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Jewish locals implore Israeli activist to flee Chicago before DNC; safety probed ahead of political gathering

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Jewish locals implore Israeli activist to flee Chicago before DNC; safety probed ahead of political gathering

An Israeli activist and spokesperson is catching people’s attention as she tells the heartbreaking story of twin Israeli brothers who were kidnapped from their apartments Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists invaded their homes.

The terror group executed a barbaric assault on innocent civilians in Israel in the early morning, and residents in one apartment building fell victim to the violence when the building was set on fire and twin brothers Ziv and Gali Berman were kidnapped.

“We have this unwritten protocol where, whenever there is sirens at his place, or my place or both of ours, we will text each other, and he will ask me if I’m OK. I will ask him if he’s OK,” Noa Reuveni, 25, of Tel Aviv, told Fox News Digital during a phone conversation.

Near the Gaza-Israel border, Hamas terrorists committed war crimes, slaying Israeli men, women and children on day 1 of what would become the Israel-Hamas war and the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust.

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Ziv and Gali Berman, twin brothers from Israel, just across the Gaza border, were kidnapped. Since they were taken hostage by Hamas terrorists, their friend, Noa Reuveni, has worked tirelessly to get them home. (Noa Reuveni)

At the time of the invasion, Reuveni was visiting California when she received a phone notification of missiles. Upon receipt, she texted Ziv, her best friend, to make certain he was safe.

Reuveni said she did not hear back for over 40 minutes.

“The first thing he said to me was, ‘I’m scared to death,’” she said.

Reuveni said sirens, missiles and rockets were a normal occurrence for the Middle East country.

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“We’re not afraid of it anymore,” she said.

Shortly after 7 a.m., Reuveni said, Ziv communicated that he’d heard Arabic being spoken outside. He barricaded himself and remained still and quiet until 9:45 a.m. In the meantime, Reuveni said he sent over 20 text messages relaying his fear and inability to remain calm.

“I tried to tell him that I’m taking care of it. I’m getting help for him,” she said.

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Noa Reuveni of Tel Aviv was speaking in Chicago about her friends, twin brothers Ziv and Gali Berman, who were kidnapped Oct. 7, 2023. Jewish locals told her to leave for her own safety ahead of the 2024 DNC. (Noa Reuveni)

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Unable to get through to the Israeli police, Reuveni assured Ziv the IDF and Special Forces would be on their way.

“I couldn’t get a hold of anybody,” she said. “I was very, very helpless. He was basically begging for help.”

Unaware of the magnitude of the surprise attack by Iran-backed terrorists, she said kidnapping was an unimaginable thought that she hadn’t considered.

“At 9:45, I received my last message from him, which was ‘I’m scared,’” Reuveni said. “That was the last time that I’d heard from him.”

Reuveni’s final message of warmth said, “I’m with you,” before Ziv’s phone was shut off indefinitely.

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Ziv and Gali Berman were living in the same apartment building in separate apartments in Israel when they were taken hostage and their building was set on fire. (Noa Reuveni)

Amid a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas, from Nov. 24, 2023, through Nov. 30, 2023, over 100 hostages were released by Hamas. Though neither brother was released, Reuveni said the first and last signal of life she and the twin’s family received was from released hostages who advised that the siblings were seen in Gaza tunnels “separately, unfortunately.”

“Ever since Oct. 7, I left my life. I left college. I left my job,” Reuveni said. “I left everything I had in my life out of the realization that now my friends need me and my loved ones need me, and I can’t do anything else. Nothing else matters more than this.”

Reuveni moved from a village in Israel, Shahar, to Tel Aviv to be close to Hostages Square, where she implores Israeli citizens to talk about the hostages and tell their stories.

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MAN WAVING HAMAS FLAG OUTSIDE DNC SAYS ‘EVERY PALESTINIAN SUPPORTS HAMAS,’ PRAISES TERROR GROUP FOR OCTOBER 7

Police clash with anti-Israel demonstrators outside the United Center in Chicago ahead of the Democratic National Convention.  (Fox News Digital)

“Sometimes I speak seven days a week, sometimes six times back-to-back,” she said. “I don’t regret it for a single second.”

Today, Reuveni is speaking in Cleveland, Ohio, on the heels of her speaking arrangements in Chicago, which she left due to the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

“All Jews actually told me to leave,” she said of Chicago. “They all told me that I shouldn’t be there during that time because it will get hectic and crazy. I thought that was just crazy for me to hear that Jews are leaving town. They’re leaving the city because of the DNC.”

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Buses of anti-Israel protesters swarmed the streets outside the four-day 2024 DNC and breached police barricades to oppose Democrats’ support for the Israeli military and their fight against Hamas.

“I think that the best thing that people around the world, Jews around the world, can do right now is get together, is not give the bully what they want, is not go into hiding and not surrender to that fear and the violence that they’re projecting but instead be proud of who they are,” Reuveni said.

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Chicago Police hold a sign ordering anti-Israel protesters to disperse from a gathering at Union Park, east of the United Center, one of two sites for the DNC 2024 convention. (Michael Ruiz/Fox News Digital)

New York City and Long Island are next on Reuveni’s list of cities before she travels back to Israel. In October, as the one-year anniversary of the devastating attacks approaches, Reuveni will return to the states and remain for four weeks to continue her mission.

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“We need to continuously raise awareness and make sure we never stop talking about them because the day we stop talking about them is the day that we’re giving up on them,” she said.

Reuveni described Ziv and Gali as “loyal” and “best friends.” She added that friendship and family mean everything to them.

“They have so much respect and admiration for their mother,” she said. “I always say I have never heard a man in my life speak about their mother with so much respect like I’ve heard them speak about theirs.”

In the over 300 days since the unprovoked attacks, Reuveni hopes the brothers have found their way back to one another.

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“They have never been apart,” she said. “They have this twin power.”

Today, over 100 hostages are still believed to be held captive in Gaza, according to Reuters.

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Russia linked to arson attacks on properties connected to UK PM Keir Starmer, police say

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Russia linked to arson attacks on properties connected to UK PM Keir Starmer, police say

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Officials on Monday revealed new details about a series of arson attacks targeting properties connected to U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, alleging the suspects were recruited and directed by a Russian-speaking handler.

According to police and court reporting, the suspects were promised payment to carry out a coordinated campaign in London in May 2025, including attacks involving a vehicle and two properties linked to Starmer.

A new investigation reported that the handler is believed to be a diplomat trained in information warfare and part of a broader Russian sabotage and disinformation operation directed from Moscow, according to the Kyiv Post.

Ukrainian national Roman Lavrynovych, 22, and Romanian national Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, were convicted in connection with the arson plot after Lavrynovych was recruited by a Russian-speaking Telegram handler known as “El Money,” according to police and court reporting. Kyiv Post reported that Carpiuc was also born in Ukraine. A third defendant, Petro Pochynok, 35, was acquitted.

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BRITISH POLICE INVESTIGATE FIRE AT PRIME MINISTER KEIR STARMER’S LONDON HOME

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks during a meeting on Feb. 24, 2026. (Kin Cheung / POOL / AFP via Getty Images))

According to police, Lavrynovych was recruited through Telegram by a Russian-speaking handler saved in his phone contacts as “El Money,” who allegedly directed him through a series of increasingly serious tasks while promising payment in return.

“Look, you attacked the home of a very high-ranking person in Britain. I’ll send you the money you need to leave the city,” the handler allegedly wrote in one message cited by investigators, according to Kyiv Post.

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Officials arrest a Ukrainian man who was later found guilty of setting on fire houses linked to U.K. Prime Minister Starmer. (Metropolitan Police)

The handler reportedly offered Lavrynovych Russian citizenship in exchange for carrying out the attacks and frequently voiced support for Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to the outlet. Evidence also suggested that “El Money” was trained in information warfare by propagandists and intelligence operatives, the outlet said.

Investigators added that Russian operatives allegedly coordinated the campaign remotely through social media platforms and Telegram, using fake far-right and Muslim online communities to sow division and fear in the U.K., Kyiv Post said.

The Russian Embassy has reportedly denied any involvement, rejecting “any attempt to associate Russia or its foreign ministry with unlawful activities,” according to the report.

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Police officers stand outside Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s private home, after it was damaged by fire in a suspected arson attack in north London, Britain, May 13, 2025. (REUTERS/Toby Melville)

According to officials, the three arson attacks occurred over a five-day period in May 2025.

The first attack took place on May 8, when a Toyota vehicle formerly owned by Starmer was set ablaze.

A second fire was set on May 11 at the entrance of a residential property that was managed by a company in which Starmer had previously served as a director and shareholder.

The third attack occurred on May 12 at a house that is owned by the prime minister.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a video conference meeting outside Moscow on April 7, 2026. (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

“The actions of the two men involved in these arson attacks were incredibly reckless, and it was sheer luck that nobody was killed or injured,” Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said in a statement.

Police said Lavrynovych was arrested on May 13 last year after detectives linked the suspect to the attacks through CCTV footage and phone records indicating he had conducted reconnaissance ahead of the fires.

Authorities said Carpiuc was arrested on May 17 in the departure lounge at Luton Airport moments before boarding a flight to Romania.

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Video. WATCH: Bolton says Trump played like violin by Iran

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Video. WATCH: Bolton says Trump played like violin by Iran

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Iran outmanoeuvred US President Donald Trump “like a violin” in negotiations, walking away with far better terms after sensing his desperation for a deal to end the war, former National Security Adviser John Bolton told Euronews.

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Anthropic Staff to Meet White House Officials Next Week, Axios Reports

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Anthropic Staff to Meet White House Officials Next Week, Axios Reports
June 14 (Reuters) – ⁠Senior ⁠Anthropic ⁠technical staff are in ‌Washington to ‌meet ⁠with White ⁠House officials to try resolving a dispute that ⁠has taken ⁠the ⁠company’s most advanced AI models offline, ⁠Axios reported ⁠on Sunday, citing a source close ⁠to the company. Reuters could not …
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