At a special event in Yerushalayim on Monday night, Rav Shlomo Moshe Amar delivered an emphatic message about the closeness of the geulah, asserting that the arrival of Moshiach is imminent. His remarks came as he participated in a mezuzah-placement ceremony for the new headquarters of “Banim Atem – Genetics and Halacha,” an organization dedicated to offering halachic and medical support for couples navigating fertility issues.
During his address, Rav Amar stated with certainty, “It is clear and certain, according to all opinions, that we are very close to the coming of Moshiach.” He went on to underscore that this understanding leaves no room for hesitation, emphasizing, “We are in the days of Moshiach. It’s not a question or a matter of doubt.”
Drawing on what he heard from those close to Rav Chaim Kanievsky, Rav Amar shared a striking recollection attributed to the late gadol: “I heard from great individuals that he told them: ‘How can you travel abroad? He’s already here!’”
Rav Amar clarified that his message was not meant to be taken as poetic imagery or subtle allusion but as a literal assessment of our times. “These are decisive things. This is not politics or policy, but actual redemption. We are at the height of the birth pangs of Moshiach, and it is very near. It’s as clear as day.”
{Matzav.com}
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signaled that Ankara is weighing whether to contribute troops to the proposed multinational force being assembled for Gaza, according to remarks he delivered on Sunday and cited by Reuters. He said the matter remains under review and that a final stance will be taken only after further conversations with international partners.
Addressing reporters after the G20 gathering in South Africa, Erdogan explained that discussions would shape Turkey’s eventual decision. His government was instrumental in brokering the ceasefire agreement and was one of the signatories at the talks in Egypt, positioning itself as a watchdog over the deal’s implementation.
Turkey has repeatedly expressed eagerness to take part in the stabilization mission. Yet Israel has made clear it will not accept Turkish participation in any post-conflict arrangement in Gaza, a point Israel has reinforced even as Ankara continues to press its case publicly.
Jerusalem’s refusal is rooted in the increasingly hostile rhetoric Erdogan has leveled at Israel since the war began on October 7, 2023. The tension spiked earlier this month when Turkish authorities issued sweeping arrest warrants targeting 37 Israeli officials on accusations of genocide linked to Israel’s operations in Gaza.
Those warrants named senior figures including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, and Naval Forces Commander David Saar Salama.
At the Sunday press briefing, Erdogan doubled down on his allegation that the campaign in Gaza constitutes “genocide,” insisting once again that Netanyahu bears responsibility.
{Matzav.com}
NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s sweeping pledges of no-cost services are already colliding with fiscal reality, the NY Post reports. A new analysis from the Citizens Budget Commission warns that Mayor Eric Adams’ latest financial blueprint leaves the incoming administration staring at a shortfall that could top $8 billion — and that figure doesn’t even factor in the price tag for any of Mamdani’s proposed giveaways.
On top of that, Washington is widely expected to scale back federal support for the city, adding yet another financial strain that Mamdani will have to address almost immediately.
To plug the projected multibillion-dollar deficit, the next mayor would need to carve out deep reductions from the already-approved budget — a politically explosive task before he even begins to pitch new initiatives.
Even if Albany agrees to both of the sweeping tax increases Mamdani wants — hikes on personal income and corporate levies — and even if the state lets him keep the full $9 billion those taxes might generate instead of spreading them across statewide programs, analysts say the money still wouldn’t cover existing obligations, let alone fund ambitious new policies.
And that’s assuming those taxes actually bring in what supporters promise. Higher levies on wealthy earners and major companies risk driving many of them out of New York — wiping out the very revenue the mayor-elect is banking on.
So the big question hanging in the air: How exactly does Mamdani expect to fund his agenda of complimentary buses, free child care, and expansive housing subsidies?
The numbers are staggering. His transit proposal would cost nearly $1 billion on its own. Universal child care could swallow another $6 billion. Some iterations of his housing vision would require tens of billions — amounts that make the city’s current deficit look minor.
Does Mamdani believe money simply materializes on cue?
Nor is Albany in a position to swoop in with a bailout. Gov. Kathy Hochul may now support ideas she once dismissed — including free buses and certain tax increases — but the state itself is bracing for substantial shortfalls as federal aid drops. New York could lose roughly $8 billion a year from reductions in Medicaid and food stamp funding alone.
Meanwhile, the city’s long-term outlook is worsening. Adams’ plan projects a $12 billion cumulative gap through 2029, but the CBC warns actual expenses are understated by around $4 billion — meaning the true hole could be even deeper.
Unless Mamdani has a hidden supply of miracle cash, the enthusiasm of his supporters is likely to collide quickly with an unforgiving balance sheet.
{Matzav.com}
A newly rediscovered video from 2002 has thrust Mahmood Mamdani — father of NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani — into the spotlight, revealing a series of incendiary accusations against Israel and Holocaust survivors. In the footage, the Columbia University professor likens Israel to apartheid-era South Africa and labels Holocaust survivors as “today’s perpetrators,” igniting a fresh round of outrage.
The remarks come from a Nov. 16, 2002 lecture delivered at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, where Mahmood Mamdani framed both South Africa and Israel as examples of oppressive settler regimes targeting native populations. Speaking about white Afrikaners, he claimed they feared how Black South Africans might treat them once the system of apartheid collapsed.
“That same specter must also haunt the survivors of the Holocaust in Israel — yesterday’s victims turned today’s perpetrators,” he asserted, tying Jewish survival after the Shoah to modern political conflict with Palestinians.
During the same address, the scholar — known for his work on colonialism, anti-colonial struggles, and decolonization — went further, invoking Adolf Hitler while arguing that European outrage over Nazism was selective. “The European bourgeois cannot forgive Hitler the fact that he applied to Europe the colonial practices that had been previously applied to the Arabs in Algeria, the Koulis in India and the Negroes in Africa,” Mahmood Mamdani said. “The Holocaust was the imperial chickens come home.”
He claimed that Israel operates with unchecked authority and American backing, asserting that Israel acts “with impunity” and “without accountability.” He continued: “There is one state that stands in defiance to practically every UN resolution that affects it. That’s the state of Israel.”
Two decades later, similar talking points have become common among anti-Israel activists, particularly since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 massacre triggered the current war in Gaza — a conflict followed by a surge in antisemitic threats, protests, and harassment, including incidents targeting Jews on their way to shul.
The resurfaced recording was uncovered by Canary Mission, an organization that documents antisemitism and anti-Israel agitation on college campuses. The watchdog said, “Zohran Mamdani’s father, Mahmood, is one of the most antisemitic voices in academia by spewing lies and distortions uninterrupted.” They added, “If not for his son’s fame, we might not know that this hateful rhetoric was infecting impressionable students’ minds year after year after year @Columbia.”
The revelations arrive at a sensitive moment for Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist who has already faced criticism for backing the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement, labeling Israel an apartheid regime, and declaring that he would seek to arrest Israel Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu as a war criminal if he ever entered New York City.
{Matzav.com}
A frantic effort unfolded Sunday as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff raced to salvage the White House’s contentious 28-point proposal for ending the Ukraine war, a document blasted by critics across the political spectrum as little more than a Russian “wishlist.”
Tensions were high even before talks began in Geneva, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and multiple European states flagging deep concerns about the draft plan and its sweeping demands that Ukraine surrender large swaths of territory.
Rubio, Witkoff, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, Jared Kushner, and additional administration officials met face-to-face with Ukraine’s delegation for several hours in what insiders described as an occasionally strained session. By the end of the day, the American team accepted the need to revise parts of the plan. “I’m not going to speculate,” Rubio remarked. “I feel very optimistic that we can get something done here.” He also quipped, “Obviously, the Russians get a vote.”
Confusion over the origins of the proposal—and reports that Kyiv had been warned US aid could be cut off if it refused—continued to overshadow the negotiations.
Rubio spent part of Saturday on the phone with a bipartisan group of senators attending the Halifax International Security Forum, attempting to quell their alarm. Sen. Mike Rounds said Rubio told them, “It is not our recommendation, it is not our peace plan.” Sen. Angus King noted Rubio had implied the draft resembled a “wishlist of the Russians.” The secretary of state later shot back publicly that the document was “authored by the US,” adding, “It is based on input from the Russian side. But it is also based on previous and ongoing input from Ukraine.”
Lawmakers said Rubio offered no clarification on reports that Ukraine had been threatened with a cutoff in assistance. He indicated he was not present for such discussions. Meanwhile, President Trump has openly declared that he wants Ukraine to agree to the framework by Thanksgiving.
On Sunday, Ukraine presented its own counterproposal, and US officials were open to adjusting portions of the 28-point outline, according to Axios. Despite that apparent progress, US negotiators privately accused their Ukrainian counterparts of leaking sensitive details to the American press to spark domestic pushback.
Zelensky, who earlier described the original draft as a bleak “choice between losing our dignity and freedom and losing US support,” publicly expressed gratitude for Washington’s efforts. “Ukraine is grateful to the United States, to every American heart, and personally to President Trump,” he wrote on X, shortly after Trump complained Ukraine had shown “zero gratitude.” Zelensky added, “Thank you to everyone who is helping! Thank you, America! Thank you, Europe! I am proud of our people. Glory to Ukraine!” He has repeatedly insisted that any legitimate peace plan must protect Ukraine’s long-term security and avoid rewarding Russian aggression.
The leaked draft requires Ukraine to relinquish the entire Donbas region—territory Russia has failed to fully control despite years of war. Critics warn that giving up the rest of Donbas would leave Ukraine dangerously exposed, transferring major fortified areas to Moscow and enabling future attacks. Only weeks ago, Trump favored locking in the existing frontlines to sidestep painful territorial talks, but Moscow rejected that outright.
The proposal further demands that Ukraine abandon its pursuit of NATO membership, reduce its military from roughly 900,000 troops to 600,000, and grant sweeping amnesty to all parties involved in the war—effectively shielding Russians from accountability for atrocities. Russian commitments, by contrast, are minimal: avoiding future invasions of neighbors and offering Ukraine limited security assurances. Those assurances fall far short of NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense guarantee, leaving Ukraine vulnerable if Moscow initiates yet another assault.
The political backlash was immediate and fierce, from Democrats and pro-Ukraine Republicans alike.
“Vladimir Putin has never once kept a single promise that he has made regarding Ukraine. Not once. Ever. And he’s not about to start now,” Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick warned. “Any agreement that requires any element of trust placed in Vladimir Putin’s ‘promise’ is not worth the paper it is written on.”
European objections also poured in. A leaked EU peace outline released Sunday appeared to challenge the US draft directly, reaffirming Ukraine’s NATO prospects, preserving its territorial claims, and calling for the current lines of contact to be frozen rather than redrawn.
The result: The administration’s plan now hangs in limbo, reshaped under pressure as all sides brace for another round of negotiations.
{Matzav.com}
Whispers about the state of JD and Usha Vance’s marriage picked up speed this month, but a representative for Usha Vance stepped in to shut them down, insisting there is no truth to any talk of a split.
The frenzy began after Usha appeared at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, NC, on November 19 without her wedding band. She joined First Lady Melania Trump for the visit, and photos of her bare ring finger quickly ignited speculation online.
The explanation, her spokesperson said, is far simpler than the rumor mill would like to believe. In a statement to People, the spokesperson noted that “[Usha is] a mother of three young children, who does a lot of dishes, gives lots of baths, and forgets her ring sometimes.” The couple, who met at Yale Law School, have been married since 2014 and share three children: Ewan, 8, Vivek, 5, and Mirabel, 3.
Online chatter had already been bubbling after a Turning Point USA gathering last month, where JD Vance and Erika Kirk shared a widely circulated embrace onstage. Kirk — whose husband, conservative activist Charlie Kirk, was tragically shot and killed in September — described the moment as a genuine expression of comfort, not romance. She also told the audience, “No one will ever replace my husband. But I do see some similarities of my husband in JD — in Vice President JD Vance. I do.”
In fact, Erika Kirk has spoken warmly of Usha as well. Reflecting on a private exchange between them at Charlie’s memorial, she said, “She told me, you will get through these 15 minutes and the next 15 minutes after that. Usha, I don’t think you realized it then, but those words were exactly what I needed to hear.”
The vice president made waves of his own in October when he remarked that he hopes Usha — who grew up in a Hindu home — will one day join him in the Catholic faith, offering yet another flashpoint for scrutiny of the couple.
{Matzav.com}
President Donald Trump is reportedly advancing plans to formally categorize the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization, signaling a major shift that has been under discussion since his first term.
According to Just the News, the president said the process is nearing completion. “It will be done in the strongest and most powerful terms. Final documents are being drawn,” he told the outlet.
Foreign terrorist designations fall under the authority of the U.S. Department of State, which maintains the official FTO registry on its website.
“Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) are foreign organizations that are designated by the Secretary of State in accordance with section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), as amended. FTO designations play a critical role in our fight against terrorism and are an effective means of curtailing support for terrorist activities and pressuring groups to get out of the terrorism business,” the agency said.
The current list includes a wide array of extremist movements such as ISIS, Boko Haram, Hamas, Tren de Aragua, and Antifa.
The report noted that Trump has weighed the Muslim Brotherhood designation for years, viewing the movement’s global influence as a national security concern.
“The Muslim Brotherhood is an Islamist group founded nearly a century ago in Egypt but with chapters, parties, and affiliated movements around the world,” the article explained.
Momentum for the designation grew in Congress this year. In June, Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina introduced legislation pushing for the group to be labeled an FTO, a move previously reported by Breitbart News.
“The Muslim Brotherhood doesn’t just support terrorism, it inspires it,” said Mace. “President Trump was right when he said the Muslim Brotherhood is a threat to global security, and it’s long past time we call them what they are: terrorists.”
Her bill would activate an array of national security mechanisms — including asset freezes, financial sanctions, travel restrictions, and heightened law enforcement scrutiny — aimed at crippling the organization’s operations both domestically and overseas, according to a press release from her office.
The congresswoman emphasized that the group’s affiliates have long played a role in radicalizing Islamist movements and destabilizing U.S. partners in key regions.
Separate reporting this fall highlighted the group’s ongoing international footprint. In October, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that a British journalist believed to be linked to the Muslim Brotherhood was being held by ICE and facing deportation, Breitbart News noted.
{Matzav.com}
Federal Bureau of Investigation officials announced that the gunman who attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, acted entirely on his own, concluding a sweeping investigation that spanned continents.
Fox News reported that the finding followed what authorities described as an exhaustive probe in which investigators pursued every possible angle. The network spoke with FBI Director Kash Patel, Deputy Director Dan Bongino, and another senior figure involved in the case who requested anonymity due to operational sensitivities.
Patel said investigators engaged fully from the moment they assumed command of the bureau, noting that the team had dual responsibilities: keeping the chain of communication open with the White House while ensuring Trump was recognized under the law as one of the four victims of the attack. “We not only had to maintain the chain of command to President Trump, but we had to remind the world that President Trump was the victim — one of the four victims — on that day. There are victims’ rights rules that apply to him, and they don’t get erased because he is the president,” Patel said.
He added that the investigative team delivered a full briefing at the White House. “We fully briefed the president, as a victim of this case, at the White House, providing him with all of the details of our investigation, and the president was satisfied with the results and where we left it,” Patel said.
Authorities identified the attacker as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, whose background reportedly included an affinity for “furries” and use of “they/them” pronouns.
Footage captured the moment gunfire erupted during the campaign rally, sending the crowd into chaos.
The attack left President Trump wounded, bloodied from a shot that grazed his ear. A bystander was killed, and two additional attendees were critically hurt. Secret Service agents ultimately shot and killed Crooks.
In the aftermath, Trump publicly reflected on the assassination attempt, saying he believed divine intervention spared him.
As Breitbart News highlighted, “Corey Comperatore, a husband, father, and Pennsylvania firefighter, was killed as he was trying to shield his wife and daughter after Crooks opened fire. Two other men, James Copenhaver, 74, and David Dutch, 57, were also injured as a result of the assassination attempt on Trump.”
Despite the trauma of the event, Trump later made his way back to Butler, continuing his campaign with trademark resolve.
The Fox News report noted that Patel, Bongino, and the unnamed senior official wanted their findings made public to eliminate rumors and counter widespread speculation about alternative theories.
“We have reviewed this case over and over — looked into every nugget. We have spoken to the families, the president — there is no cover-up here. There is no motive for it, there is no reason for it,” Bongino said.
With the investigation now classified as “pending, inactive,” officials say they will only reopen the case if credible new leads emerge.
{Matzav.com}
