Israel's economy minister: Focused on making sure Iran never has the capabilities of nukes
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The Hill
7 minutes ago
- The Hill
Mamdani says he wouldn't use ‘globalize the intifada' term: Reports
New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani said he wouldn't use the phrase 'globalize the intifada' and would discourage others from using it as he faces scrutiny over his unwillingness to fully denounce the expression, multiple outlets reported. Mamdani, a state Assembly member who pulled off an upset victory to win the Democratic primary for mayor, has received significant criticism over the past month for comments he made during an interview in which he avoided condemning the phrase that has been a lightning rod throughout much of the Israel-Hamas war. In June, he said the phrase can have different meanings to different people, and he hears from the phrase a 'desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights.' He has also said he wouldn't use the term itself, and no instances have come to light of Mamdani using it. But three people familiar with Mamdani's comments in front of a group of business leaders on Tuesday told The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal that he said he wouldn't use it and doesn't believe others should use it either. The outlet reported that the meeting included 150 executives at a closed-door event hosted by the Partnership for New York, a group of members representing banks, law firms and corporations. The phrase has received widespread attention since Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that claimed 1,200 lives. Pro-Palestinian activists have maintained the phrase only refers to liberation for Palestinians to have the right to their own state and doesn't endorse calls for violence. Meanwhile, pro-Israel supporters and many Jews recall the first and second intifadas that took place in Israel in the 1980s and 2000s in which Palestinians engaged in protests against Israeli occupation. Some were peaceful while others weren't, and many people died on both sides. Mamdani told those in attendance on Tuesday that some see the term as expressing solidarity with Palestinians, but others view it as calling for violence against Israel, the Times reported. The Hill has reached out to Mamdani's campaign for comment. Mamdani's comments come as he tries to coalesce support as the Democratic nominee. He hasn't yet received endorsements from top New York Democrats like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. All of them have been critical of Mamdani's defense of the term and called for him to reassure Jewish New Yorkers that he will represent them too. Mamdani is taking part in a breakfast on Wednesday in Washington with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and is expected to meet with Jeffries this week. The Democratic nominee is facing a multi-candidate field in the general election, including former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whom he defeated in the primary. Cuomo announced Monday that he is running as an independent, alongside Mayor Eric Adams who's also running as an independent, Republican Curtis Sliwa and independent Jim Walden.
Wall Street Journal
7 minutes ago
- Wall Street Journal
Israel Strikes Damascus as Sectarian Violence in Syria Escalates
Israel's warplanes struck Syria's military headquarters in Damascus on Wednesday, escalating its intervention in sectarian strife involving the Druze—a community with a foot in both countries. The attack in the Syrian capital followed a wave of Israeli airstrikes on Syrian government tanks, military convoys and positions over the past two days of violence that began with clashes between local Druze and Bedouin populations. Israel says it is intervening in the skirmishes to protect Syrian Druze, who have strong ties to Israel's Druze community.
New York Times
38 minutes ago
- New York Times
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Visits Netanyahu's Corruption Trial
Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, made a highly unusual appearance at the corruption trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, the latest sign of the Trump administration's public support for Mr. Netanyahu in a long-running case. Israeli prosecutors have indicted Mr. Netanyahu for bribery, fraud and breach of trust. He has dealt with the legal challenge as Israel has waged wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran since the Hamas-led attack on the country on Oct. 7, 2023. It is unusual for ambassadors to place themselves directly in a country's legal issue. Mr. Huckabee's appearance occurred after President Trump, who has been convicted in a number of cases, called for Mr. Netanyahu's trial to be suspended. Before he went to the courthouse, Mr. Huckabee said at a conference in Tel Aviv on Wednesday that his visit was 'an act of friendship,' to signal that 'we want Israel to be successful.' He accused the judges overseeing Mr. Netanyahu's trial of being biased, and he compared the Israeli leader to Mr. Trump, who was convicted of falsifying business records to conceal a sex scandal in 2024. Mr. Trump has declared the verdict against him a 'disgrace.' Of the Israeli case, Mr. Huckabee said, 'It's an unprecedented thing that in the midst of holding office, during an incredibly tense time, that you would spend a lot of your time — as our president had to do — sitting in a courtroom, often before judges who are totally unfair.' Mr. Trump's call for the trial to end was also rare: a direct intervention by an American president in judicial proceedings against an allied leader. He labeled the trial a 'Witch Hunt against their Great War Time Prime Minister' last month on social media. 'Bibi Netanyahu's trial should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero, who has done so much for the State,' Mr. Trump wrote. Some political analysts say Mr. Trump hopes that lifting Mr. Netanyahu's fear of being convicted would allow him to accept a politically risky agreement to end the war in Gaza. The prime minister's hard-right coalition includes parties that oppose a permanent cease-fire with Hamas. Mr. Huckabee said on social media after leaving the court that Mr. Trump was 'right … again' about the case. He has also disputed that the president was directly intervening in the trial, contending that Mr. Trump was not 'trying to pick a side.' Israeli prosecutors indicted Mr. Netanyahu in 2019, accusing him of granting regulatory favors and diplomatic support to prominent businessmen in exchange for gifts and sympathetic media coverage. He denies all the charges. The trial began in 2020 and split the country over whether Mr. Netanyahu could continue to serve as prime minister during the court proceedings. His opponents labeled him a 'crime minister' whose purported dealings had rendered him unfit for office. Mr. Netanyahu and his defenders have accused prosecutors of seeking to undo his election victory through legal means. The rhetoric echoes claims made by Mr. Trump, who has frequently attacked judges, bureaucrats and civil servants and accused them of unfairly acting against him. There are several possible outcomes to the trial. If the prime minister is convicted, Isaac Herzog, Israel's president, could pardon him. But legal analysts say the trial is set to continue for months at the very least. Another option that has been discussed is a plea bargain, under which Mr. Netanyahu would accept some charges in exchange for a suspended sentence. But talks on that foundered after Mr. Netanyahu refused to accept a charge of 'moral turpitude,' which would bar him from holding public office for several years.
