Earlier in June, the European Union appeared to finally react to concerns raised by President Donald Trump and many European voters over illegal immigration by introducing tougher border entry rules for the 27-nation bloc.

The EU agreed on new, stricter rules regarding migration and asylum. The laws are specifically designed to ensure that illegal/undocumented migrants who enter the bloc are processed and, where necessary, quickly sent to deportation centers in countries outside the EU.

People seeking asylum will be screened for identity, security, and their health before even entering any asylum system. The border officials will now track and record non-EU citizens entering and exiting the bloc. Plus, it will use biometric data such as fingerprints and facial recognition. And all member states must now help one another and share information.

The Associated Press reported that the provisional deal struck by the EU's three main institutions is expected to go to EU lawmakers and governments, where approval is expected.

EUROPEAN NATIONS DEMAND POWER TO DEPORT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO COMMIT CRIMES

Alan Mendoza, founder and executive director of the Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital that "The EU’s demography is changing Europe’s culture. We are now having to deal with people who are not integrating with the local customs." 

While the U.K. is not part of the EU, he said, "Britain’s efforts are behind the new EU rules." Noting the country has "not managed to have offshore migrant holding centers, which would make sure Britain is not seen as a soft touch."

Other experts say the longer countries take to fix the problem, the harder it will be to deal with. Some say it’s already too late.

While Europe’s workaday men and women have clearly seen the problems of illegal immigration for years, their leaders are only just getting the message. 

President Donald Trump told world leaders about the damage caused by a flood of undocumented migrants into Europe during his speech to the United Nations General Assembly last year. "You’re destroying your countries," he said. "Europe is in serious trouble; they’ve been invaded by a force of illegal aliens like nobody’s ever seen before."

JD VANCE'S WARNING ON EUROPE'S FUTURE SHINES SPOTLIGHT ON CONTINENT'S GROWING LIST OF PROBLEMS

Just last week, Vice President JD Vance commented on the stabbing death of the 18-year-old British man who was stabbed to death. 

In part, Vance posted, "Henry Nowak died the same way a civilization dies: abandoned, handcuffed by authorities who neither trusted nor cared for him, and accused of hate crimes he did not commit. His murder is as tragic as it is enraging. He should still be alive today, and he would be if the last few generations of European elites had stood their ground against the politics of self-hatred and the mass invasion of migrants, many of whom despise the West and the people who love it."

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also made reference to the topic during a speech to commemorate D-Day in France on the weekend. "Sadly, today, different European beaches are stormed by different dangerous ideologies. Beaches in Spain and Italy and Greece and Bulgaria, boats and men arrive. When will European capitals do something about that invasion? Or is it too late? I pray not, and I believe not," he said.

Elsewhere in the EU, Spain seems to have broken with the rest of the bloc on its new stance on undocumented immigration. The country decided to legalize half a million undocumented migrants.

"When undocumented migrants arrive, they get papers, and they get social security," Javier Negre, owner of the La Derecha Diario newspaper, told Fox News Digital. He says a lot of the push to house migrants has come via nongovernmental organizations. "NGOs had a big business, and they promoted illegal immigration," he says.

Another problem is that many undocumented migrants don’t choose to integrate into their new domicile. "They don’t have the same values," Negre said. "We import a lot of people, and some realize they can steal iPhones and wallets," he said, commenting on the rise in crimes.

Critics of the move mostly came from the European left and NGOs. Mélissa Camara, from the French Green party, said the deal was "a historic setback" for human rights in the bloc," the Associated Press reported.

"The legalization of return hubs outside the European Union, the green light for the detention of minors, home visits inspired by ICE practices: the legal arsenal serving a xenophobic ideology is now complete," she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This is part six of a series examining the challenges confronting the NATO alliance.

As President Donald Trump presses NATO allies to shoulder more of Europe's defense burden, countries closest to Russia are moving fastest — while some of Western Europe's biggest economies face growing pressure to catch up. 

Retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, senior director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former deputy director for strategy, policy and plans at U.S. European Command, said the shift is already visible across the alliance.

"Europe is clearly stepping up, but they're stepping up by geographic variation," Montgomery told Fox News Digital.

"If you ask me who's doing the most, the Eastern Europeans are clearly."

RUSSIAN DRONES TEST NATO'S ARTICLE 5 DEFENSE GUARANTEE AHEAD OF FRIDAY SANCTIONS DEADLINE

Montgomery pointed to the Baltic states, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria as countries moving aggressively to strengthen deterrence against Russia.

His assessment comes as NATO allies work toward a new defense spending benchmark agreed at the 2025 summit in The Hague, which calls on members to invest 5% of GDP in defense and security-related spending by 2035, including 3.5% for core defense requirements and 1.5% for defense-related infrastructure and security investments.

John Deni, a research professor at the U.S. Army War College, said the trend shouldn't be surprising. 

"Given the threat of Russia, allies in the East are acquiring capabilities more quickly, and they're spending even more than allies in the West," Deni told Fox News Digital. "This shouldn't surprise us because they're the ones closest to the threat."

Deni noted that many eastern allies are rapidly purchasing equipment already available on the market rather than waiting years for domestic defense programs to mature.

UK, GERMAN DEFENSE OFFICIALS DEFEND MILITARY BUILDUP UNDER RUSSIAN THREATS

The transformation is visible across NATO's eastern and northern flanks. Poland has become one of the alliance's largest military spenders, Romania is increasing defense investments, and Finland and Sweden have added advanced military capabilities to NATO following their accession.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised Finland and Sweden Thursday at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, using them as examples of allies strengthening the alliance.

"Sweden and Finland have actually contributed because they brought their own defense industry, their own advanced technology," Rubio said. "They have been great partners." 

Romanian Foreign Minister Oana-Silvia Ţoiu echoed that message in an interview with Fox News Digital following an emergency U.N. Security Council session convened after a Russian drone strike injured civilians in the Romanian city of Galați.

"We do agree with President Trump on the need to increase budgets," Ţoiu said.

Ţoiu said Romania raised defense spending to 2% of GDP during Trump's previous term and plans to allocate "an average of 3.4 percent" next year through military procurement and strategic infrastructure investments.

POLAND SEEKS ANSWERS AFTER PENTAGON SCRAPS PLANNED US ARMORED BRIGADE ROTATION

"We have launched initiatives that are directed at the eastern flank because it is increasingly more clear that that needs to be protected," she said.

She argued that Romania's role extends beyond national defense.

"We need better deterrence, better defense capabilities there in order to ensure our responsibility in protecting not just the Romanian border, which is the longest border to the war, but also it is in the same time a European border and the border of the Allied territory," Ţoiu said.

For frontline states, the urgency is driven by geography as much as politics. Romania shares a border with Ukraine and repeatedly has dealt with Russian drones entering its airspace. Poland has become one of NATO's top military spenders, while the Baltic states are racing toward defense expenditures approaching 5% of GDP.

Montgomery said the eastern flank's urgency contrasts sharply with the pace in much of Western Europe.

Among the continent's five largest economies, and despite a slight decrease in military spending in 2025, the U.K. remains the largest investor relative to GDP, with 2.4%, trailed by Germany (2.3%), Spain (2.1%), France (2%) and Italy (1.9%), according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

WHY NATO’S DEFENSE SPENDING IMBALANCE LASTED FOR DECADES

"The Germans are the one country, I think, with a large economy that is starting to make the right kind of investments."

Germany, he argued, could become the backbone of Europe's future defense industrial base.

"Germany developing a large, impressive defense industrial base is good for NATO, it's good for Western security, and it's even good for our primes," Montgomery said.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has embraced higher defense spending and backed NATO's new spending goals, positioning Berlin as a potential hub for Europe's future defense industrial base as allies seek to reduce long-term dependence on the United States.

But despite rising defense budgets, experts warn Europe remains heavily dependent on American military capabilities.

Barak Seener, a senior fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, said Europe still relies on the United States for many of the systems required to fight a modern war.

NATO CHIEF WARNS EUROPE CAN’T DEFEND ITSELF WITHOUT US AS TENSIONS RISE OVER GREENLAND

"Europe is heavily dependent on NATO for its strategic airlift and sea lift, its air-to-air refueling, its cyber capabilities, its space assets, its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance," Seener said.

Without those capabilities, he warned, European forces would struggle to maintain situational awareness during a major conflict.

Montgomery said Europe faces three major challenges: expanding military capacity, rebuilding its defense industrial base and developing high-end support capabilities that have long been provided by the United States.

PENTAGON CUTS BRIGADE COMBAT TEAMS IN EUROPE AS TRUMP PRESSURES NATO ON SPENDING

"When you are freeloading for 30 years, you create enormous deficits in terms of people, equipment, technology and know-how," he said.

"The primary forces to defend Europe should be European," he said. "The United States should provide additional forces that allow maneuver and offensive operations."

Montgomery also criticized reported Pentagon deliberations over delaying long-range strike deployments to Germany and reconsidering future Tomahawk missile sales, arguing the systems are critical for deterring Russia.

"The goal here is not to fight Russia in the Baltics or in Poland. The idea here is we want to deter Russia from even trying to attack."

Looking ahead, Montgomery remains optimistic about NATO's future.

Montgomery predicted Europe will continue increasing defense spending and expanding its defense industrial base, while the alliance benefits from steadier transatlantic relations.

"I think you'll have a U.S. president that probably doesn't provoke the Europeans as much. You'll have Europe that's investing more," he said.

He also predicted NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte would be remembered for helping hold the alliance together through a period of significant change.

"I think five years from now, NATO will be stronger," he said. "And I hope we have Ukraine in there."

Israel's deputy foreign minister accused the European Union of weaponizing a "socially acceptable mask" of anti-Zionism to target Israel— after it sanctioned Israeli civil society groups that oppose a Palestinian state. It also sanctioned several individuals.

"We are witnessing a deeply troubling trend where traditional antisemitism has simply put on a new, socially acceptable mask: anti-Zionism," Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel told Fox News Digital. "Where prejudice once targeted the individual Jew, it is now directed at the collective Jewish state and our fundamental right to live in our ancestral homeland. But make no mistake, the political targeting of Israel always bleeds into an assault on Jewish life itself," Haskel added. 

The European Union imposed the sanctions on four Israeli civil society organizations and three of their senior figures, alleging support for "settler violence" and claiming they undermine prospects for a Palestinian state — a move that Regavim, one of the groups targeted, described as an infringement on Israeli sovereignty.

LEADING EVANGELICALS IN PUSH TO HAVE PRESIDENT TRUMP RECOGNIZE ISRAELI SOVEREIGNTY OVER ‘BIBLICAL HEARTLAND’

"Our entire activity consists of legal and parliamentary work. We collect and analyze information and policies and go to court and the legislature to highlight areas where Israel’s policy is either lacking or misguided," Naomi Kahn, Regavim’s director of international division, told Fox News Digital.

"The European Union is trying to control the internal political system and policies of an independent state that is supposed to be an ally. When we point out the absurdity of the situation, they don’t like it," she said.

In its announcement, the European External Action Service (EEAS) stated that "extremist settlers and the organizations supporting them contribute directly to violence, forced displacement and dispossession across the West Bank."

The sanctions, according to the EEAS, "target entities and individuals that facilitate, finance or support activities contributing to settler violence and serious human rights abuses against Palestinians."

The statement also accused Regavim of lobbying for "the demolition of Palestinian property" and referenced an EU-funded school in Jabbet al-Dhib near Bethlehem.

'SQUAD' MEMBERS 'DECIDE TO LIE AND TWIST FACTS' ABOUT ISRAEL'S HISTORY, SAYS PROMINENT ARAB ACTIVIST

Kahn said the school was constructed illegally on Israeli state land in Area C, within a nature reserve connected to the Herodian complex. She said legal proceedings were carried out regarding the structure and that it was ultimately demolished.

Under the 1993 Oslo Accords, negotiated during the Clinton administration, the West Bank was divided into three areas: Area A, under full Palestinian control; Area B, under Palestinian civil authority with Israeli security control; and Area C, under full Israeli administrative and security control.

Kahn added that an engineering assessment found the school unsafe for use, arguing that placing students and teachers inside it posed "downright dangerous" conditions.

"We pointed out that the EU and the Palestinian Authority are simply violating the law in a very purposeful, systematic way to take control of Area C using structures like schools, sometimes mosques, and homes of innocent people that they push into those areas," she added.

Regavim has published a report claiming there are 100 illegal schools in Area C that it says are being used by the P.A. as part of a broader strategy of de facto annexation.

Separately, a 2023 mapping study by Regavim estimated that roughly 103,000 unauthorized Arab-built structures exist across the West Bank, asserting that the P.A.— often with external support — has facilitated extensive illegal construction activity.

SIGN UP FOR ANTISEMITISM EXPOSED NEWSLETTER

In response, Israel’s cabinet last month approved a set of broad measures aimed at countering efforts by the P.A. to establish de facto control over disputed territories.

Under the resolution, initiatives attributed to Ramallah to create a parallel land registry in Area C were declared to have no legal validity or standing.

"The real target here is not violence, but legitimate political opposition. The sanctioned organizations do not support violent action; rather, they have consistently challenged the concept of a two-state solution and exposed how the EU actively builds illegal structures in Judea and Samaria," Haskel said, referring to the biblical names of the territories.

She accused the EU of disregarding the Oslo Accords and "attempting to unilaterally alter facts on the ground to steal Israeli land."

Haskel acknowledged there was an issue, as in any society, with some individuals who break the law, but emphasized they represent a small minority and that Israel investigates and prosecutes them. She said grouping hundreds of thousands of law-abiding Israeli residents in the West Bank together with Hamas — a genocidal terror organization responsible for mass murder — distorts moral distinctions.

She said, "This creates a false and dangerous symmetry that minimizes the exceptional threat of global terrorism while politically targeting individual Israelis. It is an unacceptable moral equivalence that blurs the line between a sovereign democracy defending its people and the savage terror apparatus trying to destroy it."

Following several requests for comment, EEAS referred Fox News Digital to its original sanctions statement.

Russia signed a landmark nuclear agreement with Kazakhstan on Thursday to build the Central Asian country’s first-ever commercial power plant, marking a major geopolitical and economic victory for President Vladimir Putin, according to reports.

The $16.5 billion project, signed during high-level bilateral talks in Astana between Putin and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, will be backed by a Russian export loan covering roughly 85% of the total cost, Reuters reported.

Rosatom, Russia’s state-run nuclear corporation, will lead construction near the village of Ulken in southeastern Kazakhstan along the shores of Lake Balkhash.

Rosatom secured the primary construction mandate after beating out competition from China National Nuclear Corp., France’s EDF and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, the outlet said.

NO LIMITS, NO INSPECTIONS: US AND RUSSIA FACE POST–NEW START ERA AS TRUMP PUSHES NEW NUCLEAR DEAL

The pact directly advances the Kremlin’s efforts to anchor its economic and geopolitical influence within former Soviet states amid Western sanctions.

According to the World Nuclear Association, Kazakhstan is the world's largest producer of uranium.

For Kazakhstan, the facility is intended to stabilize a long-term domestic energy supply, since it has struggled with old coal-reliant power infrastructure and electricity deficits for more than two decades.

"The agreement signed today on the construction of the Balkhash NPP has an important role," Tokayev said at the signing ceremony.

CAN A NEW NUCLEAR PLANT FIX NEW YORK’S POWER PROBLEM?

Putin called the deal "a flagship project in the field of peaceful nuclear energy" and said "the commissioning of the plant will make a significant contribution to the energy supply of the Kazakh economy, helping to provide businesses and households with affordable and clean energy."

"I would like to point out that, as we agreed with the president of Kazakhstan, we are not simply talking about the creation of a nuclear power plant or construction; we are talking about the creation of an entire industry, including education, personnel training, and so on," he added.

According to Kazakhstan’s atomic energy agency, the massive facility will feature two advanced VVER-1200 Generation III+ reactors.

Total development costs are estimated at $16.5 billion, with officials noting that approximately $2 billion of the sum will be allocated toward security systems and foundational infrastructure.

MYSTERIOUS 2020 EXPLOSION IN CHINA HAD HALLMARKS OF NUCLEAR TEST, US OFFICIAL ALLEGES

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027, with the first reactor slated to become operational by early 2034.

The project follows a 2024 national referendum in which Kazakh voters formally approved development at the Balkhash site.

However, the pivot to atomic energy is sensitive for local citizens. The nation hosted hundreds of Soviet nuclear weapons tests at the Semipalatinsk site between 1949 and 1989, leaving behind severe public health crises and environmental pollution.

Distrust increased over the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine, after which tens of thousands of Kazakh workers fell ill assisting in cleanup operations.

According to Bloomberg, the two countries also signed a currency swap arrangement Thursday.

Bank of Russia Gov. Elvira Nabiullina and National Bank of Kazakhstan Gov. Timur Suleimenov signed the ruble-tenge swap agreement.

A man suspected of attacking three individuals at a train station in Switzerland on Thursday morning has been arrested, according to Zurich Cantonal Police.

"About 30 meters away, I heard a man behind me shout 'Allahu akbar' five or six times, very emotionally and agitatedly," one witness reportedly recalled to the outlet Blick.

"Shortly after 8:30 a.m., a man injured three people with a bladed weapon at Winterthur train station. The suspected perpetrator was arrested by police. He is a 31-year-old Swiss national," Zurich Cantonal Police said. The three wounded Swiss nationals, ages 28, 43 and 52, were transported to the hospital, according to the release.

DEADLY SUICIDE BLAST RIPS THROUGH PAKISTAN TRAIN ROUTE, KILLING AT LEAST 23

The Associated Press reported that the incident occurred shortly before 8:30 a.m. The suspect, who was arrested five minutes after emergency services were alerted, is a 31-year-old Swiss-Turkish dual national who lives in Winterthur, regional police chief Marius Weyermann said.

The man had drawn authorities' attention in 2015 for disseminating Islamic State propaganda, Weyermann noted, according to the AP. More recently, he was sent to a psychiatric facility after calling the police emergency number and delivering "confused comments," but he departed on Wednesday after a doctor ruled he was not dangerous.

2 JEWISH MEN STABBED IN LONDON ATTACK CLASSIFIED AS TERRORISM

Two of the victims were discharged or about to be released from hospitals by mid-afternoon, Wyermann noted, according to the AP, while the 52-year-old remained hospitalized following surgery on a thigh injury.

OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY ROTC CADETS DISARM ISIS SUPPORTER SHOUTING 'ALLAHU AKBAR' DURING SHOOTING: OFFICIALS

Zurich region top security official Mario Fehr characterized the episode as "an evil act of terror," according to the AP, which reported that the official noted that the suspect was born in Switzerland, obtained citizenship in 2009 and apparently was in Turkey during much of the last two years.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

A speeding passenger train tore into a minibus packed with children in Belgium on Tuesday, crushing the vehicle and killing four people — including two children — and leaving five other children critically injured.

The violent collision happened during the morning rush near the town of Buggenhout, about 20 miles northwest of Brussels, in what officials described as one of the country’s worst rail accidents in recent history.

Authorities said the minibus appeared to drive through a closed railway crossing barrier moments before it was struck by the train, which was traveling at about 75 mph. Security camera footage showed the bus moving across the tracks before impact.

A total of nine people were aboard the bus. The bus driver, an escort and two children ages 12 and 15 were killed, according to the East Flanders public prosecutor’s office. The five surviving children were hospitalized with serious injuries.

VIDEO SHOWS THE MOMENT A PASSENGER TRAIN SMASHES INTO AN SUV, DRIVER ESCAPES WITH SECONDS TO SPARE

"What we do know is that the barrier was closed and the red light was on," spokesperson Lisa De Wilde told reporters, adding that investigators are still working to determine the exact cause of the crash.

The driver appeared to have plowed through the crossing barrier, Federal Police spokesperson An Berger said. Belgian rail operator Infrabel said the crossing system was functioning properly at the time of the crash.

"The impact was extremely violent," Infrabel spokesperson Frédéric Sacré told Belgian broadcaster RTBF, adding that the train operator had "no time to brake" before the collision.

DRIVER, VICTIMS IDENTIFIED IN ILLINOIS AFTER-SCHOOL CAMP CRASH THAT LEFT 4 DEAD, INCLUDING CHILDREN

An Associated Press journalist at the scene reported that the minibus was overturned with its front end completely crushed, while the train itself suffered relatively minor damage.

Officials said roughly 100 passengers were aboard the train, though no injuries were reported among them. Rail traffic in the area was suspended as emergency crews responded.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said he was "deeply moved by the horrific accident in Buggenhout," offering condolences to the victims’ families in a social media post.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

PARIS, France — Israel's ambassador to France says far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon's rhetoric against Jews "reminds me of Hitler," warning that foreign influence is fueling a surge in antisemitism that has some French Jews hiding their identities to survive daily life.

France recorded 1,320 antisemitic acts in 2025 — triple the 436 incidents in 2022 — but a senior member of the Jewish community leaders told Fox News Digital they refuse to retreat, even as the attacks and incidents keep coming.

Israeli Ambassador to France Joshua Zarka says France is home to Europe’s largest Muslim community and is contributing to a high volume of antisemitic incidents reported across the country each day. France also has Europe's largest Jewish community.

GLOBAL RISE IN ANTISEMITISM LEAVES JEWISH COMMUNITY ISOLATED; RABBI SAYS WORLD AT 'A TIPPING POINT'

"The number of events is extremely high — not because the French government does not fight it, but because there is this base in which antisemitism is growing," due to foreign influence, which he claimed comes from Iran, Russia, Turkey and Qatar, he said. 

While he says those state actors are fueling the fire of Jew-hatred from the outside, certain French political actors exploit antisemitism for the purpose of getting more votes. According to Zarka, foremost among them is the far-left party La France Insoumise (LFI).

"The way [LFI leader] Jean-Luc Mélenchon speaks in front of a crowd reminds me of Hitler. The way he uses the idea of uniting against one enemy by speaking of Israel is similar to the way Hitler used to speak about the Jews," Zarka said.

In February, the Human Rights League criticized Mélenchon after he mocked the pronunciation of Jewish names, including that of MEP Raphaël Glucksmann.

Mélenchon previously wrote on his blog that "antisemitism remains residual in France," remarks critics said downplayed a surge in Jew-hatred after Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre in Israel.

Fox News Digital repeatedly contacted Mélenchon’s media advisor for comment but did not receive a response.

Zarka added that, over the past three years, there has been a shift in the Jewish community’s perception of what was once considered the extreme right, with many no longer viewing the National Rally, formerly led by Marine Le Pen, as such.

CALLS FOR US TO DO MORE AS ANTISEMITIC ACTS SKYROCKET IN EUROPE: 'ENORMOUSLY PAINFUL'

"Let’s not forget that [National Rally President] Jordan Bardella went to Israel and, at Yad Vashem, made a formal commitment to fight antisemitism, be it from the right or the left, and that is significant. ... That is sinking into the mind of the Jewish community," Zarka said.

Recent incidents include the partial cutting down on Jan. 12 in Lyon of a tree planted in memory of Ilan Halimi, who was abducted and murdered in a 2006 antisemitic attack. 

On Feb. 9, a young boy wearing a kippah was assaulted by a group of five individuals, one of whom allegedly held a knife to his throat. Ten days later, acid was sprayed in two dining rooms of a kosher restaurant in Paris’s 17th arrondissement. 

On April 15, racist and antisemitic graffiti targeted three high schools in the Montpellier metropolitan area.

In March, two brothers were arrested for with what authorities described as a "deadly and antisemitic" plot after police discovered a semi-automatic weapon, a bottle of hydrochloric acid and an Islamic State flag in their vehicle.

Rabbi Elie Lemmel was targeted in two antisemitic attacks, including last June in Deauville, where he was punched in the stomach. Days later, he was attacked again in Neuilly-sur-Seine while sitting at a café terrace, when a Palestinian from Gaza struck him with a chair.

Lemmel told Fox News Digital he had almost never faced aggression before but believes the post-Oct. 7 conflict has intensified tensions. He said he understands those who choose to be more discreet and would never judge them.

"You have to be vigilant," he said. "Unfortunately, some people see a kippah, and it bothers them. Those who want to do harm will always find reasons.

"If we start hiding, it is the beginning of the end," he added. "I have always worn a kippah, and that is why I continue to wear it."

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER SUSPENDED AFTER ‘FREE PALESTINE’ BROADCAST TO ISRAELI PILOTS

Yonathan Arfi, president of the Conseil Représentatif des Institutions juives de France (CRIF), said some Jewish families now forgo displaying mezuzahs or use different names on mobile apps to avoid being identified.

"On the one hand, there is a rise in antisemitism that leads to precautionary behavior," Arfi told Fox News Digital. "On the other hand, Jewish life remains more vibrant than ever, with synagogues full and more kosher restaurants than ever before.

"We must not offer antisemitic terrorists and those driven by hatred our fear and withdrawal as a trophy," said Arfi. "Wherever possible, Jewish life must continue openly and proudly."

Immigration to Israel, he said, should nevertheless be seen as a warning sign that some Jews no longer see a future in France.

Historically, French immigration to Israel averaged between 1,500 and 2,000 people annually after the Six-Day War. The figure peaked at around 8,000 annually between 2012 and 2015, fell to about 1,000 in 2023, then rose again to more than 2,000 in 2024 and 3,500 in 2025. The Jewish Agency for Israel estimates roughly 4,000 immigrants from France in 2026.

The Israeli ambassador to Paris noted that French authorities take combating antisemitism seriously, and therefore the country remains "a relatively safe place," while urging Israelis to exercise caution when traveling to other European countries such as Spain, Belgium and even the Netherlands, "where antisemitism flourishes."

In February, President Emmanuel Macron denounced the "antisemitic hydra" that had crept into "every crack" of French society during a ceremony commemorating Ilan Halimi, a Jewish man kidnapped and tortured to death by the Gang of Barbarians in 2006.

"In 20 years, and despite the resolute efforts of our police officers, gendarmes, judges, teachers and elected officials, the antisemitic hydra has kept advancing," Macron said, according to Le Monde.

"Constantly assuming new faces, it has insinuated itself into the heart of our societies, into every crevice, too often accompanied by that same pact of cowardice: to keep silent, to refuse to see."

Macron also condemned the "Islamist antisemitism" behind the Oct. 7 Hamas-led massacre and "far-left antisemitism," which he said "rivals that of the far right."

He added that antisemitism increasingly "uses the mask of anti-Zionism to advance quietly."

Even so, bilateral ties with Israel are not without friction, with Zarka disclosing that the government of Macron refused to allow U.S. military overflights carrying weapons to Israel during the war against Iran.

"The French made the decision not to provide us with an aerial bridge for American weapon shipments to fly over during the war against Iran," he said.

It was the second time France had denied such a request, the first occurring during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the envoy noted.

A French mother who allegedly abandoned her two young children in a forest in Portugal while blindfolded was arrested with her former law enforcement boyfriend while eating at a café near Libson.

Marine Rousseau, 41, was taken into custody Thursday with Marc Ballabriga, 55, two days after the couple allegedly dumped her helpless 3- and 5-year-old children in a remote forest and left, according to Portuguese and French media.

"They stayed sitting and didn’t seem nervous," café owner Jorge Lopes told the news outlet. "They were searched and handcuffed without any stress at all. When I saw them so at ease in front of the authorities, I was astonished. It was as if they didn’t have blood running through their veins."

The boys were found crying and alone 125 miles away, MetroUK reported.

FLORIDA MOM ACCUSED OF ABANDONING DAUGHTER AT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS TO GO DRINKING AT BAR

"Given the situation of evident vulnerability, the children were taken to the home of a local resident, where they remained and received initial care in the presence of the officers until they were transferred to a hospital unit," Portuguese authorities said in a statement.

The two boys were in good health and were discharged from hospital on Thursday," Portugal's Public Ministry said.

The couple face child endangerment and abandonment charges. Ballabriga — a former French policeman who quit the force in 2010 — faces an additional aggravated assault charge.

UTAH DOOMSDAY MOM ARRESTED ABROAD AFTER ALLEGEDLY ABDUCTING FOUR KIDS, DUMPING THEM IN EUROPEAN ORPHANAGE

They were ordered held pending trial.

Rousseau’s sons were rescued by Artur Quintas, a local baker who spotted them "screaming and crying" while frantically stumbling along a main road on May 19, the New York Post reported.

They were carrying backpacks stuffed only with clothes, water and snacks.

Quintas recalled the older brother telling him that their mother and her boyfriend allegedly took them into the forest and covered their eyes as part of a "game." When they removed their blindfolds, both adults had vanished.

The pair have since been placed in temporary foster care.

Their biological father — who reported them missing on May 11 — is working to bring them back to France.

"It’s only a matter of days before I get my children back," he told French broadcaster Ici Alsace TV on Monday. "I think about them every second since the Colmar police station contacted me to tell me they were missing. My children will have to rebuild their lives, just as I rebuilt mine.

"And they don’t need to be constantly reminded of this tragedy."

LASK, Poland — Poland is expected to receive its first F-35 fighter jets "very, very soon", Polish Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Zalewski told Fox News Digital, as American and Polish forces prepare together at a key NATO air base near the alliance’s eastern flank.

Fox News Digital received exclusive access to Poland's 32nd Tactical Air Base in Lask, where commanders pointed to the hangars being prepared for the arrival of the U.S.- made fifth-generation aircraft, part of Poland's $4.6 billion purchase of 32 F-35s from Lockheed Martin.

The jets have not arrived yet, but the partnership behind them already has.

POLAND SEEKS ANSWERS AFTER PENTAGON SCRAPS PLANNED US ARMORED BRIGADE ROTATION

Polish and American personnel train, operate and in some cases are stationed together on the base, reflecting the unusually close military relationship between Warsaw and Washington at a time when NATO burden-sharing remains under political scrutiny.

Lt. Col. Pete Nanoslawski, commander of the 52nd Operations Group Detachment 1 of the U.S. Air Force, originally from New York and stationed in Poland for the past five years, told Fox News Digital that Poland’s military modernization has significantly deepened cooperation between the two militaries.

"We are experiencing incredible support from Polish-provided logistics support and Polish-provided infrastructure," Nanoslawski said while standing alongside Polish commanders on the base.

He said Poland’s investment in American military systems and joint operations reflects how seriously Warsaw views threats from Russia. "Their foreign military sales portfolio is an appetite that’s insatiable, and rightfully so."

The close relationship between the two militaries was visible throughout the visit. As Polish commanders spoke about cooperation with the United States, they frequently turned toward their American counterparts with familiarity that went beyond formal alliance language.

NATO ALLY POLAND WARNS RUSSIA, BELARUS PUSHING ILLEGAL MIGRANTS TOWARD ALLIANCE — AND THE US

"We speak the same language, only with different accents," Col. Krzysztof Duda, pilot and commander of the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Lask, told Fox News Digital.

Duda, who studied in the United States and attended the U.S. Air War College, described himself as "a child of the American education system."

"The marriage we have with the U.S. on the military level, even if you want to divorce, we would not," Duda said with a smile,"But we don’t want the divorce."

Nanoslawski added that the American presence in Poland provides "enhanced forward presence and the ability to maneuver and adjust rapidly."

The partnership is now entering a new phase with the integration of the U.S.-made F-35 into Poland’s air force fleet.

Poland signed a $4.6 billion agreement in 2020 to purchase 32 F-35A fighter jets manufactured by Lockheed Martin.

Duda, who is overseeing the implementation process at Lask, said the transition involves years of training, infrastructure upgrades and coordination with the United States.

Training to become an F-35 pilot is not just a long process, it's an expensive one too — Duda estimates that it costs around $55 million per pilot.

The base itself has undergone extensive modernization to prepare for the aircraft, including new operational infrastructure, maintenance systems and classified facilities required under American certification standards.

In an interview with Fox News Digital in Warsaw, Polish Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Zalewski confirmed the first F-35 arrival is expected soon. "I can confirm that it will be very, very soon," Zalewski said.

POLAND SHOOTS DOWN DRONES IN ITS AIRSPACE DURING RUSSIAN ATTACK ON NEIGHBORING UKRAINE

"F-35s provides very, very important capabilities, so it offers domination in the air. That is crucial in the battlefield nowadays," he added. "It will be a capability developed together with Americans."

At a time when NATO burden-sharing remains a recurring debate in Washington, Poland has emerged as one of the alliance’s strongest military partners, dramatically increasing defense spending, purchasing American weapons systems and hosting U.S. forces.

For many Polish officers, the threat from Moscow is deeply personal.

Lt. Col. "Shooter," a Polish F-16 pilot at the base, told Fox News Digital that countries on NATO’s eastern flank still carry memories of Soviet domination.

POLISH GOVERNMENT PLANS MANDATORY MILITARY TRAINING FOR ADULT MEN

"There are still people that lived in communism," he said. "We remember, and we don’t want anything like that to happen again."

Looking at Russia’s actions in Chechnya, Georgia, Crimea and Ukraine, he said Poland believes deterrence is essential.

"We have this intuition probably written in our DNA," Shooter said. "When they are doing something, they’re not going to stop unless the cost of the further operation is going to be more than what they’re going to gain."

According to the U.S. Air Force, Polish pilots began F-35 training in the United States in 2024, including at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas. The 33rd Fighter Wing announced in February that a Polish pilot had completed the first flight on Poland’s new F-35A aircraft as part of the training program.

Lockheed Martin told Fox News Digital that "integration of the F-35 into the Polish Air Force fleet advances regional deterrence, enhances interoperability and strengthens European security."

"As seen in recent combat and air policing operations, the F-35 is actively helping defend NATO and allied airspace by deterring and defeating threats, and it will protect Poland’s national security for decades to come," a company spokesperson said.

The company added that preparations are continuing for Poland’s first in-country F-35 arrival celebration at Lask in June.

A car reportedly drove into a crowd in the northern Italian city of Modena on Saturday, injuring at least eight people.

The vehicle slammed into a store window, and its driver, identified as Salim El Koudri, 31, allegedly stabbed a passerby who attempted to intervene. 

Mayor Massimo Mezzetti told Italian TV no one was killed, but eight people were injured, including four who were in critical condition.

Mezzetti said the vehicle entered one of the city’s main streets and "drove onto the sidewalk, sending several people flying," before crashing into the shop window.

He added one woman, who was pinned against a shop window, may require the amputation of both legs.

Authorities said El Koudri was born in Bergamo and raised in Modena with Maghreb origins, is unemployed, and was known to have mental disorders. There have been no confirmed links to extremist groups.

El Koudri was detained and questioned at police headquarters as authorities worked to determine if he acted deliberately, the mayor said. There was no indication he was under the influence at the time of the wreck.

Modena Prefect Fabrizia Triolo told The Associated Press that El Koudri had "been known to local mental health services for schizoid disorders," and early findings suggested "possible mental instability."

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the incident as "extremely serious" in a statement posted to X.

"I express my closeness to the injured people and their families," Meloni wrote in the post. "I also extend my thanks to the citizens who bravely intervened to stop the perpetrator and to the law enforcement agencies for their response."

Meloni said she has spoken with the mayor and remains in constant contact with the authorities to follow the developments of the situation. 

"I trust that the perpetrator will be held fully accountable for his actions," she wrote.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.