Connect with us

RSS

Floyd Mayweather Praises Wounded IDF Soldiers as ‘Brave Warriors, True Heroes’ During Solidarity Trip to Israel

Floyd Mayweather Jr. gestures during a press conference, ahead of exhibition fight with John Gotti III, in Mexico City, Mexico, August 23, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Henry Romero

Undefeated boxing legend Floyd Mayweather is currently in Israel to show support for the country amid its ongoing war against Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip, and on Tuesday he visited soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) who have been wounded fighting on behalf of the Jewish state.

The boxing world champion met wounded IDF soldiers at Hadassah Hospital and wrote in an Instagram post that the visit “was deeply emotional.” He shared several photos from his visit and said, “Witnessing the strength and courage of these brave heroes was truly inspiring. May God bless them all.”

Mayweather also visited wounded IDF soldiers at the Belev Echad rehabilitation center in Kiryat Ono and told the soldiers “you guys are brave warriors, I take my hat off to everyone in here that go on that battlefield.”

“Everyone can’t do your job, just like everyone can’t do my job,” he added. “You guys are team players. I am proud of you all. Hold your head up high and just know every day is a blessing. We can’t take nothing for granted and you guys are true heroes. You guys are warriors and I’m behind you guys 100 percent. I’ll be back and you guys have my support.”

Mayweather shared a photo with some of the soldiers from the Belev Echad rehab center in a separate Instagram post and said the visit was “a humbling experience.” The Belev Echad center said Mayweather “spent time engaging with our heroes, sharing words of encouragement, and emphasizing the importance of resilience both in and out of the ring.”

This is Mayweather’s fourth visit to Israel since the Gaza war began, following the Hamas terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Mayweather was one of the first outside of Israel to send supplies to the Jewish state — including medical equipment, food, and bulletproof vests for IDF soldiers — after the Oct. 7 massacre. The athlete landed in Israel earlier this week and shortly after his arrival wrote in an Instagram post that the country “feels like home away from home.”

“There’s nothing like returning to such warmth and hospitality!” he added. “A heartfelt thank you to the wonderful team at Ben Gurion Airport for the welcome back … Actions speak louder than words, and I’m here to support in every way I can. Here’s to another great journey together.”

Mayweather has made a number of stops in Jerusalem this week. He visited the Western Wall, the US embassy, where he met former US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, and the Orthodox yeshiva Sha’arei Mevaseret Zion, where he told students, “I will continue to support Israel, I will be back, and I will continue to be a voice for the [Jewish] people.” Mayweather was also gifted this week by JB Jewelers in Israel a limited edition $20,000 watch in the colors of the Israeli flag in honor of his support for Israel. The watch was created to mark the 75th anniversary of Israel’s independence, and its back features an image of an Israeli flag.

Earlier this month, Mayweather pledged $100,000 to United Hatzalah of Israel so the emergency medical service organization can purchase 100 bulletproof vests to keep its volunteers safe.

The post Floyd Mayweather Praises Wounded IDF Soldiers as ‘Brave Warriors, True Heroes’ During Solidarity Trip to Israel first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Continue Reading

RSS

Tourists Stranded in Israel as Sirens Sound, Missiles Fly, Planes Grounded

FILE PHOTO: A worker at Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel sits at the arrivals terminal as all flights from and to the airport are indicated cancel, following an Israeli attack on Iran. June 13, 2025 Photo: REUTERS/Tomer Appelbaum

Woken by air raid sirens, hurrying to bomb shelters, scouring travel sites for escape routes — thousands of tourists in Israel have found their holiday plans upended by the country’s conflict with Iran.

Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran in the early hours of Friday, shutting down the national airspace and telling people to remain where they were as the arch Middle East foes traded deadly blows.

The violence has left around 40,000 tourists blocked in Israel, according to the Ministry of Tourism. Airlines are cancelling flights until further notice, leaving travelers to decide whether to wait it out or seek costly detours through neighboring countries.

Justin Joyner, from California, is on holiday in Jerusalem with his father John, who lives in Nevada, and his son. They had expected some possible disruption, with Israel locked in a months-long conflict against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

But, like most locals, they did not foresee a whole new war.

“We didn’t expect Israel to attack Iran. That is a completely different level of escalation,” Joyner said from his hotel in East Jerusalem, which, for the past two nights, has seen Iranian ballistic missiles flash overhead like a rain of meteorites.

“It’s unsettling to feel the shockwaves of intercepted missiles above you, and to take your family down to a bomb shelter. That’s just something we don’t think about in America,” he said.

Dr. Greer Glazer, who lives in Cleveland and was in Jerusalem for a nursing training program, faces a race down 10 flights of stairs in her hotel to reach the shelter when sirens sound — as they have done regularly since Friday night.

“I feel safe,” she said, “but waking from a dead sleep and running to the safe room, that’s been the hardest. My family is scared to death … They think it’s 24/7 destruction, but it’s not like that.”

THE JORDAN ROUTE

Glazer had been due to return home on June 29, but is looking to bring forward her departure. The easiest exit route is via land crossings into neighboring Jordan and then a flight out of Amman airport which has been operating in daylight hours.

Israeli media reported that the transgender US influencer Caitlyn Jenner, who only flew into Israel on Thursday for Tel Aviv’s since-canceled Gay Pride Parade, had left through Jordan.

Hours earlier, she had been photographed drinking a glass of red wine in a bomb shelter. “What an incredible way it has been to celebrate Shabbat,” she wrote on X.

Not everyone is rushing to leave.

Karen Tuhrim is visiting from London to see her daughter, who lives in Tel Aviv. “Within two days of being here, Israel attacked Iran. So now I’m stuck,” she said.

Unlike Jerusalem, Tel Aviv has taken direct hits from the Iranian missiles and Tuhrim has had to dip in and out of her hotel’s shelter. But she said she felt safe and was happy to be near her daughter.

“For me, personally, at the moment, I feel better being here than in London, watching it all on the news, knowing my daughter is here. So, for now, we’re good.”

Israel’s Ministry of Tourism has set up a round-the-clock virtual help desk in English and Hebrew for stranded travelers.

But for anyone stuck here, all the museums are closed until further notice, entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem is barred to non-residents and many shops remain shuttered.

“The streets and shops are empty,” said Jerusalem resident Anwar Abu Lafi, who saw no quick end to the gloom.

“People are yearning for a break, to find something good in this existing darkness. We are deluding ourselves into thinking that the future will be better,” he said.

The post Tourists Stranded in Israel as Sirens Sound, Missiles Fly, Planes Grounded first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Continue Reading

RSS

4 Killed by Missile in Arab Town of Tamra, Including a Mother and Her Two Daughters

Illustrative: A Magen David Adom ambulance. Photo: David King via Wikimedia Commons.

i24 NewsIn the early hours of Sunday morning, the Arab town of Tamra in northern Israel was struck by an Iranian missile, tragically claiming the lives of four women from the same family, including a mother and her two daughters, aged 13 and 20.

The missile caused severe damage, nearly collapsing the three- to four-story building where they lived.

Emergency services responded quickly, evacuating 14 injured individuals and providing care for eight others suffering from shock at Rambam Hospital in Haifa.

Despite the devastation, the community and first responders showed remarkable resilience and solidarity, working tirelessly to assist those affected.

Eli Bin, director general of Magen David Adom, described the scene as one of severe destruction but praised the swift and professional response of rescue teams. Paramedic Adnan Abu Rumi, one of the first on site, emphasized the dedication of emergency personnel in managing the crisis.

Residents like Hamudi, who was injured but survived, shared heartfelt accounts of the sudden impact, underscoring the strength of families and neighbors coming together in difficult times.

The post 4 Killed by Missile in Arab Town of Tamra, Including a Mother and Her Two Daughters first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Continue Reading

RSS

Trump Sees Peace Between Iran and Israel Soon, Eyes Putin Role

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Photo: Reuters/Maxim Shemetov

Despite evidence that the conflict between Israel and Iran is escalating, US President Donald Trump expressed optimism on Sunday that peace would come soon and cited the possibility that Russia’s Vladimir Putin could help.

In a social media post, Trump said there were many unspecified meetings about the issue happening and encouraged the two countries to make a deal. And in an interview with ABC News, he said he was open to Putin, whose forces invaded Ukraine and who has resisted Trump’s attempts to broker a ceasefire with Kyiv, serving as a mediator.

Israel and Iran launched fresh attacks on each other overnight into Sunday, killing scores.

“Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social site. “We will have PEACE, soon, between Israel and Iran! Many calls and meetings now taking place.”

Trump did not offer any details about the meetings or evidence of progress toward peace. His assertion contradicted comments by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said on Saturday that Israel’s campaign against Iran would intensify.

A White House spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how Trump and the White House were working to de-escalate the situation in the Middle East.

Trump told ABC News that Iran wanted to make a deal and indicated something like the Israel strikes would accelerate that. “Something like this had to happen because I think even from both sides, but something like this had to happen. They want to talk, and they will be talking,” Trump said, according to ABC reporter Rachel Scott. “May have forced a deal to go quicker, actually.”

The United States has engaged in talks with Iran about its nuclear program and Trump has told reporters previously that the talks were going well. But another round of discussions scheduled for Sunday in Oman was canceled after the Israeli and Iranian strikes.

Trump said he and Putin had discussed the situation in the Middle East on Saturday in a call that focused more on that conflict than the Russian war in Ukraine.

“He is ready. He called me about it,” Trump said about Putin serving as a mediator, according to Scott. “We had a long talk about it. We talked about this more than his situation. This is something I believe is going to get resolved.”

Trump, who portrays himself as a peacemaker and has drawn criticism from his political base for not being able to prevent the Israel-Iran conflict, cited other disputes that he took responsibility for solving, including between India and Pakistan, and lamented not receiving more praise for doing so.

“I do a lot, and never get credit for anything, but that’s OK, the PEOPLE understand. MAKE THE MIDDLE EAST GREAT AGAIN!” he wrote on Truth Social.

The post Trump Sees Peace Between Iran and Israel Soon, Eyes Putin Role first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Continue Reading

Copyright © 2017 - 2023 Jewish Post & News