Nearly a month after the shocking murder of the brilliant avreich Harav Yishai Por, zt”l, inside the beis medrash of Kollel Chazon Ish in Bnei Brak on Erev Shavuos, new details about his remarkable life — and the events leading up to his petirah — have emerged from the heartbroken testimony of his chavrusos and fellow lomdei Torah, according to a Monday report in Bechadrei Charedim.



The accounts were published in the kollel’s bulletin, Kovetz Gilyonos, and have since been widely disseminated. Together they paint a portrait of an individual who was wholly removed from the vanities of this world — a man who walked the streets of Bnei Brak as though already dwelling in another realm entirely.



Harav Pur carried no mobile phone and scrupulously avoided all conversation unrelated to Torah and mitzvos. A fellow avreich who learned alongside him for years recalled that he could remember only a single instance in which Rav Por spoke to him about a mundane matter. It occurred during the height of the war, when the noise of conversation in the beis medrash became unusually heightened. Rav Por gently turned to him and inquired whether something unusual had occurred. When told that the IDF had struck Iran, Rav Por fell briefly silent — the information, by all appearances, was simply incompatible with the spiritual world he inhabited — and then returned immediately to his sefer, as though nothing had been said.



Walking the streets of Bnei Brak, he was invariably absorbed in thought, his eyes carefully guarded, oblivious to his surroundings.



Avreichim who knew him well recount that they would often greet him with “Shalom” only to receive no response — not from indifference, but from the sheer depth of his concentration. His every movement bespoke composure and deliberateness. Even his modest meal was taken quietly, in a corner of the stairwell, eaten slowly and with remarkable care. Those who spent time in his company uniformly describe the experience as one of serenity, marked always by order and cleanliness.



In the final period of his life, when young men would arrive late at night to learn in the kollel’s beis medrash, Rav Por, rather than ask them to keep the noise down or claim his rightful place, would silently withdraw to the ezras nashim and sleep there on a hard wooden bench. An avreich who regularly arrived at 4:30 in the morning to learn recalls feeling uncomfortable upon realizing he had disturbed Rav Por’s already-sparse sleep by switching on the lights. Rav Por, characteristically, met this with a smile — expressing gratitude, he explained that the light would help rouse him for netz hachama.



His emunah and bitachon were spoken of with awe. Throughout the war and the air-raid sirens, he sat undisturbed in his place and continued learning without fear. One Friday afternoon, when a powerful blast in Bnei Brak blew open the windows of the beis medrash and the room descended into panic, Rav Por — seated with his young son — calmly gestured to the boy to return to his seat, and resumed learning as though nothing had occurred.



From the very onset of the war on Simchas Torah of 5784 until his final day, Rav Por refused to sleep in his bed at home. Instead, he spread a thin blanket on the floor and slept there — even through the cold and freezing winter nights — as an act of identification with the soldiers and captives. Whenever he heard of a fellow Jew’s suffering, he would immediately request the person’s name for davening and continue to inquire after his welfare for days thereafter.



In his final days, a deeply troubled and unstable individual l had been frequenting the kollel and repeatedly provoking Rav Por with contemptuous remarks about the Rishonim and Acharonim. During one such incident — in the days immediately preceding the murder — the man directed open disparagement at the Ramchal, Harav Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, zt”l, the 18th-century kabbalist and author of Mesilas Yesharim, while Rav Por was immersed in learning the sefer. Rav Por responded with sharp protest. Fellow avreichim warned him that this individual was unstable and potentially dangerous, but Rav Pur refused to remain silent in the face of bizuy kavod Torah.



Among the many manuscripts found after his death was a letter he had written in his own hand, apparently intended to be posted on the wall of the beis medrash. In it, Rav Por called upon his fellow lomdim to accept upon themselves the study of Mesilas Yesharim as a spiritual protest against the disdainful remarks that had been voiced within the walls of their beis medrash. He never had the opportunity to put it up.



On Wednesday, the 4th of Sivan, during the afternoon break between sedorim, Rav Por sat at his shtender with a Sefer Nach open before him, his beloved son at his side. In one terrible moment, a deranged man attacked and murdered him.



Those present in those dreadful moments described Rav Por as having accepted his fate in silence and with complete acceptance — as was his way in all things — surrendering his pure neshama.



Harav Pur is survived by his wife, who in a moving letter to the avreichim of Kollel Chazon Ish described her husband’s extraordinary devotion to both Torah and his family. When she once expressed to him her deep admiration for his mesiras nefesh for Torah, he demurred: “On the contrary — I am the one who is privileged to be immersed in Torah. You are the one who surrenders yourself in practice, bearing the burden of worldly matters.” He also leaves behind a son.



Beyond manuscripts and kinyonei netzach across all areas of Torah, he left behind virtually no material possessions.



In the wake of the tragedy, the avreichim of the kollel have undertaken to recite Mishnah daily throughout the coming year l’iluy nishmaso, and have divided the entire Shas Bavli among themselves for study and completion. In a direct response to their colleague’s final protest, they have also accepted upon themselves to strengthen their study of mussar — and in particular of Mesilas Yesharim, the sefer whose author’s honor Rav Por gave his life to defend.



Yehi zichro baruch.

Slain in the Beis Medrash: New Details Emerge About the Life and Murder of Harav Yishai Por, Zt”l

Israeli media personality Yinon Magal clashed with U.S. Vice President JD Vance after sharply criticizing the Trump administration’s ceasefire deal with Iran.



Speaking to Megyn Kelly on SiriusXM, Vance was asked about Magal’s criticism, including his description of Vance as “scum” and President Donald Trump as a “loser.” Vance responded by accusing critics of the deal of echoing Tehran’s narrative.



“If you find yourself adopting Iranian propaganda only as it relates to this deal, maybe you should check yourself and question your sources,” Vance said. He also argued that opponents of the agreement were offering no real alternative beyond endless war, saying some critics wanted the fighting to continue “until every bomb has been dropped, or until every Iranian is dead.”



Magal’s criticism came after the ceasefire announcement, amid anger among Israelis who said Washington had forced Israel into stopping short against Iran. In his post, Magal said Israel had been “left alone” and accused Vance, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff of pushing a diplomatic track under pressure from Gulf states and Qatar-linked money.



Vance defended the administration’s policy, saying Trump had achieved his main goals: setting back Iran’s nuclear program, reducing Iran’s threat to its neighbors and creating space for negotiations. He also pointed to falling oil prices as proof that the deal was helping American consumers.



Magal did not back down after the interview. He posted a short response saying, “I’m with Rubio,” and added: “If Vance wants to say something to me, he should come to The Patriots,” referring to his popular right-wing Channel 14 panel show.

Israeli C14 Host Clashes With JD Vance After Blasting Iran Deal

A growing number of people close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are privately expressing concern that he will not run in the next Israeli elections, sources familiar with the situation told Belaaz Tuesday.



The sources describe significant anxiety within Netanyahu&#8217;s inner circle and within Likud more broadly over the possibility that the prime minister may choose to step aside — potentially in order to pursue a plea deal that would resolve his longstanding criminal cases — rather than lead the party into another election campaign.



Those voicing concern point specifically to Netanyahu&#8217;s handling of the recent crisis with U.S. President Donald Trump as a telling indicator. They argue that Netanyahu has failed to push back against Trump, allowing himself to be steamrolled without mounting a visible response or showing the kind of assertiveness that has historically defined his political brand. For some in his camp, the passivity is being read as a sign that he may prefer to step away from frontline politics rather than fight another campaign.



The anger within Likud is compounded by the fear that Netanyahu could announce his withdrawal at the last minute, leaving the party scrambling without adequate time to identify a successor, reorganize, and mount a competitive campaign.



Netanyahu, for his part, has pushed back against the speculation. When Trump stated last week that he had heard the prime minister would not be running, Trump subsequently walked back the remark and said Netanyahu planned to run and win. Netanyahu himself denied the reports directly when asked about them yesterday by a Channel 13 correspondent at a press conference.



Whether the denials will quiet the internal unease remains to be seen. For now, the concern among those closest to him is real — and growing.

Exclusive: Likud Insiders Fear Netanyahu May Sit Out Next Elections

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is advancing an initiative to stop the arrests of yeshivah students who have refused IDF draft orders, Belaaz has learned.



Some 30,000 yeshivah students currently face the threat of arrest over the draft, and Netanyahu is moving to bring a measure to the Knesset as early as next week that would halt those arrests. The move is being framed internally as compensation for the continued absence of a formal draft law that would provide chareidi communities with a legislative framework.



Netanyahu has appointed his cabinet secretary, Yossi Fuchs, to spearhead the initiative and advance it through the relevant governmental channels.



The push came at the direct request of two of the most prominent figures in the Torah world: the court of the Belzer Rebbe, shlit&#8221;a, and Hagaon Harav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, shlit&#8221;a, Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka in Bnei Brak and one of the senior Gedolei Hador. The involvement of both — representing the chassidish and yeshivish worlds respectively — signals unusually broad backing from within the chareidi community, and reflects the intensity of pressure Netanyahu is facing from his coalition partners to deliver a concrete win on the draft issue.



The initiative comes amid ongoing tensions over the draft law, which has been a flashpoint in Israeli coalition politics for months. With no resolution in sight on the broader legislative front, Netanyahu appears to be moving toward a more immediate, practical step that could ease the situation on the ground for thousands of yeshivah students and their families — while buying goodwill with chareidi coalition partners ahead of what is expected to be a turbulent political period

Exclusive: Netanyahu Moves to Halt Arrests of Yeshivah Draft Refusers

For months, Donald Trump spoke about Iran and Hamas in the language of force, deadlines and destruction. Iran’s nuclear facilities were “obliterated.” Hamas would face “hell to pay.” The hostages would be freed, Hamas terrorists would be crushed, and America’s enemies would learn quickly that Trump was back.



Now Israel is facing a much less dramatic reality. The Iran deal has not closed the Iranian nuclear file, but pushed key questions into another round of negotiations. Hamas has not been wiped out by American pressure, or even disarmed. Hezbollah remains a central threat in Lebanon. And instead of Washington giving Israel a blank check to finish the job, Israel may now find itself under pressure from the same president whose threats once sounded like a promise of full backing.



This is the growing gap between Trump’s words and Trump’s policy. Israel heard obliteration, while Iran got a deal. Israel heard pressure on Hamas, while Hamas survived the deadlines. Israel heard that Iran’s nuclear program had been finished, but now the world is back to discussing oversight, uranium and how to remove it.



Trump threatens first, escalates loudly, creates fear, then cuts a deal. His threats are often not meant as literal promises, but as leverage. Maybe Trump is bluffing Iran now. Maybe he is trying to draw Tehran into a trap. Maybe he wants the uranium issue exposed before he acts again. But Israel cannot build national security policy on maybe.



The Hamas example should have been a warning. Trump repeatedly issued harsh threats over the hostages and spoke as if Hamas could be forced quickly into submission. But the war did not end in 24 hours. The hostages were not all released by his threats alone, even as he took credit for progress. Hamas terrorists were not destroyed by a deadline from Washington. Israel remained the country fighting on the ground, managing international pressure and carrying the burden of a war America could not resolve.



Iran is an even bigger test. Trump’s “obliterated” language suggested the nuclear threat had been decisively handled. But if Iran’s program was truly destroyed, why does the new deal still require negotiations over nuclear material, inspections and compliance? If missiles were part of the threat, why are they now treated as negotiable? And if Hezbollah and Lebanon are folded into a broader framework, Israel may be asked to restrain itself against the same Iranian-backed threats Trump once vowed to crush.



This is where Trump’s broader style becomes relevant. Greenland would be acquired. Canada could become the 51st state. Some of it may be joking or negotiation, but the pattern is clear: Trump often speaks in maximalist outcomes long before the reality exists.



For most countries, that kind of speech can be dismissed as antics. For Israel, it is different. When an American president threatens Iran, Israel listens. When he says Hamas will pay, Israeli families of hostages listen. When he says nuclear sites were obliterated, Israeli officials, soldiers and citizens weigh that statement against the risk of the next war.



That does not mean Trump is anti-Israel or that every threat was meaningless. His willingness to use force, impose pressure and break diplomatic taboos has often helped Israel. But the Iran deal is exposing a harder truth: Trump’s strongest words are not always a policy commitment. Sometimes they are a negotiating position or a headline. Sometimes they are a way to project strength while preparing to compromise.



That is the danger now. Israel may discover that the same words that once reassured it can later be used to restrain it. Trump can praise Israel one day and pressure Netanyahu the next. Maybe this is a genius plan. Maybe he is setting a trap. But a country facing Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran across the region cannot afford to confuse dramatic language with strategic certainty.



Trump’s big threats are catching up with Israel because they created expectations that reality is not meeting. The lesson is not that Israel should ignore him. It is that Israel must read him carefully.

Trump’s Big Threats Are Catching Up With Israel

Israeli politicians from across the political spectrum sharply attacked President Donald Trump’s agreement with Iran on Monday, warning that the deal leaves major threats to Israel unresolved.



Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called the agreement “bad for Israel and for the entire free world. Period,” and said Israel would need to “continue the campaign to topple the regime ourselves, in creative ways.” National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said, “Trump’s agreement does not bind us. Israel is not subordinate to the U.S.; we are an independent and sovereign state.” He added: “We are not partners to this agreement, which does not care for our security. We must not withdraw from any territory our fighters captured.”



Opposition lawmaker and the forefront challenger to Netanyahu Gadi Eisenkot said “the security and regional opportunity that Israel’s government was obligated to take was missed,” calling it “the sad result of a failed government” that acted “without strategy.” Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Israel’s war goals were “the complete and permanent dismantling of the nuclear program, regional terror and missiles, and removing 460 kilograms of enriched uranium from Iran.” He added: “These goals were not achieved,” calling the deal “a dangerous turn for Israel’s security.”



Opposition leader Yair Lapid said “the emerging agreement does not achieve any of Israel’s war goals,” arguing that “the regime survives, the missile program exists, and Iran can rebuild the nuclear program.” He called it “Netanyahu’s complete failure” and said Israel was becoming “a protectorate that receives instructions about its national security.”



Democrats chairman Yair Golan said Israeli citizens had awakened to “an agreement made over their heads,” and that “with one stroke of the pen, enormous military achievements were erased.” 



As criticism mounted from both coalition and opposition figures, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had not publicly commented on the agreement.

Israeli Leaders Across Political Spectrum Attack Trump Iran Deal

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced Tuesday that Israel has ended a key provision of the Chevron Agreement, after planning and construction powers for Chevron’s Jewish community and Maarat Hamachpela were transferred away from the Palestinian-run Chevron Municipality.



The Chevron Municipality is the local Palestinian authority that governs the Arab-majority city. Under the arrangement announced by Smotrich, it will no longer have authority over planning issues tied to the Jewish community in Chevron and holy sites.



“Yesterday we canceled the Chevron Agreements,” Smotrich said. “For many years, one of the most absurd clauses of Oslo remained in place, under which authorities relating to the Jewish community in Chevron and the holy sites were dependent on the terrorist municipality of Chevron. Yesterday we put an end to that.”



The move followed a security cabinet decision approved several months ago, and was completed after the Supreme Planning Council approved the necessary steps Monday night. Israeli authorities will now handle planning and building decisions in those areas.



The 1997 Chevron Agreement divided the city into Palestinian and Israeli-controlled areas. Smotrich’s announcement does not mean the entire agreement was formally canceled, but targets one planning arrangement that remained in place under the post-Oslo framework.



“This is much more than a planning measure. It is a historic correction,” Smotrich said. “We are continuing the revolution of regulating settlement, strengthening governance and deepening Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.”

Smotrich Says Israel Ends Palestinian Control Over Building Decisions in Chevron

As anxiety mounts across Eretz Yisrael and the broader Jewish world over the agreements between the Trump administration and the Iranian regime, many are recalling a shiur delivered two years ago by one of the most prominent poskim of our time, HaGaon Harav Moshe Shternbuch, shlita, Raavad of the Edah HaChareidis.



The remarks, shared by a grandson of Harav Shternbuch, were delivered to a distinguished gathering of prominent businessmen and wealthy individuals who had come from abroad to meet with the Gadol. The occasion was the period immediately following Donald Trump&#8217;s election to his second term — a moment when, as the grandson described it, most of the Klal, including much of the frum political establishment, was celebrating, viewing the incoming president as a steadfast friend and reliable protector of Jewish interests.



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It was precisely into that atmosphere of euphoria that Harav Shternbuch chose to deliver a sharply worded rebuke.



Making a point of speaking in English — so that his words would penetrate directly into the hearts of his listeners — the Posek began:



&#8220;Today there are many people who rely on the new President of the United States, completely confident in their hearts that he&#8217;s the one who&#8217;s going to help us. But we have to know and internalize — these people, who are placing their trust in humans, are delaying the arrival of Moshiach! Only when we truly and sincerely understand that Hakadosh Baruch Hu is the only Power that can help us, and that there is nothing else besides Him — only then will we merit the yeshuah.&#8221;



He then pressed further, cautioning against the seductive illusion of worldly power:



&#8220;No one can help us — only Hashem alone. The President of the United States won&#8217;t bring our yeshua. The future Geulah will happen only when we recognize that any direction of thought about a big army, a powerful air force, or boasting that &#8216;we are very strong&#8217; — has no substance to it whatsoever, and nothing good can come of it. The only thing we have in this world is the Ribono Shel Olam, and when Klal Yisroel recognizes that there&#8217;s no other way except the way of Hashem, we will merit the final geulah.&#8221;



Words that at the time struck some listeners as removed from political reality have since taken on a chilling resonance. &#8220;Ruach HaKodesh spoke from his throat,&#8221; people across the Torah world are now saying, as the very scenario the Rav warned against — reliance on an American president as savior — appears to be playing out.



The pasuk the Rav invoked captures the eternal lesson: Al tivtechu bindivim, uv&#8217;ven adam she&#8217;ein lo teshuah — &#8220;Do not rely on nobles, nor on a human being who holds no salvation&#8221; (Tehillim 146:3).



The grandson who shared the account noted that the words were not delivered as political commentary, but as a call to emunah — a reminder, in the Rav&#8217;s own words, that ein lanu al mi lehisha&#8217;en ela al Avinu shebashamayim.

‘We Have No One to Rely On’: The Ruach Hakodesh Warning of HaGaon Harav Moshe Shternbuch, Shlita

A landmark agreement between the United States and Iran was reached late Sunday night, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced, capping an extraordinarily turbulent day that had opened with an Israeli military strike in Beirut throwing the entire diplomatic process into jeopardy. The deal, whose formal signing is set for Friday, June 19, in Switzerland, includes an immediate and permanent end to military operations on all fronts — including in Lebanon.



Sharif announced that mediators would facilitate a series of pre-implementation meetings during the coming week to lay the groundwork for the technical discussions ahead of the signing. In his statement, he extended thanks to the United States and Iran for their commitment to a diplomatic resolution, singled out Qatar’s leadership for what he described as vital support in reaching the agreement, and paid tribute to Saudi Arabia and Turkey for their “immense contributions” to the process.



President Trump confirmed the deal in a spcial media post. &#8220;The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all! I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade. Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow! President DONALD J. TRUMP&#8221;



The agreement came after hours of frenzied back-channel diplomacy during which the deal had appeared to be in serious danger. The day had been marked by an unprecedented public rupture between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an initial Iranian rejection of U.S. overtures, and intense mediation efforts by a coalition of countries including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.



The crisis was set off by a Hezbollah drone attack earlier in the day, in which several drones penetrated Israeli airspace and exploded in Israeli territory. Though no casualties were reported, Israel’s military authorized a retaliatory strike against Hezbollah infrastructure in the Dahieh suburb of Beirut — the very day the U.S.-Iran framework was expected to be signed. In an extraordinary public rebuke of a sitting Israeli prime minister, Trump issued a blistering post on Truth Social shortly after the Beirut strike, writing: “This morning’s attack on Beirut should not have happened, particularly on a special day when we are so close to a Peace Deal with Iran.”



Trump went on to argue that the provocation Israel was responding to was disproportionately minor. “Israel has the right to defend itself against threats, but the attack it was responding to was very small and meaningless, nobody was hurt, injured, or killed, and should not disrupt this important process,” he wrote.



The President also claimed that the U.S.-Iran agreement would encompass Lebanon — and called on all sides to stand down immediately. “We are very close to a deal that will bring peace to the region, including to Lebanon, and all sides should stand down,” he wrote. “There should be no more attacks by Israel anywhere in Lebanon, but there should also be no more attacks by any other party, including Hezbollah, against Israel. This could be the beginning of a long and beautiful peace — Let’s not blow it!”



In his most blunt remarks, Trump told journalist Barak Ravid of Axios: “Why did Bibi carry out this attack? Hezbollah fired and hit the middle of nowhere. Nobody was hurt. Then he had to carry out that… attack, and in Beirut of all places. It really angered me.” He added: “Bibi has no… judgment. I passed that message to him. I’m very unhappy.”



Despite the disruption, Trump said he believed the signing could still take place. “We were supposed to sign the agreement this morning and the Israeli strike in Beirut delayed it,” he said. “I think the signing will still happen today in a few hours. But the Israeli strike shook things up.”



Even as Trump spoke publicly, American diplomats were scrambling behind the scenes to contain the fallout. Reports emerged that the U.S. administration had offered Iran financial incentives in exchange for refraining from a military response to Israel’s Beirut strike. Tehran rejected the overture. Iranian officials stated flatly: “We will not betray our allies [Hezbollah]. The response is close.”



Channel 12 subsequently reported that Iran was still weighing the incentives on offer from Washington — based on information from two Western sources — and that intensive negotiations between the U.S. and Iran were ongoing to prevent Tehran from firing missiles at Israel.



Israeli officials assessed that the Trump administration would likely offer Iran additional concessions — beyond those already on the table — in exchange for continued restraint. The nature of those reported concessions was not publicly disclosed, but the issue was said to be the central focus of diplomatic activity. U.S. officials simultaneously made clear to Israel that Jerusalem should not, under any circumstances, take any action that could jeopardize the agreement — and that even in the event Iran did respond militarily, Israel would be expected to refrain from retaliating.



Israel’s Channel 12 further reported that Trump had communicated strong warnings to Iran that if Tehran dared attack — triggering an Israeli response and further escalation that would collapse the negotiations — he would hold Tehran responsible for the consequences. Trump’s unusually harsh public statements landed with significant force in Jerusalem. One of Netanyahu’s closest associates told Channel 12 that Trump’s Truth Social post was received with astonishment. A senior Israeli official went further, describing Trump’s remarks as a fundamental challenge to the bilateral relationship. “Trump’s announcement is a resounding slap in the face,” the official said. “The restrictions have reached a new level — the expectation that we not strike inside Lebanese territory is inconsistent with the notion of a strategic ally.”



The Israeli reaction reflected weeks of building tension within the government over the scope of military freedom Israel would retain as U.S.-Iran diplomacy progressed. Defense officials have argued that any restriction on the IDF’s operational latitude carries significant security and political implications. An ongoing internal debate in Jerusalem had centered on exactly how constrained Israeli military options would be, particularly in Lebanon, as the two powers moved closer to a deal.



Deepening the complexity of the crisis, Maariv reported — citing two Israeli officials — that Trump had raised the issue of the Israeli military presence in southern Lebanon and on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon in recent conversations with Netanyahu. Among the options discussed is a full Israeli withdrawal from all five IDF-held positions in southern Lebanon as well as from its foothold on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon. These steps, according to the report, are being considered as part of broader understandings that would include a comprehensive ceasefire and the cessation of all offensive military activity across the region.



Israeli sources noted that discussions are no longer limited solely to immediate security concerns for the north, but extend to broader questions of Israel’s position and leverage as wider regional diplomacy unfolds.



Significant questions remain unanswered, including the precise terms of the nuclear provisions, the mechanism for verifying the ceasefire in Lebanon, and Israel’s posture toward the agreement — particularly given the public friction with Washington that dominated much of the day. Jerusalem has not officially responded to the deal announcement.

U.S.-Iran Deal Reached After Day of Turmoil Sparked by Beirut Strike

U.S. federal filings released Wednesday say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was among the possible targets discussed by five suspects accused of plotting an attack around the White House UFC Freedom 250 event on Sunday. The alleged plot, which authorities say was stopped before it could be carried out, also centered on President Donald Trump and other senior figures expected at the event.



According to the Justice Department and U.S. reports, the suspects discussed using explosive drones to create panic and force an evacuation from the event. Investigators said the plan then called for sniper teams to target “high value targets” as people fled. CBS reported that no drones were recovered, and that law enforcement sources described that part of the plan as still being in a discussion and research stage.



Reports on the filings said Netanyahu appeared among the figures discussed by the suspects as a possible target, under the code name “N,” though it was unclear how operational that element of the plot was, since the Israeli prime minister was not at the event. The filings also pointed to an anti-Israel and antisemitic motive, with suspects allegedly discussing lawmakers tied to pro-Israel donations. Reports said images of members of Congress appeared to come from TrackAIPAC, a site that tracks political donations from pro-Israel groups.



The five suspects were named by the Justice Department as Tycen C. Proper, Bryan Omar Roa, Michael Alan Thomas, Daniel K. Eskridge and Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez. The investigation reportedly began on June 10 after Proper’s mother contacted police about his behavior, weapons purchases and online contacts. Investigators said the group mixed anti-government views with conspiracy theories and hostility toward U.S. support for Israel.



FBI Director Kash Patel said the “planned attacks were stopped cold.” Authorities said the defendants face federal charges connected to the alleged plot. They are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Federal Filings Say Netanyahu Was Possible Target In Foiled White House UFC Plot

FIFA is pushing for Israel and Palestine to face each other in the opening match of its first-ever under-15 year old soccer tournament, according to a report by The Athletic.



The tournament is expected to take place in the United States in September and will be open to all 211 FIFA member associations. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said “We have a beautiful Under-15 tournament coming up, in which we will invite all 211 countries to participate, all the children of the world. Let’s do it for this. Let’s work together, you have the support of the whole room.”



But the plan has already run into difficulties. When Infantino tried last month to bring Israeli and Palestinian soccer officials together for a public photo, Palestinian Football Association President Jibril Rajoub refused. According to the report, Rajoub told him: “Please, please, please, we are suffering.”



The Israel Football Association said chairman Moshe Zuares has repeatedly made clear that Israeli football is ready to use the game as a bridge. “We are more ready than ever to use football as a tool to promote normalization and peace,” the association said.



“Our hand is always extended toward a better future for everyone,” it added. “We hope to find a courageous partner on the other side.”



The proposed match has not been finalized. FIFA is still working to turn the fixture into the tournament’s opening game, despite the political sensitivities surrounding any Israel-Palestine meeting.

FIFA Pushing For Israel-Palestine Opening Match At New Tournament

The Jewish community of Panama came together over three days last week for a major celebration, culminating in an emotional siyum haShas and semichah ceremony, as part of a chizuk mission led by Harav Berel Lazar, shlit&#8221;a, Chief Rabbi of Russia.



The visit, organized by Kollel Torah Panama under the leadership of Rosh HaKollel Rav Menachem Mendel Shochat, included tours of local educational institutions, shiurim, and Shabbos davening and tefillos across the community&#8217;s shuls. Rabbi Lazar also spent time with dozens of students from Yeshivas Ohel Torah of Borough Park, who are currently in Panama for a summer program, offering them words of encouragement and blessing each one individually.



The highlight of the visit came Motzaei Shabbos, when the community gathered for the siyum haShas, completed by student Yosef Yitzchak Rabinowitz, who had begun learning Shas during his time at a yeshivah ketanah in Moscow and merited finishing it in Panama. His father, Reb Shalom DovBer Rabinowitz, a senior figure at the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute, was present for the milestone.



The siyum also featured a rare moment of communal unity, as the outgoing Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Panama, Harav Dovid Peretz, delivered heartfelt parting remarks at his final communal event, alongside the incoming Sephardic Chief Rabbi, Harav Aharon Silvera, Rav of Kehillas Shabbos Achim. Chabad shluchim, community board members, and rabbanim from across Panama&#8217;s communal spectrum were in attendance.



&#8220;Having seen many communities around the world, I can say with confidence: Panama is a shining example of the growth and flourishing of a Jewry built on Torah, education, and unity,&#8221; Rabbi Shia Deitsch of Chabad in Russia told Belaaz.



The event also included a reception attended by the Israeli ambassador, the Israeli consul, and local public figures, who expressed admiration for the Jewish world in Russia and elsewhere in the diaspora.



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Panama Jewish Community Unites for Siyum HaShas, Visit by Chief Russian Rabbi Harav Berel Lazar

Hundreds of mispallelim gathered at Bais Hamedresh Lutzk in Lakewood on Wednesday morning to join a Keren Olam Hatorah &#8220;shutfus&#8221; (partnership) campaign, raising over $100,000 for kollel yungerleit within the first few minutes of the event&#8217;s launch, with the opportunity to sign a shutfus contract with a leading Rosh Yeshiva.



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The event, held under the leadership of the shul&#8217;s Rav, Harav Zalman Sorotzkin, drew a large crowd to the beis medrash, which is known for its morning kollel where hundreds of people learn in the early hours and throughout the day. Harav Chaim Mordechai Ausband, Rosh Yeshiva of Ateres Shlomo, also attended the event.



The campaign benefits kollelim and yeshivos in Eretz Yisrael through Keren Olam Hatorah. Dozens of participants took the opportunity to sign a shtar shutfus, acquiring a share in the zechus of supporting yungeleit and bochurim for the coming year. As the event continued, the total raised climbed further as additional participants joined. Harav Ausband and Rav Sorotzkin both signed the shtar.

Yissachar/Zevulun Campaign Lets Everyday Yidden Become ‘Shutfim’ With Leading Rosh Yeshiva

Axios reports that CIA Director John Ratcliffe briefed President Trump and top officials, stating U.S. intelligence raises major doubts about Iran&#8217;s willingness to make key nuclear concessions in any final deal. 



According to the report, skepticism runs deep within Trump&#8217;s team, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also expressing concerns in internal talks.

CIA Warns Trump: Serious Doubts Over Iran Nuclear Deal

New York’s newly approved pied-à-terre tax could force entire co-op buildings to shoulder major financial burdens if wealthy second-home owners refuse to pay, according to real estate professionals and co-op advocates who say the law does not properly account for how cooperative ownership works.



“It’s not the shareholder that suffers the consequences, it’s the entire building that suffers the consequences,” Jason Haber, co-founder of the American Real Estate Association and a Compass broker, told The NY Post.



The tax, pushed by Gov. Kathy Hochul and supported by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, was included in the state budget and signed into law last month.



The measure targets luxury residences that are not owners’ primary homes and is projected to bring in hundreds of millions of dollars each year from affluent second-home owners.



However, real estate experts warn that collecting the surcharge could create significant complications for co-op boards, especially in smaller buildings.



Unlike condominiums, where each apartment has its own separate tax lot, co-ops are treated as a single property for tax purposes.



The building pays the property taxes as one entity, with costs then passed on to shareholders through monthly maintenance fees.



“As regards to the pied-à-terre tax, the legislation requires the co-op to pay the surcharge in the same way that they pay their real estate taxes, and the co-op must then charge the impacted shareholder back and hope to collect the surcharge from them,” Rebecca Poole, director of membership and communication for the Council of New York Cooperatives and Condominiums, told The Post.



That system could force co-op boards to cover large payments upfront while trying to recover the money from owners who may not live in the building.



“It’s possible that co-ops could be out the funds while waiting for the shareholder who is subject to the surcharge to pay the charge back,” Poole said.



The issue could be especially difficult for smaller buildings where one expensive apartment could generate a major tax obligation.



“For example, if you have a five-unit co-op and the pied-à-terre tax applies to the largest unit — which may be comprised of a couple of combined units — the other four shareholders might be forced to quickly come up with a large sum of money that they don’t have to pay, the surcharge, while they try to collect the funds from an out-of-town pied-à-terre owner,” Poole said.



Haber said enforcement could create additional complications because co-ops do not have separate tax parcels for individual apartments.



“You cannot put a tax lien on an individual unit in a cooperative because there is no tax lot for that unit,” Haber said.



“Instead, what do you do? You put a lien on the entire building.”



Haber said a conflict involving one shareholder could potentially impact everyone living in the building.



“If someone’s trying to sell their apartment and the buyer is getting financing, that buyer may not be able to get financing because of the tax lien,” he said.



“It creates a cloud on the building.”



He argued that lawmakers did not fully consider the structure of co-op ownership when creating the policy.



“There’s only one tax lot for the entire building, so how do you assess a tax on an individual shareholder? This is the problem,” he said.



Poole said many co-op boards are still trying to figure out whether the new surcharge applies to their properties and which shareholders could be affected.



“The two problems we potentially see happening are lack of clarity among co-ops in general as to whether or not this will apply to them, because in the press it’s been about the $5 million figure and the market value doesn’t line up with that exactly,” she said.



She said boards should begin reviewing their buildings now to prepare for possible impacts.



“The first step we’re encouraging is for co-op and condo boards to look and see if this will apply to any of their apartments and then start to prepare,” Poole said.



Haber said some boards are already considering limiting future pied-à-terre ownership to avoid possible financial exposure.



“The whole building is impacted if one shareholder doesn’t pay the tax,” he said.



A spokesperson for Gov. Hochul told The Post that “the city will identify who is covered by the law, communicate that to the boards, who are then required to pass that information on to the owner.”



“The boards don’t have to tally their own bill and aren’t penalized for anything to do with reporting info,” Hochul’s office told The Post.



“Co-ops are already responsible for collecting property taxes, so it makes sense that they would also collect a surcharge.”



The governor’s office also said the law “includes tools for the city to directly enforce against the unit owner, in addition to the co-op’s own right to collect from the shareholder.”



“In a co-op setting the building’s property taxes already are determined at the building level and then apportioned based on stockholders’ ownership shares,” the governor’s office told The Post.



“That is sensible in the context of a coop, where a unit owner actually has a percentage of shares in the corporation that owns the underlying property.”



When asked about whether co-ops might ban pied-à-terre arrangements to avoid liability, the governor’s office said: “This tax applies to a narrow class of high value, secondary residence that by definition are not primary residences for New Yorkers.”



“Nothing in this policy would diminish housing options made available to New Yorkers.”

NY’s Pied-à-Terre Tax Could Leave Entire Co-Op Buildings Facing Huge Bills, Advocates Warn

The full text of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the United States and Iran was disclosed Wednesday evening after a senior American official outlined its fourteen points to reporters on a background briefing call, according to the New York Times. The document, which was reportedly signed electronically on Sunday by President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf, lays out a framework for a ceasefire, nuclear discussions, and sweeping economic relief — while leaving the most contentious issues to follow-on negotiations.



The MOU declares “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” with both countries pledging not to initiate war or use force against each other. It also commits to protecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon. A final deal is to be concluded within 60 days, extendable by mutual consent.



On the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. pledged to begin lifting its naval blockade upon signing, with full removal within 30 days after a final deal. Iran, for its part, committed to arranging safe passage for commercial vessels within 30 days, pending the removal of technical and military obstacles and demining. Tehran is to conduct dialogue with Oman on future administration of the Strait, in line with international law.



The document commits the U.S. and regional partners to develop a plan of at least $300 billion for reconstruction and economic development of Iran, with the mechanism to be finalized within 60 days. The U.S. further agreed to “terminate all types of sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” including United Nations Security Council resolutions, IAEA Board of Governors resolutions, and all unilateral U.S. sanctions, primary and secondary, on an agreed schedule as part of a final deal.



On the nuclear dimension — widely seen as the crux of the dispute — the MOU states only that “Iran reaffirms that it shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons.” The two sides agreed to resolve the disposition of enriched stockpiles through a mutually agreed mechanism, with the minimum being “down-blending on site under the supervision of the IAEA.” Questions of enrichment and other nuclear matters are left to the final deal. Iran agreed to maintain the current status quo of its nuclear program in the interim, and the U.S. agreed not to impose new sanctions or deploy additional forces in the region.



In what amounted to significant immediate sanctions relief, the U.S. committed to issuing “waivers for the export of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products, and derivatives, and all associated services, including banking transactions, insurances, transportation,” effective upon signing. Frozen Iranian assets are also to be made fully available for use upon the MOU’s implementation, with procedures to be negotiated. An executive mechanism will be established to monitor compliance. The final deal is to be endorsed by a binding U.N. Security Council resolution.



President Trump forcefully defended the agreement at a closing press conference of the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, on Wednesday, arguing that continuing the bombing campaign would have caused an “economic catastrophe.”



“If we didn’t do this deal, we could have dropped more bombs for another three weeks, two to four weeks, [but] you would never have the Hormuz Strait open. You would never have success,” Trump said. “Your market would have, instead of going up at levels that nobody’s ever seen before, would go down at levels that nobody ever saw before.”



Trump acknowledged that the last two days of U.S. bombing alone cost approximately $200 million, and revealed that the U.S. would have run out of munitions within roughly four weeks had the campaign continued. “We run out of reserves in about four weeks,” he said, adding that reserves “all over the world” were at risk of being depleted. He also said he had deliberately avoided bombing Iran’s oil facilities and desalination plants to prevent a humanitarian crisis and avoid what he called a potential “international depression.”



Trump opened the press conference declaring that the deal “achieves everything we set out to accomplish — ending the current conflict, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and preventing Iran from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon.” He expressed optimism about Iranian intentions going forward. “I think they’re going to behave much differently. They see a different way of life that they were never exposed to,” he said.



At the same time, the president was blunt that his threat of resumed military action is what will keep Iran in line, not any legally binding enforcement mechanism within the MOU itself. Pressed by a reporter on whether the agreement contains anything actually enforceable to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, Trump replied: “There doesn’t have to be.” He explained: “What else am I going to do? Am I going to say, ‘I’m going to take you to court’? ‘Let me just sue you’? No. We’re gonna bomb the hell out of them if they violate the agreement.”



Trump did concede that his threat is personal rather than structural. “That’s with me as president. If you have a weak, pathetic president, maybe that doesn’t happen,” he said.



Trump continued to downplay the urgency of securing Iran’s stockpiles of highly enriched uranium, claiming they are buried deep under rubble at the three nuclear sites the U.S. bombed, and that Tehran cannot access them in any case. “It’s actually not valuable, but we’d like to get it psychologically,” Trump said. He added that the U.S. has “Space Force cameras” monitoring the sites and that only the U.S. and China have the equipment to reach the material.



Analysts note that it has not been publicly confirmed that all stockpiles are located at those three sites. Iran is also believed to hold uranium enriched to lower levels at other locations, material that can also be converted into a weapon. Despite his relaxed posture, Trump said the issue will nonetheless be at the top of talks with Iran over the next two months. “They’ll work closely with us to turn over the so-called enriched material,” he said.



On Iran’s ballistic missile program — a major concern for Yerushalayim — Trump similarly pushed back on calls for complete disarmament. “They have to have some [missiles] because other people have some. You gotta have some,” he said, mocking what he described as hawkish advisers who want Iran to have none. “They’re going to let Saudi Arabia have missiles, but [Iran] can’t have them? It doesn’t work that way.” He added that missiles “hurt a little location, but they don’t blow up the planet.” Trump did acknowledge that Iran’s missile program, support for proxy forces, and the enriched uranium issue will all be addressed in the upcoming follow-on negotiations.



The president acknowledged he was facing sharp criticism from hawkish allies and commentators over the deal. “There are some writers — some who I thought were friends of mine — but I don’t want them as friends anymore, because they’re either stupid or they’re bad people,” he said.



A senior U.S. official on the briefing call sought to explain the decision to immediately waive sanctions on Iranian oil exports, saying that Iran had been selling oil to China regardless of the sanctions regime, at a steep discount. “It’s absurd to sanction Iranian oil in such a way that they are still allowed to sell that oil,” the official said. A second senior official argued that the sanctions relief will amount to only “single digit billions of dollars” compared to the hundreds of billions in damage Iran sustained during the war, and added that easing the oil sanctions also benefits global oil prices.



The officials also revealed that the sanctions waiver is embedded in the text of the MOU itself and takes effect immediately — an apparent departure from earlier administration messaging that sanctions relief would be contingent on Iranian concessions in follow-on nuclear talks.



Trump, for his part, said that any broader U.S. sanctions relief would be “based on merit,” even as preparations for the oil waiver were already underway. He also said that the $300 billion reconstruction fund, while in the MOU’s text, does not actually obligate Washington to contribute.



The senior U.S. official on the briefing call took aim at both Israeli and Iranian media for what he described as mischaracterizing the deal. “This is fundamentally an agreement that allows us to open the Strait of Hormuz immediately, commits the Iranians to destroying the nuclear dust, and then gives us a dial where, if the Iranians dial up their good behavior, we respond by dialing up the kind of economic and sanctions relief that could make them a more prosperous country,” the official said.



The official insisted that the U.S. side incurs no binding obligations. “It commits us to quite literally nothing, but if Iranians do a lot of good, then we want to reward that good behavior and transform their relationship with the Middle East and the world,” he said. Critics, however, point to the oil export waiver and the frozen assets provisions as immediate, concrete U.S. concessions that appear in the text itself.



Relations between Washington and Yerushalayim appeared strained Wednesday amid the controversy over the deal. Israel is said to overwhelmingly oppose the MOU, on the grounds that Iran’s sole formal commitment on nuclear weapons is a pledge not to obtain or develop them — a pledge nearly identical to the one Tehran made in the 2015 Obama-era nuclear agreement — with all broader concessions from Iran left merely for discussion in follow-on talks during which Iran will receive significant sanctions relief.



Trump revived a long-standing grievance against Binyamin Netanyahu at the G7 press conference, again accusing Israel of pulling out of a joint 2020 operation to kill IRGC Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani. Trump said Israel was “all set the night before the attack” and then backed out, at which point the U.S. proceeded alone. He had largely refrained from airing this complaint since becoming the Republican presidential nominee in 2024, when his ties with Netanyahu improved markedly — but those ties appear to have frayed in recent weeks over disagreements about Israel’s conduct in Iran and Lebanon.



Even as he aired the grievance, Trump spoke warmly of Netanyahu personally. “Bibi Netanyahu happens to be a good man, but he gets a little excited sometimes,” Trump said. He called Netanyahu “an amazing prime minister” and said that Israel acknowledges the U.S. as “the big partner.”



On Lebanon specifically, Trump said he has urged Netanyahu to “do a little softer touch” and criticized what he described as Israel knocking down a building every time a Hezbollah member enters it. He reiterated his preference for Syria to fight Hezbollah in place of Israel, and suggested Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa might be open to doing so with greater precision, though he acknowledged the idea may not be broadly welcomed. He also said Israel had by Wednesday received a copy of the MOU — reportedly after having initially been denied access due to American concerns about leaks.



Trump said he told Netanyahu directly that Israel should be grateful for the agreement. “I told Bibi, ‘The biggest risk was that they drop a nuclear weapon into the middle of Israel.’” He said the most important thing Israel sought was protection from a nuclear strike — and the deal provides that. “So, I think they’re happy,” he said.



Senior American officials told Israel’s Channel 12 that Washington had kept Netanyahu fully informed about the terms of the MOU throughout the process. They claimed Netanyahu described the agreement as potentially a “home run” if implemented as written, even while expressing skepticism about whether it would be. The officials denied reports that Yerushalayim had been excluded from knowledge of the agreement’s content, saying that even if Netanyahu had not seen the complete text in the past day or two, he was aware of what it contained. They said Netanyahu never formally requested to see the full document. The Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment on the report.



Channel 12 had previously reported that Israel had yet to be briefed on the official terms and that a request to review the document was turned down by Washington over fears of a leak.



Separately, according to a report by Axios, both Washington and Tehran, as well as mediating parties, were Wednesday weighing an electronic signing of the MOU as early as Wednesday itself, rather than at a planned in-person ceremony in Switzerland on Friday. The reported impetus was to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as quickly as possible. Axios noted a potential added motivation: political pressure on the administration to release the text of the agreement publicly. One diplomatic source indicated no prior electronic signing had actually taken place, contradicting earlier administration statements that Trump, Vance, and Ghalibaf had signed on Sunday. A second source characterized any Wednesday signing as a “second signing.” The outlet noted it was unclear why two digital signings would be required. The in-person meeting in Switzerland between Vance and Ghalibaf was said to remain on schedule for Friday regardless of any remote signing.



A senior U.S. official confirmed that Tuesday marked the first day since the outbreak of the war on which Iran did not fire on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The development was seen as a positive indicator that Tehran is beginning to implement its MOU commitment on Strait access, though the official timeline for full commercial traffic restoration allows up to 30 days for demining and removal of technical obstacles.



The developments on Wednesday came amid continued active military operations in the region. The IDF reported that it destroyed a launcher used by Hezbollah to fire rockets at Israeli troops. The broader question of what the MOU means for Israel’s ongoing campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon remains in dispute, with Trump publicly pressing for a softer approach even as the agreement pledges a halt to hostilities on all fronts including Lebanon.



Follow-on negotiations between the U.S. and Iran are expected to begin imminently, with the deadline for a final deal set at 60 days from the MOU’s signing, with the possibility of extension by mutual consent.

U.S.-Iran MOU: Deal’s Text Revealed, Trump Defends Agreement and Says Iran is Entitled to Missiles

Masked burglars broke into the Chernobyl beis medrash on Chavakuk Street in Bnei Brak over Shabbos and stole silver keilim used by the Rebbe Shlita at his tish, in the latest incident in a recent wave of break-ins hitting the city.



The thieves timed the burglary to coincide with the Rebbe&#8217;s absence — he had traveled to Yerushalayim for a Shabbos event dubbed &#8220;Lev Yerushalayim,&#8221; attended by roughly 100 Chernobyler chassidim, which included a fundraising campaign for a new beis medrash being built in the capital. The burglars broke into the room housing the safe and made off with the silver keilim inside, leaving behind silver-plated items — a detail that suggested prior knowledge of which pieces were genuine silver.



The thieves arrived wearing masks and used a special spray to prevent leaving fingerprints. The chassidus estimates the loss at tens of thousands of shekels. A police complaint was filed and detectives visited the scene Wednesday to collect testimony.

Silver Keilim Stolen From Chernobyl Beis Medrash

A shul in Ulan-Ude, the capital of Russia&#8217;s Buryatia Republic, has been officially returned to the local Jewish community after nearly 100 years of Soviet-era confiscation, sparking celebration across the region.



The building, which first opened in 1882, was seized by Communist authorities in 1929 and repurposed over the decades as a university facility and aviation club, among other uses. Following an extended legal and bureaucratic process that concluded this year, historical documentation confirmed the property&#8217;s Jewish ownership, and it was formally transferred back to the community.



Leading the effort to navigate the bureaucratic hurdles was philanthropist Yan Yankelevich, a prominent figure in the regional Jewish community. Rabbi Aharon HaKohen Wagner, the Chabad emissary and rabbi of nearby Irkutsk who closely supports the Ulan-Ude community, described the restoration project as complex and expansive in scope. Plans call for demolishing a floor added during the Soviet period and restoring the building to its original appearance, including a new aron kodesh and a Star of David atop the dome.



Community leader Yosef Samsonov credited the project&#8217;s momentum in part to the personal involvement of Rabbi Binyamin Wagner, the Chabad emissary in Krasnoyarsk, whose encouragement helped move the restoration forward.



Russia&#8217;s Chief Rabbi Harav Berel Lazar, who has been closely following the project&#8217;s progress, is expected to meet with Yankelevich to offer his blessing on the initiative. In a special message marking the occasion, Rav Lazar described the shul&#8217;s return as more than a construction project — calling it a living testament to the triumph of light over darkness and a promise of Jewish continuity.



Community leaders are now working to finalize permits with local authorities ahead of the upcoming holiday season, with the hope that the building&#8217;s rededication will breathe new life into the community for generations to come.



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Historic Siberian Shul Returned to Jewish Community After Nearly a Century

A new academic study has concluded that some of the world’s leading artificial intelligence systems repeatedly generate patterns aligned with centuries-old antisemitic stereotypes.



The paper, titled “From Myth to Model: Representation of ‘The Jew’ in Generative AI’” and authored by Israeli researchers Michael Gilead and Gal Gutman, argues that historical antisemitic tropes appear to be embedded within modern generative AI systems.



To test this, the researchers used a methodology designed to uncover implicit associations within large language models. They built chains of prompts intended to surface underlying representations of “the Jew,” examining how models respond when asked to infer traits indirectly. Their focus was ChatGPT-4 Turbo, which was instructed to generate lists of Jewish and non-Jewish American names across a wide age range, producing 252 names in total, split evenly between categories and genders.



Among the generated examples, Jewish names included Ethan Katz, Noah Weiss, and Gabriel Horowitz, while non-Jewish names included Tyler Johnson, Kyle White, and Dylan Wilson.



For each of the 252 individuals, the model was then prompted to produce a brief 100-word biography, with instructions to behave like a novelist selecting names that align with character traits.



Religious identifiers were later removed, after which the researchers evaluated how the model assigned personality and social characteristics to each fictional figure.



The study reports that AI-generated portrayals associated with Jewish names were repeatedly rated as higher in competence, dominance, privilege, and obsessive tendencies, while scoring lower on likability, warmth, and collectivist traits.



These results were also reproduced when the same methodology was applied to other models, including DeepSeek-V3 and Mistral.



The researchers further found that Jewish-associated profiles clustered consistently in a “high-competence, low-warmth” category, a pattern they noted is similar to stereotypes historically applied to other groups such as East Asians. Across datasets, Jewish-coded biographies were repeatedly described in terms associated with intelligence, efficiency, and assertiveness, but also marked down in friendliness and perceived warmth.



The authors link these patterns to broader historical narratives, noting that antisemitic discourse has often depicted Jews as disruptive forces undermining social cohesion and traditional structures. They argue that this association may persist in modern datasets, becoming encoded within machine learning systems.



The study also suggests that rising anti-modernization sentiment — including backlash against industrialization, capitalism, and technological change — could coincide with renewed antisemitic framing in digital discourse.



The researchers conclude that their findings demonstrate how entrenched prejudice can persist within AI systems through complex trait associations rather than explicit language, emphasizing that bias detection must go beyond overt stereotypes to include more subtle structural patterns embedded in model behavior.

Israeli Study Finds Major AI Models Reproduce Longstanding Antisemitic Stereotypes

Two California men have been named as suspects in a thwarted terror plot targeting the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House, including one alleged organizer of the scheme, according to an arrest affidavit first reported by Fox News.



Michael Alan Thomas allegedly told investigators that he believed the US government was run by elites who “sacrifice and eat children,” had connections to Jeffrey Epstein, and were being shielded by President Trump, according to the affidavit.



Authorities say Thomas was among the suspected leaders of the operation, with investigators recovering screenshots from Signal group chats that allegedly showed discussions about the planned attack, including event maps and proposed sniper locations.



Another California man, Bryan Omar Roa, was also taken into custody, Fox News reported.



Officials said the alleged multi-stage attack involved drones packed with explosives that were intended to strike areas near the event, causing chaos and sending crowds fleeing toward sniper teams positioned to target victims.



A third suspect, Tycen Proper, was arrested in Ohio, authorities said.



The three men were among five suspects arrested by the FBI on Tuesday in connection with the alleged plan.



The identity of the fifth suspect has not been released. All five individuals were charged with conspiracy to commit murder.



Investigators also recovered rifles and ammunition as part of the operation.



The FBI announced Tuesday that it had detained five people accused of plotting an attack on Sunday’s UFC Freedom 250 event held on the White House South Lawn.



According to officials, the alleged plan involved explosive-equipped drones designed to trigger panic among attendees, followed by sniper attacks and an attempted breach of the White House grounds by another group.



Officials told The NY Post that the suspects allegedly intended to use the confusion created by the drone attacks as part of a broader assault involving multiple coordinated elements.

FBI Busts California Terror Ring Over Alleged Drone Attack Plot Targeting White House UFC Event

The United States is working to move as much oil as possible through the Strait of Hormuz to rebuild global reserves in case President Donald Trump decides to restart military operations against Iran, a senior American official said.



The official said Washington believes it is taking limited risks by agreeing this week to a memorandum of understanding with Tehran, because most sanctions relief would only be provided if Iran agrees to concessions during nuclear negotiations expected to take place over the next two months.



“In the meantime… we’re working to get as much oil out of there as possible and to let everyone restock global supplies and help everyone get into position for if Iran misbehaves and there has to be another round of efforts,” the senior US official says during a briefing with reporters.



The official said representatives from both sides are expected to meet this weekend in Switzerland, where the MOU is scheduled to be formally signed Friday. The meeting, he said, “will be quite critical in order to see how we get to the next phase.”



The talks will take place at a Swiss hotel owned by Qatar, which shares a major gas field with Iran, the official noted.



“It will be a very good illustration to show that with the money that comes out of this gas field, [it] can either be used to buy great properties that give you cash flow and returns to reinvest in your population… or you could fund terrorism, which basically has led to destruction and devastation that makes them much worse off,” the senior US official says.



The official argued that the United States entered negotiations from a stronger position following the war, while Iran has been significantly weakened.



“If we think that they’re just dragging us along and bullshitting us, then we’ll be very quick to pull the plug on it and go back to tightening the screws on them very, very aggressively,” the US official says.



The official also said new direct communication channels have been created between senior Trump administration figures and Iranian officials, including IRGC leaders and religious figures, “who have opened up channels of communication expressing the desire to do something different than what they’ve done before.”



US officials had previously confirmed direct contacts with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, but this appeared to be the first public acknowledgment from a Trump official of communication with IRGC representatives or Iranian clerics.



Asked to explain Trump’s earlier statement that the MOU was not final, the senior US official insisted that the agreement itself is finalized, suggesting the president may have been referring to the larger nuclear agreement that still needs to be negotiated.

US Stockpiles Oil From Strait Of Hormuz In Case War With Iran Resumes, Official Says

In new data released today, Bituach Leumi (Israel’s National Insurance Institute) said fewer Israelis formally ended their Israeli residency in 2025 than in the previous year, pointing to a slowdown in the number of Israelis leaving the country.



According to the data, residency was ended for 35,625 Israelis in 2025, down from 46,385 in 2024. Of those whose residency ended last year, 20,011 were new immigrants, compared with 18,841 new immigrants in 2024.



The clearest drop was seen in voluntary requests. In 2025, 6,651 people asked Bituach Leumi to end their residency, down from 7,756 in 2024. Among new immigrants, the number of voluntary requests fell sharply, from 3,605 in 2024 to 1,995 in 2025.



Under Israeli law, residency can end in two main ways. A person can actively ask to cancel Israeli residency, or the status can be ended automatically after five years abroad. Once someone is no longer defined as an Israeli resident, they lose eligibility for Bituach Leumi benefits, grants and allowances.



The figures also show that most voluntary requests came from working-age Israelis. In 2025, 2,259 people aged 31 to 40 asked to end their residency, including 565 new immigrants. Another 1,648 requests came from people aged 41 to 50, including 373 new immigrants.

New Data Shows Fewer Israelis Left Country in 2025

Vice President JD Vance said Monday that the United States and Iran have “already signed” a peace agreement aimed at ending their three-and-a-half-month war.



Speaking to ABC, Vance said the agreement was completed “digitally” ahead of a formal signing ceremony scheduled for Friday in Switzerland. It remained unclear whether Vance was referring to a finalized deal or a preliminary memorandum of understanding outlining the framework.



The reported existence of a signed document has raised several questions, including why the full text has not yet been released, whether the agreement immediately led to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports, and whether a 60-day period for technical negotiations began Sunday or will only start after Friday’s ceremony.



President Trump, who previously said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen Friday, is expected to address plans for clearing the waterway of potential hazards when he meets with G7 leaders in France this week.



“Ships are starting to move, many loaded up with Oil, out of the Strait of Hormuz,” the president wrote on Truth Social Monday morning.



Vance appeared on several morning news programs to urge caution over reports from Iran describing the agreement and to respond to criticism from some Republicans over reports that Iran could receive reconstruction funding.



The vice president confirmed that Iran could gain access to a $300 billion reconstruction fund if it fulfills its commitments to end its nuclear program, but stressed that the money would not come from the United States.



“That’s the sort of thing they could have access to, funded by the [Gulf Cooperation Council], so long as they honor their end of the obligation,” Vance told “CBS Mornings” when asked about the fund. “We absolutely are open to the [GCC] countries investing in the reconstruction of Iran only if Iran ends their nuclear program.”



Vance also said that “not a single dollar of American money will go to Iran” and emphasized that any economic relief would only come after Tehran meets specific conditions tied to ending uranium enrichment.



Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a close Trump ally, has strongly criticized the idea of a reconstruction fund, arguing that providing money without political changes in Iran would be ineffective.



“The idea of a $300 billion reconstruction fund, given who is in charge of Iran, seems to be tone deaf. It would be akin to a Marshall Plan for Germany with the Nazis still in charge,” he wrote on social media.



Vance pushed back against the criticism, warning lawmakers not to rely on what he called Iranian hard-line messaging instead of the actual agreement.



“I caution Lindsey Graham and anybody else not to believe the hard-liner propaganda in Iran, but to believe what’s actually in the agreement,” Vance responded. “We’ll be releasing the text this week, and what everybody will see is that Iran doesn’t get a dime of money unless they perform their obligations. The money that we’re talking about is fundamentally sanctions relief. We’re not giving them American money.”



Major details of the agreement remain unresolved, particularly regarding the Strait of Hormuz and whether ships traveling through the strategic waterway will face fees.



Trump has said the passage will remain “permenantly” fee-free, but Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Monday that while Iran would not impose tolls on ships, Tehran could still charge fees “in exchange for the services that are provided.”



During an interview with CNBC, Vance acknowledged that important issues still need to be settled.



“Our expectation is that the strait is going to be opened in a toll-free way for the long term,” he said. “And that’s the sort of thing that we’re going to figure out in these technical negotiations.”

Vance: U.S. and Iran Have Signed Digital Peace Deal As Questions Remain

In a Thursday interview after making major concessions to Iran in his MOU, President Donald Trump insisted there are “no limits” to his presidential authority. 



In a Thursday interview with Axios following his signing of a deal with Iran that fell short of the US&#8217; stated goals, Trump rejected the idea that the Iran war exposed any constraints on his power, saying instead that his influence remains effectively unrestricted.



When asked what he learned about the limits of presidential authority, Trump responded: &#8220;There are no limits.&#8221;



&#8220;I haven&#8217;t learned that lesson yet. I know there are, but there are no limits,&#8221; he continued.



Trump also claimed the US achieved overwhelming military success in the conflict, saying: &#8220;we defeated them totally militarily,&#8221; and suggesting the resulting memorandum of understanding “probably is unconditional surrender.”



He added that the operation demonstrated American dominance, stating: &#8220;Who else could have done a blockade like that? I did a naval blockade where not one ship was able to get through. Some tried. It didn&#8217;t last very long.&#8221;



He did, however, acknowledge risks of escalation, warning that continued strikes could have shut down the Strait of Hormuz and triggered a global energy crisis with potentially severe economic consequences.



Separately, CNN reported on excerpts from Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan’s upcoming book Regime Change, containing passages describing Trump telling reporters in March about a document he was shown that compared his global authority to leaders including Mao Zedong, Joseph Stalin, Napoleon, Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan, and Adolf Hitler.



According to the authors, Trump reacted positively to the comparison, arguing that past rulers “maintained power through fear,” and asking, “Who would ever do a thing like that? Right?”



The document, initially presented as coming from a historian, was later traced to a golf associate of a sports figure connected to the event, the book reports.



Trump later posted the document online while still describing its author as a “presidential historian.”



The book portrays Trump’s second term as more expansive and less constrained than his first, highlighting aggressive policy moves, internal clashes, and an increasingly direct approach to foreign leaders and domestic officials alike.

After Iran Concessions, Trump Claims ‘No Limits’ To His Power

The US Department of Justice has charged Reda Mazen Rida Sabassi, 38, with allegedly providing material support to Hamas.



Sabassi, a San Diego resident, was arrested Wednesday and faces charges including terrorism-related offenses, sanctions violations, wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements, according to prosecutors.



Authorities allege that Sabassi used online fundraising platforms to collect money for Hamas through a charity organization identified as The Arab Charity Foundation, Inc.



Prosecutors say that between December 2023 and early 2024, Sabassi raised approximately $600,000. They allege that about $116,000 was transferred to a Hamas member, while another $382,000 was being converted into cryptocurrency with the intention of sending it to the terrorist group.



Hamas is designated by the US as a terrorist organization, and providing material support to the group is prohibited under American law.

California Man Charged With Allegedly Sending Hundreds Of Thousands To Hamas

It is with sadness that we report the petirah of Harav Chaim Dov Halperin, zt&#8221;l, Ra&#8221;m of Yeshivas Bohush and rav of the Vasloiy chassidus in Bnei Brak, who passed away on Tuesday after six years of grave illness. He was 47.



Harav Halperin was born in Bnei Brak on the 26th of Adar, 5739, to his father the Vasloiy Rebbe, Harav Avraham Shimshon Shalom Halperin, and his mother, Rebbetzin Tova, a&#8221;h, daughter of Harav Yehoshua Heshel Brim, zt&#8221;l, Rosh Yeshivas Tiferes Yisrael of Ruzhin, and a mechaneches and menaheles of the Vizhnitz Beis Yaakov in Bnei Brak, the Beis Yaakov in Emanuel, and the Chassidishe Seminary in Bnei Brak. At his bris he was given the name of his great-grandfather, the Rebbe Harav Chaim Dov of Vasloiy, zt&#8221;l.



In his youth Harav Halperin learned in Yeshivas Bohush, later advancing to Yeshivas Noam HaTorah in Bnei Brak under Harav Moshe Mordechai Shafran, and subsequently to Yeshivas Brisk in Yerushalayim, where he became a prominent talmid of Harav Avraham Yehoshua Soloveitchik, shlit&#8221;a. He was known as a gaon and a rare iluy who devoted himself entirely to Torah.



He married the daughter of his uncle, the Bohusher Rebbe, and together they built their home in Bnei Brak on the foundations of Torah and chassidus. He later served as Ra&#8221;m of Yeshivas Bohush and as rav of the Vasloiy chassidim in Bnei Brak.



Less than a month ago, despite his weakened state, Harav Halperin attended the wedding of his son, drawing on his final reserves of strength to rejoice at the simchah. He is survived by his father, his father-in-law, and children, among them yesomim who are not yet married.



The levayah took place Tuesday afternoon, starting from the Vasloiy beis medrash on Rechov Yitzchak Meir HaKohen in the Ramat Aharon neighborhood of Bnei Brak, continuing to the Bohush beis medrash, with kevurah at Beis HaChaim Nachalas Yitzchak in Givataim.



Yehi zichro baruch.

BDE: Harav Chaim Dov Halperin, Zt”l, Son of Vasloiy Rebbe Shlita

A federal grand jury has indicted a 27-year-old Gainesville, Florida man accused of allegedly planning a mass shooting targeting Jewish employees at a pro-Israel nonprofit organization.



Forrest Kendall Pemberton is facing federal hate crime and firearms charges following an investigation into an alleged plot that authorities say was discovered before an attack could take place.



According to court documents, the alleged incident occurred on December 23, 2024. Prosecutors claim Pemberton armed himself with an AR-15-style rifle fitted with a silencer and traveled to the offices of a nonprofit organization that advocates for support of Israel.



Authorities allege that Pemberton intended to carry out a mass shooting against the organization’s employees specifically because they were Jewish.



The indictment includes three charges: attempted hate crime, using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a short-barreled rifle.



If convicted, Pemberton could face severe penalties. The attempted hate crime charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, while the firearm charge could result in a mandatory additional sentence of up to 30 years. The short-barreled rifle charge carries a maximum penalty of five years.



The indictment was announced by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida, and FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley.



The investigation involved multiple law enforcement agencies, led by the FBI Jacksonville Field Office. The FBI Miami Field Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Miami Field Office, Gainesville Police Department, and Tallahassee Police Department also assisted in the case.



The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Abbie D. Waxman of the National Security Division for the Southern District of Florida, along with Special Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Perras and Trial Attorney Manpreet “Monica” Uppal-Gupta of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

Florida Man Indicted Over Alleged Plot To Carry Out Mass Shooting At Jewish Organization

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The United States and Iran have signed their memorandum of understanding to end hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with both parties completing the agreement ahead of the originally planned Friday signing in Switzerland, Axios reported Wednesday.



President Trump signed the agreement and later confirmed it publicly. French President Emmanuel Macron shared video on X of Trump signing the document during a dinner at the Palace of Versailles, saying the deal &#8220;paves the way for lasting peace and allows the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.&#8221; Trump could be heard saying as he signed: &#8220;This was not easy, I can tell you.&#8221;



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Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed on X that as a first step, Iran would &#8220;instantly reopen the Strait of Hormuz&#8221; while the United States would &#8220;immediately lift the naval blockade.&#8221;



The decision to sign early came after discussions about accelerating the timetable to reopen the strait before Friday, a diplomat from a mediating country told Axios. There was also mounting political pressure on the White House to release the text of the memorandum, though a source familiar with the discussions said it was Iran that had insisted the text not be published until the formal signing.



A senior administration official read the agreement to reporters Wednesday in a briefing call, ending days of confusion about its contents.



Adding to the intrigue, a senior administration official said the deal had actually been signed electronically on Sunday by Trump, Vice President Vance, and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf — though a diplomatic source denied that account. A second source said the Sunday signing did occur and described it as a &#8220;second signing,&#8221; though the reason for two signings remains unclear.



The Friday meeting in Switzerland between delegations led by Vance and Ghalibaf is still expected to proceed as planned, with discussions set to focus on launching negotiations over Iran&#8217;s nuclear program.



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U.S. and Iran Sign Deal Ahead of Schedule; Strait of Hormuz to Reopen

President Donald Trump arrived in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday ahead of the G7 summit, just one day after announcing an agreement aimed at ending the U.S. war with Iran.



The gathering of G7 leaders in France is expected to center on the ongoing Iran conflict, the Russia-Ukraine war, and other major international challenges.



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Trump is scheduled to spend two days at the Group of Seven summit in the resort town of Evian-les-Bains, where both the Iran war and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are expected to dominate discussions.



After beginning military action against Iran on Feb. 28, Trump has criticized European allies for failing to do enough to support U.S. objectives in the conflict.



Taking a swipe at British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump said in the spring: “This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with.”



European leaders, meanwhile, have pushed back, arguing Trump did not consult them before launching a war they believe could have been avoided.



French President Emmanuel Macron, who is hosting the summit, has called Trump’s military campaign against Iran “outside the framework of international law.”



Despite the tensions, Trump and other G7 leaders are expected to meet with Middle Eastern officials as he continues efforts toward a final peace agreement with Iran.



On Tuesday, Trump and fellow leaders will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss possible paths toward ending the war under conditions they consider fair.



During a tense Oval Office meeting last year, Trump famously told Zelenskyy he “doesn’t have the cards,” urging him to accept a ceasefire. Since then, Ukraine’s military has strengthened its position against Russia through the use of advanced drones that have challenged Russian forces.



Analysts, European officials, and some Republican lawmakers say Zelenskyy now holds a stronger position than he did in 2025. Ukraine’s battlefield resilience has given Trump greater leverage to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to withdraw forces and end the war, they argue. The key question is whether Trump will act on that leverage.



“The Russians seem to be on their back foot,” said William Taylor, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine who is now with the Atlantic Council think tank.



Asked what Trump might say during the G7 gathering, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told NBC News: “He’s going to vent about their lack of support in Iran. And I’m hoping he’ll reset and re-engage in Ukraine-Russia. I hope he will understand that Ukraine is more than holding their own and now is the time put pressure on Putin to get this thing over with.”



One unpredictable factor at any Trump summit appearance is his mood. He is traveling to Evian directly after the Ultimate Fighting Championship event he organized on the White House grounds, which he had eagerly looked forward to attending.



Trump announced Sunday that he had reached a breakthrough in the Iran war, writing on his social media platform that a “deal” with Iran had been reached and that the strategically important Strait of Hormuz shipping route would reopen without Iran imposing a transit fee. That was the situation before the conflict began. The agreement’s durability will depend largely on whether Iran eventually moves toward developing a nuclear weapon.



Even if Trump arrives at the summit feeling optimistic, previous meetings with Western leaders have sometimes frustrated him. During a 2018 G7 meeting in his first term, Trump refused to sign the joint statement and criticized host Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “very dishonest and weak.”



The following year, Trump questioned whether the G7 was still worthwhile, according to a CNN report.



This year, Macron is attempting to prevent another clash among leaders.



France delayed the summit by one day so Trump would not have to miss the UFC event, which took place around the time of his 80th birthday.



After the summit concludes, Trump will travel at Macron’s invitation to the Palace of Versailles for a private dinner with the French president.



“President Macron extended this private invitation for him to go to Versailles for this extravagant dinner, knowing that you know President Trump is one to enjoy the pomp and circumstance for an invitation that doesn’t sound like it’s been extended” to other world leaders, said Ned Price, a former State Department spokesman in Joe Biden’s administration.



Still, disagreements built up over the past year have created lasting distrust. Trump entered his second term suggesting Canada could become the 51st state and alarmed European leaders by threatening to take control of Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark.



The two wars are another major source of friction, with leaders on both sides of the Atlantic accusing each other of failing to deliver what is needed.



European governments, concerned about a stronger Russia, have united in blaming Putin for the conflict and say Ukraine’s independence must be protected. Before the summit, a Macron aide told reporters that France wants members to agree on continuing support for Ukraine and does not want Kyiv forced to surrender territory to Russia.



Trump, however, has taken a less committed stance, at times criticizing Zelenskyy for refusing compromises that could quickly end the fighting. Trump’s repeated position is that the war must end as soon as possible. European leaders worry that his desire for a deal could lead to Russia gaining territory it does not currently control and that belongs to Ukraine.



“We need the war to end. We’re happy to have that happen, however possible,” a senior Trump administration official told reporters in a briefing last week.



For Trump, Europe’s hesitation to support the Iran operation has reinforced his belief that U.S. allies may not stand with Washington when needed.



“The paradox is the U.S. is telling us in Europe that we need to do more in Iran,” a European Union official, speaking on condition of anonymity told NBC. “And there are a lot of Europeans who’ve said the U.S. has left us alone with Ukraine. It goes both ways.”



Ahead of the summit, Putin and Zelenskyy separately called Trump to congratulate him on his birthday. Both leaders also raised the war, presenting arguments that could influence Trump as he meets with allies near Lake Geneva.



Zelenskyy said he discussed battlefield developments and “how our position has strengthened.”



Putin, meanwhile, praised Trump’s determination and resilience.



“The Russian president did not hide his respect for Donald Trump’s fighting qualities, his ability to take a hit, successfully overcome obstacles, and persistently achieve his goals,” a Russian read-out of the nearly hourlong call said.

Trump Arrives At G7 Summit Amid Deep Divisions Over Iran War And Ukraine Conflict

The IDF Spokesperson&#8217;s Unit cleared for publication on Thursday that Master Sergeant (Res.) Alexander Filin Hy&#8217;d, 29, from Haifa, a combat soldier serving in the 36th Division command post, was killed after an explosive device detonated in southern Lebanon.



Filin was killed while operating with IDF forces in southern Lebanon. The explosion also left an IDF reserve officer and another reserve soldier moderately wounded. A combat NCO, two reserve soldiers, and a female reserve soldier were additionally injured lightly in the incident.



The wounded soldiers were evacuated to hospitals for medical treatment, and their families were notified.



The attack took place at approximately 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, as a combat team was conducting a foot patrol in the Litani area. During the patrol, an explosive device was activated against the forces.



Earlier Wednesday morning, five IDF soldiers were wounded in two separate attacks involving Hezbollah explosive-laden drones. One soldier was seriously injured, two suffered moderate injuries, and two others sustained light injuries.



The first drone attack occurred around 6:00 a.m., when an explosive drone struck near a tank belonging to Givati Brigade combat forces operating in the Tibnin area of southern Lebanon. Four soldiers were wounded by shrapnel and were evacuated by helicopter to hospitals.



A short time later, a second explosive drone detonated on an evacuation vehicle, injuring another soldier. IDF forces responded by launching artillery fire toward terrorist infrastructure in the area.

IDF Soldier Killed In Southern Lebanon Blast; Seven Others Wounded In Hezbollah Attacks

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President Donald Trump has invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to meet at the White House next week Tuesday, February 4th. This meeting marks a significant moment, as Netanyahu will be the first foreign leader to meet with Donald Trump at the White House since taking office.



The invitation comes amidst ongoing developments in the Middle East, specifically a fragile six-week ceasefire in Gaza, which has brought a temporary pause to 15 months of fighting between Israel and Hamas and the release of hostages in several phases.



Netanyahu&#8217;s visit to the White House is expected to focus on strengthening US-Israel relations, as well as addressing regional security concerns. The two leaders have previously discussed issues such as countering Iranian aggression and promoting peace in the Middle East.

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BREAKING: Netanyahu and Trump Will Meet At The White House Next Week.

President Donald Trump sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel’s strike on Hezbollah targets in Beirut, saying the operation should not have happened and claiming it delayed the expected signing of a U.S.-Iran agreement.



Speaking to Channel 12 in comments reported by Barak Ravid, Trump said he was furious after being told Israel was striking Beirut shortly before the deal was supposed to be signed. “They called me and said, ‘Sir, Israel is attacking Beirut’ an hour before we were supposed to sign the agreement. I couldn’t believe it was happening. It’s very bad,” Trump said.



Trump also criticized Netanyahu personally over the decision. “Why did Bibi carry out this attack? Hezbollah fired and hit the middle of nowhere. Nobody was hurt. Then he had to carry out that **** attack, and in Beirut of all places. It really angered me,” he said. “Bibi has no **** judgment. I passed that message to him. I’m very unhappy.”



Trump later confirmed the confrontation to Fox News, saying he called Netanyahu and asked him, “What the heck are you doing?” According to Israeli reports, Trump also said he would ask Iran not to respond with ballistic missile fire, as Washington tried to keep the confrontation from derailing the diplomatic process.



Trump defended the proposed agreement, saying it would be good for Israel because it would prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, allow inspections of suspicious sites in Iran with 24 hours’ notice, and eliminate Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile.



Trump said the strike came just before the agreement was expected to be finalized. “We were supposed to sign the agreement this morning and the Israeli strike in Beirut delayed it,” he said. “I think the signing will still happen today in a few hours. But the Israeli strike shook things up.”

Trump Blasts Netanyahu Over Beirut Strike, Says It Delayed Iran Deal

More than 1,000 Jewish homes in Ukraine urgently need repairs after recent Russian missile and drone strikes, according to World Jewish Relief, as Jewish residents face shattered windows, damaged roofs and unsafe buildings.



The London-based Jewish charity said the damage has affected Jewish residents in cities including Kyiv and Sumy. Some homes were left unlivable after blast waves blew out windows, cracked walls and damaged roofs, forcing residents to leave until emergency repairs could be made.



World Jewish Relief said the latest wave of Russian attacks has created an urgent housing crisis for Ukraine’s Jewish community. The organization supports around 8,000 elderly Jews in Ukraine through local partners and has been helping assess damage, repair homes and relocate residents when buildings are unsafe.



CEO Paul Anticoni said the scale of the need now far exceeds normal repair work. “We have repaired 3,500 Jewish homes over the past 15 years,” he said. “But today, I estimate there are 1,000 Jewish homes in urgent need of repair.”



Anticoni warned that Ukraine’s Jews remain among the most vulnerable communities affected by the war. “Ukraine’s Jewish community is one of the most vulnerable Jewish communities in the world right now,” he said.

Russian Attacks Have Damaged 1,000 Jewish Homes In Ukraine, Holocaust Survivors Among Victims

A Friday night meal in Manhattan billed as a traditional Shabbos seudah drew sharp condemnation from Jewish activists and community leaders after it emerged that the guest list was dominated by prominent anti-Israel figures — with tickets running as high as $5,000 per person.



The dinner was organized by Climate Defiance, a left-wing activist group, and held at the home of filmmaker Jill Goldman.



Among those invited were Palestinian activist Linda Sarsour, the former co-chair of the Women’s March who was fired due to her antisemitism; Brad Lander, former City Comptroller and the Democratic congressional candidate who prayed in Arabic recently at a mosque that featured prayers for the murder of all &#8220;infidels&#8221; and Tiffany Cabán, a Queens Democratic Socialist who was arrested during a Gaza-related protest.



The dinner invitation described the event as a “traditional Shabbat meal” that would “break bread” and “build community,” welcoming “allies of all faiths, backgrounds, and traditions.” Organizers stipulated “no phones, no cameras, no tech” at the gathering.



Critics were quick to push back on the framing. “Why is this being done in secrecy? What is it that you’re going to say that needs to be hidden from the public? Knowing who the players are, this feels like it’s using Shabbat as a cover,” said Tali Goldsheft of the “Politically Homeless No More” movement, who suggested the prohibition on devices was designed to shield the gathering from scrutiny.



Sarsour has previously come under fire for her association with Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who has made virulently antisemitic remarks. She was also among those who led an illegal protest in the Capitol Rotunda following the October 7 massacre, which resulted in dozens of arrests. Israel’s government barred her from entering the country earlier this month, a move that prompted backlash from the anti-Israel group CAIR.



Lander has faced accusations of promoting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement — a campaign aimed at isolating and delegitimizing the Jewish state — after he divested government funds from Israeli bonds when they matured during his tenure as comptroller. He recently appeared in a campaign advertisement for Darializa Avila Chevalier, a far-left congressional candidate.



Goldsheft, who is Jewish, was blunt in her criticism of Lander’s participation. “Like David Duke, Linda Sarsour is a bigot and a social pariah,” she said, accusing the Jewish Lander of “using a Jewish tradition to promote himself alongside Sarsour.”



Michelle Ahdoot of End Jew Hatred was equally unsparing. “Rather than ‘Shabbat dinner,’ this is nothing more than a ‘Jew-hater dinner,’” she said. “These very same people advocate for the racist BDS movement, which is unacceptable in today’s society, and frankly, this foursome’s Jew-hatred is unacceptable at any event, most of all at one that they dare to frame as a Shabbat dinner.”

Anti-Israel Activists Use Shabbos ‘Seudah’ as Cover for Political Gathering

The New York Knicks captured their first NBA championship in 53 years on Saturday night, defeating the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 to win the 2026 NBA Finals 4-1.



The title marks the third championship in franchise history and ends one of the longest championship droughts in the NBA. The Knicks last won the league title in 1973, three years after their first championship in 1970.



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New York completed a dominant postseason run, winning 15 of its final 16 games. The team repeatedly overcame early deficits, including in the Finals, where the Knicks found themselves trailing by double digits in the opening quarter of every game before rallying.



In the deciding game, San Antonio jumped ahead 23-13 after the first quarter, but Jalen Brunson carried the Knicks offensively with 45 points, setting a franchise record for points scored in a Finals game.



The Knicks opened the Finals with victories in the first two games, winning 105-95 and 105-104. After the Spurs responded with a Game 3 win at Madison Square Garden, San Antonio appeared close to forcing a longer series after building a 29-point halftime lead in Game 4.



New York then completed a historic comeback, winning 107-106 after OG Anunoby scored the game-winning basket with 1.2 seconds remaining. The victory shifted momentum back to the Knicks and set up the championship-clinching Game 5.



The win led to celebrations throughout New York City, with thousands of fans gathering to mark the franchise’s return to the top of the NBA. Knicks coach Mike Brown earned his first championship as a head coach after guiding the team through a difficult playoff run.



The celebrations were also accompanied by incidents of unrest in Manhattan, where some individuals smashed NYPD vehicles amid the large crowds. Police responded as officials worked to manage the crowds and maintain order.



The Knicks’ championship also capped a season in which the team overcame early playoff challenges, including a first-round deficit against the Atlanta Hawks before advancing past the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Knicks Win First NBA Championship Since 1973, Spark Massive Celebration Across New York

A memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran is expected to be signed as early as Sunday in a virtual ceremony, with Pakistani and Qatari mediators also set to participate, according to multiple reports Saturday. The agreement would extend the current ceasefire by 60 days, reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping, and trigger negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program — though significant disputes over the deal’s terms, timing, and implications remain unresolved.



President Donald Trump announced the imminent signing in a Saturday post on Truth Social, declaring that “immediately after” the deal is signed, “the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL.” Trump portrayed the agreement as a categorical break from the Obama-era nuclear accord, which he described as having paved an easy path to Iranian nuclear capability. “My Agreement with Iran is the exact opposite, A WALL TO NO NUCLEAR WEAPON!” he wrote, adding that Iran “no longer” wants a nuclear weapon and will not be permitted to obtain one “through purchase, development, or any other form of procurement.”



He also stated that “no money will exchange hands,” distancing the deal from the JCPOA, which he accused the Obama administration of funding with hundreds of billions of dollars, including “1.7 Billion Dollars in green, cold cash.”



On the question of Iran’s existing stockpile of highly enriched uranium — estimated at hundreds of kilograms — Trump indicated that retrieval would not occur immediately. “At the appropriate time, when all is calm, we will go in and get the Nuclear Dust, buried deep under the powerful sunken granite mountains,” he wrote, adding that it would be “downblended and destroyed” either in Iran or the United States. A senior U.S. official separately told reporters that the pending deal “leads to” Washington obtaining Iran’s enriched uranium.



The White House had originally sought a public signing ceremony in Geneva, and Pakistan had pushed for Islamabad, but Iran reportedly declined both venues. The signing will instead take place virtually, with U.S. officials citing logistical reasons, according to Axios. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed Saturday that the final text of the deal had been reached and that Islamabad was preparing for an electronic signing within 24 hours, to be followed by technical-level talks the following week.



Iran’s Foreign Ministry, however, was notably more circumspect. Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Sunday’s signing would not take place, though he did not rule out a signing “in the coming days,” and cautioned against firm statements about timing given what he called “hesitation” on the part of the United States. Baghaei also said that the release of Iran’s frozen funds is an integral part of the pending agreement, and that the presence of foreign militaries and their bases in the region must end as part of any arrangement.



He further indicated that Iran intends to charge for services provided in the Strait of Hormuz, framing the management of traffic through the waterway as a matter of national security.



According to a U.S. official cited by Channel 12, Trump spoke by phone with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday and told him directly: “This is the deal. It’s an excellent deal, and it’s time to end this war.” Netanyahu, the official said, offered little pushback. “Bibi didn’t say much in the call. Evidently, he understood that there’s going to be a deal, and that he can’t stop it.”



Senior Israeli officials and Iran analysts were far less sanguine. Speaking to Channel 12, officials who have worked for decades on the Iran portfolio said the emerging terms of the MOU “endanger Israel’s security interests.” They warned that the immediate practical effects would be “the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, the resuscitation of the regime, and a slap in the face for the Iranian public.”



The officials argued that Iran was effectively “paying on credit” — agreeing only to discuss its nuclear program after the war formally ends and after a set of conditions, including the release of frozen funds, are met. Drawing a pointed analogy to the Gaza ceasefire, one official asked: “What will be the Americans’ essential leverage if, after 60 days of a ceasefire, the Iranians do not begin the steps required of them? The credible military threat has been all but eroded.”



Officials also noted that uranium extraction had been downgraded to uranium dilution in the emerging framework, and that Iran’s ballistic missile program is not addressed by the agreement at all. “All the goals that Israel set are not immediately dealt with in the agreement,” the officials said, adding that Iran is “reconnecting itself with Hezbollah through the agreement” rather than being required to curtail its support for terror proxies.



Opposition leader Yair Lapid was sharply critical of Netanyahu’s handling of the negotiations. “He is turning us into a client state that takes orders about its national security,” Lapid said, calling the outcome “a complete failure” and adding that “the next government will have a historic role: to repair the damage caused by Netanyahu’s inability to turn military achievements into strategic successes.”



The deal also faces domestic opposition within Iran itself. Dozens of protesters gathered Saturday outside a Foreign Ministry office in Mashhad, chanting slogans against Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi following a televised interview in which he discussed the prospective agreement. Footage shared by Fars News Agency showed women in black chadors chanting “death to dishonorable Araghchi, the infiltrator,” while waving red and black flags. Other videos on social media, which could not be independently verified, showed similar protests outside the Foreign Ministry building in Tehran, with crowds also calling for the resignation of parliament speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.



Hardline figures have argued that the deal does not serve Iran’s interests and would deprive Tehran of its leverage over the Strait of Hormuz.



In his Friday interview with state television, Araghchi said the deal calls for the lifting of the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports — imposed in response to Iran’s own blockade of the Strait of Hormuz — and acknowledged that “the administration of the Strait of Hormuz will no longer be the same as before,” describing the waterway as one of Iran’s “main instruments of deterrence.”



The MOU, as described by officials on both sides, is not expected to directly resolve the core objectives that shaped the conflict: preventing Iran from attaining nuclear weapons, rolling back its ballistic missile program, ending its support for regional terror proxies, or creating conditions for regime change. Those issues are slated to be taken up in subsequent negotiations — the outcome of which remains deeply uncertain.

U.S.-Iran Deal Set for Virtual Signing Sunday as Disputes Over Terms Persist

A new campaign urging residents of the Gaza Strip to protest against Hamas rule has gained traction in recent days. The initiative, called the &#8220;June 26 Revolution,&#8221; is calling for demonstrations against the current political, humanitarian, and social conditions in Gaza.



The movement appears to have been organized by Palestinian activists, journalists, and social media figures, many with roots in Gaza. Organizers say the goal is to demand change and encourage residents to speak out.



“The people of Gaza need to rebuild their lives. The suffering has to stop,” Gazan journalist Abed al-Hamid Abed al-Ati, one of the prominent figures pushing the June protests, told The Jerusalem Post.



Ati said the campaign aims to give Gaza residents hope and a chance to pursue a future with dignity, away from constant displacement and hardship.



“We are not asking much; we just want to live like any other human beings,” he said. Ati has previously criticized political conditions and daily life in the Strip.



“I see my role as helping Gaza residents because no one else is stepping in. People have been displaced and left in tents, and they’re just not seeing, at least for now, any real signs on the ground that their lives are about to significantly change and get better soon,” he explained. “We reject the continuation of this war. It needs to end.”



The June 26 Revolution movement has issued several statements calling on Gazans to join protests. One statement said: “The people are the source of authority. They are the ones who have paid the price with their homes, future, sons, and daughters. From this painful reality, the people declare their revolution as a renewed expression of their independent will, rejecting oppression and the continued occupation of the Gaza Strip.



“The people have the right to proclaim their lives and reject surrendering to reality imposed upon them. We refuse to have our dignity violated or to be humiliated by standing in bread lines. We reject reducing our lives to living in a tent and waiting for water.”



The campaign has drawn attention among Palestinians, with some voicing support while indirectly criticizing Hamas’s leadership.



“We are thrown away in the streets. Wake up! For God’s sake, what are you waiting for?” a young Palestinian man said about the movement’s initiative.



Another Palestinian critic of the terror group said that “Hamas is finished” and called on Gaza residents to participate in the planned protests.



“Don’t be afraid. Demonstrate for the sake of your children and the dignity that was taken away from you. Free yourselves from slavery and injustice.”



Another statement from the campaign stated: “Our revolution does not await promises from anyone. The people are the ones required to act. We affirm our commitment to the peaceful nature of our revolution, and we call on local, international, legal, and media institutions to provide support and protect the protesters on June 26.”



The push for demonstrations has also sparked backlash, with some accusing campaign supporters of “betrayal and collusion with the Zionist entity” because of their criticism of the “resistance.”



Ati said he faced attacks from Hamas supporters, who accused him and his associates of being “traitors and collaborators with Israel” seeking to “fuel anarchy.”



He initially announced that he was withdrawing from the campaign after Palestinian sources said his family received death threats over his involvement. Shortly afterward, he reversed course, saying he returned because of public support for the initiative.



“We continue for the sake of our people’s dreams. Intimidation is not going to bring results,” he said.



“I don’t have any agenda but to serve my people,” he stressed.



Ati, who now lives in Cairo with his three daughters, left Gaza after the war began following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel. He said several members of his family were killed in bombardments in northern Gaza and described fleeing with his daughters after being displaced multiple times.



“I lost a lot, like many others in Gaza,” he told the Post. “It’s now clear to me that if this unbearable situation continues, there will be no stability and relief, and we cannot afford for that to happen. We deserve a decent life and freedom,” he added, claiming that many residents in Gaza do not support Hamas.



“I hear from people that they want the Hamas regime to go and that it’s time to turn a new page,” he said.



Referring to Hamas, Ati said, “those responsible for bringing war and destruction upon us do not deserve to continue leading and should relinquish power.”



“An entire people has been punished because of the reckless gamble of one organization [Hamas].”



Previous protests in Gaza against the war and deteriorating conditions have been limited. In March 2025, demonstrations in Beit Lahia included calls for Hamas to step down, but were quickly suppressed by Hamas operatives, similar to the crackdown during the 2019 “We Want to Live” protests.



“People are exhausted,” Ati noted. “They are dying and have nothing left to lose.”



“How can someone continue living like this? No health systems, no education, more than 70,000 killed, many others wounded, and so much devastation. We are human beings, not numbers,” he said.

Anti-Hamas Protest Movement Gains Momentum As Gaza Activists Call For Mass Demonstrations

An Arkia passenger flight traveling from Tel Aviv to Prague briefly lost communication with air traffic control while flying over Hungary, prompting NATO to activate its highest level of air policing readiness. The incident occurred when the Airbus aircraft suddenly stopped transmitting radio contact, leading Hungarian authorities to deploy two JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets to investigate.



The NATO aircraft located the Israeli passenger plane, moved alongside it, and made visual contact with the crew. Communication was later restored, with early assessments suggesting the issue was caused by a temporary technical problem described as a “frequency fluctuation.”



The Arkia aircraft was safely escorted through Hungarian airspace before continuing its route toward Austria. The plane left Hungarian airspace at around 8:10 p.m. local time and continued to its destination without further issues.



Officials said NATO’s Combined Air Operations Center coordinated the response, while Hungarian authorities stated that normal air policing procedures were carried out throughout the incident.



Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar said that “the system operated efficiently throughout the incident.”



Authorities said they are still investigating the reason for the initial loss of communication. No further disruptions were reported, and officials said the event did not lead to any additional security concerns.



“The flight crew operated in accordance with the approved flight plan and along the predetermined flight routes. At a certain stage during the flight, communication between the aircraft and the Hungarian air traffic control unit was lost,” Arkia said.



“To the best of our understanding, following the loss of communication, the Hungarian authorities decided to deploy a military aircraft that approached the plane, after which contact with the flight crew was restored.



“The incident is under an internal review by the company, which will also examine the circumstances with the Hungarian authorities. The aircraft continued its flight as planned and landed safely at its destination. We emphasize that at no point during the flight was there any danger to the aircraft, its passengers, or its crew.”

Israeli Arkia Flight Loses Contact Over Hungary, NATO Jets Scramble

A US federal judge has approved the release on bail of an Iranian-born engineer just days before his trial in a case tied to a 2024 drone strike on a US military base in Jordan attributed to Iran-backed militants.



US District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston had previously refused to release Mahdi Sadeghi, a dual US-Iranian citizen, from custody, citing concerns that he might flee before trial. He is accused of conspiracy to unlawfully obtain technology used in a navigation system for Iranian military drones.



Prosecutors allege the technology was integrated into a drone that hit the US base known as Tower 22 near the Syrian border in January 2024, killing three Army Reserve soldiers and injuring 47 others.



However, on Thursday, Talwani said circumstances had shifted since Sadeghi’s arrest in December 2024, pointing to the ongoing war involving Iran that began in February after joint US-Israeli strikes.



She said the conflict had made it less likely that Sadeghi or his family would return to Iran and reduced the incentive for him to flee.



“It is just a different political world,” she said.



The judge also noted that Sadeghi’s wife had expressed a desire to remain in the United States, where the family lives in Natick, Massachusetts, adding that leaving would risk separating him from them if he chose to avoid trial.



She ordered his release on Friday under a $500,000 secured bond, along with strict home confinement and GPS ankle monitoring. His attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.



Sadeghi has pleaded not guilty to charges that he participated in a scheme to violate US export controls and sanctions laws by acquiring technology for Iranian businessman Mohammad Abedini’s company, which allegedly worked with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and developed navigation systems used in Shahed drones.



He is scheduled to stand trial alone on June 22 after Italian authorities last year released co-defendant Abedini, who had been detained pending extradition to the United States following Iran’s detention and subsequent release of an Italian journalist.

US-Iran Engineer Granted Bail Ahead Of Trial In Deadly Drone Strike Case

A leading election forecaster has moved three key US Senate contests in Democrats’ direction, though Republicans remain favored to keep control of the chamber, according to a new update released Thursday.



The University of Virginia’s Center for Politics revised its ratings for Alaska, North Carolina, and Ohio, moving Alaska from “leans Republican” to “toss-up,” North Carolina from “toss-up” to “leans Democrat,” and Ohio from “leans Republican” to “toss-up.”



All three seats are currently held by Republicans.



The adjustments give Democrats a somewhat clearer—but still difficult—route to a potential Senate majority in November’s elections.



In Alaska, Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), who is seeking a third term, faces a crowded field in the Aug. 18 nonpartisan primary.



Sullivan is expected to face former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola as his main challenger in the general election.



While Alaska backed President Trump over Kamala Harris by 13 points in 2024, analysts noted that Peltola previously outperformed Democrats in her district, narrowly losing to Rep. Nick Begich (R-Alaska) by 2.5 points.



In Ohio, Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) is projected to face former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) in November.



The Center for Politics pointed to a recent Fox News poll showing Brown leading Husted 53% to 45% in the race for the final two years of Vice President JD Vance’s term.



It also highlighted Brown’s relatively strong showing in 2024 compared to national Democratic results, despite his earlier Senate loss to Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio).



In North Carolina, former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley is expected to face former Gov. Roy Cooper in the race to replace retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis.



The analysis cited Cooper’s fundraising advantage, statewide profile, and Whatley’s close alignment with President Trump—whose approval ratings in the state are reportedly weak—as factors giving Democrats a slight edge.



A recent Carolina Journal poll showed Cooper ahead by 11 points.



The Center for Politics said the overall outlook is driven more by broad national political conditions than by individual campaign dynamics, including polling trends and presidential approval ratings.



Despite Democratic gains in several races, analysts cautioned that Democrats would likely need to win every competitive “toss-up” state to secure a majority, while Republicans could retain control by winning just one.

Election Forecaster Shifts Three Senate Races Toward Democrats, But GOP Still Favored To Hold Majority

Humanities faculty at the prestigious University of California, Berkeley say they are significantly reducing assigned reading, breaking up books into excerpts, and reworking course structures as students increasingly struggle with reading-intensive classes.



The concerns raised by instructors at the selective California university reflect a wider debate across the University of California system over whether incoming students are adequately prepared for college-level academic work.



Several professors speaking to student newspaper The Daily Californian said reading expectations have steadily declined over the past 20 years, forcing them to scale back assignments to preserve meaningful classroom engagement.



Carlos Noreña, a history professor focused on ancient history, said the volume of reading he can assign has dropped sharply since he joined the Berkeley faculty in 2005.



“We are now reaching a crisis point where if the number (of pages) goes down further, it’s unclear to me whether my discipline of history can really be taught,” Noreña said.



According to Noreña, upper-division students previously handled about 100 pages of weekly reading, with expectations that most of it would be completed. In an upcoming course, that figure will drop to roughly 35 pages per week.



Other faculty members described making similar adjustments across departments.



“Part of this is to spare students the cost of purchasing books, but part of it is also acquiescing to my sense of — and complaints about — the amount of reading assigned, though those complaints, curiously, haven’t gone away as I’ve shrunk the number of pages assigned,” Brilliant said.



Mark Brilliant, who teaches California and Western American history, said a course that once required seven full books now relies entirely on selected excerpts.



Not all faculty agree that students are reading less than in previous generations. English professor Grace Lavery said she has maintained — and in some cases increased — her reading requirements.



“The reason is that the Dickens novels I teach are long and difficult,” Lavery said. “I imagine that if I had been teaching these novels in the same way back in the 1950s, I would have had exactly the same problems.”



Some instructors also voiced concern that students are increasingly using artificial intelligence tools to summarize readings rather than engaging with the texts directly.



“I found that very upsetting, because I’ve read the AI summary of my own book, and it’s all wrong,” history professor Trevor Jackson said. “Even a good summary is still not grappling with the text.”



The discussion comes as broader concerns about academic preparedness persist across the UC system, with faculty warning that some students arrive without foundational skills needed for rigorous coursework.



On Thursday, the University of California said it will review whether to reinstate SAT and ACT requirements, six years after dropping them from admissions, according to reports.



The review follows pressure from more than 1,400 faculty members who argue that incoming students are often underprepared for university-level study.



In a recent open letter, professors said the gap is so significant that some instructors are re-teaching basic mathematics while also trying to cover college material.



A 2025 report from the University of California, San Diego also found a rise in students whose math skills tested below high school level.



UC Academic Senate Chair Ahmet Palazoglu said the system recognizes that “academic preparedness for college is a growing challenge” and will spend the coming year evaluating possible changes to admissions standards and high school requirements.

UC Berkeley Professors Slash Reading Lists As Students Struggle With Coursework Demands

President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States and Iran are on the verge of signing a memorandum of understanding that would extend the current ceasefire between the two countries and set up follow-on negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, with a signing ceremony possibly as soon as this weekend in Europe.



“We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran, subject to finalization of documents,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday. “It should get done in the next few days.”



The president said he believes that Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s new supreme leader, has personally given his approval to the arrangement. Asked whether he was confident the deal would be concluded, given that he has made similar pronouncements in recent weeks only for talks to drag on further, Trump said he was “pretty confident” this time, noting that the U.S. had hit Iran hard in recent strikes.



Trump said he himself would not attend the signing, but that Vice President JD Vance, senior envoy Steve Witkoff, and adviser Jared Kushner would represent the United States. He indicated that Saturday or Monday were possible dates for the ceremony.



According to reporting by Al Arabiya, the proposed memorandum of understanding would include a ceasefire of 60 or more days, a commitment to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days, phased sanctions relief tied to resumed Iranian oil exports, continued nuclear negotiations during the ceasefire period, and a halt to hostilities across all fronts.



Trump acknowledged that the MOU only “conceptually” addresses the question of Iran’s nuclear material, and does not require Iran to immediately surrender its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium. He said that the enrichment facilities are “buried under a mountain” following U.S. strikes last year, and that “nobody has gotten close” to the stockpiles. The MOU would include an Iranian commitment not to obtain a nuclear weapon.



Trump also said that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen as a condition of the deal, and claimed that the U.S. had already quietly succeeded in moving oil through the channel in recent months, though it had remained substantially obstructed for the rest of the world.



The U.S. would lift its blockade of Iranian ports upon signing of the deal, Trump added. He described it as “a very strong MOU” that would be “a great deal for Iran because they’ll be able to build up their country” — a reference to the sanctions relief Tehran would receive if it complies.



Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei pushed back on the characterization that a deal was imminent. Tehran has not made a final decision and will not compromise on its “red lines” in negotiations, he said, according to Iran’s state IRNA news agency.



Baghaei said reports about a time and place for signing the agreement were “speculative,” and that nothing had been finalized. He acknowledged that “a large part of the negotiating text has been finalized” but said the United States had repeatedly changed its positions during the course of negotiations.



Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Trump by phone on Thursday regarding the emerging arrangement. The Prime Minister’s Office said the two discussed “the emerging memorandum of understanding with Iran regarding entry into negotiations.”



In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office said that “although Israel is not a party to the memorandum of understanding,” Netanyahu expressed appreciation for Trump’s commitment that any final agreement would include the removal of enriched material, the dismantling of enrichment infrastructure, limitations on missile production, and a halt to Iran’s support for terrorist proxies in the region.



The statement notably goes further than what Trump has publicly demanded of late. In recent weeks, the president has focused primarily on Iran’s nuclear program and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and has not insisted publicly on conditions related to ballistic missiles or Iran’s support for terrorist organizations — issues that Tehran has said are off the table. Adding to the sense of friction between Jerusalem and Washington, the Axios news site reported Thursday, citing a source with knowledge of the matter, that Netanyahu was not given advance notice before Trump called off further strikes against Iran and announced that a deal was near — a development that caught the prime minister off guard.



Diplomatic activity intensified on Thursday even as hostilities continued in the region. Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, held a phone call with Trump to review the results of U.S.-Iran consultations, with the Qatari Emiri Diwan saying that progress had been made toward a negotiating framework.



In a separate development, Kuwait’s civil aviation authority said that an Iranian attack earlier on Thursday targeted Kuwait International Airport’s radar systems, causing injuries and significant damage to radar facilities and air traffic management equipment. Kuwait formally notified the International Civil Aviation Organization of the incident.



Earlier this week, ballistic missile impacts in the southern Israeli cities of Arad and Dimona left nearly 200 people wounded, underscoring the fragility of the current ceasefire even as diplomats push toward a formal agreement. Trump on Thursday also addressed the state funeral for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died during the conflict. Tehran’s mayor said the ceremony would be delayed by several weeks.

Iran Updates: Details on Deal, Trump Now Says Signing Could Take Days

A suspect arrested over an alleged anti-Israel terror campaign in Michigan previously worked for US Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, according to a report by The Detroit News.



Mariam Odeh, 24, of Dearborn, Michigan, is among eight anti-Zionist activists charged with “terrorizing” University of Michigan officials, Jewish institutions, and police because of their perceived support for Israel.



Authorities allege the suspects monitored and threatened targets, carried out vandalism against homes and businesses, and discussed harming or torturing their opponents and their families.



The Detroit News reported that El-Sayed&#8217;s campaign says that Odeh was a paid staffer over a period of three months, not only two weeks as they initially claimed.



El-Sayed, a far-left candidate running for the US Senate in Michigan, has been a vocal critic of Israel.



According to the report, Odeh worked on El-Sayed’s campaign from February through April.



The allegations come as investigators continue examining the group’s activities and whether additional charges may follow.

Suspect In Michigan Anti-Israel Terror Campaign Worked For Senate Candidate Abdul El-Sayed, Report Says

A heavy metal storefront security gate detached without warning from a building on 13th Avenue in Boro Park on Thursday, sending the large structure crashing to the sidewalk but, b&#8217;chasdei Hashem, narrowly missing a woman who had been walking past at that moment.



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Video footage shows that had the woman been even a step closer, the outcome could have been far more serious, chas veshalom.



The gate,&nbsp; a typical accordion-style metal security screen common to storefronts along the busy commercial thoroughfare, fell to the sidewalk with significant force. The woman was shaken but uninjured.



&#8220;People need to check their gates, as they age they could become damaged,&#8221; Yossie Jacobson, who works at an eyeglass store not far from the scene told Belaaz. &#8220;It&#8217;s a good idea to periodically have a professional check, both for the safety of passerby and to prevent break-ins.&#8221;



The incident drew a crowd of onlookers on the bustling street. Emergency services responded to the scene.



The cause of the detachment — whether due to aging hardware, improper installation, or other factors — was not immediately known.

Miracle on 13th Avenue: Storefront Gate Crashes Down Narrowly Missing Passerby

President Donald Trump announced Thursday he has canceled scheduled U.S. strikes on Iran, citing significant progress in negotiations. “Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level&#8230; I have&#8230; cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening,” Trump stated in his Truth post. The President also noted that the agreement was approved by the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, and others. Trump added: “The Naval Blockade will remain in full force and effect until this Transaction is finalized — Time and place of the signing to be announced shortly.&#8221;



After his announcement on Truth Social, Trump told the New York Post that an agreement with Tehran has been “pretty much all wrapped up. The decision follows an exclusive New York Post report on Thursday morning that Iran submitted a finalized memorandum of understanding to Qatari mediators on Wednesday night. 



Trump has repeatedly stated over the past two months, at least 38 times, that a deal was imminent.



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BREAKING: Trump Cancels Planned Strikes on Iran, Says Deal ‘Pretty Much Wrapped Up’

WASHINGTON &#8211; President Donald Trump announced Thursday the nomination of Jay Clayton, former SEC chairman and current U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, to be the next Director of National Intelligence.



“I am pleased to announce the Nomination of very Highly Respected Jay Clayton&#8230; to be the next Director of National Intelligence and, importantly, to serve in my Cabinet,” Trump posted on Truth Social. 



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 In his statement, President Trump highlighted Clayton’s leadership at Sullivan &amp; Cromwell and urged swift Senate confirmation. The move follows Bill Pulte’s appointment as acting DNI and comes amid pressure for a permanent, experienced pick to lead the intelligence community.

President Trump Nominates Jay Clayton as Director of National Intelligence

The Trump administration has cut off federal funding to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority amid a widening fraud investigation into one of the country’s largest homelessness agencies.



The Department of Housing and Urban Development said it is immediately suspending LAHSA’s participation in federal programs while HUD’s inspector general investigates possible misconduct involving the agency and its leadership. LAHSA has received nearly $1 billion in federal funding since 2021.



HUD accused the agency of “obvious fraud,” “wanton mismanagement,” conflicts of interest, poor oversight and repeated failures to protect taxpayer dollars. The move comes after years of audits and criticism over Los Angeles homelessness spending, even as tens of thousands of people remain homeless across the county.



The agency cited several findings, including $2.1 million in federal funds that were directed to a nonprofit employing the husband of former LAHSA CEO Va Lecia Adams Kellum. HUD also pointed to a federal judge’s finding that LAHSA committed “obvious fraud” by allegedly seeking funding for an 88-bed shelter while knowing it was operating at about half capacity.



HUD also said LAHSA could not confirm basic records for nearly 2,300 housing sites it was supposed to oversee. A November 2024 audit found the agency left $513 million in homelessness funds unspent, despite the scale of the crisis in Los Angeles. 



“Under President Trump’s leadership, HUD will fund results, not corrupt failure or the homeless industrial complex,” HUD Secretary Scott Turner said. The action was also praised by officials tied to the White House fraud task force led by Vice President JD Vance.



Los Angeles city and county officials had already begun moving away from LAHSA before the federal action. Mayor Karen Bass has pointed to recent declines in homelessness as evidence of progress, but also warned that any transition away from LAHSA must avoid disrupting services for unhoused residents.

Trump Administration Cuts Funding To LA Homeless Agency During Fraud Probe

An Ontario Chabad location was vandalized for the second time in less than two weeks, with antisemitic graffiti discovered on Monday, according to Chabad of Guelph and the Guelph Police Service.



The vandals wrote the message “Zionist dogs&#8230;stop killing children&#8230;the goyim know” on the window of the temporary Chabad center.



The location currently hosts Shabbos morning services and several weekday classes while a permanent Chabad center is under construction. The site was previously targeted on May 30 in another vandalism incident.



During the earlier attack, graffiti reading “Death to genocidal Israhell,” was found written across the window.



Guelph Police said Wednesday that they were investigating both incidents, though officials had not yet confirmed whether they were connected.



Rabbi Raphi Steiner said he was shocked after discovering the first attack and was especially disturbed that his son was exposed to the hateful message.



“It was heartbreaking to watch my 12-year-old son sit in shul constantly glancing up at the very visible graffiti, wondering why someone would do that to his shul,” Rabbi Steiner told the Jerusalem Post on Thursday.



The rabbi warned that antisemitism has increased in the area in recent months, with Jews becoming the most targeted group for hate crimes in Canada since the October 7 Massacre, despite making up only around 1% of the population.

Antisemitic Graffiti Attack Targets Ontario Chabad Site For Second Time In Two Weeks

The IDF is preparing for a possible offensive against Hezbollah in the southern Lebanon city of Nabatieh, a major stronghold of the terror group, an Israeli military official said Thursday.



The IDF’s 36th Division has advanced deeper into southern Lebanon in recent days and is currently operating near Arnoun, a village located a few kilometers from Nabatieh, according to the military.



The division carried out covert operations near the Litani River before the advance, including constructing a new bridge across the waterway in an area Hezbollah was not monitoring, the official said. After the bridge was completed, armored forces crossed and moved north quickly without being detected.



The official said the division’s next steps would depend on decisions by Israeli leadership. The forces could continue advancing toward Nabatieh or move westward to keep targeting Hezbollah positions along the Litani River.



The purpose of either operation would be to further damage Hezbollah’s capabilities, the official said.



The developments come as fighting continues across multiple fronts, with regional tensions rising amid the war with Iran.



A Times of Israel reporter described the toll of the conflict in Israel, writing about visiting communities impacted by missile strikes, including Arad and Dimona, where nearly 200 people were injured.



The reporter met Shilgit, who runs an after-school program for underprivileged youth, outside her damaged center. She said it was a miracle no children were harmed and described how the community had united following the attack.



The reporter said documenting stories of resilience remains a priority, but added that continued coverage depends on public support.

IDF Prepares Possible Offensive Against Hezbollah Stronghold In Nabatieh, Official Says

The UK Green Party’s Health Policy Working Group is considering whether to back a policy that would restrict circumcision for non-medical reasons; effectively banning Bris Milah in the country, according to a Thursday report in the UK&#8217;s Jewish News.



The party’s Working Group has opened a consultation asking members whether parents should only be permitted to approve “an irreversible surgical procedure on a child if that procedure is medically necessary.” Members were also asked to comment on whether “non-therapeutic male circumcision should only be performed on children who are old enough to make an informed choice.”



The issue comes after Iceland became the first European country in 2018 to prohibit non-medical circumcision. The decision drew strong criticism from Jewish and Muslim leaders. 



Similar proposals have also been promoted by far-right European parties, including Germany’s AfD and Sweden’s Swedish Democrats, who have been accused of using the issue to target Jewish and Muslim communities.



The HPWG’s consultation officer contacted Green Party members with a survey on the subject, writing that “helping us to respond to this survey will be a huge help in ensuring the Green Party has an updated Health Policy from this Autumn.” The party is scheduled to hold its Autumn conference in September, where a “Zionism is Racism” motion is also expected to be discussed.



If the Green Party adopts such a policy, it could significantly damage its support among Muslim voters, where the party has gained ground in recent years through its strong opposition to Israel. 



In January, Jewish organislzations raised concerns after reports that draft guidance from the Crown Prosecution Service suggested that improperly performed circumcision could potentially be considered “child abuse.”



The CPS responded by saying: “We absolutely recognise that for many, male circumcision is a safe and celebrated tradition.



“However, while circumcision is legal, we have recently prosecuted cases where significant harm and distress have been caused to victims where this procedure has been carried out improperly and in unsafe circumstances.”

UK Green Party Considers Bris Milah Ban

More hesder yeshiva heads have joined a growing protest against the IDF’s planned pilot program for female soldiers in the maneuvering Armored Tank Corps, after rabbis said they would not send Talmidim to serve in tanks with women.



Hesder yeshivas combine several years of learning in Yeshiva in addition to IDF service, many of whom serve in combat units. Today, 11 additional hesder yeshiva heads and two unnamed rabbis have now joined a letter saying their talmidim will not to enlist in the Armored Corps if the pilot advances.



The original letter was sent Monday by several hesder Roshei Yeshiva, following an Israeli Supreme Court ruling requiring the IDF to open a pilot program for women in the maneuvering Armored Corps. The rabbis argued that such service would violate halacha and harm both the army’s religious character and its combat effectiveness.



“The IDF is the army of Bnei Yisrael, and the Kedusha of the camp is the foundation of the IDF’s spirit and of success in defeating the enemy. Placing female soldiers in tanks together with male soldiers causes spiritual and practical harm to combat capability,” the letter said.



The rebbeim said the decision came after serious consideration and declared that they would no longer send their students to serve in the Armored Corps beginning with the next draft cycle. The move is significant because hesder yeshivas are a major religious-Zionist pipeline into IDF combat service.



The IDF responded by saying the court did not order a broad integration of women into the corps, but only a pilot. The army also said men and women would not serve together in the same company or platoon, and that the matter has not yet reached the chief of staff for final discussion and approval.

More Hesder Rabbis Say They Will Not Send Talmidim To Tanks With Women

Agudath Israel of America is urging New Jersey residents to contact their state Assembly members and demand a &#8220;no&#8221; vote on A2218/S2260, a sweeping bill aimed at furthering demands of groups opposed to the Torah&#8217;s definition of gender and other family issues passed out of committee Monday that religious-liberty advocates say poses an existential threat to the ability of frum Jews to live, speak and raise children in accordance with their beliefs.



The bill, which the Assembly Appropriations Committee advanced on June 8 by a 9-to-4 vote, is framed by its sponsors as a &#8220;shield law,” but a close reading of its text reveals language so broad and ill-defined that it could expose rabbis, teachers, school principals, and even parents to civil lawsuits or criminal prosecution for expressing Torah views on gender.



&#8220;No one should face the threat of a lawsuit for offering religious counsel, parental guidance, or expressing deeply held convictions,&#8221; Agudath Israel stated in its action alert, calling the bill &#8220;a dangerous bill that could expose Rabbanim, educators, counselors, schools, and even parents to costly lawsuits and potential criminal penalties.&#8221;



The vote is expected to come before the full Assembly this Thursday, and Agudah is urging New Jersey residents to act immediately.



Under Section 6 of the legislation, any person can bring a civil action in Superior Court against an &#8220;actor&#8221; who &#8220;causes a reasonable person to suffer damage to the person&#8217;s business or personal reputation, financial harm, or pain and suffering, mental anguish, or emotional harm&#8221; based on the person seeking, receiving, or providing &#8220;reproductive health care services.&#8221;



The bill&#8217;s definition of &#8220;reproductive health care services&#8221; explicitly includes &#8220;all supplies, care, and services&#8230; to support a person&#8217;s alignment with their gender identity or expression.&#8221;



Critically, the bill mandates in Section 12 that its provisions &#8220;shall be liberally construed to effect the purpose thereof.&#8221; That clause &#8211; standard in progressive legislation but alarming in this context &#8211; means courts are directed to interpret ambiguous language in the broadest possible manner favoring plaintiffs (advocates of the aforementioned proponents of anti-Torah ideas).



The civil liability exposure is not the only danger. Section 5 creates a new criminal offense &#8211; &#8220;interference with reproductive health care services&#8221; &#8211; and includes within its scope any person who, &#8220;by force or threat of force,&#8221; intimidates, threatens, or coerces any person &#8220;in order to intimidate a person or entity, or a class of persons or entities, from becoming or remaining a patient, provider, volunteer, or assistant of reproductive health care services.&#8221;



Legal observers and community advocates have flagged a troubling gap between the bill&#8217;s stated intent and the reach of its language. The term &#8220;intimidate&#8221; is defined in the bill as placing a person &#8220;in reasonable apprehension of bodily harm.&#8221; But the civil-suit provision does not require bodily harm &#8211; it requires only that someone &#8220;cause a reasonable person to suffer&#8230; pain and suffering, mental anguish, or emotional harm.&#8221;



A pointed analysis circulating in community channels asks: who is to say a left-leaning judge would not &#8220;interpret the term &#8216;threat of force&#8217; broadly enough to criminalize a parent or grandparent threatening to expel his adult child from the home over seeking to violate Torah law as an &#8216;attempt to intimidate&#8217;?&#8221; The analysis further raises the specter of a principal or rebbe who issues an expulsion warning to a student being charged under the criminal statute, &#8220;given an explicit &#8211; or perhaps even implied threat &#8211; of expulsion from the school, or even just expulsion from the class.&#8221;



With the &#8220;liberally construed&#8221; mandate of Section 12 in place, this is not a far-fetched hypothetical. It is a realistic litigation risk.



Damages available to plaintiffs include not merely compensatory awards but punitive damages and attorney&#8217;s fees &#8211; a combination that functions as a potent deterrent against any speech or action that a litigant chooses to characterize as &#8220;interference.&#8221;



The Assembly Appropriations Committee voted 9-to-4 to advance the bill, with two members not voting. Among those who did not cast a vote was Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-36th District), the first Orthodox Jew ever elected to the New Jersey State Legislature and a representative whose district includes the city of Passaic, home to one of the largest and most vibrant frum communities in the state, as well as portions of southern Bergen County with significant Orthodox populations.



Schaer, who has served in the Assembly since 2006 and has been a longtime advocate for yeshivah funding and religious liberty causes, did not record a vote on the measure. His constituents in Passaic and surroundings &#8211; whose rabbis, schools, and parents could be directly affected by the bill&#8217;s provisions &#8211; have a particular stake in where he stands when the matter comes to the floor.



Agudath Israel&#8217;s action alert calls the bill&#8217;s undefined terms &#8220;vague and undefined&#8221; and warns that &#8220;such sweeping language invites litigation and creates a chilling effect on religious liberty, free speech, parental rights, and the ability of community leaders and educators to provide guidance consistent with their sincerely held beliefs, or to even simply talk about the subject.&#8221;



The organization&#8217;s suggested message to Assembly members reads: &#8220;I am your constituent and urge you to vote NO on A2218/S2260. This bill&#8217;s vague and overly broad language could expose religious leaders, educators, counselors, and parents to lawsuits based on subjective claims of emotional or reputational harm. The legislation threatens religious liberty, free speech, and parental rights. Please oppose A2218/S2260.&#8221;



New Jersey residents are urged to contact their Assembly members today. To find your representative, visit the New Jersey Legislature&#8217;s website at www.njleg.state.nj.us.

Agudah Sounds Alarm Over NJ Bill That Could Criminalize Religious Guidance on Gender, Family Issues

The family of Kamran (Yehudah) Hekmati, a 61-year-old Jewish Iranian-American from Great Neck, Long Island, who has been imprisoned in Iran for over a year, has issued an urgent plea to President Donald Trump, demanding his release be a non-negotiable condition of any potential peace agreement with Tehran, according to a Wednesday report in the NY Post.



The desperate appeal comes at a time of extreme volatility in the region. Tensions flared dramatically on Monday evening after an Iranian drone downed a U.S. Army Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz, prompting a renewed U.S. bombing campaign against objectives within the Islamic Republic.



For the Hekmati family, the intensifying military hostilities add a terrifying layer of urgency to an already dire situation. In a letter sent Tuesday night to President Trump, the State Department, and the National Security Council, the family highlighted not only the political peril facing Hekmati but also a catastrophic medical crisis. “Kamran is not only an American citizen; he is a devoted father, husband, brother, and cousin. Today, he is also a cancer patient,” wrote Shohreh Nowfar, Hekmati’s cousin and family spokesperson, in the letter. “He is battling bladder cancer without access to the medical care he urgently needs. Every day matters.”



Hekmati was detained by Iranian authorities in May 2025 while visiting family. The regime blocked him from leaving, claiming he had &#8220;illegally&#8221; visited Israel 13 years prior to attend his son’s bar mitzvah. He is currently being held in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison, a facility infamous for its harsh conditions and mistreatment of political dissidents and foreign nationals. In March, the U.S. State Department officially designated Hekmati as &#8220;wrongfully detained,&#8221; effectively classifying him as a political hostage.



The family’s plea follows comments made by President Trump during a weekend interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, where he asserted his desire to bring all American hostages home but noted the difficulties in maintaining a definitive list. “If you give me their names, I’ll do my best to get them home,” the President said.



An administration official responded to the family&#8217;s letter on Wednesday, stating, &#8220;President Trump has made it clear that he wants all Americans wrongfully and unjustly detained overseas to be brought home. The administration is closely tracking U.S. citizens currently detained in Iran and working diligently to secure their release.&#8221;



While President Trump has repeatedly pressed Tehran to negotiate an end to the current conflict—specifically demanding that Iran abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions—advocates for the hostages insist that human lives must not be sidelined in broader geopolitical talks.



Kieran Ramsey of Global Reach, an advocacy group representing the Hekmati family, emphasized that the safety of American citizens must take precedence, especially as airstrikes continue. “Unfortunately, we’re now seeing military hostilities increase again, but we want to see the sequencing on this flip. We want these Americans home,” Ramsey told the Post. “If there’s any deal to be made, it’s got to include the release of these Americans. Their status needs to be at the top of the pile.”



The terrifying reality inside Evin Prison was recently underscored by a smuggled voice recording from another wrongfully detained American, 49-year-old journalist Reza Valizadeh. In the recording, obtained by CBS News, Valizadeh described facing severe &#8220;physical pressure and mental torture,&#8221; adding that the detained Americans are &#8220;suffering from various diseases and are deprived of real medical services.&#8221;



Valizadeh’s message also expressed frustration with past missed opportunities, noting that the U.S. government failed to negotiate a prisoner swap in May when 20 Iranian sailors were released by the U.S. following the seizure of their commercial vessels.



As the Great Neck community and the broader Jewish community daven for Hekmati&#8217;s safety amidst the ongoing bombardment of Tehran, his family remains focused on the President&#8217;s track record of hostage diplomacy.



“You have already demonstrated strong leadership in bringing more than 100 Americans home since January 2025,” the Hekmati family wrote in their concluding remarks to the President. “We urge you to act now to secure Kamran’s release. His family in Great Neck, New York, is waiting for him. He deserves the chance to come home, receive treatment, and be reunited with those who love him.”



A State Department spokesperson reiterated the government&#8217;s official stance, saying, “The Iranian regime has a long and shameful history of unjustly detaining U.S. nationals and other foreign citizens. The Iranian regime should immediately release all Americans detained in Iran.”

Family Of Imprisoned Iranian Jewish Man Makes Urgent Plea To Trump

A stretch of potentially hazardous weather is expected to impact the New York metropolitan area beginning Thursday and continuing into Friday, bringing extreme heat, powerful thunderstorms and even the possibility of tornadoes.



“There is a chance that some of the thunderstorms, should they occur, could be on the stronger to severe side of things. Right now, damaging wind gusts of 58 to 70 miles per hour are possible,” Bryan Ramsey from the National Weather Service told the Gothamist. “In some of the storms, that could lead to damaged trees, downed power lines, scattered power outages.”



The severe weather outlook comes after a relatively mild Wednesday, when temperatures are expected to remain near 80 degrees with only a slight chance of scattered light rain, according to Ramsey.



Conditions are forecast to change dramatically on Thursday as temperatures climb above 90 degrees, with humidity making it feel even hotter than the actual air temperature.



“ We have a warm front coming through. That&#8217;s going to really increase the humidity outside, which is going to make it feel hotter,” Ramsey said. “ Anyone commuting in from New Jersey could even see heat index values approaching or exceeding 100 degrees.”



Meteorologists say the combination of intense heat and moisture will create favorable conditions for thunderstorms to develop and strengthen. However, forecasters are still uncertain about how the atmosphere will evolve. Potential impacts include localized flooding on roads, damaging winds capable of affecting power infrastructure, and even the chance for large hail or isolated tornadoes on Friday.



“Maybe we could see one, two tornadoes possible in some of these thunderstorms,” Ramsey said. “Whether that occurs in the city, it&#8217;s going to be really hard to say. But we are messaging that it&#8217;s a possibility.”



In response to the expected conditions, the National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for New York City covering Thursday and Friday. Cooling centers will be available throughout the five boroughs, and city programs can assist eligible residents with obtaining air conditioners or fans.



The weather pattern is expected to improve by Saturday, with drier air and calmer skies moving into the region.



&#8220;Even though we stay hot, it does lower humidity, so we don&#8217;t have to worry about any dangerous heat indices this weekend,” Ramsey said.

Dangerous Heat Wave and Severe Storm Threat Could Slam NY and NJ This Week

A new ADL/JLens report warns that BDS-aligned divestment from companies doing business in Israel could cost New York City pension funds more than $37 billion over the next decade.



The report, titled The Impact of Israel Divestment on the New York City Pension Funds, examined two hypothetical large-cap U.S. equity portfolios over a 10-year period from July 2015 to June 2025. One was broadly diversified, while the other excluded 47 major American companies targeted by the BDS movement for doing business in Israel, including Alphabet, Amazon and Microsoft.



According to the report, the BDS-excluded portfolio underperformed by about two percentage points annually. Applied to New York City’s pension system, which manages more than $300 billion, ADL and JLens estimated $37.55 billion in potential forgone value from 2025 to 2035.



The largest projected loss was for the Teachers’ Retirement System, at $15.09 billion. The New York City Employees’ Retirement System could lose $10.91 billion, followed by the Police Pension Fund at $7.13 billion, the Fire Pension Fund at $3.02 billion and the Board of Education Retirement System at $1.41 billion.



“This analysis highlights the potentially serious financial consequences of applying BDS-aligned divestment strategies to the city’s pension funds,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said. Ari Hoffnung, JLens managing director and former NYC deputy comptroller, said the movement has shifted “from college campuses to city halls,” but “the investment math doesn’t change with the venue.”



The report comes amid growing debate over New York pension policy under Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has opposed city pension investments tied to Israel. ADL noted that its estimate is based on past market performance and assumes a similar gap over the next decade.

ADL Report Warns BDS Israel Divestment Could Cost NYC Pensions $37 Billion

A group of 22 Western countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, condemned what they called Iran’s “malicious actions” targeting Jews, dissidents and journalists across several Western nations.



In a joint statement, the countries accused Iran of using criminal networks to carry out operations and specifically pointed to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, the Quds Force, and Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security.



The countries included Albania, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.



Theg pointed to “the relationship between Iranian security services and international criminal groups.”



“We stand united in our determination to protect our countries and our peoples against these threats. Iran must stop these actions immediately,” the statement said.



The countries warned of ties between Iranian security services and international criminal groups, calling the alleged cooperation “deplorable.”



“Their use of these groups is deplorable. Likewise, we condemn the recent campaign of attacks across Europe against Jewish communities, Iranian journalists, and American interests, claimed by Harakat Ashab al Yamin al Islamiya (HAYI) and supported by its intermediaries,” they said.



The signatories added that “attempts to assassinate, kidnap, harass, intimidate, or otherwise attack individuals” in their countries violate national sovereignty and international norms.



“These actions must cease immediately,” they said.



The statement referenced an attack on a synagogue in London’s Golders Green neighborhood in April that was claimed by HAYI, an organization accused by German authorities of having links to an Iraqi Shiite network and operating across Europe.

22 Countries Accuse Iran Of Plots Against Jewish Communities and Dissidents

ActBlue CEO Regina Wallace-Jones invoked her Fifth Amendment rights Wednesday rather than answer questions before Congress about allegations that the Democratic fundraising platform illegally processed foreign donations to federal campaigns.



“On the advice of my counsel, I respectfully decline to answer this question pursuant to my Fifth Amendment rights under the Constitution,” Wallace-Jones said after being asked the opening question at the House hearing.



House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) said investigators had “significant concern that ActBlue may have allowed foreign donations on their platform, lied to Congress and withheld responsive documents from a congressional subpoena.”



“All three of those actions are illegal,” Steil declared.



The committee subpoenaed Wallace-Jones after ActBlue’s legal team indicated she would not answer questions voluntarily. Republican lawmakers investigating the platform have also accused her of misleading Congress about the effectiveness of ActBlue’s fraud prevention measures.



Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY), the committee’s top Democrat, criticized the hearing as politically motivated and accused Republicans of failing to investigate similar concerns involving their party’s fundraising platform, WinRed.



In a video statement posted Wednesday, Wallace-Jones accused “President Trump and his allies” of “abusing their power to target ActBlue.”



“Invoking the Fifth Amendment is not an admission — or even an insinuation — of guilt,” she said.



“Last year, President Trump directed the Justice Department to investigate ActBlue, not based on facts, but dislike. Republican committee chairs wrote to Trump’s attorney general pledging to work collaboratively together,” Wallace-Jones added.



“These attacks did not start with ActBlue. And sadly, we know they are not stopping here. They are part of a much bigger trend of retaliation and retribution. It was universities. It was law firms. Then civil rights organizations.”



“We will not be intimidated.”



ActBlue, founded in 2004, has helped Democratic candidates and causes raise more than $19 billion. Nearly $2 billion of that funding went to Democrats during the 2024 election cycle, when internal records later obtained by The NY Post reported the platform had made its fraud standards “more lenient.”

ActBlue CEO Pleads The Fifth In House Probe Over Illegal Foreign Donations

Graham Platner, an anti-Israel progressive Democrat, won Maine’s Democratic Senate primary on Tuesday and will face Republican Senator Susan Collins in November, after a campaign marked by accusations of antisemitism and controversy over a Nazi-linked tattoo.



The result gives Democrats a nominee in one of the key Senate races of the midterm elections. Platner’s victory had been expected after Maine Governor Janet Mills suspended her campaign in late April, saying she could no longer afford to continue. Mills remained on the ballot, but major outlets called the race for Platner shortly after polls closed.



“I’m humbled and proud to officially be your Democratic nominee for the US Senate to take on Susan Collins and the billionaire class she represents,” Platner wrote after his victory. “Together, we will win this seat back for working Mainers. Thank you, Maine.”



Top Democrats moved to back him despite the controversies. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Kirsten Gillibrand said after the primary that Maine voters would elect Platner and that Democrats would win a Senate majority.



Platner has supported ending U.S. military aid to Israel and faced accusations of antisemitism over comments about AIPAC-linked donations to Collins. He also drew criticism over a chest tattoo showing a Totenkopf-style skull, a symbol widely associated with the Nazi SS. Platner said he did not know it was a Nazi symbol when he got it, later covered it, and denied being antisemitic. “I am not a secret Nazi,” he said.



Platner also faced allegations of misconduct toward women and criticism over past online comments. Republican Jewish leaders quickly pressed Democrats to distance themselves from him. “Chuck Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in America, and every Senate Democrat propping up Platner’s campaign, should be ashamed,” the Republican Jewish Coalition said, adding that Schumer “must withdraw his support immediately.”

Anti-Israel Democrat Wins Maine Senate Primary After Nazi-Symbol Tattoo Controversy

With the Capitol dome gleaming in the distance, leaders and supporters of Agudath Israel of America, elected officials and distinguished guests gathered Tuesday evening on the rooftop of the historic Hall of the States building to mark the retirement of its longtime Washington director, Rabbi Abba Cohen, and inaugurate the organization’s new home in the nation’s capital.



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The occasion drew a remarkable cross-section of power: Republican and Democratic lawmakers, senior Trump administration officials, and a who’s who of the Orthodox Jewish communal world — all united in tribute to a man who has spent nearly four decades navigating the corridors of Congress with quiet tenacity. Gourmet steaks and elaborate desserts accompanied the warm atmosphere, but the real menu of the evening was 38 years of accomplishments.



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Agudath Israel Board Chairman Shlomo Werdiger set the tone early, sketching the arc of Rabbi Cohen’s tenure since the organization opened its first full-time Orthodox Jewish advocacy office in Washington in 1988. “Thirty-eight years ago, you were entrusted to safeguard the name of our organization on Capitol Hill,” Werdiger told Rabbi Cohen, “and now you’ve returned it to us in the purest form as you received it.”



The catalogue of legislative wins Werdiger cited was extensive: early child-care voucher legislation, a foundational role in passage of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, creation of the Nonprofit Security Grant program — which has channeled over $2 billion to Jewish and other faith communities — and the ongoing fight for equitable services for nonpublic schools.



The breadth of that work was illustrated by one anecdote shared at the event: around 2004, Rabbi Cohen was simultaneously juggling calls with American elected officials and Egyptian government officials, working to lift an embargo on lulavim so that a supply could reach Jewish communities in time for Sukkos. It was the kind of urgent, behind-the-scenes scramble that rarely makes headlines — and that defined his career.



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Harav Yissocher Frand, Rosh Yeshiva of Ner Yisroel, who has known Rabbi Cohen for 50 years — since a hashgacha protis encounter at a Washington bus station on July 4, 1976, during the Bicentennial celebration — delivered a tribute that drew on the image of the spies Yehoshua sent to scout Eretz Yisroel, who, according to one explanation in Rashi, were instructed to disguise themselves as merchants of earthenware utensils. Those vessels had no worth in themselves; their value was purely functional. Rav Frand held up that metaphor as the defining portrait of Rabbi Cohen’s service. “It was never about him, it was never about his reputation, it was never about advancement,” Rav Frand said, contrasting Rabbi Cohen to typical politicians on Capitol Hill. “It’s all about the mission. And if I may say, that is a rare commodity in this city.”



Rabbi Avi Schnall, Agudah’s New Jersey director and COO, said the most valuable thing passing with Rabbi Cohen’s retirement wasn’t any legislative achievement. “It’s the advice, it’s the guidance, it’s the counsel that all of us relied upon,” he said.



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Schnall later announced with great fanfare that Rabbi A.D. Motzen, National Director of Government Affairs, would serve as the incoming director of the Washington office.



Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zweibel, Executive Vice President of Agudah, presented Rabbi Cohen with a large commemorative letter of appreciation signed by the Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah.



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Martin Marks, the White House’s Jewish engagement special assistant to the president, described how he and his colleagues routinely turned to Agudah whenever a policy question arose, saying the quiet advocacy made a world of difference. He also noted that White House Faith Office Director Jenny Korn, who worked with Rabbi Cohen during the first Trump administration, had told him just that morning how much she valued that relationship.



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The legislative voices in the room were no less forceful. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) ticked through his recent record — passage of private school scholarship tax deductions, expanded nonprofit security grant funding, and bipartisan legislation with Rep. Josh Gottheimer to enshrine the IHRA definition of antisemitism in federal civil rights enforcement. “You cannot tackle this if you are unwilling to call it out wherever it rears its ugly head,” Lawler said, naming figures from across the political spectrum.



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Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for civil rights, described a sweeping federal push against antisemitism that has included roughly $500 million in settlements with leading universities, landmark lawsuits against UCLA and Harvard, criminal and civil enforcement under the FACE Act targeting attacks on synagogues, and a series of RLUIPA cases challenging zoning discrimination against Jewish communities in the Northeast.



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“Columbia is the signature one that I’m proud of — $200 million penalty, largely for their antisemitic conduct in the wake of October 7,” Dhillon said, while holding what Rabbi AD Motzen described as a &#8220;fireside chat without a fire&#8221; with the incoming head of the Washington office. She added that she is the friendliest administration in certainly her lifetime and urged community members to come forward with complaints, disclosing that charges in a new hate crime case are expected within weeks.



Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) opened with a wry observation: “My job, I often think, as a non-Jew, is to make Jews feel guilty for not knowing the Torah as well as I do.” The senator, who has studied Torah weekly for over 30 years, invoked the parsha of the meraglim — with Calev and Yehoshua as models of courage against seemingly impossible odds — and drew a direct line to Rabbi Cohen’s career. “Thank you for being in the tradition of courageous Jewish Americans,” Booker said. “For being in the tradition of Joshua and Caleb.”



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Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) disclosed that just the night before, while walking alone near Pennsylvania Avenue, he had been targeted in an antisemitic attack. Fine recounted that a man on a bicycle rode past, recognized him, and hurled a vicious antisemitic epithet. Fine called out after him rather than keep walking. The man turned his bicycle around and rode it directly at Fine — making the first physical move. Fine said the confrontation ended with his attacker on the sidewalk.



Fine also recounted his decision to begin wearing a kippah on the House floor — a first in the chamber’s 249-year history. The decision came at the urging of his 18-year-old son, who told him: “Dad, I want you to wear a yarmulke, because I have friends that go to college who don’t feel safe wearing theirs.” The gesture was cemented when an Orthodox family in the visitors’ gallery spotted him presiding, their young children pointing in recognition. “They saw someone that looked like them,” Fine said.



His bill, the PEACE Act, which would hold European nations accountable for the surge in antisemitism on their soil, passed the House floor this week.



The evening closed as it opened — with the Capitol as backdrop and a sense that the work is far from done. “The challenges are only getting stronger,” Werdiger said. “But our presence to meet those challenges will be even greater.”



For Agudath Israel, the new Hall of the States office is more than a real estate upgrade. It is, as Werdiger put it, a statement of permanence — a declaration that Orthodox Jewry’s voice in the capital is here to stay.

Agudath Israel Marks New Era With Gala Rooftop Celebration in Washington DC

The United States carried out at least three waves of airstrikes against Iranian targets on Tuesday night, in what President Donald Trump described as a retaliatory operation following the downing of an American military helicopter.



Explosions were reported near the Strait of Hormuz, with Iranian state media outlets Mehr and Fars news agencies posting reports of blasts on Qeshm Island and in the port city of Bandar Abbas on Iran’s southern coast. 



US CENTCOM later released a statement saying that the strikes were completed, but cautioned “US forces remain vigilant and postured to defend against unjustified Iranian aggression.&#8221;



House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed he was present in the White House Situation Room alongside the President and senior officials in the hours before the operation was launched. He described the strikes as “proportional and limited,” saying they targeted radar, missile, and command-and-control sites.



A U.S. official told journalist Barak Ravid that the operation comprised three separate strike waves. Reports also indicated that strikes were conducted against a base of the Iranian Army Land Force in Zahedan, in eastern Iran, as part of the third wave.



Iranian air defenses reportedly shot down two American drones during the operation — one over the city of Jam in the Bushehr region and another over southern Iran, according to unverified reports circulating on Telegram.



Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded to the strikes with a combative statement posted on X. “Despite its defeats on the battlefield, the US opted to test our determination,” he wrote. “Our powerful armed forces will leave no attack or threat unanswered.”



“Leave our region if you want to be safe,” Araghchi continued. “History of the Persian Gulf has many chapters on dire fates of intruding outsiders.”



The situation remains fluid. Further details are expected to emerge in the coming hours.

U.S. Launches Retaliatory Strikes Against Iran in Multiple Waves

President Donald Trump vowed Tuesday that the United States “must” respond after Iran shot down a U.S. Army Apache helicopter patrolling the Strait of Hormuz, the latest and most direct military confrontation between the two countries as already-fragile ceasefire arrangements show increasing signs of strain.



“I have just been informed by our Great Military that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured. Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack.”



Trump did not specify what form the U.S. response would take or when it would occur. U.S. Central Command confirmed that the helicopter went down at 7:33 p.m. ET Monday. The two crew members were rescued approximately two hours later by a Navy unmanned surface drone — the first such rescue operation ever conducted by the U.S. military — and then airlifted by helicopter to safety.



Two U.S. officials told CBS News that initial reports indicate an Iranian drone brought down the Apache. A separate source identified the drone as a Shahed-type drone. One official cautioned that it remains unclear whether the helicopter was deliberately targeted.



Iran has not publicly claimed responsibility for the incident. The semi-official Mehr News Agency reported Tuesday that no claim of responsibility had been made, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had not issued a statement as of midday Tuesday.



Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded to Trump’s threat in a post on X, striking a cautious but pointed tone. “Iran prefers the language of diplomacy,” Araghchi wrote. “However, as our Brave Warriors have shown to the world, we know how to speak other languages too.”



Araghchi suggested the helicopter incident may not have been intentional and called on “foreign forces” to leave the strait. He argued the Strait of Hormuz is “NOT international waters but shared between Iran and Oman,” and said that forces operating near Iranian territory face risks from “human errors, plain accidents, or potentially being caught in crossfire.”



His statement came amid ongoing, delicate negotiations between Washington and Tehran over a potential agreement to end the broader conflict.



The helicopter incident came the day after Israel and Iran exchanged direct strikes for the first time since the April 8 ceasefire took effect — a fragile truce that has been showing cracks in recent days. Israeli airstrikes on Iranian military and fuel targets drew a ballistic missile counterattack from Tehran, though both sides subsequently stepped back from further escalation.



Israel has continued its separate offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon, launching fresh strikes on the southern city of Tyre on Tuesday and issuing an evacuation order for the city’s Christian quarter. Iran has warned that continued Israeli attacks in Lebanon would be met with a severe response.



Hezbollah has continued firing rockets into northern Israel.



Trump, who has urged both Israel and Iran to show restraint, has also been navigating growing tensions with Jerusalem. Reports emerged this week that Trump warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that further unilateral strikes on Iran could leave Israel isolated. Israel’s ambassador to the United States acknowledged that the two allies have “some differences” to work through.

Trump Vows U.S. Response After Iran Downs Apache Helicopter Over Strait of Hormuz

A new United Nations report has documented serious abuses carried out by Hamas terrorists and affiliated forces in Gaza, including executions, torture, beatings and other acts the UN says amount to war crimes.



The report from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights details hundreds of cases of extrajudicial punishment, saying Hamas forces carried out public acts of violence to intimidate residents and maintain control.



“These cases involved executions, kneecapping, bone-breaking with metal pipes or cement bricks and beatings and were framed by the perpetrators as punishments for alleged collaboration with Israel, looting humanitarian aid, theft, drug-related offenses or affiliations with internal rivals,” the report states.



The findings come after years in which international criticism and UN attention frequently centered on Israel, while allegations of Hamas abuses inside Gaza received far less focus.



The report says Hamas-affiliated forces were involved in nearly one-quarter of 249 documented cases between August 2024 and January 2026, including 108 deaths. The UN said the punishments were often carried out without courts or legal proceedings.



Those targeted included opponents of Hamas, suspected collaborators, and rival armed groups that emerged as the terror group’s control weakened during the war.



The report cites public executions recorded on video, including one incident where three blindfolded men were shot outside Shifa Hospital and another where eight men were dragged into a Gaza City square and killed.



The UN commission said the actions “amount to the war crime of murder and to a violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, including the right to life, the right to liberty and security and the right to a fair trial.”

UN Report Finally Acknowledges Hamas Atrocities After Years Of Israel-Focused Criticism

President Donald Trump publicly urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to retaliate after Iran fired missiles at Israel, but behind the scenes Secretary of State Marco Rubio helped Israel secure approval for a limited response, according to a report by Danny Zaken in Israel Hayom. The report describes intense discussions between Washington and Jerusalem that ended with Trump authorizing a coordinated Israeli strike despite his public calls for restraint.



The dispute centered on whether Iran should pay a price for firing directly at Israel. Trump initially signaled opposition, declaring, “I am going to call Bibi right now and tell him not to retaliate. Each of them had their fun. Israel had its strike, and Iran had its strike. We don’t need another one.” Netanyahu reportedly argued that failing to respond would reward Iran and strengthen Tehran’s position in negotiations with the U.S.



According to the report, Israel also warned that Iran was using its remaining missile force to gain diplomatic leverage. Rubio reportedly backed that position, recalling his previous statement that “Only stupid countries don’t shoot back when you’re shot at.” The discussions ultimately led to U.S. approval for a strike whose targets and limits were coordinated with Washington. Channel 13 reported that Netanyahu had considered a broader attack on Iranian energy infrastructure, but Trump rejected that option and told him, “Strike, and close the event.”



Military coordination continued throughout the crisis. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir reportedly told commanders, “We are ready to respond and are waiting only for the green light.” Zamir also held several conversations with CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper before the operation. Israel Hayom reported that the strikes were coordinated with CENTCOM, although U.S. forces did not participate directly.



The report also tied the confrontation to Lebanon. Netanyahu reportedly warned Trump that Iran was trying to derail U.S.-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon by forcing Israel to halt operations against Hezbollah. Iranian statements likewise linked the missile attack to Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon and Beirut’s Dahiyeh district. After the exchange, both sides signaled they would stop if the other side did the same, though Netanyahu warned, “If Iran makes the mistake of resuming attacks on us, we will respond with overwhelming force.”

Report: Rubio Helped Netanyahu Win Trump’s Approval For Iran Strike

A Connecticut man has been arrested after allegedly targeting visibly Jewish individuals with antisemitic remarks, knocking a yarmulke off one victim’s head and confronting others on a New Haven street.



The New Haven Police Department said Paul Smith, 36, of East Haven, was accused of approaching three Jewish people on Crown Street on June 2, shouting slurs and making hostile remarks. Witnesses said he allegedly yelled, “get out of my city,” “baby killers” and “go back where you belong,” and asked whether they supported “genocide.”



According to police, the suspect also allegedly confronted another person who attempted to intervene, shoving them and throwing a rolled-up newspaper. Officers said Smith then pointed at a victim’s yarmulke and slapped it off his head, causing it to fall to the ground.



Police reviewed video footage and said it supported the victims’ accounts. Smith was arrested Monday and charged with intimidation due to bias in the second degree and disorderly conduct.



“This behavior will never be tolerated in New Haven,” stated David Zannelli, chief of the New Haven Police Department.

Connecticut Man Arrested After Allegedly Attacking Jewish Victims In Antisemitic Incident

IDF Chief of the General Staff Eyal Zamir visited the commander training exercises in northern Israel



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IDF Chief of Staff LTG Eyal Zamir stated during the visit to northern training exercises on Tuesday: “Iran’s attempt to dictate new rules will fail. The strike we carried out in Iran was preparation for a much more significant and powerful blow. We are prepared to deliver another severe strike.”



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Zamir emphasized that the IDF remains on high alert and will continue deepening damage to Hezbollah while defending northern communities. “We will act with determination wherever we identify a threat to Israeli civilians,” he said.



IDF forces are currently operating in southern Lebanon, dismantling terrorist infrastructure including a major underground facility in the Beaufort area. The exercises focus on preparing the next generation of battalion and company commanders, the IDF said.



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IDF Chief: ‘Strike on Iran Was Just Preparation for Far Stronger Blow’

The Knesset Finance Committee advanced a bill Tuesday that would restore daycare subsidies for children of Charedi yeshiva students affected by draft-related restrictions, sending the proposal to its first Knesset reading.



In August 2024, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara instructed the Labor Ministry to stop daycare subsidies for children of Charedi yeshiva students who did not comply with draft orders, arguing that after the High Court ruled Charedi community members must be drafted, the state could no longer fund benefits for those who did not enlist.



The legislation, sponsored by the Charedi United Torah Judaism party, would prevent the government from factoring a yeshiva student’s draft status into daycare eligibility or admission priorities. Instead, eligibility would be based only on the child’s mother’s employment or educational status.



The committee also amended the proposal to provide reservists with priority in daycare admissions and subsidy calculations, following requests from committee chairman Hanoch Milwidsky and other lawmakers.



The bill’s sponsor, Degel HaTorah chairman MK Moshe Gafni, welcomed the committee’s decision, saying, “We are ensuring that women will be able to go out to work and earn a respectable livelihood.”



Justice Ministry representatives opposed the bill, telling lawmakers that even if it passes, families where the father is considered a draft refuser would still not qualify for daycare benefits under the government’s own rules.



The bill passed a preliminary vote last month after reports that Gafni threatened to support a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 Hamas attack unless the legislation moved forward. The coalition opposes such a commission and is instead seeking a different investigative framework.



The daycare subsidy bill is expected to reach the Knesset plenum Wednesday for its first reading.

Finance Committee Advances Bill Restoring Daycare Support For Charedi Families

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An armed terrorist infiltrator from Lebanon opened fire on IDF troops near Ramim Ridge on Tuesday afternoon. The terrorist was shot dead. 



Baruch Hashem, no Israeli soldiers were injured. A preliminary investigation found the attacker did not cross Israel’s border fence. He fired from inside an Israeli military zone on the western side of the barrier. 



The event triggered a lockdown in nearby communities as forces launched a search operation to rule out additional infiltrators.



Residents of Misgav Am, Margaliot, and Manara were ordered to remain indoors, and a nearby highway was closed.



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IDF Kills Hezbollah Terrorist Near Border Fence

Iranian officials claimed victory less than a day after the latest exchange with Israel, while warning that any further Israeli or American action could trigger another regional response. Iranian leaders and regime-linked media presented the fighting as proof that Iran had changed the regional equation, tying Israel, the U.S., Lebanon, Hezbollah, Yemen and the Red Sea into one broader front.



Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, speaker of Iran’s parliament and a senior figure in Tehran’s negotiating team, said Iran would continue to combine military pressure with diplomacy. “We are not going to either just fight or just negotiate; rather, we are going to fight at our own time and negotiate at our own time,” Qalibaf said.



He also claimed Iran had disrupted what he called an empty ceasefire framework that was being violated on the ground. “We upended the equation of a ceasefire on paper and its repeated violation on the ground,” he said. “So long as you lack a genuine willingness to build trust, Iran’s response will remain the same.”



Other senior Iranian officials joined the threats. Mohsen Rezaei, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, warned that Iran would respond to any “aggression” in the area of the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf. Mohammad Bagher Zolqadr, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, warned Israel and the U.S. that “If the Zionist-American evil coalition makes another mistake, the region will become hell for them.”



The threats were also linked to Iran’s regional proxy network. Esmail Qaani, commander of the IRGC Quds Force, said “From the Strait of Hormuz to Bab al-Mandab, and from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea, a new security belt of resistance will be established.” The Houthis also renewed threats against Israeli-linked navigation in the Red Sea after missile launches from Yemen toward Israel.



Inside Iran, Hamshahri published a list of “five achievements” it attributed to Iran after the latest round, including what it called the unification of regional fronts after the Beirut strike. The paper said the exchange showed that “Dahieh and Lebanon are not out of the picture,” while also arguing that Hezbollah remains central to Iran’s deterrence equation.

Iran Claims Victory After Latest Exchange With Israel

Police investigating a mass shooting at an Ohio music festival detained an 18-year-old suspect for questioning, according to his father who spoke with media on Monday.



The teenager was taken into custody in connection with Saturday’s shooting at Old West End Fest in Toledo, where 12 people were wounded, according to local reports.



Authorities were seen carrying out a search warrant Monday afternoon at a home on Marmion near Nebraska in Toledo as part of the investigation.



Forensic teams set up a blue tent outside the property, where the teen’s father confirmed that his son lived.



Police have not announced any official charges and have not released details about the search warrant.



Investigators previously said the shooting began after a confrontation involving two separate shooters.

Teen Suspect Detained In Ohio Festival Shooting That Injured 12

President Donald Trump revealed Monday that he warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel could find itself fighting Iran without American support if it chose to escalate the conflict further, while claiming that Washington received only last-minute notification of Israel’s overnight strikes against Iran and that he had succeeded in limiting their scope.



Speaking in a phone conversation with Channel 12’s Barak Ravid, Trump said that during a phone call with Netanyahu on Sunday night he had urged the prime minister not to respond to Iran’s ballistic missile attacks. According to the Hebrew-language network, the conversation ended without a definitive conclusion. Several of Trump’s aides who were present on the call told Channel 12 they came away with the impression that Trump had succeeded in buying a few more days without Israeli retaliation, in order to allow ongoing U.S.-Iran nuclear talks to proceed.



Following that call, however, Netanyahu convened consultations with senior security officials, after which he informed Secretary of State Marco Rubio that he had decided to proceed with strikes inside Iran.



Trump told Channel 12 that Israel informed Washington of the impending strikes very late — only as the missiles were already airborne — and maintained that he had managed to scale back the scope of the attack. Five regional countries involved in mediation efforts between Washington and Tehran, he added, had urged him to press Netanyahu to halt the strikes and advance a diplomatic agreement.



A separate Channel 12 report offered a detailed account of the back-and-forth communications between Jerusalem and Washington throughout the day’s escalation. Following Israel’s retaliatory strikes against Hezbollah targets in Beirut on Sunday afternoon, Washington conveyed its displeasure to Israeli officials. Israel responded that the strike had been measured and unavoidable given ongoing Hezbollah rocket fire on northern Israel.



After Iran launched ballistic missiles at Israel in support of Hezbollah Sunday night, Netanyahu held what was described as a tense phone call with Trump. During the exchange, Trump urged Netanyahu not to respond to the Iranian attacks and said the U.S. would not provide a “green light” for Israeli action, while acknowledging that Netanyahu had his “own calculations.” Netanyahu reportedly replied: “The Iranians violated our sovereignty. We have to draw a red line.”



Channel 12 reported a notable discrepancy in how Israeli officials characterized the outcome of that conversation: some said Trump left the call believing Israel would not strike, while others said Trump understood from Netanyahu’s remarks that Israel intended to proceed regardless.



Israel did carry out strikes against Iran overnight and again Monday morning. Iran fired two additional rounds of missiles in response before approaching the Trump administration with an offer to halt further attacks — on the condition that Israel do the same. Trump said Monday morning that after Iranian officials reached out to Washington with that message, he called Netanyahu again and persuaded him to agree to stand down.



During a second Trump-Netanyahu conversation Monday, Netanyahu justified the decision to strike, telling the president that Israel had assessed the strikes “would not lead to a [full-blown] war,” according to the report. Channel 12 noted an apparent tension in that argument, given that Israel had simultaneously been preparing a far larger follow-on operation.



As Iran’s ceasefire overture was being relayed to Washington, a major Israeli military operation was simultaneously being finalized at IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv. Around 4:30 p.m. Monday, Netanyahu reportedly approved the operation — only to be called by Trump minutes later and instructed to halt any further strikes so that Washington could pursue a diplomatic deal with Tehran.



Israeli officials gave conflicting accounts of that final conversation: some described it as a discussion characterized by mutual understanding, while others portrayed it as an effective directive from the president. In either case, Netanyahu agreed to halt the operation — a decision that, according to Channel 12, created “considerable confusion” within the military high command, as aircraft had already been prepared for takeoff.



The Prime Minister’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reports.



Trump reiterated Monday that he believes a nuclear agreement with Iran remains achievable, that Tehran is willing to sign one, and that such a deal would be beneficial. He had told Fox News last week that he believed he had been within days of finalizing an agreement with Iran before the current round of fighting broke out.

Trump Warned Netanyahu Israel Could Face Iran Alone; Intervened to Halt Larger Strike

Antisemitic hate crimes in London surged 72% in May compared to the previous month, according to new figures released by the Metropolitan Police. Officers recorded 255 antisemitic hate crimes during the month, up from 148 in April. The total also represents a 172% increase compared to May 2025, when 91 incidents were recorded.



The highest number of incidents was recorded in Barnet, home to the large Jewish communities of Golders Green, Hendon, and Finchley. Antisemitic hate crimes were reported in 28 of London&#8217;s 32 boroughs during May. Barnet recorded 76 incidents, followed by Hackney with 40 and Westminster with 29, highlighting how widely antisemitic incidents were spread across the capital.



Community Security Trust (CST), which monitors antisemitism and provides security for British Jewish communities, said the figures reflect what many Jews in London are experiencing on a daily basis. &#8220;This sharp rise in antisemitic hate crimes reflects the daily experiences of the Jewish community in London and corresponds to similar data recorded by CST over the same period,&#8221; a CST spokesperson told The Jerusalem Post.



CST said the increase appears to have followed a series of attacks targeting Jewish individuals and institutions, including arson attacks on Jewish community sites and the stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green at the end of April. &#8220;Most disturbing of all is that this increase appears to have been triggered by the series of arson attacks on the Jewish community and the stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green at the end of April,&#8221; the spokesperson said.



The organization warned that similar patterns were seen after Hamas&#8217; October 7 attack on Israel and after the terror attack on the Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester. &#8220;This means that, as we saw after the October 7 attack in Israel and after the terror attack on the Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester, attacks on Jews lead to more antisemitism, not less,&#8221; the spokesperson said. CST welcomed increased police resources in Jewish neighborhoods, while the Metropolitan Police recently launched a dedicated 100-officer Community Protection Team to help protect vulnerable communities across London.

London Antisemitic Hate Crimes Surge 72% In May

A senior Israeli official said Monday that Israel has paused its retaliatory strikes against Iran following a request from US President Donald Trump, Arutz 7 and the Times of Israel report.



The official added that Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon will continue in the coming days “at full force.” He also said Israel will continue striking the Dahieh district if attacks against Israeli civilians and communities persist.



According to the official, Israeli leadership believes the current round of fighting with Iran has come to an end.



Earlier Monday, Trump called on Israel and Iran to stop their exchanges of fire after Iran was accused of violating the ceasefire late Sunday night.



“Israel and Iran must immediately stop &#8216;shooting,&#8217;” Trump wrote on social media.



On Sunday night, Trump urged Israel not to respond militarily to Iranian missile fire directed at northern Israel.



Speaking to Barak Ravid of Channel 12 News, Trump said, “I am going to call Netanyahu right now and tell him not to strike back.”



He added, “The Iranian strikes didn’t hurt anybody. Hopefully, Israel is not going to retaliate. If Bibi strikes them back, it’s just gonna keep going like the last 47 years, or the last 3000 years.”



Trump also said the US was “very close to a final deal with Iran” and warned that he did not want the current escalation to derail negotiations.



“I am going to call Bibi right now and tell him not to retaliate. Each of them had their fun. Israel had its strike and Iran had its strike. We don&#8217;t need another one,” he stressed.



Meanwhile, Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Command, which coordinates between Iran’s military and the Revolutionary Guards, announced Monday that its operation against Israel had ended. However, the group also threatened a severe response to any future Israeli strikes in Lebanon.



The Iranian statement claimed that the attacks were carried out in response to Israeli operations in southern Lebanon and the Dahieh area of Beirut.



“Following the acts of aggression and evil by the cruel Zionist regime in southern Lebanon and in the Dahieh area, which were carried out with the support of criminal America, Iran’s armed forces delivered a painful response to this regime, as part of support for the oppressed Lebanese people,&#8221; the statement said.



The command claimed Iran’s actions were “a response from which the fake Zionist regime and its supporters must learn a lesson,&#8221; while announcing that “the operation by the armed forces is hereby declared concluded.&#8221;



“It should be emphasized that in the event of continued acts of aggression and evil, including in southern Lebanon, far harsher and more crushing measures than before are on the way,&#8221; the Khatam al-Anbiya Command warned.

Israel Halts Iran Strikes At Trump’s Request As Tehran Declares Operation Over

A growing number of Jewish Democrats are warning that hostility over Israel’s war in Gaza is increasingly spilling into hostility toward Jewish Americans, creating a political problem for the party ahead of 2028, Axios reported.



The concern comes as several prominent Jewish Democrats, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, are viewed as possible presidential contenders. Jewish voters remain a heavily Democratic bloc, but party officials warn that even small shifts could matter in swing states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia.



Several recent incidents have fueled the alarm. Axios cited Graham Platner, the likely Democratic Senate nominee in Maine, who faced scrutiny over a Nazi-linked tattoo he said he did not understand at the time. It also pointed to Philadelphia Democratic congressional nominee Chris Rabb, whose campaign account reposted a claim that the Bondi Beach massacre of Jews was a false-flag attack by “Zionists,” and Texas Democrat Maureen Galindo, who called for a “prison for American Zionists.”



Howard Wolfson, a longtime Democratic strategist, told Axios that some Jewish Democrats in key states may struggle to support a nominee who is “decidedly hostile to Israel.” Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Jewish Democrat from Florida, said the party is not taking the issue seriously enough. “Jews are starting to feel scared again,” he said.



The warning comes as Democratic support for Israel has fallen sharply. Gallup reported in February that 48% of Democrats view the Palestinian Territories favorably, compared with 34% who view Israel favorably. Still, some Democrats argue the issue is broader than one party. Emanuel told Axios, “I think the Democratic Party has an Israel issue, but I think the Republicans have a Jewish issue.”

Jewish Democrats Warn Party’s Israel Fight Could Threaten 2028 Support

The IDF said the Israeli Air Force carried out strikes against military targets in western and central Iran, shortly after Iran launched a barrage of missiles toward northern Israel.



Explosions were reported in several Iranian cities, including Tehran, Tabriz and Isfahan, according to local media reports.



Additional reports said explosions were also heard in Baghdad and Beirut as the strikes were underway.



Initial assessments of the targets hit in Iran indicated that the strikes included Mehrabad Airport in Tehran, described as a dual-use IRGC air hub; a drone assembly warehouse in Najafabad, impacting Iran’s UAV production capabilities; and a ballistic missile site in Tabriz, where missiles used in the attack on northern Israel were reportedly based.



Reports also suggested that an IRGC compound in Eslamabad-e-Gharb may have been targeted, potentially as part of efforts against senior Iranian military figures.



The strikes came after US President Donald Trump said earlier that he planned to urge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to refrain from responding to Iran’s ballistic missile attack.

IDF Strikes Iranian Military Targets After Missile Barrage On Northern Israel

The proposed $2.245 billion acquisition of Maimonides Medical Center by NYC Health + Hospitals has hit another wall, and the Orthodox Jewish community groups that have been fighting the deal from the start say the delay is welcome news &#8211; even as they warn the underlying threat has not gone away.



State health officials rejected Maimonides’ latest filing this week for failing to include a required Health Equity Impact Assessment, preventing the transaction from appearing on the June 10 agenda of the key state review committee. The next committee meeting is not scheduled until late August, pushing the already long-delayed deal further into uncertainty.



The transaction was originally set to close April 1. The setback follows an Albany Supreme Court ruling last month that overturned an earlier state approval of the deal, finding that the Department of Health had improperly allowed it to advance without full review by the Public Health and Health Planning Council. The hospital also faces separate legal challenges from board trustees over the transfer of nonprofit assets.



For the frum community, the delays have provided breathing room in what advocates describe as an urgent fight for the neighborhood’s healthcare future. Since the takeover was announced, a coalition of community leaders has waged a vigorous campaign against it &#8211; including members of the Maimonides Board of Trustees, Hatzalah leadership, and patient advocacy organizations such as Refuah Helpline.



Several have filed as plaintiffs in litigation challenging the deal.



Their core argument is that Maimonides, despite its financial struggles, has been transformed over the past decade into a genuinely community-responsive institution &#8211; and that a takeover by a large city-run system would undo that progress in ways that cannot be reversed.



Hatzalah leadership has been particularly outspoken, warning that if Maimonides deteriorates to the level of other city hospitals, the organization would have no choice but to bypass it entirely, even for emergencies &#8211; forcing patients to travel farther for care and costing precious time. The concern is not hypothetical: Hatzalah already avoids Woodhull Hospital in Williamsburg, a city facility located just blocks from a large frum population.



Patient referral advocates have raised equally stark concerns about what a city takeover would mean in practice. Over decades of working with patients across the system, they have documented a consistent pattern at city hospitals: nurses stretched too thin, workups left incomplete at discharge, records not properly filed, imaging impossible to obtain in time for treatment. Patients who arrive at Maimonides after being treated at a city facility &#8211; brought by EMS rather than Hatzalah following a trauma &#8211; regularly arrive with wounds inadequately treated and care left unfinished. Advocates warn the same would happen to Maimonides patients if the merger goes through.



The Jewish community’s particular needs &#8211; Shabbos and Yom Tov access for families, halachic sensitivity in examinations and end-of-life care, gender-appropriate treatment, and the ability of families to remain at a patient’s bedside around the clock &#8211; are seen as especially vulnerable under city management.



Advocates point to the takeover of Henry Carter LTCH roughly a decade ago as a cautionary tale: city officials made identical promises of cultural continuity at that time, and today the facility is effectively unused by the Orthodox community. Supporters of the acquisition argue that joining NYC Health + Hospitals would stabilize Maimonides financially and preserve its safety-net role for a patient population that is heavily reliant on Medicare and Medicaid. The hospital serves not only the Orthodox Jewish community but a wide range of Brooklyn residents, and operates key pediatric, NICU, and trauma services.



But opponents say financial stabilization cannot come at the cost of the institutional trust that has taken years to build. Maimonides now delivers thousands of babies from the community annually &#8211; something that was unthinkable a generation ago, when families routinely traveled to other hospitals. That trust, advocates warn, could evaporate quickly and would not easily return. With the deal now stalled at least through the summer, the community’s fight to find an alternative path forward continues.

Maimonides City Takeover Stalls Again – Community Advocates Breathe Sigh of Relief

Antisemitism watchdog group CyberWell has raised concerns over a new social media trend that uses fitness-related humor to promote negative stereotypes about Jews, according to a report released last week.



The organization said the trend portrays Jews as “greedy, dishonest, aggressive, and ‘money-obsessed’” while presenting the content as jokes shared by fitness influencers.



According to CyberWell’s report, participants in the trend place rope attachments around their heads to imitate the sidelocks worn by some Jewish men. The posts are often paired with antisemitic captions, including the phrase “Promised 3,000 Years Ago.”



The report said the trend promotes the false antisemitic claim that Jews take ownership of things that belong to others, with gym equipment serving as the focus in these posts.



CyberWell also highlighted the reactions in comment sections, saying users frequently amplify the antisemitic messages through Holocaust mockery, coded language, and other forms of hatred. The organization warned that these online spaces can create “echo chambers” where anti-Jewish prejudice becomes normalized.



“This new trend in open gym antisemitism is a direct result of social media platforms’ failure to apply their content moderation policies to AI-generated content packaged as jokes,” CyberWell Founder and CEO Tal-Or Cohen Montemayor said in a statement.



“The gym has become another public setting where Jews may feel less safe and less welcome due to an online climate that rewards open hostility toward Jews. Platforms must address antisemitism that is disguised as humor and coded cultural references that turn longstanding prejudice into widely shared content.”



CyberWell said social media companies previously struggled to remove antisemitic material when it was presented as humor, allowing hateful messages to gain “a layer of plausible deniability.” The group said this helped such trends expand and evolve into new versions.



The report noted that platforms have since improved enforcement efforts, with a greater share of flagged antisemitic content being removed compared to earlier periods.



CyberWell argued that the spread of antisemitic online trends into real-world environments, including gyms, demonstrates the speed at which digital hate can influence public spaces.



“The normalization phase, when harmful content is dismissed as comedy, is when early intervention matters most,” said Cohen Montemayor.



Founded in Israel in 2022, CyberWell uses technology to monitor online antisemitism and publishes reports documenting trends and responses.

Viral Gym Trend Spreads Antisemitic Stereotypes Online,  Report Warns

Iran launched at least 10 ballistic missiles toward northern Israel, with Israeli officials warning that any renewed Iranian attack on Israeli territory would be treated as a resumption of hostilities. It is not known yet if there were impacts, damage or casualties.



In anticipation of the strikes, seen as retaliation for Israeli strikes on Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon &#8211; themselves a response to ceasefire breaches &#8211; Israel canceled school on Sunday.



A senior Israeli official told Channel 13 that “Firing towards Israeli territory from Iran means a declaration of resumption of war.”



A senior Israeli diplomatic source also told News 14 that “If Iran attacks us, the response will reopen the war.”



The missile launches came as tensions between Israel and Iran remain high, with Israeli officials indicating that any attack would trigger a significant military response.



Shortly after the missiles were fired, President Trump told Fox News &#8220;What I would suggest to Iran: You&#8217;ve shot your missiles, that&#8217;s enough. Get back to the table and make a deal,&#8221; adding that the escalation has delayed what he said was an imminent passage of a deal between Iran and the US.



Netanyahu is reportedly under have pressure by many cabinet ministers to strike Iran, contrary to the instructions of President Trump. 



 President Trump told Axios reporter Barak Ravid: &#8220;I&#8217;m calling Netanyahu right now and telling him not to attack Iran in response.&#8221;



“The Iranian missile fire didn’t hit anyone. I hope Israel doesn’t respond. If Bibi attacks them back, this will just continue like it has for the last 47 years, or the last 3,000 years.” Trump added: “I’m going to call Bibi now and tell him not to respond. Each side has already done its part. Israel had its strike, and Iran had its strike. We don’t need another one.”



Meanwhile, Israeli Home Front Command gave permission for residents to leave their protected rooms, stating that the Iranian missile attack has ended.



IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin released a somewhat ambiguous statement, without mentioning a retaliation: “The IDF is strongly prepared for both defense and offense. The Iranian terrorist regime made a serious mistake by once again choosing terrorism. The Chief of Staff is currently conducting a situational assessment. We struck in the Dahieh area following Hezbollah’s relentless fire toward communities in northern Israel. The IDF will continue to operate in Lebanon as well. We will not allow continued attacks on the territory of the State of Israel. We are prepared for the possibility of additional fire directed at the State of Israel.”



Later, an IDF Spokesperson appeared to indicate that strikes were possible: The Chief of Staff is currently in a situation assessment with the General Staff Forum: &#8220;The IDF will strike the enemy with force as soon as the green light is given.&#8221;

BREAKING: Iran Fires Missiles at Israel, Could Mark Return To War, Officials Say

A prominent civil rights attorney and antisemitism law expert is calling on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse a federal court ruling that dismissed civil rights claims brought by two janitors who were assaulted, barricaded, and called &#8220;Jew-lovers&#8221; by rioters who seized Columbia University&#8217;s Hamilton Hall during the April 2024 campus unrest.



Rabbi Dr. Mark Goldfeder &#8211; CEO and Director of the National Jewish Advocacy Center, Director of the Antisemitism Law Clinic at Touro Law, and a former Presidential appointee to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Council &#8211; published a sharp legal critique of the ruling in the National Review on Sunday, arguing that U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon made several fundamental errors in dismissing the Section 1985(3) claims of Mariano Torres and Lester Wilson in Torres v. Carlson.



Torres and Wilson, both janitors at Columbia, say they were surrounded by masked rioters during the Hamilton Hall takeover, punched, physically prevented from leaving the building, and called &#8220;Jew-lovers&#8221; and told they were &#8220;working for the Jews.&#8221; The two men lost their jobs as a result and remain on workers&#8217; compensation.



Judge McMahon dismissed their civil rights claims, holding that the rioters did not conspire for the purpose of depriving anyone of their civil rights &#8211; characterizing the antisemitism as a mere &#8220;backdrop&#8221; and the violence against Torres and Wilson as a &#8220;side effect&#8221; of a political protest rather than its objective.



Goldfeder argued that the court misapplied its own legal standard. The ruling relied on Bray v. Alexandria Women&#8217;s Health Clinic, in which the Supreme Court held that anti-abortion protesters who targeted abortion clinics were not conspiring against women as a class. But Goldfeder said that logic does not apply here. Torres and Wilson were not called &#8220;Jew-lovers&#8221; by a single protester who went off-script, he wrote &#8211; they were called that by the mob attacking them, as an explanation for why they were being attacked.



&#8220;That is not a side effect,&#8221; Goldfeder wrote. &#8220;That is literally the frame through which the conspirators themselves understood the situation. The antisemitic vocabulary was the operational logic of the assault.&#8221;



Goldfeder also challenged the court&#8217;s reasoning that because the rioters planned to use force against anyone who got in their way &#8211; not only Jews or their sympathizers &#8211; the conspiracy lacked the class-based animus required under the law. He pointed to the Ku Klux Klan as a historical parallel: the Klan also killed white civil rights workers alongside Black Americans, yet no court ever held that this mixed targeting removed the discriminatory character of the enterprise.



&#8220;A mixed-target conspiracy does not become non-discriminatory simply because the conspirators are willing to harm anyone who obstructs the mission,&#8221; Goldfeder wrote. &#8220;If racial or antisemitic animus helps define that mission, identify the enemy, or justify the violence, then the statute is implicated.&#8221;



Goldfeder further argued that the court erred in holding that Torres and Wilson could not qualify as a cognizable class of &#8220;people who are or are perceived to be Jews or supporters of Jews.&#8221; Federal civil rights law across multiple statutes &#8211; including Title VII and the Americans with Disabilities Act &#8211; protects people targeted based on perceived membership in a protected class, he noted. Whatever Torres and Wilson actually believe about Jews or Zionism, their attackers decided what category they belonged to, and Section 1985(3) should not be the lone exception to that principle.



Speaking to Belaaz, Goldfeder said the case must now go to the appellate court. &#8220;Next stop should be the Second Circuit,&#8221; he said. &#8220;This was not just a protest where things got out of hand. These janitors say they were trapped, attacked, called &#8216;Jew-lovers,&#8217; and told they were &#8216;working for the Jews.&#8217; At some point, courts have to stop treating antisemitism as scenery and recognize it as part of the conduct. Tort law can deal with the physical injuries, lost jobs, and workers&#8217; comp issues, but civil-rights law is supposed to deal with the very important issue of why they were targeted.&#8221;



Goldfeder acknowledged in his analysis that the state tort system can compensate Torres and Wilson for their physical injuries and lost wages &#8211; but argued that is not sufficient. &#8220;The state tort system can compensate Torres and Wilson for their injuries,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;It cannot name what was done to them. That is what the civil rights laws are for, and the Second Circuit should have the chance to say so on appeal.&#8221;

Legal Expert Blasts Ruling That Cleared Antisemitic Columbia Rioters of Civil Rights Violations

Israel’s Health Ministry has begun preparing hospitals and medical teams for the possibility that a suspected Ebola patient arrives in the country, as a growing outbreak spreads in Central Africa.



The ministry said the risk of an Ebola outbreak in Israel remains low, but hospitals are being readied for emergency response. Preparations include protective equipment, isolation procedures, sample collection, lab transfer protocols, and reporting rules for public health authorities.



Specialized protective gear has already been distributed to hospitals. The ministry is also working to establish dedicated facilities for suspected cases of dangerous infectious diseases, though it has not disclosed their locations or timetable.



The ministry is urging Israelis to avoid non-essential travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, especially areas with active transmission. Travelers returning from those countries are being told to monitor their health for 21 days and immediately report fever, weakness, muscle aches, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, or unexplained bleeding.



The outbreak was declared in Congo on May 15 and has since spread to Uganda, with related cases also linked to the UAE and Germany. Israel’s guidance is stricter than the World Health Organization’s current position, which does not call for broad travel or trade restrictions

Israel Prepares Hospitals For Possible Ebola Case As Outbreak Spreads

Hagaon Harav Yitzchak Zilberstein, renowned posek and Rav of the Mayanei Hayeshua Hospital community in Bnei Brak, delivered a sharp condemnation of Israel&#8217;s health funds at his weekly shiur for doctors and rabbanim, ruling that their massive advertising expenditures are halachically unjustified &#8211; and that patients denied coverage for necessary medications may be permitted to work around the funds&#8217; strict eligibility criteria, according to a Sunday report by Bechadrei Charedim.



The shiur, which Harav Zilberstein has delivered at the shul adjacent to Mayanei Hayeshua for nearly fifty years, drew dozens of physicians from across Eretz Yisrael.



The shaila that prompted the discussion came from a patient who requires an expensive medical treatment but does not meet the health fund&#8217;s narrow eligibility criteria for subsidization &#8211; despite a clear medical need &#8211; and who asked under what circumstances he might be permitted to act in a way that would allow him to receive coverage.



After ruling on that specific case, Harav Zilberstein used the occasion to raise a broader grievance on behalf of the public.



&#8220;In my opinion the doctor is correct,&#8221; he said. &#8220;A health fund is the money of partners &#8211; but that is only true if those partners were consulted about all the expenditures. Because the health funds pour out money&#8230; they pour it out. You ask why I wrote &#8216;pour&#8217;? Because an institution that spends money on large advertisements in newspapers &#8211; that is called wasting money. Have you seen these advertisements? Full pages &#8211; what is this? A full page costs a fortune. So I wrote &#8216;pour&#8217; &#8211; they pour the money out, without justification, on things the public would clearly never agree to: massive advertising, public relations that have nothing to do with medicine.&#8221;



He also criticized excessive and unnecessary testing approved for pregnant women, which he said adds significant costs without proportionate medical benefit.



&#8220;But when it comes to elderly people who need life-saving medications,&#8221; Harav Zilberstein continued, &#8220;that is where they become inexplicably stingy. What do they say? You don&#8217;t have this number, you don&#8217;t have that number &#8211; you&#8217;re missing a few points. That is miserliness. They have rigid rules. Is someone with a protein level of 195 not in danger? Why must it be exactly 200 to receive a subsidy? And it can change within a month &#8211; it changes all the time. So I say it is right not to listen to them.&#8221;



Addressing the halachic question directly, Harav Zilberstein said that because the health funds spend public money on expenditures the public would not sanction if asked, their claim to that money as sacrosanct communal funds is weakened. &#8220;In my opinion the public would prefer that the money of the health funds go first to life-saving medications,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And as long as they do not ask the public what to do with the money, one cannot say this constitutes theft of public funds&#8221; &#8211; meaning, in his ruling, that circumventing their criteria in such cases is permitted.



When a participant asked what purpose the advertising serves &#8211; whether it is to raise the fund&#8217;s profile or attract more members &#8211; Harav Zilberstein replied: &#8220;To bring in more money, and also to bring in clients. But it is not justified. On that basis you cannot collect money from a public of poor people who need that money to live. It is not justified. The things we do today are not justified. This is not according to the Torah.&#8221;



Harav Zilberstein&#8217;s remarks sparked significant discussion in Israeli medical circles in the days following the shiur, with doctors and patients alike expressing strong identification with his critique. Many expressed hope that the ruling would influence decision-makers at the health funds to reconsider their spending priorities.

Hagaon Harav Yitzchok Zilberstein Blasts Health Funds Over Advertising Spending

Israel and Honduras have signed a new agreement aimed at expanding technological cooperation between the two countries, marking another step in the growing relationship between Jerusalem and Tegucigalpa.



The agreement, signed last week, promotes Israeli technology initiatives and broadens cooperation in areas including agriculture, water management, health education and security.



Israel’s Ambassador to Honduras, Nadav Goren, described the government agreement as “another milestone” in the relationship between the two nations.



Honduran Foreign Minister Mireya Agüero said the Memorandum of Understanding reinforced more than 70 years of diplomatic ties and friendship between Israel and Honduras.



Israel has long provided Honduras with defense equipment, cybersecurity expertise and support in fields such as agriculture, water innovation, healthcare and technology.



Honduras recognized Israel shortly after the Jewish state was established in 1948 and has maintained support for Israel at the United Nations over the decades. In 2021, Honduras relocated its embassy to Jerusalem, following the United States and Guatemala.



Earlier this year, Honduran President Nasry Asfura visited Jerusalem and said he hoped for a “new era” in relations with Israel, following tensions during the previous left-wing administration over the war in Gaza.

Israel And Honduras Sign Technology Cooperation Deal As Ties Strengthen

President Donald Trump abruptly ended a live interview with NBC&#8217;s Meet the Press anchor Kristen Welker on Sunday, calling her dishonest and walking off the set after a contentious exchange over a range of contested claims &#8211; adding the confrontation to a lengthy history of mid-interview exits stretching back decades.



The interview, conducted in Wisconsin, began as a wide-ranging sit-down but came to a head in its final six minutes when Welker repeatedly challenged the president&#8217;s statements on Trump&#8217;s stalled anti-weaponization fund, the January 6 Capitol riot, and claims of election fraud in California.



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Welker opened the final segment by pressing Trump on whether he was abandoning the $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund &#8211; a proposal that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche had indicated the administration was walking back. Trump offered a lengthy defense of the fund&#8217;s purpose, describing supporters as victims of what he characterized as politically motivated prosecutions under the previous administration.



&#8220;People have been hurt so badly by radical left lunatics that worked for the Biden administration,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;They&#8217;ve lost their jobs, their families, their wives. They&#8217;ve lost everything over a fake weaponization of government.&#8221;



Welker pressed the president on whether the fund would cover individuals convicted of assaulting police officers during the January 6 riot, noting that 170 people had pleaded guilty to that charge. Trump disputed the characterization, claiming FBI agents had directed rioters into the Capitol building &#8211; an assertion Welker challenged as unsupported by evidence.



The exchange grew increasingly heated as Trump moved to claims of ongoing election fraud in California, calling state officials &#8220;crooked&#8221; and pointing to a delayed vote count as evidence. When Welker asked for specific evidence, Trump replied, &#8220;All I have to do is look.&#8221; &#8220;That&#8217;s not evidence,&#8221; Welker replied.



As the back-and-forth intensified, Trump turned his criticism directly on Welker and NBC. &#8220;Your elections in this country are like a third world country,&#8221; he said. &#8220;You&#8217;re crooked, and Meet the Press is crooked. And so is ABC and CBS and CNN.&#8221;



&#8220;Let&#8217;s call it quits because I&#8217;ve had enough,&#8221; Trump then said, rising from his seat. &#8220;Thank you, darling. Have a good time.&#8221;



Welker urged him to stay, noting she had traveled to Wisconsin specifically for the sit-down. &#8220;I&#8217;ve sat in the rain with you for an hour,&#8221; Trump replied as he departed. &#8220;A country can never be great with a dishonest press.&#8221;



Sunday&#8217;s walkout was not the first time Trump has cut short a media interview. In October 2020, he abruptly ended a sit-down with CBS&#8217;s Lesley Stahl for 60 Minutes, complaining the questions were unfair, and later released his own unedited recording of the session. That same year, he terminated a CNN interview on the coronavirus pandemic, unhooking his microphone and tossing it on a table.



The pattern predates his political career. In 1990, Trump walked out of a CNN interview with reporter Charles Feldman when questions turned to doubts about the financial stability of his Atlantic City casinos. During the 2016 presidential campaign, he ended an interview with an Ohio television reporter after she raised accusations of racism against him.

Trump Storms Out of NBC Interview, Calls Anchor ‘Crooked’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel is tightening its grip on Hamas terrorists in Gaza and expanding its control over the Strip, while continuing heavy operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon.



“We are gripping Hamas from every direction,” Netanyahu said at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting. “At the moment we hold more than 60 percent of the Gaza Strip. Soon we will reach 70 percent.” He said Israel is preventing Hamas from rearming, blocking renewed attacks, and eliminating the group’s senior commanders.



Netanyahu also said IDF forces are continuing a broad campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon. “In Lebanon, our forces eliminated 350 terrorists in the past week alone,” he said. Netanyahu also mentioned the Israeli forces that captured the Beaufort Ridge and uncovered a major underground infrastructure site there.



He said Israel is continuing to dismantle Hezbollah’s terror villages along the border. “We are striking them very hard, and we know Hezbollah is on the run,” Netanyahu said. “We will not allow fire on our territory or our communities, and we will act accordingly.”



Shortly after the remarks, the IDF struck Hezbollah targets in Beirut’s Dahiyeh district following several drones and missiles launched from Lebanon toward Israel. The Prime Minister’s Office and Defense Ministry said the strikes targeted Hezbollah command centers and were carried out under orders from Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz after reported impacts in northern Israel and the killing of a soldier over the weekend.

Netanyahu Says Israel Will Soon Control 70% Of Gaza As Hezbollah Comes Under Fire

A Boro Park yungerman experienced a remarkable instance of hashgachah pratis following a helicopter crash in Europe that claimed the life of the pilot shortly after the avreich had disembarked.



According to the account, shared by Bechadrei Charedim, the yungerman had traveled to Poland, where he boarded a helicopter from Radoshitz to Kretshnif in Hungary, apparently to visit kivrei tzadikim. After the pilot set him down at his destination, the helicopter departed, making its way back from Hungary toward Poland.



Shortly thereafter, the aircraft crashed, and the pilot was killed.



The yungerman, who had been aboard the helicopter just minutes before the fatal crash, emerged unharmed. The margin between the yungerman&#8217;s safe arrival and the tragedy that followed was a matter of minutes.

Boro Park Yungerman Recounts Remarkable Hashgachah Pratis After Helicopter Crash

One person was killed and five others were wounded in a terrorist shooting attack in central Israel on Sunday, police and Magen David Adom reported.



According to the IDF and police, one of the attackers was neutralized at the scene. “The soldiers, together with additional medical personnel, began extensive searches for additional terrorists and are providing medical treatment to the injured,” the IDF said.



The attack took place across multiple locations in the Kochav Ya&#8217;ir area, not far from the security barrier with Yehudah and Shomron. MDA said it was treating victims at three separate sites. A man in his 50s was seriously wounded and a man in his 30s was moderately hurt at a gas station near Kochav Ya&#8217;ir. A 31-year-old man was moderately injured near the entrance to the town of Tzur Yitzhak. Two additional victims were treated near the town of Tzur Natan, one of whom was unconscious.



MDA subsequently declared the death of one of the victims.

One Killed Hy’d, 5 Wounded in Terror Attack in Central Israel

B&#8217;chasdei Hashem, a 14-year-old boy from Teverya was found after going missing for two days, Israeli police said Motzoei Shabbos.



Police sent out alerts on Shabbos about the boy, identified only by his first name, Yehuda Zecharia. Within hours of the appeal going out, police updated that he had been located and that all was well.



Zecharia had last been seen in Teverya on Thursday in the evening hours. Police released a description noting that he is approximately 1.60 meters tall, of slim-to-medium build, with short hair, and was last seen wearing a white shirt and black pants. The public was asked to contact police emergency line 100 or the Teverya police station directly with any information on his whereabouts.

Missing Teverya Teen Located Safe After Two-Day Search

A majority of Israelis want a new prime minister after the next elections, and most believe it is U.S. President Donald Trump, not Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who effectively determines Israel&#8217;s security policy, according to a survey published by Channel 12 and conducted by the Madgam Institute.



Some 58% of respondents said they want someone other than Netanyahu to lead the country in the next term, while 32% said they want Netanyahu to continue as prime minister. On the question of who sets Israel&#8217;s security agenda, 67% named Trump, compared to only 22% who credited Netanyahu. Even among coalition voters, 47% said Trump determines security policy versus 43% who attributed it to Netanyahu.



The survey also found that 53% of respondents expressed concern for the future of Israeli democracy, amid recent reports of pressure on Likud MKs to be filmed while casting their votes in the State Comptroller election, and disturbances by extremists at the home of Supreme Court Deputy President Justice Noam Sohlberg. Some 38% said they were not concerned.



Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz both received poor marks for their handling of the war against Hezbollah, with 56% and 60% rating their performance negatively, respectively. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir fared considerably better, with 59% rating his performance positively.



On the question of trustworthiness, former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot led with 38%, followed by Netanyahu at 27% and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett at 12%.

Poll: Most Israelis Want to Replace Netanyahu, Say Trump Drives Security Policy

An object was hurled through the window of a Toronto shul over Shabbos, Toronto police reported, the second violent attack against a Canadian Jewish institute in less than 24 hours.



The window of Mishkan Avraham was shattered, though baruch Hashem no injuries were reported. An investigation has been opened, but no suspects have been identified.



The attack came just one day after Molotov cocktails were thrown at Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom in the Montreal area in an apparent arson attempt. The Westmount Public Safety Department quickly arrested a suspect, identified by local media as Steven Luu, a resident of the St. Leonard borough. He reportedly faces six charges, including arson, arson by negligence, and possession of an explosive device. The temple sustained no significant damage.



The Consulate General of Israel in Toronto strongly condemned both incidents. &#8220;Within 24 hours, Jewish houses of worship in two Canadian cities were targeted in violent antisemitic incidents,&#8221; the consulate said in a statement. &#8220;These attacks come only days after Prime Minister Mark Carney publicly acknowledged that Canada is facing a severe antisemitism crisis and that Jewish Canadians are being disproportionately targeted. These recent attacks demonstrate precisely why expressions of concern must now be accompanied by decisive action.&#8221;



The consulate noted that the attacks reflect a broader pattern. &#8220;Jewish schools, community institutions, and places of worship continue to require extraordinary security measures simply to function,&#8221; the statement read. &#8220;A synagogue should never become a crime scene. A community should never have to wonder which Jewish institution will be attacked next. The time for symbolic gestures has passed. Canada must demonstrate, through concrete action, that antisemitic violence will be confronted with the full force of the law.&#8221;



The attacks came days after Prime Minister Mark Carney acknowledged in a speech at a Toronto shul that &#8220;Canada&#8217;s civic compact is failing Jewish Canadians.&#8221; Carney announced the formation of the Ministerial Advisory Council on Rights, Equality, and Inclusion to address rising antisemitism in the country.



More than 50,000 people are expected to participate in Sunday&#8217;s 57th annual Walk With Israel in Toronto. Toronto Police Deputy Chief Frank Barredo announced heightened security for the event, including officers on foot, bicycle, and horseback. Barredo confirmed that counter-demonstrations would be permitted but warned that hate speech or hateful signage would be investigated.

Two Canadian Jewish Sites Attacked Within 24 Hours

The IDF killed three members of the Lebanese Army, including a brigadier general, in a strike on a vehicle in southern Lebanon on Saturday, raising concerns that a recently negotiated ceasefire could be put at risk.



The strike hit a military vehicle traveling in the Nabatieh area, killing a brigadier general, a captain and a soldier, according to the Lebanese Armed Forces, which condemned the attack.



Lebanese officials accused Israel of undermining attempts “to reach a solution that would restore stability, establish a comprehensive ceasefire and lead to the Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Lebanese territories.”



“The continued, deliberate, and repeated Israeli aggression against Lebanon, its people and its army only strengthen our resolve, faith and determination,” the Lebanese army said in a statement, according to the Times of Israel.



The IDF confirmed that it carried out the strike, saying the vehicle had been “moving suspiciously” in a combat zone where Israeli forces were facing threats from Hezbollah terrorists operating from Lebanon.



“The IDF had received concrete indications that Hezbollah would direct fire toward IDF soldiers from the same area,” it said in a statement on X.



“In light of the threat posed to the soldiers, the vehicle was struck.”



The strike came after an IDF soldier was killed by Hezbollah terrorists in a separate incident in southern Lebanon over the weekend.



“The IDF operates against the Hezbollah terrorist organization, not against the Lebanese Army,” the Israeli military said, adding that the incident would be reviewed.



Israel has been conducting operations against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorist group in southern Lebanon since March, after opening another front in its war against Iran.



Israel has stressed that it is not fighting the Lebanese government and said it is “not against the Lebanese Army,” which under the US-brokered ceasefire agreement reached Wednesday was expected to take control of areas in southern Lebanon that had been heavily influenced by Hezbollah.



The deadly incident involving Lebanese forces could further complicate already stalled US-led diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the wider conflict.

IDF Strike Kills Three Lebanese Soldiers, Threatening Fragile Ceasefire

The US military said Saturday night it intercepted and destroyed two Iranian attack drones that were posing a threat to shipping activity in the Strait of Hormuz, marking the latest confrontation between the two sides as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise.



“Earlier today, US forces in the Middle East shot down two Iranian one-way attack drones that threatened international maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz,” US Central Command says on its X account.



“American forces remain postured and ready to continue defending against Iranian aggression.”



The announcement followed a statement from CENTCOM late Friday that its forces had downed four Iranian attack drones headed toward the strait and carried out strikes against Iranian coastal surveillance radar installations.



The escalating exchanges, which also included a barrage of Iranian missiles fired Saturday toward US allies Bahrain and Kuwait, took place even as Washington and Tehran have continued weeks of indirect negotiations aimed at ending the conflict.

US Forces Shoot Down Iranian Drones Threatening Strait Of Hormuz Traffic

The IDF eliminated Muhanad Othman Yassin Farwana, a Hamas terrorist cell commander, in a precise overnight airstrike in southern Gaza on Saturday.



 “Throughout the war and in recent days, Farwana was involved in advancing numerous terrorist attack plans against IDF troops and the State of Israel, and posed an immediate threat,” the military said in a statement. 



The strike used precise munitions and aerial surveillance to minimize civilian harm. IDF troops under Southern Command remain deployed in the area per the ceasefire agreement and will continue neutralizing threats, the IDF assured.

IDF Airstrike Eliminates Hamas Commander in Southern Gaza

NASA mission control ordered the four astronauts of the Crew-12 mission aboard the International Space Station to enter their Crew Dragon spacecraft and don their spacesuits Friday as a precautionary measure, amid a worsening air leak in the Russian-operated Zvezda service module.



The crew — comprising two American astronauts, a French astronaut, and a Russian cosmonaut — was placed on standby for potential emergency evacuation while Roscosmos worked to address the structural breach.



Shortly thereafter, NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens announced that Roscosmos had paused its repair efforts and that mission control had instructed the crew to stand down from safe haven procedures and return to planned operations. NASA said it looks forward to working with Roscosmos on a collaborative approach to resolving the leaks.

NASA Orders Astronauts to Shelter in Spacecraft Amid Air Leak on Space Station

Three Jewish Israeli women were rescued by Palestinian Authority security forces from Bayt Jala overnight, while another Israeli man was escorted out of Qalqilya, according to the Civil Administration.



The Civil Administration said it received reports of the women wandering in Qalqilya “while endangering their well-being.” Officers from the Etzion District Coordination and Liaison office worked to protect them and coordinate their transfer.



A preliminary investigation found that the women were traveling toward Kever Rachel but made a wrong turn.



In a separate incident, a Jewish Israeli man was detained by a Qalqilya resident after allegedly attempting to pay at a store using counterfeit money. The Civil Administration said its Ephraim District Coordination and Liaison office acted to protect him and transfer him to security forces.



The four Israelis will be questioned by police, as Israelis are prohibited from entering Palestinian Authority-controlled areas of Yehudah and Shomron.

4 Jewish Israelis Rescued From Shomron Arab Towns

Gedolei Yisrael joined Thursday night in directing that the name Chizkiyahu be added for the mekubal and tzadik of Tiveria Harav Dov Kook shlita, amid concern over his deteriorating condition, according to a report in Bechadrei Chareidim.



The directive was issued by famed Mashgiach Harav Dov Segal shlita and Harav Yitzchak Zilberstein shlita, Rav of Ramat Elchanan and one of the preeminent poskim of the generation.



Adding the name of Chizkiyahu Hamelech, whose life was extended by Hashem following his heartfelt tefillah — is traditionally associated with recovery from illness.



Klal Yisroel is asked to daven for the refuah sheleimah of Chizkiyahu Dov ben Shoshanna

Name Added for Harav Dov Kook Shlita

A Maryland man who operated a private jet charter company has been found guilty of defrauding customers out of $15 million, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.



Patrick Britton-Harr, 43, was convicted of falsely promising clients that their payments would be used to secure aircraft in exchange for discounted private jet flight hours.



Prosecutors said Britton-Harr misled customers through his company by offering reduced-cost access to private aviation while allegedly misusing the funds provided by clients.



The conviction follows an investigation into the company’s operations and its handling of customer payments.

Private Jet Company Owner Convicted In $15 Million Charter Flight Fraud Scheme

The IDF announced Thursday evening that Captain Eitan Shmuel Lemberg Hy&#8217;d, 21, from Mishmar HaShiv’a, was killed in combat in southern Lebanon.



Lemberg, an officer in the Armored Corps serving with the 75th Battalion of the 7th Armored Brigade, fell after an anti-tank missile struck an IDF tank during an operational mission.



The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said the incident took place around 4:00 p.m. during activity north of the Litani River. A terrorist launched an anti-tank missile at a tank belonging to forces from the Golani Brigade combat team operating in the area.



Lemberg was killed as a result of the missile strike on the armored vehicle. The IDF notified his family through military representatives.



Following the attack, IDF forces carried out a large-scale response operation in the area.



The military targeted Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure near the location where the missile was fired, using airstrikes and artillery fire.

Capt. Eitan Shmuel Lemberg Hy’d, Killed in Southern Lebanon

A joint intelligence warning issued Thursday by the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand alleges that Chinese intelligence services are using professional networking and job platforms to identify and recruit potential assets with access to sensitive information.



According to the bulletin, Chinese operatives are posing as recruiters, consultants, think tanks and human resources firms, often through fake but legitimate-looking companies. The agencies said the operatives use online job advertisements and networking platforms such as LinkedIn, Indeed and Upwork to make initial contact with potential targets.



The warning states that military personnel, government employees, security clearance holders, academics, journalists and think tank staff are among those most at risk. Intelligence officials cautioned that even information that is not formally classified can be valuable when combined with other sources to build a broader intelligence picture.



“China’s military intelligence services are using an increasingly wide array of professional networking sites and online job platforms to target Five Eyes government and military personnel,” the bulletin said. Officials added that some recruits are reportedly paid to produce reports or provide information, sometimes through online payment services or cryptocurrency.



A LinkedIn spokesperson said that creating fake accounts or misrepresenting identity violates the platform’s policies and that the company continues efforts to detect state-sponsored abuse. China rejected the allegations, with the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom calling the claims “malicious slander” and accusing the Western intelligence alliance of conducting espionage activities around the world.

US, UK And Allies Warn China Is Recruiting Spies Through Job Sites

Rear Adm. Tal Politis has been appointed by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir as Israel’s next defense attaché to the United States, filling a position that remained vacant for about six months, the Times of Israel reported Thursday.



Politis, who most recently served as chief of staff of the IDF Navy, will be promoted to the rank of vice admiral upon taking up the post. The rank is the naval equivalent of major general.



The position became vacant in December after Maj. Gen. Hidai Zilberman, the previous defense attaché to the U.S., ended his term without an immediate replacement.



The delay reportedly followed disagreements between Defense Minister Yisrael Katz and Zamir over the appointment. Katz had pushed for his military secretary, Brig. Gen. Guy Markizeno, to take the role, but Zamir reportedly did not consider him the right fit.



Earlier, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Markizeno would instead become his next military secretary. The appointment includes Markizeno’s promotion to the rank of major general, a move Katz had sought for months.



Zamir also appointed Brig. Gen. Barak Hiram, commander of the Gaza Division, to lead the IDF Operations Division, another senior role that had been vacant.



The appointment comes after the previous head of the Operations Division, Brig. Gen. Yisrael Shomer, suddenly retired from the IDF this week after being suspected of “moral offenses.”



The IDF said Zamir spoke with Politis and Hiram and “congratulated them” on their appointments. The military statement did not mention Markizeno’s appointment.



The appointments of Politis and Hiram were approved by Katz, the IDF said.

Rear Adm. Tal Politis Named Israel’s Next Defense Attaché To U.S.

Travelodge has launched an investigation after two Jewish guests staying at one of its London hotels discovered a “Free Palestine” message displayed on their room televisions upon arrival.



The incident took place at the hotel’s Manor House branch in north London on Wednesday afternoon, where the guests said the message appeared on TVs in both of their rooms.



The welcome message system is believed to be controlled by hotel staff and can be personalised by employees.



One of the guests said they arrived at around 4:30 p.m. and felt an employee at the front desk was unwilling to engage with them.



He said he was “met with a negative attitude at the front desk as an employee did not wish to serve him or look his way”.



After receiving their room keys, the guests went to their separate rooms. When one guest switched on the television, he saw the message displayed on the screen.



He then contacted his friend to check whether it was an issue affecting only his room and discovered the same message appeared there as well.



Travelodge said it was “urgently investigating” the incident and had reported it to police, adding: “Travelodge takes allegations of antisemitism extremely seriously.”



The hotel is reportedly a location frequently used by members of the north London Jewish community and their visiting family members.



Jewish volunteer patrol group Shomrim shared footage of the message and said: “This behaviour bears all the hallmarks of targeted antisemitism.”



A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism called for the staff member responsible to be dismissed.



They said: “Are Jews no longer allowed to book a hotel room without being accosted by pro-Palestine fanaticism? Greeting Jews with a &#8216;Free Palestine&#8217; message is not moral activism; it&#8217;s targeted discrimination from those obsessed with the world&#8217;s only Jewish state.



“When this is what happens to identifiably Jewish people in Britain, is it any wonder that 59 percent of British Jews try not to show visible signs of their Jewishness due to concerns relating to antisemitism, according to our polling?



“Travelodge must investigate this at once and ensure that whoever was responsible is fired.”



Travelodge CEO Jo Boydell said the company was treating the matter with “the utmost seriousness.”



“We are taking the report of an antisemitic message that appeared on the TV screen in a room in one of our hotels yesterday afternoon with the utmost seriousness.



“We were made aware of this late yesterday and launched an immediate investigation to understand how something like this could have happened. We are urgently investigating to get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible and have reported this matter to the Police.



“There is no place in society for antisemitism and we will not tolerate this in our hotels or in our wider business.



“In the meantime, we have now spoken with the customer in question and apologised unreservedly, and further apologise for any distress or concern caused to the wider Jewish Community.”



The incident comes as Britain’s Jewish community has faced a precipitous rise in antisemitism.



London areas with significant Jewish populations have experienced several alleged arson incidents, including attacks targeting shuls.



In March, four ambulances belonging to Hatzolah were set on fire in Golders Green.



The following month, two Jewish men were stabbed in a terror attack in Golders Green. The alleged attacker is also accused of attempting to murder a non-Jewish friend earlier that day.