[IsraelNationalNews] Laurie Cardoza-Moore, head of PJTN says antisemitism is infiltrating US education and Hispanic and Latino Christians have a biblical responsibility to stand with the Jewish people and the State of Israel.
Laurie Cardoza-Moore, President of Proclaiming Justice to the Nations (PJTN), spoke with Arutz Sheva-Israel National News about her long-standing campaign to expose antisemitism, particularly within American educational systems, and her broader efforts to combat anti-Israel narratives and disinformation.
"I’ve been fighting antisemitism since I was a teenager," she recalls. "Thirteen years ago, a parent approached me with a textbook that included a deeply troubling justification for Palestinian suicide bombings in Jerusalem—portrayed as resistance to Israeli government policy. While the textbook did not explicitly name the location, we all understood it referred to the Sbarro Pizzeria bombing. That discovery prompted me to examine the entire textbook, and what I found was not just antisemitic and anti-Israel content, but also material that was anti-American and hostile to the Judeo-Christian values upon which our nation was founded."
This revelation sparked a national campaign. "We began to raise awareness among parents, citizens, and elected officials," Cardoza-Moore explains. "At the time, this was happening under the oversight of the Tennessee state legislature. Once lawmakers were shown the content, we were able to take action. That textbook was removed from schools, and the movement began to spread across the country."
She says she personally met with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to present the issue. "I showed him the content being used in classrooms. We soon discovered that this was happening in Florida, Texas—many conservative, Bible Belt states. It became clear that children from kindergarten through twelfth grade were being targeted with antisemitic and anti-Israel material. People mistakenly believe these ideas are only found on university campuses, but they are being introduced much earlier."
Cardoza-Moore says that among the conservative religious right, such narratives are firmly rejected. "They know their Bible and understand their responsibilities regarding Israel. We mobilized communities to examine their own children’s textbooks. That effort became a national movement."
Her organization now focuses on influencing state-level education standards. "If we can shape the standards that define what and how children are taught, then publishers must follow them if they want to do business with state education departments. Governor DeSantis said, ’If I’m elected, I will eliminate this curriculum,’ and he kept his word."
[ToloNews] The Commission for Refugee Affairs has announced that over 700,000 Afghan migrants colonists were forcibly deported from 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... over the past month.
Ahmadullah Wasiq, spokesperson for the commission, criticized Iran's inappropriate treatment of Afghan migrants colonists and called on the Iranian government to coordinate the deportation process with the Afghan government.
Wasiq also urged international organizations to expand their humanitarian assistance to returnees in cooperation with the Refugee Affairs Commission.
The spokesperson said: "We were even prepared that if the war between Iran and Israel had prolonged and Iranians had come to Afghanistan as refugees, the Afghan government would have accommodated them, and measures had been taken in this regard. Nevertheless, we strongly condemn the treatment of Afghan migrants colonists by Iranian authorities, and humanitarian organizations have also condemned these actions."
Fatima, one of the deportees from Iran who suffers from a heart condition, said she had lived with her family in Iran for three years.
She described the mistreatment by Iranian officials: "We were brought from the camp, and they told us not to bring anything because they would help us. But on the way, no one gave us anything, and my children became very hungry. They harassed us during the journey, taking our money and phones."
Fatima also called on the Islamic Emirate to provide not only shelter but also employment opportunities for her husband.
She said: "Our request to the Islamic Emirate is to help my husband find work. We have no house here, and we need shelter."
According to the Refugee Affairs Commission, in the past month, six pregnant women safely gave birth after receiving medical services upon reaching the Islam Qala zero point border.
Also during this period, the bodies of 95 deceased individuals, most of whom were ill, were returned to Afghanistan from the border via ambulance.
Among the deportees, many were found to be suffering from tuberculosis, COVID-19, and skin diseases. Investigations show that a significant number of them contracted these illnesses in Iranian camps.
Continued on Page 47
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[KhaamaPress] Girls in Afghanistan turn to religious madrasas for learning after being banned from formal education beyond sixth grade, according to the News Agency that Dare Not be Named.
Three years after the Taliban ...Arabic for students... banned secondary and higher education for girls in Afghanistan, many teenage girls are now turning to religious schools (madrasas) as their only available educational refuge. According to a report by the News Agency that Dare Not be Named, these institutions have opened their doors to girls left with no access to formal education.
One such girl is 13-year-old Nahida, who works in a cemetery in Kabul after finishing her primary school. Her dream of becoming a doctor now feels unreachable. "I would prefer to go to school, but I can’t—so I’ll go to a religious school," she told AP with deep frustration. She plans to enroll in a madrasa next school year.
Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have become the only government in the world to officially ban girls from attending secondary schools and universities. In the absence of formal education options, religious schools have become the only structured learning spaces for thousands of Afghan girls. Some girls, like 25-year-old Faiza, hope that demonstrating religious commitment might one day allow them to resume formal studies.
Zahedur Rahman Sahabi, director of the Tasneem Nusrat Islamic Sciences Center in Kabul, said his institution now educates around 400 students, 90% of whom are women and girls aged three to sixty. He notes a sharp increase in enrollment since schools closed, with students studying Koran, Islamic jurisprudence, Hadith, and Arabic. Though religious schools were popular before, he says, they’ve now become the primary educational lifeline.
While there is no exact data on the number of girls now studying in madrasas, Taliban education official Karamatullah Akhundzada announced last year that over one million new students had enrolled in religious schools in a single year, bringing the total number to more than three million.
Despite internal debates within the Taliban—like former deputy foreign minister Sher Abbas Stanekzai’s public claim that there is "no justification" for banning girls from school—the policy remains unchanged. UNICEF chief Catherine Russell warned that if the ban continues through 2030, over 4 million girls will be permanently denied education beyond the primary level.
While some religious scholars argue that religious and modern sciences must coexist, the overwhelming reliance on religious schools reflects the deep crisis facing Afghan girls’ education. For many, madrasas are a last hope—not a choice.
[KhaamaPress] Britannia may pay thousands in compensation after leaking Afghan applicants’ data, raising safety concerns, legal claims, and urgent demands for government accountability.
In February 2022, a serious mistake by a UK Ministry of Defence employee exposed the personal information of nearly 18,700 Afghan resettlement applicants.
The breach has triggered mounting legal action, with many Afghans now seeking compensation for the harm and danger caused by this disclosure.
Leigh Day, a leading law firm, has already taken on 70 cases and continues to receive new claims from affected Afghans every day.
Barings Law in Manchester, which represents over 1,000 Afghan clients, predicts that many payouts could reach "at least five figures."
Compensation for individuals could run into thousands of pounds, particularly for those still in Afghanistan whose safety is most severely threatened by the leak.
The UK Ministry of Defence has vowed to fight the lawsuits and insists it will not offer compensation voluntarily without legal proceedings.
This leak did not just compromise data; it amplified fear, jeopardized lives, and revealed glaring gaps in safeguarding sensitive refugee information.
The unfolding legal battle is not only about financial restitution but also about government accountability and the protection of vulnerable people worldwide.
Continued on Page 47
[IsraelTimes] Rachel Creeger and Phillip Simon were abruptly told last Friday that their bookings, at a venue they had used for many years, had been removed
Key Jewish performances during the Edinburgh Fringe are in jeopardy, after a theatre abruptly cancelled bookings by Jewish comedians, citing staff "safety concerns".
Rachel Creeger and Phillip Simon were due to perform at the Whistle Binkies music venue in the heart of the city, which they have used for a number of years during the Scottish capital’s famous comedy festival. However,
the man who has no enemies isn't anybody and has never done anything... last Friday they were informed via a phone call that the venue was no longer willing to host them. Creeger and Simon were told that staff at the venue, had complained of feeling "unsafe", with additional security measures having been instituted due to concerns over threats to Jewish acts.
The answer to that is simple. The festival should publicly sever the site from the festival altogether for, say, five years. It will be unfortunate for the innocent non-Jewish performers selected by to replace the Joooooos in those performance slots, who will lose their opportunity this year alongside the Jewish performers whose chance was deliberately stolen from them, but that’s the risk that all take when involved with vile bigots. Or the festival can bestir themselves to find a new performance venue for both the Jewish and non-Jewish performers suddenly made homeless — a tent on the green, perhaps, that surely the city would be glad to permit.
Jewish News understands that initially the venue told the Jewish comedians that staff had claimed that a "vigil" for IDF soldiers had been held during last year’s performances — a claim retracted by the venue after Creeger and Simon made it clear that this was inaccurate. It is believed that staff also complained about having to clean "free Paleostine" graffiti off toilet doors, daubed by anti-Israel protesters.
Creeger, who has won a number of awards for her comedy, said:
"We have always found Whistlebinkies to be such a safe and welcoming environment, so we are, shocked, deeply upset and disappointed by this decision.
"We don’t recognise the complaints being made by the bar staff. No incidents occurred during our shows last year. We did not witness any targeted graffiti.
"We had no idea that there was a problem until we were told last Friday that our shows were no longer welcome. With the Fringe launching next week, this has made it nearly impossible to find new venues for the month, and we depend on performing for our livelihoods.
"Sadly, this is part of an ongoing problem faced by Jewish performers in this country. We are being cancelled and often silently boycotted."
Ms Creeger’s show, Ultimate Jewish Mother, has previously been nominated for two awards and was last year granted the Keep It Fringe Bursary after her application shared the importance of such shows when it comes to interfaith work and community cohesion.
In an article for Jewish News ten days ago, the comedian, who previously set up a support group for Jewish artists at the Fringe regardless of religious observance or political affiliation, described how "since October 7, virtually every Jewish performer I know has witnessed antisemitism in the industry and in recent months the situation has escalated. I’ve seen threads on social media targeting Jewish performers and warning them that Zionists are not welcome, that they should beware of setting foot in Edinburgh.
"I’ve asked other Jewish performers what’s made them choose to stick their heads above the parapet there this summer, and they’ve almost all responded that they are driven by Jewish pride."
Philip Simon’s Jew-O-Rama show, which hosts "a rolling line-up of Jewish and ’Jew-ish’ comedians and performers", was due to have its ninth year at the Fringe.
He said: "Our show is about fun and comedy, not geopolitics. It is disheartening to find out so late in the day that we have lost our venue.
"I’ve already ordered the fliers and posters, and filled over 80 slots with comedians who will now all lose work. Not only has this cost money and taken a huge amount of time, but more than that, it is hurtful that instead of reassuring the young bar staff who raised concerns, the solution was to remove the Jews from the bill. This is emblematic of the problem facing Jewish artists and performers in the UK today."
Jewish News understands that Artist’s Services at the Fringe have been supportive and empathetic, but that at such a late stage — the Fringe begins on 1 August — finding an alternative venue will be all but impossible.
In their recently published Commission on Antisemitism, Lord Mann and former Defence Secretary Dame Penny Mordaunt specifically described "substantial evidence of more hidden barriers being put in front of Jewish involvement within the arts."
Dame Penny said: "We have been clear. It is wrong that venues either choose to cancel Jewish artists due to direct antisemitism or feel they must do so because of others’ antisemitism and the costs of dealing with it. Is that the kind if society we want? Where bullies and vandals determine what performances we can view? No. Venues must take a stand, especially those in receipt of public funds. These are real issues and one of the recommendations in our report focuses on this area."
Free Fringe CEO Luke Meredith told the Chortle comedy news site: ’The decision not to host the two shows was taken by the venue alone...The matter was first brought to our attention in late May, after the print deadline for the brochure had passed. I thought at the time that, having explained the police were only taking precautions and no actual threats had been made, and that moving them after they were already advertised in print might be detrimental, that the matter had been resolved. Apparently however it had been understood that we were to move the shows.
"I was made aware of this a week ago and since then we have been working with the shows to try and find them a suitable replacement slot, including approaching other organizations. Nothing has been possible so far but we welcome any offer of help. If anyone has a space in central Edinburgh that would like to host them, we would be happy to run it."
[Rudaw] Ten Iraqi nationals, including individuals from the Kurdistan Region, were sanctioned under a new United Kingdom sanctions regime targeting smuggling networks, the British consulate in Erbil said on Wednesday.
The UK announced on Tuesday the launch of what it described as the world’s first sanctions regime specifically aimed at smuggling gangs and their controllers.
"The first designations under the regime, announced today, include 10 Iraqi nationals who have been exploiting and endangering vulnerable people, including from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and threatening the security of the UK and the KRI [Kurdistan Region of Iraq]," the UK consulate general in Erbil said in a statement seen by Rudaw.
"These sanctions are part of a wider effort, in coordination with international partners, including the KRG [Kurdistan Regional Government], to stop this cruel trade and promote regional and international stability," it added.
The new Global Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons (GIM) sanctions target individuals and organizations involved in smuggling and trafficking worldwide, including those who fund or enable such activities. Measures include travel bans, asset freezes, and restrictions on access to the UK’s financial system.
With these sanctions, the UK government does not have to rely on criminal or counter-terrorism laws. They require less evidence and do not involve the apprehension of the suspect. Criminal law also takes effect after a crime has been committed, while sanctions serve as a proactive tool to disrupt criminal activity and publicize the individuals involved.
"For too long, criminal gangs have been lining their corrupt pockets and preying on the hopes of vulnerable people with impunity as they drive irregular migration to the UK. We will not accept this status quo," UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said in a statement on Tuesday.
"That’s why the UK has created the world’s first sanctions regime targeted at gangs involved in people smuggling and driving irregular migration, as well as their enablers," he added.
The BBC reported the announcement following a protest outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in southeast England’s Essex county. The protest was triggered by the arrest of an asylum seeker for alleged sexual assault.
It also reported that around two dozen names of the first batch of targeted individuals will be announced. Per the UK consulate general’s statement, it is clear that ten of the individuals are Iraqi nationals, including from the Kurdistan Region.
AFP released the identities of some of them, including several with Kurdish names.
"The first targets will cover a range of wrongdoing, from the supply of small boats being used on cross-Channel journeys, to the trade in fake passports, as well as middlemen facilitating payments through Hawala networks, to the gang leaders themselves," the British government’s statement said.
Hawala networks are an informal and trust-based system for transferring money across borders without physical transfer of money.
Separately, the UK has signed a "one in, one out" agreement with La Belle France, allowing the return of illegal migrants colonists arriving from La Belle France in exchange for accepting a set number of legal asylum seekers from La Belle France subject to security checks, according to the BBC.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer also recently reached agreements with La Belle France and Germany aimed at curbing the arrival of small boats.
Thousands of people from Iraq and the Kurdistan Region take on perilous routes towards Europa ...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum... on a yearly basis in hopes of escaping unemployment, political instability, and corruption.
The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has previously worked with the KRG against organized crime.
"We maintain a positive relationship with law enforcement partners in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and work with them against a range of shared threats, including organised immigration crime," a spokesperson for the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) press office told Rudaw in November 2024.
Kurdish criminal groups control the increasingly lucrative cross-Channel migration routes, according to the NCA, which said in its 2023 assessment that the groups are mainly based in northern Europe.
Also in November last year, a French court sentenced 18 people, mostly Kurds from the Kurdistan Region, to prison terms of up to 15 years for operating a smuggling network that transported people across the English Channel. In May 2024, Kurdish police in Sulaimani arrested a Kurdish man accused of heading an organized crime group that smuggled people into the UK.
The regime was previously outlined by foreign minister David Lammy in January.
Continued on Page 47
[IsraelTimes] Cancellation of Skazi’s set at Tomorrowland’s 2nd weekend comes after two Israeli festival-goers were briefly detained there for alleged war crimes last week
A scheduled performance by Israeli electronic dance music project Skazi at the second weekend of Belgium’s popular Tomorrowland festival was canceled hours before it was set to take place on Saturday.
"Due to security considerations and our deep commitment to spreading only love and music, my performance at Tomorrowland... has been canceled," wrote Asher Swissa, who performs as Skazi, on Instagram. "My message has always been and will continue to be: one of unity, joy, and mutual respect."
Swissa then returned to Israel, a day after he arrived in Belgium.
There was no statement from the festival organizers.
Speaking to news hounds later after arriving back in Israel, Swissa said that there had been intense pressure from pro-Paleostinian organizations to cancel his performance.
"There was a pro-Paleostinian organization that applied lots of pressure, ensure that all of this would not happen," said Swissa. "Everything was very intensive and threatening."
"The organizers of Tomorrowland actually tried to help, but if they managed ot get soldiers arrested, it was nothing for them to stop me," he said.
Israelis at Tomorrowland were upset to learn that Skazi’s set was canceled.
"It really sucks," said 24-year-old Gal Elbaz to Channel 12. "It’s very disappointing and [makes me] less willing to come back, knowing that [they] prefer to cancel artists from our nation because of misunderstanding and political pressure."
The Belgian EDM festival draws many Israelis annually, and it is common to see Israeli flags waved in the large crowds.
While the event is generally welcoming to Israelis, a civilian and an IDF soldier attending the festival were detained last weekend for questioning by police and released shortly thereafter.
Belgium’s public broadcaster reported, citing the federal prosecutor’s office, that the Israelis were briefly detained after a war crimes complaint was lodged against them by the Hind Rajab Foundation,
…a project launched last October by the March 30 Movement, itself named in memory of the Palestinian general strike on that date in 1976 in the West Bank against the Israeli government. Both groups are lawfare boiler rooms generating endless lawsuits against Israelis and those who support Israel in Western Europe and elsewhere, and between times propagandizing against Israel using the currently fashionable far left shibboleths. March 30 is the hobby of lawyer Haroon Raza, appearing at the end of 2023, but at bottom it’s a Hezbollah front founded by Dyab Abou Jahjah (Dyab Abu Jahjah) …
which has pursued Israeli tourists around the world over alleged war crimes 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 the arrests, Skazi said he was determined to perform and that he would wave a large Israeli flag during his set.
Swissa’s planned performance was already causing controversy in Belgium, where self-described "international solidarity" NGO 11.11.11 had slammed Tomorrowland organizers for hosting Skazi, who the group said "normalizes violence."
Belgian media noted that the DJ has referred to himself in Hebrew media as a "combat DJ," touting shows he had put on for Israeli soldiers set to enter Gaza after the war there was sparked by the Hamas ..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,... onslaught of October 7, 2023.
Skazi wrote on Instagram on Friday, before his set was canceled, that he was aware his upcoming performance "has sparked some controversy" in Belgian media.
"I want to be clear: every time I step on stage, my mission is to bring unity," he wrote. "Let’s allow Tomorrowland to remain what it was always meant to be: a place where people from all walks of life come together."
The investigation into the co-op house, called Kairos, began last spring after multiple reports were filed alleging that Jewish students participating in an unnamed extracurricular activity were “asked to leave the house and told that, among other things, the presence of ‘Zionists’ in the group was making residents of the house uncomfortable,” Stanford said in a statement.
Following an investigation, the school’s Title VI office found that the unnamed extracurricular project had “nothing to do with the Middle East and that none of the students present had shared their political beliefs,” according to the school.
As a result, the school found that the students involved were “targeted based on their perceived Jewish identity” — a pattern that Jewish students have reported on campuses across the country during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza that has triggered widespread protests against Israel.
“It is simply not acceptable that Jewish students would be excluded from a university space, or asked to explain their political beliefs to remain in that space,” Stanford’s statement said.
The administration is in talks with several universities, including Cornell, Duke, Northwestern and Brown, the source says, confirming a report in The Wall Street Journal.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, says the administration is close to striking deals with Northwestern and Brown and potentially Cornell. A deal with Harvard is a key target for the White House, the official adds.
The universities have not immediately responded to requests for comment.
Continued on Page 47
[FoxNews] Efforts to overhaul the Coast Guard are gaining traction on Capitol Hill — coinciding with the Trump administration’s endeavor to revamp the service to address illegal migrant crossings and drug seizures.
Multiple initiatives to update the Coast Guard are underway in both chambers of Congress, and within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). All seek to elevate the service so it’s on par with the other branches of the military that fall under the Department of Defense, and better equip it to tackle drug and immigration interdiction missions.
House legislation authorizing funding for the service through 2029 recently cleared a committee vote and aims to empower the service to conduct these missions, according to Rep. Mike Ezell, R-Miss., a co-sponsor of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025.
"The Coast Guard is very similar to law enforcement," Ezell told Fox News Digital July 16. "It's going to fight the narcotics epidemic that we have coming into the country. Our Coast Guard officers and men and women are going to really be able to go after that."
Such missions are only increasing for the Coast Guard. DHS announced July 15 that the service had seized a total of 242,244 pounds of cocaine since President Donald Trump took office in January. That amounts to a more than 100% increase in seizures in comparison to the same timeframe in 2024 during the Biden administration, according to DHS.
Ezell, along with Reps. Sam Graves, R-Mo., Rick Larsen, D-Wash., and Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., introduced the Coast Guard Authorization Act July 2, and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed the measure July 15, paving the way for the measure to head to the House floor.
One of the most significant provisions in the legislation would establish a civilian secretary of the Coast Guard to align more similarly with the other branches of the military that fall under the Department of Defense. The Coast Guard falls under the jurisdiction of DHS and does not have a top civilian leading the service.
Installing a secretary of the service will "streamline some of this red tape that we've seen over the years that’s slowed progress down" because he or she will report directly to the White House and Congress — eliminating multiple layers of bureaucracy, according to Ezell.
"This person is going to be instrumental in getting things done," Ezell said.
[IsraelTimes] Like UK’s Starmer, Italian PM says Rome won’t follow Macron’s lead, supports Palestinian statehood but will only recognize once it has been established
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Saturday that recognizing a Palestinian state before it is established could be counterproductive.
“I am very much in favor of the State of Palestine, but I am not in favor of recognizing it prior to establishing it,” Meloni told Italian daily La Repubblica.
“If something that doesn’t exist is recognized on paper, the problem could appear to be solved when it isn’t,” Meloni added.
France’s announced decision to recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September drew condemnation from Israel and the United States, amid the war in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Israel’s warnings to France have ranged from scaling back intelligence sharing to complicating Paris’ regional initiatives — with several ministers urging the annexation of the West Bank.
France, home to Europe’s largest Jewish and Muslim communities, will become the first major Western country to recognize a Palestinian state, potentially giving greater momentum to a movement so far dominated by smaller nations that are generally more critical of Israel.
On Friday, Italian Foreign Minister Antoni Tajani said recognition of a Palestinian state must occur simultaneously with recognition of Israel by the new Palestinian entity.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Friday that recognizing Palestinian statehood should be part of a wider plan for lasting security for Palestinians and Israelis.
A German government spokesperson also said on Friday that Berlin was not planning to recognize a Palestinian state in the short term, adding that its priority now is to make “long-overdue progress” toward a two-state solution.
“You need to recognize a Palestinian state as part of moving forward. How do you exclude Hamas from any involvement there? How do you ensure that a Palestinian state operates in an appropriate way which does not threaten the existence of Israel?” he stresses.
“And so we won’t do any decision as a gesture, we will do it as a way forward if the circumstances are met,” he continues. “Is the time right now? Are we about to imminently do that? No, we are not… But we will engage constructively.”
Not because it’s even slightly needed, but just to shut up the international whiners.
[IsraelTimes] In apparent shift under heavy international pressure, army says series of steps aimed at improving humanitarian situation in Strip, refuting ‘false claim of deliberate starvation’
Israel carried out its first airdrop of humanitarian aid into 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... early Sunday for the first time since the start of the ongoing war against Hamas ..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,... , and pledged to halt fighting in certain parts of the Strip and create safe passages for the United Nations ...a formerly good idea gone bad... to distribute goods to the Paleostinian population.
The series of announcements appeared to mark a shift under heavy international pressure for Jerusalem, which between March and May barred all aid from Gaza, and then supported distributing much of the assistance via private American contractors in designated areas — a mechanism that drew increasing backlash over reports of hundreds of aid-seekers being rubbed out in near-daily incidents.
While Israel has consistently argued that it isn’t restricting aid distribution by the UN, the international body and humanitarian groups have been claiming Israeli restrictions prevent the goods from being handed out, with countries, groups and officials waging a growing pressure campaign for the Jewish state to allow more aid as hunger steadily grows in the war-battered enclave amid mounting reports of malnutrition-related deaths.
On Saturday evening, the Foreign Ministry said Israel would implement "humanitarian pauses" in densely populated areas and humanitarian corridors in Gaza starting Sunday morning, to enable the distribution of aid, shortly after the Israel Defense Forces said it was prepared to do so.
The IDF did not immediately provide an exact schedule or locations of the "pauses." It earlier said it had been decided that "designated humanitarian corridors would be established to enable the safe movement of UN convoys delivering food and medicine to the population."
"The IDF is prepared to implement humanitarian pauses in densely populated areas and will continue to operate to dismantle terrorist infrastructure and eliminate turbans in the areas of activity," it said.
Also Saturday evening, the military said it was planning the airdrop — consisting of seven packages of aid containing flour, sugar and canned food — adding this was among a "series of actions" aimed at improving the humanitarian situation in the Strip.
Hours later, the IDF said it had carried out the airdrop, providing video footage and stressing that the move was taken "in accordance with the directives of the political echelon."
It was the first time Israel had airdropped aid into Gaza since the current war began, after previously having only allowed other countries to carry out such operations.
The IDF said the airdrop was conducted by the Israeli Air Force and Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), "in coordination with international aid organizations."
Unusually, the latter, nighttime statement was only issued on the army’s English-language distribution list for journalists, and wasn’t immediately featured on its Hebrew channels.
In the earlier statement, the IDF said the airdropped aid was to be provided by international organizations, and that its goal was also to refute the "false claim of deliberate starvation in the Gaza Strip."
According to the IDF and COGAT, over 250 trucks of aid were unloaded at the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings with Gaza this week, joining hundreds more trucks waiting to be collected by the UN and other international groups. In all, some 600 trucks’ worth of aid were collected and distributed in Gaza this week, according to COGAT’s figures.
"The IDF, through COGAT, will continue coordinating with international organizations to collect the contents of hundreds of trucks that have not yet been collected," the military said.
In another effort, the military and COGAT said that in the Israel Electric Corporation had connected a power line from Israel to a desalination plant in the Strip’s south, which was expected to supply "approximately 20,000 cubic meters of water per day, up from the 2,000 cubic meters supplied until now, to serve about 900,000 residents in the area."
"The IDF emphasizes that there is no starvation in the Gaza Strip; this is a false campaign promoted by Hamas. Responsibility for food distribution to the population in Gaza lies with the UN and international aid organizations. Therefore, the UN and international organizations are expected to improve the effectiveness of aid distribution and to ensure that the aid does not reach Hamas," the statement continued.
"The IDF emphasizes that combat operations have not ceased. We will continue to operate in the Gaza Strip to return all hostages and to defeat the Hamas terrorist organization, both above and below ground," the military added.
Continued on Page 47
[IsraelTimes] Terror group said to have reissued order to kill captives if necessary; its officials ‘surprised’ by Trump’s claim it doesn’t want truce; Rubio tells hostages’ families ‘rethink’ needed
With the US and Israel accusing Hamas ..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,... of not wanting a truce deal and talking about pursuing "alternative options" to bring home the 50 hostages still held 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... , Hamas has taken steps to fend off possible military operations aimed at rescuing the remaining hostages, the London-based Arabic daily Asharq al-Awsat reported on Saturday.
Hamas sources on the ground in Gaza told the Saudi outlet that the terror organization was taking additional precautionary measures to undermine potential efforts by Israeli special forces or others to rescue the hostages.
For example, Hamas has reinstated a policy to kill hostages if captors believe that Israeli forces are approaching. The policy had been canceled since the most recent ceasefire came into effect in March, the sources said.
The sources said Hamas was confident that such operations, if attempted, would not succeed.
Eight hostages have been rescued alive from captivity by troops. The bodies of 49 have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the Israeli military as they tried to escape their captors, and the body of a soldier who was killed in 2014.
The rest of the nearly 200 hostages set free were released as part of the ceasefire deals.
Hamas officials expressed surprise on Saturday at US President Donald Trump ...His ancestors didn't own any slaves... ’s accusation that it "didn’t really want" to reach a ceasefire and hostage release deal.
Trump made the allegation on Friday, a day after Israeli and American teams left indirect negotiations with Hamas in Qatar ...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi... that had lasted nearly three weeks.
"Trump’s remarks are particularly surprising, especially as they come at a time when progress had been made on some of the negotiation files," Hamas’s Taher al-Nunu told AFP. "So far, we have not been informed of any issues regarding the files under discussion in the indirect ceasefire negotiations," he added.
Nunu, who is close to Hamas’s most senior political officials, said he was "surprised" that Israel and the US had left the talks.
Announcing the recall of US mediators on Thursday, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff accused Hamas of not "acting in good faith."
"We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza," Witkoff said.
Both Hamas officials called on the US to be more even-handed in its role as mediator in the quest for a ceasefire after more than 21 months of fighting. "We call for an end to the US bias in favor of Netanyahu, who is obstructing any agreement," Nunu said.
While Washington and Jerusalem fumed at Hamas over the response it submitted Thursday to the latest proposal for a 60-day Gaza truce and hostage release deal, Egypt and Qatar took a more nuanced approach. They indicated that the Hamas response indeed contained too many requests for changes to the proposal, but maintained that the gaps were bridgeable, an Arab diplomat and a source involved in the mediation effort told The Times of Israel on Friday.
Trump painted a far more bleak outlook and appeared to indicate that the US may not be able to secure the return of the remaining 50 hostages, 20 of whom are believed to still be alive.
"I said this was going to happen," Trump told news hounds, claiming to have predicted the current impasse.
"We got a lot of hostages out. But when you get down to the last 10 or 20, I don’t think Hamas is going to make a deal because that means they have no protection. And basically that’s what happened," he said.
"I think what’s going to happen is they’re going to be hunted down," Trump continued. "It [has] gotten to a point where [Israel is] going to have to finish the job."
Israel is "going to have to fight, and going to have to clean it up. You’re gonna have to get rid of [Hamas]," he said, acknowledging that the situation is "sort of disappointing."
[TWZ] Roughly 25% of all U.S. THAAD interceptors funded to date were reportedly launched in June, and SM-3s were also expended at a worrisome rate.
Now that people who understand business are running things in the US, it’s time to ramp up production, because in a srious war, like with China, if they ever got their wish, 150 is not very many..
[IsraelTimes] Rocket booster carrying Iranian satellite successfully lifts off into space; launch highlights warm ties between the two countries months after signing partnership pact
A Russian rocket successfully put an Iranian communications satellite into orbit Friday, a launch that highlighted strong ties between the two countries.
The Soyuz rocket lifted off as scheduled from the Vostochny launchpad in far eastern Russia. It carried two Russian Ionosphere-M Earth observation satellites, along with Iran’s Nahid-2 satellite and 17 smaller Russian satellites, and put them into designated orbits.
The 110-kilogram (242 lb) Iranian satellite is supposed to circle the Earth on a 500-kilometer (310-mile) orbit and has a service lifetime of two years.
In November, Russia launched a pair of Iranian satellites named Kowsar and Hodhod, the first launched on behalf of the country’s private sector. It followed two previous Russian launches of Iranian satellites in 2022 and 2024.
Russia, which signed a "strategic partnership" treaty with 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... in January, strongly condemned the Israeli and US strikes on Iran last month against the Islamic Theocratic Republic’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ...President-for-Life of Russia. He gets along well with other presidents for life. He is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substance. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to him. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substances... has suggested that Moscow could help negotiate a settlement that could allow Tehran to pursue a peaceful atomic program while assuaging the security concerns of Israel, which Iran regularly vows to destroy.
At the same time, Putin has emphasized that Tehran hasn’t asked Moscow for military assistance and noted that the partnership treaty doesn’t envision such aid.
Russia has maintained a delicate balancing act in the Middle East for decades, trying to maintain warm relations with Israel even as it developed strong economic and military ties with Iran.
Continued on Page 47
[Rudaw] A senior Syrian government source on Thursday rejected the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces' (SDF) insistence on maintaining its weapons and joining the army as a bloc, calling the stance a violation of the landmark agreement reached in March between Damascus and northeast Syria (Rojava).
An unnamed senior source from Damascus told state-run al-Ikhbariya TV that "talk of ’refusing to surrender weapons’ and ’insisting on forming a military bloc’ is entirely and categorically rejected," adding that such positions "contradict... the terms of the agreement" reached on March 10 between Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa and SDF chief Mazloum Abdi.
The agreement outlines the future of the SDF and Rojava. While parts of the agreement have been implemented, key provisions - such as integrating the US-backed SDF into Syrian state forces - remain contested.
"Handing over weapons is a red line; it is not possible to hand over weapons," Farhad Shami, head of SDF media centre, told Syria's Alyaum TV on Wednesday.
"When we go to Damascus, naturally, we go with realistic proposals that not only serve the SDF but that serve Syria," he added, noting that the SDF seeks to join the army as "a bloc."
The Damascus source, cited by al-Ikhbariya, said that "no military entity outside the Syrian military institution can be considered legitimate by the state, and any attempt to maintain armed manifestations or separation from state institutions is a path that leads to further tension and division, not to a comprehensive national solution."
SDF spokesperson Abjar Dawoud told Saudi-based Asharq al-Awsat on Tuesday that the SDF could join the Syrian army "through a constitutional and legal agreement that recognizes the specificity of our forces," adding that they refuse to "surrender" their weapons "in light of the increase in the pace of violence" in southern Suwayda province.
He emphasized it is "impossible" for the SDF to hand over its weapons while the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (ISIS) remains a threat to northeast Syria.
The SDF functions as the de facto army of Rojava.
This comes amid conflicting reports that SDF chief Mazloum Abdi had arrived in Gay Paree on Wednesday for La Belle France-mediated talks with Syrian authorities. Sources later disputed the claim, citing tensions with Damascus and suggesting the meeting was postponed.
The Damascus source rejected what it described as attempts to "use the events in Suwayda or [festivities in] the coast to justify refusing to align under the state's banner," saying such arguments "reflect blatant attempts to incite public opinion and distort the facts."
Clashes erupted in Suwayda on July 13 between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes, escalating into a broader conflict. At least 1,300 people have been killed, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The violence drew Israeli intervention in support of the Druze, with strikes targeting Syrian state forces and the defense ministry building in Damascus.
A ceasefire between Israel and Syria - brokered by Washington- was announced Saturday by US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack and appears to be holding.
Damascus has come under fire for its response to the festivities, with Barrack saying Damascus should be held accountable for what happened in Suwayda.
The European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... on Thursday condemned the violence in southern Syria, calling for a "transparent, credible and impartial investigation, and for all perpetrators of grave violations of international humanitarian law and human rights When they're defined by the state or an NGO they don't mean much... law to be held accountable and brought to justice — including with the support of relevant international mechanisms."
While Sharaa has pledged to form an "inclusive transitional government that would reflect Syria’s diversity," he faces criticism from both domestic and international actors over what is seen as the marginalization of minority communities.
The SDF has been the main ally of the US-led global coalition against ISIS. During Syria’s civil war, Kurdish forces established an autonomous administration across large parts of the country’s northeast after government troops withdrew. Since the fall of former president Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Lord of the Baath... , the SDF and the US have warned of ISIS efforts to reestablish a foothold amid Syria’s shifting security landscape.
Kurdish leaders have also voiced concern over the centralization of power and the prominence of Islamic law in the transitional constitution adopted by the interim government. They have repeatedly denied accusations of separatism and have called instead for federalism.
Continued on Page 47
[IsraelTimes] Reza Pahlavi, the crown prince of Iran, says at least 50,000 military and government officials have registered for a secure opposition platform aimed at overthrowing the Islamic Republic and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Pahlavi, who lives in exile in the United States, says there is a separate website for regular citizens interested in participating in the national opposition.
“Every week we have additional numbers coming. Clearly we have to analyze the data, it’s an arduous process — it will take some time — but the signals are quite strong. We have received [a] tremendous […] response, and of course we are giving top priority to key elements within those designated segments that I mentioned,” he says.
#2
He said a separate website will be launched for ordinary Iranian citizens to register their interest in joining the national campaign against the regime.
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 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 
...Arabic for 
...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum...
..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,...
..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,...
..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,...
...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 
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling 
