HEADLINES
US expects Iran reply Friday on ceasefire
PM hopefuls urged to outline Rabin plan
Jerusalem driver saves flag reshapes patriotism

The time is now 10:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Iranian Retaliation, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was expecting a response from Iran on Friday to US proposals for a deal to end the conflict. "We're expecting a response from them today at some point... I hope it's a serious offer, I really do," Rubio told reporters during a visit to Rome. "The hope is it's something that can put us into a serious process of negotiation," he said. He also slammed as "unacceptable" efforts by Iran to control the Strait of Hormuz, following a report that Tehran has created an authority to approve transit through the vital waterway. "Iran now claims that they own, that they have a right to control, an international waterway... That's an unacceptable thing that they're trying to normalise," Rubio told reporters during a visit to Rome. Following the start of the war with US-Israeli attacks on February 28, Iran largely closed the Strait of Hormuz and the US later imposed its own blockade of Iranian ports. World markets had perked up and oil prices earlier this week amid hope that a Pakistani-mediated peace process would prolong a US-Iran ceasefire that began on April 8 and lead to a negotiated accord to end the conflict. But stock markets sank again.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, Middle Israel: What's the plan? Israel needs a 'reconciliation government' - opinion, politicians will promise heaven before being elected and once elected will give you hell, a mindset echoed by Emma Goldman that the piece uses to critique the current electoral contest. Today’s four prime ministerial contenders are urged to present a concrete plan, something Rabin did before his 1992 landslide by outlining promises to build highways and interchanges, raise social spending, hike teachers’ and doctors’ pay, and pass universal healthcare. Whether one liked those ideas, they formed a plan that helped Rabin win; the piece asks whether today’s opposition can produce an equivalent, plan-backed agenda rather than mere rhetoric.

In Uplifting News, A Jerusalem driver refused to run over a flag, and changed how I see Israel - opinion, the author recalls a moment on a Jerusalem highway when a driver in his sixties stopped in the middle lane to retrieve a large Israeli flag that had fallen under his front tire. The act highlighted loyalty, symbolism, and public duty, prompting a reconsideration of patriotism and citizenship in Israel today.

Thank you for tuning in to this Israel Today: Ongoing War Report update.
I'm Noa Levi. Stay safe and informed.
Keep in mind that this AI-generated report may contain occasional inaccuracies, so consult multiple sources for a comprehensive view. Find the code and more details in the podcast description.

SOURCES
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/05/rubio-says-expecting-iran-response-us-proposal-friday
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-895519
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-895448