DAY 629 OF THE WAR: Trump Urges Israel to Halt Netanyahu’s Trial; Controversy Over Iranian Strike Outcome Continues; Khamenei Breaks Silence
Tel Aviv Diary, June 26, 2025
This morning, when I walked out with Milo and greeted people along the path—for the first time in at least two weeks—they actually smiled. We didn't wake up to terrible news from Gaza. We actually managed to get a full night of sleep— though I’m still feeling a bit sleep-deprived. Nevertheless, at least at this second—for this fleeting moment—things feel just a little bit better.
TRUMP AND NETANYAHU’S TRIAL
This morning, the first thing we all saw in the news was the Truth Social post below from President Trump, written on behalf of his great buddy, Prime Minister Netanyahu:
BREAKING NEWS … I was shocked to hear that the State of Israel, which has just had one of its Greatest Moments in History, and is strongly led by Bibi Netanyahu, is continuing its ridiculous Witch Hunt against their Great War Time Prime Minister! Bibi and I just went through HELL together, fighting a very tough and brilliant longtime enemy of Israel, Iran, and Bibi could not have been better, sharper, or stronger in his LOVE for the incredible Holy Land. Anybody else would have suffered losses, embarrassment, and chaos! Bibi Netanyahu was a WARRIOR, like perhaps no other Warrior in the History of Israel, and the result was something that nobody thought was possible, a complete elimination of potentially one of the biggest and most powerful Nuclear Weapons anywhere in the World, and it was going to happen, SOON! We were fighting, literally, for the Survival of Israel, and there is nobody in Israel’s History that fought harder or more competently than Bibi Netanyahu. Despite all of this, I just learned that Bibi has been summoned to Court on Monday for the continuation of this long running, (He has been going through this "Horror Show" since May of 2020 — Unheard of! This is the first time a sitting Israeli Prime Minister has ever been on trial.), politically motivated case, "concerning cigars, a Bugs Bunny doll, and numerous other unfair charges" in order to do him great harm. Such a WITCH HUNT, for a man who has given so much, is unthinkable to me. He deserves much better than this, and so does the State of Israel. Bibi Netanyahu's trial should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero, who has done so much for the State. Perhaps there is no one that I know who could have worked in better harmony with the President of the United States, ME, than Bibi Netanyahu. It was the United States of America that saved Israel, and now it is going to be the United States of America that saves Bibi Netanyahu. THIS TRAVESTY OF "JUSTICE" CANNOT BE ALLOWED!
18 ReTruths 77 Likes Jun 25, 2025 at 3:27 PM
If ever there were a clear case of interference in another country’s domestic affairs, this one ranks at the very top. Donald Trump managed to evade accountability for a long list of alleged offenses. To date, he has been convicted in only one case, despite pending charges that were dropped when he became President, which could have lead to further convictions—including in the classified documents case.
Trump’s rise to the presidency was instrumental in shielding him from legal consequences. He undoubtedly believes Netanyahu should be able to do the same. There is a well-established argument against prosecuting a sitting Prime Minister. However, in countries where that principle is observed—such as, France—the Presidency is limited by fixed terms. Netanyahu, by contrast, has held office for nearly 19 years. In the absence of term limits, the role risks becoming a permanent refuge from prosecution.
Trump’s post did not emerge in a vacuum—It was almost certainly coordinated. Netanyahu is now approaching the most critical phase of his trial: the cross-examination of his own testimony, which he has long sought to avoid.
Today, in a move conveniently timed just after Trump’s statement, Netanyahu requested a two-week delay in his testimony, citing “the ongoing military situation.” Notably, two weeks from now is the end of July, after which the Israeli court system begins a recess lasting more than a month. Netanyahu’s trial has already been repeatedly delayed, largely due to the Prime Minister’s efforts to postpone proceedings at every turn.
Following Trump’s post, a wave of Israeli politicians from his coalition began echoing calls to end Netanyahu’s trial. These calls comes on behalf of the same Prime Minister who has repeatedly insisted he is fully capable of governing the country while standing trial. When legal petitions were filed to disqualify him from running for office, Netanyahu argued that he could handle both responsibilities. Yet now, as the trial enters its most sensitive phase, he appears unwilling to allow it to proceed.
If I were Prime Minister Netanyahu, I would not want the peak of my political success—namely the strike on Iran and the unprecedented American participation—to be overshadowed by the damaging revelations expected to emerge from my trial in the coming weeks.
Netanyahu could have followed the very advice he once provided to Prime Minister Olmert, who was still under investigation at the time and had not yet been formally charged. Back then, Netanyahu argued that under such circumstances, a leader can no longer distinguish between personal interests and the interests of the state—and must therefore resign. Olmert did exactly that.
U.S. OFFICIALS PUSH BACK ON IRAN STRIKE DOUBTS; OFFERING NO NEW EVIDENCE
This morning, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth held a press conference in which he criticized the media for casting doubt on the success of the strikes against Iranian targets, only to subsequently quote reports that contradicted his own claim.
Neither Hegseth, nor Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine provided any additional evidence to substantiate the extent of the damage. For now, it remains premature to definitively assess the outcome of the operation.
One interesting detail emerged from the briefing was that the bombs used in the strike had been in development by the U.S. for more than 15 years. According to Gen. Caine:
The Defense Threat Reduction Agency, is the world's leading expert on underground targets — such as the Fordow site, which is about 60 miles south of Tehran.
In 2009, a [DTRA] officer was brought into a vault at an undisclosed location and briefed on something going on in Iran," Caine said. "He was shown some photos and some highly classified intelligence of what looked like a major construction project in the mountains of Iran. He was tasked to study this facility, work with the intelligence community to understand it, and he was soon joined by an additional teammate.
The two worked for 15 years to gain understating of the site, but came to realize, after studying the location, that the United States didn't have a weapon which could penetrate into its depths to destroy what was contained inside.
They began a journey to work with industry and other tacticians to develop the GBU-57," Caine said. "They tested it over and over again, tried different options, tried more after that — they accomplished hundreds of test shots and dropped many full-scale weapons against extremely realistic targets, for a single purpose: kill this target at the time and place of our nation's choosing.
KHAMENEI BREAKS SILENCE, DECLARES ‘VICTORY’ OVER ISRAEL AND U.S.
Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke publicly for the first time since the latest war, declaring that “the United States has gained nothing from this war.” He also claimed that American strikes “did nothing significant” to Iran’s nuclear facilities.
“The Islamic Republic won, and in retaliation dealt a severe slap to the face of America,” Khamenei said, accusing the United States of concealing the extent of the damage to its military base. He further claimed that the U.S. only entered the conflict because “it felt that if it did not intervene, the Zionist regime would be utterly destroyed.” Finally adding “I want to congratulate the great Iranian nation… for its victory over the fallacious Zionist regime.”
The question remains: Is Khamenei deliberately misleading the public, or is he being misled himself? Does he understand that Iran suffered a significant defeat—and that its nuclear facilities appear to have been destroyed?
AID HALTED IN NORTHERN GAZA
In the middle of the night, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced a halt to humanitarian aid deliveries to northern Gaza, citing concerns that the aid was being diverted to Hamas. They gave the IDF 48 hours to identify an alternative method of distribution. In the meantime, all aid to the region has been suspended.
In southern Gaza, humanitarian aid operations continue to face serious obstacles. While the full picture remains unclear, I have heard firsthand accounts indicating that Hamas operatives—embedded among civilians—have on multiple occasions opened fire on IDF troops, apparently in an effort to provoke a response.
HOSTAGES! HOSTAGES!! HOSTAGES!!!
Another day has passed with Israeli hostages still in captivity. Each day brings fresh reports of possible negotiations, yet there’s no concrete progress. The prevailing belief is that, following Israel’s apparent success in striking Iran, Prime Minister Netanyahu may now have the political latitude to make the concessions necessary to reach a deal.
Still, the days continue to slip by, and hopes rest on the belief that the hostages are alive and holding on. In the meantime, Netanyahu has begun to shift public messaging toward potential new opportunities for peace agreements with other countries
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MORE ON MAMDANI FOR MAYOR
It was deeply disappointing to see Senator Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries quickly endorse Zohran K. Mamdani for mayor. Below is what Mamdani posted on October 8th, 2023:
The Democratic Party is doing everything possible to alienate Jews who support Israel. They may finally shift long-standing Jewish voting patterns.
BUSINESS
Quinn
The financial services industry is witnessing a seismic shift as Quinn, an AI-driven financial planning platform, emerges from stealth with $11 million in seed funding led by Viola Fintech. The startup addresses a critical market gap where traditional wealth management's 1:100 advisor-to-client ratio leaves millions of middle-class and emerging investors without access to personalized financial guidance. Quinn's machine learning platform promises to democratize financial planning by enabling institutions to deliver real-time, actionable advice to underserved customers who have historically been excluded from premium wealth management services.
Founded by CEO Royi Markowitz and CTO Asaf Amir, Quinn's mission extends beyond market disruption to personal conviction. The idea crystallized during a coffee conversation where both founders realized their privilege in accessing financial advisors—a service unavailable to most Americans despite personal finances consistently ranking as their top concern.
For Markowitz, the venture carries deeper significance rooted in family tragedy: his father's death at 58, compounded by financial stress, reinforced his belief that financial advice represents a basic human need. "Advisors are the doctors of the financial world," Markowitz explains, "and just like with healthcare, access shouldn't depend on your income." This personal mission now drives Quinn's goal to impact tens of millions of lives by scaling professional financial guidance through artificial intelligence.
Bonfy.AI
Secures $9.5M to Tackle Growing Enterprise Content Risks
Israeli cybersecurity startup Bonfy.AI has closed a $9.5 million seed funding round led by TLV Partners, with participation from Haim Saban's Saban Capital Group, as organizations grapple with mounting security challenges from AI-generated content. The company, founded in early 2024 by veteran entrepreneurs Gidi Cohen and Danny Kibel—both alumni of Israel's elite military intelligence units—is launching a platform that uses artificial intelligence to monitor and protect enterprises from risks associated with both GenAI-generated and manually created content. The solution addresses critical threats including customer trust erosion, reputational damage, intellectual property leaks, privacy violations, and regulatory non-compliance while significantly reducing the false alerts that typically overwhelm cybersecurity teams.
The founding team brings formidable experience to the challenge, with CEO Gidi Cohen having previously built and led cybersecurity firm Skybox for 15 years, generating $500 million in cumulative sales and serving over 500 Global 2000 clients before its $375 million acquisition in 2018. CTO Danny Kibel brings complementary expertise from his tenure as CEO of Identity-as-a-Service company Idaptive, which he scaled to over 2,000 global customers before its acquisition by CyberArk, where he subsequently served as VP of Global R&D.
"The volume of content generated by GenAI is growing at an exponential rate, making rigorous oversight increasingly critical," Cohen explains. "We aim to empower organizations to reap the benefits of AI while maintaining safety, compliance, and trust"—a mission that addresses one of the most pressing security challenges facing enterprises as they navigate the AI revolution.
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TRAVEL ACROSS ISRAEL
Wadi Qelt
With the ceasefire now in effect, we can finally resume exploring the beauty of the country. Today, we head to Wadi Qelt—a breathtaking desert oasis filled with rugged cliffs, hidden springs, and ancient trails that have drawn travelers for centuries. Let’s explore some of Wadi Qelt’s most remarkable landmarks:
Ein Prat Nature Reserve (Western End) … This is the most accessible part of the wadi, managed by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. It's an ideal spot for families and those looking for a less strenuous desert experience.
Springs and Pools: The reserve is built around Ein Prat (Fara Spring), the largest spring in the wadi. Its cool, clear waters feed a series of pools shaded by lush vegetation, offering a welcome respite from the desert heat. Swimming is permitted and highly encouraged.
Faran Monastery (Chariton Monastery): Overlooking the springs is one of the oldest monasteries in the Judean Desert, founded in the 4th century. While less visually spectacular than St. George's, it adds a layer of ancient spirituality to the oasis.
St. George's Monastery (Eastern End) … The Monastery of St. George of Choziba is one of the most iconic and breathtaking sights in the Holy Land.
A Cliff-Hanging Marvel: This 5th-century Greek Orthodox monastery appears to be miraculously carved into the sheer rock face of the northern canyon wall. Its ancient stone structures, blue domes, and vibrant gardens create a stunning contrast with the surrounding ochre desert.
Visiting the Monastery: From the parking lot, it's a steep 15-20 minute walk down a winding path to the monastery entrance. Local Bedouins often offer donkey rides for a fee. Inside, you can visit the main chapel with its ancient icons and mosaic floors and see the cave where tradition says the Prophet Elijah was fed by ravens.
Hiking in Wadi Qelt … Wadi Qelt offers some of the most spectacular hiking in the region. Trails run the length of the canyon, connecting Ein Prat to St. George's Monastery.
The Full Hike: The complete trail from Ein Prat to St. George's is approximately 8-9 km and takes 4-6 hours. It's a moderate to challenging hike involving rocky terrain and some exposed sections with metal handholds. This is a one-way hike requiring a car at each end.
Shorter Hikes: You can opt for shorter loop trails within the Ein Prat reserve or a hike down from the main road to St. George's and back.
Scenery: The trail follows the stream, passing by ancient Roman aqueducts, small waterfalls, and numerous caves once inhabited by hermits.
A Favor …
Hey everyone! You might know that when I’m not writing the Tel Aviv Diary or working on my book, I work on developing iOS apps. Well, guess what? This week, I’m excited to share that I’ve completed a beta version of my very first game! It’s a simple word game with a historical twist—and at least for now, it’s available for FREE DOWNLOAD.
If you have an iPhone or any other Apple device, I’d be grateful if you could download the beta and share your feedback with me. Your input would be incredibly helpful as I refine the game ahead of its full release.