to the deaths of key informants in the high-profile El Chapo investigation.
According to the report, a hacker affiliated with the Sinaloa drug cartel in Mexico was able to access sensitive communications between FBI officials and law enforcement, ultimately leading to the tragic loss of life.
The breach, which targeted the FBI's internal systems, allowed hackers to gather detailed information about witnesses and informants. The report underscores that these individuals, whose identities and locations were crucial to the successful prosecution of cartel leaders like El Chapo, became prime targets for criminal organizations.
THE IMPACT OF THE BREACH
The audit reveals that the hacker exploited significant gaps in the FBI's cybersecurity protocols, allowing them to access confidential communications with ease. This breach, the report notes, left vulnerable informants exposed to risks that could have been prevented with more stringent security practices.
The document reads, "The breach of FBI communications allowed a hacker to gather sensitive information about witnesses and informants, compromising the safety of individuals involved in high-profile cases."
Although the FBI had established security measures, these were insufficient to prevent the hacker from infiltrating its systems. The report continues, "Despite established security measures, the hacker exploited weaknesses in FBI's internal systems, demonstrating significant gaps in protecting high-value targets, such as informants in cartel-related cases."
THE AFTERMATH: LIVES LOST
The consequences of this security failure were dire. The audit reveals that the hacker was able to monitor the communications of FBI officials, tracking the movements of informants and witnesses involved in critical cases. As a result, several individuals were murdered by the criminal organizations they had been helping to bring down.
This might be the most important article on the site today.
[FoxNews] Mexican national allegedly attempted to conceal documents with 'War in the Streets' messaging following ICE center ambush in Texas
A man charged with tampering with evidence in connection to the ambush on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Texas allegedly tried to conceal anti-government and anti-Trump documents.
Authorities were led to Daniel Rolando Sanchez Estrada – who ICE said is a green card holder from Mexico
…someone is about to be stripped of that and sent back from whence he came…
and a former DACA recipient – following a jailhouse phone call placed by one of the alleged attackers busted on the Fourth of July. A group of between 10 and 12 individuals are believed to have graffitied vehicles and shot fireworks at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas. Between 20 and 30 rounds were fired at a police officer and DHS correctional officers outside.
Upon his arrest, ICE said that law enforcement "found literal insurrectionist propaganda, titled ‘Organizing for Attack! Insurrectionary Anarchy.’
"According to West Point, 'insurrectionary anarchism is regarded as the most serious form of domestic (non-jihadi) terrorist threat,'" ICE posted on X Thursday. "This man was granted legal status through the DACA program and then given a green card under the Biden administration in 2024."
Well, shoot. Literally.
Marciela Rueda is one of seven of the alleged attackers whom law enforcement caught wearing "black, military-style clothing, body armor, and covered in mud" while attempting to flee the scene on foot, according to court documents.
Rueda placed two phone calls from the Johnson County Jail on July 6 – one to her mother, whom she told in Spanish to contact Sanchez, and another to Sanchez directly. She allegedly told Sanchez in English to tow her vehicle from the street of a Dallas address that investigators determined was used as a "staging location" before the group proceeded to the Prairieland Detention Center, which is being used to hold people related to immigration violations or awaiting deportation.
The vehicle was registered to Rueda's residence in Fort Worth. Rueda told Sanchez, "whatever you need to do, move whatever you need to move at the house," according to an FBI affidavit.
Sanchez allegedly said he had already been to the house in Fort Worth, and investigators believe Sanchez thought the house had not yet been searched by police.
Sanchez's parents told FBI agents that he splits time between living with them in Dallas and with Rueda in Fort Worth, according to the complaint. ICE sources previously told Fox News that Sanchez is the husband of one of the alleged attackers.
An FBI surveillance team went to an address in Garland, in the Dallas area, associated with Sanchez and his parents. They said they had observed Sanchez carrying multiple packages outside and to his pick-up truck.
He then fueled up at a nearby gas station and drove to an apartment complex in Denton, unloaded a box from the bed of the truck and left it outside a second-floor apartment, according to court documents.
While executing a search warrant on the apartment in Denton, federal law enforcement found what appeared to be the same box Sanchez had been carrying. It contained "a handwritten training, tactics, and planning document for civil unrest with anti-law enforcement, anti-government, and anti-Trump sentiments." The complaint included a photo of the box's contents, including flyers that read, "War in the Streets." "It's Vacant, Take it!," and "Another Critique of Insurrectionalism."
Fascinating. Who wrote it, and where did he get his informatipn?
tDenton police arrested Sanchez during a traffic stop. He is accused of having "knowingly and willfully altered, destroyed, mutilated, or concealed a record, document, or other object, or attempted to do so, with the intent to impair the object's integrity or availability for use in an official proceeding," according to the complaint.
Federal prosecutors on Monday announced charges, including attempted murder of a federal officer, against Rueda and nine others: Cameron Arnold, also known as Autumn Hill; Savannah Batten; Nathan Baumann; Zachary Evetts; Joy Gibson; Bradford Morris, also known as Meagan Morris; Seth Sikes; Elizabeth Soto; and Ines Soto. All 10 are U.S. citizens, authorities said.
How many native born versus naturalized? Of the native-born, how many have a parent or near relative who came here illegally?
Sanchez, a Mexican national, was charged in a separate complaint with conspiracy to tamper with evidence, a felony offense.
A twelfth individual, Benjamin Hanil Song, was charged on Wednesday and remains at large. The FBI is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to Song, a former U.S. Marine Corps reservist wanted in connection with the July 4 ambush.
According to court documents, Song purchased four of the guns that were found in connection with the shooting, including an AR-15-style rifle found in the back of a van driven by Morris while fleeing the scene of the attack.
A Johnson County Sheriff's Office detective conducted a traffic stop on Morris while he was fleeing the scene alone. Inside the vehicle, law enforcement also found a pistol, two Kevlar ballistic-style vests and a ballistic helmet, according to court documents. Morris also allegedly had a loaded magazine in his pocket that matched the pistol and a handheld radio in his possession.
He allegedly told investigators that he had driven himself and three others from Dallas to the ICE detention center and the plan was to "make some noise."
Morris said he heard about the event through a Signal group chat he was invited to after attending a protest years ago, court documents say.
Song also allegedly purchased the pistol found in Gibson's backpack when she was fleeing the scene on foot, authorities said.
An Alvarado police officer was shot in the neck outside the ICE facility during the attack and is expected to survive.
Open source information added to the usual government intelligence, checked using the usual government resources before acting on it to achieve legal objectives laid out clearly by the president — I don’t see how there could be any valid objection.
[IsraelTimes] US Department of Homeland Security official testifies agency used controversial website that catalogs academics’ anti-Israel statements, amid free speech lawsuit by professors
Newly unsealed court records and trial testimony show that top Trump administration officials relied heavily on Canary Mission, a controversial website that targets pro-Paleostinian, anti-Israel activists, as part of a secretive effort to deport foreign students and academics from American universities.
Not all that secretive, given how many cases are trumpeted in the press at the time.
The revelations emerged during an ongoing federal lawsuit in Boston brought by the American Association of University Professors and the Middle East Studies Association, challenging what they call "ideological deportations" that they say violate the US Constitution’s First Amendment.
The case is one of the most closely watched challenges to US President Donald Trump ...The cad! Twice caught beating wimmin!... ’s deportation efforts.
A Department of Homeland Security "tiger team" formed in 2019 built dossiers on thousands of noncitizen academics and students by pulling names from a public list of 5,000 individuals compiled by Canary Mission, according to Politico’s reporting on the trial.
The site — which publishes profiles of pro-Paleostinian, anti-Israel activists, identifying protests they’ve participated in and often archiving inflammatory posts they’ve made on social media — became a primary resource for the team, according to sworn testimony from DHS official Peter Hatch.
Hatch, the assistant director for intelligence at Homeland Security Investigations, testified that more than 75% of the deportation referrals prepared by his unit were based on names first identified through Canary Mission, adding that the information was independently verified before being compiled into official reports, according to Politico.
"Many of the names or even most of the names came from that website, but we were getting names and leads from many different websites," Hatch said.
"We received information on the same protesters from multiple sources, but Canary Mission was the most inclusive. The lists came in from all different directions."
"Canary Mission is not a part of the US government," he said. "It is not information that we would take as an authoritative source. We don’t work with the individuals who create the website. I don’t know who creates the website."
Trump officials cited another pro-Israel outside group as a key source of intelligence: Betar USA.
The right-wing Zionist group that has taken a confrontational stance toward Moslem and pro-Paleostinian student organizations claimed earlier this year that it provided the government with a list of targets for deportation.
In February, the Anti-Defamation League added Betar USA to its list of holy warrior groups, citing its open Islamophobia ...the irrational fear that Moslems will act the way they usually do... and alleged harassment of pro-Paleostinian activists.
Canary Mission did not respond to a request for comment from the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, but in a statement to Politico, it denied collaborating with any government agencies, insisting that its goal is solely to document antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment.
"We document individuals and groups that promote hatred of the USA, Israel and Jews. We investigate hatred across the political spectrum, including the far-right, far-left and anti-Israel activists," the group said.
Critics say the group’s anonymous structure and doxxing tactics have created a climate of fear on college campuses.
This week’s trial testimony also shed light on the role of top Trump advisor Stephen Miller in the deportation campaign. Officials testified that Miller, who is Jewish, was regularly involved in interagency meetings focused on deporting pro-Paleostinian or anti-Israel students.
John Armstrong, acting chief of the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, testified he had "at least a dozen" conversations with White House officials about the deportation initiative, according to Politico.
Armstrong confirmed that Miller participated in interagency conference calls "at one point at least weekly," with calls lasting between 15 minutes and an hour, often including officials from the State and Homeland Security departments.
In the months since Trump took office, immigration authorities made several arrests of high-profile pro-Paleostinian and anti-Israel student activists who are not citizens, and sought to deport them from the US.
None was accused of a crime, but the administration has invoked its executive authority under immigration law to turn away non-citizens whom it deems a national security threat, even if they have not committed a crime.
All of those arrested have since been freed from detention, and judges have said the arrests may have been unconstitutional.
#1
How is it a national security threat to the United States to criticize a foreign country?
Who cares what they say?
We have free speech here. It doesn't threaten our national security if different groups of foreigners gripe at each other on our soil.
ICE might consider baiting a ICE protest by leaking a small bust/deportation location. An have a few 100 ICE support staff and troops waiting in a Warehouse, to surround them and weed out the illegals and violent ones.
Courtesy of Grom the Affective in comments, to make this searchable in the Rantburg archives.
[IsraelNationalNews] Columbia graduate Mahmoud Khalil is suing the Trump administration for $20 million, alleging retaliatory detention for over 100 days due to his role in campus demonstrations against Israel's war in Gaza.
Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate, is seeking $20 million in damages from US President Donald Trump ...dictatorial for repealing some (but not all) of the diktats of his predecessor, misogynistic because he likes pretty girls, homophobic because he doesn't think gender bending should be mandatory, truly a man for all seasons... ’s administration after over 100 days in immigration detention, The Independent reported Thursday.
A court filing precedes a federal lawsuit, alleging "retaliatory arrests" and targeting of student activists. Administration officials accused Khalil of "antisemitic activities" for his role in the protests.
"There must be accountability for political retaliation and abuse of power," Khalil stated. "I’m holding the US government accountable not just for myself, but for everyone they try to silence through fear, exile, or detention."
Khalil was arrested on March 8 by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents as part of the administration’s crackdown on anti-Israel protests on US campuses.
At the time of his arrest, Khalil was a highly visible figure in the nationwide campus protests against the war in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... . Following his detention, US authorities transferred Khalil from his New York home to a detention center in Louisiana, where he awaited deportation proceedings.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio ...The diminutive 13-year-old Republican U.S. Senator from Florida, Secretary of State in the second Trump administration... had invoked a law, approved during the 1950s Red Scare, which permits the United States to remove foreign nationals deemed adverse to US foreign policy.
However,
a person who gets all wrapped up in himself makes a mighty small package... a judge later ruled that the government could not detain or deport Khalil based on Rubio's assertions that his presence on US soil constituted a national security threat. Khalil was released on bail in late June.
The government specifically accuses Khalil of failing to disclose on his residency application what it described as his "membership" in the United Nations ...boodling on the grand scale... ’ Paleostinian refugee agency, UNRWA.
Khalil has rejected the allegations and framed his detention as retaliation for his political views.
[IsraelTimes] US federal law largely handcuffs local authorities when it comes to cooperating with the ICC. ‘It would be akin to a publicity stunt,’ says expert
If Zohran Mamdani
…Shiite, “Democratic Socialist of America”, red diaper nepo-baby, naturalized Indian-American who couldn’t get into Columbia because he falsely and stupidly claimed to be African-American on his freshman application despite his father being a tenured professor there…
has his way, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will find himself under arrest by New York City’s finest the next time he steps foot in the city.
Mamdani, the Democratic party nominee and presumed frontrunner in the city’s mayoral race, has repeatedly said he would arrest the Israeli premier should Netanyahu visit while he is running city hall, citing an International Criminal Court warrant on war crimes charges.
"As mayor, New York City would arrest Benjamin Netanyahu. This is a city that — our values are in line with international law. It’s time that our actions are also," Mamdani said in a December interview with the Zeteo outlet.
But as with some of Mamdani’s other campaign promises, the candidate may be overreaching on what powers he will have as mayor — even one running the largest city in the United States.
"The short answer is that this would almost certainly not happen," said Prof. David Bosco of Indiana University, Bloomington, a scholar of international law who wrote a 2014 book about the ICC.
The Hague-based court, formed in 2002 to prosecute crimes against humanity, war crimes and charges of genocide, issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and then-defense minister Yoav Gallant last year on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes in a bombshell accusation against Israel’s leadership.
More than 120 countries are members of the court, curtailing travel for Netanyahu and Gallant to countries that have promised not to honor the warrants or are not signatories to the Rome Statute, which established the ICC, such as Israel or the US, where Netanyahu visited this week.
The court does not have the power to enforce arrests itself and relies on member states to carry out arrests so defendants can stand trial in the Hague.
Mamdani has acknowledged that the US is not a party to the ICC, without explaining how he would still carry out an arrest.
Addressing the ICC’s lack of jurisdiction in the US during a panel at a synagogue last month, Mamdani said, "I believe our city should be in compliance with international law."
Rebecca Hamilton, a professor of international law at American University and a former lawyer with the ICC, said that, in theory, countries that are not party to the court could still carry out arrests based on ICC warrants.
"The court can ask any non-state party for help with an arrest warrant, and that state can decide whether or not to do so," Hamilton said. "It is just that only states that have joined the Rome Statute are under a legal obligation to execute an ICC warrant."
It is up to individual countries to decide if local officials have the authority to execute an international warrant, Hamilton added.
)
US federal law prohibits municipal governments from cooperating with the court, though. The American Service-Members’ Protection Act, passed in 2002, bars local authorities from cooperating with the court or providing the ICC support.
"No agency or entity of any State or local government, including any court, may cooperate with the International Criminal Court," the law says.
A separate federal law prohibits imprisonment, intimidation, harassment, threats and obstruction against foreign officials, including heads of state. Imprisonment of a foreign official can result in a fine and up to three years in prison.
The Trump administration is also no fan of the ICC and sanctioned the court in February to penalize it for the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant.
Netanyahu is a frequent visitor to New York City, traveling there nearly every September to attend the United Nations ...the Oyster Bay money pit... General Assembly at the UN Headquarters in Manhattan. Even though Netanyahu will be in the city, matters like international warrants remain the purview of the federal government.
"Diplomatic immunity and the conduct of foreign relations are federal matters and the federal government is given wide discretion by the courts to manage foreign policy and international legal relations," Bosco said, adding that the Trump administration and Congress have both opposed the ICC warrants.
Even if Mamdani wanted to put Netanyahu in cuffs for jaywalking, US law and international custom grant diplomatic immunity to members of foreign diplomatic missions, including visiting dignitaries, preventing them from being arrested or prosecuted for ordinary crimes like traffic violations.
Exceptions are only made in extreme cases, such as threats to public safety or violent mostly peaceful felonies, under the aegis of the US State Department, which views its authority to expel foreign diplomats as "an extreme diplomatic tool," only used in very rare circumstances.
"Even if New York authorities were somehow to attempt an arrest, it would be akin to a publicity stunt that would be immediately opposed and reversed," with backing from federal courts, Bosco said.
A New York City mayor does not have the executive power to make arrests, but does rely on the NYPD.
If Mamdani ordered Netanyahu arrested, the order would go to the NYPD’s deputy commissioner for legal matters, said Mitch Silber, the former NYPD director of intelligence analysis and the head of the Community Security Initiative, a Jewish community security group.
The deputy commissioner would review the order’s legality and advise the police commissioner on whether the arrest could be carried out. If the arrest was not deemed legal, the NYPD wouldn’t take action, said Silber, who added that he is not familiar with the relevant federal laws and could not weigh in on the ICC’s jurisdiction in New York.
"The NYPD can’t take illegal acts, even if the mayor wants them to," Silber said. "If it’s an act that they’re prohibited from doing by federal law, then they’re not going to do it because it’s going to get overturned immediately."
Netanyahu would also need to be extradited to the Hague to stand trial, which would require the involvement of federal authorities, like the Department of Justice or the US Marshals, Silber said.
The Department of Justice declined to comment on Mamdani’s vow to arrest Netanyahu.
Mamdani’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
While countries are technically obligated by the Rome Statute, the ICC has no enforceable way to compel states not to simply ignore its arrest warrants. In April, Hungary chose not to arrest Netanyahu when he visited, despite Hungary being a member of the court at the time. Hungary later withdrew from the ICC.
During his visit to Washington, DC, this week, Netanyahu said he still plans to visit New York and that he was "not concerned" about Mamdani’s pledge to arrest him if elected.
"There’s enough craziness in the world, but I guess it never ends," Netanyahu said. "It’s silly in many ways because it’s just not serious."
"I’ll get him out," US President Donald Trump ...His ancestors didn't own any slaves... said as Netanyahu was speaking.
Trump has been vocally opposed to Mamdani, calling him a "Communist lunatic" and threatening to arrest Mamdani if he opposes federal immigration enforcement in New York City.
Mamdani, a harsh critic of Israel who has identified as anti-Zionist, is the heavy favorite to win November’s general election for mayor. He swept to victory in the Democratic primary last month with a campaign centered on addressing affordability in the city, promising to raise taxes on the wealthy to fund cheaper housing and groceries while making buses and kindergartens free.
Critics say he lacks the authority to see many of his ideas to fruition on his own without the support of the New York State legislature and Governor Kathy Hochul.
A poll released last month found that Mamdani’s pledge to arrest Netanyahu was not popular with New Yorkers. According to the survey, 45% of New Yorkers oppose acting on the ICC warrant, while 36% support it. The remainder were undecided or did not have an opinion.
On the other hand, local or federal authorities in New York could potentially take action against the ICC’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, though sanctions currently prevent him from entering the country.
Khan allegedly sexually abused one of his subordinates repeatedly, including in a Manhattan hotel in 2023, according to a May report in the Wall Street Journal. Khan canceled an investigative trip to Israel and Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... and rushed out the warrants shortly after the allegations surfaced, the report said.
The report suggested Khan issued the warrants to build support for himself with anti-Israel ICC member states, and forestall his accuser, who strongly supported the warrants.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office did not respond to requests for comment on whether Khan was being investigated. Khan has denied the accusations.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a sweeping acceleration of drone deployment, calling on commanders to treat small drones as expendable weapons, not high-end aircraft.
In two new memos, Hegseth stripped away legacy policies he says have stifled innovation. For the… pic.twitter.com/giQVLavsVL
…In two new memos, Hegseth stripped away legacy policies he says have stifled innovation. For the first time, colonels and captains can independently procure and test drones — including 3D-printed and commercial models — without higher-level approval.
Hegseth pointed to Ukraine, Israel, and Iran as proof that drone warfare has revolutionized combat. He expects the U.S. to achieve unmanned dominance by 2027, with force-on-force drone combat training beginning next year.
[GEO.TV] The federal government on Thursday categorically rebuked speculations related to President Asif Ali Ten Percent Zardari
...former president of Pakistain, husband of the late Benazir Bhutto, who has been singularly lacking in curiosity about who done her in... 's resignation and the claims that Field Marshal Asim Munir was "aspiring to assume the presidency".
"We are fully aware of who is behind the malicious campaign targeting President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif ...Pak dynastic politician, brother of PM Nawaz Sharif, chief minister of Punjab... , and the Chief of Army Staff," Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said in a statement on his X handle on Thursday.
"I have categorically stated that there has been no discussion, nor does any such idea exist, about the President being asked to resign or the COAS aspiring to assume the presidency," he added.
Naqvi said President Zardari enjoys a strong and respectful relationship with the leadership of the armed forces. He quoted the president as saying: "I know who is spreading these falsehoods, why they are doing so, and who stands to benefit from this propaganda".
"To those involved in this narrative, do whatever you wish in collaboration with hostile foreign agencies. As for us, we will do whatever is necessary to make Pakistain strong again, InshAllah," the minister added, stressing that the sole focus of the COAS was on the strength and stability of Pakistain and nothing else.
The security czar's clarification comes amid rumours which began circulating after the ruling Pakistain Moslem League-Nawaz (PML-N) obtained a simple majority in the National Assembly after the reinstatement of reserved seats by the Election Commission of Pakistain following the top court's Constitutional Bench verdict.
Continued on Page 47
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[GEO.TV] The Pakistan Army's top brass has reiterated its vow to take decisive and holistic actions at all levels against the Indian backed and sponsored proxies, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Thursday.
The 271st Corps Commanders' Conference (CCC), held in Rawalpindi under the chairmanship of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff, observed that India is intensifying its actions against Pakistan following its recent defeat in the war.
Pakistan and India went to war in May after New Delhi launched attacks on Islamabad, claiming that it was involved in the attack on tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam — an allegation that the Pakistani government has denied.
Although the war stopped within 90 hours after Pakistan's decisive response, the government has said that Indian carried out numerous terrorist activities in Pakistan via its proxies since the clash.
During the high-level meeting, the CCC offered Fateha for the martyrs of recent terrorist attacks carried out by Indian-sponsored proxies, vowing that their sacrifices would not go in vain.
Continued on Page 47
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Pakistani military spokesman on Pakistan being the "next target" after Iran:
Pakistan is a nuclear-armed state, not like Iran or Lebanon. The world has no experience attempting a misadventure against one. If such a misadventure were ever pursued, the consequences would be… pic.twitter.com/GF2GH2VpBK
[IsraelTimes] Israel to open several aid corridors, including through Egypt and Jordan, allow bakeries and kitchens to reopen, ensure security for aid workers, repair vital infrastructure
Israel and the European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... have agreed upon "significant steps" to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into the Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... Strip "in the coming days," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced Thursday.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar confirmed the agreement, saying the security cabinet decided last Sunday on measures "to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza," including "more trucks, more crossings, and more routes for the humanitarian efforts."
Speaking alongside Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephu, Sa’ar thanked his counterparts "for the fruitful dialogue that we are conducting — with you and the EU — on the humanitarian issue."
The discussions are "based on an understanding of human needs and of the threat that Hamas ..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,... and the Gaza Strip have posed to Israel over the past 20 years," added Sa’ar, saying, "this dialogue is important and it will continue."
The announcements by Sa’ar and Kallas confirmed an earlier report by Bloomberg, which said that a deal had been reached enabling the reopening of several aid corridors, including humanitarian routes through Egypt and Jordan, and several other crossing points in northern and southern Gaza.
"These measures are or will be implemented in the coming days, with the common understanding that aid at scale must be delivered directly to the population and that measures will continue to be taken to ensure that there is no aid diversion to Hamas," Kallas said.
According to the top European diplomat, the agreement will see a "substantial increase" in the daily entry of trucks supplying food and non-food items; the opening of several crossing points in northern and southern Gaza; the reopening of humanitarian routes through Egypt and Jordan; resumed operations of bakeries and public kitchens in Gaza; resumed fuel deliveries to humanitarian facilities "up to an operational level"; security for aid workers; and reparations on works for "vital infrastructure like the resumption of the power supply to the water desalination facility."
"The EU stands ready to coordinate with all relevant humanitarian stakeholders, United Nations ...an organization conceived in the belief that we're just one big happy world, with the sort of results you'd expect from such nonsense... agencies and NGOs on the ground, to ensure swift implementation of those urgent steps," added Kallas, adding that the EU "calls again for an immediate ceasefire" and release of all hostages.
Since late May, Israel has handed authority over aid distribution in Gaza to the Israel- and United States-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, in a stated effort to prevent aid supplies from reaching Hamas. The GHF’s operations have been strongly criticized by the international community for failing to address the humanitarian needs in Gaza.
It is unclear under which bodies the expanded aid measures will be operated.
The EU has been increasingly critical of the humanitarian situation in Gaza amid Israel’s war against Hamas, which began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led bully boyz murdered some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in southern Israel and took 251 hostages.
Israel has said that it respects international law and that operations in Gaza are necessary to destroy Hamas.
The EU is Israel’s biggest commercial partner, with 42.6 billion euros ($48.2 billion) traded in goods in 2024. Trade in services reached 25.6 billion euros in 2023.
More than 100 aid groups and other organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, last month urged Brussels to suspend the EU-Israel association agreement "at least in part."
Spain has also called for the agreement to be suspended, while Germany has come out against such a move.
Suspending the EU-Israel accord outright would require unanimity among member states — something diplomats have said from the outset was virtually impossible.
Halting diplomatic dialogue with Israel — a measure that was already rejected last year — also requires backing from all EU countries.
Trade measures could instead be adopted with a qualified majority, diplomats have said, cautioning, however, that agreeing on those might also prove tricky.
Continued on Page 47
[GEO.TV] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel was ready to negotiate a permanent ceasefire in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... during a 60-day truce but only if the Paleostinian territory was demilitarised.
Delegations from Israel and Hamas ..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",... began indirect talks in Doha on Sunday to try to agree a temporary halt in the war, which was sparked by the bully boy group's October 2023 attack.
US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff has proposed a 60-day ceasefire in exchange for the release of half of the 20 living hostages still in Gaza, Netanyahu said on Wednesday.
"At the beginning of this ceasefire, we will enter negotiations for a permanent end to the war," he said in a video message from Washington on Thursday.
He said Israel's "fundamental conditions" were that "Hamas lays down its weapons" and no longer has "governing or military capabilities".
"If this can be achieved through negotiations, great. If it cannot be achieved through negotiations within 60 days, we will achieve it through other means, by using force, the force of our heroic army," he said.
The Israeli premier called Hamas "a ruthless terror organization" and said he wanted the release of all those being held.
But he added: "We will do everything in order to maximise (the number of those released) in this round, in the best way possible. Not everything is in our hands."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told hostage families on Wednesday that Hamas will determine which hostages will be released during the 60-day truce, a source present at the Washington meeting told The Times of Israel.
Netanyahu has yet to publicly comment on how the list of 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 slain hostages will be determined, which has become a major source of anxiety for hostage families, who fear that their loved ones will not be among those to be released during the temporary truce currently being negotiated.
The source said Netanyahu told the families that as far as Israel is concerned, all of the hostages are considered "humanitarian" — meaning that no group of living captives will be prioritized over the other, given that their conditions are all acutely dire after 643 days in GazooThe premier repeated that message during a Thursday video statement filmed several hours before his planned departure from Washington.
"I want to rescue everyone in one fell swoop. In this deal, we are doing it in two phases, but the choice isn’t always in our hands," he said.
However,
those who apply themselves too closely to little things often become incapable of great things... two sources told the Haaretz daily that intelligence on the conditions of the hostages is being given to Netanyahu’s office, and that the politicianship will decide on the order of release.
Netanyahu told the hostage families that once the 60-day truce under discussion enters into effect, Israel will immediately hold negotiations on the terms for a permanent ceasefire — something he refused to do during the previous hostage deal, which led to its collapse in March.
"From the time the first eight living hostages are released until the last two living hostages are released... we will work to bring the entire war to an end," Netanyahu can be heard saying in a leaked recording from part of the over 30-minute meeting, which was held on the sidelines of a reception the premier hosted at the Blair House where he has been staying during a five-day trip in Washington.
However,
those who apply themselves too closely to little things often become incapable of great things... the source present at the meeting told The Times of Israel that Netanyahu insisted that he would not budge from his demands for Hamas to surrender, give up its arms and agree for its leaders to go into exile — conditions that the Paleostinian terror group has long rejected.
Netanyahu voiced the stance publicly in the Thursday video statement.
"At the beginning of this [60-day] ceasefire, we will enter negotiations for a permanent ceasefire. In order for us to achieve this, our minimum conditions must be met: Hamas lays down its weapons, Gaza is demilitarized, Hamas no longer has any governmental or military capabilities," the premier said.
He warned that Israel would resume the war if Hamas didn’t agree to those conditions during the negotiations. "If [our demands] can be achieved through negotiations — great. If it’s not achieved through negotiations in 60 days, we will achieve it in other ways — by using force, the force of our heroic army," he declared.
When families expressed concern during the Monday meeting that the current framework could well lead to 22 hostages remaining in Gaza, Netanyahu asserted that he would keep fighting for their release, the source present recalled
"There are things I cannot talk to you about. Things are being done quietly, and I will not share them with you because they must remain secret," Netanyahu can be heard saying in the leaked recording of the Monday meeting. "We are on the right path. Things are moving forward. It will take a little more time, but be patient."
Addressing mounting criticism over the drawn-out nature of the conflict — which Netanyahu claimed Israel was "on the verge" of winning in April 2024 — the premier said in his Tuesday video statement that the IDF has dismantled most of Hamas’s military capabilities but that the terror group still has thousands of armed fighters remaining. Netanyahu didn’t give a timeline for how long it would take to defeat Hamas.
Separately on Thursday, the IDF said it targeted a Hamas operative who participated in the October 7 onslaught. But Gaza medics said that eight small children and two women who were receiving medical treatment were also killed in the Deir al-Balah strike. Verified, graphic footage from the scene showed their bloodied, mutilated bodies lying lifeless on the ground as their loved ones shrieked in horror.
HAMAS SNUBS SOFTENED ISRAELI PROPOSAL FOR PARTIAL WITHDRAWAL
As for the negotiations for ceasefire and hostage release deal, a Paleostinian official told The Times of Israel that Hamas is not satisfied with the new set of maps that Israel submitted earlier this week demarcating the exact parameters of the IDF’s partial withdrawal from Gaza during the 60-day truce under discussion.
Israel submitted a new set of maps after coming under US pressure to reduce the IDF’s presence in Gaza during the truce, particularly in the Morag Corridor adjacent to where Jerusalem is planning to establish a controversial "humanitarian city."
While some of the mediators felt the new maps allowed for a breakthrough on what has become the main sticking point in negotiations, Hamas negotiators have poured cold water on the optimism, saying they won’t accept the wide buffer zone Israel is still trying to maintain in Gaza, the Paleostinian official said.
The updated maps submitted by Israel still envision the IDF maintaining control of roughly one-third of the Strip during the ceasefire.
Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim told AFP: "We cannot accept the perpetuation of the occupation of our land and the surrender of our people to isolated enclaves under the control of the occupation army. This is what the negotiating delegation is presenting to the occupation so far in the current round of negotiations in Doha."
Nonetheless, a source involved in the mediation said the gaps are bridgeable and that a deal is still possible within days, not a week or two as suggested by a senior Israeli official who briefed news hounds in Washington Wednesday.
Rubio hopeful, as Sa’ar urges PM to ignore far-right pushback
For his part, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ...The diminutive 13-year-old Republican U.S. Senator from Florida, Secretary of State in the second Trump administration... said Thursday that he’s "hopeful" a hostage deal can be reached soon.
"We’re closer than we’ve been in quite a while," Rubio said, adding that "one of the fundamental challenges is Hamas’s unwillingness to disarm, which would end this conflict immediately."
But this is not one of the issues currently being discussed, as it has to do with the terms for a permanent ceasefire, which won’t be discussed until the sides reach an agreement on the 60-day truce still being negotiated.
On Tuesday, The Times of Israel revealed that Witkoff had delayed his planned departure for Doha that day in what was seen as a signal that the talks were not yet ripe for finalization.
Continued on Page 47
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Prime Minister Netanyahu: 'I am now concluding my historic visit to the USA. We are trying to secure the release of half of the hostages, alive and dead, for a temporary ceasefire of 60 days. If after that 60-day period Hamas has not disarmed and the Gaza strip is not… pic.twitter.com/s6paJV9rUZ
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Leonid Tsukanov
[REGNUM] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has completed a working visit to the United States. His July trip to Washington took place largely behind the cameras, and information about the results of the meetings was given to the press in extremely measured doses.
There were also no promising public statements, without which no major visit by an Israeli prime minister has taken place before. Netanyahu left Washington virtually incognito, without holding a major press approach on the White House lawn.
And while Israeli officials are calling the visit "historic and groundbreaking," both Washington and Tel Aviv appear to have remained unconvinced.
"GREAT VICTORY"
One of the main topics of the Israeli Prime Minister's conversation with US President Donald Trump and other high-ranking American officials was summing up the results of the June "Lion Force" operation against Iran.
Netanyahu expressed gratitude to the Republicans for their determination in the fight against the “Iranian threat” and, as a sign of gratitude for their contribution to the “great victory,” presented Trump with a symbolic gift: a mezuzah (a scroll with text from the Torah in a decorative case for hanging on a door frame. — Ed.) in the shape of a B-2 bomber, made from a fragment of an Iranian ballistic missile.
In addition, the Israeli Prime Minister announced his nomination of Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, with the wording “for his significant mediation efforts in resolving the conflict between Iran and Israel.”
This is already the third nomination for the Republican in his new term (previously, the Pakistani government and Republican member of the US House of Representatives Darrell Issa expressed similar intentions ) and the second on the Middle East track; the American leader is already among the favorites in the informal rating of candidates - at least, this is what the Western press is convinced of.
Tel Aviv has found an elegant way to thank the White House for its timely intervention in the recent conflict.
At the same time, Israel felt it necessary to convey its concerns to the United States: the rate of restoration of Iranian nuclear facilities damaged as a result of the joint bombings turned out to be an order of magnitude higher than initially predicted, which means that new preemptive actions may soon be required.
Here, Netanyahu tried to draw attention to himself, convincing Trump to allow Tel Aviv to act against Iran and its regional allies unilaterally, without coordinating new operations.
The US responded to the request in a very vague manner.
On the one hand, Trump praised the Israelis for their persistence and willingness to defend the existing balance of power, promising “full support” and protection.
On the other hand, Washington is well aware of the growth of revanchist sentiments in Iran - the growing public demand for nuclear weapons and attempts by individual clerics to legitimize the "vendetta" against the initiators of the June campaign. And therefore the White House has not made any specific promises to the public.
The question of whether Netanyahu secured Trump's consent behind the scenes also remains open.
FRIENDSHIP OUTLINE
It is noteworthy that during the extensive work program, the topic of normalizing Israel's relations with Arab countries was barely touched upon, although it was previously considered the "calling card" of the Trump administration. There was almost no talk about new expansions of the "club of friends", limiting themselves to pleasantries addressed to Morocco and the Arabian partners - Bahrain and the UAE.
Neither Washington nor Tel Aviv want to bring the issue to the forefront, since Syria is considered “first in line” for normalization.
The transitional government of Ahmed al-Sharaa is actively making contact with the Israeli authorities and, judging by the latest leaks, is even ready to give up the Golan Heights in exchange for stabilization of the situation.
In support of these aspirations, the US and EU countries have even loosened the sanctions noose around Damascus's neck. However, the general instability of the new Syrian regime and internal strife are preventing rapid progress in the negotiations.
Other potential candidates for a reset – Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman – have maintained a marked neutrality and are in no hurry to get closer to Israel even under US pressure for fear of falling into Tehran’s crosshairs.
THE STUMBLING BLOCK CORRIDOR
The situation in the Gaza Strip was much more actively discussed: the parties were unable to finally agree on the outlines of a deal to cease fire in the enclave. Although the White House clearly expected to make a statement about the deal at the end of Netanyahu's visit.
The stumbling block, as expected, was the “Morag Corridor” – a strategic security strip built by Israeli troops along the Egyptian border south of the Palestinian Khan Yunis.
The US is convinced that the deployment of the army in close proximity to Palestinian areas hinders the delivery of humanitarian aid to the enclave and, moreover, endangers American NGO workers, who are now the majority in Gaza, and therefore Israel should leave Morag as a gesture of goodwill.
Tel Aviv does not want to repeat the mistakes of the “first deal,” which was concluded with the mediation of Joe Biden, and counters that “Hamas terrorist agents” will immediately flood into the abandoned security corridor.
The continued presence in the Gaza Strip is explained by the role of “volunteer gendarme” that the Israeli authorities have taken on: they will be ready to reduce the contingent only if the entire leadership of the Palestinian resistance leaves the enclave, and the new leaders undergo “preliminary filtration.”
For these purposes, Tel Aviv is even ready to build a “city within a city” in the Rafah area for interned Palestinians (there are currently about 600 thousand of them). Neither Washington nor its Arab partners from among the “trustees” of Gaza like this option, but no one has yet dared to present an alternative.
"HOME" QUESTIONS
However, some uncomfortable questions got to the Israeli prime minister even in Washington. For example, on the sidelines of a gala reception for leaders of Jewish and Evangelical communities, Netanyahu was asked several times whether the government was going to free the hostages remaining in Hamas captivity.
To which Netanyahu, in his usual manner, reported on “significant progress” and the “imminent release” of the remaining Israelis from captivity.
There is indeed hope for an exchange. American sources regularly announce the imminent trip of Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff to Qatar to give the necessary guarantees to Hamas and monitor the transparency of the deal.
However, given that Whitkoff's trip has already been postponed several times, the White House still has no confidence in the parties' ability to reach an agreement. And three meetings between Netanyahu and Trump (one of which was closed) have not changed the disposition.
A more pressing question was also asked - about the prospects for adjusting the law on the conscription of ultra-Orthodox Israelis (Haredi) into the army. Especially since the authorities announced increased penalties for those who dodge service, including a ban on leaving the country and administrative arrests.
This has increased unrest in the ranks of the conservative parties, which continue to threaten to break up the ruling coalition. The future of the Haredi law is unclear, and Netanyahu has failed to explain in detail how exactly Tel Aviv intends to emerge from the crisis.
Overall, it is noticeable that the Israeli Prime Minister is still more focused on the “external contour,” where he clearly understands the priorities and goals for the near future, while he is not yet ready to closely deal with issues of an internal nature.
This means that Tel Aviv will continue to actively promote stories related to foreign policy (primarily the confrontation with Iran) in order to distract the population’s attention from problems within the country.'
[NAHARNET] Parliament Speaker Nabih Knobby Berri
...perennial Speaker of the Lebanese parliament, head of the Amal Shiite party aligned with Hezbollah, a not very subtle sock puppet of the Medes and Persians... hoped there will positive developments after the Lebanese response to was delivered Monday to U.S. envoy Tom Barack.
Asked whether he is ''reassured'' and ''highly optimistic,'' Berri added to al-Joumhouria newspaper: ''I always do not remove caution from my calculations. Let's await the outcome of things and I've always said that things are to be judged by their outcome.''
Berri said Monday that his talks with Barrack were "good, constructive and very keen on Leb ...home of the original Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade.... 's interest and illusory sovereignty, the concerns of all Lebanese, as well as Hezbollah's demands."
Continued on Page 47
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07/11/2025 00:00 ||
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[NAHARNET] U.S. envoy Tom Barrack has acknowledged the need to compel Israel to stop a lot of its combat operations in Leb ...The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. Only one of those statements is an exaggeration.... and he is preparing to talk to Israel about a mechanism to rein in its combat operations and daily violations of Lebanese illusory sovereignty, the pro-Hezbollah al-Akhbar newspaper quoted two Lebanese sources as saying, one of them close to one of the three presidents (Joseph Aoun, Nabih Knobby Berri
...perennial Speaker of the Lebanese parliament, head of the Amal Shiite party aligned with Hezbollah, a not very subtle sock puppet of the Medes and Persians... and Nawaf Salam).
Barrack ''hopes to obtain from Israel a step that would help him convince the officials in Lebanon that something is changing in the Israeli conduct, which would open the door to a discussion related to Hezbollah's arms,'' the sources said.
The U.S. envoy has, however, reiterated that his country does not intend to offer guarantees regarding what Israel might decide to do, the sources added.
Continued on Page 47
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Top|| File under: Hezbollah
#1
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack has acknowledged the need to compel Israel to stop a lot of its combat operations in Leb
[NAHARNET] The U.S. paper submitted to the Lebanese state calls for ''the removal of Hezbollah's heavy arms and missiles and gradually integrating Hezbollah into the Lebanese political life,'' media reports said.
The Lebanese and Kuwaiti media reports quoted diplomatic sources as saying that Barrack will return to Beirut in two weeks and will hold ''a landmark meeting with Hezbollah representatives.''
''The three presidents, especially Speaker Nabih Knobby Berri
...perennial Speaker of the Lebanese parliament, head of the Amal Shiite party aligned with Hezbollah, a not very subtle sock puppet of the Medes and Persians... , pledged to Barrack that Hezbollah will not refuse the principle of the removal of heavy weapons and drones should it receive domestic and regional guarantees that preserve its political role,'' the reports added.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the 
..always the voice of sweet reason...
...The cad! Twice caught beating wimmin!...
...Pak dynastic politician, brother of PM Nawaz Sharif, chief minister of Punjab...
..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,...
..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",...
...home of the original Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade....
...The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. Only one of those statements is an exaggeration....
