Alex גדעון בן װעלװל
@jewishwonk.bsky.social
Columnist for the Forward. U.S. Foreign Policy and Jewish communal concerns. Bylines in The Atlantic, Washington Post, & Tablet Mag. All bad takes are mine alone.
Reposted by Alex גדעון בן װעלװל
holy shit -- one of Trump's toadies just passed out and the White House event is brought to an abrupt end
November 6, 2025 at 5:38 PM
holy shit -- one of Trump's toadies just passed out and the White House event is brought to an abrupt end
Now that the dust is settling and a broader war looks increasingly unlikely, it’s worth discussing how decades of bipartisan consensus on the consequences of striking Iran’s nuclear program were upended by an orange fool.
Why did so many get it so wrong?
Why did so many get it so wrong?
June 24, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Now that the dust is settling and a broader war looks increasingly unlikely, it’s worth discussing how decades of bipartisan consensus on the consequences of striking Iran’s nuclear program were upended by an orange fool.
Why did so many get it so wrong?
Why did so many get it so wrong?
A ceasefire is good, but the long-term struggle with Iran will continue until their foreign policy changes.
Israel and the U.S. have likely set its nuclear program back by years, maybe decades. Iran’s “ring of fire” has been degraded, and Middle East geopolitics has changed.
Israel and the U.S. have likely set its nuclear program back by years, maybe decades. Iran’s “ring of fire” has been degraded, and Middle East geopolitics has changed.
June 24, 2025 at 2:17 AM
A ceasefire is good, but the long-term struggle with Iran will continue until their foreign policy changes.
Israel and the U.S. have likely set its nuclear program back by years, maybe decades. Iran’s “ring of fire” has been degraded, and Middle East geopolitics has changed.
Israel and the U.S. have likely set its nuclear program back by years, maybe decades. Iran’s “ring of fire” has been degraded, and Middle East geopolitics has changed.
After Iran chose ro de-escalate, Trump followed suit and announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
Good development.
Risk of a wider regional war and American mission creep is going down precipitously.
www.axios.com/2025/06/23/t...
Good development.
Risk of a wider regional war and American mission creep is going down precipitously.
www.axios.com/2025/06/23/t...
Trump announces Iran-Israel ceasefire
Trump said that during each 12-hour ceasefire, the other side "will remain PEACEFUL and RESPECTFUL."
www.axios.com
June 23, 2025 at 11:47 PM
After Iran chose ro de-escalate, Trump followed suit and announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
Good development.
Risk of a wider regional war and American mission creep is going down precipitously.
www.axios.com/2025/06/23/t...
Good development.
Risk of a wider regional war and American mission creep is going down precipitously.
www.axios.com/2025/06/23/t...
Iran chose to save face and deescalate. Trump accepted the deescalation. This is a good outcome. Iran's nuclear program was destroyed without a wider war that many feared would come with such an endeavor.
June 23, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Iran chose to save face and deescalate. Trump accepted the deescalation. This is a good outcome. Iran's nuclear program was destroyed without a wider war that many feared would come with such an endeavor.
Anyway the war, or at least American involvement in it, is probably over also
June 23, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Anyway the war, or at least American involvement in it, is probably over also
Per the NYT, Iran gave the U.S. a heads up about the strike in Qatar. No casualties are being reported.
Iran chose to save face rather than escalate. So much for all the obnoxious WW3 shrieks on this site, but good choice by Iran.
Iran chose to save face rather than escalate. So much for all the obnoxious WW3 shrieks on this site, but good choice by Iran.
June 23, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Per the NYT, Iran gave the U.S. a heads up about the strike in Qatar. No casualties are being reported.
Iran chose to save face rather than escalate. So much for all the obnoxious WW3 shrieks on this site, but good choice by Iran.
Iran chose to save face rather than escalate. So much for all the obnoxious WW3 shrieks on this site, but good choice by Iran.
So to recap some of the politics around the Iran strikes:
-Germany and France supported Israel, many elected Democrats don't
-Trump is currently feuding with Russia and pro-Russia MAGA
-Iran is reportedly bombing an American base in Qatar, the country which funds Hamas & is friendly w Iran
-Germany and France supported Israel, many elected Democrats don't
-Trump is currently feuding with Russia and pro-Russia MAGA
-Iran is reportedly bombing an American base in Qatar, the country which funds Hamas & is friendly w Iran
June 23, 2025 at 5:22 PM
So to recap some of the politics around the Iran strikes:
-Germany and France supported Israel, many elected Democrats don't
-Trump is currently feuding with Russia and pro-Russia MAGA
-Iran is reportedly bombing an American base in Qatar, the country which funds Hamas & is friendly w Iran
-Germany and France supported Israel, many elected Democrats don't
-Trump is currently feuding with Russia and pro-Russia MAGA
-Iran is reportedly bombing an American base in Qatar, the country which funds Hamas & is friendly w Iran
Reposted by Alex גדעון בן װעלװל
My only real NYC mayor's race take is that it seems very unwise to treat it as primarily a vehicle for factional fights -- a lot of people live in that city and deserve a good mayor, and it is famously easy to be bad at the job.
June 23, 2025 at 3:11 PM
My only real NYC mayor's race take is that it seems very unwise to treat it as primarily a vehicle for factional fights -- a lot of people live in that city and deserve a good mayor, and it is famously easy to be bad at the job.
Reposted by Alex גדעון בן װעלװל
Kids too young to speak are being forced to navigate our immigration system alone—often in a language they don’t understand.
Trump’s attempt to stop funding legal aid for unaccompanied minors has put thousands at risk.
I led 77 colleagues demanding transparency on these proceedings.
Trump’s attempt to stop funding legal aid for unaccompanied minors has put thousands at risk.
I led 77 colleagues demanding transparency on these proceedings.
House Democrats Urge Oversight of Immigration Court Proceedings for Unaccompanied Children - Documented
A recent policy rollback impacting unaccompanied minors could erode protections and strain immigration courts, lawmakers say.
documentedny.com
June 23, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Kids too young to speak are being forced to navigate our immigration system alone—often in a language they don’t understand.
Trump’s attempt to stop funding legal aid for unaccompanied minors has put thousands at risk.
I led 77 colleagues demanding transparency on these proceedings.
Trump’s attempt to stop funding legal aid for unaccompanied minors has put thousands at risk.
I led 77 colleagues demanding transparency on these proceedings.
Everyone on this website is dumber for being here
If Democrats truly want to appeal to young men, they should probably start presenting themselves as the party that definitively *won’t* draft you into an illegal war.
June 22, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Everyone on this website is dumber for being here
Reposted by Alex גדעון בן װעלװל
Exactly. This is literally EXACTLY what we told you would happen. You screamed “they are the same and it couldnt be worse”. Well welcome to reality 🤷🏻♀️
A lot of people who supported the Uncommitted activists or stayed silent about them when many of us warned that Trump and Harris are in fact different on foreign policy are now big mad at Trump.
What are you mad about? You got the outcome you wanted. Harris lost and Trump is doing what we expected.
What are you mad about? You got the outcome you wanted. Harris lost and Trump is doing what we expected.
June 22, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Exactly. This is literally EXACTLY what we told you would happen. You screamed “they are the same and it couldnt be worse”. Well welcome to reality 🤷🏻♀️
I love that leftists can't pick their narrative about what they did in the election.
For the record, if you behave this way, I'm going to argue Dems are better off getting centrist votes than work with you.
For the record, if you behave this way, I'm going to argue Dems are better off getting centrist votes than work with you.
June 22, 2025 at 6:34 PM
I love that leftists can't pick their narrative about what they did in the election.
For the record, if you behave this way, I'm going to argue Dems are better off getting centrist votes than work with you.
For the record, if you behave this way, I'm going to argue Dems are better off getting centrist votes than work with you.
Uncommitted spent the *general election* protesting Harris. You pricks are the ones retconning history instead of admitting you got played to help elect the orange fascist.
June 22, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Uncommitted spent the *general election* protesting Harris. You pricks are the ones retconning history instead of admitting you got played to help elect the orange fascist.
A new Yiddish curse was born
you should all root for whoever you hate most to become mayor of NYC
June 22, 2025 at 5:52 PM
A new Yiddish curse was born
This site is unbearable today. Every pathology on the left on full display. There is no nuance, no shades of grey, only sloganeering by people who are too educated to be this dumb.
June 22, 2025 at 4:13 PM
This site is unbearable today. Every pathology on the left on full display. There is no nuance, no shades of grey, only sloganeering by people who are too educated to be this dumb.
Reposted by Alex גדעון בן װעלװל
Great analysis.
Thoughts on U.S. strike on Iran, a thread.
June 22, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Great analysis.
A lot of people who supported the Uncommitted activists or stayed silent about them when many of us warned that Trump and Harris are in fact different on foreign policy are now big mad at Trump.
What are you mad about? You got the outcome you wanted. Harris lost and Trump is doing what we expected.
What are you mad about? You got the outcome you wanted. Harris lost and Trump is doing what we expected.
June 22, 2025 at 1:55 PM
A lot of people who supported the Uncommitted activists or stayed silent about them when many of us warned that Trump and Harris are in fact different on foreign policy are now big mad at Trump.
What are you mad about? You got the outcome you wanted. Harris lost and Trump is doing what we expected.
What are you mad about? You got the outcome you wanted. Harris lost and Trump is doing what we expected.
Reposted by Alex גדעון בן װעלװל
Smart early assessment from @ghoshworld.bsky.social
🧵Some analysts suggest the lesson other regimes will learn from the U.S./Israel-Iran war is that a nuclear arsenal is the best protection: Nobody messes with North Korea, after all. But if regimes look closely, they might draw other conclusions. 1/7
June 22, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Smart early assessment from @ghoshworld.bsky.social
Thoughts on U.S. strike on Iran, a thread.
June 22, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Thoughts on U.S. strike on Iran, a thread.
Reposted by Alex גדעון בן װעלװל
Breaking: The Trevor Project received a stop-work order last night on its contract with the national 988 suicide prevention hotline. The Trump administration is eliminating the option for LGBTQ callers to the hotline to press 3 and connect with someone who specializes in LGBTQ mental health.
June 18, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Breaking: The Trevor Project received a stop-work order last night on its contract with the national 988 suicide prevention hotline. The Trump administration is eliminating the option for LGBTQ callers to the hotline to press 3 and connect with someone who specializes in LGBTQ mental health.
Reposted by Alex גדעון בן װעלװל
Helps explain why the candidates in the Democratic gubernatorial primary who built their campaigns around opposing congestion pricing ,,, stalled out
!!!
June 18, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Helps explain why the candidates in the Democratic gubernatorial primary who built their campaigns around opposing congestion pricing ,,, stalled out
Reposted by Alex גדעון בן װעלװל
The U.S. Holocaust Museum pushes back:
“Exploiting the Museum and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising to sanitize ‘globalize the intifada’ is outrageous and especially offensive to survivors... All leaders must condemn its use and the abuse of history.”
“Exploiting the Museum and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising to sanitize ‘globalize the intifada’ is outrageous and especially offensive to survivors... All leaders must condemn its use and the abuse of history.”
Mamdani under fire for remarks he made justifying the phrase ‘Globalize the Intifada’ as a call for Palestinian human rights.
Mamdani also pointed out: “The word has been used by the Holocaust Museum when translating the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising into Arabic — because it’s a word that means struggle.”
Mamdani also pointed out: “The word has been used by the Holocaust Museum when translating the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising into Arabic — because it’s a word that means struggle.”
June 18, 2025 at 1:09 PM
The U.S. Holocaust Museum pushes back:
“Exploiting the Museum and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising to sanitize ‘globalize the intifada’ is outrageous and especially offensive to survivors... All leaders must condemn its use and the abuse of history.”
“Exploiting the Museum and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising to sanitize ‘globalize the intifada’ is outrageous and especially offensive to survivors... All leaders must condemn its use and the abuse of history.”
Reposted by Alex גדעון בן װעלװל
The Trump Organization’s newly announced smartphone will most likely be made in China, experts say, despite claims that the device will be manufactured in the U.S.
Trump's $499 smartphone will likely be made in China
“There is no way the phone was designed from scratch and there is no way it is going to be assembled in the U.S. or completely manufactured in the U.S.,” one expert said.
nbcnews.to
June 18, 2025 at 1:47 PM
The Trump Organization’s newly announced smartphone will most likely be made in China, experts say, despite claims that the device will be manufactured in the U.S.
Reposted by Alex גדעון בן װעלװל
There are people who are loath to acknowledge the death toll from USAID and PEPFAR cuts, because it would mean acknowledging that the US government can be a source of good in the world.
June 18, 2025 at 12:04 PM
There are people who are loath to acknowledge the death toll from USAID and PEPFAR cuts, because it would mean acknowledging that the US government can be a source of good in the world.