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By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz

Iran hung over Israel, the United States, and much of the Arab world like an albatross for nearly half a century following the Islamic Revolution of 1979. During those decades, successive American presidents promised to contain the regime, restrain its ambitions, or reform its behavior. None succeeded.

Instead, the ayatollahs grew steadily bolder. They financed and armed terror proxies across the Middle East, spread terror and instability through Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, threatened shipping lanes and oil supplies, and relentlessly advanced toward nuclear capability. As time went on, Iran entrenched itself even further.

For years, Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu warned the world about Iran and the danger it represented. Most Western leaders treated his warnings with discomfort or irritation. Barack Obama openly despised him and viewed Netanyahu as an obstacle to diplomacy. Joe Biden was similarly distrustful of him and his confrontational approach.

The first American president willing to embrace Netanyahu’s view of Iran was Donald Trump. Together with Israel, the United States eventually crossed a line previous administrations feared to cross, striking Iranian nuclear facilities during last year’s 12-Day War. More recently, they undertook a joint operation to degrade Iran and permanently remove the threat it represented.

Iran suffered devastating blows. Military infrastructure was damaged. The Ayatollah Supreme Leader and senior commanders were eliminated. Yet, authoritarian regimes possess a grim advantage over democracies: They can absorb enormous suffering without changing course. Tyrannies do not answer to public exhaustion, economic pain, or mounting casualties in the same way elected governments do. So regardless of how hard they are hit and how much they suffer, they absorb the blows and continue forward.

The military success exposed an older and more difficult problem: It is relatively easy to begin a war. The hard part is ending it.

Democracies grow weary quickly. Citizens expect results, timelines, and exits. They measure wars in news cycles and election seasons. Dictatorships measure them in generations.

That is the dilemma now confronting Trump and Netanyahu. Bombing campaigns can weaken a regime, but unless the regime collapses or surrenders completely, the question becomes: What comes next?

Trump wants to be remembered not as a wartime president trapped in another endless Middle Eastern conflict, but as a dealmaker and peacemaker. Ceasefires are declared, promises are extracted, negotiations resume, and the cycle begins again.

Trump no longer allows Netanyahu to lead him. He wants a way out, and Netanyahu does not appear to have one. Trump declared a ceasefire many weeks ago. Iran promised to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and negotiate an end to its nuclear ambitions. Neither has happened, and now a new deal is being negotiated that allows the tyrants to remain in power while once again accepting their word regarding keeping the strait open and negotiating an end to their nuclear program.

And perhaps that is the larger lesson.

Human beings often rush into conflicts, relationships, policies, and wars driven by emotion, instinct, or necessity, without seriously considering how they will conclude if events do not unfold according to plan. Beginning something is easy. Ending it wisely is much harder.

Children grab for toys without thinking beyond the moment. They see a toy and want to play with it. If another child has it or wants it and resists, the struggle escalates instinctively. Neither child can yet speak, so they grab and fight.

Maturity means developing the ability to see beyond the immediate impulse, to anticipate consequences, to understand limits, and to recognize that force alone rarely resolves complex struggles.

Growing up means learning to live with insight instead of inclination.

Not every adult fully learns that lesson.

Some people move through life reacting emotionally to every frustration, temptation, and provocation. They begin conflicts without considering how difficult they may be to end. They make decisions based on momentary feelings instead of long-term consequences.

People often rush into things emotionally, impulsively, or reactively, without considering the consequences, the endings, the costs, or whether they even have a plan.

Nations are often not much different.

Military campaigns can begin with dramatic speeches and decisive action. But once events fail to unfold according to plan, leaders suddenly discover that there is no simple exit. Democracies grow impatient. New leaders replace old ones. Temporary victories create new complications; overwhelming power cannot always produce a clean or permanent solution.

And so the world finds itself trapped in cycles that nobody fully thought through from the beginning.

But this problem is not limited to governments and wars.

In truth, people do this every day in their private lives.

A person says something sharp in anger without thinking where the argument will lead. Someone makes a reckless purchase without considering the consequences.

Human beings are often captivated by the immediate moment. We want something, so we reach for it. We are hurt, so we strike back. We are angry, so we react.

But mature thinking involves the ability to pause and ask not only, “What do I want right now?” but also, “Where will this lead?”

Wisdom is not merely the ability to act. It is the ability to think ahead.

Before speaking, before fighting, before committing, before reacting, before investing time, money, or prestige into a project, a person must ask himself: What happens if this does not work out? Where will this step that I am taking lead me? And what will this decision demand of me tomorrow, next month, or years from now?

Anyone can start something. Intelligence and maturity mean understanding the cost of finishing it, and sometimes not getting involved in the first place.

The Brisker Rov would illustrate this idea with a moshol about a young baal agalah whose wagon veered off the road and became stuck in thick mud.

The driver strained with all his might to free the wagon. He whipped his poor horses repeatedly, pushed at the wheels, and tried every trick he knew, but the wagon only sank deeper. Exhausted and frustrated, he realized that he had no choice but to trudge into town to seek advice from the veteran wagon drivers gathered at the local inn.

Spotting one baal agalah who looked particularly seasoned and wise, the young man approached him and poured out his troubles.

“I’ve tried everything,” he said desperately. “Nothing works. Tell me, how do I get out of this mess?”

The older driver listened quietly and then replied: “My dear friend, you are right. Once a wagon sinks that deeply into the mud, it is impossible to get out. But an experienced baal agalah knows that the real wisdom is not in figuring out how to escape the mud afterward, it is knowing how not to get stuck in it.”

That lesson applies not only to wagon drivers, but to nations and individuals as well.

For decades, the world allowed Iran to become entrenched, believing that somehow the problem could always be managed later through diplomacy, sanctions, threats, or limited military action. Now leaders across the world are struggling to answer a question that should have been asked long ago: How do you get out of a situation that was permitted to grow unchecked for nearly half a century?

But the lesson is not only about Iran. It is about us.

In life, people often act first and think later. They speak in anger and only afterward wonder how to repair the damage. They enter conflicts, commitments, and situations without considering where they may lead. Emotion and impulse overpower judgment and foresight.

The wise person tries to think several steps ahead before acting.

Anyone can charge ahead impulsively. Wisdom lies in seeing the mud before the wagon sinks into it.

Chazal reinforce this lesson in this week’s parsha. Rashi (6:2), quoting the Gemara (Sotah 2a), asks why the parsha of nozir immediately follows the parsha of sotah. He explains, “Loma nismicha parshas nozir l’parshas sotah, lomar loch shekol haroeh sotah b’kilkulah yazir atzmo min hayayin — Whoever sees a sotah in her disgrace should forbid himself from drinking wine.”

At first glance, the lesson seems difficult to understand. The person we are referring to has just witnessed the terrible consequences of sin. He has seen humiliation, pain, and destruction. We would think that the experience would strengthen his resolve never to sin.

Yet, Chazal understood human nature differently.

Being exposed to sin, even while witnessing its consequences, can weaken a person’s natural revulsion toward aveirah. The very exposure creates familiarity. The boundaries become less absolute. What once seemed unthinkable slowly becomes imaginable.

Therefore, the Torah says that someone who witnessed the sotah in her disgrace must take protective action. He must reinforce himself before temptation arrives. He must become a nozir and distance himself from wine so that he will not be led to spiritual failure. Transgressing an aveirah begins with small compromises, lowered defenses, and the mistaken belief that “it could never happen to me.”

That is the deeper lesson the Torah is teaching.

A wise person does not merely react once he is trapped in the mud. He thinks ahead and protects himself before reaching dangerous ground.

And if this is true regarding a sotah, where the person who committed the aveirah is disgraced and suffering the consequences, how much more so must a person be careful when surrounded by sinners who appear successful, happy, and carefree. When an aveirah is packaged attractively, when wrongdoing appears glamorous or rewarding, the danger becomes far greater.

The Torah therefore teaches us that a person must always think several steps ahead. We must know where certain roads lead, even when the beginning appears harmless or pleasurable. We must understand that aveirah always leads to kilkul.

Similarly, Chazal teach us in Pirkei Avos, “Hevei mechasheiv hefsed mitzvah keneged sechorah, usechar aveirah keneged hefseidah.”

When it feels difficult or costly to do a mitzvah, Chazal recommend thinking about the eternal reward it brings and recognizing that the temporary sacrifice is insignificant compared to the everlasting gain. And when an aveirah appears profitable, enjoyable, or enticing, think ahead to the spiritual damage, the loss, and the consequences it will inevitably bring.

The Torah is teaching us to live not by impulse, but by thought.

Sinners and fools live only in the moment, swept along by temptation, emotion, and desire. Bnei Torah are meant to live differently. A ben Torah thinks before he acts. He looks beyond the excitement of the moment and considers where a path ultimately leads before taking the first step down the road.

And no person should imagine themself immune to influence.

People often assume that they can read whatever they wish, expose themselves to questionable ideas and lifestyles, and remain untouched by them. They convince themselves that seeing improper behavior, hearing distorted attitudes, or consuming foolishness — and worse — will not affect their thinking or weaken their values.

But the Torah teaches otherwise.

Chazal understood that exposure itself changes a person. What once shocked him slowly becomes normal. What was unacceptable gradually loses its ugliness. The yeitzer hora rarely succeeds through sudden collapse. It works slowly, eroding sensitivities little by little until a person no longer recognizes how far he has drifted.

When the Second World War ended, many of the refugees of the Mir Yeshiva who had survived the war years in Shanghai emigrated to the United States. Among them was the great mashgiach, Rav Yechezkel Levenstein. Yet, he found himself unable to remain here for long.

He explained that when he first arrived in America, the sight of public chillul Shabbos horrified him. Seeing cars driving on Shabbos caused him deep pain. But as time passed, he noticed that he was becoming accustomed to it. The shock was fading. That realization frightened him so deeply that he left America and moved to Eretz Yisroel.

Today, many of us are fortunate to live in neighborhoods where Shabbos is publicly honored and cherished. The streets are quiet, the stores are closed, and the atmosphere itself reflects kedushas Shabbos. But no person should believe that he is beyond influence. Even if our streets are sheltered, our minds and hearts are constantly exposed to a world filled with temptations, distractions, and values profoundly at odds with Torah.

The lesson of the nozir is as relevant today as ever. We must think ahead. We must protect ourselves before the struggle begins. We must recognize which influences strengthen us and which slowly weaken us, even when the damage is not immediately visible.

After having just experienced the beautiful Yom Tov of Shavuos, we should carry this message with us. “Loma nismicha chag Shavuos l’parshas nozir.” At Har Sinai, on Shavuos, we were given a way of life through the Torah that teaches us to live thoughtfully, carefully, and deliberately. We need to ask ourselves where what we are doing will lead, what type of person it will make us, and whether it will bring us closer to Hashem or further away.

The world often glorifies spontaneity and living for the moment. Torah teaches responsibility, foresight, and self-awareness. It teaches us to see the mud before the wagon sinks into it. It teaches us to be a mamleches kohanim v’goy kadosh.

May we all merit living lives of Torah and mitzvos and merit the coming of Moshiach very soon.

The Trump administration has officially reinstated broad financial sanctions against Francesca Albanese, the controversial United Nations official overseeing Palestinian Arab territories, after a federal appeals court cleared the way for the penalties to return.

According to Agence France-Presse, the renewed sanctions came after an appellate court effectively overturned an earlier judicial ruling that had temporarily blocked enforcement against Albanese.

An updated notice posted Wednesday on the website of the United States Department of the Treasury confirmed that Albanese’s sanctions status has once again been activated.

The designation freezes any assets tied to the American financial system and effectively cuts Albanese off from major global banking networks, severely restricting her ability to conduct ordinary financial transactions or use major credit card services.

Washington first imposed sanctions on Albanese in July 2025, accusing her of spearheading efforts to push the International Criminal Court toward prosecuting American and Israeli officials, corporations, and business leaders.

Earlier this month, however, the sanctions were temporarily halted after a federal judge issued an injunction, ruling that the administration had likely violated Albanese’s free speech protections by penalizing her following her outspoken criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.

The United States Department of State later emphasized that the suspension of sanctions reflected only a temporary legal development and did not represent any change in U.S. policy toward Albanese.

Albanese has long faced criticism from Israel and its allies over what opponents describe as persistent anti-Israel bias.

Most recently, several European Union foreign ministers condemned comments she delivered during an Al Jazeera conference, where Albanese stated: “The fact that instead of stopping Israel, most of the world has armed, given Israel political excuses, political sheltering, economic and financial support … We who do not control large amounts of financial capitals, algorithms and weapons, we now see that we as a humanity have a common enemy.”

Albanese later denied that she had referred to Israel itself as humanity’s enemy.

She insisted in a subsequent interview that she “never, ever, ever said ‘Israel is the common enemy of humanity,'” dismissing the accusations as “completely false accusations.”

Criticism surrounding Albanese stretches back years. In 2022, old social media posts resurfaced in which she alleged that the “Jewish lobby” controls the United States.

At the time, Albanese rejected claims that the comments were antisemitic, arguing instead that her remarks had been “mischaracterized.” Nevertheless, scrutiny over her rhetoric and conduct has continued to intensify.

Her attacks on Israel escalated sharply following the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre in Israel, which Albanese described as an event that must be viewed in “context” and as a response to alleged Israeli “aggression.”

In late March, Albanese accused Israel of receiving “a license to torture Palestinians” and claimed that “torture has effectively become state policy” in the Jewish state.

Israel’s diplomatic mission in Geneva responded forcefully to those remarks.

“Francesca Albanese is not a promoter of human rights; she is an agent of chaos… and any document she produces is nothing but a politically-charged, activist rant.”

The Israeli statement further accused Albanese of promoting extremist rhetoric designed to delegitimize Israel.

Albanese “advocates dangerous extremist narratives to undermine the very existence of the State of Israel”, the statement said.

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A disturbing antisemitic incident unfolded in the upscale French resort town of Deauville, where a young man allegedly threatened to murder Jews in front of beachgoers and families enjoying the shoreline.

According to reports, a 44-year-old Jewish father identified as Roman filed a police complaint after hearing the suspect shout violent antisemitic threats at people gathered on the beach.

Roman said he was sitting beneath a beach umbrella with his family when he suddenly heard yelling behind him. According to his complaint, the suspect walked among beachgoers attempting to identify Jews.

“The man shouted at the people around him and tried to identify Jews,” the complaint stated.

The father said he clearly heard the suspect scream phrases including “Dirty Jews,” “There are only Jews here,” and later escalate to direct threats, including “I’m going to beat them” and “In the name of Allah, I will kill them.”

The frightened father immediately approached police officers stationed at the beach and reported the incident.

In his complaint, he described the suspect as approximately 25 years old, between 5-foot-9 and 5-foot-11, shirtless, wearing a backwards cap, sunglasses, and shorts. According to the report, the man was accompanied by two friends.

The complainant’s attorney, Julien Bensimhon, said the incident reflects what he described as a dangerous rise in antisemitic rhetoric across France.

“We are witnessing a complete release of antisemitic speech, where people feel comfortable publicly shouting that they are ready to kill Jews,” the attorney said.

According to Bensimhon, the complainant’s 8-year-old daughter panicked during the confrontation, hid beneath the family’s umbrella, and later suffered nightmares overnight.

“She was afraid that people wanted to kill her and her family simply because they are Jews,” he said.

As of now, prosecutors in the nearby city of Lisieux, which oversees the region, have not issued an official public statement regarding the incident. However, video circulated online appears to show the suspect being detained by police and removed from the beach.

{Matzav.com}

Knesset member Tali Gottlieb launched a sharp attack Wednesday against the arrest of chareidim connected to Israel’s military draft dispute, accusing authorities of discriminatory enforcement and offering chareidi draft candidates a legal strategy she claims could help them avoid future arrests.

In a strongly worded public statement, Gottlieb criticized what she described as unequal treatment between chareidi draft resisters and other Israelis who avoid military service for ideological reasons.

“I am horrified by the arrest of chareidim while there are zero arrests of pacifist draft dodgers from Tel Aviv and similar places,” Gottlieb wrote.

She continued, “The hatred toward chareidim and turning them into a societal disease disgusts me.”

Gottlieb also mocked what she said is the double standard applied to different forms of refusal to serve in the military.

“Well, apparently ideological draft evasion is wonderful, but avoiding the draft because of Torah study? That’s unacceptable. (And yes, I’m being sarcastic of course).”

The lawmaker called for an immediate halt to the arrests and compared the current atmosphere to dark periods in history.

“Enough!! Stop immediately the persecution of chareidim. It reminds me of very dark and frightening times.”

Alongside her criticism, Gottlieb also proposed what she described as a practical legal step for chareidi draft candidates seeking to avoid detention.

“And to the chareidim I suggest that every draft candidate immediately submit a personal request for a deferment of service. Filing the request itself will prevent arrest.”

According to Gottlieb, the move is intended to shift the battle into the legal arena rather than allowing authorities to carry out arrests.

“Defeat Miara’s persecution of you on her own playing field.”

{Matzav.com}

Knesset member Merav Michaeli has called on Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to immediately freeze a major food voucher initiative backed by the Shas party, arguing that the program amounts to politically motivated election influence disguised as welfare assistance.

The urgent appeal follows reports by journalist Ari Kalman that Shas chairman Aryeh Deri recently received preliminary approval from the Budget Commissioner of Israel’s Finance Ministry to revive the half-billion-shekel project, with the vouchers expected to be distributed shortly before national elections.

In her letter, Michaeli warned that the timing of the initiative represents a serious threat to the integrity of the election process.

“If the plan moves forward, the vouchers will be handed out to citizens in the days leading up to the elections,” Michaeli wrote.

She further argued that “the distribution of direct financial benefits, politically identified and branded as the ‘flagship project’ of a specific party immediately before voters head to the polls, raises substantial suspicion that the program is being tailored to the chareidi sector, which serves as Shas’s electoral base, while discriminating against needy populations outside that community.”

Michaeli said immediate legal intervention is necessary and outlined three specific demands in her appeal to the attorney general.

First, she called for an immediate suspension of both the budget allocation and the voucher distribution until after the election season concludes.

Second, she demanded that any food assistance program be administered exclusively through the professional channels of Israel’s Welfare Ministry, without political branding and at a time that would not influence voters.

Her third request focused on the Finance Ministry’s apparent reversal on the issue. Michaeli called for a formal investigation into the circumstances behind the ministry’s change of position after officials reportedly blocked the initiative last year.

At the same time, Knesset member Merav Cohen joined the criticism, posting a sharp jab on X.

“Hey Siri, define election bribery.”

{Matzav.com}

An atmosphere of tension and anxiety has spread throughout the yeshiva world ahead of the first Shabbos following Shavuos, traditionally an “Off Shabbos,” when yeshiva bochurim return home after remaining in yeshiva continuously throughout the zeman.

Roshei yeshiva and rabbonim are expressing deep concern following reports that Israeli police have intensified efforts in recent days against yeshiva bochurim, allegedly using various tactics — including undercover officers dressed in civilian clothing — to carry out arrests.

An unusual and urgent recorded message from the mashgiach of Yeshivas Birkas Efraim, Rav Betzalel Heineman, was released Thursday evening on the yeshiva’s information hotline, warning talmidim to exercise extreme caution while traveling home for Shabbos.

“Hello to the dear בני הישיבה. We have a somewhat urgent message. We have heard reports that there are police officers attempting in various ways, including while dressed in civilian clothing, to arrest yeshiva bochurim.”

Rav Heineman urged students not to take chances and warned them to think carefully before entering areas where police may be present.

“Now there is an Off Shabbos, and there are those traveling home. We ask everyone to be careful and not take risks. A person should think about the anguish he could suffer if, instead of arriving home for Off Shabbos, he ends up sitting for ten days, half a month, or a month, depending on what they decide. It is a terrible and unpleasant feeling.”

The mashgiach strongly advised talmidim to avoid any place where police activity is visible, even if it means missing a bus or delaying their trip home.

“Be wise and do not enter any place where you see police. It is better to miss a bus than to walk into a place that appears to be a police ambush. Be careful.”

Rav Heineman said the entire yeshiva leadership is deeply worried about the situation and emphasized the potentially devastating physical and spiritual consequences of imprisonment.

“We in the yeshiva — the rabbonim, the talmidim, everyone — are worried. We ask you to be careful and protect yourselves. The damage that can result, both physically and spiritually, from sitting in prison — the anguish is beyond measure and beyond description. Guard yourselves.”

He concluded with a bracha that all the bochurim return safely and in good spirits following Shabbos.

“With the blessing of ‘וקווי ה’ יחליפו כוח,’ may we merit to see everyone healthy, happy, and whole with us next week. Much success to everyone, and Shabbos שלום.”

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani drew attention Wednesday after appearing at an Eid al-Adha celebration wearing a striking Arsenal FC-themed kurta that quickly became a talking point online.

The city’s anti-Israel, Muslim mayor, who is known to be an avid supporter of the English soccer club, wore a long tunic-style garment fashioned from Arsenal colors — blue and black with red striping on the sleeves — along with the sponsor slogan “Emirates Fly Better” displayed prominently across the front.

Mamdani attended the Bronx Eid gathering alongside fellow Democratic socialist and political ally Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

During the event, the mayor connected the themes of Eid al-Adha — sacrifice and generosity — to his broader political message centered on economic equality and social solidarity.

“Today as we honor Prophet Ibrahim, Eid al-Adha reminds us that sacrifice is not a burden,” he posted on X. “It is an opportunity to see ourselves as part of something larger. To extend a hand to those who need it most.

“I am honored to be New York City’s first Muslim Mayor and I am determined to lead through solidarity. Together, we are working to ensure every New Yorker can afford the groceries, housing, and child care they need.”

“Our solidarity is our strength,” he concluded.

The appearance came just days after Arsenal F.C. captured the English Premier League title.

According to online observers, the garment Mamdani wore appeared to be a modified version of last season’s Arsenal away jersey redesigned into a traditional kurta-style robe.

More than two and a half years after a retired Israeli police commander accused former police commissioner Kobi Shabtai of stabbing him during an internal meeting, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has decided to officially close the case.

The report was published Wednesday night by journalist Moshe Steinmetz on i24NEWS.

The complaint was submitted to Israel’s Police Internal Investigations Department after retired commander Amnon Alkallai alleged that Shabtai stabbed him in the leg during a June 20, 2023 meeting held at the national police academy.

Shabtai denied intentionally injuring Alkallai and claimed the incident was accidental. According to his account, he had taken out a knife in order to cut fruit when it slipped from his hand and struck Alkallai, who was seated nearby. Alkallai, however, insisted the stabbing was intentional.

Alkallai was later taken to Hadassah Hospital for treatment.

According to the report, Alkallai initially chose not to file a complaint because he felt embarrassed by the incident and did not want to harm the reputation of the police force. He later decided to move forward with the complaint because of what he described as Shabtai’s “reckless behavior” during that time period.

The Police Internal Investigations Department reportedly completed its investigation within just ten days and recommended that the case be closed. However, the attorney general’s office did not issue its final decision until more than two years later.

At the same time, Israel’s commissioner for complaints against public officials in the courts sharply criticized the attorney general’s office for the lengthy delay in resolving the matter.

“A case with significant public sensitivity was handled over a period of time that is unacceptable and lacked sufficient justification. It was possible and appropriate to significantly shorten the handling time of the case by the attorney general and her office, thereby preventing a criminal file from remaining open for such an extraordinarily long period against a sitting police commissioner.”

{Matzav.com}

The Binyamina-Givat Ada Local Council announced Wednesday night that Sergeant Rotem Yanai, a 20-year-old resident of Givat Ada, was killed during operational activity in northern Israel.

In an official statement, the council expressed deep mourning over her death.

“With great sorrow and profound grief, we announce the falling of Sergeant Rotem Yanai, a resident of Givat Ada. Rotem was killed today during operational activity in the north. She was 20 years old at the time of her death and served as a Human Resources Coordinator in the Givati Brigade’s Rotem Battalion (435),” the statement read.

The council paid tribute to Yanai’s personality, contributions, and impact on those around her.

“Rotem is the daughter of Hilit and Tal, and sister to Dor and Aviad. She was a graduate of the Cramim School, where she majored in theater and contributed greatly to the department and school life. She was a beloved member of the Scouting movement’s Gefen troop, and in her own special way, left a lasting impression on her friends and everyone who had the privilege of knowing her. She will be remembered for her sense of humor, self-confidence, big heart, and endless generosity, as someone who acted with deep care and sensitivity for those around her.”

The statement concluded with condolences to the grieving family and the wider community.

“The entire Binyamina-Givat Ada community bows its head and shares in the unbearable grief of the Yanai family. We embrace the family in their darkest hour and extend our heartfelt condolences to all family members, friends, and loved ones,” the statement concluded.

{Matzav.com}

Global oil prices plunged Wednesday after Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that the Trump administration intends to continue pursuing diplomacy with Iran, calming fears that tensions in the Strait of Hormuz were on the verge of spiraling into a broader confrontation.

According to CNBC, the selloff in crude intensified following Rubio’s remarks, which investors viewed as a strong indication that the White House is seeking negotiations rather than immediate military escalation in the standoff with Tehran.

Both Brent crude and U.S. benchmark oil futures dropped sharply during trading, with each falling more than 5% as traders rapidly pulled back from bets tied to fears of supply disruptions in one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints.

The market turbulence came after days of uncertainty driven by growing anxiety over Iran’s regional posture and concerns that worsening hostilities could threaten the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz.

Rubio said the administration plans to continue engaging with Tehran diplomatically while giving negotiations “every chance to succeed,” language that financial markets interpreted as a softer and more conciliatory approach.

President Donald Trump has likewise expressed support for ongoing talks, though he has repeatedly maintained that any final agreement must satisfy American demands, leaving open questions about whether a deal is realistically within reach.

Energy market analysts said the Strait of Hormuz remains the single biggest flashpoint influencing oil prices worldwide, meaning even modest signs of easing tensions can trigger immediate and dramatic market reactions.

Even with Wednesday’s steep decline, traders warned that major swings in oil prices are likely to continue as diplomatic negotiations unfold against the backdrop of ongoing instability across the region.

Former first lady Jill Biden is now revealing that she feared her husband, President Joe Biden, may have been suffering a medical emergency during his widely criticized 2024 debate performance against President Donald Trump — despite publicly defending him at the time and dismissing concerns about his condition.

In a new interview with CBS News scheduled to air in full Sunday ahead of the June 2 release of her memoir, “View from the East Wing,” Jill Biden said the debate left her terrified.

“I was frightened, because I had never, ever seen Joe like that before or since. Never,” she said.

“I don’t know what happened,” she added. “As I watched it, I thought, ‘Oh, my God, he’s having a stroke.’ And it scared me to death.”

The June 27, 2024 debate stunned viewers across the country as Biden repeatedly appeared to lose his train of thought, froze mid-answer, stumbled over words, and at times looked disoriented on stage.

Despite the fallout, Jill Biden immediately stepped in afterward to reassure supporters, accompanying the president to an Atlanta Waffle House and praising his debate performance.

“Joe – you did such a great job,” she said during an event with reeling supporters. “You answered every question, you knew all the facts.”

In the days that followed, the first lady continued publicly defending her husband as growing numbers of Democrats and voters questioned whether he was mentally fit to continue his campaign.

Now, some former administration insiders argue that her latest comments come far too late.

“Unfortunately, when you wait this long to tell your own story in your own words, it’s extremely hard to put the toothpaste back in the tube. She owed it to herself to be candid and transparent in the moment or the days after,” said Michael LaRosa, who served as the then-first lady’s communications director during her first year in the East Wing.

“The cake is already baked when it comes to shaping public perception about that time and about her,” he added. “Penning books doesn’t cut it anymore.”

A person close to Jill Biden pushed back on the criticism, saying the memoir and interview simply reflect her effort to address lingering questions surrounding that turbulent period.

“She tried to dig deep and explore the answers to some of the questions she knows that are out there,” this source said.

Several Democrats who worked closely with the administration said they were not surprised by the apparent contradiction between Jill Biden’s public reassurances and her private fears, noting that many inside the White House had long believed she wielded major influence as concerns about the president’s condition intensified.

One former aide mocked the title of her upcoming memoir, joking that a more fitting name would be: “View From the East Wing, Blindfold On.”

“Find it in the fiction aisle of your local bookstore,” this person added.

In the aftermath of the disastrous debate, the White House offered multiple explanations for Biden’s shaky showing. Officials first blamed a cold, later pointed to exhaustion and jet lag from foreign travel weeks earlier, and eventually claimed the president had overloaded himself with debate preparation and mixed up facts.

The political pressure eventually became overwhelming. On July 21, 2024, Biden ended his reelection campaign after mounting calls from within his own party to step aside, later backing then-Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.

Questions surrounding Biden’s age and health had shadowed his campaign from the moment he announced his reelection bid in April 2023. At 81 years old, he was already the oldest person ever elected president.

Throughout that period, Jill Biden remained one of her husband’s fiercest public defenders, repeatedly insisting he was fully capable of serving another term and would “finish the job.”

Privately, however, former White House chief of staff Jeff Zients told congressional investigators that Jill Biden increasingly urged aides to build more rest into the president’s schedule and took on a larger role in managing his daily activities as concerns over his health escalated.

After Joe Biden withdrew from the race, Jill Biden campaigned heavily for Harris, whose eventual loss to Trump included a decisive Electoral College defeat and marked the first time in two decades that a Democratic presidential candidate failed to win the national popular vote.

Neither Jill Biden nor publisher Gallery Books has disclosed the financial terms of the memoir deal.

The Bidens are believed to be relying in part on proceeds from Jill Biden’s memoir and a separate book currently being written by Joe Biden. Financial disclosure forms showed the couple left the White House with liquid assets estimated between $632,000 and $1.38 million, making them among the least wealthy presidential couples in modern history.

At the same time, former first son Hunter Biden accumulated millions of dollars in legal expenses while fighting federal tax and gun-related charges before ultimately receiving a presidential pardon from his father during the closing months of the administration.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he remains frustrated with the pace and substance of ongoing negotiations aimed at ending the conflict with Iran, while warning that military action remains on the table if Tehran refuses to comply with U.S. demands.

Speaking during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Trump said Iran still has not gone far enough in the talks despite showing interest in reaching an agreement.

“They want very much to make a deal. So far, they haven’t gotten there,” Trump said. “We’re not satisfied with it, but we will be. We will be either that, or we’ll have to just finish the job.”

Trump also accused the Iranian regime of mistakenly believing it could pressure Washington by exploiting the American political calendar and concerns surrounding the upcoming midterm elections.

“I don’t care about the midterms,” Trump asserted. “Look, what happened last night. That was the prelude to the midterms. People understand it. They know that very simple: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”

Although the president voiced dissatisfaction with the negotiations overall, he later acknowledged that discussions are moving in a positive direction and suggested Iran may finally be beginning to make concessions demanded by the United States.

At the same time, Trump coupled those remarks with a direct military warning aimed at Tehran.

“If they won’t, then the man on my left is going to finish them off,” Trump warned, pointing directly to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The remarks came as conflicting reports continued circulating regarding a possible diplomatic breakthrough between Washington and Tehran.

Trump said Saturday that final details of a pending agreement with Iran would be announced “shortly.”

However, American officials said Sunday that formal completion of the memorandum of understanding between the two countries may still take several more days.

According to a senior U.S. official quoted by CNN, the delay is tied to a lengthy internal approval process in Tehran as Iranian officials debate the exact wording of the proposed agreement.

One day later, Trump clarified that any final arrangement with Iran must include the supervised destruction of the regime’s stockpile of enriched uranium.

Iranian state media reported Wednesday that the two sides had already drafted a six-point framework agreement under which the U.S. Navy would remove its maritime blockade around key Iranian ports near the Strait of Hormuz.

Two sources inside Tehran who were described as having direct knowledge of the talks also told MS NOW that both sides had accepted the preliminary framework as a temporary arrangement intended to buy time for a broader permanent peace agreement.

The White House, however, forcefully denied the reports.

Administration officials refused to confirm the existence of any memorandum when questioned, and the White House rapid response social media account dismissed the reports outright earlier in the day.

“Nobody should believe what Iranian state media is putting out,” the administration’s post stated. “FACTS MATTER.”

When asked during the Cabinet meeting about the future status of the Strait of Hormuz, Trump made clear that the waterway would remain open to international traffic.

“Is going to be open to everybody,” the president stated, adding that nobody is going to control it, though the US will watch over it.

{Matzav.com}

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday that the United States has reached agreements with 20 foreign governments to take in illegal migrants currently living in the U.S. who decline to return to their native countries, calling the arrangements a major component of the Trump administration’s immigration agenda.

According to Rubio, the agreements give the United States the ability to remove certain illegal aliens to designated third-party nations considered “safe” when deportation to their homeland cannot be carried out.

“A part of securing our border is dealing with the people that are in this country unlawfully, many of whom do not want to go back to the country that they originally came from,” Rubio said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

Rubio explained that in some situations, deportations are prevented either because the migrants’ countries of origin refuse to cooperate or because legal rulings slow or halt the removal process.

“One of the key things we have achieved is now 20 countries have signed third-country national agreements,” Rubio said. “These are safe countries where individuals who refuse to go back to their country of origin can be sent to that country instead.”

The new arrangements represent a major escalation in the administration’s deportation campaign as President Donald Trump continues pressing an aggressive immigration enforcement strategy centered on border control and the removal of illegal aliens residing in the United States.

Rubio said the State Department has coordinated extensively with the Department of Homeland Security in carrying out the policy, though he declined to reveal which countries signed the agreements or when they were completed.

The secretary also said the possibility of being deported to a third country has already persuaded some illegal migrants to agree to return home voluntarily.

“What often happens when you go to the person who’s here unlawfully and say, ‘We’re going to send you to this third country,’ is all of a sudden they decide they’d rather go back to their home country instead,” Rubio said.

Immigration enforcement has remained one of the central pillars of the Trump administration, which argues that stricter deportation measures are essential to reducing illegal crossings and restoring control at the southern border.

Administration officials have insisted that the countries participating in the agreements are regarded as secure destinations and that all deportations carried out under the program are being coordinated with U.S. immigration agencies and international partners.

President Donald Trump issued a stark warning Wednesday to Oman, threatening military action if the Gulf nation works with Iran to impose joint control over the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes.

The warning followed a report last week by The New York Times that Iran has discussed cooperating with Oman on a plan to levy tolls on vessels traveling through the strategic waterway.

“Nobody’s going to control it. That’s part of the negotiation that we have. They would like to control it,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

“It’s international waters, and Oman will behave just like everybody else, or we’ll have to blow them up. They understand that. They’ll be fine.”

Oman’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately issue a response to requests for comment following Trump’s remarks.

The U.S. State Department later posted video of the president’s comments on social media, signaling that the administration was not attempting to soften or walk back the warning.

At the same time, American and Iranian negotiators are reportedly working toward a memorandum of understanding that would guarantee unrestricted international shipping through the Strait of Hormuz without the imposition of tolls, while also buying additional time for negotiations over Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Trump, 79, also warned during the Cabinet meeting that if negotiations collapse, military action may follow.

“If a deal is not agreed,” Trump said, “we’ll have to just finish the job.”

Before the launch of Operation Epic Fury on February 28, Oman had served as one of the primary intermediaries between Washington and Tehran.

The Gulf monarchy, which has a population of roughly five million people, hosted unsuccessful nuclear negotiations earlier this year between Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Omani Foreign Minister Badr al Busaidi later helped broker talks held February 26 in Geneva involving Araghchi, Witkoff, and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner. According to reports, al Busaidi then traveled to Washington the following day for discussions with Vice President JD Vance as diplomatic efforts intensified in an attempt to avert war.

Since the conflict began, Pakistan and more recently Qatar have taken more prominent roles in mediating the ongoing negotiations.

{Matzav.com}

A newly released report alleges that Qatar poured more than $65 million into efforts aimed at influencing American education systems, including public schools and teacher-training programs, while promoting material accused of legitimizing terrorism and weakening support for Israel.

The findings, published Wednesday by Jewish Insider, were based on research conducted by the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, commonly known as ISGAP.

According to the report, the Qatari government allegedly spent the past 17 years building a broad influence operation through Qatar Foundation International.

The report claims the effort extended well beyond American universities and reached elementary schools, high schools, national education organizations, and official teacher-training initiatives designed to shape how future generations of American students understand the Middle East and related political issues.

Researchers alleged that educational programs funded by Qatar promoted classroom content that questioned Israel’s legitimacy as both a Jewish and democratic state.

The report also claimed the initiatives worked to erode support for peace agreements and normalization efforts between Israel and Arab countries, including the Abraham Accords.

According to ISGAP’s findings, some educational materials allegedly portrayed Islamist terror groups in a more sympathetic manner, describing them as “freedom fighters” rather than terrorist organizations.

The report further alleged that Qatar strategically directed resources toward politically influential states with large immigrant populations in an effort to facilitate the spread of those messages.

Following publication of the findings, ISGAP urged the U.S. government to classify the Qatar Foundation as a foreign agent, a designation that would sharply restrict its ability to spend money on or fund educational programs and institutions inside the United States.

The allegations triggered strong reactions on Capitol Hill from lawmakers in both parties.

Democratic Congressman Jared Moskowitz declared: “Under no circumstances should a foreign government be allowed to shape the educational materials of American students.”

Senior Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik responded to the report by describing its findings as simply: “Shocking.”

A new report from the British newspaper The Guardian is drawing attention for arguing that expanded deportation operations carried out by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency are contributing to worsening global warming because of increased carbon emissions from ICE flights.

The article, published May 26, cited figures from immigration advocacy groups claiming that ICE’s air operations produced significantly more greenhouse gas emissions this year as deportation activity intensified.

“We’ve seen a staggering increase of all U.S. immigration [enforcement] flights,” Savitri Arvey, a research director at the pro-migration organization Human Rights First, told the newspaper.

The Guardian article claimed:

“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) air operations pumped into the air an estimated 335,876 tonnes (370,240 US tons) of carbon emissions in 2025, up 88 percent from the year before.”

The report also acknowledged, however, that emissions tied to ICE flights remain extremely small compared to the broader airline industry. According to the comparison cited, ICE aircraft emissions amount to roughly one-thousandth of the greenhouse gases generated by domestic U.S. airlines and approximately one two-thousandths of total aircraft emissions recorded in 2017.

Supporters of the deportation operations argue that the flights help remove illegal immigrants who entered the country during President Joe Biden’s administration and contend that stricter enforcement brings benefits such as reduced crime, higher wages, cheaper housing, and greater political influence for American citizens.

ICE is currently operating around three times as many monthly flights in 2026 as it did in 2024 — approximately 1,800 flights each month compared to about 600 two years earlier. Part of the increase stems from the agency transporting illegal immigrants from northern states to detention centers in Texas and other southern states while awaiting immigration proceedings.

Migrants are often held for weeks as ICE works through legal and administrative barriers put in place by progressive immigration policies and court requirements.

Immigration advocacy groups continue pushing back aggressively against President Donald Trump’s deportation agenda and are attempting to rally opposition to the administration’s enforcement efforts.

“The pollution that these flights cause is causing harms to every single family in the United States.” Brett Heinz, global policy coordinator at the pro-migration American Friends Service Committee, told Guardian reporter Alexandra Villareal, who previously worked for the pro-immigration National Immigration Forum.

“When we try to inflict suffering on immigrants… it also inflicts suffering on ourselves, on everyone,” he said, adding, “There’s no one that escapes when we’re trying to increase human misery.”

At the same time, critics of illegal immigration argue that American communities continue to suffer from crimes committed by migrants who entered the country unlawfully, an issue they say is frequently minimized by progressive activists and media outlets supportive of expanded immigration.