A new chapter for America’s 250th: 'J250' initiative puts Jewish contributions in the spotlight

Ambassador Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, the U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, recently introduced "pro-Semitism," an educational vision centered on celebrating Jewish contributions to America alongside the continued fight against antisemitism.

Kaploun underlined his new push by saying, "the Jewish people are more than the hatred that defines us." His remarks came during America's 250th Birthday Shabbat Dinner, where government officials, Jewish leaders, educators and community members gathered to commemorate the nation's 250th anniversary.

The evening also served as the launch of the J250 Initiative, a landmark educational project dedicated to advancing public understanding of the profound, foundational role Jewish Americans have played in the American story.

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The launch comes as the FBI's most recent annual hate crime data shows anti-Jewish incidents reached their highest level since the bureau began tracking the statistics in 1991.

According to the FBI's 2024 Hate Crime Statistics, law enforcement agencies reported 1,938 anti-Jewish hate crime incidents. Although Jews comprise roughly 2% of the U.S. population, they were the targets of nearly 69% of all religion-based hate crimes reported nationwide. Organizers say that while antisemitism must continue to be confronted, educating Americans about Jewish contributions offers another powerful way to combat prejudice.

The J250 Initiative reflects what organizers describe as a shift away from a defensive, reactive approach to combating antisemitism and toward an inspiring, proactive celebration of Jewish contributions throughout American history. They say rather than allowing Jewish identity to be viewed primarily through the lens of persecution, the project highlights what organizers call the nation's "Jewish American Golden Age" by celebrating generations of Jewish patriots, entrepreneurs, scientists, physicians, public servants, soldiers, philanthropists and civic leaders whose contributions have helped shape and strengthen the fabric of the republic since its founding.

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The core mission of J250 is to uncover overlooked stories from the American Revolution through modern American history.

Among the first individuals to be featured are Haym Salomon, the Revolutionary War financier whose support helped sustain Gen. George Washington's army; Francis Salvador, widely recognized as the first Jewish American to die fighting for American independence; and Continental Army officer Solomon Bush. Organizers say these are only a few of the 250 stories that demonstrate the enduring impact Jewish Americans have had on the nation's history and development.

The initiative also highlights more recent Jewish Americans whose contributions helped shape the nation's culture, science, medicine and public life.

As a Jewish immigrant, Irving Berlin arrived in the United States as a child after fleeing persecution and went on to become one of America's most celebrated composers and songwriters. His classics, including "God Bless America," "White Christmas" and "There's No Business Like Show Business,: helped shape the soundtrack of the nation and remain woven into America's cultural identity.

The project also recognizes American Jewish physician Dr. Jonas Salk, whose development of the first successful polio vaccine stands among the greatest medical breakthroughs in history. His discovery saved millions of lives and transformed public health. By choosing not to patent the vaccine, he ensured it could be widely distributed, protecting generations of children from polio worldwide.

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Another featured Jewish American is baseball legend Sandy Koufax, who rose to become one of the greatest pitchers in history, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to multiple World Series championships and earning three Cy Young Awards. At the height of his career in 1965, Koufax chose to sit out Game 1 of the World Series because it fell on Yom Kippur, a decision that became one of the defining moments in American sports. His decision inspired generations of athletes and became a lasting symbol of integrity, conviction and the freedom to live one's values.

"As I said in my Senate confirmation hearing, education is the best way to combat antisemitism," Kaploun told Fox News Digital, "Teaching the world about the greatest Jewish contributors to American history gives people the knowledge to counter those who spread hate and lies about the American Jewish community."

The initiative also includes a Jewish American Heritage curriculum, a national social media campaign and a student scholarship competition encouraging young Americans to explore Jewish history through the broader American story.

"Jewish Americans have helped build the America we love today, from the battlefields of the Revolution to the frontiers of modern science," said Arie Lipnick, co-founder of The J250 Foundation. "It is only by renewing these foundational lessons that we can ensure the promise of America burns brightly for the next 250 years."

Kaploun also reflected on his family's immigration to the United States. "My great-great-grandfather immigrated from Galicia in the 1880s. My great-grandfather immigrated to the United States in 1913," he said. "They could have never dreamed that their great or great-great grandson would one day be hosting America's Birthday Shabbat Dinner. But that is exactly the American dream."

He said America's founding ideals of religious liberty, freedom of speech and equal opportunity created an environment in which generations of immigrants, including Jewish Americans, could contribute to the nation's success while remaining faithful to their heritage.

Physician and philanthropist Dr. Miriam Adelson echoed the evening's themes of unity, gratitude and hope.

"I love America as I love Israel," Adelson told attendees. "We need to hope, we need to love each other. Maybe the next generation will be better and better."

Her remarks reinforced the initiative's message of fostering greater understanding, mutual respect and optimism for the future.

For organizers, J250 represents more than a historical project. It is an effort to ensure that Jewish history in America is not defined solely through the lens of antisemitism, but through the lens of patriotism, service, sacrifice, innovation, civic leadership and nation-building. The organizers say they hope to reclaim stories that have too often been overlooked and inspire a deeper appreciation for the role Jewish Americans have played in shaping the country over the past 250 years.

"If these last 250 years demanded we create the word 'antisemitism,'" Kaploun said, "let these next 250 years lead us to create a new word in its stead: ‘pro-semitism.’ Being proud to be Jewish, educating the world and respecting one another. That is what it means to be pro-semitic."

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Trump officials unveil private sector blueprint for life after USAID

EXCLUSIVE: The Trump administration is laying out its clearest blueprint yet for what comes after decades of traditional U.S. foreign aid, arguing that private investment, trade and American business — not taxpayer-funded assistance — should become America's primary engine for development abroad.

At a U.S. Mission to the United Nations "Trade Over Aid" forum in New York Monday, Ambassador Mike Waltz, the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations, told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that the administration is "completely reforming how we do aid" by moving away from taxpayer-funded programs and toward private-sector-led development.

"For too many years, the United States and other countries have poured billions and billions of dollars into these aid programs and got very little in return," Waltz said. "You go to these forums at the United Nations and at development agencies around the world, and you never find the private sector. You find NGOs and academics and governments, but you don’t find the creators of growth and the creators of jobs."

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Waltz said the new model is designed to "create jobs, to create business for American companies in line with America First," while also raising living standards abroad and reducing instability that can fuel terrorism and poverty.

The administration moved to dismantle USAID in 2025, arguing the agency was inefficient and too often disconnected from U.S. foreign policy. Asked directly whether "Trade Over Aid" is replacing USAID, Waltz said USAID’s functions had been folded into the State Department as part of a broader efficiency effort, but insisted the initiative is about something larger than one agency.

"What we’re doing, this isn’t about USAID or what replaces it," Waltz said. "That was an efficient effort to get our aid to serve our foreign policy, not the other way around. But what I think is more important is how do we help American businesses and how do (we) help create jobs around the world and reduce dependency."

The stakes are immediate: with USAID reorganized under the State Department and aid budgets under pressure, the Trump administration is trying to show that it has a replacement model for how the U.S. helps poorer and fragile countries. The answer it is pitching is not more traditional aid, but more private capital, more trade, more deals for American companies and fewer open-ended taxpayer commitments.

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The forum brought together representatives from dozens of countries, U.N. agencies, international financial institutions and major private-sector players, including Microsoft, Google, JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Boeing, Walmart, Mastercard, Meta and others.

Czech Environment Minister Igor Cerveny, who attended the forum, said the idea resonated with his country’s own post-communist experience. 

After communism, he said, the Czech Republic had to rebuild through work, business, industry and innovation rather than dependency.

"If you work on your economy, on your industry, on your society, on nature as well, probably two, three, five years later, (you will) be in a better position," Cerveny told Fox News Digital. "You have your own money. You are not now the slave of (asking). You are now the master of your destiny."

Cerveny said trade gives countries an "opportunity to cooperate" rather than forcing them to return again and again with the same request: "Please give me some money."

Ambassador Dan Negrea, who is spearheading the initiative in the U.S. Mission, told Fox News Digital that shrinking aid budgets around the world make a new model necessary.

"We need to think differently about how we help developing countries in an environment in which, in the United States, we are indebted and we cannot continue to spend money on helping other countries the way we used to," Negrea said. "Development aid is going down not only in the U.S., but in countries around the world."

Negrea said the initiative has received less resistance from developing countries than from traditional donor nations. 

"Interestingly, there is less pushback from countries receiving aid than from some donor countries that like to continue in this attitude of charity, being magnanimous to other countries," he told Fox News Digital. "For years and years and for decades, many developing countries are saying that they want to end this status of recipient of charity and move to a much more dignified relationship of partners and development."

But some leaders from developing countries also warn that trade cannot replace aid overnight, especially in emergency settings. The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Francophonie, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, told Fox News Digital that aid remains critical in crises such as the Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC.

"Aid sometimes can transform dramatically a situation," she said. "This is not something you can change overnight with trade. But yes, over a long term, trade is the pathway to create greater growth, greater economic prosperity, and therefore also more equal relationships between countries."

Kayikwamba Wagner added that the shift must be "adapted to circumstances" and not be "too abrupt."

The initiative already has drawn 46 countries, and launched a digital library with 63 capacity-building offers from private companies, governments, NGOs, philanthropies, academic institutions and international organizations.

But when pressed on what those offers have produced so far, Negrea acknowledged the initiative is still in its early stages. The library was inaugurated last week, he said, and the goal now is to turn offers into concrete outcomes.

"We want to see more deliverables," Negrea said. "We want to see actual transactions that were done. We want to see countries using the digital library to see usable capacity building offers coming from around the world. So we want to help without the cost to the U.S. taxpayers, but at the same time creating opportunities for American companies."

The central challenge facing the effort is whether private capital will go where aid has traditionally been most needed: fragile countries with weak institutions, unreliable infrastructure, corruption, conflict or markets too risky for major investors.

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Waltz argued that is exactly where institutions such as the U.N. Development Program, the World Bank and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation can play a role.

"When we talk to organizations like J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs and others, they’re saying, we want to invest hundreds of millions into these industries abroad, but they need better laws, they need better arbitration," Waltz said. "We need to know that we can get our money out for our investors here in the United States."

He said the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and U.S. contributions to the World Bank can provide "risk insurance and guarantees" for investments in riskier markets, including critical minerals projects needed by the U.S. technology sector.

"It is incredibly risky," Waltz said. "Sometimes these capital providers like on Wall Street and in New York are only going to go to the safest place. Sometimes it makes sense, for example, as we’re looking for critical minerals for our tech industry, to go into risky places, but they need a little help."

The strongest note of caution came not from critics outside the room, but from inside the forum itself.

Alexander De Croo, the former Belgian prime minister who now leads United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said trade and aid should not be treated as enemies. 

"Trade is a destination, but development is how we get to that destination," De Croo said. "Markets do not build themselves. They have to be built."

De Croo said investment flows when rules are predictable, institutions are trusted and workers have the skills to seize opportunity. He described UNDP’s role as helping countries build those foundations. "There is no country over the past decades that has successfully developed without a strong private sector and without trade being a big part of that," he said.

Christopher Sharrock, Microsoft’s vice president for United Nations and international organizations, also warned that aid still has a role that markets cannot fully replace.

"Aid does do an essential job and it does a job that possibly nothing else can do," Sharrock said, pointing to vaccination campaigns, famine response and natural disasters as areas where assistance remains critical.

For the Trump administration, "Trade Over Aid" is being pitched as a more disciplined, America First answer to development: fewer handouts, more deals, less dependency, more jobs for American companies and foreign partners alike.

But the test will be whether it can deliver not only in countries already ready for investment, but in the hardest places — the places where aid has long filled the gap because markets would not.

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Trump won’t rule out Kharg Island takeover: What a US assault could look like

Hundreds of U.S. Marines storm ashore as helicopters thunder overhead, Navy warships and fighter jets establish overwhelming air and sea superiority, and commanders issue one final warning to Iranian forces: surrender or be overrun.

That is how military experts envision the opening hours of a potential U.S. operation to seize Iran's Kharg Island—the tiny but strategically vital island that handles roughly 90% of the Islamic Republic's crude oil exports and has become the centerpiece of Washington's economic pressure campaign against Tehran.

The scenario was thrust back into the spotlight Tuesday after President Donald Trump declined to rule out taking the island. "I can't say that to you because if I did, it would be foolish," Trump told Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst during an exclusive interview on ‘Special Report’ when asked directly whether he planned to seize Kharg island. He added that previous U.S. strikes intentionally avoided the island's oil facilities because they are "a chunk of the world economy."

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"There are a lot of ways to skin this cat," Vice Adm. (Ret.) Robert Harward, former deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, told Fox News Digital in an interview.

Harward explained a Marine Expeditionary Unit could conduct an amphibious assault while U.S. naval and air forces establish complete control over the battlespace, giving Iranian defenders an opportunity to surrender before major fighting begins. The goal, he said, would not simply be to capture the island but to preserve the oil infrastructure that could one day serve a post-Islamic Republic government.

"The real objective at the end of the day is to minimize risk," said Harward. "Not only to your own forces, but to the people you're coming in contact with," while also limiting damage to facilities that could eventually be handed over to "a government of Iran that is focused on supporting its people, as opposed to proliferating the Islamic Revolution."

Trump's remarks echoed Harward's assessment that preserving Kharg's oil facilities would likely be a key military objective. Trump said he had instructed U.S. forces during previous strikes to "hit everything, but the oil," explaining that damaging the export terminal could have significant consequences for the global economy.

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But military experts say capturing Kharg may be the easiest part of the mission.

Located just 16 miles off Iran's Gulf coast, the eight-square-mile island sits well within range of Iranian missiles, drones and shore-based anti-ship weapons. While analysts believe U.S. forces could likely seize the island within hours, holding it against sustained retaliation from the nearby mainland could require a far larger and longer military commitment—raising the risk of direct war with Iran itself.

Kharg's strategic importance predates Iran's modern oil industry. British forces briefly occupied the island during confrontations with Persia over Herat in 1838 and again during the Anglo-Persian War in 1856, using its location near the Iranian coast to apply pressure on Tehran. Nearly a century later, Iran selected Kharg as a deep-water oil terminal because its sheltered waters could accommodate large tankers. Construction began in the late 1950s, and the terminal entered service in 1960, transforming the island into the principal outlet for Iranian crude.

"Everybody talks about seizing Kharg," Nicholas Carl, assistant director of the Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, told Fox News Digital. "Iran has spent decades investing in denial capabilities designed specifically to keep U.S. forces away from its shores." Those capabilities include anti-ship cruise missiles, drones, naval mines and hundreds of fast attack craft designed to overwhelm superior naval forces.

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Military planners have long viewed Iran's anti-access strategy as one of the most sophisticated in the Middle East. Rather than matching the U.S. Navy ship for ship, Tehran has invested heavily in asymmetric weapons intended to make any amphibious assault costly.

Harward, a former member of the National Security Council and current member of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America's Iran Policy Project, acknowledged that once American forces were on Kharg, the primary danger would shift from conventional naval combat to missile and drone attacks launched from the nearby mainland.

"Iran doesn't really have air power," Harward said. "The concern is whether they launch missiles and drones at the island with U.S. forces on the ground. That's the biggest risk."

Harward said the viability of the operation would ultimately depend on intelligence about the number and disposition of Iranian forces, whether they had prepared booby traps or improvised explosive devices, and how Tehran might respond once American troops were ashore.

Still, he argued, such retaliation would come at a price for Tehran.

"If they start striking Kharg itself, they become accountable for damaging their own economic lifeline," he said.

The challenge illustrates the distinction between tactical success and strategic success. Seizing an eight-square-mile island is one military problem. Defending it against sustained attacks only a short distance from Iranian territory is another.

Harward suggested Washington still has several options short of launching an amphibious assault.

With the U.S.-led blockade, reinforced Tuesday, already constraining Iran's oil exports, he argued that additional economic pressure could target overland transportation routes, border crossings and air traffic instead of committing ground troops.

"There is still a lot you could do to enhance the economic challenges to Iran," Harward said. "Synchronizing military, economic and political pressure is really the strategy."

Some strategists have also questioned whether Kharg is the most valuable military objective.

Mark Fox, a retired Vice Admiral and a former commander of the 5th Fleet, previously told Fox News Digital that Kharg is fundamentally an oil terminal rather than a military fortress. Instead, he argued, smaller islands such as Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa—disputed islands near the Strait of Hormuz—could present more manageable military objectives while creating a significant strategic dilemma for Tehran because of their location along one of the world's most important shipping lanes.

For Harward, however, the larger question extends beyond any single island.

"I think the only real end state to ensure long-term stability and security in the region is a government of Iran that renounces the Islamic Revolution and focuses on the Iranian people," he said. That would require ending Tehran's nuclear ambitions, halting support for proxy groups, protecting freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and ending the regime's domestic repression.

Whether Washington ever decides to seize Kharg, military planners agree on one point: Capturing Iran's economic lifeline would likely be measured in hours, but successfully holding it—and managing the regional escalation that could follow — would be a far longer and more complex campaign.

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FBI snares an American heir indicted for allegedly bankrolling anti-cop, pro-Hamas communist revolution

The Justice Department and FBI have a new communist financier in their crosshairs for alleged financial crimes: James "Fergie" Cox Chambers Jr., the estranged bad-boy heir to the Cox cable empire.

On Friday, Spanish police detained Chambers on the luxury island of Ibiza, in response to an international arrest warrant, according to sources. Chambers is allegedly wanted for money laundering and providing support to Hamas, following years of financing anti-Israel and anti-West organizations and protests. The transnational network he helped fund and support is kicking in to cast him as a victim of the Trump administration's "fascism," while critics are cheering the arrest as long overdue.

A spokesman for Spain's Balearic Islands police branch, which includes Ibiza in its jurisdiction, told Fox News Digital that a U.S. citizen was arrested on charges tied to an international arrest warrant Friday under an international arrest warrant seeking his extradition to the United States. The spokesman did not confirm the identity of the citizen, but sources told Fox News Digital that the individual is Chambers.

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The police spokesman added that the individual is being held at the central jail in Ibiza pending a judicial decision that will be conducted by videoconference. Supporters now plan a "Free Fergie Chambers" protest on Tuesday at 7 p.m. outside the prison in Ibiza, demonstrating against "DEL FASCISMO DE TRUMP," or the "TRUMP'S FASCISM IN PERSECUTING DEFENDERS OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE."

A spokesperson for the FBI declined to comment. Chambers and his representatives couldn't be reached for comment.

A convert to Islam, Chambers represents the fusion of socialist and communist activists with Islamist interests that seek the destruction of the West, free enterprise and the state of Israel and the rise of political Islam, communism and a new Palestinian state.

Chambers' ideological comrades leaked news of the detention to trusted colleagues on far-left media platforms – some of which Chambers funds – and his communist, socialist and Islamist comrades are flooding social media to frame the narrative around the arrest as the Trump administration unfairly targeting Chambers.

The arrest is a significant move by the Trump administration as it targets far-left financiers allegedly engaged in supporting political violence. In this case, as in other investigations, federal authorities are following the money and investigating potential tax and financial crimes.

FBI Co-Deputy Director Chris Raia recently told Fox News Digital that investigators at the FBI's Joint Mission Center have identified subjects tied to financing violent protest activity and have been building prosecutable cases.

Like Neville Roy Singham, the American tech tycoon accused of financing communist and far-left nonprofit organizations from his base in Shanghai, China, Chambers has made a name for himself as a financial backer of anti-Israel and anti-American causes around the world. As reported exclusively at Fox News Digital, the Justice Department has launched a grand jury investigation into Singham for alleged money laundering and other financial improprieties. It is currently prosecuting the Southern Poverty Law Center for alleged money laundering, bank fraud and wire fraud.

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Chambers was born in 1985 in Brooklyn as James Cox Chambers Jr. to his father, James Cox Chambers, and mother, actress Lauren Hamilton. He is the great-grandson of James M. Cox, a former Ohio governor, 1920 Democratic presidential nominee and founder of the media company that became Cox Enterprises. Forbes estimates the Cox family empire is worth about $27 billion.

Chambers is now the estranged heir of Cox Enterprises, walking away from the family company in 2023 with a payout estimated at about $250 million after a falling out with his family over the company's support for Atlanta's controversial public safety training center, known by critics as "Cop City." In April, a grand jury indicted three alleged Antifa-linked protesters accused of throwing firebombs at the general contractor of the Atlanta police training center.

Chambers openly redirected his fortune into communist collectives, bail and legal underwriting and groups engaged in hard-edged protest and property disruption.

Raised mostly in Brooklyn after his parents divorced, Chambers attended Saint Ann's School and later enrolled at Bard College but didn't graduate. He briefly worked for a Cox Enterprises subsidiary before operating gyms in Georgia and later became increasingly involved in left-wing activism following the anti-police protests in Ferguson, Mo., in 2014 and the demonstrations in Standing Rock, S.D., in 2016 against an oil pipeline.

Around 2019, Chambers established the "Berkshire Communists" collective in Alford, Mass., in a wealthy corner of western Massachusetts, where he built a commune, operated the Berkshire People's Gym and launched a publication called "Combat Liberalism."

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Following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks, Chambers became one of the most prominent financial backers of "Palestine Action," later renamed "Unity of Fields," while also funding legal defense efforts for activists involved in anti-Israel demonstrations and direct-action campaigns in the United Kingdom and the U.S.

He praised the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks as a "moment of hope and inspiration," told Mother Jones that "the most important thing for the prosperity of humanity is the destruction of the US" and said, "I chant death to America every day."

Local and national reporting place him behind the "Stop Cop City" opposition, bail after occupations and protests against Elbit Systems, a company that provides services to Israel, in Merrimack, N.H., and the U.K., and ongoing legal support for networks in the U.S. and U.K. led by the controversial "Palestine Action."

After Alford, Mass., shut his Berkshire People's Gym for zoning violations and law-enforcement scrutiny intensified, Chambers relocated to Tunis, in the North African nation of Tunisia.

In early February 2024, Chambers was photographed in his newly adopted city of Tunis in the North African nation of Tunisia, framing his narrative as a pious Muslim convert, with a red-and-white Palestinian kefiyyeh scarf draped over his shoulders, a black Muslim prayer cap on his head and a small beard on his face, a tradition that follows the sunnah, or practice, of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam.

The photo shoot included images of Chambers in Muslim prayer, at one point with his hands on his chest and at another point in "ruku" position, bent forward with his hands on his knees, staring at a point of concentration in front of him. In other shots, he walked by a local mosque, sat behind the wheel of a car with orange and green Muslim prayer beads, called "tazbi," hanging on the rearview mirror. A pair of decorative boxing gloves with "RUSSIA" across the wrists, positioned on a red-and-white kefiyyeh spread along the dashboard.

Unconventional for traditional Muslims, who don't often have dogs as pets because of a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam that bars dogs as pets in the home, Chambers also was photographed smoking a cigarette and walking on the beach with two small dogs who look like bulldogs. He also wore tattoos, including a sickle-and-barbells on his left hand.

By May 2026, his social media posts placed him in Ireland. This month, the self-declared communist vacationed among the wealthy in Ibiza, is now sitting in prison.

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Mike Huckabee rejects Ro Khanna's Israel visit claims: 'Not held at gunpoint'

JERUSALEM, Israel — U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, on Tuesday accused Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., of lying about consulting the American Embassy regarding his visit to the Biblical heartland of Israel.

Khanna visited the West Bank last week when he said his group was aggressively detained by Israeli settlers. Critics slammed his tour as political showmanship to advance a potential presidential campaign.

Huckabee took to X to reject the account of Khanna and his delegation, writing: "The left-wing activist who set up this stunt says ‘The embassy is involved.’ That is NOT TRUE. We did NOT know a member of Congress was coming. We would have said don't go to restricted zone. As FACTS come out, it's not helping the desired narrative. Not ‘held at gunpoint."’ 

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Speaking to Fox News Digital on Tuesday, the California lawmaker said that he was detained by Israeli settlers for seventy-five minutes on Wednesday while visiting the West Bank (also known by its Biblical names Judea and Samaria). Khanna claimed, "We had informed the Israeli embassy."

When asked about Ambassador Huckabee’s X post asserting the embassy did not know about his visit, he said "That is just false. He was misinformed."

Khanna responded to Huckabee on X, stating "Ambassador, we have always had a relationship of mutual respect despite political differences. The IDF [Israel Defense Forces] has now clarified it was not a restricted zone and Israeli papers have confirmed this. Deputy Chief of Mission David Brownstein in our embassy did a superb job in getting us out. We are safe because of him. Please thank him. We obviously notified our Embassy and Israel's embassy about the trip given we were in constant touch with David."

Khanna said the "violent settlers who detained us need to be prosecuted and the IDF officers who furthered that detention need to be investigated. There were these extremist settlers who parked their car in front of our van denying us exit — there was only one road — they brandished an M4 gun and kicked our tires."

Eitan Fischberger, an Israeli Mideast analyst, posted footage on X that he said debunked Khanna’s claims that he was violently detained. Fischberger wrote:" I encourage everyone to watch footage of Ro Khanna's supposedly violent ‘detainment,’ which was released by the crazed activists on his own team. What a glorious self-own."

Fox News Digital sent a follow-up press query to Khanna about the video footage. He said the post by Fischberger is "false" and provided his X post with video footage. He wrote:" When the IDF arrived, they sided with the settlers & continued our detention. They made a huge mistake." 

Khanna told Fox News that, "I told the Israeli government that I wanted to go on a Palestinian-led trip to the West Bank because I'd been [on] three trips to Israel. I had gotten Israel's perspective, and that this trip I was going to go to the West Bank for a Palestinian-led look for three days. They knew that. And the point is that just because an American politician wants to get the side of Palestinians that does not give Israel the right to have violent settlers detain Americans with a passport that gives Israel the right to have IDF detain us. It's not just me."

Dan Diker, president of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, told Fox News Digital Khanna’s visit "appeared to be a publicity stunt in advance of his expected run for president in 2028. Let’s be honest, this was a publicity stunt."

The Mideast expert Diker added that "Khanna’s 72-hour visit to several PLO- PA [Palestine Liberation Organization-Palestinian Authority] villages in Judea and Samaria was carried out without any security or diplomatic coordination with Israel either of these is the embassy in Washington or the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, or security forces in a particularly dangerous visit: his history of pro-Palestinian activism, and anti-Israel activism is well known."

Diker claimed that, "Khanna had publicly endorsed a Palestinian state following the Oct. 7 Iran-backed Palestinian Hamas massacre aligning with pro-Hamas, pro BDS [Boycott, Divestment, Sanction campaign against Israel] groups such as American Muslims for Palestine."

Hamas’ invasion of Israel on 10/7 resulted in the terrorist organization’s mass murder of over 1,200 people, including more than 40 Americans.

Khanna is also under fire from a fellow Democrat.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-NJ., wrote on X that "What’s appalling is that Ro ignored requests to meet 10/7 survivors and hostages, or to visit sites of the 10/7 terrorist attacks. Instead, riding the anti-Zionist wave, he used the trip as a presidential campaign cameo."

When Fox News Digital asked about Gottheimer’s criticism, including not meeting with 10/7 survivors, he said, "The purpose of this trip was a Palestinian-led tour through the West Bank."

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He noted that "I have been to Israel three times and met with hostage families."

In response to Gottheimer’s accusation that he used the visit as a "presidential campaign cameo," Khanna said "I do not know what he was talking about."

Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, posted a lengthy response on X with respect to Khanna’s allegations that he was detained and his reported defamations of the Jewish state.

Leiter wrote, "Congressman Khanna was offered to coordinate his visit with the State of Israel — this goes beyond notifying of his presence in the country. He was offered in-depth coordination of his schedule to avoid misunderstandings, and he chose to ignore that offer. He also chose not to coordinate his visit with the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem."

Leiter added "To add insult to injury - the Congressman used this instance as an opportunity to tout ‘genocide’ and ‘apartheid’ libels to the press, propelling himself to the center of yet another anti-Israel media frenzy. The facts don't lie — this was a cheap, anticipated provocation, that could, and should have been avoided….I’d be happy to host Congressman Khanna at our embassy for an in-depth conversation on his grievances regarding Israel."

Khanna told Fox News Digital that his office contacted Ambassador Leiter’s office after he offered to meet with the him. The congressman referred to his X post to Leiter. "…I am happy to take you up on your offer to meet because I want to turn this incident into something constructive for ordinary people in Palestine," he wrote.

When asked about Leiter accusation that Khanna is defaming the Jewish state, Khanna said, "That’s what I believe happened and that’s what the U.N. believed happened."

Khanna said: "I want to be clear that I unequivocally reject Hamas terrorism and believe Israel has a right to exist. Hamas charter that calls for the destruction of Israel is appalling and why they are a terrorist group." When pressed if Hamas’ invasion on 10/7 was genocidal and if the Hamas Charter is a genocidal document because it calls for the extermination of Jews and Israel, Khanna said it is "violent antisemitism," and he repeatedly termed Hamas a terrorist organization but declined to call it a genocidal group.

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Khanna also told Fox News Digital that he believes the Islamic Republic of Iran, which finances Hamas, is a state-sponsor of terrorism.

An IDF spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that "The initial inquiry indicates that IDF soldiers were dispatched to the Khirbet Zanuta area in the Judea Brigade following reports that foreign nationals had entered an area that was believed to be a closed military zone. At the same time, an additional report was received regarding a road being blocked by Israeli civilians."

The IDF spokesperson continued that "Upon arriving at the scene, the soldiers distanced the Israeli civilians away from the area and waited for confirmation that there was no security concern regarding the foreign nationals present at the location, and awaited confirmation that the area was not, in fact, a closed military zone. The convoy was then allowed to continue on its way. This process lasted several minutes. It should be emphasized that, throughout the incident, there was no physical confrontation or violence between those involved, and no such allegations were reported."

According to the IDF spokesperson, "The armed individual present at the scene was an IDF soldier who was on leave. The matter is under review, and the soldier will be addressed accordingly. It should also be noted that the visit had not been coordinated with the IDF in advance. We emphasize that prior coordination of diplomatic visits is intended to prevent incidents of this nature. Such coordination is particularly important in areas where there is a risk of security-related incidents. The required conduct when interacting with diplomats will be further clarified and reinforced."

The Press Service of Israel(TPS-IL) conducted an investigation of the public row. An Israeli security official told TPS-IL that Khanna’s delegation did not coordinate its arrival in advance. "They did not coordinate the visit," the official said. "Usually, advance notice is received." According to the official, visits by foreign lawmakers and other prominent delegations to sensitive areas of Judea and Samaria are generally coordinated with Israeli authorities. Such coordination allows authorities to assess access restrictions, security conditions and logistical arrangements. The official said Israeli civilian security personnel arrived and blocked the delegation before troops intervened. "Settlers arrived, blocked them, the army dispersed them and that was basically the end of the incident," the official said.

The source added that security forces sought to resolve the obstruction quickly after learning that the vehicles had been blocked.

Diker sees the 2028 Presidential election cycle as the magnet for attracting some candidates to Israel with their alleged anti-Israel personal agendas.

Diker said "The point here is that U.S. presidential politics, on the left flank of the Democratic party, now exploits what can be called Israel- cancellation, or the inversion of legitimacy between Hamas – PLO and Israel as part of the unresolved Palestinian question as a major national issue for the American people, not the Islamic Republic of Iran and its global terror proxies, and it’s interruption of global oil shipping, kidnapping the global economy, nor is the issue the ongoing Russia, Ukraine situation, the Chinese communist parties infiltration of technology and other assets in the West or the Islamic infiltration of America."

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Inside Israel's mission to train civilians to stop the next Oct 7-like terror attack

ISRAEL-GAZA BORDER: "Fire, fire, fire!" shouts a member of Kibbutz Bror Hayil’s local security squad, pointing his weapon at a fellow participant acting as a terrorist. The kibbutz is located adjacent to the Gaza border, from where thousands of Hamas-led Palestinians invaded Israel and massacred some 1,200 people on Oct. 7, 2023.

The exercise, attended by Fox News Digital, was the eighth training session conducted by Magen48 in partnership with the Israel Defense Forces — a full-scale drill involving the local civilian defense squad designed to prepare southern Israeli communities for scenarios similar to Oct. 7.

One of the scenarios simulated terrorists infiltrating the kibbutz kindergarten. With IDF forces en route, the civil defense squad had to respond while accounting for the presence of children, limited visibility and the need to neutralize the attackers while ensuring a safe evacuation. During the exercise, a simulated grenade detonated, injuring one member of the civil defense squad in the leg, while the others succeeded in neutralizing the terrorists.

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In earlier sessions, participants learned to operate weapons from behind cover while sitting, lying down, standing and moving. They are also trained to work in pairs and larger groups while developing communication skills. The exercises grew increasingly complex, with teams conducting drills inside buildings and responding to continuous emergency alerts.

Because the exercise took place inside a civilian community, no live ammunition was used. All weapons and equipment were secured to prevent accidental discharge. Residents were notified in advance of the drill.

Among the 47 participants were IDF soldiers and medical personnel from the Gaza Division’s Northern Brigade.

Magen48 instructor T., who could not reveal his full name for security reasons, said the Bror Hayil program initially presented significant challenges.

"The civil defense squad was made up of soldiers who had served in special forces alongside others who had never held combat roles in the military. Some were issued weapons they had never used during their service. Training begins with weapons familiarization, covering the basics of firearm operation and how to manipulate the weapon’s safety mechanisms," he said.

One lesson drawn from Oct. 7 was that many members of civilian security squads responded alone. "Whoever ran alone was not able to fend off terrorists," T. said, explaining that the training emphasizes locating another squad member before engaging whenever possible.

"The idea behind this project is to establish a unified operational language, so that if an incident occurs, nearby communities can join the response and coordinate effectively," he said.

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"The idea is that they are able to manage the event until forces arrive, then hand over control in an orderly manner while continuing to work together. They know the kibbutz, they work well as teams and they have undergone high-quality training that sharpened their skills."

Magen48, established in July 2024 and named for the 48 first responders killed on Oct. 7, has trained 1,500 civilians to respond to life-threatening emergencies, equipping them with the knowledge, skills and resources to contend with scenarios such as terrorist attacks, medical emergencies and fires.

Counterterrorism expert Ehud Dribben, who has 30 years of experience in the field, co-founded the organization with Ari Briggs and Mike Aron. As the three began planning to create a training facility, the IDF approached them to develop a program providing each of the 67 Gaza Envelope communities with 12 full training days annually. To date, Magen48 has conducted more than 550 training sessions.

The training exercise began with the community command center issuing an alert about eight terrorists infiltrating the kibbutz, prompting members of the civil defense squad to mobilize to their assigned defensive positions.

Briggs and Dribben designed the exercise around five key locations where the defense squad would ultimately need to concentrate its forces. Response times are measured, and every step — from alerting residents to engaging the terrorists and evacuating casualties — is closely monitored.

"The reports that emerged after Oct. 7 showed that civilian first responders were incredibly brave. They were prepared to do anything to protect their families, friends and communities, but they were not trained adequately and lacked the equipment they needed," Briggs said.

"Strong, well-trained civilian response teams don’t just improve security — they help bring communities back together, strengthen resilience and ensure these towns grow and have an amazing future," he added.

Retired British Col. Richard Kemp, who observed the training exercises, said the primary objective is to prevent another Oct. 7.

"I was in the British army for 30 years, so I understand the importance of defense and security for a country like Israel," he told Fox News Digital. "If you know that your enemy has a capability of any sort to endanger you, you have to be ready to deal with that capability through the kind of work that Magen48 is doing."

Kemp called the drill one of the most complex exercises he had witnessed.

"It’s really important that these drills take place to give the local community confidence that its security is a top priority and that forces are doing everything they can to prepare for another terrorist attack like the one we saw on Oct. 7," he said.

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Ukrainian prime minister resigns in Zelenskyy shake-up

Ukraine's wartime government is getting another shake-up after Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko stepped down Sunday, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying he has offered her a "new, important" role as he reshapes his administration during the ongoing war with Russia.

Svyrydenko announced her resignation in a statement on social media, saying she was "proud to have had the honor of leading the government during one of the most difficult periods in Ukraine's modern history." She said she had discussed "next steps" with Zelenskyy, but did not disclose what her next position would be.

"I remain ready to serve the Ukrainian state and carry out every task aimed at strengthening Ukraine's position, defending our national interests and bringing a just peace closer," Svyrydenko wrote.

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Zelenskyy, who has remained in office under martial law because wartime elections are prohibited, framed the move as part of a broader shift in Ukraine's governing strategy.

"Ukraine is changing its political strategy," Zelenskyy wrote in a social media post, adding that he had offered Svyrydenko the chance to lead "a new, important area" in Ukraine's relations with a key international partner.

The Ukrainian president said each major area of foreign policy would be assigned to an experienced official responsible for carrying out agreements reached with foreign leaders and advancing the interests of the Ukrainian people. He also announced planned changes to the country's top law enforcement leadership, though he did not immediately provide additional details.

18 HOUSE REPUBLICANS DEFY TRUMP TO PASS UKRAINE AID PACKAGE HEADED FOR VETO FIGHT

The reshuffle marks the fourth major reorganization of Zelenskyy's government since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, reflecting the president's repeated efforts to inject new momentum into his wartime administration.

Svyrydenko, who previously served as Ukraine's economy minister, was appointed prime minister in July 2025 at age 39 after playing a key role in negotiating a minerals agreement between Ukraine and the United States. The deal was widely viewed as a way to strengthen U.S. economic interests in Ukraine while reinforcing Washington's long-term commitment to the country's security.

Following the announcement, Zelenskyy met with several senior officials, including Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko and Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, signaling that additional changes to his government could be forthcoming.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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