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Witkoff: US Moving Forward With Phase Two of Gaza Peace Plan Despite Unresolved Hostage Issue

Matzav -

The United States announced on Wednesday that it is proceeding with the next stage of the Trump Administration’s Gaza peace initiative, formally launching the plan’s second phase, according to US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.

“Today, on behalf of President Trump, we are announcing the launch of Phase Two of the President’s 20-Point Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, moving from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance, and reconstruction,” Witkoff said in a public statement.

He explained that the new phase calls for the establishment of an interim governing body and a comprehensive security overhaul. “Phase Two establishes a transitional technocratic Palestinian administration in Gaza, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), and begins the full demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza, primarily the disarmament of all unauthorized personnel. The US expects Hamas to comply fully with its obligations, including the immediate return of the final deceased hostage. Failure to do so will bring serious consequences,” Witkoff warned.

Reflecting on the achievements of the earlier stage of the agreement, Witkoff said the initial phase produced unprecedented humanitarian and diplomatic outcomes. “Importantly, Phase One delivered historic humanitarian aid, maintained the ceasefire, returned all living hostages and the remains of twenty-seven of the twenty-eight deceased hostages. We are deeply grateful to Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar for their indispensable mediation efforts that made all progress to date possible,” he said.

The announcement comes as the remains of Ran Gvili, the final hostage, are still being held in Gaza, despite provisions in the agreement requiring that all hostages be returned during the first phase. Israeli officials have continued to object to advancing to the second phase before Hamas fulfills every obligation from the initial stage, including the return of Gvili.

{Matzav.com}

Silent Mamdani Finally Condemns Iran

Matzav -

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday voiced criticism of Iran’s leadership over its violent response to anti-government demonstrations, addressing the issue after days of mounting pressure and accusations that he had avoided commenting as the unrest escalated.

The remarks came amid growing criticism from observers who said the mayor had remained conspicuously quiet while protests spread across Iran and reports of deadly force by the regime multiplied.

Mamdani raised the issue only after fielding an unrelated question during a Tuesday night press conference, stating, “I absolutely do not support the way the Iranian government has responded to that.”

He went on to say that Iran’s authorities should “respect the right of people to express their political opinions” without fear of harm.

The timing of the statement drew heightened attention because Mamdani has frequently spoken out on Middle East matters, particularly when Israel is involved.

The New York Post reported that critics pointed to a stark contrast between his delayed response to Iran and his earlier, forceful commentary on the Israel-Hamas war, including rhetoric sharply critical of Israeli leadership.

Online reaction was swift, with critics using social media to deride the mayor’s hesitation and accuse him of selective indignation, arguing that he is quick to denounce U.S. allies but reluctant to challenge a radical Islamist government accused of violently suppressing dissent.

The demonstrations in Iran are being characterized as some of the most significant in years.

According to Reuters, the crackdown has been brutal, with an Iranian official estimating that about 2,000 people have been killed, including members of the country’s security forces.

The crisis has also spilled onto the global stage, with President Donald Trump publicly urging demonstrators to continue and declaring that “help is on its way,” though he offered no details on what form that assistance might take.

Trump has simultaneously pushed to intensify economic pressure on Tehran, including threatening new tariffs on countries that maintain trade ties with Iran.

Mamdani’s comments on Iran surfaced as his initial actions at City Hall continue to provoke controversy.

Within his first days in office, he defended his decision to rescind several executive orders enacted by former Mayor Eric Adams.

Those orders included measures Adams had promoted as tools to combat antisemitism, as well as directives connected to Israel-related divestment policies.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry publicly rebuked Mamdani over the reversal of an International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance-linked definition of antisemitism, describing the move as inflammatory.

At the same time, Mamdani’s swearing-in ceremony highlighted the cultural and political symbolism surrounding his ascent.

He took the oath of office using multiple Qurans, among them a centuries-old volume associated with the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center collection.

{Matzav.com}

Trump Insists ‘US Needs Greenland’ and ‘Anything Less Is Unacceptable’ Ahead of High-Stakes Talks

Matzav -

President Trump escalated his push for U.S. control of Greenland on Wednesday, arguing that acquiring the Arctic island is essential to American national security and setting a confrontational tone ahead of high-level meetings with Danish and Greenlandic leaders.

In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump said the United States “needs” Greenland “for the purpose of National Security,” adding that “[a]nything less than that is unacceptable.” He warned that failure to act would open the door to rival powers.

“NATO should be leading the way for us to get it,” Trump wrote, referring to Greenland. “IF WE DON’T, RUSSIA OR CHINA WILL, AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!

“Militarily, without the vast power of the United States, much of which I built during my first term, and am now bringing to a new and even higher level, NATO would not be an effective force or deterrent – Not even close! They know that, and so do I. NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES.”

The comments came just hours before Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were scheduled to sit down with Denmark’s foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, and Greenland’s foreign minister, Vivian Motzfeldt. The talks are aimed at defusing tensions sparked by the White House’s renewed insistence that the United States should annex Greenland, a territory governed by Denmark for centuries.

On Tuesday, Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen publicly rejected the idea during a joint press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, drawing a clear line on Greenland’s loyalties. “If we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark. We choose NATO. We choose the Kingdom of Denmark. We choose the EU.”

Nielsen’s office went further, stating that Greenland would not agree to a U.S. takeover under “any circumstance” and calling on NATO to ensure the island’s defense if it were threatened.

The United States already maintains a military footprint on Greenland, and Danish officials have said Washington is free to expand that presence if needed to counter potential moves by Russia or China. Still, Greenland’s leadership has stressed that cooperation does not equate to surrendering sovereignty.

“Greenland does not want to be owned by the United States. Greenland does not want to be governed by the United States. Greenland does not want to be part of the United States,” Nielsen said Tuesday.

The administration has not backed away from its hard line. Last week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that “utilizing the US military is always an option,” while Trump declared separately that “we are going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not.”

After Nielsen’s remarks, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told The NY Post that the president “believes that Greenland is a strategically important location that is critical from the standpoint of national security.”

“He is confident Greenlanders would be better served if protected by the United States from modern threats in the Arctic region,” Kelly said. “The President is committed to establishing long-term peace at home and abroad.”

{Matzav.com}

IDF Demolishes Samaria Home of Terrorist Who Killed Two On Dec. 26

Matzav -

The Israel Defense Forces overnight on Tuesday demolished the northern Samaria home of Ahmad al-Rub, the Palestinian terrorist who murdered two Israelis on Dec. 26.

Al-Rub, from Qabatiya near Jenin, killed Shimshon Mordechai, 68, and Aviv Maor, 19, while injuring two others, in a series of terror attacks in and around the northern Israeli city of Beit She’an late last month.

The military said on Wednesday that it demolished the Qabatiya home “after an immediate sealing of the terrorist’s house was done some 2.5 weeks ago, during IDF soldiers’ activity in the village after the attack.”

The security establishment believes that the demolition of Palestinian terrorists’ homes bolsters deterrence and reduces further terrorism.

In 2023, the demolitions all but stopped, according to an Yisroel Hayom probe carried out with Israeli NGO Im Tirtzu. However, following the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, the army has picked up the pace, issuing orders for the demolition of a significant number of homes.

{Matzav.com}

Free Starlink Access For Iran Seen As Game Changer For Demonstrators Getting Their Message Out

Yeshiva World News -

Iranian demonstrators’ ability to get details of bloody nationwide protests out to the world has been given a strong boost, with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service dropping its fees to allow more people to circumvent the Tehran government’s strongest attempt ever to prevent information from spilling outside its borders, activists said Wednesday. The move by […]

Matzav Inbox: When Everything Becomes Content

Matzav -

Dear Matzav Inbox,

I don’t usually write letters, but at some point some things become to much even for me.

There is a certain breed of fellow or gal in our communities who cannot take one step in life without informing the entire world about it on WhatsApp status. Every move. Every stop. Every simcha. Every coffee. Every restaurant. Every time he (or she) leaves his house, you can be sure we’ll all know about it within minutes.

Bar mitzvah? Status. Vort? Status. Wedding? Ten statuses. First the selfie in the car. Then the walking-into-the-hall shot. Then the “standing under the chandelier pretending to look thoughtful” pose. Then the forced grin with the baal simcha — who, by the way, often has no interest in this embarrassment. Then the table shot. Then the dessert shot. Then the selfie with the singer shot. Then the drive-home shot, like we were all sitting in the backseat waiting.

One word: pathetic.

And it’s always the same ridiculous poses. The chin slightly up, like he’s some kind of choshuve personality. The arm half-extended selfie, angled just enough so you can see the hall name in the background, in case anyone missed where he was. The “caught mid-conversation” look, as if someone just interrupted him while he was saying something profound. Or the classic: staring off to the side, pretending he didn’t notice the camera — even though he’s the one holding it.

Let’s be honest: you look stupid.

Nobody is impressed. Nobody thinks you’re living some incredible life because you managed to attend another bar mitzvah in a mirrored hall with gold chairs. We’ve all been there. It’s not Versailles. It’s a simcha. Mazel tov. Move on.

And what exactly are you trying to show? That you know people? That you were invited? That you eat out? That you leave your house? This isn’t high society. This is not chashivus. This is not confidence. This is insecurity with a front-facing camera.

There was a time when people went to a simcha, shook hands, wished mazel tov, sat down like a normal human being, and went home. No performance. No documentation. No need to prove to the world that he exists. No need to post a status with the singer and band.

Today, some people can’t even say mazel tov properly because they’re too busy angling the phone so the chandelier and some celebrity gvir is centered behind their head.

And don’t get me started on the restaurant statuses. The plate shot. The drink shot. The “casually holding the fork” shot. As if anyone is sitting there thinking, Wow, he ordered chicken and rice — what a life. Or the inevitable captionless selfie, because apparently the image of his face next to a steak is supposed to speak for itself.

Is this really how you want people to remember you? As the guy who documented every dopey thing he did? As the one who thought that being constantly seen meant being important? As the fellow whose entire identity is a series of statuses that disappear after 24 hours — which is fitting, because that’s about how much substance there is to it.

You are not building a reputation. You are not creating memories.

You are advertising emptiness.

Not even hashkafically, there is something very empty about this obsession with being seen. About turning life into a running show. About confusing presence with purpose. A little privacy, a little dignity, a little self-respect used to be normal. Now it seems like if it wasn’t posted, it didn’t happen.

Here’s a suggestion: put the phone away. Live the moment. Let a simcha be a simcha, not a photo shoot. Let people wonder where you were. Let your life speak quietly for itself.

And if you absolutely must take a selfie, at least spare us the chandelier.

S. M. R.

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