The Dispatch, May 2025
Asked about his decision to accept a $400 million jumbo jet from the Qatari government on Monday, President Donald Trump quipped: “You should be embarrassed asking that question. … They’re giving us a free jet. I could say, ‘No, no, no, don’t give [it to] us. I want to pay you a billion or $400 million or whatever it is.’ Or I could say, ‘Thank you very much.’” What is it they say about there being no such thing as a free lunch?
Israel on Monday welcomed home Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old American-Israeli dual citizen, after 584 days in Hamas captivity. His release followed direct talks between the U.S. and the terrorist group, which described the move as a gesture of goodwill. Alexander was transferred out of the Gaza Strip by the Red Cross before being released into the care of Israeli soldiers. “This was achieved thanks to our military pressure and the diplomatic pressure applied by President Trump,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video address Monday. With Alexander’s release, 58 hostages—20 of whom are believed to be alive—remain in Gaza.
