Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-06-03 at 16:02

HEADLINES
Iran Attacks US Destroyer in Gulf
UK Lifts Israel Travel Advisory
NYC Antisemitic Crimes Surge Seventy Percent

The time is now 4:02 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Iranian Retaliation, Iranian state news agency Pars reported hours ago that the Iranian Navy attacked a United States destroyer, on which a US command and control center is installed. The destroyer was said to have been attacked in the Gulf of Oman after attempting to approach Iran’s territorial waters. Tehran’s reports also said it struck several US Navy ships in the Gulf of Oman in the hours prior.

In Regional Impacts, the British government has removed Israel from its “no travel” list for the first time since June 2025, ending the blanket travel advisory to Israel. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office no longer advises against all travel to Israel but continues to advise against all travel to Gaza, areas within 500 meters of the Gaza border, parts of the West Bank (Tulkarm, Jenin, and Tubas), and parts of northern Israel and the Golan Heights. For other parts of the West Bank, travel is advised against all but essential travel. The move could have very positive implications for tourism to Israel and for British travelers’ ability to obtain insurance.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, On This Day: Palestinian terrorists attempted to assassinate Israel’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Shlomo Argov, in London. Argov survived the attack but remained paralyzed, and Israel launched a campaign that expelled the PLO from Lebanon and set the stage for an 18-year Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon up to the Litani River, ending in 2000. The war caused the deaths of 657 IDF soldiers from 1982 to 1985, with an additional 256 killed during the occupation through 2000. The conflict, along with Lebanon’s civil war, helped pave the way for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force to establish Hezbollah later in 1982.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the ultra-Orthodox riots outside Justice Noam Sohlberg’s home, which occurred in opposition to his order to increase arrests of draft evaders. Rioters caused significant property damage, smashing windows and damaging a car, and police detained dozens for disorderly conduct; Magen David Adom attended to Sohlberg, who was reported as feeling unwell. Justice Sohlberg’s wife told reporters that “Jews harming each other” is unacceptable, describing the scene as a pogrom. In a separate development, former prime minister Naftali Bennett said the government will not be run like a mafia, prompting opposition claims that the election of a state comptroller was illegal; petitions were filed with the High Court. During the vote, coalition MKs were reportedly filmed casting their ballots under pressure, and Yesh Atid filed a petition challenging the vote’s secrecy and legality.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, NYC antisemitic hate crimes were 70% higher in May 2026 than May 2025, with 41 incidents confirmed. So far in 2026, there have been 152 confirmed antisemitic hate crimes, alongside 17 confirmed hate crimes against Muslims, 9 against Asian people, and 18 against Black people. The NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force investigates possible bias-motivated incidents and classifies confirmed cases under state law. Separately, a Bavarian hotel in Lam told an Israeli family, “No Jews allowed in our hotel,” prompting public backlash, an apology from the hotel, and a police investigation. The hotel was removed from Booking.com after the complaint; the hotel blamed phishing and booking fraud and issued an apology, while Israel’s consul general to southern Germany questioned whether such sentiment is possible in 2026.

Thank you for tuning in to this Israel Today: Ongoing War Report update.
I'm Noa Levi. Stay safe and informed.
Keep in mind that this AI-generated report may contain occasional inaccuracies, so consult multiple sources for a comprehensive view. Find the code and more details in the podcast description.

SOURCES
https://t.me/abualiexpress/123710
https://t.me/newssil/203031
https://www.jpost.com/international/article-898300
https://www.jpost.com/history/article-898258
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-898303
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-898288
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-898305
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-898295