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Sir Ephraim Mirvis, the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, has spoken out against describing Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as “genocide,” saying the charge cheapens the word and transforms what he called “humanity’s gravest crime” into a tool of political rhetoric.

Writing in The Telegraph, Sir Ephraim Mirvis argued that the allegation is now deployed with alarming ease. As he put it: “Today it takes almost no thought to repeat the accusation that Israel has committed ‘genocide’.”

He noted that the accusation comes from different quarters and motivations. “Some repeat it from a place of singular hostility toward the world’s only Jewish state; others from an earnest desire to hasten an end to an unquestionably horrific conflict in which many innocent people have suffered. But whatever the motivation, the result is the same: this gravest of crimes is invoked casually, without due regard for the weight of the word itself.”

Mirvis went on to describe a public climate driven by exaggeration and online outrage. “In an age when hyperbole dominates our discourse and outrage is rewarded with clicks, campaigners reach instinctively for the most extreme language available. Faced with images on social media of immense, tragic suffering in Gaza, journalists, academics and celebrities understandably feel compelled to speak out.”

He cautioned that this escalation in language carries serious risks. “Yet the race to linguistic escalation has consequences. The ubiquity of a term is often wrongly understood as evidence of its veracity. And some terms have a meaning that must remain protected at all costs. ‘Genocide’ is one of them.”

Pointing to the legal standard for genocide, Mirvis stressed that the crime requires intent to destroy a people, in whole or in part. He explained: “It is why Britain and her allies are not accused of genocide for our strategic bombing of Nazi Germany, despite the hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians who were killed. Intent is the moral and legal hinge. The clearest evidence that Israel did not intend to destroy the people of Gaza is that it did not in fact do so.”

He characterized the war as one “Israel did not seek, nor start,” and said Israel’s aims have centered on freeing hostages and neutralizing Hamas, which he described as a group committed to Israel’s annihilation. He added: “If Hamas lays down its arms, there will be no fighting and no suffering. If Israel were to lay down its arms, there would be no Israel.”

The Chief Rabbi also took aim at certain human rights groups, saying they “appear to revel in misappropriating the term genocide” by stretching its definition and engaging in what he called “a truly troubling moral deceit.”

While acknowledging the dire humanitarian toll in Gaza, Mirvis said: “The tragic suffering of Palestinians abounds” and insisted that “no decent person could fail to be moved by it or wish to see its end”. At the same time, he maintained that there is no proof of “systematic massacres, mass executions, or the targeted killing of civilians as a matter of policy”.

He warned that careless use of the term ultimately corrodes its meaning. “When academics, activists, faith leaders and public figures declare, with unshakeable certainty, that genocide has occurred, they do something far more destructive than merely repeat a falsehood. They trivialise the very concept they claim to defend. What language is left for the Rohingya, expelled en masse, systematically raped and slaughtered? For the Uyghurs, subjected to mass internment, forced sterilisation and cultural erasure? For the ethnically targeted killing and mass rape in West Darfur? To invoke the term ‘genocide’ as an accusation against Israel is to strip it of its true meaning, reducing humanity’s gravest crime to a political insult.”

In closing, Mirvis called for compassion alongside moral clarity. “The suffering of innocent people demands empathy, accountability and a genuine commitment to preventing future conflict. But to level the charge of genocide against Israel is to commit a moral inversion whose casualties include not only Israelis and Palestinians, but the very idea of human rights itself.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump has been advised by senior military leaders that preparations are not yet complete for any possible military action against Iran, even as protests against the Islamic Republic intensify across the country, according to a report by The Telegraph.

The report said Trump has reviewed a variety of potential military responses and has been briefed on possible targets tied to Iran’s internal security forces, especially those linked to the crackdown on demonstrators. Commanders overseeing US forces in the region, however, have warned that troops need additional time to reinforce defenses and secure positions before taking steps that could trigger Iranian retaliation.

Trump has openly warned Tehran that continued killings of protesters could prompt US intervention, saying Iran would be struck “very, very hard, where it hurts.” According to The Telegraph, he has been presented with scenarios that include attacks on regime-linked security elements or non-military sites in Tehran.

The discussions are unfolding as unrest has erupted across Iran for multiple nights in a row, with analysts describing the scope and intensity as surpassing the 2022 protests over the hijab law. While reports suggest that hundreds of people may have been killed, a sweeping internet shutdown has made it difficult to confirm casualty figures. Videos circulating online appear to show security forces firing live ammunition at crowds in several areas.

Iranian leaders have responded with stark warnings, including threats of capital punishment for protesters. Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf cautioned the White House against a “miscalculation,” while a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that any attack would lead to retaliation against Israel, US military installations, and naval assets.

Axios reported Sunday that Trump is reviewing several avenues to back the protest movement and intensify pressure on the Iranian government, citing two US officials. While military strikes have been part of internal discussions, most of the options under consideration were described as non-kinetic, and no final determination has been reached. Officials told Axios that all options remain under consideration as demonstrations persist despite a harsher crackdown and ongoing internet blackout.

Iranian officials have blamed both the United States and Israel for fueling the unrest and have warned of consequences if Iran is attacked. Despite the widespread protests, US and Israeli officials quoted by Axios said there is no current assessment that the regime is on the brink of collapse.

{Matzav.com}

More from the historic groundbreaking event taking place on Sunday for the New building of the Kollel of North Miami Beach.

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu on Tuesday finalized a joint declaration with Germany’s Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt, establishing a broad security cooperation framework between the two nations. The agreement formalizes collaboration among Israeli and German security agencies in fields including cybersecurity, cutting-edge technology, policing, counterterrorism efforts, and civil defense.

“I attach enormous importance to the overall cooperation between Israel and Germany, and especially Israel and Germany on this question of cybersecurity, which is one of the main threats to our internal security, and in many ways also our infrastructure and other threats,” Netanyahu stated.

Expanding on the depth of bilateral ties, the prime minister pointed to existing joint projects and ongoing defense coordination between Jerusalem and Berlin. “And I think Germany and Israel are natural partners. We’ve cooperated on the Arrow III; we’ve cooperated in many areas. We cooperate technologically. Chancellor Mertz was here recently, and we talked about defense cooperation,” he added.

Netanyahu closed his remarks by welcoming the German interior minister and emphasizing the personal and diplomatic significance of the agreement. “And now I’m very pleased to welcome a dear friend of Israel, Minister Dobrindt, to sign this important pact. So, thank you for your friendship, thank you for your support, and please convey this to your government as well.”

{Matzav.com}

The head of the FBI’s New York field office has been named co-deputy director of the bureau, replacing Dan Bongino following his recent departure, an FBI spokesperson said Friday. Christopher Raia, who helped lead the response to the deadly truck attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day last year, was picked to run the […]

Hagaon HaRav Dovid Schustal and other Roshei Yeshiva arriving on Sunday morning for the historic groundbreaking of the new building for the North Miami Beach Kollel.

A major groundbreaking event is taking place on Sunday for the New building of the Kollel of North Miami Beach. The Kollel has outgrown their current facility, and construction is expected to begin shortly. Many Roshei Yeshiva and Rabbonim flew in from the NY/NJ area for this historic event.

BUSHA V’CHERPA: A Chabad chossid performing mitzvos in Haifa on Friday l’iluy nishmas his fallen brother was met with a shameful municipal response. Menachem Cohen had set up a small tefillin stand to honor his brother, Shneur Cohen hy”d, a soldier in the Givati Brigade who was killed in Gaza. Alongside the tefillin was a […]

Prime Minister Netanyahu and German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt signed a joint security declaration expanding cooperation between Israel and Germany. * The agreement covers cyber defense, counterterrorism, advanced technologies, law enforcement and civil defense.

Hamas says it has ordered its agencies in Gaza to prepare to hand over control to a new Palestinian governing body under President Trump’s Board of Peace. * Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the move is meant to facilitate the handover under Trump’s 20-point peace plan. * The Board of Peace is expected to be […]

  Why This Raffle? R’ Mendy Rosenberg z”l was a devoted Hatzolah member who saved lives and helped thousands. After being diagnosed with ALS, he endured years of suffering — yet still completed the entire Shas, inspiring Klal Yisrael with his strength and faith. He left behind his wife and five children. Mendy’s Legacy Fund […]

[Video below.] White House border czar Tom Homan said Sunday that the conduct of Minneapolis shooting victim Renee Good before she was killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer could meet the legal standard for domestic terrorism, echoing claims made by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and other administration officials.

“I don’t know what Secretary Noem knows,” Homan said during an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press. “If you look up the definition of terrorism, it can fall under that definition.”

Good was fatally shot in the head during a confrontation with ICE agents. Administration officials have maintained that the shooting was an act of self-defense, asserting that Good attempted to strike veteran ICE agent Jonathan Ross with her vehicle before he opened fire.

“We’ve all got to agree there’s no reason … to do what she did,” Homan said Sunday. “There’s no reason to be there.”

“If you want to protest, protest; but don’t actively impede and interfere and certainly don’t drive a 4,000-pound vehicle toward an officer,” he added.

Homan described the incident as “tragic” while urging the public to allow investigators to complete their work. He also warned that what he called “hateful rhetoric” has contributed to a rise in violence directed at federal law enforcement officers.

He cautioned that widely circulated video clips do not provide a complete picture of the encounter, noting that investigators are still reviewing forensic and ballistic evidence, along with additional footage that may not yet be public.

“Look, it’s tragic,” Homan said. “I’ve said from March that if the hateful rhetoric doesn’t decline, there will be bloodshed. I’ve seen it before, and unfortunately, I was right. There’s been a lot of bloodshed.”

According to Homan, understanding the officer’s state of mind is a key element in determining whether the shooting was justified, saying the circumstances could support a self-defense claim.

“You have to put yourself in the mind of the officer,” he said. “I truly believe this officer, in his mind, thought his mind was in danger, which allows him to use lethal force.”

Homan repeatedly stressed that conclusions should be withheld until the investigation is finished.

“Let the investigation play out,” he said. “There’s a lot of video we probably haven’t seen that the FBI has that we don’t. Where’s the forensics and the ballistics?”

He also pushed back against public commentary branding the officer a criminal before investigators have reached their findings.

“Saying this officer is a murderer is dangerous,” Homan said. “It’s just ridiculous. It’s going to infuriate people more.”

Asked whether he had evidence to justify labeling Good’s actions as terrorism, Homan said he was not prepared to second-guess Noem, while reiterating his view that the behavior captured on video was unlawful.

Homan went on to criticize Minnesota’s immigration policies, arguing that federal agents were operating in Minneapolis because state and local leaders restrict cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

“Why are we in Minneapolis?” Homan said. “Because it’s a sanctuary city and a sanctuary state.”

He said ICE was focused on apprehending “dangerous” individuals and emphasized that interfering with federal officers is a crime.

“It’s not OK to impede and interfere with an officer,” he said. “They’re arresting bad people, and it’s illegal. What she did is a crime.

“It’s illegal to impede law enforcement officers, and that’s why we’re there.”

Homan also defended the FBI’s leadership of the investigation after some local officials complained about being sidelined, saying such cases are routinely handled at the federal level when a federal officer is involved.

“This is a federal crime,” he said. “When a federal officer is in a shooting, it falls under the FBI. It’s been that way forever.”

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

A second asifa addressing the growing impact of artificial intelligence was held Thursday night in Lakewood, drawing senior rabbinic leadership and continuing a discussion that began earlier this week. The gathering focused on concerns surrounding AI-driven calling, texting, and content generation, and followed an initial asifah that drew dozens of leading rabbanim and roshei yeshiva, […]

President Donald Trump on Sunday fired off another warning to the government of Cuba as the close ally of Venezuela braces for potential widespread unrest after Nicolás Maduro was deposed as Venezuela’s leader. Cuba, a major beneficiary of Venezuelan oil, has now been cut off from those shipments as U.S. forces continue to seize tankers in an effort to control the production, refining and global distribution of […]

[Video below.] Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem clashed sharply with CNN anchor Jake Tapper on Sunday as she defended Immigration and Customs Enforcement following the fatal shooting of Renee Good, telling the host he cannot “change the facts” simply because he does not “like them.”

During a tense exchange on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Tapper pressed Noem on how she could so quickly label Good a “domestic terrorist” and publicly back ICE officer Jonathan Ross only hours after the incident.

“Everything that I’ve said has been proven to be factual,” Noem responded during the interview.

“[I] decided that the department and the people of this country deserve to know the truth of the situation of what has unfolded in Minneapolis.”

Tapper then zeroed in on Noem’s early description of the shooting last Wednesday, when she said ICE officers “were attempting to push out their vehicle, and a woman attacked them and those surrounding them and attempted to run them over.”

“That’s not what happened,” Tapper argued, later suggesting that his concern centered on whether Good had actually attacked the officers.

“It absolutely is what happened,” Noem countered. “[She] blocked the road for a long time and was yelling at them and impeding a federal law enforcement operation.”

Video from several angles captured the confrontation between Ross and Good that Wednesday. Good, a mother of three, had parked her vehicle in the roadway, preventing the officers from moving forward for more than three minutes.

When officers exited their vehicle to address the situation, Ross was positioned in front of Good’s car when she suddenly accelerated.

Ross jumped aside and fired a round into the windshield, then appeared to fire two additional shots into the side of the SUV.

Noem said Ross was later treated at a nearby hospital after being “hit by the vehicle” and was subsequently released.

Tapper questioned why Noem was convinced that Good was not “trying to move her car and flee and get away,” rather than intentionally striking Ross.

“The facts of the situation are that the vehicle was weaponized, and it attacked the law enforcement officer,” Noem said. “He defended himself, and he defended those individuals around him.”

“When there is something that is weaponized to use against the public and law enforcement, that is an act of domestic terrorism,” she added. “You don’t get to change the facts just because you don’t like them.”

Senior Trump administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance, have forcefully defended Ross amid widespread criticism.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has confirmed that it is investigating the shooting.

“You see how quickly the situation unfolded, how the officer was in front of the vehicle when she sped off,” Noem told Tapper. “How she ran into him. And how he had to take quick action based on his training to defend himself and his colleagues.

“That’s very clear and factual from the videos that you can see, it’s nobody’s interpretation.”

Tapper later attempted to challenge Noem by airing footage of Capitol Police officers being assaulted during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, noting that those involved were later pardoned by President Donald Trump.

Noem dismissed the comparison, saying that “every single one of these investigations comes in the full context of the situation on the ground.”

She also criticized statements from Minnesota officials, singling out Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for calling on ICE to “get ….out of” the city.

“They’ve extremely politicized and inappropriately talked about the situation on the ground in their city. They’ve inflamed the public, they’ve encouraged the kind of destruction and violence that we’ve seen in Minneapolis in the last several days,” Noem said of local leaders.

“I would encourage them to grow up.”

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

The Islamic Republic of Iran is facing its most existential threat in decades as a two-week-old uprising has paralyzed the country, with experts warning that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei may have less than two weeks left in power. Activists confirmed Sunday that the death toll from the state’s crackdown has reached at least 538, […]

Secretary of State Marco Rubio may soon be linked to yet another hypothetical role, after President Donald Trump floated the idea in a social media post.

Trump suggested that Rubio — who has already juggled multiple senior positions at once and is frequently mentioned for additional responsibilities — could even end up leading Cuba, the country Rubio’s parents escaped in the 1950s during the Batista dictatorship.

“Sounds good to me,” Trump wrote Sunday on Truth Social, replying to a tongue-in-cheek comment from a user who joked that Rubio might become Cuba’s president once the current government collapses.

The remark quickly fed into a long-running online gag surrounding Rubio’s ever-expanding list of assignments under Trump.

Currently, Rubio is serving simultaneously as secretary of state, acting national security adviser, and acting national archivist. He also temporarily ran the US Agency for International Development until stepping away from that role last August.

Last year, former national security adviser Jake Sullivan publicly scoffed at the notion that Rubio could manage both the State Department and the National Security Council at the same time, calling the idea “ludicrous.”

Despite such criticism, Rubio’s workload has become a running joke online, with memes suggesting that whenever a vacancy appears, Trump will hand the job to his secretary of state.

Those jokes have imagined Rubio taking on everything from president of Venezuela to governor of Minnesota, secretary-general of Greenland, and even general manager of the Miami Dolphins.

Most of the memes feature an image of Rubio visibly recoiling during the widely publicized Feb. 28, 2025, Oval Office confrontation between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, when raised voices echoed in front of television cameras.

As speculation spiraled, Rubio — a well-known sports enthusiast — moved last week to shut down talk that he might take over the Dolphins’ sideline or front office.

“I do not normally respond to online rumors but feel the need to do so at this moment I will not be a candidate for the currently vacant HC and GM positions with the Miami Dolphins,” Rubio wrote on X.

“My focus must remain on global events and also the precious archives of the United States of America.”

Trump’s offhand comment about Cuba came as his administration weighs its next steps toward the island nation.

“If I lived in Havana and I was in the government, I would be concerned. At least a little bit,” Rubio told reporters following Operation Absolute Resolve, which resulted in the capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro.

Rubio has repeatedly pointed to Cuba’s deep involvement in Venezuela, including the presence of Cuban personnel among those guarding Maduro during the operation.

On Sunday, Trump escalated his rhetoric, warning Havana that “THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA” from Venezuela and urging Cuban leaders to strike a deal “BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.”

“Cuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of OIL and MONEY from Venezuela. In return, Cuba provided ‘Security Services’ for the last two Venezuelan dictators, Trump posted on Truth Social.

“Venezuela doesn’t need protection anymore from the thugs and extortionists who held them hostage for so many years. Venezuela now has the United States of America, the most powerful military in the World (by far!), to protect them, and protect them we will.”

{Matzav.com}

A person was taken into custody late Saturday after a fire ripped through a Reform synagogue in Mississippi, heavily damaging the historic house of worship in what authorities say was an act of arson. No one was injured, reports say. The blaze erupted at the Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi shortly after 3 a.m. […]

U.S. drone startups are training American troops for the future of warfare as competition with China grows.

An overnight fire at the Reform Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi — the city’s only Jewish synagogue — is under investigation by city, state, and federal officials after a suspect was taken into custody.

The fire ignited just after 3 a.m. Shabbos, inflicting heavy damage on portions of the historic building. Crews from the Jackson Fire Department responded quickly and succeeded in bringing the flames under control. No injuries were reported.

Jackson Mayor John Horhn denounced the incident, saying it struck at both religious liberty and public safety. In a statement, he warned that antisemitism, racism, and religious hatred pose a danger to the entire community and will be addressed as such, while affirming the city’s support for the Beth Israel congregation and the broader Jewish community.

Officials have not disclosed the suspect’s identity or outlined potential charges. Authorities also have not yet determined whether the fire will be officially designated a hate crime.

The probe is being conducted jointly by the Jackson Fire Department’s Arson Investigation Division and the Jackson Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Joint Terrorism Task Force. Investigators say the inquiry is ongoing.

Founded more than a century ago, Beth Israel Congregation is the oldest synagogue in Jackson. The building was previously targeted in a 1967 Ku Klux Klan bombing that damaged synagogue offices and the rabbi’s home. No one was killed in that earlier attack.

{Matzav.com}