CJUI Update 5/23/25

On the evening of Saturday, June 21—early Sunday morning in the Middle East—the United States military struck Iran’s nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Code-named Midnight Hammer, the operation was a resounding success.

U.S. General Caine reported that B2 bombers dropped 14 bunker-penetrating bombs—12 on Fordow and 2 on Natanz—capable of reaching facilities built hundreds of feet underground. A total of 125 American planes participated, dropping 75 precision bombs, while submarines launched an additional 30 cruise missiles from hundreds of miles away targeting Natanz and Isfahan.

According to U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth: “Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been obliterated.” Vice President Vance affirmed: “We destroyed Iran’s nuclear program.” Secretary of State Rubio further emphasized that Iran had consolidated its enriched uranium—implying it was all destroyed in the operation.

Israeli officials assessed the damage as follows:

  • There is only a slim chance Fordow was not destroyed due to the number and force of U.S. bombs.
  • The strike at Natanz was a “verification of destruction” following prior Israeli attacks.
  • The Isfahan site, embedded in a mountain, was specifically targeted due to its storage of enriched material.

Meanwhile, throughout Sunday—Day 10 of Operation Rising Lion—Israeli Air Force strikes continued against military infrastructure across Iran. The IDF also targeted a Revolutionary Guards base in Yazd, 1,800 km from Israel, marking one of the most distant strikes in Israeli military history.

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir stated:
“The IDF will continue to operate continuously until the objectives of the operation are completed.”

US Involvement in Iran and Media Distortions

Despite the clarity and success of these missions, opposition to U.S. involvement in Israel’s war with Iran remains loud, particularly in legacy media outlets that appear eager to distort facts and vilify the Jewish State.

These critics assert that “the U.S. is not at war with Iran”—a view that reflects both historical amnesia and a troubling disregard for Iran’s own declarations and actions. Since the Islamic Republic’s founding, Iran has been responsible for the deaths and injuries of thousands of Americans. The 1979 hostage crisis alone was a brazen act of war, with 52 Americans held for 444 days.

Today, the Iranian regime still proclaims “Death to Israel” and “Death to America,” and explicitly seeks nuclear weapons to wipe both nations from the map. As such, the U.S. was not dragged into war—it acted out of national interest and moral clarity.

Antisemitism in Mainstream Coverage

Unfortunately, that moral clarity is absent from much of the media coverage. Within hours of the U.S. strikes, MSNBC commentator Ayman Mohyeldin invoked dangerous antisemitic tropes by suggesting that Israel manipulated the United States into war—a centuries-old slander about Jewish power.

He stated:

“…the Israeli Prime Minister potentially was running circles around [Trump]… knowing… political pressure among Republicans, supporters of Israel… would put this pressure on the President to get involved on behalf of Israel…”

This insidious suggestion—that Israel “dog-walked” the U.S. President into war—echoes longstanding antisemitic myths of Jewish conspiracy and control. It has no place in legitimate discourse.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) defines antisemitism to include:

“Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as a collective… including the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government…”

CJUI strongly condemns such rhetoric. It is not only false, but dangerously inflammatory, especially during a time of rising global antisemitism.

Take Action

We urge you to write directly to MSNBC and its parent company, NBCUniversal, to demand accountability and ethical standards in reporting.

Please contact:

We recommend you write firmly but respectfully and make the following points in your own words:

  • Mohyeldin’s remarks meet the IHRA criteria for antisemitism.
  • This rhetoric is not political analysis—it is hate speech cloaked in commentary.
  • This kind of antisemitic language should have no place in any serious news organization.
  • Ask MSNBC to issue a retraction and to discipline those responsible.

Also, remain vigilant for this trope—that Israel is controlling U.S. policy—to appear in other outlets. It must be confronted wherever it surfaces.

Update on Hostages in Gaza

While the Iranian front has taken center stage, Operation Gideon’s Chariots continues in Gaza. The IDF remains committed to defeating Hamas and bringing every hostage home—both the living and the fallen.

On Saturday, June 21, the IDF and ISA recovered the bodies of three more hostages:

  • Ofra Keidar, 71, brutally murdered and kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri.
  • Yonatan Samerano, 21, abducted after fleeing the Nova music festival.
  • Staff Sgt. Shay Levinson, 19, killed while defending Israel and abducted during the October 7 massacre.

There are still 50 hostages unaccounted for—20–22 believed alive, 28 confirmed dead. Israel vows to bring them all home.

Let us remain steadfast in prayer, action, and solidarity until every captive is returned and justice is done.

With hope and determination,

Christians and Jews United for Israel (CJUI)
www.cjui.org
Standing together in truth and love for the land and people of Israel.

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