HEADLINES
- US Tankers Choke Tel Aviv Airport Capacity
- Diplomacy Crumbles as Trump Threatens Iran
- Knesset Restores Massacre Word in Bill

The time is now 3:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In US Military Role, Ben-Gurion International Airport, Israel's main air gateway near Tel Aviv, is operating at about one-third of capacity due to the presence of US refueling aircraft based there. Dozens of US tanker planes are currently stationed at the airport, limiting roughly 70% of normal activity, according to Sharon Kedmi, the director general of the Israel Airports Authority. He said, "We are only utilizing one-third of the airport's operational capacity. We are at the limit of our capabilities. There will be flights that we will announce in the coming days that are being canceled." He warned that foreign carriers will not be able to return soon and that as many as three million passengers could see heavy flight cancellations this summer. Kedmi noted that in the last two months the authority has lost about 700 million shekels, or roughly $248 million, and a continued pattern could push losses higher into the billions.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, analysis of the unraveling of diplomacy under President Trump describes a moment when a uniquely unpredictable US president is rattling markets. After Trump warned Iran on April 7 that "a whole civilization will die tonight," a European diplomat in Washington said officials wanted an urgent answer to whether the US president was contemplating the use of a nuclear weapon. Across Europe and Asia, the concern went beyond whether Trump's threat was real or bluster. One fear was that Russia could seize the moment to justify similar threats in Ukraine, potentially triggering a nuclear crisis on two continents. Governments immediately sought reassurance through the US State Department, but officials there reportedly did not know what Trump meant or what actions his words might portend. The previously unreported episode points to a historic breakdown in American diplomacy, with the usual points of contact—US embassies or inside Washington—described as missing, mute, or out of the loop.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, the Knesset restored the word "massacre" to the title of a bill establishing how to commemorate October 7 after backlash from bereaved families who accused the government of attempting to whitewash failures and rewrite the narrative. Previously, in February, the term had been removed and replaced with "events" or "incidents." The legislation's progress was discussed in the Education, Culture, and Sports Committee on Wednesday, as it advances to its second and third readings. Acting committee chair MK Yosef Taieb (Shas) told the panel, "We are sensitive to the concerns. No one wants to whitewash or change the narrative." He noted that government ministries were attentive to the concerns, and the longer title originally proposed in the private members' bill would be restored: "Bill for the Remembrance of the Massacre and the Commemoration of Heroism." Discussions over the details of the legislation were ongoing.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, two events are unfolding. A Jerusalem municipality real estate investment event in Manhattan, led by Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion, is set to be protested outside a Manhattan hotel by anti-Israel activists, including PAL-Awda NY/NJ. The group said the expo focuses exclusively on the Israeli capital and is selling "illegal real estate" while recruiting "settlers." The expo, titled "Jerusalem. Your Home. Your Future," was expected to attract about 1,000 participants, with developers planned to present projects in Jerusalem as part of the effort to promote investment in the city. In Rome, Keshet Italia and Keshet Europe were banned from participating in the Rome Pride Parade after organizers said they would not condemn Israeli actions in Gaza as genocide. Roma Pride said the Jewish LGBTQ groups would not be allowed to take part unless they align with the parade's declared political values, describing the decision as an exclusion. Keshet Italia criticized Roma Pride, calling the move antisemitic and noting that the exclusion removes a platform for Jewish LGBTQ voices, while Roma Pride maintained that it differentiates between the Israeli government and the LGBTQ Jewish community.

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.jpost.com/israel-news/article-897685
https://www.jpost.com/international/article-897687
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-897691
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-897692
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-897689