Phuket Chabad meal canceled, Lebanon disarmament fault lines, and US-Saudi 9/11 files debate

A Rosh Hashanah gathering for 1,000 Israelis is scrapped after security officials warn of danger, while a Lebanese official blames IDF strikes for undermining…

Phuket Chabad meal canceled, Lebanon disarmament fault lines, and US-Saudi 9/11 files debate — The Rosh Hashanah meal planned for around 1,000 Israelis at the Chabad House in Phuket, Thailand, was canceled this evening (Friday) following a demand by Israeli security officials, who warned that protesters could be violent and that it was dangerous to approach the area.[^1] The cancellation came after a prolonged pro-Palestinian protest in the area, during which chants of "Free Palestine" were heard, and more than 500 people marched from Patong Beach carrying signs reading "SAVE PHUKET NO ISRAEL."[^2] The protest organizers later issued a message that included antisemitic language, saying "these Jews are staying inside their mansions. They will not go outside."[^1] Chabad clarified that remaining prayers and holiday meals are expected to proceed as usual.[^1] Meanwhile, a senior Lebanese official told The Times of Israel that IDF strikes in southern Lebanon, described as indiscriminate, are undermining the government's efforts to disarm Hezbollah.[^3] The official cited a strike in Kfar Rumman that killed 11 people, including a paramedic, four women, and two children.[^3] The US State Department announced that the upcoming meeting between the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors will be held in Washington next week, not in Rome as originally planned, with the next round of formal talks expected in Rome in October.[^4] Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks, an opinion piece in The Jerusalem Post argues that President Donald Trump should declassify remaining government files concerning possible Saudi involvement, asserting that the US-Saudi partnership should not prevent disclosure.[^5] Former President George W. Bush, speaking at his presidential library in Dallas on September 9, warned against isolationist sentiment, saying "our nation occasionally goes through isolationist periods" and arguing that events overseas directly affect US national security. The juxtaposition of the Phuket cancellation, the Lebanon disarmament tension, and the renewed push for Saudi 9/11 transparency raises a sharp question: how will Washington balance its strategic partnership