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MK Meir Porush of United Torah Judaism visited a military detention facility on Sunday where yeshiva students who declined to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces are being held, offering words of encouragement while sharply criticizing the policy that led to their imprisonment.

Speaking after the visit, Porush described his encounter with the detainees, saying, “I met several young men who are imprisoned for the ‘offense’ of studying Torah. I found them determined; they believe in the importance of sitting and studying Torah. Of course, it’s not comfortable for them,” he said.

Porush said the situation was emotionally wrenching and explained that, despite his limited availability, he is working on the issue through official channels. “It breaks the heart to see this situation. We should try to come here more often, but I am also busy with discussions in the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, and I shared with them what is happening in those discussions. We pray that Hakadosh Boruch Hu, will help us and deliver us from this trouble,” he said.

He went on to assail those responsible for the current policy, calling the circumstances intolerable. “This situation is truly unbearable. We are required to strengthen them. They are sitting in prison in a state governed by Jews because they are studying Torah. This is an absurdity that neither my father nor my grandfather ever imagined we would reach here in the Land of Israel,” Porush said.

The visit took place against the backdrop of heightened public debate over the draft law and the ongoing dispute surrounding the enlistment of yeshiva students into military service.

{Matzav.com}

and heavy financial penalties for stealing from the scene of the Nova Music Festival massacre.

Both men were convicted based on their own admissions of aggravated theft, after entering the festival grounds and taking personal belongings left behind by victims of the attack.

According to the revised indictment submitted by prosecutor Adar Bachar of the Southern District Prosecutor’s Office, the two arrived at the site on October 8, 2023—just one day after the terror assault in which at least 347 civilians and 17 police officers were murdered at the festival location—and proceeded to loot items belonging to those who had been killed.

Arguing for strict punishment, Bachar emphasized the extraordinary gravity of the case, stating: “The circumstances of this case are unique and severe, and the actions of the defendants, who, one day after the worst disaster in the country’s history, got together and stole property belonging to the victims of the Nova Festival, must be condemned. The defendants took advantage of the situation in the country at the time to carry out their plan.”

In his ruling, Judge Amir Doron described the national trauma surrounding the events, writing: “The morning after October 7th, 2023, was one of the most difficult days in the country’s history. The country experienced a planned spree of murder and destruction, which caused substantial damage to life and property, which was reflected in the various strata of Israeli society in general, and the victims of the massacre and their families in particular.”

Judge Doron went on to deliver a scathing moral assessment of the defendants’ conduct. “The defendants failed in a disgraceful and particularly severe manner on the moral and ethical level. Through their actions, carried out together with one another, the defendants demonstrated a blatant trampling of every component of basic human compassion. The defendants stole equipment from the victims of the massacre, while the blood of those victims cried out from the ground before them. Driven by greed, the defendants chose to steal whatever they could lay their hands on, with particular emphasis on property of significant economic value.”

He added that such behavior strikes at the core of society itself. “Stealing from the scene of a massacre is not only an injustice toward the victims; it is considered a ‘stain on our camp,’ eroding social trust and the sense of solidarity,” he wrote.

At the end of the case, the court imposed identical sentences on both defendants: 38 months in prison, a suspended term, and a fine of 45,000 shekels each.

{Matzav.com}

Rav Yaakov Jan, the rov of Uman, issued a rare public warning on Sunday calling on Jews in Israel and abroad to avoid traveling to Uman in light of unusually severe winter weather that has made conditions in the area unsafe.

While underscoring the spiritual value of visiting the kever of Rav Nachman of Breslov, Rav Jan said the current situation warrants delaying any trips until circumstances improve, citing heightened dangers both on regional roads and within the city itself.

He explained that temperatures have plunged to extreme sub-zero levels not experienced in years, alongside extended power failures, darkened and icy streets, and dangerously cold conditions inside homes—factors that collectively pose serious risks to visitors and local residents.

Rav Jan further cautioned those already in Uman to avoid using gas heaters indoors, emphasizing the particular hazards they present during outages. He pointed to a tragic incident late last week in which a 28-year-old man was found dead in his home, with carbon monoxide poisoning suspected, and urged the public to act responsibly and minimize exposure to danger.

The rov added that anyone who nevertheless decides to travel to Uman during this period should make certain they carry valid, comprehensive medical insurance before doing so.

{Matzav.com}

The Israel Defense Forces and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) carried out Operation “Red South,” in Gaza about a year ago, the IDF revealed on Sunday. The covert operation recovered the body of fallen hostage, Staff. Sgt. Oron Shaul, and returned it to Israel.

Shaul fell in combat in Shejaiya on July 20, 2014, during Operation Protective Edge, and was then abducted by the Hamas terrorist organization.

During interrogations of detainees, initial information was received regarding a civilian property in which the fallen hostage had been held over the years.

Based on additional intelligence, a decision was made to carry out an operation at the site and a key individual residing at that property was apprehended.

During his interrogation by the ISA, precise information was obtained regarding Shaul’s location. The operation to recover his body was carried out by troops of the elite Sayeret Matkal unit.

On Aug. 1, 2014, during Operation Protective Edge, Lt. Hadar Goldin was killed near Rafah and his body was taken by Hamas. On Nov. 9, 2025, his body was returned by Hamas as part of the Gaza peace plan.

In addition to recovering the fallen from previous operations, the IDF has been doling out justice for previous attacks.

On Jan. 17, the IDF killed a Hamas terrorist in Gaza responsible for the murder of an Israeli civilian at the Nahal Oz checkpoint in 1995.

Muhammad Hamed Muhammad al-Hawli was a key figure in the terrorist organization for decades, the IDF said.

Al-Hawli directed the terrorists who carried out an attack on Feb. 6, 1995, in which Ashkelon resident and security guard Yevgeny Gromov was murdered. JNS

{Matzav.com}

Dear Matzav Inbox,

There is a certain tactic that has become all too familiar: arrive with a camera and a microphone, present oneself as curious and respectful, provoke just enough friction to spark a reaction, and then disappear into the editing room to manufacture a narrative that was decided long before the first question was ever asked.

That is precisely what blogger Tyler Oliveira has been doing as he deliberately travels to frum neighborhoods. His latest victim was Kiryas Yoel, as you can see in the video below.

He does not come to understand. He does not come to learn. He comes to extract moments — clipped, rearranged, stripped of context — that can later be repackaged to portray Jews in a negative light. A pause becomes hostility. A thoughtful answer becomes evasive. A nuanced explanation becomes a punchline.

Many frum Jews, when approached by someone with a microphone, engage in good faith. They assume, perhaps naively, that the person asking questions is genuinely interested in hearing how they live, what they value, and why their communities function as they do. They speak openly, respectfully, and sincerely. What they do not realize is that their words may later be selectively edited, reframed, or mocked to serve a predetermined storyline. That’s Tyler Oliveira game.

A recurring theme in Oliveira’s content is hostility toward Orthodox Jews for having large families. He repeatedly frames this as “draining the system,” deliberately conflating lawful, government-approved benefits with fraud. That framing is incorrect and deeply misleading. Families across America utilize tax credits, subsidies, and benefits explicitly created by law, yet only Orthodox Jews are singled out and cast as morally suspect for doing so.

This double standard is not accidental. It reinforces an ugly and dangerous narrative that paints religious Jews as parasitic, dishonest, and undeserving, a narrative with a long and troubling history. That’s what Tyler Oliveira is engaged in.

This is not journalism. It is not honest inquiry. It is provocation followed by selective editing, designed to generate clicks by inflaming resentment. And the damage is real. These videos circulate far beyond their original platforms, shaping opinions among viewers who have never set foot in a Jewish neighborhood and who will never meet the people being caricatured on their screens.

The Orthodox Jewish community does not owe Tyler Oliveira — or anyone else — performative explanations of its existence. Nor does it need to submit itself to bad-faith interrogations disguised as curiosity. Awareness is essential. Walking away, declining interviews, and refusing to participate in staged encounters may be the most responsible response.

Truth does not fear questions. But questions asked with an agenda, and answers twisted to fit it, have nothing to do with truth at all.

Tyler Oliveira, go away and target someone else.

Moshe Binem Schwartz

To submit a letter to appear on Matzav.com, email MatzavInbox@gmail.com

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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey sharply criticized the federal government’s stepped-up immigration enforcement in his city, describing it as an overreach that could spark confrontations between local police and federal agents, while urging demonstrators to keep protests peaceful.

The Democratic mayor said residents have the right to observe and record ICE activity on city streets and cautioned against escalating tensions as federal operations expand.

“We will not counter Donald Trump’s chaos with our own brand of chaos here,” Frey said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “And we’re not going to give them an excuse to do the thing that clearly they’re trying to set up to do right now.”

Reflecting on the scope of the federal presence, Frey added, “I never thought in a million years that we would be invaded by our own federal government.”

The enforcement surge began last year after Minnesota was rocked by a major welfare fraud scandal, prompting the Trump administration to intensify operations across the state.

Since then, roughly 3,000 ICE and Border Patrol officers have been assigned to Minneapolis, a city with a local police force of about 600 officers. Reuters has reported that the administration is also preparing to send 1,500 military personnel into the city.

Frey said the increased presence has heightened anxiety among residents. He noted that some people have asked police to confront federal agents directly.

“We can’t have that in America,” Frey said Sunday when asked about those concerns. “What we are hopeful for here is the judicial system to do its part to see that necessary check and balance.”

Minnesota and Illinois have filed lawsuits seeking to block the influx of federal personnel, arguing that the deployments overstep federal authority.

President Trump has also suggested he could invoke the Insurrection Act — last used in 1992 — to deploy the National Guard to Minnesota, a move Frey said would “be a shocking step.”

Border czar Tom Homan has said the administration could reduce the federal footprint if local officials agree to “let us in the jail.”

Pressed on that point, Frey pushed back.

“I don’t think Homan understands the basic dynamic as to how stuff works in Minnesota here,” Frey said, insisting that Minneapolis enforces the law and is serious about public safety. “But the bottom line is, as we know, this is not about safety. It’s not about crime.”

“This is about intimidation. And, in Minneapolis, we’re not going to be intimidated.”

Separately, CBS News reported last week that the Justice Department is examining whether Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz have worked together to obstruct federal immigration enforcement.

“We haven’t received anything, a subpoena or otherwise,” Frey said Sunday on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.” “And obviously it would be deeply concerning if the federal government is targeting someone for [an action] that is quite literally my job.”

{Matzav.com}

The Defense Department has directed approximately 1,500 active-duty service members to be ready for a potential deployment to Minnesota amid concerns that tensions in the state could intensify, according to defense officials.

Army units have been issued prepare-to-deploy orders, a step meant to ensure they can be mobilized quickly if conditions on the ground deteriorate and violence escalates beyond the control of local authorities.

The heightened military readiness follows warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump that he could invoke the Insurrection Act if state leaders fail to prevent protesters from interfering with federal immigration enforcement operations.

“If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Thursday.

Officials stressed that the order does not mean troops will automatically be sent into the state, but rather that the military is positioning itself to respond swiftly should the situation worsen.

{Matzav.com}

Last Wednesday, Agudath Israel of America led a New York delegation of advocates from across the state to Washington, D.C. for a full day of high-level federal advocacy. The delegation spent the day meeting with more than a dozen members of Congress to advance issues of critical importance to the Jewish community.

Throughout the day, delegates highlighted key federal priorities, ranging from the new Federal tax Credit Scholarship (FSTC) to the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), as well as other issues affecting Jewish families, schools, and institutions.

At the top of the agenda was the issue of rising antisemitism. Just last week a synagogue in Mississippi was destroyed by arson, and in New York protestors gathered in front of a shul and Jewish school, leading antisemitic chants such as, “We support Hamas” and “Intifada revolution.” Delegates thanked the members for speaking out about these incidents and discussed additional steps to better protect Jewish institutions and communities.

As part of its comprehensive approach to communal safety, Agudath Israel emphasized the importance of both the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) and the Pray Safe Act.

The Nonprofit Security Grant Program provides critical federal support to nonprofits facing elevated security risks, helping them obtain the equipment needed to protect their facilities. With shuls, schools, and Jewish organizations in New York relying heavily on this program, Agudath Israel emphasized to lawmakers the need for reliable access and increased funding.

The delegation also discussed the Pray Safe Act, legislation sponsored by Representative Grace Meng, that would direct federal agencies to collect – and help faith-based organizations and houses of worship access – information on best practices, federal grants, and training programs to better safeguard and secure their religious facilities.

On the education front, the group talked about the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC). Starting in 2027, the FSTC allows individual taxpayers to contribute to a nonprofit scholarship granting organization (SGO) and receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit worth up to $1700. The SGO then pools the funds and distributes scholarships to eligible students for a wide range of K-12 educational expenses including private school tuition However, in order for SGOs to be approved, the state in which they are located must opt in to the tax credit and include them on a list sent to Treasury. Treasury and the IRS recently requested public input on key issues necessary for implementation. The group urged legislators to do what they can to ensure that New Yorkers can fully benefit from the law and expand educational opportunities for families across the state.

The delegation met with Representatives Yvette Clarke (D-NY-09), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY-02), Laura Gillen (D-NY-04), Dan Goldman (D-NY-10), Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY-01), Nick Langworthy (R-NY-23), George Latimer (D-NY-16), Mike Lawler (R-NY-17), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY-11), Grace Meng (D-NY-06), Josh Riley (D-NY-19), Pat Ryan (D-NY-18), Tom Suozzi (D-NY-03), and Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15), as well as staff of Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY-24).

{Matzav.com}

TV presenter and journalist Piers Morgan is recovering in a London hospital after suffering an injury caused by a fall at a hotel restaurant, where he stumbled over a small step.

The 60-year-old host of the YouTube program Piers Morgan Uncensored disclosed that the accident left him with a fractured femur, an injury that required hip replacement surgery. He remains hospitalized and said he expects to rely on crutches for roughly six weeks as he recuperates.

Morgan announced the incident in a lighthearted post on social media, writing: “New Year off to a cracking start! I blame Donald Trump.”

The remark was in keeping with Morgan’s long-running habit of poking fun at Donald Trump, whom he has frequently targeted with jokes and satirical takes, including parodies related to Trump’s presidential campaigns and tariff policies.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s government has moved closer to opening its roads to app-based ride-hailing services after the Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved a bill that would legalize companies such as Uber and Lyft and introduce new competition into the transportation market.

The proposed law, submitted by Blue and White MK Eitan Ginsburg together with Likud MK Moshe Passal, would allow shared ride-hailing platforms like Uber and Lyft to operate nationwide by linking private drivers and passengers through mobile apps. The legislation is slated to reach the Knesset floor for a preliminary vote as early as next week.

The initiative follows months of efforts by Transportation Minister Miri Regev to bring Uber into Israel, potentially within the current year. In addition to passenger rides, the company is known internationally for services that include food delivery, logistics, and other on-demand transportation options.

The Transportation Ministry said the bill is designed to establish clear rules for ride-hailing services, addressing passenger safety, vetting of drivers, insurance coverage, and vehicle inspections, while also providing a structured support and compensation framework for Israel’s taxi drivers as new competitors enter the market.

“This reform is about propelling Israel into a new age of smart, convenient, and affordable transportation,” Regev said. “Passing this bill marks a landmark moment that will break long-standing monopolies, ease congestion on our roads, create thousands of jobs, and bring real competition that will help lower the cost of living.”

{Matzav.com}

Governments across the globe responded cautiously over the weekend to U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to create a new international “Board of Peace,” with many officials questioning whether the initiative could sideline or erode existing United Nations structures, according to Reuters.

Diplomatic sources said invitations were sent to approximately 60 countries, reaching European capitals beginning yesterday. Hungary emerged as the only nation to openly and firmly embrace the proposal, with Prime Minister Viktor Orban describing the offer as an “honourable invitation.” Orban is widely viewed as one of Trump’s closest allies in Europe.

Elsewhere, governments largely avoided formal public reactions. However, several officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, voiced unease that the proposed body could diminish the authority of the United Nations. A draft charter and accompanying letter reviewed by Reuters indicate that Trump would serve as chairman of the board for life. The document states that the board would initially concentrate on the Gaza conflict, with the option of later expanding its focus to other international crises.

Under the proposal, participating countries would serve three-year terms unless they commit $1 billion each, a contribution that would secure permanent membership. The White House defended this framework, arguing that permanent seats would be limited to countries showing a deep and lasting commitment to global peace and security.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said during a visit to South Korea that Italy was ready to “do our part,” though she did not specify whether she was referring directly to Gaza or to the broader initiative. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada had agreed in principle to take part in a Board of Peace centered on Gaza, subject to further clarification of its structure and mandate.

European concerns reportedly deepened after invitations included a formal charter, prompting some diplomats to warn that the board could operate as a parallel international institution. One diplomat characterized the concept as a “Trump United Nations” that ignores the foundational principles of the UN Charter.

A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres responded by saying that member states are free to form alternative groupings, while stressing that the United Nations will continue to carry out its established responsibilities.

President Trump said the board would convene soon, describing it as an unprecedented initiative unlike any previous international body. He told Reuters earlier in the week that the effort would start with Gaza and later turn to other conflicts as they arise.

The White House has identified several figures expected to serve on the board, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, former British prime minister Tony Blair, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Additional appointments are expected to be announced in the weeks ahead.

{Matzav.com}

Left-wing activists in New York City are organizing a large-scale effort aimed at disrupting anticipated federal immigration enforcement, with plans to mobilize more than 4,000 volunteers in what they describe as “rapid response” teams targeting ICE activity across the city.

Details of the initiative were laid out Thursday by allies of Mayor Mamdani within the Democratic Socialists of America during a meeting of the group’s Immigrant Justice Working Group. The gathering took place at the People’s Forum, a Midtown venue linked to the Chinese Communist Party and adorned with images of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara.

“As we’ve seen in other cities, we still do anticipate a big wave of federal immigration enforcement,” a DSA leader who identified herself only as Marina told the crowd of more than 100 attendees.

“It can be confusing, it can be scary, it can be kind of uncertain what’s happening in New York right now. . . . But we want to be on our front foot if and when it does.”

According to organizers, the NYC chapter plans to train roughly 2,000 DSA members and an additional 2,000 non-members, while also deploying 50 trainers to support the effort.

The group is also expanding staffing for its ICE hotline, with the goal of operating it around the clock.

“If you speak Pular, if you speak Creole, if you speak Fulani – come find us,” urged one leader. “We really want you on the team.”

Organizers did not disclose the cost of the initiative, but fundraising was a recurring theme throughout the nearly two-hour meeting. At one point, a leader passed around a red beanie to collect cash donations from attendees.

Many in the audience—largely white Gen Z activists—said they were attending for the first time, motivated by the recent death of Renee Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis mother who was fatally shot by an ICE agent during a confrontation earlier this month.

Good had been involved with an anti-ICE group trained to “resist” immigration enforcement, a model organizers said they hope to replicate in New York.

“ICE is a violent organization and has been emboldened to respond to a lot of the work that many of you participated in,” a leader told the group.

“The immigrant crisis is part of the US imperialist project, and yet we treat immigrants to the experience of ICE,” said Landry, a Crown Heights tenant organizer and DSA member.

Plans discussed by the NYC DSA include mass mobilization to verify ICE sightings and confront agents directly.

“This has been in the past in New York specifically enough to deter ICE detentions,” said Marina, a Queens-based musician who performs under the name “Marina F” as part of the synth-pop duo The Observation Room and describes her sound as “sleazy, neon and queer.”

She explained that one tactic, known as “form a crowd, stay loud,” involves the coordinated use of rape whistles.

“If you’re interested in doing this kind of work, we can hook you up with whistles,” she said.

“We do have a lot of whistles,” added Leemah Nasrati, another organizer who works as a pro bono refugee attorney and leads the Q&A sessions at the DSA’s monthly “Know Your Rights” trainings, which are designed to explain “what the deal is with ICE.”

Members were told that different whistle patterns would be used to alert neighborhoods to ICE activity.

“The whistles carry far and wide,” Marina said.

Organizers said they have already been canvassing and patrolling immigrant neighborhoods including Chinatown, Bushwick, and Jackson Heights to recruit participants.

“There are more of us than them,” Nasrati said, directing attendees to join a private Signal chat that requires additional vetting before members can participate in the group’s “rapid response” actions.

The organizing push comes as ICE has more than doubled its staffing over the past year, with agents carrying out large-scale operations in major cities to arrest migrants living in the United States illegally or convicted of crimes. Following the Minnesota incident, a senior White House source said that “California and New York are next,” according to WIRED.

ICE said in December that a nationwide enforcement operation resulted in the arrest of criminal illegal migrants convicted of offenses including forcible rape, aggravated assault of a child, and strangulation.

“ICE law enforcement officers are sending criminal illegal aliens where they should have been all along – HOME for the holidays,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said at the time.

Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security announced plans to open a new ICE detention facility in Chester, about an hour north of New York City, with capacity to hold 1,500 illegal migrants.

The facility would more than double detention space in the region, which currently includes a single 1,000-bed ICE center in Newark that was reopened by the Trump administration last year.

Officials expect the expanded detention capacity to coincide with increased ICE enforcement activity throughout the New York City area.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu accused former prime ministers Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett of seeking to form a government with the Islamist United Arab List after the next election.

“The cat is out of the bag: proof that Lapid and Bennett will form a government with the Muslim Brotherhood,” Netanyahu tweeted, sharing an interview with United Arab List leader Mansour Abbas.

“Even if I’m the 61st [Knesset vote], yes, we will form a government. That’s my opinion,” Abbas, whose party is also known its Hebrew acronym, Ra’am, tells Israel’s Channel 12 News broadcaster in the interview.

Abbas, whose party served as a coalition partner in the Lapid-Bennett government that unseated Netanyahu between June 2021 and December 2022, said he hoped the former prime ministers would achieve a majority of 61 seats in the general election set to take place by Oct. 27.

“But if not, if we have a reality where we are going to elections again, and again have a government that won’t meet the needs of Arab citizens, I need to act so that a good government is formed,” the Arab politician concluded.

Abbas announced on Dec. 6 that he would cut ties to the Shura Council, a body linked to the Muslim Brotherhood-inspired Southern Branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, which has traditionally guided his decisions.

The announcement came a month after Netanyahu announced that he intends to ban the Muslim Brotherhood. The premier’s declaration followed a similar announcement by President Donald Trump.

Israeli opposition parties largely remained silent regarding the separation from the Shura Council. Right-wing politicians were more vocal, dismissing it outright, with Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich calling Abbas a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” who is seeking to “deceive the Israeli public.”

Asked in 2024 about his views of Hamas, Abbas said that the terrorists are “part of the Palestinian people.” He has also urged ending the recent war, claiming the Israel Defense Forces “murdered” 50,000 Gaza civilians.

Also in 2024, a probe by the Israeli Justice Ministry found evidence that entities controlled by the United Arab List “transferred funds or cooperated with organizations outside of Israel that were declared as terrorist groups.”

According to an investigation published in February 2024, Igatha 48 (“Aid 48”) transferred large sums to and carried out joint activities with a Turkish organization called Khir Ummah, which serves as a Hamas front group.

Igatha 48 serves as a fundraising arm of the Southern Branch of the Islamic Movement.

Between 2020 and 2023, Igatha 48 transferred more than $120,000 to Khir Ummah, and the two organizations hosted pro-terror summer camps for children in Turkey, the HaKol HaYehudi outlet reported.

The Tel Aviv District Court on April 8, 2024, rejected a request by Igatha 48 to unfreeze its accounts held at Israel’s Bank Leumi. During the court proceedings, lawyers for the Jewish state’s largest bank said the red flags surrounding the charity were “shocking.” The group acknowledged in court that 10 banks had refused to open accounts for it in the past.

In related news, Blue and White Party leader Benny Gantz, who served as a defense minister under Lapid and Bennett, told Kan Reshet Bet on Sunday that he would be willing to join a Netanyahu government.

“I do not like Netanyahu and am not Netanyahu’s friend,” Gantz, a former IDF chief of staff, told the radio station. “I am a soldier of the State of Israel; if I am willing to die for the country, can I not sit [in a government] with Netanyahu?

“I am not willing to abandon the country to extremists or rely on the Arab parties,” added Gantz, who served as a member of Netanyahu’s War Cabinet following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led terrorist attacks. JNS

{Matzav.com}

The United States “has no better friend than the State of Israel,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said following a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu in Yerushalayim on Sunday.

In a post on X, the American lawmaker said the sit-down with the leader of the Jewish state was “great” and came “at one of the most consequential moments in recent memory.”

Graham arrived in Israel on Jan. 16 for a trip focused on building “upon the momentum created by President Trump’s bold and unprecedented leadership in Iran, where he picked the people over the ayatollah.

“I just landed in Israel, the one and only Jewish State, and America’s strongest ally and friend since its founding,” the senator tweeted on Thursday, adding, “I look forward to meeting with our Israeli allies.

“The Trump-Netanyahu alliance has thus far been one of the strongest partnerships in the history of the U.S.-Israel relationship, and I am hopeful it will pay dividends in the near future,” Graham said.

Also on Sunday, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar hosted the American at his office “for a fascinating discussion on regional and global challenges,” the minister said.

“Senator Graham is a true friend of Israel, with a unique contribution to the strengthening of the alliance between our countries. We’ll keep strengthening it!” tweeted Sa’ar following the meeting.

JNS

Jacqui Heinrich: If the E.U. Sanctions American firms like banks or tech firms, what kind of an impact could that have on the U.S. Economy? Hassett: The president is the person who wrote “The art of the deal” because he’s so good at deal making…

The IDF has revealed new details about a covert operation in the Gaza Strip carried out about a year ago, during which the body of fallen soldier Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul HY”D was recovered. Shaul was killed and abducted by Hamas during the 2014 Gaza War. His remains were returned to Israel on January 19, […]

Rick Scott: I grew up in a family that didn’t have health care. I remember when my mom couldn’t get health care for my little brother who had a disease. I want people to get health care. Let people buy their own health care.

Three avalanches across Austria killed eight skiers, authorities said. A female skier was fatally buried by an avalanche in the Bad Hofgastein area in western Austria, at an altitude of about 2,200 meters (7,200 feet), around 12:30 p.m. Saturday, according to the Pongau mountain rescue service. Roughly 90 minutes later, an avalanche in nearby Gastein […]

Prime Minister Netanyahu met today in Jerusalem with Paul Atkins, Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The meeting focused on the possibility of advancing a mutual recognition framework for securities registration, similar to the U.S. Multi-Jurisdictional Disclosure System (MJDS). The proposed move is aimed at easing the process for Israeli companies listed on […]