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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to visit Israel next week for high-level discussions focused on Iran and other key regional issues, the State Department announced Friday, as Washington continues to expand its military presence in the Middle East amid escalating tensions with Tehran.

According to the State Department, Rubio’s trip will take place March 2-3. During his visit, he is expected to hold talks on Iran as well as broader regional matters, including developments in Lebanon and President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan.

{Matzav.com}

A shmuess delivered by Rav Simcha Klein.

WATCH:

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President Donald Trump said Friday that he has not determined whether the United States will carry out a military strike against Iran, expressing dissatisfaction with Tehran’s conduct in negotiations while confirming that additional diplomatic discussions are scheduled.

“I haven’t made a decision on Iran. I am not happy with how they negotiate,” the President said, noting that further talks would take place on Friday.

Addressing the prospect of military action, Trump acknowledged the possibility but signaled reluctance. “I don’t want to, but sometimes you have to,” he said.

Trump reiterated his position that Iran must not obtain nuclear weapons and criticized Tehran’s stance in the ongoing negotiations, saying that “Iran isn’t saying the golden words, ‘No nuclear weapon’” in talks with the US.

Earlier in the day, the U.S. Embassy in Israel announced that non-essential staff and family members would be evacuated because of “security risks.”

At the same time, the State Department revised its travel advisory and encouraged American citizens to consider departing Israel.

The latest developments come after U.S. and Iranian officials met Thursday in Geneva for another round of negotiations, as the United States continues a significant military buildup in the region surrounding Iran. No agreement was announced after the meeting, but Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, said progress had been made and confirmed that “technical talks” would continue next week in Vienna, Austria. U.S. officials told Axios that the discussions were positive.

{Matzav.com}

In a surprising spiritual initiative ahead of Purim, Knesset Member Moshe Abutbul has begun distributing printed copies of the laws of kemitzah to shuls and batei midrash throughout Israel, encouraging their study as a merit for the salvation of the Jewish people during a time of heightened security tensions and threats from Iran.

Abutbul’s office has circulated professionally printed booklets featuring the Rambam’s codification of the laws of kemitzah — the Bais Hamikdosh procedure in which a kohen would remove a handful of flour from a meal offering. The goal, according to Abutbul, is to inspire focused study of these laws on Purim as a spiritual protection for Klal Yisroel and as a show of support for talmidei chachomim.

Explaining the basis for the initiative, Abutbul cited the well-known teaching in Gemara Megillah that links the concept of kemitzah to the downfall of Haman. He recounted that when Haman sought out Mordechai to dress him in royal garments at King Achashverosh’s command, he found him studying Torah with his students. When Haman asked what they were learning, they replied that in the time of the Beis Hamikdash, one who brought a meal offering would present a handful of fine flour, which would atone for him. Haman then remarked that their “handful of flour” had outweighed the ten thousand talents of silver he had given Achashverosh in his plot to destroy the Jewish people.

Abutbul said that after consulting with prominent rabbanim, he was advised that in these days of internal and external conflict, with Iran once again issuing threats of war against Israel, it would be appropriate to adopt this spiritual approach on Purim. Studying the laws of kemitzah, he said, could help elevate the fortune of the Jewish people and strengthen the standing of talmidei chachomim, who protect the nation through their learning.

Along with the printed materials, Abutbul’s office included explanatory notes emphasizing the importance of studying these laws on Purim as a spiritual safeguard. The initiative concludes with a prayer that, just as in the days of Mordechai and Esther, the fortunes of the Jewish people will once again rise, fulfilling the posuk of LaYehudim: “For the Jews there was light and joy.”

{Matzav.com}

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani met with President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday to promote a sweeping affordable housing proposal, presenting the president with a mock newspaper front page touting the potential impact of major new federal investment in the city.

During the visit, Mamdani handed Trump a fabricated front page styled after the New York Daily News, crafted to highlight the scale and political resonance of the proposal. The headline read “Trump to City: Let’s Build,” echoing the paper’s well-known 1975 cover declaring “Ford to City: Drop Dead,” which referenced Gerald Ford’s pledge at the time to veto financial aid for New York City.

The approach appeared tailored to Trump’s well-known interest in media coverage. The president closely follows both national cable news and local New York publications, and aides to Mamdani said the presentation was designed to underscore how a large federal housing commitment could be received publicly. Mamdani later shared a photo from the Oval Office meeting on social media, prominently featuring the mock front page.

Anna Bahr, Mamdani’s communications director, said the mayor’s staff created the sample headlines to illustrate the positive reaction they believe a major housing partnership would generate. According to Bahr, Trump responded favorably to the proposal, which centers on constructing a platform over Sunnyside Yard in Queens and building 12,000 affordable housing units there.

Bahr said the president was “very enthusiastic” about Mamdani’s proposal, which would involve securing more than $21 billion in federal grants to deck over the rail yard and enable construction. City Hall estimates the development would generate 30,000 jobs and represent the largest housing and infrastructure initiative in more than half a century.

The meeting followed an earlier White House sit-down between the two in November, when Trump encouraged Mamdani to return with a bold proposal for collaboration in New York City. Despite repeatedly attacking Mamdani as a “communist” during the mayoral campaign, Trump struck a warmer tone after their previous one-on-one discussion in the Oval Office.

Thursday’s meeting, which had not been publicly scheduled in advance, lasted roughly an hour. In addition to housing, Mamdani raised concerns about the detention of Ellie Aghayeva, a Columbia University student from Azerbaijan who had been arrested earlier that day by federal immigration agents.

According to Aghayeva’s lawyers and Columbia’s president, immigration authorities gained entry to a campus residence by saying they were looking for a “missing person.” Mamdani asked Trump to review her case and consider her release.

Shortly after the White House meeting concluded, Trump called the mayor and informed him that Aghayeva would be released. Mamdani also provided White House chief of staff Susie Wiles with the names of four additional students facing federal action and requested assistance from the administration.

Those students — Mahmoud Khalil, Yunseo Chung, Mohsen Mahdawi and Leqaa Kordia — were detained in connection with pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Of the four, only Kordia remains in custody, though legal proceedings are ongoing in each case.

“Mayor Mamdani is absolutely right to call on President Trump to release Leqaa Kordia, the beloved daughter of an American citizen,” Hamzah Abushaban, Kordia’s cousin, said in a statement. “For nearly a year, my cousin Leqaa has been locked away in ICE detention, robbed of precious birthdays, holidays, and irreplaceable moments with her family. She has endured fear, isolation, and even suffered a seizure while trapped behind those walls. This is not justice. This is not humanity.”

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The U.S. State Department has authorized non-essential personnel and family members of diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Israel to leave the country, as concerns intensify that a military confrontation with Iran could be imminent.

In an email sent Friday morning to staff at the Jerusalem mission, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee urged those who wish to depart to act without delay, advising that they “should do so TODAY.”

“Focus on getting a seat to anyplace from which you can then continue travel to DC,” added the former Arkansas governor in the message, first reported by the New York Times, “but the first priority will be getting expeditiously out of country.”

Huckabee said the authorization for voluntary departures was taken out of “an abundance of caution.”

“There is no need to panic,” he wrote, “but for those desiring to leave, it’s important to make plans to depart sooner rather than later.”

The warning came after indirect talks between U.S. and Iranian officials in Geneva, Switzerland, on Thursday regarding Tehran’s nuclear program ended without progress. Further negotiations are expected to resume next week in Vienna, Austria.

Amid the diplomatic stalemate, officials are bracing for the possibility that Iran could respond to any U.S. military action with ballistic missile strikes against Israel.

During the 12-day war with Iran this past June, 33 Israelis were killed and more than 3,200 were wounded in missile and drone attacks.

As Thursday’s discussions wrapped up, Iranian state television reported that Tehran remains committed to continuing uranium enrichment, opposes transferring enriched material abroad, and is demanding the immediate removal of international sanctions. The report said Iran rejected three demands presented by U.S. representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

Iran’s leadership has also declined to expand the negotiations to include its ballistic missile arsenal or its backing of terror organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah.

Although the White House did not issue an official statement on the Geneva talks, Vice President JD Vance told the Washington Post “there is no chance” that a U.S. strike on Iran would spiral into a prolonged war in the Middle East.

“I think we all prefer the diplomatic option,” the vice president added. “But it really depends on what the Iranians do and what they say.”

Reports indicate that President Trump is weighing several potential courses of action, including targeted attacks on Iranian military and nuclear facilities, as well as possible “decapitation” strikes aimed at eliminating Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior figures in an effort to pave the way for regime change.

{Matzav.com}

Digital advertisements mounted on top of New York City yellow cabs that read “Not gonna hide my Jewish star for a free bus ride” — a pointed reference to Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s proposal for free buses — were abruptly removed after media coverage brought attention to them.

According to a transcript of a video meeting, Jamie Lowe, executive vice president of the ad placement company Somo, informed representatives of the Jewish advocacy group JewBelong that the ads were taken down following backlash.

“You saw the article that ran in the NY Post today, you can imagine that it created a buzz, which it did … But the ad that’s running is obviously somewhat anti- the mayor of New York City,” Lowe said during the Tuesday call.

He added, “There were complaints across the board this morning to us, to the New York City Taxi Commission, and I’ll… I’ll leave it at that.”

Lowe later clarified that he had spoken not with the Taxi and Limousine Commission, which is overseen by Mamdani, but with Ron Sherman, head of the Metropolitan Taxi Board of Trade, an organization representing roughly a quarter of the city’s taxi industry.

“Just as the New York Post article said, it’s the slap of Mandami. That’s the challenge that we have,” Lowe told JewBelong co-founder Stacy Stuart and public relations representative Jenny McIntosh during the meeting.

JewBelong, which focuses on combating antisemitism, said the removal marked the first time in its five-year history that one of its advertisements had been censored.

During the discussion, Lowe acknowledged concern about drawing the ire of City Hall.

“I personally will be careful in running advertising that is somewhat, attacking City Hall or the mayor. So, I would say, yes, the political nature of the bus comment, and the mayor reference at this point in time is the challenge,” Lowe said.

Lowe and another sales representative proposed revising the ad to eliminate the apparent criticism of Mamdani’s transportation initiative, but JewBelong declined to alter the message.

He pointed to contractual language that, according to the transcript, allows his company to “reject or cancel any ad at any time without liability.”

JewBelong representatives argued that the decision amounted to suppressing a campaign intended to confront antisemitism.

“Why are Jewish voices being silenced in New York City at the very moment antisemitism is surging? Our taxi campaign was created to garner attention and start a conversation about the compromises many Jews feel pressured to make about visibility and identity amid rising antisemitism,” said JewBelong co-founder Archie Gottesman.

“Pulling it sends a chilling message that speaking out against hate is acceptable, until it makes someone uncomfortable. We refuse to be silent.”

The Anti-Defamation League also criticized the removal of the ads.

“If acknowledging that Jewish New Yorkers sometimes feel compelled to hide visible symbols of their identity is considered controversial, that should alarm all of us,” said ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt.

“Suppressing awareness does not reduce antisemitism, especially at a time when we are seeing an alarming amount of antisemitic incidents,” he said.

The Taxi and Limousine Commission denied any involvement in the decision to remove the rooftop ads.

“We’re not aware of any complaints to the TLC related to these ads and we certainly haven’t asked for them to be removed,” said TLC spokesman Jason Kersten.

“We respect free speech, and for us to take any action the ads would have to violate our rules related to rooftop advertising, which these clearly don’t.”

Under TLC regulations, rooftop advertising providers “must not display advertising that is offensive to public morals” or violate criminal law.

The dispute over the advertisements unfolds against the backdrop of ongoing tension between Mamdani and some members of the Jewish community.

{Matzav.com}

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has decided not to move forward with a felony assault charge against one of the men accused of throwing snowballs at NYPD officers during a chaotic confrontation in Washington Square Park, reducing the most serious count at his court appearance Thursday.

Gusmane Coulibaly, 27, had initially been charged with assault on a police officer, obstruction of governmental administration, and disorderly conduct for his alleged role in what authorities described as a large-scale snowball incident in the park.

At his arraignment Thursday evening, prosecutors declined to pursue the assault-on-an-officer charge. The remaining counts were scaled back to harassment and obstruction of governmental administration, classified as a second-degree violation and a misdemeanor, according to the criminal complaint.

Patrick Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Association, pushed back strongly against the decision, rejecting suggestions that the episode was harmless fun. He told reporters that the purported “playful snowball fight” was “an attack on the uniform these police officers wear every day.”

“This was a grown adult that was here. Our police officers went to this location, on the rooftop, for a disorderly group, came down, and they were surrounded by hundreds of individuals who then attacked all police officers,” Hendry said.

Hendry further alleged that Coulibaly and three other suspects who have not yet been apprehended deliberately hardened the snowballs with ice and rocks before throwing them at officers. He criticized what he described as a minimization of the incident through the reduced charges.

“So why wasn’t assault charged? Why was harassment charged? Why do they feel that that didn’t cause an injury to a police officer, which he clearly, clearly has an injury below his eye?” Hendry said.

In court, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Victoria Notaro acknowledged that one officer, identified only as “PO Johnson,” experienced redness, tenderness, and pain on the left side of his face near his eye. However, she stated that it was difficult to establish “that the injury was obtained directly from the defendant.”

Hendry said the officer remains on sick leave and is “on the mend.”

Coulibaly did not speak during the proceeding. His attorney, George Vomvolakis, argued that the police department was channeling frustration over Mayor Zohran Mamdani toward his client, whom he described as an aspiring social media personality.

Vomvolakis echoed the characterization offered by Mamdani in the immediate aftermath of the incident, when the mayor said those involved were “kids doing snowballs.” He also repeatedly referred to Coulibaly as being 22 years old, though court records list his age as 27.

While Vomvolakis sought to portray the matter as a minor infraction akin to a “glorified summons,” insisting that Coulibaly “had no idea what the intent was” when he allegedly threw the snowball, Judge Michelle Weber disagreed, stating that his participation “showed a complete lack of judgment.”

The judge ordered Coulibaly released under supervision. He is scheduled to return to court on April 9 in connection with the snowball case and on March 15 in a separate matter involving an alleged confrontation with a subway rider.

{Matzav.com}

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said Thursday that every Democratic and Republican president prior to President Donald Trump acted as a patriot, arguing that the current administration represents a break from that tradition.

Speaking on “Spectrum News One,” Pelosi addressed the upcoming midterm elections and the possibility of Democrats regaining control of the House. She said a narrow majority would be sufficient numerically but expressed concern about potential challenges if the margin is slim.

Pelosi said, “We only need a handful, but I would rather have at least 30 now. But it doesn’t matter if I want to win more than we need, because I think the Republicans will try to play a stunt and challenge if it’s just a few seats. So it’s good to have the insurance of having many more. That’s the way I like it.”

She then contrasted Trump with previous occupants of the White House.

She continued, “I’ve been in politics a long time, as you know, and we’ve had Democratic presidents, Republican presidents, they’ve all been patriots until now. We have to win this race.”

Pelosi also argued that core democratic institutions are being weakened.

She added, “Our democracy is at stake. What is a democracy? A democracy is free and fair elections, an independent judiciary, freedom of the press, due process, rule of law, all of that, all of that diminished under this president and the Republicans in Congress.”

Concluding her remarks, Pelosi warned that the issue extends beyond the current presidential term.

Pelosi concluded, “It’s not just about his second term and what that is. It’s about the Congress of the United States abolishing itself and just yielding to him on every score.”

{Matzav.com}

Following weeks of intense halachic debate among the rabbanim of Ramla regarding the proper observance of Purim in the city, a final ruling has been issued by Rav Yitzchok Yosef, clearly establishing the order of Purim observances for local residents.

The controversy, which drew significant attention in recent weeks and extended beyond rabbinic circles into the broader public, was brought before the former Rishon Letzion after the city’s mara d’asra, Rav Yitzchok Abuchatzeira, sought clarification regarding historical and halachic uncertainties surrounding Ramla’s status with respect to the laws of Purim.

In order to ascertain the precise facts on the ground and clarify the relevant historical data, the mara d’asra dispatched Rav Almog Levy to examine the findings and review the pertinent sources. The collected information was then submitted to the residence of Rav Yosef, who carefully analyzed the material before rendering a decision.

After a thorough review, Rav Yosef sent a special letter to the mara d’asra through his talmid, Rav Yisrael Siman Tov, issuing a definitive ruling outlining how Purim is to be observed in Ramla.

At the conclusion of the halachic deliberations, it was ruled that residents of Ramla are to observe the full seder yemei haPurim on both the 14th and the 15th of Adar. However, on the second day, the Megillah is to be read without a berachah. On both days, krias haTorah will take place.

{Matzav.com}

Amid the ongoing tensions with Iran, IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin reiterates that there are no still changes to the military’s guidelines for the Israeli public. “I am aware of the sense of uncertainty and the tension prevailing among the public in light of the regional developments”. “The IDF is closely monitoring the situation […]

The IDF said it carried out overnight airstrikes in Gaza after several Hamas terrorists emerged from a tunnel on the Israeli side of the ceasefire line in Rafah. In response to the violation, the IDF struck additional armed Hamas terrorists. Palestinian media reported five killed, including three in a strike on a Hamas police station […]

A quiet but potentially far-reaching change may be underway within Satmar institutions, as discussions intensify over whether ninth-grade bochurim will begin wearing traditional chassidishe kasketlach (caps) during the week instead of the more expensive velvet hats. What began as a Purim initiative may soon evolve into an official policy, one that could save parents thousands of dollars.

Earlier this week, during the month of Adar, the Satmar Rebbe visited the ninth-grade division of the Satmar Talmud Torah headed by Rav Yoel Spitzer. The Rebbe toured the classrooms, inquired about the learning schedule, and expressed satisfaction at the vibrant kol Torah he encountered.

During the visit, observers noted an unusual sight: dozens of talmidim were wearing kasketlach rather than the customary velvet hats. At first, it appeared to be a creative Purim-related initiative introduced by one group’s “Purim Rav.” However, it has since emerged that the matter is being seriously examined by the Satmar educational leadership.

It has been learned that the administration of the Talmud Torah is currently considering implementing the kasketlach as mandatory weekday headwear for all ninth-grade students across its branches, following a model that has already gained traction in numerous communities in Eretz Yisroel.

The idea reportedly gained momentum after the Rebbe’s recent visit to Eretz Yisroel. There, he was impressed by bochurim who wore kasketlach during the week and suggested exploring the feasibility of adopting a similar approach in the United States. The primary objective is to ease the significant financial burden placed on parents.

The issue of rising hat prices is not new. Several years ago, when the cost of velvet hats surged sharply, dozens of Talmud Torah administrators and roshei yeshiva in Eretz Yisroel joined forces and directed students to switch to kasketlach on weekdays. Today, more than 90 yeshivos ketanos and major chassidishe communities in Eretz Yisroel have already adopted the policy.

The financial difference is substantial. In recent years, the price of a standard velvet hat has climbed from approximately 600 shekels to an average of around 1,400 shekels. By contrast, a kasketel costs roughly 100 shekels. In Satmar institutions, there is hope that if the initiative moves forward, it will result in savings of thousands of dollars per family.

{Matzav.com}

A national survey released Thursday by Emerson College Polling provides an initial look at the 2028 presidential race, with California Gov. Gavin Newsom holding a slim advantage in a competitive Democrat primary, while Vice President JD Vance maintains a commanding lead among Republican voters. The poll also shows Democrats improving their position ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, expanding their lead on the generic congressional ballot.

In the early Democrat primary picture for 2028, Newsom tops the field with 20 percent support.

He is followed by former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at 16 percent and Vice President Kamala Harris at 13 percent.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez receives 9 percent, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro stands at 7 percent, and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear registers 5 percent.

At the same time, 24 percent of Democrat voters say they remain undecided.

The numbers indicate that while no single contender has unified the party, emerging blocs of support are taking shape.

“Candidates are starting to carve out their 2028 bases,” said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling.

Ocasio-Cortez performs strongest among voters under 30, where she captures 20 percent, pointing to solid backing from younger progressive Democrats.

Buttigieg leads among women with 20 percent and also posts a plurality among voters with postgraduate degrees at 21 percent, highlighting strength among highly educated constituencies.

Newsom’s best performance comes among voters over age 50, where he secures 23 percent support.

Harris draws her most significant backing from Black voters, earning 36 percent support within that group — her most substantial base in the early contest.

The large share of undecided voters suggests that the Democrat race remains fluid. With nearly one-quarter of respondents uncommitted, shifts in visibility, fundraising, or broader political dynamics could quickly alter the standings.

On the Republican side, Vance holds a decisive edge with 52 percent support, more than twice that of his closest rival.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio receives 20 percent, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis posts 6 percent. Eleven percent of Republican voters say they are undecided.

Kimball said Vance’s backing is even more concentrated among core Republicans.

Among self-identified Republican voters, 59 percent support Vance, compared to 19 percent for Rubio.

Independents who say they plan to participate in the 2028 Republican primary also lean toward Vance, though by a narrower margin of 33 percent to 23 percent over Rubio.

The early data suggest that Republican voters are quickly consolidating behind the vice president, in contrast to the more divided Democrat primary landscape.

Beyond the presidential contest, the survey points to a favorable environment for Democrats heading into the 2026 midterms.

On the generic congressional ballot, Democrats lead Republicans 50 percent to 42 percent, giving them an 8-point advantage and marking a 2-point gain from last month’s poll.

Independent voters favor the Democrat candidate by a 50 percent to 37 percent margin, a notable shift given their outsized influence in recent national elections.

The findings imply that voter concerns — particularly economic issues — may be shaping the political climate.

When respondents were asked to rank issues on a scale from 1 to 10, cost of living received the highest average importance score at 8.2.

Healthcare costs followed at 7.8, inflation at 7.6, deportation policy at 7.1, healthcare access at 6.9, and border security at 6.3.

The issue breakdown reflects clear partisan differences. Democrats assign especially high importance to healthcare costs, rating it at 8.6 on average, while placing border security lowest at 4.9.

Republicans, by contrast, prioritize border security at 8.3 and deportation policy at 8.2, considerably higher than Democrats and independents.

For independents, cost of living ranks as the most pressing concern, also scoring 8.2.

Taken together, the results suggest that everyday economic pressures may play a central role in the 2026 elections, even as immigration and border enforcement continue to energize Republican voters.

The Emerson College Polling national survey was conducted February 21-22 among 1,000 likely voters across the United States. The poll reports a credibility interval of plus or minus 3 percentage points, comparable to a traditional margin of error.

{Matzav.com}

Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that although President Donald Trump is weighing potential military action against Iran, there is “no chance” the United States would become entangled in a prolonged conflict in the Middle East.

In an interview with The Washington Post, Vance said he is unsure what course Trump will ultimately choose regarding Iran. He outlined options that range from targeted military action “to ensure Iran isn’t going to get a nuclear weapon” to resolving “the problem diplomatically.”

If Trump authorizes additional strikes — which some US officials have indicated could be broader than last June’s attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities — Vance maintained that such action would not spiral into the kind of open-ended war he has long criticized.

“The idea that we’re going to be in a Middle Eastern war for years with no end in sight – there is no chance that will happen,” he told The Post while traveling back to Washington from an event in Wisconsin. His comments appeared aimed at countering foreign policy analysts who argue that any expanded confrontation with Iran could prove difficult to contain.

Vance pointed to prior operations as examples of limited, defined objectives, saying last year’s action in Iran and the January apprehension of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro were “very clearly defined.”

The vice president described himself as continuing to be a “skeptic of foreign military interventions,” adding that he believes the same characterization applies to Trump.

“I think we all prefer the diplomatic option,” Vance said. “But it really depends on what the Iranians do and what they say.”

The interview took place as American and Iranian officials were engaged in indirect negotiations in Geneva, against the backdrop of a substantial US military buildup around Iran. No agreement emerged from the talks, though Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said progress had been made and that “technical talks” would resume next week in Vienna, Austria. US officials told Axios that the discussions were positive.

Trump has also spoken openly about the possibility of regime change in Iran, including removing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei from power. Earlier this month, he told reporters that it “would be the best thing that could happen.”

Asked whether, during his time as a commentator and US senator critical of the Iraq War, he ever imagined serving in an administration contemplating foreign regime change, Vance responded with a laugh.

“Well, I mean, look. Life has all kinds of crazy twists and turns,” Vance told The Washington Post. “But I think Donald Trump is an ‘America First’ president, and he pursues policies that work for the American people.

“I do think we have to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. I also think that we have to avoid overlearning the lessons of the past. Just because one president screwed up a military conflict doesn’t mean we can never engage in military conflict again. We’ve got to be careful about it, but I think the president is being careful.”

On Wednesday, before the Geneva discussions began, Vance said the United States has intelligence indicating Iran is attempting to revive aspects of its nuclear program.

He reiterated that Trump favors a negotiated solution but is prepared to consider other measures if necessary.

“The principle is very simple, Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. If they try to rebuild a nuclear weapon, that causes problems for us. In fact, we’ve seen evidence that they have tried to do exactly that. So the President is sending those negotiators to try to address that problem,” Vance said.

He added, “As the President has said repeatedly, he wants to address that problem diplomatically, but of course the President has other options as well.”

Trump echoed that stance during his State of the Union address Tuesday evening. He said that last June’s strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program, while also accusing Tehran of killing more than 32,000 protesters and attempting to restart its nuclear activities. He warned that Iran is developing missiles capable of reaching Europe and potentially the United States.

“We’re in negotiations with them. They want to make a deal, but we haven’t heard those secret words, ‘We will never have a nuclear weapon’. My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy. But one thing is certain: I will never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror to have a nuclear weapon. Can’t let that happen.”

“No nation should ever doubt America’s resolve. We have the most powerful military on earth – hopefully, we seldom have to use it,” continued the President.

{Matzav.com}

MEGA x5 MEGILLAH RAFFLE IS HERE! This Purim, don’t just hear the Megillah — own one. Yad L’Achim is giving away 5 stunning, high-quality Hamelech Megillos to 5 lucky winners!

Europe’s top human rights court has ruled that a medieval antisemitic carving affixed to a German cathedral may remain in place, rejecting a petition filed by a Jewish retiree who argued the relief violates the rights of Jews in Germany. According to a report Friday in the German magazine Der Spiegel, the European Court of […]

Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) said Thursday that President Donald Trump is transforming Immigration and Customs Enforcement into what he described as a heavily armed force that will operate on American streets, raising concerns about increased militarization and reduced training.

Speaking on MS NOW’s “The Last Word,” Schiff outlined findings from a review of Department of Homeland Security contracting records, which he said show a sharp rise in spending on weapons and detention infrastructure tied to immigration enforcement.

Schiff said, “We wanted to go through DHS contracting records and document just how much they’re spending to militarize this new, you know, effectively new police forces, palace guard of the presidents that is wreaking such havoc in our cities. And we found dramatic increases in spending on weapons, as you said, ICE agents will be equipped with now 3 to 4 times the amount of weapons as the previous year. Customs and Border Protection doubling their expenditure on the same.”

He argued that the increased weapon purchases are occurring alongside a reduction in training for new agents, which he described as a troubling development.

He added, “I think what we’re seeing is a dangerous combination of a much more heavily armed immigration, law enforcement, complex. At the same time, we heard whistleblower testimony this week that they’ve cut the training for these new ICE agents. And they’re getting inadequate training on when to use these weapons and how to use these weapons. That is a really dangerous mix. And we wanted to sound the alarm with this report that we’re seeing the emergence of a kind of law enforcement or immigration enforcement industrial complex, because it’s not just the weapons. We’re seeing dramatic increases in expenditures on detention centers. They want to build around the country. And this is a way of gathering its own momentum. And we need to be aware of what’s happening, that we’re building a not small army now, that’s going to be policing American streets.”

{Matzav.com}

Sweden’s military has intercepted a suspected Russian drone off the south of the country as a French aircraft carrier was docked in the port of Malmö, officials said. The armed forces said Thursday that a Swedish naval ship observed the suspected drone during a patrol in the Öresund, the strait that divides Sweden from Denmark. […]

Pakistan and Afghanistan traded attacks in a dramatic escalation of tensions between the countries that Pakistan’s defense minister said Friday means they are now in “open war.” Tensions have been high between the neighbors for months, with border clashes in October killing dozens of soldiers, civilians and suspected militants. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan’s Taliban government of harboring militant groups that then stage […]