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Dear A.,


Last night, five more AIPAC-endorsed candidates won their primary elections: Sen. Pete Ricketts and Reps. Mike Flood and Adrian Smith in Nebraska, and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito and Rep. Carol Miller in West Virginia.


So far this cycle, more than 75 AIPAC-endorsed Democrats and Republicans have advanced to November's general election.


These results continue to demonstrate that support for America’s alliance with Israel remains both good policy and good politics, as millions of Democrats and Republicans elect pro-Israel candidates across the country.


In the Democratic primary for Nebraska's 2nd Congressional district, pro-Israel candidate Denise Powell is currently leading her J Street-backed opponent by just over 1,000 votes. The outstanding ballots won’t be counted until Friday.


Next Tuesday, anti-Israel Republican Rep. Thomas Massie is facing a primary challenge from former Navy SEAL and pro-Israel candidate Ed Gallrein. United Democracy Project, the AIPAC-backed super PAC, has been running ads for weeks, and the pro-Israel community is deeply engaged in this fight to defeat one of the most hostile critics of the U.S.-Israel alliance in Congress.


Below are more key news updates. Continue to follow our
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social media channels to stay informed in real-time.

Jake Braunstein

Senior Director, Policy Communications

Hamas preventing Gaza reconstruction; Amb. Huckabee: 'Israel may have to disarm Hamas on its own'


Hamas is blocking reconstruction work in Gaza by preventing local contractors from accessing approved rebuilding sites.


Last week, local Palestinian contractors from Gaza were scheduled to cross into the Israeli‑controlled side of the Strip near Rafah to begin reconstruction, but were stopped and
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held at gunpoint by Hamas terrorists .


This underscores how the terror group is willing to prolong the suffering of civilians in Gaza to maintain its control.


U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee
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said yesterday that Israel may have to disarm Hamas on its own.


"Who’s going to actually do the disarming?... It may end up that the only entity willing to do it will be the IDF... The world can’t condemn Israel for doing what it didn’t have the courage to do, and that’s taking Hamas down," Huckabee said.


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Meanwhile, in operations in Gaza, the IDF eliminated Hamza Sharabasi, a commander in Hamas’ Shejaiya Battalion in northern Gaza.


"Sharabasi infiltrated Israeli territory during the October 7 massacre & took part in the infiltration of the Nahal Oz Outpost, during which IDF soldiers were killed and kidnapped," the IDF
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said .


Recently, he had been involved in advancing attacks against IDF troops operating on the Israeli side of the Yellow Line.


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This comes as Israel's COGAT continues to surge aid into Gaza. Just in the last few days, a wide range of essential supplies have entered the Strip, including more than 40,000 pest control and mosquito repellent sprays, and over 4,500 rodent traps.


"​By addressing sanitation and pest control, we are working to prevent the spread of disease and support the health of the civilian population," COGAT
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said .

MUST LISTEN
TOI podcast on Hezbollah's new fiber optic drones
Amanda Borschel-Dan, Emanuel Fabian
The Times of Israel Daily Briefing





The Times of Israel (TOI) military correspondent Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian joins Amanda Borschel-Dan on the TOI's "Daily Briefing" podcast to discuss Hezbollah's new fiber optic drones, which are very hard to detect because they do not operate on a radio frequency, and what the IDF is doing to counter this new technology.


Click below to hear Mannie discuss these drones and the IDF operations in southern Lebanon from 1:45 to 12:00 of the episode.

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Watchdog op-ed: 'Kristof’s Unbelievable Tale'


Rachel O'Donoghue, a media watchdog, wrote an
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op-ed in the Wall Street Journal about the absurdity of Nicholas Kristof's opinion article published in The New York Times one day before the Civil Commission's report on Hamas' sexual atrocities was due to be released.

"A little‑known Geneva‑based NGO called Euro‑Med Human Rights Monitor published a report in June 2024 alleging that the Israeli military was using dogs to attack Palestinian civilians in Gaza, including to 'sexually assault prisoners and detainees in Israeli detention facilities.' Euro‑Med’s report received no attention from mainstream outlets when it was released, and for good reason. Israel has linked the group’s leadership to Hamas... This week, Euro-Med’s far‑fetched allegations found their way into a New York Times opinion piece penned by Nicholas Kristof."


"Having reportedly spoken to 14 men and women who allege sexual abuse by Israeli security forces and citizens living in the West Bank, Mr. Kristof names... Issa Amro, a 'nonviolent activist' whom Mr. Kristof claims is sometimes dubbed the 'Palestinian Gandhi.'.. The story told by Mr. Amro, the 'Palestinian Ghandi,' has also evolved. In July 2024, he told Mr. Kristof he had been 'sexually assaulted' by Israeli soldiers when he was arrested on Oct. 7, 2023. But only months earlier, describing the same arrest to the Washington Post..."


"Mr. Kristof’s column doesn’t meet that standard. Instead, it relies on a patchwork of omissions, dubious sources and ever‑more lurid allegations, serving more to demonize Israel than to clarify what actually happened. Worse is that this kind of reporting erodes trust in journalism and makes it harder for genuine victims of sexual violence to be believed. They deserve better."

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You can read the full op-ed here.

Two IDF soldiers injured in Hezbollah attacks, IDF strikes 40 terror targets


Hezbollah today launched a series of
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attacks on Israeli troops operating in southern Lebanon, targeting the soldiers with
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rockets and drones.


In response, the IDF launched a
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new wave of airstrikes on Hezbollah targets, including rocket launchers, weapons depots, and other terror infrastructure (video below).


Yesterday, two IDF soldiers were
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injured in a Hezbollah drone attack after one exploded near the Israeli border.


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Meanwhile, UNIFIL — the U.N. monitoring force in southern Lebanon — said that it has come under fire from Hezbollah drones in recent days.


"On Monday 11 May between 5 and 5:30 pm three presumed Hezbollah drones detonated in an area where Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers could have been present, within meters of UNIFIL’s Naqoura headquarters. Another drone detonated in the same area on Tuesday 12 May at ~5:20 p.m.," the organization
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said .

Op-ed: 'America’s Best Bet for a Secure AI Base Is Israel’s Negev'


In an
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op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, Hudson Institute fellows Michael Doran and Zineb Riboua make the case for strengthening U.S.-Israel cooperation on artificial intelligence.

"...the two countries are discussing a joint initiative there, which the Israelis call Project Spire. The plan is for an AI base that has the security of an American military installation and the creative output of a Silicon Valley hub... The base would be home to research and development, large-scale server infrastructure, and energy systems to meet the enormous demands of AI training and deployment. Engineers would design chips, build models and run them on site inside a secure perimeter... reducing dependence on semiconductor production in exposed regions like Taiwan.


"Why build an AI base abroad at all? The race with China is global. Artificial intelligence will shape military superiority and economic dominance for decades. International collaboration is inevitable and beneficial..."


"Why Israel for the first base? Project Spire gives concrete form to the Trump administration’s Pax Silica initiative, launched in December, when Undersecretary of State Jacob Helberg convened a coalition of technologically advanced allies to secure the supply chains of the AI age. Pax Silica is an economic-security framework designed to align trusted countries, reduce dependence on China, and harden the infrastructure of innovation."


"No other partner fully satisfies the requirements... Israel is a superpower across the entire AI stack—from chip architecture (Nvidia maintains major research operations in Tel Aviv and other cities) to military and intelligence systems that deploy new technologies. American companies including Google, Intel and Microsoft have built R&D centers there. The Israeli military funnels talent directly into cyber, signals-intelligence and applied-AI roles."

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You can read the full op-ed here.

Other notable headlines
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Israeli defense-tech company secures $10.7 million contract with U.S. to supply AI-powered system


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Netanyahu met with UAE president at start of Operation Roaring Lion, PMO announces

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When it comes to Oct. 7, the New York Times prefers baseless claims over actual reports



The mission of AIPAC is to encourage and persuade the U.S. government to enact specific policies that create a strong, enduring and mutually beneficial relationship with our ally Israel.


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