Tim Cupal

Journalist for Austrian Public Broadcaster ORF. Formerly correspondent in Tel Aviv, Brussels and DC. Views are my own. RTs are not endorsements.

[Peter R. Neumann @PeterRNeumann]

Laut US-Geheimdienstquellen ist Irans Militär deutlich stärker, als Trump immer behauptet. Noch einsatzfähig: (1) etwa die Hälfte der Raketen; (3) 60% der Revolutionsgarden-Marine; (3) zwei Drittel der Luftwaffe. 👇
https://t.co/jJA3JS8XuP

[Carl Bildt @carlbildt]

The 🇪🇺 trade deal with India obviously made Trump 🇺🇸nervous - and quickly he had to adjust 🇺🇸 policies. That was a good thing for both countries - 🇪🇺 gave leadership.

[Noga Tarnopolsky נגה טרנופולסקי نوغا ترنوبولسكي @NTarnopolsky]

💥#Boom IDF Accepts Gaza Health Ministry Toll of 71,000+ Palestinians Killed During War. The IDF notes that the estimated number of dead does not include missing residents buried under the rubble. Israel never accepted Hamas figures but never refuted them. https://t.co/jyW3Evyppw

[Yaroslav Trofimov @yarotrof]

European airlines start to cancel flights to Israel, Dubai and other Middle East destinations.

[Tim Cupal @Tim_Cupal]

Canada's PM @MarkJCarney in #Davos2026 "We are in the midst of a rupture not a transition". What a speech!

[Carl Bildt @carlbildt]

Very important and very well put remarks by 🇨🇦 PM Mark Carney. It’s time to take down the sign and speak up.

[Christiane Amanpour @amanpour]

"I think it's reaching an existential moment... for the regime." As protests spread in Iran @ksadjadpour tells me "they've snuffed larger protests than this so it's possible they will successfully repress this as well. But either way Iran is a country on the cusp of some kind of a transformation."

[Secretary Marco Rubio @SecRubio]

Today, President Trump announced the U.S. is leaving 66 anti-American, useless, or wasteful international organizations. Review of additional international organizations remains ongoing.

These withdrawals keep a key promise President Trump made to Americans - we will stop subsidizing globalist bureaucrats who act against our interests. The Trump Administration will always put America and Americans first.

More: https://t.co/VnKtITGOfS

[Brian Winter @BrazilBrian]

It's amazing how Americans don't know our own history of interventions in Latin America. In the early 20th century, we had Marines in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba. We occupied Nicaragua for more than 20 years! (1912-33, with a brief interruption) But it's not "ancient" history either: LBJ sent 20k troops into the DR in 1965. Reagan was so deep into Central American wars it could have cost him the presidency. The point is, these sorts of interventions have been the norm throughout US history. US presidents did them for different reasons -- Teddy Roosevelt saw Washington as a regional policeman ("big stick"), Woodrow Wilson wanted to "teach the South American republics to elect good men," Taft believed in acting to defend the US corporate interest ("dollar diplomacy"). With Trump we've heard versions of all these ideas in recent days. You may support it, you may oppose it, but it is not NEW at all.

[Yaakov Katz @yaakovkatz]

This is a complete farce - and a collapse of basic democratic norms. The person bearing the greatest responsibility for October 7 cannot be allowed to determine the commission that will investigate his own failures. That is unheard of in any functioning system. Israelis must be clear and united: this is unacceptable.

https://t.co/YKoNzqYYTG

[Tim Cupal @Tim_Cupal]

Unerwartet aber umso erfreulicher. Vielen Dank an all jene KollegInnen, die meine Arbeit auch in Österreich schätzen! Gratulation an alle weiteren Ausgezeichneten und vor allem an die #JournalistendesJahres2025 @JurgenKlatzer und @MatiWinterer !

[Anshel Pfeffer אנשיל פפר @AnshelPfeffer]

Best bit in this video is where Netanyahu says “my personal interest remains to continue the trial until the end” but out of the national interest, I am sacrificing my own interests and selflessly asking for a pardon

[Tim Cupal @Tim_Cupal]

@KernEva2 @KarnerStrateg Hab ich schon mehrmals berichtet, auch wieder heute Früh im ö1 Morgenjournal um 7h. (Im letzten Drittel über Telefonat-Transkript Witkoff & Kremlberater) USA machen Druck für Ende des Ukrainekriegs | Ö1 Morgenjournal, 26.11. | Radio Ö1
https://t.co/Mk7s8YLRGf

[Tim Cupal @Tim_Cupal]

Congrats und alles Gute

[Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian @manniefabian]

The IDF has reportedly begun recalling Chinese cars given to senior officers in recent years, after defense officials warned of security concerns.

Earlier this year, the IDF banned all Chinese cars from entering military bases, over fears that their sensors and cameras could be used to collect sensitive information.

The Calcalist financial paper and Yisrael Hayom daily both report today that the IDF is recalling some 700 Chinese cars, mostly the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro model, which had been offered to lieutenant colonels and colonels with large families since 2022.

The IDF declines to comment on the reports.

[Tim Cupal @Tim_Cupal]

#Netherlands -#D66 might score a surprise victory in the parliamentary elections. According to exit polls, D66 is the party with the most votes. @geertwilderspvv #PVV only in 2nd place.

[NOS @NOS]

Exitpoll Ipsos I&O: D66 (27 zetels) en PVV (25) nek aan nek, VVD op 23 https://t.co/0zySWqVacD

[Noga Tarnopolsky נגה טרנופולסקי نوغا ترنوبولسكي @NTarnopolsky]

💥Hamas is in a dance macabre with the remains of Israeli hostages & Netanyahu's hands are tied by US "Bibisitting." Today Hamas guys shot at IDF soldiers in Rafah so now, so as not to appear impotent, Netanyahu's instructed the IDF to carry out "powerful attacks" in Gaza.

[Nikolaus Wildner @NikolausWildner]

Ich freue mich sehr, gemeinsam mit Karoline Preisler @PreislerKa und Karl-Markus Gauß, mit dem Arik-Brauer-Publizistikpreis 2025 ausgezeichnet zu werden.

Der Arik-Brauer-Publizistikpreis wird jedes Jahr vom Thinktank MENA-Watch „für fundierte Beiträge zur öffentlichen Debatte verliehen, die den Nahen Osten aus einer fairen und realitätsbezogenen Perspektive betrachten.“

Da ich mich mit genau diesem Anspruch täglich an meine oft sehr herausfordernde und komplexe Arbeit mache, ist es eine schöne Anerkennung, für eben diesen Zugang ausgezeichnet zu werden. Vielen Dank, @MENA_WATCH, für diese große Ehre!

Ich gratuliere auch Karoline Preisler und Karl-Markus Gauß für Ihre Auszeichnungen und freue mich auf einen gemeinsamen Abend bald in Wien.

[Tim Cupal @Tim_Cupal]

@NikolausWildner @PreislerKa Lieber @NikolausWildner - jetzt auch noch hier herzlichen Glückwunsch für diese verdiente Auszeichnung für Deine Arbeit!

[Tim Cupal @Tim_Cupal]

@TomMayerEuropa Mein herzliches Beileid lieber Tom!

[Tim Cupal @Tim_Cupal]

Former Secretary of State @Blinken thanking @realDonaldTrump @jaredkushner @SteveWitkoff for #Gaza ceasefire and the renewed hope for lasting peace. Thread.

[Antony Blinken @ABlinken]

(1/12) In Gaza today, the guns are largely silent. If all goes as planned, the remaining Israeli hostages will return home. Palestinians will get the relief they desperately need and deserve. Nothing can erase the pain and loss of the past two years. But there is real hope of building on this step to finally end the war. President Trump and his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner deserve our collective thanks for producing this ceasefire and the renewed possibility of lasting peace.

A few reflections on how we reached this moment and where it could lead: