Israel National News

May 13 2026

Remarks by GOP Rep. Randy Fine and congressional candidate Dan Bilzerian trigger backlash from Armenian-American groups amid widening dispute on Israel, antisemitism, and alliances.

A Florida congressional race has spiraled into a wider political firestorm involving antisemitism, Israel, Azerbaijan and the Armenian-American diaspora, after Rep. Randy Fine and congressional candidate Dan Bilzerian exchanged accusations in an increasingly bitter public feud.

The clash erupted after Fine publicly criticized Bilzerian following the release of a report by Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs that ranked the social media personality as the top one among world’s leading antisemitic influencers for 2025.

Bilzerian, a dual US-Armenian citizen best known for his online persona and controversial social media presence, recently entered the congressional race despite having no major political background in Florida.

In recent years, he has repeatedly drawn criticism for inflammatory remarks about Jews and Israel. During a 2024 livestream, Bilzerian called to “exterminate Israel” and declared, “give me a rifle and send me the f**k over there,” in remarks widely interpreted as advocating violence against Israelis, according to previously published reports. Bilzerian also described Hamas after the October 7th massacre as a “resistance organization” and referred to former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar as “a hero,” according to previous reporting. He also referred to Fine as a “fat Jew.”

The rhetoric escalated further over the past week as Bilzerian posted a stream of messages on X targeting Jews, Israel, and Fine personally. Among them were posts referring to “Jewish supremacist parasites,” accusations that Fine entered politics “to help Jews and Israel,” and claims involving alleged Jewish control and Israeli citizenship.

Jewish organizations and pro-Israel commentators accused Bilzerian of spreading antisemitic conspiracy theories and rhetoric that crossed far beyond criticism of Israeli policy. Previous reporting has also linked him to Holocaust minimization claims and conspiracy theories involving Jews, including claims related to 9/11.

The controversy widened after Fine responded during a media appearance focused on antisemitism and dual citizenship in American politics. A section of a clip that quickly spread online showed Fine saying: “We don’t want Armenians to be able to serve in Congress.”

The remark, which was taken out of the content, triggered immediate backlash from Armenian-American activists and organizations, who condemned it as discriminatory and racist. Supporters of Fine argued that the clip the video deliberately omitted the larger context of his remarks, which centered on restricting members of Congress from holding dual citizenship or foreign allegiances.

Fine later doubled down in a post on X. “Armenians should not serve in Congress,” he wrote. “Neither should Somalis. Or Guatemalans. Or – wait for it – Israelis. If you are a citizen of a foreign country, you shouldn’t serve in ours.”

Despite that, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) responded sharply, accusing Fine of anti-Armenian rhetoric and linking his comments to his support for Azerbaijan. In a public statement, ANCA described Azerbaijan as a “genocidal dictatorship” and criticized Fine over legislation tied to US policy toward Baku following Azerbaijan’s 2023 military operation in the Karabakh region, internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, which had remained under Armenian separatist control for decades.

The dispute has also revived long-running tensions surrounding Israel’s close strategic partnership with Azerbaijan, particularly defense cooperation and Israeli arms sales to Baku. Armenian advocacy groups have frequently accused Israel of enabling Azerbaijani actions against Armenians in Karabakh – accusations strongly rejected by Israeli and Azerbaijani officials.

As the online feud intensified, the argument spilled far beyond the congressional race itself. Ana Kasparian, an influencer of Armenian heritage, a co-host of “The Young Turks,” posted a series of harsh statements against Israel in recent days, including describing Israel as a “genocidal terrorist state” and accusing it of supporting ethnic cleansing against Armenians.

Kasparian has previously faced criticism from pro-Israel watchdog groups over statements they argued crossed the line from criticism of Israel into antisemitic rhetoric, allegations she has denied.

The Fine-Bilzerian clash has since evolved into a broader online and political battle touching on antisemitism, diaspora activism, dual loyalty accusations and the increasingly volatile discourse surrounding Israel and the Middle East on social media. It became another clashing point between the Armenian lobby in the US, which supports Palestinian Arab cause, and the Jewish community.

The controversy has also deepened tensions between some Armenian-American activist groups and pro-Israel voices in the US, particularly over Gaza and Azerbaijan. What began as a local congressional fight in Florida has rapidly turned into a much larger proxy battle over identity, foreign policy and the boundaries between political criticism and antisemitism in American public life.

May 13 2026

Ambassador of Japan and UNDP Resident Representative visited Japan-funded projects in Gegharkunik and Kotayk regions

On 12 May, H.E. Yutaka Aoki, Ambassador of Japan to Armenia, and Natia Natsvlishvili, UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia, visited Gegharkunik and Kotayk regions to see on the ground the results of projects implemented with funding from the Government of Japan.

The first visit, within the framework of the UNDP “Project for Supporting Basic Infrastructure and Social Integration for Displaced Persons from Nagorno-Karabakh and Host Communities” was Chambarak community, Gegharkunik region, where a reservoir with a useful capacity of 11,000 m³ was constructed. Janik Bazeyan, Deputy Governor of Gegharkunik region, Nvard Vardanyan, Deputy Chairperson of MTAI Water Committee, Ashot Giloyan, Adviser, RA Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, and Robert Ohanyan, First Deputy Head of Chambarak community, also took part in the visit.  

It is expected that the reservoir will restore irrigation across up to 200 hectares of land and benefit around 200 households. The community also invested in a new 4.4 km irrigation distribution system, further boosting climate‑resilient agriculture.

The guests also learned about hybrid solar energy systems installed in key public facilities in host communities to enhance energy resilience. The 5 kW systems are stationary, while the 2 kW systems are mobile and easy to deploy. Designed to operate both grid-connected and in off-grid modes, these systems ensure uninterrupted delivery of essential services (such as lighting and communications) during power outages. In total, nine systems have been installed in Gegharkunik region (four 2 kW and five 5 kW systems), eight of which serve the Chambarak community: the municipal building (5 kW), Kindergarten No. 3 (5 kW), the medical center (5 kW), the local rescue service unit (5 kW and 2 kW), as well as the summer pastures of Chambarak community (three 2 kW units).

Afterwards, Ambassador Aoki and Natia Natsvlishvili Charentsavan community of Kotayk region. Through the Restorative Circles methodology, refugees and host communities across ten communities were engaged in structured conversations to identify priorities and co-design solutions. More than 1,100 participants, nearly half refugees, highlighted the need for safe, inclusive spaces for interaction, creativity, and community life. These ideas are already a reality in five communities, benefiting around 126,000 people, including 984 vulnerable households. 

In Charentsavan community, the high-level guests, accompanied by Hakob Shahgaldyan, Head of Charentsavan community, opened the public space and playground which will strengthen social cohesion and integration processes by bringing people together, contributing to informal social interaction and community ties.

“We are deeply grateful to the Government of Japan for its financial support, which continues to make a tangible difference in the lives of refugees and host communities across Armenia. These results are a powerful example of what effective partnerships can achieve—combining immediate support with long-term, climate‑resilient and socially inclusive solutions. We also highly appreciate the strong cooperation with regional and local authorities, whose leadership and commitment are essential to turning these investments into real improvements on the ground. UNDP remains firmly committed to supporting refugees and host communities by strengthening infrastructure, enhancing energy resilience, and fostering social cohesion,” said Natia Natsvlishvili, UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia.

The European Conservative

May 13 2026

Commonspace.eu

May 13 2026

The campaign for the Armenian parliamentary elections began on Friday (8 May), with 17 parties and two electoral blocs in the running. All are seeking to enter parliament and win the support of around 2.5 million eligible voters across Armenia. With the campaign underway, each party is already mobilising public opinion against the other. Parties are divided on different themes: peace vs reconsideration of the current peace process, European vs Russian trajectories, and populist vs democratic tendencies, among other political cleavages shaping the campaign. Each party is targeting different segments of the Armenian electorate and hoping that its strategy will secure seats in parliament.

The ruling Civil Contract Party will run independently and once again be led by the current Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan. The party faces several challengers, including former President Robert Kocharyan’s Armenia Alliance party,  the Strong Armenia alliance associated with businessman and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan, and Gagik Tsarukyan’s Prosperous Armenia Party. Other parties include the former Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan’s Wings of Unity party, the Armenian National Congress, which is expected to participate under the leadership of Levon Zurabyan, and Edmon Marukyan’s Bright Armenia Party. In addition, former Yerevan mayor Hayk Marutyan is also entering the elections with his New Force party, and Aram Sargsyan, leader of the Republic Party and brother of former Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan, who was killed during the 1999 Armenian parliament shooting, confirmed that his party will also run independently. Lastly, among others, the newly formed movement called Against Everyone is also hoping to garner support from undecided voters.

The Civil Contract Party launched its campaign in Syunik, where Pashinyan argued that his party “secured peace and preserved Armenia’s statehood”. In the election manifesto, the party argued that its priorities will be the “institutionalization of peace, the continuation of the delimitation process, the implementation of the TRIPP project, and the final signing, ratification, and further implementation of the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan”. The manifesto also presented 100 concrete steps for 2026–2031 that will respond to different domestic economic and social problems, including employment rate, decreasing poverty, education, digital infrastructure, and the establishment of a visa-free regime with the EU.

One of the main government opponents, Armenia Alliance Party, led by Robert Kocharyan, started its campaign in Vagharshapat. Kocharyan argued that Pashinyan is leading Armenia into a dangerous geopolitical “adventure” by attempting to pull Armenia into confrontation with Russia. He criticized the anti-Russia statements made by various speakers during the EPC summit and the EU-Armenia summit and mentioned that the Civil Contract Party is using the fear of war as an electoral tool, while at the same time seeking European support to deflect growing concerns over democratic backsliding and political persecution within Armenia. Kocharyan argued that his party is not against peace, but insisted that real peace can only be built by a strong army, strong leadership, and reliable alliances. The election manifesto can be read here.

The Strong Armenia alliance, led by Samvel Karapetyan, held its first official campaign event in Yerevan. Samvel Karapetyan is in house arrest on charges of calling for the seizure of power. Replacing him is his nephew, Narek Karapetyan, who will also be at the top of the party’s electoral list as Samvel Karapetyan, due to his triple citizenship, cannot run. At the rally, his nephew argued that since 2018, Armenia has become smaller. He argued that in the party’s manifesto, there are plans to “provide 100,000–150,000 drams per month to extremely poor families with more than five members. Seventy percent of this amount will be funded by wealthy Armenian businesspeople around the world, and the state will contribute only 30 percent”.

In the past few weeks, dozens of Strong Armenia members have been detained on allegations of vote-buying. The opposition group argued that the allegations were politically motivated and accused the Civil Contract Party of using state resources to influence voters, while not facing prosecution.

Public rallies of Prosperous Armenia Party, led by Gagik Tsarukyan, began on Sunday (9 May) in Abovyan. The party promised debt relief, amnesty for people facing loans and economic hardship, and free public services. In its programme, the party argues that “In the Armenia we envision, there are no false divisions — no ‘pro-Western’ or ‘pro-Russian’ labels. Ultimately, such divisions only serve the interests of our enemies. In the Armenia we envision, what unites us is the national interest of Armenia — and that interest comes first.” More can be read here.

The Bright Armenia party, led by Edmon Marukyan, kicked off its campaign in Yeraskh. He called on all citizens to vote. His party’s manifesto can be accessed here. In Yeraskh, party officials argued that under the current government, Armenia’s national sovereignty has been in decline. The party claimed that “sovereignty is measured not by rhetoric but by a state’s ability to make decisions within its own territory free of foreign dictates”.  

The New Force party, led by former Yerevan mayor Hayk Marutyan, is beginning its campaign with meetings in Yerevan’s countryside. The Wings of Unity party, headed by former Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan, is launching its voter outreach from Goshavank Monastery near the northern town of Ijevan.

While the campaign is gathering momentum on all sides, voters in Armenia will, in less than a month, be called upon to make their decision at the ballot box.

Source: This briefing was prepared by the editorial team of Commonspace.eu. This briefing first appeared in Issue 4 of Armenia Election Monitor 2026 on 13 May. 

https://www.commonspace.eu/commentary/armenias-election-campaign-starts-parties-compete-over-rival-visions-countrys-future

OC Media

May 13 2026

Following the launch of a series of criminal cases against affiliates of Russian–Armenian tycoon Samvel Karapetyan over alleged electoral bribery, Karapetyan himself has accused Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of similar practices.

Karapetyan made his allegations on Tuesday, as more arrests on vote-buying charges were announced, this time in the Baghramyan community of the Armavir region. According to the Anti-Corruption Committee, the case includes the territorial representative of Karapetyan’s Strong Armenia party, with wiretapped recordings cited as evidence.

Authorities claim that the same unnamed individual also used material incentives to ensure attendance at a rally for Karapetyan’s alliance in Yerevan.

Further arrests followed a day later, accompanied by additional wiretaps.

The case involves the head of the office of Karapetyan’s In Our Way organisation, whose name was not disclosed and who was accused of vote-buying and, ‘under the guise of charity, provided money free of charge to a Yerevan resident […] for a surgical operation’. The alleged payment occurred during a period when charity by candidates is banned.

The cases are the latest in a series of similar investigations against Karapetyan’s affiliates. Polls have indicated that Karapetyan’s Strong Armenia Alliance is expected to be the main challenger to the ruling Civil Contract party in the 7 June parliamentary elections.

As more arrests on vote-buying charges continue to pile up, Karapetyan appears to be trying to flip the situation on its head, accusing Pashinyan’s government of similar misconduct.

In a video published on his social media on Tuesday, he claimed that Pashinyan’s supporters are people ‘who have lost their hope; their only hope has become the pre-election bribes that this government gave to our people a month ago’.

‘But that will not help Pashinyan and his government’, Karapetyan claimed, without clarifying his allegations.

Earlier, Karapetyan rejected allegations of vote-buying, stating that ‘as the leading force, [we] have no need to give bribes’.

His remarks appear to echo criticism of recent government spending measures — including pension and salary increases, along with an increase in housing support programmes for Nagorno-Karabakh Armenian refugees — which critics say is tied to winning their support ahead of the elections.

No criminal cases have been launched against Pashinyan or members of his Civil Contract party.

However, the Anti-Corruption Committee is examining an incident involving Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan, a Civil Contract member, who gifted a camera to a young woman on 8 May. Avinyan claimed the gift was unrelated to the election, explaining that funds had previously been allocated to an orphanage to purchase it, but the item had not been bought.

In a separate case, authorities declined to open proceedings against Tavros Sapeyan, also a Civil Contract member and the head of the Talin community, despite a complaint alleging that over ֏11.5 million ($30,000) in aid had been distributed from the local budget during the restricted period.

The Anti-Corruption Committee stated that Sapeyan ‘carried out official functions arising from his position, aimed at solving community issues’.

Earlier, on the first day of the campaign on 8 May, Pashinyan addressed the criminal cases of vote-buying, stating that whoever thinks they could ‘buy a citizen of Armenia — their nose and face will be smashed against the wall of the Armenian citizen’.

Kuwait Times

May 13 2026

Defence India

May 13 2026

India is positioning itself to become a key player in the global market for high-end military technology.

According to recent reports, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is creating a customized export model of the Pralay surface-to-surface tactical missile, specifically restricted to a 300-kilometer range.

This development aligns with ongoing, progressive discussions with Armenia, a nation actively seeking to procure the advanced Indian quasi-ballistic system to dramatically upgrade its long-distance, precision-guided strike power.

Bilateral talks between New Delhi and Yerevan have reportedly reached a mature phase, with both governments actively reviewing cost frameworks and financial terms.

Armenia’s motivation to acquire the Pralay missile is largely fueled by an urgent necessity to offset the expanding arsenal of its regional rival, Azerbaijan.

Baku currently operates the Israeli-made LORA (Long Range Artillery) system—a weapon with an approximate 400-kilometer reach and a 400–600 kg payload that proved highly effective in recent border clashes.

By adding the supersonic, highly maneuverable Pralay to its armed forces, Armenia aims to establish a formidable deterrent that can reliably evade modern anti-missile shields.

To adhere strictly to global non-proliferation standards, the proposed export version of Pralay will have its range legally restricted to 300 kilometers and its payload capped at 500 kilograms.

This precise limitation ensures that the sale fully complies with the strict guidelines of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).

Furthermore, any finalized agreement must successfully navigate India’s domestic SCOMET regulations, which govern the transfer of sensitive military and dual-use technology.

Such compliance guarantees that India maintains its reputation for responsible arms proliferation while continuing to build strategic defence alliances abroad.

Powered by a solid-propellant rocket motor, the baseline Pralay is a highly sophisticated weapon engineered for conventional attacks on critical enemy infrastructure, including communication centers, supply depots, and forward airbases.

It travels along a flattened, quasi-ballistic flight path rather than a traditional parabolic curve.

This unique trajectory, combined with its ability to alter course mid-flight, drastically reduces the time adversaries have to track and intercept it, rendering conventional air defence networks largely ineffective against the incoming threat.

A successful transaction would mark a historic breakthrough for India’s domestic defence manufacturing, officially opening the door for the export of heavy-duty, tactical battlefield missiles.

It would also cement the rapidly growing military partnership between India and Armenia.

In recent years, Yerevan has consistently turned to India to modernize its military, placing significant orders for the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers, Swathi weapon-locating radars, and the Akash surface-to-air missile shield.

Delivering a sophisticated offensive platform like Pralay would propel this bilateral defence relationship into an unprecedented strategic tier.

https://defence.in/threads/drdo-developing-300km-pralay-export-variant-to-bolster-armenian-precision-strike-capabilities-amid-advanced-bilateral-talk.17743/

The Daily Californian

May 13 2026

May 13 2026

Latvia

May 13 2026