“Sander Gerber, his partner on the Taylor Force Act, once quipped that the senator was “more pro-Israel than AIPAC,” while Christians United for Israel counted him among Israel’s most stalwart allies in Congress”

Posted on July 12, 2026 by ArchitectGuy

NOON IN ISRAEL
Israel Loses Its Greatest Friend on Capitol Hill
Amit Segal
July 12, 2026

It’s Sunday, July 12, and this morning the office of South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham announced that he passed away Saturday evening after a sudden and brief illness—two days after turning 71. He had returned from Kyiv on Friday, where he met Volodymyr Zelensky, and was booked on Meet the Press for this very morning. Israel has lost its greatest friend on Capitol Hill. That isn’t an exaggeration; it’s the consensus of the Israeli opposition and coalition, who rose in unison this morning to eulogize the beloved senator. Born and raised in his beloved South Carolina, Graham grew up living in a cramped room behind his parents’ combined pool hall, bar and liquor store. Later becoming a lawyer and enlisting in the U.S. military, he entered Congress in 1995, becoming the first Republican to represent South Carolina’s 3rd District since Reconstruction. In 2003, he moved up to the Senate, where he and John McCain became a trio with Joe Lieberman—dubbed the “Three Amigos” by Gen. David Petraeus on one of their endless trips to Iraq and Afghanistan. Hawks, travelers and crossers of aisles for wars worth fighting. Especially Israel’s. READ

NEW YORK POST Lindsey Graham had among the lowest wealth in Congress despite a lifetime at the center of power The late Sen. Lindsey Graham ranked among the bottom half of Congress’ big earners despite more than three decades in office and a top role leading the GOP. Graham, 71, died Saturday night with a net worth of nearly $1.5 million, leaving the senator, who had a modest upbringing in South Carolina, ranked at 294th in wealth among the 535 voting members of Congress, according to data from the Quiver Quantitative tracker. As a point of contrast, Graham’s personal wealth is a drop compared to Congress’ wealthiest member, fellow Sen. James Justice (R-WV), whose net worth is estimated at more than $664 million, according to Quiver Quantitative. 

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“The vice president’s critique overlooks a long history of Israeli diplomacy, compromise, and reluctant wars. But worse, it invokes an age-old blood libel”

Posted on July 10, 2026 by ArchitectGuy

CLARITY
The Israeli Response to Vance
Michael Oren
July 9, 2026

…What they should have asked, “is JD Vance right when he said that Israel “can’t just kill [its] way out of solving every single national security problem that [it has]’?” The answer is adamantly “no!” The charge that Israel uses brute force to resolve all its security problems is firstly, and historically, false. This is the country which, in 1949, signed armistice agreements with four Arab countries that only a year before had tried to destroy us. In 1967, that same country offered to return almost all of the sizable territories we captured in the Six-Day War in return for peace with the Arab leaders who once again sought to annihilate it. Their response was the three “no”s—no recognition, no negotiation, no peace. This is the country, Israel, which returned the Sinai Peninsula, an area more than three times its size, in return for peace with Egypt. We are the nation that signed a peace agreement with the arch-terrorist Arafat who for decades specialized in murdering Israelis. He soon went back to murdering Israelis and still we sought peace with him. READ MORE

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“His pompous, fact-lite sermon on Gaza is a transparent effort to win back Muslim voters and the keffiyeh classes”

Posted on July 10, 2026 by ArchitectGuy

SPIKED
Andy Burnham’s shameful pandering to anti-Israel bigots
Brendan O’Neill
July 10, 2026

Here he comes, pandering Andy Burnham. The King of the North throwing out the red meat of Israelophobia to keep certain voters sweet. The incoming PM yapping piously about Israel’s possible ‘war crimes’ in a bid to win back restive Muslim voters and the keffiyeh classes who’ve abandoned Labour for the crackpot Greens. That’s what I saw in Burnham’s staggeringly pompous digital sermon on Gaza – not an act of geopolitical conviction but a masterclass in demographic toadying. It was in a video chat with the Guardian – where else? – that Burnham promised to get tough on Israel when he succeeds Keir Starmer as PM this month. In classic therapy-speak, he acknowledged that ‘Labour’s initial response to the treatment of Gaza caused huge hurt’. Hurt to who? Those mobs who swarmed our streets after 7 October hollering for further holy war against the Jewish State? Cry me a river. ‘We got it wrong and I am sorry for that’, he said in his clinical-feeling mea culpa. READ MORE

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“As a Jew, I can no longer stand with a movement that is antisemitic and anti-Israel at its core”

Posted on July 10, 2026 by ArchitectGuy

JNS
Why I will no longer fight for the LGBTQ community
Paul Miller
July 9, 2026

…To the LGBTQ movement, I must now say that, because of my Judaism, I was given an opportunity to show my love in the most personal way. But ironically, for the same reason, I can no longer stand with you. When “intersectionality” entered the mainstream in the 2010s, historically disenfranchised and oppressed groups banded together to embrace inclusion, diversity and social justice. Yet the most persecuted group in human history, people who endure the systemic racism built into humanity itself, are not only excluded but also recategorized to fit this new narrative. Jews are now classified as privileged colonizers and oppressors. The progressive movement, in which the LGBTQ community plays an integral role, has become a regressive campaign that embraces exclusion and antisemitism. Before you jump on the intellectually dishonest bandwagon, claiming that “It’s not antisemitism, it’s anti-Zionism” or “We aren’t anti-Jewish, we are anti-Israel,” spare me your progressive talking points. READ MORE

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“As the crisis worsens, Israel and the US are examining steps to bring down the Iranian regime”

Posted on July 9, 2026 by ArchitectGuy

ISRAEL HAYOM (by agreement with JNS)
Pezeshkian at risk of ouster as Israel, US explore ways to topple Iran’s regime
Danny Zaken
July 9, 2026

Diplomatic officials from the region and the West have voiced concern for the fate of Iran’s political and civilian leadership, which advanced the memorandum of understanding with the US. According to these officials, the attempts to harm Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and President Masoud Pezeshkian during the mourning events and funeral procession for Ali Khamenei point to a loss of restraint toward them by the heads of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. One official, who is well versed in developments inside Iran, told Israel Hayom that as part of the internal dispute in Iran, which has intensified following the signing of the memorandum of understanding, Guard commanders could take control of the civilian leadership and move to oust Pezeshkian’s government. Israel Hayom reported that Araghchi made clear in his latest messages to his American interlocutors and to mediators from Pakistan and Qatar that Iran’s political leadership was unable to secure the Guards’ consent to the terms of the agreement or to the cessation of fire at tankers and ships passing through the Gulf. READ MORE

THE TELEGRAPH The Iranian Regime Is Fracturing; Open Conflict Could Be Next The Iranian regime’s oligarchic clans are at war with each other—and this conflict may soon spiral beyond control. This fight is not over ideology or the future direction of the Islamic Republic: all the oligarchic clans are Islamist; some wear turbans, others wear military uniforms, and some wear suits. In other words, they all subscribe to the core tenets of Shia Islamism in Iran: the forceful imposition of Sharia law domestically, support for the so-called Axis of Resistance militia network, anti-Americanism, and the goal of eradicating the Israel (driven by innate anti-Semitism). But they are competing to protect and advance their power and economic interests amid the vacuum that emerged after the elimination of Ali Khamenei, the former supreme leader, who had operated as the godfather of these clans.

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“Trump Removes Syria From State Sponsors of Terrorism List Following Meeting With al-Sharaa”

Posted on July 9, 2026 by ArchitectGuy

ALGEMEINER
US Removes Syria From Terrorism List as Washington Seeks to Support Post-War Reconstruction
Ailin Vilches Arguello
July 9, 2026

The United States has moved to remove Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, marking a major shift in Washington’s policy toward Damascus as bilateral ties continue to improve and the administration pledges support for the country’s reconstruction efforts. After meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Turkey, U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday sent him a letter announcing his decision to remove Syria from the U.S. list of designated state sponsors of terrorism. “I promised to remove all barriers stopping you from rebuilding your country, and very soon, you will finally be able to do so,” Trump wrote in the letter. “We have U.S. companies ready to invest in Syria and help make your country greater and more prosperous than ever before,” he continued. READ MORE

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“German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul rebukes Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan for calling Israel a global burden, backing Israel amid a diplomatic dispute over Armenian Genocide”

Posted on July 9, 2026 by ArchitectGuy

ARUTZ SHEVA
German FM slams Turkey’s claims that Israel is a ‘burden’
Elad Benari
July 6, 2026

Germany’s federal foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, has intervened in a sharp diplomatic dispute between Israel and Turkey, strongly condemning recent statements made by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan as “utterly inappropriate.” The friction escalated on Thursday when Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar published a video segment on social media featuring an interview granted by Fidan to CNN Türk, accompanied by an English translation. According to the translated text, Fidan blasted Israel and said that its contemporary political strategies and foundational mindset had “become a burden that humanity can no longer bear.” READ MORE

FRONT PAGE Ankara Poses a Growing Threat to Jerusalem While Israel and the world’s attention is focused on the highly complicated and flawed negotiations between the United States and Iran, another enemy is advancing its own interests in the region, encroaching on Israel’s sovereignty, and seeking to establish itself as a regional hegemon. That enemy is Turkey under its ruthless president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan…Since the rise to power of one of the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, Erdoğan, almost 25 years ago, Turkey’s relations with Israel have ranged from chilly to openly hostile. It is important to understand Erdoğan’s plans for the Middle East and what Israel can do to thwart his ambitions, for the benefit of both Israel and the free world.

ALGEMEINER ‘Death to America’: Netanyahu Urges US Not to Provide F-35 Fighter Jets, Engine Technology to Turkey Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is urging the Trump administration not to provide advanced American fighter aircraft or critical fighter jet components to Turkey, arguing that the move would undermine Israel’s security and threaten the military balance in the Middle East. As President Donald Trump traveled to Turkey for a NATO summit, Netanyahu warned that Ankara should not be allowed to acquire Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighters or F110 jet engines that could support Turkey’s domestic fighter aircraft program.

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Islam + Socialism: A century of failed experiments before the rise of Mamdani and friends

Posted on July 8, 2026 by ArchitectGuy

WASHINGTON TIMES
The forgotten history of Muslim socialism
Clifford D. May
July 7, 2026

Zohran Mamdani, Aber Kawas, Rashida Tlaib, Darializa Avila Chevalier. Those are just some of the Democratic politicians who self-identify as both socialists and Muslims. Which gives me an opportunity to acquaint you with a bit of little-known history. We’ll begin in 1904, in Baku, when a Muslim Social Democratic Party known as Hummet was organized to draw the city’s Muslim oil workers into Russia’s socialist movement. In 1920, Hummet merged with other leftist groups to form the Azerbaijan Communist Party. Meanwhile, by 1917, Mirsaid Sultan-Galiev, a Volga Tatar, had joined the Bolsheviks and was soon arguing that Muslim peoples, colonized by the Russian Empire, were a kind of proletariat. His ideology became known as Muslim National Communism. READ MORE

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“To survive today’s Democratic Party, Jews must apologize for the Jewish state. Rahm Emanuel’s speech in Israel on Wednesday will be a master class in exactly that”

Posted on July 8, 2026 by ArchitectGuy

FREE PRESS
Rahm Emanuel Bows to the Left on Israel
Peter Savodnik
July 7, 2026

Rahm Emanuel, in his quest to become president of the United States, is in Israel to deliver a withering speech Wednesday on the future of U.S.-Israeli relations—and, more importantly, to communicate to progressives in America that he’s the kind of Jew they can trust…The message Emanuel will deliver is that Israel can no longer count on America’s support. If it wants our love, it had better stop with the needless war-making, the decimation of Palestinian lives. It had better rejoin the international community and find a new prime minister, one who does not think Emanuel is a “self-hating Jew.” Emanuel loves to remind voters that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu—in 2009—called him a self-hating Jew (which may be the only kind of Jew that American progressives will stomach in 2028). He does so in the advance copy of his Tel Aviv speech, and he did so—twice—when we spoke Tuesday. READ MORE

JEWISH INSIDER Rahm Emanuel, in Tel Aviv, says he is ‘not impressed’ by far-left wing of the Democratic Party Emanuel responded to a question about Democrats, including Darializa Avila Chevalier, the presumptive winner in New York’s 13th Congressional District, who attended a Times Square rally the day after Hamas launched its attacks on southern Israel. “I have no place for the moral bankruptcy of those that found Oct. 8 as the day to cheer 1,200 people not only killed but sexually abused, and for taking hostage 250 people. They’re morally bankrupt.” 

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An Israeli government mission and Jewish humanitarian groups are working in quake-hit Venezuela, but officials are careful not to call it normalization

Posted on July 7, 2026 by ArchitectGuy

MEDIA LINE
‘They Never Imagined Brothers from Israel Would Come’: Quake Aid Opens Rare Door in Venezuela
Gabriel Colodro
July 8, 2026

Israel’s ambassador-designate to Mexico, Yoed Magen, arrived in Venezuela at the head of a team that, until recently, would have been hard to picture in Caracas: army officers, engineers, and Foreign Ministry personnel from a country that has had no diplomatic relations with Venezuela since 2009. The delegation has about 30 Israelis on the ground, most of them from the military and the Foreign Ministry, Magen told The Media Line. Another 20 specialists are working from Israel, reviewing material sent from the field and helping prepare recommendations for a national emergency-response plan. The team is expected to stay in Venezuela for about 10 days. Their work begins after the first rescue phase. Magen said the Israelis are not there for a classic search-and-rescue operation, but to help answer a more immediate question for local authorities and displaced families: What is still safe to use? The team is inspecting damaged buildings and infrastructure, drawing on the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Home Front Command’s experience in disaster zones abroad. READ MORE

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