“An associate of Ahmadinejad told the NYT that the Americans viewed Mr. Ahmadinejad as someone who could lead Iran and manage “Iran’s political, social, and military situation””

Posted on May 21, 2026 by ArchitectGuy

JPOST
Israel, US early war goals sought to reinstate Iran’s Ahmadinejad as leader, NYT reports
Maya Zanger-Davis
May 20, 2026

Israel and the United States went into Operations Roaring Lion and Epic Fury with the goal of reinstating former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the nation’s new leader, according to a Tuesday New York Times report citing US officials briefed on the matter. An associate of Ahmadinejad told the NYT that the Americans viewed Mr. Ahmadinejad as someone who could lead Iran and manage “Iran’s political, social, and military situation.”…The March Atlantic report also revealed that the joint Israel-US strike on Ahmadinejad’s home was an attempt to free rather than assassinate him. Following this discovery, an associate of the former Iranian president told the NYT he did indeed view the strike as a jailbreak attempt. The plan to reinstall Ahmadinejad was initially developed by Israel and had been discussed with him, the NYT claimed. However, the report said the plan ultimately failed after he was wounded during the jailbreak attempt and his whereabouts and condition since the strike are unknown. READ MORE

TIMES OF ISRAEL Amid Ben Gvir furor, Israel deports all 430 foreign flotilla activists, holds one Israeli Israel on Thursday deported all of the approximately 430 international activists who were detained at sea in the latest flotilla attempt to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza, the Foreign Ministry said, a day after National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir caused widespread outrage after filming himself taunting the bound, kneeling activists. 

ISRAEL HAYOM Amit Segal: To kill or not to kill? Israel and the US are debating whether eliminating Mojtaba Khamenei would be preferable to leaving the new leader alive, functioning but weakened, not to mention who would even come after him.

TIMES OF ISRAEL Trump says Netanyahu will ‘do whatever I want’ on Iran after pair said to hold tense call US President Donald Trump asserted Wednesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will do “whatever I want” when it comes to a potential military strike on Iran, in remarks made a day after the pair reportedly held a tense call on the subject. Trump was asked by reporters about his Tuesday phone call with the Israeli premier. “He’s a very good man, he’ll do whatever I want him to do. And he’s a great guy… Don’t forget he was a wartime prime minister,” Trump responded. Netanyahu has touted his close relationship with Trump, crediting it for a long list of pro-Israel decisions made by the US president. But it has also exposed Netanyahu to criticism that he is unable to push back on Trump as he has become so indebted to him.

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“In his concession speech, Massie took a dig at Gallrein for his support for Israel: “I would have come out sooner but I had to call my opponent and concede and it took a while to find Ed Gallrein in Tel Aviv”

Posted on May 21, 2026 by ArchitectGuy

JNS
Trump-backed former Navy SEAL beats Massie in Kentucky Republican primary
Andrew Bernard and Menachem Wecker
May 19, 2026

Ed Gallrein, a former U.S. Navy SEAL who drew support from U.S. President Donald Trump, defeated Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) in the Republican primary for Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District on Tuesday. The Associated Press called the race for Gallrein about two hours after the polls closed. At press time, Gallrein leads with 57,053 votes (54.8%) to Massie’s 47,018 (45.2%), with about 96% of votes counted. The race became the most expensive House primary in history after pro-Israel groups, including AIPAC, poured money into the race to defeat Massie, a libertarian who routinely votes against foreign policy measures and who has often been the lone Republican to oppose votes supporting the Jewish state. Massie had also drawn the ire of Trump after he opposed the president’s signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act and military action against Iran…READ MORE

THE HILL Rand Paul’s son apologizes for allegedly hurling antisemitic attacks at Lawler at Capitol Hill bar Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-Ky.) son apologized on Wednesday after he reportedly slung antisemitic attacks at Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) at a bar in the Washington, D.C., neighborhood of Capitol Hill. “Last night, I had too much to drink and said some things that don’t represent who I really am,” William Paul wrote on Wednesday on the social platform X. “I’m sorry and today I am seeking help for my drinking problem.”…The New York Republican said that William Paul claimed that if Massie lost, it would be “because of my people.” “Well, who is ‘my people’?” Lawler recounted asking in response. “And he yelled out, ‘Jews.’” Lawler recalled that Paul said he was “sorry to accuse you of that” after the New York lawmaker informed Paul that he was not, in fact, Jewish.

ISRAEL HAYOM Texas Democratic hopeful vows ‘internment camp for American Zionists,’ castration center Texas hopeful Maureen Galindo doubles down despite party backlash ahead of May 26 runoff, insisting she is not antisemitic. Writing in the third person, Galindo laid out her vision in terms that immediately drew national condemnation. “She’ll turn Karnes ICE Detention Center into a prison for American Zionists and former ICE officers for human trafficking,” she wrote. “It will also be a castration processing center for pedophiles, which will probably be most of the Zionists.”

JTA With AOC backing and anti-Israel message, Chris Rabb wins primary in Philadelphia Chris Rabb — a progressive state lawmaker who is staunchly critical of Israel — is poised to become the newest member of Congress’ “Squad” after winning a Democratic primary Tuesday in Philadelphia. Rabb had made opposition to Israel and AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobbying group, a focal point of his campaign in Pennsylvania’s Third Congressional District. He also recently made headlines when it was reported that his Instagram account had shared a post saying the Bondi Beach massacre was a false flag by “Zionists”; he disavowed the post and said it was shared by a former staffer.

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“Emerging MAGA fractures carry significant implications for the future of the U.S.-Israel alliance and GOP efforts to keep together President Trump’s coalition”

Posted on May 21, 2026 by ArchitectGuy

POLITICO
Poll: MAGA is largely aligned with Israel as GOP divides deepen
Lisa Kashinsky and Erin Doherty
May 16, 2026

The Republican Party is starting to splinter over support for Israel — and President Donald Trump’s most loyal supporters are largely aligned with the embattled U.S. ally. New results from The POLITICO Poll find that self-identified “MAGA” Trump voters are more supportive of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and its relationship with the U.S. than those who don’t identify as MAGA but still voted for the president. Nearly half of MAGA Trump voters say they back Israel and approve of the actions of its current government, while just 29 percent of non-MAGA Trump voters say the same, according to the survey. A plurality of MAGA voters (41 percent) say Israel is justified in its military campaign in Gaza — compared with 31 percent of non-MAGA voters. And 24 percent of MAGA voters say the country was initially justified but has gone too far, compared with 31 percent of non-MAGA voters. READ MORE

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“Thursday marks the start of the holiday that transformed freedom into purpose — and created the foundations of Jewish civilization”

Posted on May 20, 2026 by ArchitectGuy

FUTURE OF JEWISH
The Day the Jews Agreed to Become Jews
Joshua Hoffman
May 21, 2026

…Shavuot, which starts Thursday evening and ends at nightfall on Saturday, marks the moment the Jews agreed to become something far more demanding, far stranger, and infinitely more enduring: a covenantal civilization built on memory, obligation, learning, and shared destiny. Passover took the Jews out of Egypt. Shavuot began the long process of taking Egypt out of the Jews. This distinction matters more than ever today because modern society celebrates freedom constantly while often fearing responsibility. Sinai teaches the opposite lesson: that freedom alone cannot sustain a civilization. A people also needs purpose, obligation, moral structure, and shared meaning. Passover took the Jews out of Egypt. Shavuot began the long process of taking Egypt out of the Jews. READ MORE

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“Several left-wing European broadcasters and political actors spent years trying to pressure Eurovision organizers to ban Israel entirely”

Posted on May 18, 2026 by ArchitectGuy

ALGEMEINER
Amid Conspiracy Theories, Eurovision Proves Ordinary People Are Still Willing to Treat Israel Fairly
Micha Danzig
May 18, 2026

For many Americans, Eurovision requires a brief explanation. It is a massive annual international music competition involving dozens of countries across Europe and nearby regions, watched by hundreds of millions of people. And because much of the Arab world boycotted Israel culturally and politically after 1948 — excluding it from most regional sporting and cultural frameworks — Israel was integrated into European competitions instead…The public keeps voting for the Israelis anyway — likely because Israeli entries are often among the competition’s strongest. And because many ordinary viewers probably recoil from the increasingly hysterical effort to turn Israeli artists into untouchables. That effort has increasingly backfired. READ MORE

HEN MAZZIG The Only Night Europe Tells the Truth Here is the thing about Eurovision that the campaign never wanted to admit. The public vote is the most honest political instrument in Europe. No polling bias. No social desirability effect. Just a phone and a button and a private moment of preference. When Europeans were given that private moment, they chose Israel third out of thirty-seven. Despite everything.

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Bill Maher’s New Rules: No Jews, No News

Posted on May 17, 2026 by ArchitectGuy

JNS
Bill Maher deserves praise, not gratitude, for telling the truth about Israel
Ruthie Blum
May 18, 2026

In his typically acerbic style of dry humor, comedian-pundit Bill Maher marked the 78th anniversary of Israel’s Declaration of Independence with a hard-hitting monologue that promptly went viral. During the closing segment of the May 15 episode of his eponymous HBO show “Real Time,” Maher stated that “everyone must either wish [the Jewish state] a happy birthday or admit they’re antisemitic.”…For a full eight minutes, he let the hypocrites have it, highlighting the fact that “no one blinks” when an editor from the progressive magazine The American Prospect calls Israel a “brainwashed psychopathic death cult that might need to be nuked to save the human race.” He then pointed out that Jew-bashing is the one thing that the left and right have in common these days, mentioning Tucker Carlson, on the one hand, and The New York Times, on the other. READ MORE

REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER Bill Maher’s New Rules: No Jews, No News People say the left and the right can’t agree on anything these days? Well, there is this one thing they agree on: hating Israel. Click to view video

ISRAEL HAYOM Trump’s point man on antisemitism unveils new plan Leo Terrell, chairman of the US Justice Department’s task force, is launching a frontal campaign against local authorities across the US. In an interview with Israel Hayom, he singles out New York and Los Angeles and presents an unprecedented federal plan that will include withholding funds and a social media shaming system.

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Spencer: “I see a correlation between those who believe absurd claims like dogs were trained to rape Palestinians and those who insist Israel committed genocide in Gaza”

Posted on May 17, 2026 by ArchitectGuy

URBAN WARFARE
Absurd claims of dog rape and genocide
John Spencer
May 17, 2026

…Both claims collapse under scrutiny and under mountains of contrary evidence. One ignores biology and basic science, including the reality that dogs cannot rape humans in the way being alleged. The other disregards the legal definition of genocide, which requires demonstrable intent to destroy a people as such. That accusation runs directly against repeated public statements by Israeli political and military leaders after October 7 that the war was against Hamas, not the people of Gaza. It also requires evidence of actions taken to fulfill genocidal intent. Instead, the easily obtained facts show Israel facilitating historic aid deliveries, establishing evacuation corridors, warning civilians before operations, moving populations from combat zones, numerous other civilian harm mitigation measures, and even vaccinating Gaza’s population during active combat under conditions no military has ever faced. READ MORE

JPOST Israel established elite task force to hunt down terrorists who took part in Oct. 7 After the October 7 massacre, Israel established an elite task force to track down and kill or capture every Hamas terrorist who participated or planned the attack, from the most minor participants to their leadership, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. The task force is called NILI, an acronym of “Netzach Yisrael Lo Yeshaker” (“The Eternal One of Israel does not lie”), signifying that no victim of the attack would be forgotten. “The clear message to all future enemies is to think again about the price of a terrorist operation like that,” said Shalom Ben Hanan, a former senior official in the Shin Bet.

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“Tight-knit Queens community left devestated following horrific shoreline murder of Albert Itzkowitz, revered 75-year-old medical volunteer and pioneer of the local Jewish neighborhood”

Posted on May 17, 2026 by ArchitectGuy

JFEED
A Double Tragedy: Hatzalah Veteran Gunned Down Just Days After Burying His Wife
Eliana Fleming
May 19, 2026

A highly decorated first responder and beloved community patriarch has been discovered brutally murdered along the edge of a public lake in Queens. Local law enforcement officers discovered the lifeless body of seventy-five-year-old Albert Avrumi Itzkowitz stretched across the immediate shoreline of Kissena Lake within Kissena Park…The sudden loss has deeply traumatized the Jewish community of Kew Gardens Hills, where Itzkowitz was widely regarded as a founding pillar of civilian volunteer infrastructure. Community advocates stated that he was a beautiful, wonderful man who spent his entire life working as an elite public servant, joining the Hatzalah emergency medical organization during its earliest formative years. READ MORE

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“France’s Jews are leaving en masse — again. The largest Jewish community in Europe is shrinking as antisemitism, Islamist violence, and institutional denial drive thousands to question whether modern-day France is safe for Jews”

Posted on May 16, 2026 by ArchitectGuy

FUTURE OF JEWISH
France’s Jews are leaving en masse — again.
Melissa Brodsky
May 16, 2026

…France has a Holocaust memorial, as well as official days of remembrance. French politicians give speeches about never again. The Republic has a full suite of laws against hate speech and incitement. And yet, France’s Jews are leaving. They’re leaving — steadily, family by family, year by year — in numbers that have alarmed Israeli officials, French Jewish community organizations, and demographers who track these things…France has the largest Jewish population in Europe and the third-largest in the world, behind Israel and the United States. Jews represent less than one percent of the French population. READ MORE

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“The murder of a New Yorker could have been averted if not for the suicidal empathy that is spreading among victims”

Posted on May 15, 2026 by ArchitectGuy

FREE PRESS
‘I Don’t Want to Put Another Black Man in Jail’
Kat Rosenfield
May 11, 2026

Suicidal empathy” is a politically loaded term to describe a decidedly human phenomenon: a romantic belief in the power of compassion to heal all wounds. The suicidally empathetic person believes that trauma is the root of all evil, that those who hurt us can be loved into submission, that the goal of justice is to humanize rather than punish—no matter how ghastly the offense. Which is why, when I think about suicidal empathy, I don’t first think about immigration, or criminal justice, or even the murder of an elderly man in New York City by a violent serial offender this past weekend. Instead, I think about the NASCAR driver who, in 2005, was mauled nearly to death during a birthday party for a chimpanzee named Moe. St. James Davis and his wife, LaDonna, adopted Moe as a baby in 1967 after his mother was killed by poachers. They raised him in their home in California as though he were their child, and they also made excuses for him, like a child, when he began biting people. READ MORE

NEW YORK POST Dr Gad Saad: We must stop suicidal empathy from destroying the US Suicidal empathy results in the misfiring of an adaptive virtue in ways that result in the willful suicide of one’s civilization. In Japan, seppuku was the act of self-disembowelment that a samurai would commit to redress the shame of his actions. I argue that the West is committing civilizational seppuku via suicide by empathy. In his gargantuan, 12-volume “A Study of History,” famed British historian Arnold J. Toynbee examined the factors that cause civilizations to go extinct, the key insight of which has been summarized as follows: “Civilizations die from suicide, and not by murder.”

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