JERUSALEM — Israel’s war cabinet deliberated Monday how to respond to Iran’s unprecedented aerial assault without rankling international allies and squandering an opportunity to build a strategic international alliance against Tehran.
Washington
Israel weighs strike on Iran to ‘send a message’ while preserving alliance
Those options include a potential strike on a facility in Tehran or a cyberattack, according to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks.
“Everybody agrees that Israel must respond,” the official said. “How to respond, when to respond, is the question.”
The United States, United Nations and Israel’s European and regional allies have all called for restraint following the Iranian barrage of more than 300 drones and missiles overnight Saturday.
The five-hour onslaught — which was a response to a deadly Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria this month — caused limited damage after being repelled by an international alliance including the United States, France and Britain, with assistance from countries in the Middle East.
That presents Israel with a model for coordination against Iran alongside what analysts describe as an unprecedented strategic opportunity for Israel to return to the international fold — and repair its regional alliances — after frictions over its war against Hamas. But it is still an opportunity that they said Israel could waste if it miscalculates its response and puts a short-term show of strength ahead of longer-term goals.
“This is an opportunity to create a new American-led regional security alignment against Iran if we can take advantage of it,” said Chuck Freilich, former deputy head of Israel’s National Security Council and a senior fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. “Who would ever have thought that we would be part of a coalition that included the U.K. and France and Jordan and maybe other Arab countries?”
The success of Israel’s air defenses and the allied response in repelling the attack, which caused only minor damage in Israel and one serious injury, means that Israel can act from a position of confidence rather than one of panic, he added.
European leaders on Monday morning reiterated their concerns about the potential for the regional security situation to spiral. “The right thing to do is not to escalate,” British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said in a BBC television interview. “We are urging them as friends to think with head as well as heart, to be smart as well as tough, and to recognize that Iran suffered this defeat, because the attack was a failure.”
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed similar sentiments: “We are all worried about a possible escalation,” Macron told French radio.
U.S. officials have also emphasized to Israel that they won’t participate in any Israeli response amid fears that it could lead to a wider regional war. Israeli officials said they were mindful of the concerns.
“Our allies do not want us to go for an over-the-top response and we want to work with our allies, especially after the success we enjoyed with them,” the Israeli official said. “We don’t have to have cause casualties but it’s important that we do respond, because it sends a message to all those who want to harm us.”
A strike will do little to help Israel in its battle against Tehran’s proxies in the region and concerns over its nuclear program, said Yair Golan, former deputy IDF chief of staff.
“On different levels of intensity, Israel has been fighting Iran for years,” he said. “It will not stop tomorrow or the next day. And it will not stop if Israel reacts right now.”
Israel should focus on its long-term goals by leveraging the energy behind an emerging new alliance against Iran, he said. “We cannot be confused here. Iran has escalated the war,” he explained. “But Israel needs to act smartly in order to strengthen the regional and global front against them.”
The Hamas-led assault on Oct. 7, which killed 1,200 in the communities around Gaza, shattered the sense of security for citizens of Israel. Among the Israeli public, the success in repelling Saturday’s attack restored some national confidence and lessened a sense of international isolation.
“I think we did avoid something terrible Saturday night,” said Yosef Levy, a student buying groceries in Jerusalem on Saturday. Around him, the walls of the shop were plastered with posters showing the faces of Israelis still held captive in Gaza, some faded, some recently replaced. “It was like the world remembered that we are the ones under attack for a minute. I hope it changes something, I hope it ends the war. But I don’t think anything can change until our hostages are back with their families.”
The Israeli public has been polarized on how Israel should proceed in its war, with some prioritizing the return of the hostages through a deal with Hamas, and others prioritizing a push to all-out victory.
“We’re being pulled in multiple directions,” said Leigh Sapir, a 39-year-old attorney from Tel Aviv, after she dropped her toddler off at preschool on Monday, the first day that schools were open since the Saturday night attack. “On the one hand I encourage the government to respond and stand their ground, and on the other, I think the focus needs to be on a hostage deal at this point.”
But there has been little progress on a deal, with Hamas over the weekend rejecting the latest offer from Israel for at least a temporary pause in its offensive in exchange for the release of hostages.
It remains unclear how, if at all, the attack may affect operations in Gaza. Israel’s military called up two brigades of reserves for “operational missions in the Gaza Strip” on Sunday evening, stoking speculation that a Rafah assault could be sped up in the wake of the attack. Freilich said that the force did not appear of the “magnitude” needed for any Rafah operation, adding that it was more likely intended to refresh troops along Gaza’s dividing line than be the start of a buildup.
Golan also said that he didn’t see an Israeli intention to enter Rafah right now. However, the Iranian assault has already had an effect on the war, he said.
“Israel’s goals there are to secure the freedom of the hostages, to dismantle, to find an alternative to Hamas rule in Gaza,” he said. “In order to make that a reality, there’s a new incredible coordination against the Iran. We must leverage that, also in the Gazan context.”
Washington
19-Year-Old Transgender University of Washington Student Fatally Stabbed
Sign up for The Agenda, Them’s news and politics newsletter, delivered Thursdays.
This story contains descriptions of fatal violence against a transgender person.
The Seattle Police Department are searching for a suspect after a 19-year-old University of Washington student was stabbed to death in an off-campus student apartment complex on May 10.
Seattle Police Department Detective Eric Muñoz told NBC News that the victim is “believed to be a 19-year-old transgender female” who was enrolled at the university. The victim has not yet been publicly identified by name. She was found in the housing complex laundry room shortly after 10 p.m. on Sunday night.
The housing complex, Nordheim Court, is privately managed but affiliated with the university, located near an upscale shopping center in Seattle’s U-Village neighborhood. According to NBC News, residents received an official alert from UW to stay inside their homes and lock all windows and doors — an alert that was lifted around 1 a.m. with the acknowledgment that “a death investigation remains ongoing.”
According to SPD detective Eric Muñoz, police and the fire department attempted lifesaving measures but ultimately “pronounced the victim deceased at the scene.”
“Officers are actively searching for the suspect, believed to be a black male with a beard, 5’6-8” tall, wearing a vest with button up shirt, and blue jeans,” Muñoz wrote in a blotter report.
Muñoz noted that the victim would be identified by the medical examiner’s office in “the coming days.” The SPD did not immediately respond to Them’s request for comment.
This is the seventh known trans person to be violently killed in 2026. In mid-April, 39-year-old transmasculine farmer Luca RedBeard was fatally shot in rural New Mexico. Last week, police in Marion County, Florida opened a homicide investigation into the shooting death of a 29-year-old who went by multiple names and referred to “transitioning” on social media. In Kentucky, an investigation into the disappearance of 22-year-old trans college student Murry Foust remains ongoing.
Police are asking anyone with information about the University of Washington case to call the Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000, emphasizing that anonymous tips are accepted.
This is a developing story.
Get the best of what’s queer. Sign up for Them’s weekly newsletter here.
Washington
How the Sea Mar Museum Is Preserving Latino History in Washington
On a quiet stretch of Des Moines Memorial Drive in South Seattle, the Sea Mar Museum of Chicano/a/Latino/a Culture rises like a long‑overdue acknowledgment. Its brick exterior doesn’t shout; it invites. Inside, the rooms hum with the stories of families who crossed borders, harvested fields, organized classrooms, and built communities across Washington state—often without seeing their histories reflected anywhere on a museum wall.
For Rogelio Riojas, founder and CEO of Sea Mar Community Health Centers, the museum is a promise kept. “We wanted to make sure the contributions of Latinos in Washington state are recognized and preserved for future generations,” he told The Seattle Times when the museum opened in 2019. It was a simple statement, but one that captured decades of work—both visible and invisible—by the region’s Latino communities.
Walking through the galleries feels like stepping into a living archive. One of the most arresting sights is a pair of original farmworker cabins, transported from Eastern Washington. Their narrow wooden frames and sparse interiors speak volumes about the migrant families who once slept inside after long days in the fields. The cabins are not replicas or artistic interpretations; they are the real thing, weathered by sun, dust, and time. They anchor the museum’s narrative in the physical realities of labor that shaped the state’s agricultural economy.
Sea Mar describes the museum as “dedicated to sharing the history, struggles, and successes of the Latino community in Washington state,” a mission that plays out in photographs, letters, student newspapers, and oral histories contributed by community members themselves. These aren’t artifacts chosen from afar—they’re family treasures, personal archives, and memories entrusted to the museum so they can live beyond the kitchen tables and shoeboxes where they were once kept.
The story extends beyond the museum walls. Just steps away is the Sea Mar Community Center, a sweeping, light‑filled gathering space designed for celebrations, performances, workshops, and community events. With room for nearly 500 people, a full stage, a movie‑theater‑sized screen, and a catering kitchen, the center was built with one purpose: to give the community a place to see itself, gather, and grow. Sea Mar describes it as “a welcoming space for families, organizations, and community groups to gather, celebrate, and learn,” and on any given weekend, it lives up to that promise.
Together, the museum and community center form a cultural campus—part historical archive, part living room for the region’s Latino communities. Students come to learn about the Chicano activists who reshaped the University of Washington in the late 1960s. Families come to see their own histories reflected in the exhibits. Visitors come to understand a story that has long been present in Washington, even if it wasn’t always visible.
The Sea Mar Museum is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., offering free admission to anyone who walks through its doors. For many, it’s more than a museum—it’s a recognition, a gathering place, and a testament to the people who helped shape the Pacific Northwest.
Preserving Latino History and Community Life in Washington was first published on Washington Latino News (WALN) and republished with permission.
Washington
Mother’s Day Bunch at Lady Madison | Washington DC
Celebrate Mothers Day with à la carte brunch at Lady Madison featuring seafood, entrées, desserts, and premium beverage options.
Celebrate Mothers Day in sophisticated style at Lady Madison, located inside Le Méridien Washington, DC, The Madison. Join us on Sunday, May 10, 2026, from 12:003:00 PM for an elevated à la carte brunch experience in downtown Washington, DC.
Enjoy a refined selection of chef-driven brunch classics, fresh seafood, seasonal salads, and elegant entrées. Highlights include a Build Your Own Omelette, Crab Benedict with lime hollandaise, Chilled Seafood Trio, and signature mains such as Roasted Rack of Lamb, Cedar Plank Sea Bass, and Marinated New York Strip Loin.
End on a sweet note with classic desserts including Crème Brûlée Cheesecake, Fruit Tart, Strawberry Shortcake, and Passion Fruit Cake.
Enhance your experience with beverage offerings, including bottomless Mimosas and Bloody Marys for $30 with house selections. Piper-Heidsieck Champagne is also available by the glass for $16 or by the bottle for $49.
Reserve on OpenTable:
https://www.opentable.com/booking/experiences-availability?rid=1426987&restref=1426987&experienceId=695240&utm_source=external&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=shared
À La Carte Menu
Les ufs & Brunch
Egg White Frittata $24
spinach, tomato, mushrooms, green onion
Served with pommes de terre rissolées or seasonal fruit
Build Your Own Omelette $24
ham, smoked salmon, vegetables, cheeses (choose up to 3)
Served with pommes de terre rissolées or seasonal fruit
Crab Benedict $24
lime hollandaise, salsa cruda
Served with pommes de terre rissolées or seasonal fruit
Brioche French Toast $17
berry compote, whipped butter, maple syrup
Les Froids & Salades
Chilled Seafood Trio $28
Jonah crab claws, shrimp, cocktail sauce
Spring Berry Salad $17
brie, berries, champagne vinaigrette
Golden & Crimson Beet Salad $18
red wine vinaigrette
Add protein: shrimp, salmon, skirt steak +18 | chicken +16
Les Plats Principaux
Roasted Rack of Lamb $42
mint sauce, huckleberry reduction, sweet potato purée, asparagus
Cedar Plank Sea Bass $49
saffron rice, spring vegetables
New York Strip Loin $42
mushroom sauce, truffle croquette potatoes, haricots verts
Les Desserts $14
Crème Brûlée Cheesecake
Fruit Tart
Strawberry Shortcake
Passion Fruit Cake
-
World5 minutes agoBolivia issues warrant for Evo Morales’s arrest after court no-show
-
News35 minutes agoWhy cruise ship passengers with possible hantavirus exposure went to Nebraska
-
New York2 hours agoAirbnb Turns to Black Leaders in Its Bid to Make a Comeback in New York
-
Detroit, MI3 hours agoMetro Detroit braces for Frost Advisory, Freeze Warning overnight before rain arrives
-
San Francisco, CA3 hours ago50 Beagles Rescued From Wisconsin Lab Arrive in Bay Area, SF Activist Faces Felony Charges
-
Dallas, TX3 hours ago
Former Cowboys QB Craig Morton passes away at age 83
-
Miami, FL3 hours agoBrickell Avenue Bridge openings spark rush hour gridlock concerns in downtown Miami
-
Boston, MA3 hours agoWhat we know about accused Memorial Drive gunman Tyler Brown