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Trump’s Hew Hampshire victory party features attack on Soros as he girds for rematch with Biden
(JTA) — Donald Trump’s victory party in New Hampshire featured a broadside against George Soros as he prepared for an almost certain rematch with Joe Biden in November.
The former president handily won the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday after winning in Iowa last week, and has a commanding lead in national polls. The result punctured the hopes of his last remaining Republican rival, Nikki Haley, the favorite of establishment Jewish Republicans who are grateful to Trump for his pro-Israel policies but who are wary of now of his volatility and his affinity for extremists.
Some of that affinity was on display at the victory party last night. Trump shared the stage with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Georgia Republican who has come under repeated criticism from Jewish groups for associating with white nationalists and comparing public health restrictions and other policies to the Holocaust. Trump gave up the mic to Vivek Ramaswamy, an erstwhile rival who has called for an end to funding assistance to Israel and has embraced a string of conspiracy theories.
In his remarks, Ramaswamy invoked “ugly Democratic George Soros juniors” as the “ugly underbelly of American politics” — a reference to the Jewish billionaire liberal philanthropist who is often the focus of antisemitic theories.
Trump says he remains committed to Israel, and has promised to quickly end the Israel-Hamas war, but he has lost many — although not all — of the Jewish and pro-Israel advisers who shaped his presidential term. He has also made blunt his unhappiness with Jewish voters for continuing to overwhelmingly reject him.
Haley, the former United Nations ambassador and South Carolina governor, conceded the primary to Trump but said she was still in the race. But a path forward seemed dim: she is trailing Trump badly in the polls in South Carolina, the next primary state.
There are two major Jewish-led fundraisers for Haley scheduled next week, in New York and in Florida. A healthy sign for her would be that they are not canceled.
“This race is far from over, there are dozens of states left to go, and the next one is my sweet state of South Carolina,” Haley said after congratulating Trump. “I’m a fighter and I’m scrappy and now I’m the last one standing next to Donald Trump.”
Trump could barely contain his fury with Haley. “Somebody ran up to the stage, all dressed up nicely,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Who the hell was the impostor that ran up on the stage before and claimed a victory?” Haley did not claim a victory.
Biden also won New Hampshire’s Democratic primary by a wide margin, a predictable outcome that was nonetheless extraordinary because Biden was not on the ballot. He won via an unofficial write-in campaign against his two Jewish would-be challengers — Rep. Dean Phillips and Marianne Williamson.
As the rematch ramps up, Trump, who faces a plethora of criminal charges and civil lawsuits, has promised “retribution” for the 2020 election, which he continues to falsely claim that he won. Biden’s campaign message is simple: “Democracy is on the ballot.”
Trump has promised mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, whom he describes in terms that, he acknowledged, sounded to some to be reminiscent of Adolf Hitler.
“They come from prisons and they come from mental institutions and it’s just killing our country,” he said of immigrants at his victory rally Tuesday night, a claim he has made multiple times without evidence. He has said he will be a “dictator” on his first day in office.
An added factor in the election is Israel’s war with and the divisions it has sowed among Democrats.
Biden has robustly backed Israel, although tensions are emerging between his administration and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Progressives in the party are increasingly critical of Biden’s support for Israel. A speech Biden gave to a rally in northern Virginia on Tuesday was interrupted more than 10 times by pro-Palestinian hecklers, to Biden’s increasing annoyance.
Biden’s strategy has been to cast Trump as a danger to democracy, noting how Trump’s refusal to accept his 2020 defeat culminated in his urging forward of the deadly riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, that aimed to overturn the election.
“It is now clear that Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee,” Biden said in a statement released by his campaign after the New Hampshire results. “And my message to the country is the stakes could not be higher. Our Democracy. Our personal freedoms — from the right to choose to the right to vote. Our economy — which has seen the strongest recovery in the world since COVID. All are at stake.”
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Brooklyn Nets Select Israeli Basketball Players Ben Saraf, Danny Wolf in NBA Draft
The opening tip between the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards, at Barclays Center, in Brooklyn, New York, Dec. 13, 2020. Photo: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
In a landmark night for Israeli basketball, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf were selected in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets, marking the first time two Israeli players have been drafted in the same year.
Saraf, a 19-year-old guard known for his explosive athleticism and creative playmaking, was taken with the 26th pick. A standout with Maccabi Rishon LeZion and a rising star on Israel’s youth national teams, Saraf gained international attention with his electrifying scoring and commanding court presence.
With the 27th pick, the Nets selected 7-foot center Danny Wolf out of the University of Michigan. Wolf, who holds dual US-Israeli citizenship and represented Israel at the U-20 level, brings a versatile skill set, including sharp passing, perimeter shooting, and a strong feel for the game. After his name was called, Wolf grew emotional in an on-air interview, crediting his family for helping him reach the moment.
“I have the two greatest brothers in the world; I have an unbelievable sister who I love,” Wolf said. “They all helped me get to where I am today, and they’re going to help me get to where I am going to go in this league.”
The historic double-pick adds to the growing wave of Israeli presence on the NBA stage, led by Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, who just completed a breakout 2024–25 season. After being traded to Portland last summer, Avdija thrived as a starter, averaging 16.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. In March alone, he posted 23.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game, including two triple-doubles.
“I don’t think I’ve played like this before … I knew I had it in me. But I’m not really thinking about it. I’m just playing. I’m just free,” Avdija told reporters in March
With Saraf and Wolf joining Avdija, Israel’s basketball pipeline has reached unprecedented visibility. Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the moment “a national celebration for sports and youth,” and Israeli sports commentators widely hailed the night as “historic.”
Both Saraf and Wolf are expected to suit up for the Nets’ Summer League team in July. As the two rookies begin their NBA journey, they join a growing generation of Israeli athletes proving that their game belongs on basketball’s biggest stage.
The post Brooklyn Nets Select Israeli Basketball Players Ben Saraf, Danny Wolf in NBA Draft first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Iran Denies Any Meeting With US Next Week, Foreign Minister Says
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attends a press conference following a meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, April 18, 2025. Photo: Tatyana Makeyeva/Pool via REUTERS
Iran currently has no plan to meet with the United States, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday in an interview on state TV, contradicting US President Donald Trump’s statement that Washington planned to have talks with Iran next week.
The Iranian foreign minister said Tehran was assessing whether talks with the US were in its interest, following five previous rounds of negotiations that were cut short by Israel and the US attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The US and Israel said the strikes were meant to curb Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons, while Iran says its nuclear program is solely geared toward civilian use.
Araqchi said the damages to nuclear sites “were not little” and that relevant authorities were figuring out the new realities of Iran’s nuclear program, which he said would inform Iran’s future diplomatic stance.
The post Iran Denies Any Meeting With US Next Week, Foreign Minister Says first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Ireland Becomes First European Nation to Advance Ban on Trade With Israeli Settlements
A pro-Hamas demonstration in Ireland led by nationalist party Sinn Fein. Photo: Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne
Ireland has become the first European nation to push forward legislation banning trade with Israeli communities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem — an effort officials say is meant “to address the horrifying situation” in the Gaza Strip.
On Wednesday, Irish Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Simon Harris announced that the legislation has already been approved by the government and will now move to the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade for pre-legislative scrutiny.
“Ireland is speaking up and speaking out against the genocidal activity in Gaza,” Harris said during a press conference.
The Irish diplomat also told reporters he hopes the “real benefit” of the legislation will be to encourage other countries to follow suit, “because it is important that every country uses every lever at its disposal.”
Today Ireland becomes the first country in Europe to bring forward legislation to ban trade with the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Ireland is speaking up and speaking out against the genocidal activity in Gaza.
Every country must pull every lever at its disposal. pic.twitter.com/Z4RTjqntEY— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) June 24, 2025
Joining a growing number of EU member states aiming to curb Israel’s defensive campaign against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, Ireland’s decision comes after a 2024 advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared Israel’s presence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem illegal.
The ICJ ruled that third countries must avoid trade or investment that supports “the illegal situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
Once implemented, the law will criminalize the importation of goods from Israeli settlements into Ireland, empowering customs officials to inspect, seize, and confiscate any such shipments.
“The situation in Palestine remains a matter of deep public concern,” Harris said. “I have made it consistently clear that this government will use all levers at its disposal to address the horrifying situation on the ground and to contribute to long-term efforts to achieve a sustainable peace on the basis of the two-state solution.”
“Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are illegal and threaten the viability of the two-state solution,” the Irish diplomat continued. “This is the longstanding position of the European Union and our international partners. Furthermore, this is the clear position under international law.”
Harris also urged the EU to comply with the ICJ’s ruling by taking a more decisive and “adequate response” regarding imports from Israeli settlements.
“This is an issue that I will continue to press at EU level, and I reiterated my call for concrete proposals from the European Commission at the Foreign Affairs Council this week,” he said.
Last week, Ireland and eight other EU member states — Finland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden — called on the European Commission to draft proposals for how EU countries can halt trade and imports with Israeli settlements, in line with obligations set out by the ICJ.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the latest move by European countries, calling it “shameful” and a misguided attempt to undermine Israel while it faces “existential” threats from Iran and its proxies, including Hamas.
“It is regrettable that even when Israel is fighting an existential threat which is in Europe’s vital interest — there are those who can’t resist their anti-Israeli obsession,” the top Israeli diplomat said in a post on X.
It is regrettable that even when Israel fighting an existential threat which is in Europe vital interest – there are those who can’t resist their anti-Israeli obsession.
Shameful! https://t.co/lxm9qm8sM1— Gideon Sa’ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) June 19, 2025
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