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Trump Pledges ‘I Will Stop the War’ to Anti-Israel UFC Star
Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, US, April 2, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Rebecca Cook
Former US President Donald Trump told an anti-Israel retired star of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) that he would “stop” the Israel-Hamas war in the Middle East, adding to a growing list of statements that have made it unclear what his policy toward the Jewish state would be in a second term in the White House.
Khabib Nurmagomedov, a Russian former professional mixed martial artist who retired undefeated from the UFC, approached Trump at a UFC event on Saturday night, urging the Republican Party’s presumptive 2024 presidential nominee to bring an end to the war in Gaza.
“I know you will stop the war in Palestine,” Nurmagomedov said to Trump.
“We will stop it. I will stop the war,” Trump responded.
WATCH: TRUMP: “I WILL STOP THE WAR”
Former US President Donald Trump met near the Octagon with former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov from Dagestan. “I know you will stop the war in Palestine,” Khabib said. “We will stop it,” Trump replied. “I will stop the war.”
How does he… pic.twitter.com/K85h2u206v
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) June 2, 2024
Nurmagomedov had previously spread the conspiracy theory to his more than 37 million followers on Instagram that Israel bombed the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza at the beginning of the war.
“Bombing a hospital full of children & refugees is not a pathway toward peace. This is genocide,” Nurmagomedov wrote on Oct. 18, just days after Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists launched the war by invading southern Israel from neighboring Gaza on Oct. 7, murdering 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostages.
According to investigations from groups such as Human Rights Watch, the Associated Press, and Western intelligence agencies, Israel did not bomb the hospital; rather, the blast was likely caused by a misfired Palestinian rocket from Gaza that hit the parking lot of the medical facility.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released video in April of a spokesman for Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) admitting that the Gaza-based terrorist group had initially lied about the source of the deadly rocket strike on the hospital, falsely blaming Israel in an attempt to cover up the organization’s involvement.
The IDF at the time had released audio recordings in which Hamas officials can be heard admitting that PIJ was responsible for the misfired rocket.
“We fabricated a story that the rocket belonged to the ‘occupation’ [Israel] and that the target was the building” of Al-Ahli Hospital, the spokesman said, adding that the terrorist group’s communications department chose to lie in order to “erase” the fact that the rocket had fallen short of its target. He went on to say that they also “relied on the stories in the international press.”
The Al-Ahli strike on Oct. 17 was reported by all major news outlets minutes after it occurred. Many mainstream publications, including the New York Times, the Associated Press, and the BBC, came under fire for accepting the Hamas-released death toll at face value. The Times‘ headline said the strike killed “hundreds.” AFP later put the number of those killed by the misfired rocket at between 50-90. The Times ultimately admitted its initial coverage of the blast “relied too heavily on claims by Hamas,” who publicly claimed Israel was responsible and bombed the hospital directly.
Given Nurmagomedov’s stance on the Gaza war, Trump’s response to him over the weekend may raise eyebrows among pro-Israel supporters.
Saturday was not the first time that Trump made comments in recent months raising questions about what his policy toward Israel would look like in a second term.
In an interview with the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom, Trump urged the Jewish state to “finish up your war” and “get on to peace, to get on to a normal life for Israel, and for everybody else.”
In that interview, Trump also argued that Israel was painting “a very bad picture for the world.”
Then, when he was asked on conservative host Hugh Hewitt’s radio show to clarify his comments, he doubled down, saying, “You’ve got to get it over with, and you have to get back to normalcy. And I’m not sure that I’m loving the way they’re doing it, because you’ve got to have victory. You have to have a victory, and it’s taking a long time.”
It was unclear whether Trump was saying Israel should be fighting harder to achieve a swift “total victory” or calling for an end to the war more generally. During the same interview, the former president demurred when asked if he supports Israel “100 percent.”
“And the other thing is I hate they put out tapes all the time. Every night, they’re releasing tapes of a building falling down. They shouldn’t be releasing tapes like that,” Trump said.
“That’s why they’re losing the PR war,” he argued. “They, Israel is absolutely losing the PR war … I guess it makes them look tough. But to me, it doesn’t make them look tough.”
During a rally in April, a crowd of Trump supporters began to chant “genocide Joe,” referring to the phrase many progressives have used to claim US President Joe Biden is supporting what they see as a “genocide” in Gaza. In response, Trump said, “They’re not wrong, they’re not wrong. He’s done everything wrong.”
Weeks later, in an interview with Time magazine, Trump argued that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “rightfully has been criticized for what took place on Oct. 7” and that he has not taken proper action to secure the release of the hostages.
At the same time, Trump also recently touted his pro-Israel record at a donor dinner and posted on his social media site, Truth Social, “Crooked Joe [Biden] is taking the side of these terrorists [Hamas], just like he has sided with the Radical Mobs taking over our college campuses.”
During his first term as president, Trump moved the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem; cut aid to UNRWA, the controversial United Nations agency responsible for Palestinian refugees; and helped facilitate the signing of the Abraham Accords, which normalized Israel’s relations with several Arab countries. He also recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, a strategic region on Israel’s northern border previously controlled by Syria.
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UK Memorial to Oct. 7 Victims Vandalized Again Amid Surge in Antisemitism
A memorial in Brighton, southeastern England, honoring the victims of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel, has been vandalized. Photo: Screenshot
A Jewish memorial in Brighton, southeastern England, dedicated to the victims of the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, has been vandalized once again — one of more than 40 attacks on the site since it was first established.
On Wednesday afternoon, the memorial — which is located in Palmeira Square, in the coastal city of Brighton and Hove — was found badly defaced, with pages displaying victims’ photographs ripped from a folder and strewn across the pavement.
Members of the local Jewish community, who created and maintain the memorial, believe the vandalism occurred in broad daylight between 1 pm and 3.30 pm. They are now urging anyone with information to come forward.
Sussex County Police have confirmed that an investigation into the incident is currently underway.
“They threw the images of murdered children around like they were nothing. Evil unhinged,” Heidi Bachram, one of the volunteers who helps run the memorial, told the Jewish Chronicle. “There have been over 40 attacks on the site including vandalism, theft, and graffiti. The abuse has been relentless.”
“The memorial is not a political place. We simply mourn the murdered. We tell their stories,” Bachram continued. “It’s shocking that grief for innocents is met with such violence. The hate won’t stop us, and every night, a different victim’s story will be told [at the memorial]. We will never let them be forgotten.”
A psychopath has utterly DESTROYED our 7/10 memorial in Brighton AGAIN. Over forty times it has been attacked. The last pro-Pal who did it on camera got away with it, so I’m not surprised. I guess the release of a hostage upset the NASTY bullies. Our dead should not be a target. pic.twitter.com/lg2aNe4H0M
— Heidi Bachram
(@HeidiBachram) May 14, 2025
In less than a day, more than £1,500 has been raised and contributed to the ongoing GoFundMe campaign set up by the local Jewish community to help maintain the site and fund the development of a permanent memorial.
Following the Oct. 7 onslaught, Brighton’s Jewish community has held a daily vigil beside the memorial, honoring one of the approximately 1,200 victims or 251 hostages each evening.
After Sussex Police were called and attendees reconstructed the memorial, the community held Wednesday’s vigil honoring 88-year-old Chana Kritzman, who was critically injured by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7 during her evacuation from Kibbutz Be’eri and died two weeks later in hospital.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews, the leading representative body of the UK’s Jewish communities, strongly condemned the latest vandalism, saying they were “appalled and heartbroken” by the incident.
“We stand in solidarity with the Brighton & Hove Jewish community who have been unwavering in their commitment to hold a public service every single day dedicated to a different victim of the massacre,” the group said in a statement.
“We urge the authorities to investigate this incident fully and to bring the perpetrators to justice,” the board continued.
We are appalled and heartbroken by the news that the memorial in Brighton to the victims of the October 7 Hamas attacks has been vandalised. pic.twitter.com/Rgz7kOGfCL
— Board of Deputies of British Jews (@BoardofDeputies) May 16, 2025
The United Kingdom has experienced a surge in antisemitic crimes following the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas’s attack on Israel, amid the ensuing war in Gaza.
In February, the Community Security Trust (CST), a nonprofit charity that advises Britain’s Jewish community on security matters, released data showing the UK experienced its second worst year for antisemitism in 2024, despite recording an 18 percent drop in antisemitic incidents from the previous year’s all-time high.
According to CST, there have been 3,528 antisemitic incidents reported in 2024, a decrease from the 4,296 incidents recorded in 2023. In previous years, the numbers were significantly lower, with 1,662 incidents in 2022 and 2,261 hate crimes in 2021. These incidents include 201 physical assaults, 157 cases of damage to Jewish property, and 250 direct threats.
The post UK Memorial to Oct. 7 Victims Vandalized Again Amid Surge in Antisemitism first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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New York City Mayor, Police Commissioner Detail Increased Security Measures for Israel Day Parade
Thousands of participants and spectators gather along Fifth Avenue to express support for Israel during the 59th Annual Israel Day Parade in New York City, on June 2, 2024. Photo: Melissa Bender via Reuters Connect
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch held a briefing on Friday morning to detail their “comprehensive security plan” to ensure the safety of New Yorkers at the Israel Day Parade on Sunday.
The theme of this year’s parade is “Hatikvah,” which means “the hope” and is also the title of Israel’s national anthem. Several former hostages — abducted during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led terrorist attack in Israel — will march in the parade on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, including Andrey Kozlov, Ilana Gritzewsky, Aviva and Keith Siegel, Eliya Cohen, and Doron Steinbrecher. The hostages are marching to raise awareness for the 58 people still held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The logo of this year’s parade is a multicolored tree that has a yellow ribbon on its trunk, in solidarity with the hostages.
Almost daily, there have been anti-Israel protests in New York City, including on college campuses, and the city is facing an unprecedented uptick in antisemitism, according to the New York City Police Department (NYPD).
“We will not tolerate any attempts to disrupt this event or engage those who come to celebrate,” Trish started the security briefing on Friday morning by saying. She then detailed measures that will be taken by the NYPD at the parade on Sunday, which include requiring spectators to enter the viewing area through designated screening entry points. No backpacks, chairs, large bags, and other items will be allowed.
Tisch added that, while currently the NYPD is not aware of any specific or credible threats related to the parade, nevertheless there will be a “robust and visible police presence” at the event, including uniformed police officers as well as bomb squads and both counterterrorism and surveillance teams. NYPD helicopters and drones will also be in the area and intelligence teams will be moderating social media for potential threats.
“The NYPD will be out there to make sure Sunday is safe, joyful, and everything that it’s meant to be,” Tisch concluded.
“We want to ensure we have a safe acknowledgement of Israel’s Independence Day on Sunday,” Adams added. “We look forward to the flags and beauty of this celebration.”
Adams announced earlier this week the establishment of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, the first office of its kind to open in a major city in the US. The new mayoral office will aim to tackle “all forms of antisemitism.”
“There is no place for antisemitism and hate in the state of New York. Plain and simple,” Adams said at Friday’s security briefing. “Those who spread hate want to divide us, but we must remain united. A hateful few will not dictate how the rest of us live.”
Adams is scheduled to march in the parade on Sunday. New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James are also scheduled to attend. The parade is organized by the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York with support from the UJA-Federation of New York.
The post New York City Mayor, Police Commissioner Detail Increased Security Measures for Israel Day Parade first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israel’s Yuval Raphael Advances to Grand Final of 2025 Eurovision Song Contest
Yuval Raphael from Israel with the title “New Day Will Rise” on stage at the second semi-final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest in the Arena St. Jakobshalle. Photo: Jens Büttner/dpa via Reuters Connect
Israel’s Yuval Raphael advanced to the grand final of the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest after a stunning performance of her song “New Day Will Rise” in the second semi-finals on Thursday night in Basel, Switzerland.
The 24-year-old, who is a survivor of the Oct. 7, 2023, Nova music festival massacre, performed an emotional ballad in English, French, and Hebrew that was written by singer and songwriter Keren Peles. The results of the semi-finals are based solely on public vote.
Ten acts from the second semi-final advanced to the grand final, including performers from Armenia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, and Malta. Raphael will compete in Saturday’s grand final against those acts and the qualifiers from Tuesday’s semi-final. They include performers from Albania, Iceland, Estonia, Portugal, Poland, Sweden, Ukraine, Norway, San Marino, and the Netherlands. Also competing in the grand final is the Eurovision “Big Five” — Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, France, Italy – and Switzerland, which was last year’s winner.
Unlike in the semi-finals, the results of the grand final are based on a combination of the televote and the jury vote, in which professional juries from all 37 participating countries vote for their favorites. Last year, a Eurovision jury member from Norway admitted that he refused to give points to Israel’s representative, Eden Golan, because of his personal resentment toward Israel’s military actions in the Gaza war.
There have been a number of public calls, including from national broadcasters and former Eurovision contestants, to have Israel banned from this year’s competition because of the country’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip targeting the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.
During a dress rehearsal for the semi-final on Thursday afternoon, audience members booed at Raphael, whistled, and waved oversized Palestinian flags. Under rules of the competition, all flags are allowed but there are limitations on the size. The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, which is organizing this year’s Eurovision events, said in a released statement that the audience members with the oversized flags were escorted out of the St Jakobshalle arena by security personnel.
The 2025 Eurovision Song Contest grand final will take place on Saturday night in Basel’s St Jackobshalle arena. The detailed results of the second semi-final will be revealed after the grand final.
The post Israel’s Yuval Raphael Advances to Grand Final of 2025 Eurovision Song Contest first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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