June 2, 2026
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President Trump announced a ceasefire in Lebanon on June 1, but Iran-backed Hezbollah launched more attacks against Israel three hours later. Hezbollah has continued firing rockets at northern Israel throughout this ceasefire and every one before it — leading some Israelis to call it the ‘ceasefire war.’ The current talks between the U.S. and Iran – seeking an end to war – remain murky, with the details shifting by the hour. What is clear is that Iran arms, funds and trains Hezbollah – then points at Israel as the obstacle to peace.
Iran Blames Israel for Its Own Refusal to Make a Deal
The Iranian regime recently used Israel’s resurgent campaign against Hezbollah as its excuse to halt communication with the U.S. negotiators. The regime’s foreign minister insisted that a ceasefire must cover “all fronts” – and had already declared that Israeli attacks on its most important proxy group were a red-line in any U.S.-Iran deal.
Since Oct. 8, 2023, Hezbollah has fired thousands of rockets and drones at Israel – killing dozens of Israelis and forcing thousands of families to live within a fifteen-second sprint to a bomb shelter. The Israeli Defense Forces have responded by attacking the group’s leaders, terrorist bases and weapons depots. Israel’s aim is not to gain territory – it is to stop the rocket fire and let its citizens live safely at home.
Hezbollah Controls Lebanon – Not the Elected Government
Hezbollah does not answer to the country it fires from – it pledges loyalty to Iran. It is “the crown jewel of Iran’s proxy network” – and has attacked Israel relentlessly since Oct. 8, 2023.
The Lebanese and Israeli governments have held several rounds of direct talks – for the first time since 1983 – and agreed to a U.S.-brokered truce in April. Hezbollah never signed it and resumed its barrages of rockets and drones against northern Israeli communities. The Israeli military responded by recently issuing evacuation orders for seven southern Lebanese villages to protect civilians from the targeting of Hezbollah sites.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam recently condemned Hezbollah for dragging his country back into war, explaining we “did not choose this war” and called negotiations the least costly path. Last September, the Lebanese Army presented the government with its Homeland Shield Plan to disarm militias – primarily Hezbollah. The terror group responded by branding President Joseph Aoun and PM Salam “traitors” for negotiating with Israel and issuing threats against the government if it moved to disarm it.
The terrorist group has effectively ruled Lebanon and attacked Israel for decades – receiving billions of dollars from Iran – overruling and assassinating the country’s political leaders. Hezbollah assassinated former PM Rafik Hariri in a massive 2005 truck bombing that used 2,200 pounds of explosives.
Hezbollah Keeps Northern Israel Under Fire
The strain on the north is heavy. Kiryat Shmona – Israel’s largest border city – was recently described by one resident as “dead,” a barber recalling how before the war “this area was full of people” and now no one goes out at night. About 60,000 residents of northern border communities were evacuated beginning in Oct. 2023, and most returned only after the 2024 ceasefire.
Residents who returned are staying in their homes while under a barrage of rockets. The IDF operates inside Lebanon for one reason: to stop the attacks so Israelis can live peacefully in their homes. This is self-defense, not a fight for land.
Many Israelis in the north are resilient. Along the border, farmers return each morning to fields scorched by Hezbollah rockets, replanting orchards within sight of enemy positions. Volunteer paramedics – Druze, Christian and Jewish – race toward the impact sites the moment a barrage ends.
Ofer Moskovitz, 60, farms an avocado grove 100 yards from the Lebanese border: “It’s dangerous and it’s stressful, but most of the residents are here, they came back. There’s an amazing community and we go through everything together.”
Hezbollah’s War Against Israel is Part of Iran’s War Against America
Iran and its proxies have been killing Americans for decades. Hezbollah carried out the 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut that killed 241 U.S. service members. Iran’s precision missiles and development of intercontinental ballistic missiles remain a threat to U.S. troops and the American homeland.
Iran has carried out attacks against Americans for nearly 50 years, including recent attempts at political assassinations on American soil. Recently, federal prosecutors charged the commander of an Iran-backed militia with plotting to firebomb a Manhattan synagogue and Jewish centers in LA and Scottsdale, AZ.
The terrorist who planned the attacks declared in court on June 1: “I am not guilty, and we are in a war situation.” He spoke on the one-year anniversary of a terrorist firebomb attack in Boulder, CO, which claimed the life of 82-year-old Karen Diamond – an attack that 75% of Americans have never heard of or do not care about.
The blame aimed at Israel does not stay overseas – it unfortunately also reaches diaspora Jewish communities. Reject false narratives, press your representatives to act and support the people working to keep the record honest.
Israel Day Parade: “Proud Americans, Proud Zionists”
About 50,000 participants marched up NYC’s Fifth Avenue behind a banner that linked Jewish pride to American patriotism, closing out Jewish American Heritage Month as the nation turns toward its upcoming 250th anniversary on July 4. Former Mayors Michael Bloomberg and Eric Adams joined Gov. Kathy Hochul and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch in a celebratory crowd, under what organizers called the most extensive security operation the parade has ever seen. Israel’s consul general captured the mood, stating the marchers had “delivered a resounding answer to all those who hate Israel.”
Interfaith activist Anila Ali led the first-ever Muslim delegation to march in the parade, despite threats – including a NYC councilwoman who condemned her to hell. Ali, who heads the American Muslim and Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council, has proclaimed that “Zionism is in the Quran” and that standing with Israel is a Muslim imperative. A Druze contingent from Lebanon, Syria and Jordan marched alongside her, carrying a simple message: “Israel does not stand alone.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani did not attend – the first mayor to boycott the parade since it officially began in 1965.
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This content is developed by The Focus Project in partnership with MERCAZ USA. The Focus Project distributes weekly news and talking points on timely issues concerning Israel and the Jewish people, including antisemitism, anti-Zionism and the delegitimization of Israel. It represents a consensus view across a spectrum of major American Jewish organizations. MERCAZ USA recognizes and respects the diversity of views on these issues among its readers and the community at large.
