thenewsanalyst.com

July 30, 2026

Reference: John Spencer @SpencerGuard

Without question, the biggest strategic blunder of the 21st century was Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

The consequences have been staggering:

– Over 1 million Russian casualties.

– NATO is larger, more united, and more relevant than at any point in its history.

– Russia has more than doubled its border with NATO.

– Russia exposed the weaknesses of its military, failing to seize Ukraine in 2022, repeatedly revising its war aims, and becoming dependent on Iran and North Korea for weapons, ammunition, and even troops.

– Putin didn’t destroy Ukrainian identity. He reinforced it, forged it under fire, and revealed it to the world. He helped create a durable Ukrainian national identity that will endure for generations.

– Russia transformed from an energy superpower with diversified, premium European markets into a supplier increasingly dependent on discounted sales to China.

Few strategic decisions in modern history have produced so many outcomes directly contrary to the aggressor’s objectives

July 26, 2026

The most effective way to deal with Cuban’s communist regime would be to overthrow the government and set up a new democratic state – in the best interest of freeing its people from oppression and tyranny.

It’s in our backyard. It’s a strategic gold mine from a military and economic standpoint. Not sure why the Trump administration has not done this.

From an economic development standpoint, there is so much potential. The biggest disadvantage to this idea are the devastating impacts of hurricanes and how to protect lives, livestock, environmental interests, homes and businesses. A number of years ago I wrote a paper for college on extending the sea wall on Galveston’s west end covering similar topics.

Note: I am not a consultant in the financial or investment industry. I am simply interested in geopolitics and economic issues both here and abroad.

Interesting. I did a Google search on what stocks were set to gain from Trump’s tariff policies:

Domestic steel manufacturers, domestic defense contractors, and specialized domestic industrial suppliers are positioned as the primary market beneficiaries of the Trump administration’s evolving tariff policies.

The administration’s trade strategy has shifted heavily toward durable, statute-based duties—such as the recent 50% tariffs on a wide range of Canadian products under Section 338 and new 10% to 12.5% duties on 60 trade partners under Section 301 focused on supply chain labor investigations. While these protections create inflationary headwinds for broad consumer stocks, they provide specific domestic sectors with significant competitive advantages.

Primary Beneficiaries by Sector

			
•	Domestic Steel and Metals Providers
◦	Nucor Corporation (NUE): Benefits heavily from persistent Section 232 steel tariffs and 50% tariffs targeting steel imports from Canada and Mexico.
◦	Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF): Enjoys insulated domestic pricing power as foreign raw materials become uncompetitive in the U.S. market.
•	Defense and National Security Contractors
◦	GE Aerospace (GE): Capitalizes on a massive defense budget tailored to support localized production and secure military supply chains amidst global trade friction.
◦	General Dynamics (GD): Gains as federal procurement strictly mandates domestically sourced components and steel.
•	Domestic Energy and Infrastructure Supply Chains
◦	Eaton Corporation (ETN): Wins from the "reshoring" boom as manufacturers relocate production facilities to the U.S. to bypass international tariffs, driving massive demand for domestic electrical grids.
◦	Cameco Corporation (CCJ): Driven by domestic energy incentives and policies aimed at decoupling America's nuclear infrastructure from foreign suppliers. 
•	Federal Services and Logistics Providers
◦	Palantir Technologies (PLTR): Benefits from expanding government data analytics contracts tied to domestic enforcement and tracking supply chain compliance.

		

Investment Risks to Consider
While protected industries benefit, cross-border retail, tech hardware, and automotive manufacturers face high exposure to rising input costs. Escalating retaliatory actions, especially surrounding the 50% tariffs on Canadian goods, continue to trigger localized market volatility.

July 25, 2026

Reference: Google

Donald Trump’s tariffs have cost American consumers and businesses between $231 billion and $264 billion in gross costs during his second term alone, which translates to an average household burden of $1,000 to $1,745 annually. Multiple economic analyses confirm that American companies and shoppers bore 86% to 95% of these tariff expenses rather than the foreign exporting nations.

Total Financial Impact

Gross Tariff Collections: The federal government collected roughly $264 billion in gross tariff revenues during the 2025 calendar year. [1]
Total Consumer Expenses: The U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committeecalculated that between February 2025 and January 2026, American consumers paid more than $231 billion in direct tariff pass-through costs. [1]
Net Revenue: Due to economic distortion and lower payroll/income taxes caused by reduced corporate margins, the Tax Foundation estimates the government only netted about $38 billion from new permanent Section 232 tariffs in 2025. [1]

Average Household Costs

2025 Average Costs: Studies by the Tax Foundation placed the initial average 2025 burden at $1,000 per household. [1, 2]
JEC Estimates: The Joint Economic Committee calculated a higher annual cost of $1,745 per family by early 2026. [1]
2026 Projections: Current 2026 estimates from the Yale Budget Lab and the Tax Policy Center project ongoing annual costs of $1,100 to $1,300 per household under the revised average 11% tariff rate. [1, 2, 3]
Tax Cut Offset: Economists from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York noted that the average $1,500 household inflation impact completely wiped out Trump’s signature income tax cuts. [1]

Specific Price Inflation

New Automobiles: Import duties added $1,600 to $6,000 to new car prices according to Kelley Blue Book data. [1, 2]
Apparel and Goods: Federal Reserve economists tracked a 3.1% inflation jumpon core consumer goods. Specific consumer segments saw sharp increases, including shoe prices rising 39% and coffee rising 34%. [1, 2]
Lower-Income Impact: The Tax Policy Center reports the bottom 10% of earners paid three times more of their relative income toward tariffs than the wealthiest 10%. [1, 2]

Regulatory Shakeup & Refunds

Supreme Court Ruling: On February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to bypass Congress for broad tariffs was unlawful.
Forced Refunds: As a result of the ruling, the federal government is legally required to refund approximately $166 billion collected from those unlawful IEEPA tariffs back to domestic importers.
Replacement Taxes: The administration immediately enacted alternative Section 232 and forced-labor tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5% across 60 trading partners. This structure effectively holds the effective baseline import tariff rate at roughly 11.7

July 22, 2026

Ref: Google

The U.S. Constitution does not contain a legal mechanism for states to unilaterally separate from the Union. The Supreme Court ruled in the 1869 case Texas v. White that the United States is an “indestructible Union composed of indestructible States” and that the only avenues for exit are revolution or mutual consent of the states.

The landmark ruling details the legal framework established by the highest court:

•Unilateral Secession is Illegal: The court determined that ordinances of secession are “absolutely null” and that a state cannot decide to leave on its own.

•Consent of the States: The only constitutional way a state can leave the Union is through an amendment to the Constitution or the unanimous consent of all the other states.

•Revolution: The Supreme Court noted that the only other alternative to mutual consent is revolution (i.e., succeeding by force)

July 21, 2026

Fresh US Import Tariffs Could Affect Colored Gemstones and Pearls
July 21, 2026
By Suzanne Watkin

USTR is conducting three expedited investigations under Section 301 that could impose tariffs on colored gemstones and cultured pearls from about 46 countries.

A 25% tariff on loose polished colored gemstones from Brazil will take effect July 22, while rough stones are exempt; duties depend on the country of polishing for re-exported gems.

The AGTA is lobbying to maintain duty-free status for loose colored gemstones, citing no significant domestic production in the U.S.

Summary by Rapaport AI

The United States Trade Representative (USTR) is conducting three investigations that could lead to new tariff regulations at the end of the month.

The potential tariffs could affect imports of loose colored gemstones and cultured pearls, the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) said Monday. All of the investigations are under Section 301 of the Trade Act.

The USTR has released preliminary findings that included around 60 countries, proposing a 12.5% levy on imports from 46 countries, including India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Australia and others. A final resolution is likely later this month, following public hearings and the comment period.

The review also covers subsidies, industrial policies and manufacturing overcapacity involving 16 trading partners, including Cambodia, Thailand, the European Union, India and Japan. The USTR is expected to issue its final resolution on this later in the month as well.

A separate investigation involving Brazil has concluded that a 25% tariff will apply to imports on loose polished colored gemstones from that country, effective July 22. Rough colored gemstones will be exempt from the duties. Gemstones exported from Brazil to a third country for polishing will be subject to the duty rate applicable to that third country when imported into the US.

Earlier this year, after the Supreme Court struck down the reciprocal import tariffs President Donald Trump imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), the administration introduced a temporary 10% global import surcharge under Section 122. Certain products are exempt, and the tax is set to expire on July 24.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is continuing to process refunds of previously collected IEEPA tariffs. The agency recently reported to the Court of International Trade that refund claims had been filed for nearly 60% of the approximately $166 billion paid, though it had refunded only a fraction of that amount.

AGTA president Bruce Bridges is continuing to advocate for the colored-gemstone industry, the organization stressed.

“Last month, we met with a dozen members of congress in Washington, DC, to make the case that imports of loose colored gemstones should qualify for their historic duty-free status due to there being no meaningful domestic production of these resources,” said AGTA.

July 20, 2026

Reference: Bruce J Snider

I cannot express to you the tremendous stress and sense of urgency that Mamdani and his wife are placing upon the Jewish people of the City of New York.

It is not unlike living in the current antisemitic climate of any foreign country.

I do not know if this couple are acting as foreign agents of any particular terrorist nation, but I can tell you they are agents of their radical Islamic faith.

The threat on @netanyahu from Mamdani might seem of little to no concern, but to the State of Israel and the Jewish people around the world, it is no different than a shadow of Hitler’s demonically energized voice reverberating across America – but wearing a new mask.

I humbly ask that you dismantle this character’s podium before he speaks his rhetoric and poisons the weak minds of our nation’s youth any further. It is “hate speech” in action.

July 19, 2026

Subject: Israel’s Current Economic Overview

Reference: Google

Israel’s $540 billion economy is defined by a resilient high-tech engine paired with severe geopolitical headwinds and domestic fiscal challenges. While a robust tech sector continues to drive growth and global investment, prolonged conflicts—including recent tensions with Iran—have elevated government debt and strained ordinary small businesses.

High-Tech and Innovation

Known globally as the “Startup Nation,” Israel’s economy relies heavily on its advanced technology sector. It is a global leader in AI, cybersecurity, medical instruments, and pharmaceuticals. The sector punches well above its weight, accounting for a disproportionate share of export revenues and attracting continuous foreign venture capital despite ongoing military engagements. However, the tech industry only employs about one in nine Israeli workers, creating a notable two-tiered wage gap between the high-earning tech workforce and the rest of the country.

Impact of Geopolitics

Recent conflicts—including the drawn-out Gaza war and escalations with Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas—have exacted a significant economic toll. The resulting military spending and defense mobilization have severely widened the fiscal deficit. While the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals remain fundamentally stable, the heavy burden of the fighting has weighed heavily on local consumption, construction, and domestic-facing industries.

Economic Forecast

Following a contraction in early 2026 due to regional conflicts, economic agencies like the OECD project a strong rebound. The baseline outlook calls for GDP growth in the range of 3.3% to 3.8% annually, conditional on regional stability and a reduction in emergency defense expenditures. Agencies like Moody’s have maintained a stable outlook but caution that geopolitical risks will keep public debt high for the near future.

Domestic Structural Challenges

Beyond security threats, the Israeli economy faces several internal hurdles:

Cost of Living: High taxes, robust real estate prices, and elevated costs of living burden ordinary households, drawing frequent public attention

Labor Force Participation: The ultra-Orthodox (Haredim) population is the country’s fastest-growing demographic group, but a significant portion of Haredi men engage in full-time religious study and do not participate in the formal workforce. Integrating these communities into the high-productivity sectors remains a critical long-term economic priority.

Subject: Diversity

Reference: Google

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) encompasses soldiers from a wide variety of religious, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. Mandatory conscription applies to Jewish, Druze, and Circassian citizens, while Arab Muslims, Arab Christians, and others serve on a voluntary basis.

The IDF’s diversity is integrated across several areas:

Demographics: Soldiers hail from diverse origins including Ethiopia, Morocco, Yemen, the former Soviet Union, and India, reflecting the heterogeneous nature of Israel’s population. [1]
Religious Inclusion: The military includes a significant contingent of Druze soldiers, who boast high enlistment rates, alongside Bedouin Muslims, Christians, and Messianic Jews. [1, 2, 3]
Women in Service: Women make up more than 30% of the total force and are integrated into over 90% of roles, including frontline infantry, air force pilots, intelligence, and tank brigades. [1, 2, 3]
Special Needs Integration: The IDF accommodates and trains individuals with developmental disabilities and autism through programs like Special in Uniform

Reference: Google

Haifa is Israel’s third-largest city, a major port, and a northern economic hub located on the slopes of Mount Carmel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Known for its cultural diversity, it’s a model of coexistence with significant Jewish, Arab (Muslim and Christian), and Baháʼí populations, and is home to the Baháʼí World Centre and its UNESCO World Heritage Gardens. The city features a mix of modern and historic neighborhoods, leading universities, and a unique transportation system including the Carmelit subway.

Key Features

Geography: Built on the slopes of Mount Carmel, offering scenic views of the bay and sea.
Economy: A major port, industrial center (oil refineries, chemicals), and a growing high-tech and research hub (Intel, Technion, University of Haifa).
Culture & Coexistence: A diverse city with a significant Arab minority, considered a model of coexistence, with many religious sites for Jews, Christians, and Muslims.
Baháʼí Faith: The spiritual and administrative center of the Baháʼí Faith, featuring the stunning Baháʼí Gardens and Shrine of the Bab (a UNESCO World Heritage Site).
Transportation: Unique features include the Carmelit (Israel’s only underground metro), cable cars, and buses that run on Shabbat.

Attractions & Landmarks

Baháʼí Gardens: Terraced gardens on Mount Carmel.
Elijah’s Cave: A holy site for Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Druze.
Stella Maris Monastery: A Carmelite monastery on Mount Carmel.
Haifa Port: A major deepwater port.
Museums: Including the National Maritime Museum and the Madatech (National Museum of Science, Technology, and Space).

TODAY: July 16, 2026

Reference: Hillel Fuld @HilzFuld

Raising a major red flag!! This is very serious. You know, over the past few years, when I speak of antisemitism today and how it compares to antisemitism before the Holocaust, one of the biggest pushbacks I get is that back then antisemitism was institutionalized with the Nuremberg laws, but today it is not. So allow me to tell you what institutionalized antisemitism looks like. The topic of foreign aid to Israel is a hot topic. Yesterday there was a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives and 104 representatives voted for a bill to cut all foreign aid to Israel. So how serious is American foreign aid to Israel? Allow me to give you some numbers. The US GDP is about $27 trillion. Their foreign aid is about $100 billion. That means that ALL US foreign aid put together is 0.37% of their GDP. A microscopic number. But that is ALL their foreign aid. How much of that goes to Israel? America sends Israel $3.3 billion in annual foreign aid. That means that Israel’s foreign aid from the US is about 3% to 4% of total U.S. foreign aid, which is only 0.37% of the GDP. And this is what all the fuss is about?! By the way, Israel’s GDP is approaching the trillion dollar mark. So again, we’re talking about $3.3 billion from the US out of Israel’s $1 trillion GDP. That number is almost completely insignificant. For context, the Ukraine gets about $6.5 billion. So congress said no to stopping foreign aid to Israel. That’s great news, right? Wrong!! Over 100 American congressmen voted to stop foreign aid!! 104!! This was a bipartisan issue forever. No more. How does that number compare to previous votes on the same topic? In 2025, only 6 members voted to cut funding. Six! And yesterday was 104!! This is extremely worrisome! Side note: I actually hope Israel does become independent and stops taking foreign aid but that should be our decision, not congress’ decision! So… As you may or may not recall, before 10/7, I wrote a post raising a red flag that something big is about to happen and Israel will be at the center of it. Wrote that two days before. And a month before Bondi, I wrote that there is going to be a mass casualty event at a Jewish event. I’m not a prophet but I do have my eyes open so allow me to tell you what’ll happen next. The conspiracies about Israel are running rampant. They are getting sillier and more dangerous by the day. “But I’m sure those conspiracy theorists are just a bunch of crazy people with no influence.” Really? How about the vice president of the United States of America? This is a recent interview with JD Vance, the vice president of the United States of America, saying on Joe Rogan’s podcast to his millions and millions of followers and listeners that there are paid players funded by Israel who are trying everything to undermine America’s negotiations with Iran. He quotes a time magazine article that singles out actual friends of mine who are paid by no one and the entire article is one big blood libel. And this is the vice president of the United States spreading this false narrative about Israel. The conspiracies are everywhere, and they are getting worse by the day. Things that were considered socially unacceptable and even taboo just a few years ago have become a daily occurrence. If I showed you my comment section or my inbox on any given day, you would become physically ill. You know, the caricatures of Jews with big noses, the name calling, the praising Hitler, the claim that the Jews are the source of all of the world’s problems, and on and on and on. Just a few years ago, no one would dare speak that way publicly. Maybe they would say it behind closed doors, but they would never say it publicly due to the risk of being canceled as an antisemite. Not only are those things no longer taboo, not only are they acceptable, they are now the cool thing to do. All the cool kids are doing it. So here’s my new prediction. Soon, I don’t know if it’s a couple of weeks or a month or two, there’s going to be some explosive new theory or conspiracy about how Israel is undermining the US. It will be widely accepted by Americans, which will lead to a faster increase in anti-Semitism, which will lead to Jews finding themselves totally isolated and discriminated against in mainstream American society. Mark my words, over the next short while, we will see some serious allegations against Israel, whether it’s Israel spying on America, Israel stealing money from America, or something else that is completely not based on reality. Antisemitism in the United States and Western civilization in general is about to go through the roof. I am not talking about anti-Semitism from Islamist. I am not talking about radical anti-Semitism from the far left. I am not even talking about anti-Semitism from the far right. I am talking about mainstream American society, people who stood by us for years, completely turning on the Jews and joining forces with all of the groups I just mentioned. We are going to see anti-Semitism escalate physical violence and even murder. Things are about to get a whole lot worse and fast. As I always say, I would love nothing more than to be wrong, but I am not wrong. The silver lining? Many more Jews are going to come to the conclusion that they are no longer welcome in the United States, and will contact Nefesh B’Nefesh, get on a plane, and come home. Unfortunately, there will be many Jews who don’t, and who continue to convince themselves that everything is OK and that it won’t happen there. To those diaspora Jews, please remain alert at all times. So now, I ask a question I’ve been asking for years. Dear my brothers and sisters in the diaspora, what has to happen for you to realize it’s time to go? I’ve wondered my whole life why the German Jews didn’t leave, and I never had an answer, until now. If someone had a gun to their head and that person was told that if they don’t get on an El Al plane within the hour, the person will pull the trigger. Anyone in their right mind would get on a plane, right? If that’s the case, presumably those people do not think that what’s happening today constitutes a gun to their head. So here’s my question, what does? If synagogues being vandalized, Jews being harassed, Jewish businesses being boycotted, businesses refusing to serve Jews, Jews being assaulted and even murdered, being hunted down, lists of Jews being made, every single top podcaster (Candace, Tucker, Fuentes, Rogan) hating on the Jews, and politicians suggesting camps for Zionists, if all of that is not a gun to your head, then what is? What has to happen for you to realize you need to get out and now? Is there any such event? If so, what is it? I fully recognize that this is going to anger a lot of my friends in the diaspora. You know what? I am totally OK with that. You wanna know why? Because do you know who else would’ve been angered by me raising this red flag? My grandmother. And every other European Jew who lived there just before the Holocaust. If I had told them then what I’m telling you now, they would’ve called me hysterical, they would’ve said I am fearmongering, and they would’ve said it won’t happen here. Oh, and one more thing. Please don’t misunderstand me. I am deeply grateful for America’s support of Israel. My family was given refuge in the US. The US has been good to my family and to my people. I am thankful for that. Sadly that party is over and it’s time for Jews to open a history book and look what happened to the Jews in every single empire ever after many many years of living in that empire comfortably and in safety. In every single one of those instances, the party ended and the Jews did not read the writing on the wall before it was too late. How about we change that pattern and get out before it’s too late? While the party is over for Jews over there, the party over here is just getting started. We are building a BETTER future for Jews here in Israel. Yes, we have challenges here. I’d be delusional if I denied that. But the trajectory here is a good one. And if the challenges and problems over here bother you so much, then come here and fix them! The good news is, it’s true, antisemitism today cannot be compared to back then. However, there is only one reason for that, and that reason is the modern state of Israel, a country where any Jew can walk around freely with a kipa on their head and a star of David around their neck. Here, you are welcome with open arms. We were given a historic and unprecedented gift with the modern state of Israel, a gift our ancestors would have died for, and even Moses was denied. Please accept that gift and don’t throw it back into the face of the One who gave it to us. Also? Shawarma on me.

TODAY: July 15, 2026

By Matthew Feinberg

The Jewish relationship with Hashem has never been simple. It was never meant to be. When G-d renamed Jacob to *Israel*, He wasn’t giving us a poetic nickname, he was defining our mission.

Israel means “one who struggles with G-d.”
Not “submits.”
Not “surrenders.”
Struggles.… pic.twitter.com/1QwF59iQN7
— Matthew Feinberg (@thewebbie) July 15, 2026

The Jewish relationship with Hashem has never been simple. It was never meant to be. When G-d renamed Jacob to Israel, He wasn’t giving us a poetic nickname, he was defining our mission.

Israel means “one who struggles with G-d.”
Not “submits.”
Not “surrenders.”
Struggles.

This is the heart of Judaism. The world thinks faith means obedience. For us, faith means engagement, arguing, challenging, wrestling with the Divine because we believe the world can be better, and we refuse to accept anything less.

We don’t drift through history waiting for answers. We demand them. We fight for them. The Jewish journey has never been about reaching a final destination. It’s about elevating ourselves through study, through action, through moral courage, to meet G-d eye-to-eye.

This is why Jews build. Why Jews create. Why Jews lead.
It isn’t arrogance it’s responsibility.
We refuse to bow because submission is not in our spiritual DNA.

Why draw closer to G-d?

Because that’s where the struggle is. And in that struggle we discover who we are. When we wrestle with G-d, we are also wrestling with our fears, our limits, and every force, human or divine, that tries to write our story for us.

We write our own story.
That is what it means to be Israel.

We have prevailed for thousands of years not because the world made it easy, but because we never stopped fighting, not against G-d, but with Him, pulling the world toward truth, purpose, and life.

We will prevail again. We always do.
Am Yisrael Chai. renamed Jacob to Israel.

Israel literally means, “One who struggles with G‑d.”

This is the essence of Judaism. It’s not about the destination, it’s all about the journey. We know there will be a constant struggle and we are prepared for it. It’s our duty to question G-d and to wrestle with G-d.

This is why Jews are high achievers. We elevate ourselves as individuals and as a people to become closer to G-d. We DO NOT “submit”.

Why get closer to G-d?

Because it’s easier to get G-d into a chokehold and prevail. We define our destiny, no one else, not even G-d.

We will prevail, always.

Am Yisrael Chai 🇮🇱

“Bevor ihr urteilt, kommt nach Israel. Schaut euch das Land mit eigenen Augen an. Allein die Tatsache, dass ich eine Araberin bin, Muslima, Israelin und gleichzeitig Offizierin der israelischen Streitkräfte bin und in den sozialen Medien öffentlich auftrete, vermittelt eine Botschaft darüber, was Israel ist und was die IDF ist”, sagt Ella Waweya im Interview mit @cicero_online.

Waweya ist die ranghöchste arabisch-muslimische Offizierin der IDF.

Der Link zum ganzen Interview im ersten Kommentar.

English Translation:

“Before you judge, come to Israel. See the country with your own eyes. The mere fact that I am an Arab, a Muslim, an Israeli, and at the same time an officer in the Israel Defense Forces, and that I am active on social media, conveys a message about what Israel is and what the IDF is,” Ella Waweya said in an interview with @cicero_online.

Waweya is the highest-ranking Arab-Muslim officer in the IDF.

The link to the full interview is in the first comment.

https://x.com/i/status/2077031656368529532

TODAY: June 16, 2026

Ref: Israel News Pulse

“American cardiologist Dr. Afshin Emrani, an Iranian-born Jew who fled Iran after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, published a lengthy statement shared by U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.

Emrani argues that October 7 marked the beginning of a new era in which Israel is increasingly forced to stand on its own. He acknowledges the disappointment felt by many Israelis following the U.S.-Iran agreement, but warns against turning on President Trump without fully understanding the deal.

According to Emrani, Trump weakened Iran more than any American leader in decades by forcing Tehran to negotiate from a position of weakness. However, he argues that Trump must also consider U.S. economic and political interests as President of the United States.

The central message of the article is that Israel was never meant to depend indefinitely on any foreign power, including the United States. Emrani writes that decisions about Israel’s survival must ultimately be made in Jerusalem, not Washington, and that true sovereignty requires the ability to act independently when necessary.

He also describes Iran as a regime that appears strong but is internally fragile, relying on fear, economic weakness, and a population that increasingly rejects it. Emrani believes the Iranian regime could collapse within the coming years.

Concluding on an optimistic note, he argues that Israel’s greatest strengths are its resilience, innovation, medicine, technology, and moral clarity. He urges Israelis to remain patient and confident, saying that despite current challenges, the country’s best days are still ahead.”

Statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the press conference last night:

”Dear citizens of Israel,
For decades, I have been fighting against Iran’s efforts to arm itself with nuclear weapons. I can define it as my life’s mission. I have met this challenge to this day, and I will continue to meet it in the future. With an agreement, without an agreement – Iran will not have nuclear weapons. Not today, and not tomorrow. As long as I am Prime Minister of Israel – this will not happen.

I hear people asking: What have we achieved? And my response to them is: “What have we achieved”?! We have fended off an immediate threat of annihilation. Together with our American friends, we launched the largest offensive air operation in Israel’s history. We neutralized nuclear scientists, decapitated the leaders of the terror regime, pulverized nuclear facilities, destroyed missiles and the vast majority of the factories that produce them, struck countless military industries and infrastructures, destroyed their navy, their air force, neutralized Basij commanders who massacred the Iranian people, and caused enormous damage. We estimate it in the hundreds of billions of dollars, and some even estimate it to be closer to a trillion dollars – enormous damage to the economy of Iran that took them decades to build.

But here is the most important thing: we saved the State of Israel from the threat of nuclear annihilation. Because, it is crucial to understand, Iran was racing toward a nuclear weapon just before Operation Rising Lion; it was racing toward a nuclear weapon and racing to bury its missile and nuclear industry deep underground.

If we had not acted at the time we did, and with the overwhelming force with which we did – both in Operation Rising Lion and later in Operation Roaring Lion, in historic cooperation with President Trump and the American military – if we had not acted in this way, Iran would already have atomic bombs. And what does that mean? It means that millions of Israeli citizens, you who are listening to me now, you would all have been in terrible danger of mass death. All of us would have been in that danger. And this danger, of the elimination of Israel’s population, we have fended off for years to come. That is what we have achieved – we saved the State of Israel from annihilation.

But I tell you, citizens of Israel, the struggle is not over and done. We will need to maintain our vigilance, remain strong and determined to defend ourselves as required. This is true not only vis-à-vis Iran. This is also true vis-à-vis Iran’s terror proxies, which we have hit in an unprecedented manner. We did it in Gaza, we did it in Lebanon, in Syria, in Yemen, we did it in the refugee camps in Judea and Samaria – we did it everywhere.

We eliminated Deif, Haniyeh, and Sinwar, along with many of Hamas’s leaders. Actually, almost everyone who was there during the horrific massacre; I think there is one more left, he too will be eliminated. We destroyed thousands of terrorists and countless terror infrastructures. We returned all our hostages from Gaza, down to the very last one. No one believed we would do that. I did.

I was told: Prime Minister, we must give up, don’t enter Rafah, end the war – we will bring the hostages and we will frame our exit from Gaza as a victory. I did not accept this nonsense. We entered Rafah, we entered Gaza City, contrary to the opinions of many – and we returned all the hostages, to the last one. And not only that, we exploded the pagers, we eliminated the arch-enemy Nasrallah, we prevented the invasion of the Radwan Force into the Galilee, we destroyed the vast majority of the 150,000 rockets and missiles that Nasrallah built in order to devastate the cities of Israel.

You remember what we were told: If we go to battle with Hezbollah, we will have tens of thousands of casualties, the towers will come down in Tel Aviv, in Haifa, in Jerusalem, in Be’er- Sheva; Israeli cities will be reduced to ruins. You remember that. I did not accept that, we fought them, and we fought them hard; we also captured their key positions like the Beaufort, which Hezbollah had used for years to threaten the northern communities, and in fact the entire country.

Simultaneously, we did another thing: we established deep security zones around the State of Israel. We did it in Gaza, in Lebanon, in Syria – where, by the way, we destroyed all the weaponry of the Assad army, which was a central link in the Axis of Evil. And I wish to clarify: we will remain in the security zones for as long as it is required to defend our country. Because after October 7th, I established a simple principle: Israel will not allow terror organizations to encamp on our borders; to tunnel into our territory; to prepare for a massacre close to our citizens. Today, the heroic IDF fighters stand as barrier between the terrorists and our citizens.

What we did, in fact, was change our entire security doctrine; change ourselves as well. We broke the barrier of fear. We take initiative, we attack, we surprise, and we strike at those who threaten our lives.

Israel is stronger than ever, and Iran’s Axis of Evil is weaker than ever. If someone had told you at the beginning of the war that we would achieve everything I have detailed, and I haven’t detailed everything – you would have said they were hallucinating. Just talk, just promises – no, we did all that. And today, after we have achieved all this, there are those who want to minimize it, to dismiss our tremendous achievements. And I tell you: we are going to achieve many more great things.

We will continue to neutralize threats in the region, we will build new alliances with countries in the region and beyond. We will ensure our own domestic armament independence, this is another principle I established, and I am investing 350 billion NIS in that, as a supplement to the defense budget. We will develop technologies that break the boundaries of imagination, and we will turn Israel into an even stronger power. Because our strength is the key to our future, it is the key to our security, it is the key to our economy, it is the key to our alliances. Because alliances are made with the strong, and Israel today is a very strong country. It is strong thanks to you, citizens of Israel.

I wish to thank you, citizens of Israel, for your steadfastness, for the support you give to the government and for the support you give me as the Prime Minister. And above all, I wish to thank our heroic fighters, men and women in active duty and in the reserves, at sea, on land, and in the air, in the IDF and in all the security branches. There is no one like you, heroes of Israel. Together we will continue to stand, and together we will continue to win.

“Fear not, O Jacob My servant, and be not dismayed, O Israel!”
Together, with God’s help, we will ensure the eternity of Israel.”

TODAY: June 15, 2026

@itamarbengvir Minister of National Security. Chairman of Otzma Yehudit.”Trump’s agreement does not bind us. Israel is not subject to the United States, and we are an independent and sovereign nation!

Our duty is to the citizens of Israel, to the soldiers of the IDF, and to the Jewish people, and our historical duty to the persecuted and murdered Jews over thousands of years of exile, to provide security to Jews in the Land of Israel.

Every time we succumbed to international pressure at the expense of Israel’s security, we paid a blood price with interest. It was true in the Oslo Accords, it was true in the Lebanon agreement in 2006, and it was true in every period of containment in Gaza that exploded in our faces.

We emphasize: We love the USA and are grateful to President Trump. And yet, the State of Israel is not a banana republic.

I say these things to the Prime Minister all the time, and repeat them in closed rooms at every important historical juncture: In historical moments, a historical decision must be made.

My position is clear: We are not partners to this agreement that does not ensure our security, and it does not bind us in any way. We must not compromise on anything less than the dismantling of Hezbollah, we must not withdraw from any territory that our fighters have captured and cleared of terror infrastructure, we must not return to a situation where thousands of terrorists sit on the fences of northern settlements, and certainly we must not remain silent for a moment in the face of fire directed at the State of Israel.

We must make it clear: Every launch of a drone, UAV, or missile toward Israel from Lebanon will lead to an Israeli strike in Dahiya. That was the deterrence balance just a few months ago, and we must not give it up in any way.

And above all, we must make it clear to everyone: The people of Israel is a people of 3,000 years, the eternal people that does not fear a long road; we have faith in the Creator of the Universe, we are a strong and proud people that returned to its homeland strong and proud, and does not intend to lower its gaze before enemies anymore. The days are over when the Jew took blows and kept silent. Never again!”

@SpencerGuard War Scholar | Chair of War Studies Madison Policy Forum

“Much of the debate over U.S. aid to Israel starts with a misconception. Under current agreements, nearly all Foreign Military Financing is spent on American-made defense products, supporting U.S. factories, supply chains and jobs while strengthening a key alliance in the Middle East.”