Thursday,
May 8, 2025

• Vice President Vance: Iran Can Have "Civil Nuclear Power" but No Weapon - Gabby Deutch
  Vice President JD Vance said at a conference in Washington on Wednesday that Iran can have a "civil nuclear program" but not a "nuclear weapons program," offering yet another confusing signal about the Trump administration's position on Iran's nuclear capabilities as negotiations with the Islamic Republic are set to enter their fourth round.
     Vance's comments come days after President Donald Trump said the outcome of the negotiations must be "total dismantlement" of Iran's nuclear program. Vance's remarks, at the Munich Security Conference's D.C. confab, suggested that the White House believes Iran does not need to entirely give up its nuclear program. He praised the status of the negotiations, saying the Iranians have been responsive to American demands. "So far, so good," Vance said. "We've been very happy by how the Iranians have responded to some of the points that we've made." (Jewish Insider)
• Houthis say U.S. 'Backed Down' and Israel Not Covered by Ceasefire - David Gritten
  A senior Houthi official has rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's claim the Yemeni armed group "capitulated" when agreeing a ceasefire deal, saying the U.S. "backed down" instead. "What changed is the American position, but our position remains firm," chief negotiator Mohammed Abdul Salam told Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV.
     Abdul Salam also said the deal did not include an end to attacks on Israel, which has conducted two rounds of retaliatory strikes on Yemen this week.
     The Houthis' support for the Palestinian people in Gaza "will not change," he added. (BBC)
• Marco Rubio To Close State Department's De Facto Palestinian Embassy - Adam Kredo
  Secretary of State Marco Rubio will dissolve the State Department's Office of Palestinian Affairs (OPA), a Biden-era creation that elevated relations with the Palestinian Authority. Rubio directed newly-installed U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee to merge the independent diplomatic office and its responsibilities, including outreach to the Palestinians, with the American embassy in Jerusalem. Rubio will eliminate the position of Special Envoy to the Palestinians alongside the OPA.
     In the early hours of Hamas's October 7 attack, the OPA called on Israel to stand down and forgo any retaliation. (Free Beacon)
• Syrian Leader Says Country Has Held Indirect Talks with Israel - Euan Ward
  President Ahmed al-Shara of Syria said on Wednesday that Syria had held indirect talks with Israel to contain escalating tensions, days after Israeli jets struck the capital, Damascus, amid deepening sectarian violence inside the country
     "There are indirect talks through mediators to calm down the situation so that they don't get out of control," Mr. al-Shara said after a meeting in Paris with President Emmanuel Macron of France.
     Reuters reported earlier on Wednesday that the United Arab Emirates had set up a back channel for talks between Israel and Syria, but an official at the Emirati foreign ministry denied those claims as "categorically false." (New York Times)
• Biden's Gaza Humanitarian Aid Pier Injured Far More US Service Members Than Previously Reported - Corey Walker
  Over 60 U.S. military personnel were injured and one killed during the construction and deployment of former President Joe Biden's humanitarian aid pier off the coast of Gaza, indicating that the failed project was more dangerous than previously believed, according to a new report released by the Pentagon Inspector General on Tuesday.
     The new figures are substantially higher than the previously reported figures, which claimed three U.S. service members were injured while working on the pier. The report alleges that inadequate materials were used in the construction of the pier, potentially contributing to its eventual structural failures.
     None of the 569 metric tons of aid delivered across the pier actually made it into the hands of Gaza residents, according to the Pentagon's press secretary. He told reporters that the Biden administration's "humanitarian partners" had not been able to distribute the aid to Palestinian civilians. Moreover, he explained, some of the trucks delivering aid to warehouses in Gaza were "intercepted." (Algemeiner)
• U.S. Presses Reluctant U.N., Allies to Support Israel's Gaza Aid Plan - Claire Parker
  The Trump administration is pressing the United Nations, aid organizations and U.S. allies to participate in new Israeli plan to resume distribution of limited amounts of humanitarian assistance in Gaza under conditions that Jerusalem will strictly control, according to aid officials and other people familiar with internal discussions.
     The United Nations and virtually all other organizations have refused to participate in a plan they have described as against "fundamental humanitarian principles" and violating international law.
     Israel's proposed initiative is designed to depend on the United Nations -- and particularly the U.N. World Food Program -- and humanitarian nongovernmental organizations already working in Gaza to distribute food packets at the hubs to Israeli-vetted Palestinians.
     The program is to be administered by an umbrella organization called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a nonprofit newly-registered in Switzerland that has been set up by unnamed governments and entities to funnel money into the effort, including paying the American security contractors.
     Its initial goal is to set up four "secure distribution sites," each of which would serve 300,000 people, and reach "1.2 million Gazans in the first phase with capacity to expand beyond 2 million." Israel Defense Forces personnel "will not be present near distribution sites," it said.
     "Aid distribution is based solely on need -- without eligibility requirements or regard to identity, origin, or affiliation -- prioritizing community dignity and safety," the statement said. (Washington Post)
• Israeli Embassy in London Was the Target of Foiled Iranian Terror Plot - Alex Wickham
  The Israeli Embassy in London was the target of a terror plot by five Iranian nationals who were arrested by British police last weekend, according to people familiar with the matter. The five men were detained on Saturday on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act, in an operation led by the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terror Command.
     In a separate investigation also on Saturday, counter-terror police arrested three more Iranian nationals. The Met said the two investigations were not connected. (Bloomberg)
• Israel Downs Drone as Houthis Vow to Continue Tit-for-Tat Strikes - Lara Jakes
  Israel said it had shot down a drone that was approaching from the east on Wednesday, as Houthi officials in Yemen vowed to continue attacking the country a day after President Trump said the United States would stop bombing the Iran-backed group. The Israeli military said in a statement that the drone was intercepted by the air force and sirens blared as it approached. (New York Times)
• Energy Shortages in Iran May Pose a Growing Threat to Regime Stability
      Persistent energy shortages have fueled public frustration and strained the Iranian economy, which may pose a growing threat to regime stability. Power outages have increased in Iran in recent days due to the energy crisis in Iran. Traders at the Tehran Province iron market went on strike on May 5, alongside other small protests across Iran in recent days over the repeated power outages. The Iranian Interior Ministry ordered all provincial governors on May 7 to open all government offices, banks, and municipal offices nationwide from 6 am to 1 pm starting May 10 to reduce electricity consumption. The ministry also announced that Thursdays will be an official holiday across all provinces until September 22 to further ease strain on the energy grid. It remains unclear how the regime will address the worsening shortages and the mounting economic losses caused by outages and the subsequent business closures. Iranian officials stated that electricity shortages have caused around 20 billion US dollars in losses to Iranian industries nationwide. (Institute for the Study of War)
• Columbia Library Overrun by Masked Terror Supporters (Video) - Eyal Yakoby
      Masked terror supporters have taken over the Columbia library while students are trying to study for finals. Columbia proves once again that they prioritize complete chaos over an education. (X)
• Marco Rubio: We Are Reviewing Visa Status of Columbia Vandals - Secretary of State Marco Rubio
      We are reviewing the visa status of the trespassers and vandals who took over Columbia University's library. Pro-Hamas thugs are no longer welcome in our great nation. (X)
• Columbia President's Response to the "Disruption" at the Campus Library - Claire Shipman, Acting President
      Earlier today, a group of protesters occupied one of the main reading rooms in Butler library, refusing to leave, and another group breached the front door causing substantial chaos -- all of this as the bulk of our students are working hard to prepare for exams. These actions not only represented a violation of University policies, but they also posed a serious risk to our students and campus safety. We had no choice but to ask for the assistance of the NYPD, and I'm grateful for their help and professionalism.... Let me be clear, what happened today, what I witnessed, was utterly unacceptable. I am particularly heartbroken, and incensed, that this disruption occurred when our students are intensely focused on critical academic work. At a moment when our community deserves calm and the opportunity to study, reflect, and complete the academic year successfully, these actions created unnecessary stress and danger. Let me be clear: Columbia unequivocally rejects antisemitism and all other forms of harassment and discrimination. And we certainly reject a group of students -- and we don't yet know whether there were outsiders involved -- closing down a library in the middle of the week before finals and forcing 900 students out of their study spaces, many leaving belongings behind. Our commitment to a safe, inclusive, and respectful campus community is unshakeable, and we will continue to act decisively to uphold these values. (Office of the President of Columbia)
• Pro-Hamas Protesters Caused Over $1 Million in Damage to University of Washington Building, School Says - Matthew Xiao
      Pro-Hamas, antisemitic protesters caused more than $1 million in damage during a violent demonstration Monday evening at the University of Washington in Seattle, according to school officials. Police arrested 31 protesters for taking over and vandalizing the Boeing-funded Interdisciplinary Engineering Building, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. The protesters demanded that the university sever ties with Boeing for supplying weapons used in Israel's war against Hamas terrorists. (Free Beacon)
• New York Man Charged with Federal Hate Crimes after Repeatedly Assaulting Jewish Victims
      Officials of the U.S. Justice Department, FBI, and New York Police Department announced the unsealing of an indictment charging Tarek Bazrou with three counts of committing hate crimes in connection with his repeated assaults of Jewish victims in New York City between 2024 and 2025. "On three separate occasions, Tarek Bazrouk deliberately targeted and assaulted Jewish victims at protests relating to the Israel/Gaza war....Despite being arrested after each incident, Bazrouk allegedly remained undeterred and quickly returned to violently targeting Jews in New York City." Each count of committing hate crimes, each carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. (United States Attorney's Office)
• Israeli Hostages' Lawsuit Against News Outlet That Paid Hamas Terrorist Will Head to Trial, Judge Rules - Alana Goodman
      A federal judge on Tuesday ruled that a lawsuit filed by Israeli hostages against an American news outlet that hired a Hamas kidnapper can go to trial, rejecting the media organization's motion to dismiss. Three former hostages sued the Washington-based Palestine Chronicle last year, alleging that the media organization knowingly paid their Hamas-operative captor, Abdallah Aljamal, who simultaneously worked as a Gaza correspondent for the nonprofit news site. The three were kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023. The Israel Defense Forces ultimately rescued them from Aljamal's home eight months later. (Free Beacon)

• Saudi Arabia Welcomes U.S.-Houthi Ceasefire Deal
  The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia welcomed the statement from the Sultanate of Oman announcing a ceasefire agreement in Yemen aimed at safeguarding international navigation and trade. The Kingdom reiterated its support for all efforts toward a comprehensive political solution to the Yemeni crisis that ensures security and stability for Yemen and the wider region.
     The U.S. and the Houthis agreed to a ceasefire, mediators announced, saying the deal would ensure "freedom of navigation" in the Red Sea where the Houthis have attacked shipping for months. (Arab News)
• Hizbullah Members Killed in "Bunker Buster" Raid on "Huge" Facilities
  Thursday's Israeli airstrikes on the heights of the Nabatieh region killed an unspecified number of Hizbullah members, according to a Lebanese security source. "Israel used bunker-buster missiles in its strikes on Hizbullah's facilities," the source said. "Huge Hizbullah facilities were destroyed by the Israeli strikes," the source added.
     The Israeli army said the raid targeted a "strategic" Hizbullah underground project that allegedly contained militants, weapons, and wells. (Naharnet - Lebanon)
• US President's Envoy Will Brief Security Council on Gaza and Regional Issues
  U.S. Presidential envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, will brief members of the UN Security Council on Thursday on developments in the Gaza Strip and a number of other regional issues. U.S. media outlets quoted an anonymous official as saying that the briefing will be held at the U.S. mission to the UN, with the attendance of the 15 member states of the Security Council.
     Witkoff's testimony will address U.S. policy toward the war in Gaza, as well as developments in the nuclear talks with Iran, with a focus on the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the new aid mechanism proposed by Washington in cooperation with the Israeli entity (sic). (Gulf Times)
• Hamas Commander who Held Hostages Surrenders to the IDF in Rafah - Yoav Zitun
  Yousef Qadi, a Hamas platoon commander who participated in the October 7 massacre and oversaw the captivity of several hostages later released, was captured along with Mohammad Zaarab, a senior member of Hamas's sniper unit. The IDF said that interrogation of the detainees by the Shin Bet internal security agency produced valuable intelligence, including the location of what the military described as a "significant terror infrastructure" in the area. (Ynet News)

• The Houthis Will Likely Exploit the Ceasefire with the U.S. to Reconstitute Themselves while Continuing to Target Israel
  The Houthis will likely exploit the ceasefire with the United States to reconstitute themselves while continuing to target Israel. The air campaign will only have temporary effects, regardless of the degree to which the campaign degrades Houthi capabilities. The Houthis can replenish their drone and missile arsenal through a combination of shipments from Iran and domestic production using goods purchased on the international market. The Houthi-U.S. ceasefire is reportedly a "verbal understanding" rather than a formal agreement, and the conditions remain ambiguous.
     U.S. airstrikes have targeted and killed mid-level Houthi commanders and technical experts, which presumably temporarily disrupted the Houthi chain of command. The Houthis are a well-entrenched military and political organization with decades of wartime experience, which will make it possible for the Houthis to rapidly replace dead commanders and experts.
     Houthi officials have clarified that their ceasefire with the United States does not include Israel, and that they will continue to attack Israel in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The Houthis will almost certainly resume attacks targeting international shipping again in the future and can do so for reasons and at a time of their choosing. An unspecified Houthi spokesperson separately told Al Jazeera on May 7 that the Houthis will continue to target Israeli ships until Israel transfers aid into the Gaza Strip.
     The Houthis launched three drones targeting Eilat Airport in southern Israel and an Israeli military target in the Tel Aviv-Jaffa area on May 7 after the U.S. ceasefire took effect. The Israel Defense Force (IDF) intercepted one of these drones. These attacks likely represent a continuation of the Houthis' effort to "blockade" Israel, but the Houthis have decided to target Israeli airports rather than Israeli shipping. Attacks targeting Israel use different weapon systems than the attacks targeting maritime shipping. Attacks targeting Israel require medium-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and long-range drones, while maritime shipping attacks can use shorter-range drones and anti-ship ballistic and cruise missiles. This means that the Houthis can rebuild their anti-ship missile stockpile that they will need for future campaigns in the Red Sea. (Institute for the Study of War)
• A New Approach to Dealing with Boycott Activities: Exacting a Price from the PA - Lt.-Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch
  For many years, Israel has been the subject of a widespread, coordinated attack to promote Boycotts, Sanctions, and Divestment (BDS). The goal of the BDS movement is to undermine Israel's legitimacy as the nation-state of the Jewish people. It is impossible to ignore the fact that the Palestinian Authority (PA) stands at the forefront of this struggle, in breach of all the agreements it has signed. To date, the State of Israel and its representatives have focused their efforts on combating BDS activities in various ways, mainly in the international arena.
     Against this background, and as a complementary activity, the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (JCFA) has formulated a proposal for an alternative approach to this phenomenon.
     The main thrust of the proposal is to exact a price from the PA for its activities to promote BDS by presenting and stressing the fact that BDS activities can be a two-way street.
     Palestinian "exports" to Israel benefit the PA because they allow the employment of tens of thousands of Palestinians in various roles to produce the goods sold to Israel. The PA benefits from a situation where it acts simultaneously both to promote a boycott against Israel and to continue to profit from trade with it.
     If Israel were not only to stop the entry of workers but also to expand the reduction of trade with PA territories to the point of a complete ban, the damage to the Palestinian economy could be enormous and would lead to an almost complete slowdown and even a rise in unemployment. (Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs)
• Shattering the Houthi Stronghold - Oded Ailam
  The missile that struck Ben Gurion Airport this week was a loud, deliberate message from Yemen's Houthis and a wake-up call to anyone still under the illusion that this is a local conflict. Predictably, Israel responded with an airstrike -- because that's what it does: blow something up, feel momentarily avenged, and move on. But let's not kid ourselves. These tit-for-tat retaliations, won't stop the next missile. They might win headlines, not wars. What's needed isn't another symbolic boom, but a real strategy -- one that ends Houthi dominance at its root.
     Despite representing only 35 percent of Yemen's population, the Houthis dominate vast regions of the country. Their power stems from strategic tribal alliances, religious zealotry, and totalitarian control over institutions.
     What was once a domestic civil war has now evolved into a geopolitical flashpoint. The Houthis have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital corridor for 15 percent of global trade. Recent Houthi strikes on Israel, including the hit on Ben Gurion Airport, reflect their effort to elevate themselves as the vanguard of the so-called "Axis of Resistance" against the West and Israel.
     The Houthis have proven time and again that Israeli retaliation alone doesn't deter them -- it feeds their narrative. While Saudi Arabia has spent nearly a decade fighting the Houthis, its recent shift toward diplomacy and de-escalation has arguably backfired. Peace talks and reduced air operations may have been meant to minimize civilian suffering, but to the Houthis, it's an invitation to expand.
     A Real Solution: Build a Coalition, Empower a Ground Force, Impose a Naval and Economic Blockade, and Rebuild Yemeni Governance. (Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs)
• Former Hostage Reprimands Pulitzer Prize Board for Award to Palestinian "Poet" - Emily Damari
  Dear Members of the Pulitzer Prize board,
     My name is Emily Damari. I was held hostage in Gaza for over 500 days. On the morning of October 7, I was at home in my small studio apartment in Kibbutz Kfar Aza when Hamas terrorists burst in, shot me and dragged me across the border into Gaza. I was one of 251 men, women, children, and elderly people kidnapped that day from their beds, their homes, and a music festival. For almost 500 days I lived in terror. I was starved, abused, and treated like I was less than human. I watched friends suffer. I watched hope dim. And even now, after returning home, I carry that darkness with me -- because my best friends, Gali and Ziv Berman are still being held in the Hamas terror tunnels.
     So imagine my shock and pain when I saw that you awarded a Pulitzer Prize to Mosab Abu Toha. This is a man who, in January, questioned the very fact of my captivity. He posted about me on Facebook and asked, "How on earth is this girl called a hostage?" He has denied the murder of the Bibas family. He has questioned whether Agam Berger was truly a hostage. These are not word games -- they are outright denials of documented atrocities. You claim to honor journalism that upholds truth, democracy, and human dignity. And yet you have chosen to elevate a voice that denies truth, erases victims, and desecrates the memory of the murdered.
     Do you not see what this means? Mosab Abu Toha is not a courageous writer. He is the modern-day equivalent of a Holocaust denier. And by honoring him, you have joined him in the shadows of denial. This is not a question of politics. This is a question of humanity. And today, you have failed it. (X)
• Southern Baptist Support Powers America's Relationship with Israel - Brent Leatherwood
  Few Americans cherish and advocate for the Israel-America friendship more than Southern Baptists, who for decades have consistently voiced their support for Israel's sovereignty and condemned antisemitism both at home and abroad. The Southern Baptist Convention is America's largest Protestant denomination, with over 45,000 churches and nearly 13 million members.
     Support for the nation of Israel is as important now as ever. As the only democratic ally of the United States in the Middle East region, Israel represents Western values of liberty and representative government and must not be allowed to stand alone against the onslaught of genocidal, antisemitic, and anti-Western aggression. So, to the Israeli people, I wish to extend this encouragement: millions of Southern Baptists and other Christians across the globe stand behind you.
     F. Brent Leatherwood serves as the President of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. (Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs)