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Trump squeezed between Israel and Turkey as Netanyahu, Erdogan escalate feud

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Tensions between Israel and Turkey are escalating sharply, with a war of words between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reaching new heights and placing President Donald Trump in an increasingly delicate position between the two sides as tension escalates. 

The latest flare-up underscores a broader geopolitical clash about Iran, Gaza and regional influence, even as Washington attempts to maintain cooperation with both sides.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan accused Israel of deliberately seeking a new adversary following its confrontation with Iran, saying the Israeli government is attempting to portray Ankara as its next enemy.

“After Iran, Israel cannot live without an enemy,” Fidan said in a televised interview with the state-run Anadolu news agency. “We see that not only Netanyahu’s administration but also some figures in the opposition — though not all — are seeking to declare Turkey the new enemy,” he said.

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The rhetoric reflects a sharp deterioration in relations that have been strained since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack and the war in Gaza, but have now escalated into direct confrontation between the two leaders.

Netanyahu, in remarks posted on X Saturday, accused Erdogan of siding with Iran and its proxies, writing that Israel “will continue to fight Iran’s terror regime… unlike Erdogan who accommodates them and massacred his own Kurdish citizens.”

Erdogan has intensified his criticism of Israel’s military campaign, accusing its leadership of war crimes and backing international legal action against Israeli officials.

In one of the most incendiary exchanges, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement claiming, “Netanyahu, who has been described as the Hitler of our time due to the crimes he has committed, is a well-known figure with a clear track record. An arrest warrant has been issued against Netanyahu by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Under Netanyahu’s administration, Israel is facing proceedings before the International Court of Justice on charges of genocide.”

The escalation has not been limited to rhetoric. Erdogan previously has suggested Turkey could take more assertive military action in the region, referencing past interventions, remarks that have raised alarms in Israel.

Israeli officials have responded forcefully. 

Defense Minister Israel Katz has dismissed Erdogan’s threats as bluster, while officials warn that Turkey’s regional posture, particularly its engagement in Syria, is being closely monitored.

For both leaders, analysts say, the escalation also serves domestic goals. For Trump, the situation presents a growing challenge.

The administration relies on Israel as a central partner in confronting Iran, while also depending on Turkey, a NATO ally, for regional diplomacy and mediation efforts tied to ceasefire negotiations and broader Middle East strategy.

That balancing act has become increasingly difficult as tensions between Jerusalem and Ankara intensify.

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Gönül Tol, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and author of “Erdogan’s War: A Strongman’s Struggle at Home and in Syria,” told Fox News Digital, “The Trump administration has played a role in making sure the two countries do not clash in Syria. How Turkey and Israel are managing their differences in Syria, where stakes are high for Erdogan, is telling. But this doesn’t mean the two will try to undermine each other’s interests from the eastern Mediterranean to Levant to Horn of Africa.”

“I think for both leaders, Netanyahu and Erdogan, escalating rhetoric serves a domestic purpose,” Gönül added, “Anti-Israeli and pro-Palestinian sentiment in Turkey is very strong. At a time when Erdogan is struggling to resolve the country’s growing economic problems, responding to Netanyahu’s statements harshly scores points domestically and burnishes his strong leader image. But I do not think this rhetoric will turn into direct military clashes between the countries. Despite their military presence and clashing interests, Turkey and Israel have a quiet understanding where each accepts the other’s sphere of influence in the country and try to deconflict.”

In a policy webinar hosted by the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, Turkish academic Hüseyin Bağcı argued Turkey’s ties with Washington limit the likelihood of direct conflict.

“The Turkish state is not interested in fighting with Israel because the Turkish government has very good relations with the United States of America,” he said. “You cannot be good with America and then be in conflict with Israel.”

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From the Israeli perspective, however, concerns center on actions rather than rhetoric.

Retired Israeli strategist Gabi Siboni said Turkey’s behavior in Syria is shaping threat perceptions. 

“I don’t know what Erdogan thinks. I know what he does, and I see what we see in our area,” Siboni said in the webinar, adding, “There are true security concerns when we’re talking about what is happening in Syria. … Israel is not going to accept any type of military entrenchment of foreign actors.”

Bağcı maintained that the tensions are largely political

“There is no structural conflict between Israel and Turkey,” he said. “The rhetoric is political … but the geography and the interests remain.”

The tensions are also being fueled by renewed friction over Gaza-bound aid flotillas, a long-standing flashpoint in Israel–Turkey relations.

A new Turkish-linked flotilla departed from Barcelona Monday, raising concerns in Israel about a repeat of past confrontations. The issue carries deep historical weight: in 2010, Israeli commandos boarded the Gaza flotilla raid, in which 10 were killed, triggering a years-long diplomatic rupture between the two countries.

Recent reports that Turkish prosecutors are seeking prison sentences for Israeli officials, including Benjamin Netanyahu, over flotilla-related incidents have further escalated tensions, reinforcing how unresolved grievances continue to inflame the current crisis.

While the confrontation remains largely rhetorical for now, the sharp escalation in language, and the competing interests driving it, highlight the fragility of the regional landscape and the limits of Washington’s ability to keep both sides aligned.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Turkish Embassy in Washington, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, and the White House but did not receive a response in time for publication.

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Legendary Olympic hockey coach admits he used fake COVID vaccination card for Beijing Games

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An Olympic hockey coach admitted to using a fake vaccination card to coach his team in the Beijing Olympics four years ago.

Swiss ice hockey coach Patrick Fischer has admitted he used a certificate falsely claiming he’d been vaccinated against COVID-19 to get around China’s strict travel restrictions.

Swiss public broadcaster SRF said it confronted Fischer with documents showing he was fined nearly 39,000 Swiss francs ($50,000) by local authorities in 2023 for document forgery after buying the certificate on social media. SRF said he went public with his admission shortly after.

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In a statement late Monday, Fischer said he made a “serious mistake in this matter” by traveling to Beijing with the Switzerland men’s team using false paperwork.

“I’m very sorry if I’ve disappointed people with this situation,” Fischer said. “I was in an extraordinary personal crisis because I didn’t want to be vaccinated. At the same time I certainly didn’t want to let my team down at the Olympic Games.”

Fischer is one of Switzerland’s most successful hockey coaches ever. He’s been in the post since 2015 and took the team to three Olympics as well as winning three silver medals at the world championship.

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The team was eliminated in the quarterfinal round.

Ahead of the 2022 Olympics, China had some of the strictest COVID-19 rules in the world. It insisted any athletes heading to the Games had to either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or sit out a three-week quarantine in a hotel, as Swiss snowboarder Patrizia Kummer did.

Switzerland hosts the world championship next month. Fischer was already due to step down after that, and the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation said it considers the matter closed.

Fischer played for the Swiss national team in the 2002 and 2006 Olympics and also played for the country’s 1994 World Juniors team. He spent most of his career playing for EV Zug of Switzerland’s National League A, where his jersey number is retired.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

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Avid runner stabbed and shot in string of random attacks allegedly carried out by repeat offender

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A 40-year-old avid runner was stabbed and shot during a string of attacks allegedly carried out by a repeat offender in Georgia.

Lauren Bullis, 40, was identified as one of the victims in Monday’s string of attacks in DeKalb County, Georgia. Police arrested 26-year-old Olaolukitan Adon Abel on Monday following the back-to-back incidents.

“It is apparent to us that this was a completely random attack,” Brookhaven Police Chief Brandon Gurley said Monday.

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The timeline of the terror began at approximately 12:50 a.m. Monday, when DeKalb County Police discovered a woman shot multiple times on Wesley Chapel Road. She later died from her injuries, police said. Authorities have not identified her.

The violence then shifted to Brookhaven, where a man was ambushed and shot several times while sleeping outside a business center on Peachtree Road. He remains in critical condition.

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The spree reached a horrific conclusion around 6:50 a.m. on Battle Forest Drive. There, 40-year-old Bullis was found both shot and stabbed in a vicious attack. Witnesses, police said, reported seeing a man standing over her before he fled the scene. Bullis did not survive her injuries.

Adel was captured in Troup County after law enforcement used license plate recognition cameras to track his silver Volkswagen Jetta, police said.

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He is charged with aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in Brookhaven, with further charges expected across the jurisdiction.

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Records reviewed by FOX 5 Atlanta show that Adel is no stranger to the legal system. He was arrested last fall for sexual battery in Chatham County and was sentenced to jail time and probation, which included a requirement for a mental health evaluation.

Bullis’ social media accounts showed that the 40-year-old Georgia woman was an avid runner, posting photos of participating in recent races.

In a Facebook post, her cousin, Lee Renfroe, wrote that Bullis was “such a special person.”

“My cousin Lauren Bullis was brutally murdered in a series of violent attacks in the Decatur GA area,” he wrote. “We love you and miss you Lauren. Please say a prayer for our families as well as the families of the other victims. I don’t even know how to completely put my thoughts together right now.”

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Eric Swalwell was cable news star for years before rapid fall from grace

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FIRST ON FOX — Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., was one of the most visible Democrats on cable news before his quick fall from grace over sexual misconduct allegations, appearing on MS NOW and CNN hundreds of times in recent years, including 50 times already in 2026.

Swalwell, who suspended his California gubernatorial campaign this week and said he will resign from Congress following sexual assault allegations, developed a reputation over the last decade for being highly available to cable news producers. His ability to go on air with little notice and his positions on prominent House committees made him a point person to offer Democratic Party talking points. 

A Media Research Center study found that Swalwell appeared on MS NOW 26 times and on CNN another 24 times in 2026 alone, with all the appearances coming between January 1 and April 10. 

“A combined 50 cable news appearances in just the first 14 weeks of 2026 is astounding considering he’s not in party leadership. He was averaging three to four appearances per week,” MRC associate editor Nicholas Fondacaro told Fox News Digital

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MS NOW and CNN were giving the gubernatorial hopeful a significant amount of free airtime before he became engulfed in scandal, but Swalwell had been a fixture for years.

Swalwell, who was first elected to the House in 2012, saw his star rise during President Donald Trump’s first term due to his prominent role on the House Intelligence Committee and the sprawling Russia investigation, often making charges of “collusion.” 

From Jan. 1, 2018 to the end of Trump’s first term on Jan. 20, 2021, Swalwell’s name was mentioned on CNN and MSNBC — now called MS NOW — more than 2,000 times, including on reruns, according to a Grabien data search. Swalwell made a brief run for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination but dropped out well before the Iowa caucuses.

The New York Times reported that Swalwell’s frequent media appearances helped give him credibility in the California gubernatorial race, as he had “no experience in state government” and few connections with Democratic leaders.

“What he had was a media profile as a Trump antagonist, burnished by years of appearances on news shows that made him more familiar to voters than most of his competitors,” the Times reported, later adding, “Mr. Swalwell’s experience combating President Trump gave him tremendous exposure — much more than a state government official can garner in today’s media ecosystem.”

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“Swalwell was a staple for the liberal media throughout the first Trump term,” Fondacaro told Fox News Digital. “Often overlooking his cartoonish antics, he swiftly became a notable figure they would lean on heavily for anti-Trump commentary during events such as the Mueller investigation and the impeachments.”

“The liberal media’s love affair with Swalwell allowed him to weather the Fang Fang scandal and was carried over into the second Trump term,” Fondacaro continued. “As with the first term, they relied on him to be on the firebrand against Trump and his officials both on TV and in committee hearings.”

Swalwell was also swept up with suspected Chinese spy Christine Fang, or “Fang Fang.” The suspected operative helped raise funds for Swalwell’s 2014 House re-election campaign and placed at least one intern in his office, but the ordeal did not derail the non-stop cable news appearances.  

In the past week, Swalwell went from frequent cable news guest to the subject of scathing reports about a series of sexual misconduct allegations that have swiftly derailed his career. CNN even had an exclusive with women coming forward with on-camera remarks. 

The Democrat, who has denied serious wrongdoing but admitted “mistakes,” noted the allegations came as he was among the frontrunners in the crowded field to be the next California governor.

MS NOW and CNN did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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Meanwhile, members of the media have been casually noting that Swalwell’s behavior was commonly known in elite circles for years. Republicans are questioning how much top Democrats and media decision makers knew before the allegations became public. 

“Ruthless” podcast host Josh Holmes believes the media simply used Swalwell until he couldn’t help them any longer. 

“He’s a fall guy for a corrupt leadership and press corps that knew everything about his exploits as long as he was a useful idiot. He became a problem for their preservation of power, which is why you know about it,” Holmes posted. 

“The View” co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin said on Monday that Swalwell’s reputation with women was reportedly an “open secret” that made him exploitable by America’s enemies. Liberal pundit Matthew Yglesias posted that the situation was “widely rumored” and journalist Yashar Ali said Democrats have “all known for years.” One reporter even suggested she failed to report out certain details because “MeToo stories on the Hill aren’t related to my beat.” 

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“This should be a cautionary tale to be skeptical of those the liberal media elevate,” Fondacaro said.

“It’s been reported that Swalwell’s alleged misconduct was an ‘open secret’ among the media, D.C., and L.A. political circles,” he added. “What else aren’t they telling voters? Who else are they covering for and will only turn against when they outlived their political usefulness?”

Swalwell said Monday that he was “deeply sorry” to his family, staff and constituents, but still insisted the sexual misconduct and abuse allegations against him were “false.”

Fox News Digital’s Alec Schemmel and Adam Pack contributed to this report. 

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