Trump calls for a deal on the war in Gaza as signs of progress emerge
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday pleaded for progress in ceasefire talks in the war in Gaza, calling for a deal that would halt the fighting in the 20-month-long conflict as Israel and Hamas appeared to be inching closer to an agreement.
An Israeli official said plans were being made for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to travel to Washington in the coming weeks, a sign there may be movement on a new deal. The official declined to discuss the focus of the visit and spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss plans that had not yet been finalized.
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Globe and Mail
an hour ago
- Globe and Mail
How Zohran Mamdani, a critic of Israel, excelled among Democrats in America's most Jewish city
In choosing Zohran Mamdani as their candidate for mayor, Democrats in America's most Jewish city have nominated an outspoken critic of Israel, alarming some in New York's Jewish community and signalling a sea change in the priorities of one of the party's most loyal voting groups. The 33-year-old democratic socialist's surprisingly strong performance against former governor Andrew Cuomo makes clear that taking a stance against Israel is no longer disqualifying in a Democratic primary. The state Assembly member has declined to support the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state, refused to denounce the term 'global intifada' and supports an organized effort to put economic pressure on Israel through boycotts and other tactics. Yet he excelled in the city with the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, and with the support of many Jewish voters. A house divided: Mamdani win, Iran response show Trump's reshaping of U.S. politics Mamdani's success reflects the ideological realignment of many American Jews since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel that led to Israel's invasion of Gaza. Many Democratic voters, including Jews, have grown dismayed by Israel's conduct in the war and are deeply critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. That is especially true among younger, more progressive voters, many of whom have rejected the once-broadly accepted notion that anti-Israel sentiment is inherently antisemitic. For others, Mamdani's showing has spurred new fears about safety and the waning influence of Jewish voters in a city where anti-Jewish hate crime has surged. Last year, Jews were the target of more than half of the hate crimes in the city. 'Definitely people are concerned,' said Rabbi Shimon Hecht, of Congregation B'nai Jacob in Brooklyn, who said he has heard from congregants in recent days who hope Mamdani will be beaten in the November general election, where he will face Mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent, Republican Curtis Sliwa, and possibly Cuomo, if he stays in the race. 'I think like every upsetting election, it's a wake-up call for people,' Hecht said. 'I strongly believe that he will not be elected as our next mayor, but it's going to take a lot of uniting among the Jewish people and others who are concerned about these issues. We have to unify.' Veteran New York Democratic political strategist Hank Sheinkopf put it more bluntly, predicting a hasty exodus of religious Jews from the city and a decline in long-standing Jewish influence that would be replicated elsewhere. 'It's the end of Jewish New York as we know it,' he said, adding: 'New York is a petri dish for national Democratic politics. And what happened here is what will likely happen in cities across the country.' Mamdani's top Democratic rival, the former governor, had called antisemitism and support for Israel 'the most important issue' of the campaign. Mamdani's backers repeatedly accused Cuomo of trying to weaponize the issue. Many drew parallels to the way Republican President Donald Trump has cast any criticism of Israel's actions as antisemitic, claiming Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their own religion. For some Mamdani supporters, the election results signaled a rejection by voters of one of Cuomo's arguments: that an upstart socialist with pro-Palestinian views posed a threat to New York's Jewish community. Many were focused on issues such as affordability in a notoriously expensive city, or flat-out opposed to Cuomo, who was forced to resign in disgrace amid sexual harassment allegations. Aiyana Leong Knauer, a 35-year-old Brooklyn bartender who is Jewish and backed Mamdani, said the vote represented 'New Yorkers, many of them Jewish, saying we care more about having an affordable city than sowing division.' 'Many of us take really deep offence to our history being weaponized against us,' she said. 'Jewish people all over the world have well-founded fears for their safety, but Jews in New York are safe overall.' Others agreed with Mamdani's views on Israel. Beth Miller, political director of Jewish Voice for Peace Action, an anti-Zionist, progressive group that worked on Mamdani's behalf, said Mamdani 'was actually pretty popular among a lot of Jewish voters.' 'That is not in spite of his support for Palestinian rights. That is because of his support for Palestinian rights,' she said. 'There has been a massive rupture within the Jewish community and more and more Jews of all generations, but especially younger generations,' she said, now refuse to be tied to what they see as a rogue government committing atrocities against civilians. Polls show support for Israel has declined since the war began. Overall, a slight majority of Americans now express a 'somewhat' or 'very' unfavourable opinion of Israel, according to a March Pew Research Center poll, compared with 42 per cent in 2022. Democrats' views are particularly negative, with nearly 70 per cent holding an unfavorable opinion versus less than 40 per cent of Republicans. Mamdani's wasn't the only race where Israel was on voters' minds. In Brooklyn, City Councilwoman Shahana Hanif, who represents Park Slope and surrounding areas, drew criticism for her Palestinian advocacy. Some said she had failed to respond forcefully to antisemitic incidents in the district. Yet Hanif, the first Muslim woman elected to the City Council, easily beat her top challenger, Maya Kornberg, who is Jewish, despite an influx of money from wealthy, pro-Israel groups and donors. That outcome dismayed Ramon Maislen, a developer who launched Brooklyn BridgeBuilders to oppose Hanif's re-election and said antisemitism did not seem to resonate with voters. 'We were very disappointed with our neighbours' response,' he said. While campaigning against Hanif, he said he was routinely screamed at by residents and accused of supporting genocide. 'I think that those of us in the Jewish community that are attuned to that are cognizant that there's been some kind of cultural sea change that's occurring,' he said. 'What we're seeing is a legitimatization of hatred that isn't happening in any other liberal or progressive space.' Mamdani has repeatedly pledged to fight antisemitism, including during an appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, where he was grilled on his stance. He was joined on the show by city comptroller and fellow candidate Brad Lander, the city's highest-ranking Jewish official, who had cross-endorsed him. He has also said he would increase funding for anti-hate crime programming by 800 per cent. But many of his comments have angered Jewish groups and officials, most notably his refusal to disavow the phrase 'globalize the intifada,' which has been used as a slogan in recent protests. Many Jews see it as a call to violence against Israeli civilians. In a podcast interview, Mamdani said the phrase captured a 'a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights.' Who is Zohran Mamdani, the state lawmaker seeking to become New York's first Muslim mayor? Mamdani also supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which aims to pressure governments, schools and other institutions to boycott Israeli products, divest from companies that support the country, and impose sanctions. The Anti-Defamation League calls it antisemitic and part of a broader campaign to 'delegitimize and isolate the State of Israel.' Mamdani has also said that, as mayor, he would arrest Netanyahu if the Israeli leader tried to enter the city. The ADL in a statement Thursday warned candidates and their supporters not to use 'language playing into dangerous antisemitic canards that time and time again have been used to incite hatred and violence against Jews.' In his victory speech, Mamdani alluded to the criticism he'd received and said he would not abandon his beliefs. But he also said he would 'reach further to understand the perspectives of those with whom I disagree and to wrestle deeply with those disagreements.' With files from Jake Offenhartz
Toronto Sun
an hour ago
- Toronto Sun
CHAREBOIS: The globalism hangover: What Trump's trade war got right
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as a flag pole is installed on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, in Washington. Photo by Evan Vucci / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS For the past six months, President Donald Trump's trade policies have been widely mocked, criticized, and condemned. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Some of it is certainly warranted. The Wall Street Journal, for instance, recently likened his tariff-heavy approach to global trade as a direct path toward another Great Depression. But data out of the United States tells a more nuanced story—one that challenges conventional wisdom. Despite persistent headwinds, the U.S. economy continues to outperform expectations. The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta projects second-quarter GDP growth at 3.8%. In May, the U.S. economy added 139,000 jobs, outpacing forecasts, while inflation remained subdued at 0.1% month-over-month and 2.4% annually. The U.S. trade deficit has been cut nearly in half, pointing to stronger export performance and a rebalancing of trade relationships. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Canada, by contrast, is showing signs of economic strain. The national economy is shrinking, manufacturing is struggling under U.S. trade pressure, and food inflation is outpacing general inflation. In short, our economy is not keeping pace — despite our public criticism of the Trump administration. To make matters worse, the Trump administration has now halted all trade negotiations with Canada, signalling that our bilateral economic relationship holds little strategic value for Washington. For the U.S., Canada is no longer a priority — especially under a Carney-led government that has visibly pivoted toward Europe, a market still heavily invested in maintaining close ties with the United States. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. From an agri-food standpoint, this shift is consequential: access to our largest trading partner is narrowing, while Ottawa appears more focused on diplomatic optics than on securing stable, competitive trade channels for the Canadian agrifood economy. This is the one thing the 'Elbows Up' crowd never understood—and still doesn't. We're not in a trade war with the U.S. There's no war to be won. For Trump, this is about a realignment of the global order, plain and simple — one centered entirely on American supremacy. Love him or loathe him, Trump is not destroying the U.S. economy — not yet, anyway. His unapologetically nationalist agenda extends far beyond tariffs. He has withdrawn U.S. support from key global institutions such as the WHO and is threatening to sever ties with others, including NATO and several UN-affiliated agencies. Among them is the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN's most authoritative body on food security. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. At a recent event in Brazil, a senior FAO official acknowledged that fundraising dynamics have shifted. In the Trump era, governments are asking harder questions: Why should we fund the FAO? What domestic benefit does it provide? What used to be assumed support is now conditional—and arguably, more accountable. This shift isn't unique to Washington. Many countries are quietly aligning with the U.S. position, scrutinizing globalist institutions with renewed skepticism. Transparency and accountability are byproducts of this anti-globalist sentiment — something not inherently negative. Recommended video For decades, globalism pushed the world to believe that trade liberalization was the only viable path to growth and prosperity. It became conventional wisdom. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. But globalism has made some nations — and some people — richer, while leaving others behind. In the process, domestic sectors, including agriculture, were often sidelined or sacrificed in the name of global efficiency. The problem with globalism, particularly in agri-food policy, is its tendency to pursue uniformity over relevance. Canada, for example, adopted the carbon tax under a globalist climate agenda that often overlooks the vital role food producers play in feeding people. Instead of being supported, the sector is too often vilified as a problem. But agriculture is not a liability — it is a necessity. Trump's message — wrapped, of course, in provocative and often abrasive language — is that one-size-fits-all global policies rarely work. Nations have different socio-economic realities, and those should come first. While cooperation is essential, so is recognizing local and regional priorities. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In this sense, his 'America First' approach is not without logic — especially when it seems to be yielding short-term economic gains. For Canada's agri-food sector, the lesson is clear: Striking a better balance between global commitments and national imperatives is overdue. We should not abandon multilateral cooperation, but we must stop anchoring policy to global agendas we have little influence over. Instead, let's define what works for Canadians — what supports our farmers, protects our food security, and reflects our unique landscape —while keeping the broader global context in view. We are not there yet. But if this moment of disruption sparks a more realistic and regionally attuned approach to food policy, we'll be better for it. — Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is the Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University and co-host of The Food Professor Podcast. He is currently a Visiting Scholar at McGill University in Montreal. Sports Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls Toronto Maple Leafs Columnists
Vancouver Sun
an hour ago
- Vancouver Sun
Former Hamas hostage condemns anti-Israel protest blocking Canadian speaking event
A Hamas captivity survivor on a speaking tour in Canada this month said she won't 'let terror sympathizers control the narrative' after anti-Israel demonstrators allegedly blocked the exit of her venue last week. Noa Argamani, 27, was in Windsor, Ont., as part of a Jewish National Fund (JNF) fundraising event at the University of Windsor, which reportedly attracted members of the school's Palestinian Solidarity Group. On Saturday, Argamani shared an X post from FactsMatter describing the activists surrounding the building, 'blocking the only entrance and shouting at the Jewish attendees. In a brief video clip attached, a voice is heard shouting, 'Hamas is coming.' Hamas came. Hamas kidnapped me. Hamas murdered my friends. But I won; I survived. Now, I speak for those who can't. I'll keep exposing Hamas' crimes and fighting for the hostages' release—including my partner, Avinatan. I refuse to let terror sympathizers control the narrative. The logo and username in the clip indicate it was a live broadcast from an account operated by the PSG. National Post is attempting to independently verify the source. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'Hamas came. Hamas kidnapped me. Hamas murdered my friends. But I won; I survived,' wrote Argamani, who spent 245 days in captivity after being abducted from the Nova music festival during the terrorist organization's Oct. 7, 2023, insurgency. The university student's abduction and that of her partner, Or Avinatan, were captured on video and released by Hamas on social media. Argamani was also seen in subsequent propaganda videos. She was rescued in June 2024 , but Avinatan remains in captivity. He is listed in a medical report detailing the condition of living hostages released by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum in June, per The Times of Israel, and described as suffering from weight loss and mental struggles. 'I'll keep exposing Hamas' crimes and fighting for the hostages' release—including my partner, Avinatan,' wrote Argamani, who's been a prominent advocate for her fellow captives since finding freedom. Argamani was speaking at a Negev Event, named for the large desert region in southern Israel, where the goal was to raise money for the Ashdod Rehabilitation & Therapy Centre, 'a vital project that will serve trauma victims, children with disabilities, and pediatric cancer patients in southern Israel,' according to JNF . Idit Shamir, Consul General of Israel in Toronto and Western Canada, also shared the clip on X , calling it 'psychological warfare against trauma survivors.' 'When Canadian campuses become no-go zones for Jews, when terror victims can't share their stories without facing mob intimidation, you're witnessing the normalisation of antisemitism,' she wrote. Speaking to The J, event chair Miriam Kaplan condemned the attempted intimidation and said the University should, too. 'These students crossed the line from free speech into aggression,' she said. The outlet also confirmed via the Windsor Police Service, who 'monitored the situation and ensured public safety,' that it was treated as a protest and no arrests were made. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
