Private strikes, public denials

Summary

Ark News Daily: "Private Strikes, Public Denials"

Podcast: Ark News Daily
Host: Deborah Pardes (A)
Date: May 14, 2026
Main Theme:
Today’s episode dives into the secretive military moves made by Gulf states against Iran during the recent war, the complex and shifting alliances in the Middle East—especially involving Israel, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, and examines the state of antisemitism with a focus on Australia, alongside a cultural note from the Eurovision Song Competition.

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1. Secret Airstrikes & Regional Alliances

Overview:
The episode opens with a report on covert military operations by Saudi Arabia and the UAE against Iran—actions that mark a historic shift in regional power dynamics and continue to reshape Middle East alliances.

Key Points & Insights:

• Saudi Arabia's Unprecedented Strikes:

  • Reuters reported Saudi Arabia secretly launched airstrikes on Iran in March as retaliation for Iranian attacks—"They appear to be a first. Saudi Arabia has never before been known to have directly struck Iranian soil." [00:41]

• UAE's Covert Actions & Israeli Coordination:

  • Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal noted the UAE carried out covert strikes on Iran, with at least one operation “coordinated directly with Israel.” [01:05]

• Netanyahu’s Historic UAE Visit & The Denial:

  • Prime Minister Netanyahu's secret wartime trip to the UAE was hailed as "an historic breakthrough for relations between both countries." [01:21]
  • Hours later, the UAE outright denied the visit:
    • UAE’s Foreign Ministry: "The claim [of Netanyahu's visit] is entirely unfounded and said its relations with Israel are, quote, public and conducted within the framework of the well known and officially declared Abraham Accords." [01:49]

• Public vs. Private Diplomacy:

  • Deborah Pardes: "The reality has been more complicated, but this war may be doing more to advance that vision than any signing ceremony... What's notable, however, is how much of it is happening in the shadows." [01:29]
  • Saudi and UAE statements to the press remain vague, emphasizing de-escalation and restraint.
  • Saudi official (to Reuters): Expressed only “commitment to de-escalation, self-defence, restraint and the reduction of tensions.” [02:07]

Notable Quote:

• "Still, the Saudi attacks on Iran are significant. The country has not signed the Abraham Accords, but striking Iranian soil, even secretly, is a signal of where its interests actually lie." —Deborah Pardes [02:53]

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2. Antisemitism and Denials: Australia’s Moment

Overview:
Coverage shifts to Australia, where a Jewish women's advocate delivered a searing testimony about the reality of antisemitism since October 7 and its unique impact on Jewish women.

Key Points & Insights:

• Shirley Leader’s Testimony:

  • Shirley Leader (Vice President, National Council of Jewish Women, Australia) testified at the Royal Commission on Antisemitism: "Jewish women are being abandoned."
  • She highlights denial and even mockery of Hamas’s sexual violence by some in Australia’s feminist movement.
    • Shirley Leader:

      "So-called feminists in Australia who have sought to deny it and even to mock it. And this has been of great harm to Jewish women who have seen that their solidarity with Israeli women is absolutely being trashed by the women's movement." [03:52]

• Survey Findings (National Council of Jewish Women):

  • Over 80% have faced antisemitism since October 17 (personally or in their families).
  • 1 in 5 have been physically or verbally harassed.
  • More than two-thirds have been called "genocidal".
  • Over half have been told either that October 7 was justified or "didn’t happen at all." [04:22]
  • Result: Many Jewish women report withdrawal from progressive and queer spaces, homeschooling children, and removing mezuzahs for safety.

• Broader Context:

  • The testimony coincided with the release of the most comprehensive report to date on Hamas’s sexual violence during October 7—finding it was “systematic, widespread, and built into the attack itself.”
  • The American press, however, was focused on a contentious New York Times column accusing Israel of systematic sexual abuse against Palestinians.
  • Deborah Pardes:

    "Lies about October 7th are not only attacks on Israel, they are attacks on Jews." [05:27]

• Next Steps:

  • The commission will continue with testimonies about how to legally define antisemitism and focus on events like the Bondi Beach attack.
  • Final report due in December, with formal recommendations for policy action.

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3. Eurovision: Israel’s Moment on the World Stage

Overview:
The spotlight then pivots briefly to Israel’s presence at Eurovision amid controversy and organized calls for exclusion.

Key Points & Insights:

• Israel Advances Amid Boycotts and Protests:

  • Israeli singer Noam Beton performance was met with boos and anti-Israel chants: "There were boos when baton took the stage and chants of 'Stop the genocide.' Five countries are boycotting Israel's participation this year: Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, and Slovenia." [06:37]
  • Despite the protests, Beton advanced to the finals.

• Message of Unity From the Performer:

  • Noam Beton, in his own words:

    "You know, the slogan of this competition is united by music. I just really want to unite everyone, whoever I can take with me in this journey. I just want them to feel loved, to make them feel that they are not alone." [07:06]

  • Deborah Pardes closes:

    "But Israel keeps showing up." [07:20]

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4. Key Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “[Saudi Arabia] has never before been known to have directly struck Iranian soil.” — Deborah Pardes [00:41]
• “So-called feminists in Australia who have sought to deny it and even to mock it. … their solidarity with Israeli women is absolutely being trashed by the women's movement.” — Shirley Leader [03:52]
• "...this war may be doing more to advance that vision than any signing ceremony, at least for these two countries. What's notable, however, is how much of it is happening in the shadows." — Deborah Pardes [01:29]
• "I just really want to unite everyone...I just want them to feel loved, to make them feel that they are not alone." — Noam Beton [07:06]

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5. Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:04–03:00: Secret Saudi/UAE strikes on Iran, Netanyahu’s UAE visit, public denials, and the Abraham Accords in the new context.
• 03:52–06:20: Antisemitism in Australia post-October 7, Shirley Leader's testimony, survey data, and broader international discourse.
• 06:37–07:20: Israel at Eurovision, international backlash, and performer Noam Beton’s call for unity.

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Tone:
Factual, analytical, and at times somber—especially addressing the rise in antisemitism. Persists with hope in the unity message from Eurovision.

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Summary:
This episode highlights how the war in Iran has catalyzed secretive realignments in the Gulf, blurring lines between public rhetoric and private action. Simultaneously, it exposes the complex reality Jewish communities face globally, with a focus on the exclusions and dangers confronting Jewish women in Australia. Through both geopolitical intrigue and cultural touchpoints like Eurovision, the show underscores a repeated motif: even as efforts to marginalize Israel intensify, resilience and participation endure.

Transcript

[A]

You are listening to an art media podcast. It's Thursday, may 13th. This episode was recorded at 9:00pm new york time on Wednesday. I'm deborah pardes and this is arc news daily. The war with Iran is officially on hold, but the story of who's actually been fighting it is still coming out and it suggests something about the wider Gulf alignment we've covered before. Reuters reported yesterday that Saudi Arabia secretly launched airstrikes on Iran back in March. They came in retaliation for Iranian attacks on the kingdom and they appear to be a first. Saudi Arabia has never before been known to have directly struck Iranian soil. Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal also reported this week that the UAE carried out its own covert strikes on Iran. At least one of them was coordinated directly with Israel. Then yesterday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that he had secretly flown to the UAE during the war and met with its president. Netanyahu's office called it an historic breakthrough for relations between both countries. So what does this all add up to? When the Abraham Accords were signed in 2020, they came with the promise of a new Middle east where Arab states and Israel move closer together openly. The reality has been more complicated, but this war may be doing more to advance that vision than any signing ceremony, at least for these two countries. What's notable, however, is how much of it is happening in the shadows. Hours after Netanyahu's office announced the UAE visit, the UAE denied it. Its Foreign Ministry called the claim entirely unfounded and said its relations with Israel are, quote, public and conducted within the framework of the well known and officially declared Abraham Accords. Also, Saudi Arabia has not officially confirmed its strikes on Iran. When Reuters asked, a senior official simply expressed the Kingdom's commitment to de escalation, self defence, restraint and the reduction of tensions. Both countries are walking a fine line. The UAE was one of the first Arab countries to join the Abraham Accords. It has hosted Israeli leaders. It has deepened security ties with Israel dramatically during this war. But it still operates in a neighborhood where being seen as too close to Israel carries real costs. Saudi Arabia faces even higher stakes. It's home to Mecca and Medina, the holiest sites in Islam. And because of that, it carries enormous symbolic weight across the Arab and Muslim world. It can move towards Israel and the US in practice, but it cannot be seen to do so too openly or too fast. Still, the Saudi attacks on Iran are significant. The country has not signed the Abraham Accords, but striking Iranian soil, even secretly, is a signal of where its interests actually lie. On Tuesday, a Jewish women's advocate took the stand at Australia's Royal Commission on Antisemitism. Her message was blunt. Jewish women are being abandoned. Shirley Leader is vice president of the National Council of Jewish Women in Australia. She testified that the denial of Hamas sex crimes on October 7 is being driven in many cases by other women, by the feminist movement itself.

[B]

So so called feminists in Australia who have sought to deny it and even to mock it. And this has been of great harm to Jewish women who have seen that their solidarity with Israeli women is absolutely being trashed by the women's movement.

[A]

Leader laid out what her group has been hearing from Australian Jewish women. A survey they conducted found more than 80% have experienced antisemitism since October 17th either themselves or in their families. One in five have been physically or verbally harassed, more than two thirds have been called genocidal and over half have been told to their faces that October 7th was justified or that it didn't happen at all. Leder says Australian Jewish women feel they've been pushed out, excluded from progressive spaces and their friends in the queer community and the arts. So they've pulled back of their own accord. They started working from home, homeschooling their k and taking mezuzahs off their doors. Leaders testimony came out the same day, as did the most comprehensive report ever compiled on Hamas's sex crimes. An Israeli nonprofit concluded the sexual violence on October 7 was systematic, widespread and built into the attack itself. The report was largely overshadowed in the American press by a New York Times column the day before it accused Israel of systemic sexual abuse against Palestinians. But the argument being made in Australia is one that a number of Jewish writers have been making this week. Lies about October 7th are not only attacks on Israel, they are attacks on Jews. For example, in Commentary magazine, Abe Greenwald wrote that part of the goal after October 7th was to instigate a war against the Jews of the Diaspora, parallel to the one that Hamas launched against the Jews of Israel. The hearings in Australia are not over. They'll continue this week with expert witnesses on how to legally define antisemitism. The next round will start later this month and focus on the Bondi beach attack itself. The commission's final report is due in December. It will bring formal recommendations to the Australian government on how to confront anti Semitism as state policy. Israel has made it to the Eurovision Song Competition final Singer Noam Beton performed in Vienna on Tuesday night and will advance to the grand finale on Saturday. There were boos when baton took the stage and chants of Stop the genocide. Five countries are boycotting Israel's participation this year. Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain and Slovenia. Bataan later said he searched the crowd for Israeli flags. He found them, and he kept singing. In a separate interview, he said his goal was to bring people together.

[C]

You know, the slogan of this competition is united my music. I just really want to unite everyone, whoever I can take with me in this journey. I just want them to feel loved, to make them feel that they are not alone.

[A]

This is the pattern of the past two years in miniature. There seems to be a coordinated push to exclude Israel from almost everything from soccer to the Olympics to academic conferences and to Eurovision. But Israel keeps showing up. I'm Deborah Pardes, and this is ARC News Daily. See you tomorrow. Sam.