Israeli flags and Hatikvah on the Temple Mount signal a new reality

Israeli flags and Hatikvah on the Temple Mount signal a new reality

Tamar Stein

A small group of Jewish worshippers stood near the Dome of the Rock on Sunday morning, unfurled seven Israeli flags, and sang Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem. The scene would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. For decades, even minor displays of Jewish national expression on the Temple Mount were met with immediate intervention by police. This time, the participants remained on the site, sang openly, and completed the demonstration without being removed.

The Temple Mount, Judaism’s holiest site, has witnessed a dramatic increase in Jewish visitors in recent years. The sight of Jews ascending the mount, praying quietly, bowing, and now publicly displaying Israeli flags reflects a significant shift in enforcement policies at the site.

The event took place shortly after the Temple Mount was reopened to Jewish visitors following a four-day closure for a Muslim holiday. Video footage circulating on social media showed approximately 10 Jewish worshippers carrying 7 Israeli flags near the Dome of the Rock before singing Hatikvah.

Those displaying the flags were not removed from the compound. According to participants and Temple Mount activists, enforcement authorities acted in accordance with policy changes implemented under National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Rabbi Elisha Wolfson, head of the Temple Mount Yeshiva, welcomed the development.

“It is a great joy to see the process of the return to Zion growing stronger, and to witness the many advances on the Temple Mount,” Rabbi Wolfson said. “There is no doubt that the minister is carrying out a genuine revolution.”

Following the reopening of the site, the Temple Mount Yeshiva published updated visiting hours and encouraged Jews who meet the requirements of ritual purity to ascend the mount.

The display quickly drew international criticism. Turkey condemned the incident, accusing Israel of undermining the status of the site. Jordan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates issued similar statements, describing the raising of Israeli flags and the singing of the national anthem as violations of longstanding arrangements governing the compound.

Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ambassador Sufian Qudah called the event “an unacceptable provocation” and reiterated Amman’s position that the Islamic Waqf is the sole authority responsible for administering the site.

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U.S. Strikes Iran as Gulf Ceasefire Frays Under Missile and Drone Fire

U.S. Strikes Iran as Gulf Ceasefire Frays Under Missile and Drone Fire

Emmitt Barry

The United States carried out fresh self-defense strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island on Tuesday after American forces intercepted Iranian drones and missiles aimed at regional waters, Kuwait, and Bahrain, U.S. Central Command said.

CENTCOM said the strikes targeted an Iranian military ground control station on Qeshm Island, a strategic location near the Strait of Hormuz, after U.S. forces shot down three Iranian one-way attack drones launched toward civilian mariners and vessels operating in the region.

Iran later fired multiple ballistic missiles toward Bahrain and Kuwait, according to the U.S. military. Three missiles aimed at Bahrain were intercepted by U.S. and Bahraini air defenses, while two missiles launched toward Kuwait failed before reaching their targets.

“No U.S. personnel were harmed,” CENTCOM said, adding that American forces “remain vigilant and ready to defend against unwarranted Iranian aggression during the ongoing ceasefire.”

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait, saying it targeted the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters and other American military assets in the region. The IRGC said the attacks were retaliation for what it described as a U.S. strike on a communications site south of Qeshm Island.

The latest exchange comes as the Trump administration seeks to maintain pressure on Tehran while keeping fragile peace negotiations alive. Reports this week suggested Iran had suspended talks over continued fighting in Lebanon, though President Donald Trump denied that claim and said negotiations were continuing.

Earlier Tuesday, U.S. forces also disabled an empty Botswana-flagged oil tanker that CENTCOM said was attempting to reach Iran’s Kharg Island in defiance of the American blockade on Iranian ports near the Strait of Hormuz.

According to CENTCOM, U.S. forces issued repeated warnings over a 24-hour period before an American aircraft fired a missile into the tanker’s engine room, disabling the vessel. The command said it was the sixth commercial vessel disabled since the blockade went into effect on April 13.

A similar incident occurred Friday, when U.S. forces disabled a Gambia-flagged ship in the Gulf of Oman after more than 20 warnings were issued to its crew.

The escalation underscores the growing danger around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints. Iran has repeatedly threatened to make U.S. military operations in the Gulf costly, while Washington has vowed to protect American forces, regional allies, and civilian maritime traffic.

Significant AI-related Workforce Reductions Underway:

How the AI Layoff Shock Is Triggering the Greatest Wealth Transfer in History

Nick Giambruno

It was the largest workforce reduction, as a share of total headcount, in S&P 500 history.

Earlier this year, financial services company Block cut 40% of its workforce in a single round of layoffs.

It escaped many people’s attention because it happened just two days before the outbreak of the Iran war, which overshadowed it.

Here’s the key part of Block CEO Jack Dorsey’s announcement:

“We’re not making this decision because we’re in trouble. Our business is strong, gross profit continues to grow. But something has changed. We’re already seeing that the intelligence tools we’re creating and using paired with smaller and flatter teams are enabling a new way of working, which fundamentally changes what it means to build and run a company. And that’s accelerating rapidly.”

It was an astonishing example of how the artificial intelligence (AI) productivity shock is already here… and accelerating faster than most people can comprehend.

Block is using AI to become radically more productive… doing more with less and increasing its margins as a result.

Dorsey could have made the cuts gradually, but that would have demoralized the remaining employees and caused the company to act inefficiently, upsetting shareholders. Instead, he chose to make the cuts all at once rather than stretch the process out.

The markets seemed to agree with Dorsey, as Block shares surged nearly 25% after the shock announcement.

Block was just the beginning.

PayPal, Meta, and Coinbase have all announced significant AI-related workforce reductions following Block’s announcement.

• PayPal plans to cut 20% of its workforce—nearly 4,800 employees.
• Meta is laying off 10% of its staff, around 8,000 employees, as it reallocates resources toward an “AI-first” structure.
• Coinbase is reducing headcount by 14%, or approximately 700 employees.

I think there’s an excellent chance this trend snowballs from here.

We could soon see AI automate millions of white-collar jobs.

What will happen to these people?

How will it affect the political landscape?

What is going to happen to their mortgages, car loans, credit card debt, student debt, and other liabilities?

How will the US government deal with the lost tax revenue?

All of this could have enormous consequences for financial markets and the debt-ridden fiat currency system.

This is not some theoretical issue in the distant future. It is happening right now.

AI and its effects have not escaped the notice of the Federal Reserve.

Kevin Warsh is now the new Chair of the Fed. He is a major proponent of lower interest rates and monetary stimulus to counteract the effects of AI.

In other words, Warsh is essentially signaling that he will debase the currency in a misguided effort to offset AI’s deflationary effects. The problem is that the effects of AI are going to be so profound that the level of currency debasement Warsh would have to engage in would be staggering.

I believe the gap between natural deflation from AI and other technology, and forced inflation from central banks, will produce the greatest wealth transfer in history.

Wealth is not going to vanish.

It is simply going to change hands…

From those who do not understand what is happening… to those who do.

In fact, this historic transfer of wealth is already underway, and for most people, it could be financially devastating.

Consider that the US recently experienced the most severe bout of inflation in 40 years. That means the government has been printing so much money that even the most revolutionary technologies of recent years—the internet, smartphones, social media, advanced computing, and more—have not been enough to bring down the cost of goods and services in the face of rampant currency debasement.

With AI, I believe we are going to see this dynamic on steroids.

Most people are going to be squeezed in a tightening vice—on one side by the most deflationary technology in human history, and on the other by the most severe currency debasement of their lifetimes.

Fiery night in the Middle East: IRGC strikes Kuwait and Bahrain after US attack

Fiery night in the Middle East: IRGC strikes Kuwait and Bahrain after US attack

Israel National News

Explosions were heard early Wednesday morning on Iran’s Qeshm Island, the Mehr news agency reported.

Later, the Kuwaiti military announced that the country’s air defense systems were activated following attacks involving hostile missiles and drones, adding that it was working to intercept those threats.

Sirens and explosions were also heard across Bahrain following a missile attack.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) eventually claimed responsibility for the drone and missile attacks in Kuwait, asserting they were a response to a US attack on Qeshm Island.

Commenting on the incident, US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated, “US forces successfully defeated multiple Iranian ballistic missiles and drones, and conducted self-defense strikes on Qeshm Island in response to attempted attacks by Iran across the Middle East, June 2."

It added, “Iran launched several ballistic missiles toward regional neighbors; however, all failed to hit their intended targets. Two Iranian missiles fired at Kuwait fell short or broke apart enroute, and three missiles launched at Bahrain were immediately intercepted by U.S. and Bahrain air defense forces."

“Moments earlier," the statement continued, “US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces shot down three one-way attack drones launched by Iran toward civilian mariners that were rightfully transiting regional waters. American forces also conducted self-defense strikes on an Iranian military ground control station on Qeshm Island."

The statement stressed that no US personnel were harmed, adding, “CENTCOM forces remain vigilant and ready to defend against unwarranted Iranian aggression during the ongoing ceasefire."

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Netanyahu fears US may further curb IDF freedom of action in Lebanon after tense phone call with Trump

Report: Netanyahu fears US may further curb IDF freedom of action in Lebanon after tense phone call with Trump

Stav Levaton

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is concerned that his recent tense phone call with US President Donald Trump over a planned Israeli strike in Beirut could pave the way for additional American restrictions on the IDF’s freedom of action in Lebanon, Channel 12 reports.

According to the report, Israeli officials fear the Trump administration could expand on its demand that Israel refrain from striking Beirut and begin limiting IDF operations in Lebanon more broadly. One Israeli source familiar with the matter tells the network that Netanyahu is particularly concerned Washington could insist that the IDF operate only in cases of an immediate threat to troops, a shift from current policy.

The network reports that Trump was angered by a joint statement issued by Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, as well as a video published by Netanyahu threatening strikes in Beirut. According to a senior US official cited by the network, Trump felt Netanyahu was “out of control” and at risk of undermining ongoing US-Iran negotiations.

An Israeli source briefed on the call describes it as “a terrible conversation,” telling Channel 12 that Trump “really went at Bibi” and demanded he immediately abandon plans to strike Beirut and avoid jeopardizing talks with Iran.

A separate Channel 12 report reveals that Trump and Netanyahu held an undisclosed phone call several days earlier, during which they reportedly agreed that Israel would issue an evacuation warning for Beirut’s Dahiyeh district – a known Hezbollah stronghold – solely as a threat, without any intention of carrying out a strike. The move was reportedly meant to pressure Hezbollah and support negotiations with the Lebanese government.

According to the report, officials in the Trump administration later became concerned that Netanyahu might use that understanding as a basis for carrying out an actual strike, prompting Trump to intervene and halt the planned operation.

Channel 12 reports that Israel had already prepared for a strike in Beirut and was awaiting only final US approval before Trump intervened to call off the attack.

The network further reports that the statement issued by Netanyahu after his first call with Trump – warning that Israel would strike Beirut if Hezbollah continued firing at Israeli cities – further irritated the administration and led to another, even harsher conversation between the two leaders.