US President Donald Trump, right, and his White House national security adviser, Mike Waltz. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

US President Donald Trump ousted his national security adviser Mike Waltz on Thursday and named Secretary of State Marco Rubio as his interim replacement in the first major shakeup of Trump’s inner circle since he took office in January.

Trump, in a social media post, said he would be nominating Waltz to be the next US ambassador to the United Nations, adding that “he has worked hard to put our nation’s interests first.”

Earlier in the day, sources said Trump had decided to force Waltz out of his White House position.

Trump’s selection of Rubio to replace Waltz temporarily will be the first time since Henry Kissinger in the 1970s that one person held both the positions of secretary of state and national security adviser.

Waltz‘s deputy, Alex Wong, an Asia expert who was a State Department official focused on North Korea during Trump’s first term, is also leaving his post, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Waltz, a 51-year-old former Republican lawmaker from Florida, faced criticism inside the White House when he was caught up in a March scandal involving a Signal chat among top Trump national security aides.

The national security adviser is a powerful role that does not require Senate confirmation.

The post Trump Ousts White House National Security Adviser Waltz, Nominates Him for UN Ambassador first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

US Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) addressing the Israeli parliament on May 24, 2024. Photo: Office of Congresswoman Elise Stefanik.

US politicians across the political aisle congratulated Israel as the Jewish state celebrated the 77th anniversary of its independence, noting the importance of the relationship between the two allies.

On Tuesday night, Israel began observing Yom HaZikaron, its annual Memorial Day which commemorates soldiers killed in battle and victims of terrorism since the state’s founding in 1948. Then on Wednesday night, Israel began celebrating Yom HaAtzmaut, its Independence Day. However, many celebrations were canceled or postponed throughout the country as massive wildfires continued to engulf the Jewish state.

This year’s observance comes at a time of heightened political debate and security concerns amid the war in Gaza escalating tensions with Iran, prompting renewed dialogue on unity and national direction. 

US Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) acknowledged Israel’s Independence Day, stating that the holiday represents a testament to the Jewish state’s “strength, spirit, and resilience.”

Stefanik has established herself as a strong ally of the Jewish community. While serving on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, she has lambasted administrators of elite universities for their allegedly mealy-mouthed condemnations of antisemitism and tolerance of anti-Jewish discrimination at their schools. In December 2023, Stefanik engaged in a fiery back-and-forth with the presidents of Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology over their handling of a surge in antisemitism on campus.

“As the sun sets and Yom HaZikaron comes to a close, Israel transitions from mourning to joy —honoring the cost of freedom and celebrating its independence and honoring 76 years of strength, spirit, and resilience,” Stefanik said in a statement.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) also issued a statement celebrating Israel’s Independence Day, vowing to continue to use his platform to support the Jewish community.

“Tonight, NYC City Hall shines blue & white as we honor Israel’s 77th Independence Day. We illuminate in celebration of Yom Ha’atzmaut and stand with Israel and our Jewish community today and always,” Adams said.

In recent weeks, Adams has attempted to salvage his fledging mayoral reelection campaign by underscoring the importance of combatting antisemitism. Last week, reports surfaced that he plans on running on an “EndAntiSemitism” ballot line. Adams, who secured his 2021 mayoral victory with a significant amount of Orthodox Jewish support, has repeatedly spoken out about antisemitism in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks throughout Israel.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) also commemorated Israel’s Independence Day, stating that a strong Israel benefits the United States, and that he will always be a supporter of the Jewish state.

“When Israel is strong, America and the world are strong. I will always stand unequivocally and unapologetically with Israel, our friend and ally,” Cruz said.

Cruz has long been a vocal supporter of Israel, emphasizing the nation’s right to self-defense and sovereignty. In a 2025 address to the Sovereignty Conference in Jerusalem, Cruz affirmed that Israel’s presence in the West Bank is rooted in biblical history and modern legal rights. During a 2021 visit to Israel, he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stating that Israel not only has the right but a responsibility to defend itself, particularly against threats from Iran and Hamas. Additionally, Cruz has been vocal in criticizing US policies he perceives as undermining Israel’s security, including the administration’s financial dealings with Iran, which he argues have indirectly funded terrorist activities.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) expressed pride in New York’s substantial Jewish community, adding that she stands “in solidarity” with Israel.

“Tonight, we celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut and Israel’s 77th Independence Day! New York is proud to be the home of the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, and we’re proud to stand in solidarity with the Israeli people,” Hochul wrote. 

Hochul has demonstrated strong support for Israel, particularly in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attacks. She led a bipartisan coalition of 17 governors in condemning the massacre and expressing solidarity with Israel, emphasizing the unbreakable bond between the US and the Jewish state. Hochul also visited Israel during the conflict, meeting with victims and officials to reaffirm New York’s commitment. Domestically, she has taken steps to honor victims, such as directing state landmarks to be lit in Israel’s colors and ordering flags at half-staff.

Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, also marked Israel’s Independence Day with a statement on X/Twitter.

“Seventy-seven years ago, the Jewish people declared sovereignty over their ancestral homeland. Happy Independence Day to Israel — our greatest ally in the Middle East,” Mast posted.

Mast has established himself as one of Israel’s most vocal supporters in Congress, intertwining personal experience with legislative advocacy. Mast, a US Army veteran who lost both legs during a tour in Afghanistan, volunteered with the Israel Defense Forces in 2015. Following the October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel, Mast donned his IDF uniform on Capitol Hill to express support with the Jewish state. As chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, he has championed measures to bolster US-Israel ties, including legislation to prevent US funds from supporting antisemitic education in Gaza.

The post ‘When Israel Is Strong, America Is Strong’: US Politicians Mark Israel’s 77th Independence Day first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Members of Kneecap pose on the red carpet at the Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) Awards in Dublin, Ireland, Feb. 14, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne

A slew of British musicians spoke out on Wednesday in defense of the Northern Irish rap group Kneecap, who are facing widespread criticism and the cancellation of several scheduled performances after making antisemitic, anti-Israel, and other offensive comments.

In a statement posted on Instagram, the trip-hop collective Massive Attack claimed politicians and “right-wing journalists” are “strategically concocting moral outrage over the stage utterings of a young punk band.” The collective added that these critics have no right “to intimidate festival events into acts of political censorship” while “simultaneously obfuscating or even ignoring the genocide” of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Massive Attack said emphasis should be put more on the alleged persecution of Palestinians, and less on the Irish band.

“Kneecap are not the story. Gaza is the story. Genocide is the story,” the collective added. “And the silence, acquiescence, and support of those crimes against humanity by the elected British government is the real story.” Massive Attack concluded by expressing solidarity with “all artists with the moral courage to speak out against Israeli war crimes, and the ongoing persecution and slaughter of the Palestinian people.”

Massive Attack has voiced support for “Palestine” for more than 30 years, and accuses Israel of “occupation” and “apartheid.” The collective has boycotted performances in Israel since 1999.

Dozens of other major acts and artists signed a statement from the London-based independent record label Heavenly Recordings in support of Kneecap, who is signed to the label. Musicians including Fontaines DC, IDLES, Primal Scream,Pulp, Enter Shikari, English Teacher, and Sleaford Mods added their signatures to a statement titled: “We stand for freedom of expression.”

“As artists, we feel the need to register our opposition to any political repression of artistic freedom,” the statement read in part.

“The question of agreeing with Kneecap’s political views is irrelevant: it is in the key interests of every artist that all creative expression be protected in a society that values culture, and that this interference campaign is condemned and ridiculed,” the statement continued. “Furthermore, it also the duty of key leadership figures in the music industry to actively defend artistic freedom of expression – rather than seek to silence views which oppose their own.”

These artists have come out to defend Kneecap after the band’s performance in April at the Coachella festival, where they projected an anti-Israel message that said: “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people. It is being enabled by the US government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes. F–k Israel. Free Palestine.”

Two concerts in the United Kingdom by the Northern Irish rap group Kneecap scheduled for this summer have been cancelled in light of the trio’s offensive comments.

The Eden Sessions are a series of live outdoor music concerts held in the summer in the Eden Project, a large botanical garden-like visitor attraction located in Cornwall, England. Eden Sessions Limited, which organizes the concert series as a joint venture between the Eden Project and global live events company AEG Presents, announced on Tuesday that the Kneecap show with Mike Skinner at Eden Project scheduled for July 4 has been canceled. Ticket purchasers will be contacted and fully refunded. A specific reason for the show’s cancellation was not given.

Shortly afterward, Kneecap announced on Facebook that it would instead be performing at the multi-purpose complex Plymouth Pavilions in Devon on the same date. However, organizers of the concert have since canceled that show as well, due to safety concerns.

“Having taken advice from relevant authorities and agencies, it has been agreed that Kneecap’s performance at our venue will no longer go ahead,” organizers announced in a statement, which was posted on the homepage of the venue’s website. “The safety of our valued visitors is always our primary concern and as such we feel confident in this decision – no further communications will be entered into.”

Last week, two Kneecap concerts in Germany scheduled for this summer were also canceled.

After the Coachella scandal, the UK’s Metropolitan Police said late last week that its counter-terrorism unit would be investigating videos from the band’s past concerts where they made other offensive remarks. Police are assessing footage from a London gig in November 2023 where a Kneecap band member said, “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP [member of Parliament].” Police are also assessing videos from a November 2024 concert in London during which one member of the group shouted “Free Palestine … up Hamas, up Hezbollah.” The Kneecap member had a Hezbollah flag draped over his shoulder when he made the remarks.

Both Hamas and Hezbollah are designated by the UK as terrorist organizations. It is a criminal offense under the UK’s Terrorism Act of 2000 to “invite support for a proscribed organization.” The UK’s Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch demanded that Kneecap be prosecuted for allegedly calling for the death of Tory MPs.

Kneecap claimed in a statement on Monday that “we do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah.” The Belfast-based group also rejected “any suggestion that we would seek to incite violence against any MP or individual. Ever.” They additionally apologized to the families of murdered British MPs Sir David Amess and Jo Cox for the “Kill your local MP” comment.

The official spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer rejected Kneecap’s statement, calling it “half-hearted” and saying that the trio “should apologize.”

“We completely reject in the strongest possible terms the comments that they’ve made, particularly in relation to MPs and intimidation as well as obviously the situation in the Middle East,” the spokesperson added, according to LBC. “It’s right that the police are looking into these videos.”

Kneecap’s manager Daniel Lambert defended the band during an appearance on RTÉ’s “Prime Time” on Tuesday night. “What they said at Coachella was the right thing to say,” he said in part. “It’s a message aimed at governments who are enabling a genocide in Gaza.”

A number of politicians in the UK – including Labour MP for Hemel Hempstead David Taylor, UK Secretary of State for Science Peter Kyle, and Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney – as well as other pro-Israel supporters have publicly called for Kneecap to be removed from several festival performances because of their hateful remarks. UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) said on Wednesday it wrote to “all the venues and festivals” set to host performances by Kneecap this summer, “pointing out the band’s history of abusive and unlawful behavior and the legal issues that the venue may face if it hosts the band.” UKLFI sent letters to festivals including Glastonbury,  the Green Man in Wales, 2000 Trees, TRNSMT in Scotland, Finsbury Park, Wythenshawe Park, and the Wide Awake Festival.

“It is not acceptable to parade the support of evil, genocidal groups as terrorist chic in an effort to appear radical onstage. Nor is it legal in the United Kingdom,” said a spokesperson for UKLFI. “It is particularly egregious to glorify terrorists at music festivals, given that innocent young people at the Nova festival in Israel were slaughtered by these very terrorist groups. We are pleased that having been alerted to this issue, concert venues are taking action against the risk of this happening again.”

In wake of the Coachella incident, Kneecap lost its US work visas, even though they have a North American tour set for later this year, and partied ways with their American booking agency, Independent Artist Group.

The post Irish Rap Trio Kneecap Sees More Concerts Canceled as British Artists Express Solidarity With Anti-Israel Remarks first appeared on Algemeiner.com.