This Week’s Top Stories — Trump calls Netanyahu ‘f-cking crazy,’ 10 years since Muhammad Ali’s death and more | Friday, June 5, 2026 | 19 Dhul Hijjah, 1447 AH
Trump calls Netanyahu ‘f-cking crazy’ in leaked phone call over bombing Beirut
U.S. President Donald Trump called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “f-cking crazy” in a leaked phone call Monday, Axios reported. The call came after Israeli forces bombed Beirut, prompting Iran to threaten suspending peace talks.
“You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me,” Trump said. “Everybody hates Israel because of this.”
Why it matters: While Trump has seemingly tried to show a strong public relationship with Netanyahu and his government, Monday’s leaked call is another example of its cracks. Trump had previously heckled Israel over continuing to strike Iran after a ceasefire agreement that ended the 12 Day war in June 2025.
Mamdani skips Israel Day Parade, breaking decades-long mayoral tradition
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani skipped the Israel Day Parade Sunday, the first mayor in decades to do so. The decision came two weeks after he posted a video commemorating the “Nakba,” or catastrophe, when roughly 750,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes upon the creation of Israel in 1948.
“I said on the campaign trail I wouldn’t attend,” Mamdani, 34, said last week.
Why it matters: While campaigning and in the office, the mayor has been outspoken about his pro-Palestine stance. Skipping the parade was a deliberate decision to make as more and more Americans show support for Palestine than Israel. However, it may alienate a sizable portion of his voter base, who were Jewish.
Egyptian American surgeon who volunteered in Gaza wins New Jersey Democratic primary
Dr. Adam Hamawy, an Egyptian American surgeon who volunteered in Gaza, won New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District Democratic primary on Tuesday.
Hamawy, 56, topped the race with 28.1% of the vote, ahead of his main opponent Brad Cohen at 14.9%, according to the Associated Press. He is expected to face Republican nominee Greg Male in November.
Why it matters: Hamawy joins an increasing number of Muslim Arab Americans who have been running for public office since the Gaza war. If he wins in November, he will become another member of Congress with pro-Palestine sympathies.
This week marked 10 years since the death of boxing legend Muhammad Ali
Ten years ago, on Wednesday, Muhammad Ali died at 74 after three decades battling Parkinson’s disease. While becoming virtually the most well-known boxer of all time, winning three world heavyweight titles and frequently called ‘the greatest,’ he was also known outside the ring.
He refused military induction during the Vietnam War, sacrificing one of his titles in the process, and became an advocate for world peace and charity.
Why it matters: By the time he retired in 1979, Ali became the most recognized Muslim in the U.S. He showed the world what a proud, outspoken Muslim American looked like at a time when Islam was not well-known to most Americans. Ten years after his death, that legacy still matters.
Quran verse and Hadith of the week: On helping others in goodness
Quran: وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَىٰ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ "Cooperate with one another in goodness and righteousness, and do not cooperate in sin and transgression." — Surah Al-Ma'idah, 5:2
Hadith: The Prophet ﷺ said: “A good word is charity. Every step taken toward the mosque is charity. Removing something harmful from the road is charity. Smiling at your brother is charity. Pouring water from your bucket into your brother’s is charity.” — Sahih al-Bukhari 2989, Sahih Muslim 1009