FDD Morning Brief

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with political satirist and "Oh My World" podcast host Hagar Chemali.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

SHOULD ISRAEL PARDON BIBI?

HEADLINE 1: The United States seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela.

HEADLINE 2: Israeli and Taiwanese officials recently conducted a series of secret meetings. 

HEADLINE 3: The U.S. and Israel wrapped up joint naval exercises yesterday.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Aviva Klompas, co-founder and CEO of Boundless.

Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"Trojan Horse: China's Auto Threat to America" - Elaine Dezenski, Congressional Testimony

"Fight To Keep China Out of U.S. K-12 Classrooms Comes to Congress" - Jennifer Richmond, FDD

"A Free Venezuela Elevates U.S. Energy Security" - Saeed Ghasseminejad, RealClearWorld

HEADLINE 1: After taking a beating during the 12-day war, Iran is back to building up its ballistic missile arsenal.

HEADLINE 2: Israeli authorities raided a vacant United Nations Relief and Works Agency facility in East Jerusalem.

HEADLINE 3: The IDF discovered three crude rockets in the West Bank city of Tulkarem.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with activist, actress, and New York Times bestselling author Noa Tishby.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"The Widening Gulf Between Iran and the Gulf" - Behnam Ben Taleblu and Norman T. Roule, FDD's Foreign Podicy

"Al Jazeera’s Academic Arm Platforms Hamas Denialism and Anti-Israel Propaganda" - Toby Dershowitz, FDD Insight

"Anti-Israeli Countries’ Attempt To Ban Israel From Eurovision Song Contest Falls Flat — With Help From Germany, Austria" - David May, New York Sun

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Michal Cotler-Wunsch, CEO of The International Legal Forum (ILF) and former Member of Israel's Knesset (Parliament).

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 1: Yesterday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Beijing will provide $100 million to help with reconstruction and ease the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

HEADLINE 2: The Pentagon deployed a new type of drone to the Middle East.

HEADLINE 3: Iraq added Hezbollah and the Houthis to its asset freeze list.

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FDD Senior Research Analyst Natalie Ecanow analyzes the latest headlines, followed by a pre-recorded conversation between Jon Schanzer and FDD Director of Impact and AI Research Fellow Leah Siskind.

Learn more at: https://fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"America needs to stop being naive in Gaza" - Bonnie Glick, Washington Reporter

"China’s Influence Operation in US Education Was Supposed To Be Shut Down, But Did Closing the Confucius Institutes Only Make It Stronger?" - Jennifer Richmond, The Washington Free Beacon

"Is Qatari Money Corrupting American Education?" - Natalie Ecanow, Townhall

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SOUTHERN YEMEN?

HEADLINE 1: Saudi Arabia is providing the Palestinian Authority with a $90 million grant.

HEADLINE 2: Three Israeli soldiers were wounded in two separate attacks yesterday.

HEADLINE 3: The IDF raided the offices in Ramallah and Hebron of an organization called the Union of Agricultural Work Committees.

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FDD Senior Research Analyst Natalie Ecanow, filling in for Jonathan Schanzer, provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Southern Transition Council Special Representative Amr Al-Bidh.

Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"Trump is right to crack down on the Muslim Brotherhood" - Edmund Fitton-Brown, The Spectator

"Japan Has Changed How the World Must Think About Taiwan" - Craig Singleton, The New York Times

"Africa 2025: Things Fall Apart" - Clifford D. May, Foreign Podicy

Bradley Bowman, senior director of FDD's Center on Military and Political Power, provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Dana Stroul, who serves as Director of Research and Shelly and Michael Kassen Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 1: Anyone heard of Binance? It's the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange — and it may well have facilitated $1 billion in transactions for Hamas, Hezbollah, and other terrorist organizations — that’s billion with a “b.”

HEADLINE 2: The Palestinian economy is on the brink of collapse.

HEADLINE 3: The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, or “GHF,” is wrapping up its operations in Gaza.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL).

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"Iran Drops the Façade of Tolerance Toward Persian Jews" - Janatan Sayeh, National Review

"Reconstructing Gaza: The devil is in the detail" - Ben Cohen, JNS

"Oy, There's Too Much News" - The Commentary Magazine Podcast feat. Jonathan Schanzer

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with former UK Ambassador to Yemen and current FDD Senior Fellow Edmund Fitton-Brown.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

WHAT CAN ISRAEL EXPECT FROM ITS NEIGHBORS?

HEADLINE 1: The IDF carried out strikes against several Hezbollah weapons storage facilities in south Lebanon.

HEADLINE 2: Israeli prosecutors charged seven men suspected of smuggling arms from Syria into Israel.

HEADLINE 3: Israeli prosecutors charged seven men suspected of smuggling arms from Syria into Israel.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with former Israeli acting National Security Advisor BG (Res.) Prof. Jacob Nagel. 

Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"New York, New York, it’s a socialist town" - Clifford D. May, The Washington Times

"Trump’s Gaza peace plan is doomed — unless he shuts down terror-boosting UNRWA" - Enia Krivine and Richard Goldberg, New York Post

"Is Iran Unraveling?" - Mark Dubowitz, The Iran Breakdown