Israel and Turkey Hold Direct Talks on Deconfliction Link in Syria - Sean Mathews (Middle East Eye-UK)
    Turkey and Israel have held talks over the establishment of a direct communication link in Syria to avoid any misunderstandings and prevent potential clashes between their militaries, two Western officials have told Middle East Eye.
    The sources said Prime Minister Netanyahu believes progress has been made on reaching a deconfliction agreement with Turkey but insists on the full demilitarization of southern Syria, including any Turkish presence.
    A separate source noted that "Both Israeli and Turkish officials released identical statements on the same day, saying they do not seek conflict with one another in Syria. It appeared to be coordinated."
    The source added that Israel is likely to accept Turkish military bases in Hama and Palmyra, which are seen as critical for hunting down remaining Islamic State elements in the region.

Argentine Prosecutor Targets Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei for 1994 Terror Attack - Mathilda Heller (Jerusalem Post)
    Argentine prosecutor Sebastian Basso has asked federal judge Daniel Rafecas for a national and international arrest warrant against Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, due to his direct involvement in the bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires in 1994, which killed 85 and wounded 330.
    According to Basso, Khamenei "led the decision to carry out a bomb attack in Buenos Aires in July 1994 and issued executive order (fatwa) 39 to carry it out."
    Basso succeeded Alberto Nisman as lead prosecutor in the case after Nisman's murder in 2015.

Smuggling Tunnels from Egypt to Gaza Still Open - Yuval Levy (Jerusalem Post)
    A significant number of smuggling tunnels crossing from Egypt to Gaza are still intact, Israeli security sources told N12 on Wednesday.
    Concerns over weapons smuggling resulted in Israel's refusal to withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor along the Egypt-Gaza border.
    Defense Minister Israel Katz said in February, "I saw with my own eyes quite a few tunnels crossing into Egypt; some were closed and several were open."
    The sources added that the IDF has only destroyed a quarter of Hamas's tunnels inside Gaza.
    The IDF also said it has detected a significant number of Hamas terrorists fleeing combat zones. They are hiding among civilian populations and within tunnels.

Top Biden Aide's Lesson from Oct. 7 - Jacob Magid (Times of Israel)
    Brett McGurk, former President Joe Biden's Middle East Coordinator at the U.S. National Security Council, was asked in Abu Dhabi what lessons might be drawn from Hamas's October 7 onslaught and the ensuing Gaza conflict.
    He replied, "Don't start a war with Israel. It won't work out well for you. That's the lesson."
    "Ask Sinwar, Nasrallah or Khamenei how they're doing today compared to October 6."

Significant Gaps Ahead of U.S.-Iran Talks - Danny Zaken (Israel Hayom)
    According to a senior American official quoted by the Washington Post, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff insists that the talks must be held directly or not at all.
    Iranian officials continue to emphasize that the talks will not be direct, and that Oman's Foreign Ministry will serve as mediator.
    Iran demands that sanctions be gradually lifted during the negotiations, rather than only at their conclusion.
    Iran initially demanded a freeze on sanctions as a precondition for the talks, but was forced to back down.
    Iran firmly rejects any discussion of its missile program in the agenda for the talks.
    According to Israeli and American sources, the talks are expected to address limits on Iran's long-range missile program, including hypersonic missiles currently being developed with Russian assistance.

Why Iran's Nuclear Advances Make a Deal Harder This Time - Laurence Norman (Wall Street Journal)
    As the U.S. prepares to negotiate new curbs on Iran's nuclear ambitions, it faces a challenge: Much of the progress Iran has made in its nuclear work since the 2015 nuclear deal will be difficult to reverse.
    The Trump administration is calling for a complete dismantling of Iran's nuclear program, going further than the 2015 agreement negotiated by the Obama administration, which placed temporary restrictions on Iran's nuclear work.
    Iran in the past decade has moved close to being able to build a nuclear weapon, according to Western officials. It has also massively upgraded its enrichment program.
    Even if Iran agrees to scale back some of that work, it has gained vital nuclear know-how that can't be unwound, the officials say.
    Iran is now adept at producing and setting-up faster centrifuges that spin uranium to higher enrichment levels.
    The basic timeline at the heart of the 2015 deal - keeping Iran 12 months away from being able to produce enough fissile material for one nuclear weapon - will be very hard to replicate, barring a complete dismantlement of all its enrichment facilities.

Poll: 18 Months after Hamas's Attack, U.S. Support for Israel Remains Strong - Douglas Schoen and Carly Cooperman (The Hill)
    Amid renewed fighting in Gaza, polling conducted by Schoen Cooperman Research reveals that Americans remain steadfast in their support for Israel's defense, with 92% of Republicans, 81% of independents and 80% of Democrats supporting the Jewish state.
    In fact, 85% of adults supporting Israel's right to defend itself marks a 4-point increase since February's survey.
    83% agree that as long as Hamas is holding hostages and firing rockets into Israel, Israel has the right to take military action to rescue hostages, disarm Hamas and force the terrorist group to negotiate.
    65% view Israel's renewed military campaign in Gaza as justified.
    Moreover, 83% believe that any final ceasefire in Gaza must require Hamas's removal from power.
    81% think that if Hamas stayed in power, another Oct. 7-style attack would be likely.
    86% agree that Palestinians are suffering because Hamas started the war by attacking Israel.

Poll: How Americans View Israel and the Israel-Hamas War - Laura Silver (Pew Research Center)
    The American public's views of Israel have turned more negative over the past three years. 53% now express an unfavorable opinion of Israel, up from 42% in March 2022.
    54% say the Israel-Hamas war is either very or somewhat important to them personally, down from 65% in January 2024.
    93% of Jewish Americans say the conflict is important to them personally, including 74% who consider it very important.
    68% of Muslims and 66% of white evangelical Protestants say the conflict is either very or somewhat important to them personally.
    73% of Jews and 72% of white evangelical Protestants say they have a favorable opinion of Israel, including 42% of Jews and 36% of white evangelicals who have a very favorable opinion.
    46% of U.S. adults now think a way can be found for Israel and an independent Palestinian state to coexist peacefully, down from 52% in late 2023. 47% of Jews say it's possible, while 52% say it is not.

Egypt Attacks Calls for Jihad Against Israel by Qatar-Affiliated International Union of Muslim Scholars (MEMRI)
    On March 31, 2025, the Qatar-based and funded International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) - an arm of the Qatari regime - issued a fatwa (religious ruling) calling on all Muslims and all Islamic countries to wage jihad against Israel.
    In response, on April 7, 2025, Dar Al-Ifta, Egypt's official fatwa-issuing body, harshly attacked the IUMS fatwa, declaring that it contradicts shari'a law.
    It said no organization is entitled to issue religious rulings on such a sensitive matter, endangering the stability of the Muslim countries and societies.
    Only the ruler and the country may make decisions about war - not any entity lacking legitimate authority.

Antisemitism the New Normal in Canada - Editorial (Toronto Sun-Canada)
    In a country once known as a beacon of tolerance, Jew-hatred through online and face-to-face harassment, vandalism and violence increased by 125% to 6,219 incidents in 2024 compared to 2,769 in 2022, according to B'nai Brith's annual audit on antisemitism released Monday.
    That's consistent with reporting by Statistics Canada that while Jews make up 1% of Canada's population, 70% of all religiously motivated hate crimes today are aimed at Jews.
    Since Hamas's terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Jewish day schools in Canada have been shot at, university students threatened, Jewish businesses, homes, places of worship and community centers vandalized.
    This is the worst outbreak of antisemitism in Canada since the 1930s, as Jews in Canada are held responsible for the actions of the Israeli government in Gaza.
    This is twisted logic that, were it reversed, would blame Muslims in Canada for terrorism by Hamas.