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Rav Shlomo Moshe Amar, Sefardic Chief Rabbi of Yerushalayim, has issued a sharply worded letter condemning those distributing materials encouraging Jews to ascend Har Habayis, accusing them of falsifying the positions of leading rabbonim — including his own.

The letter, sent on Erev Shabbos Parshas Eikev, 17 Av 5786, was addressed to an unnamed talmid chochom in the Jewish Quarter of Yerushalayim who had asked Rav Amar to state his position clearly regarding the severity of the prohibition against ascending Har Habayis today.

Rav Amar opened his letter by lamenting what he described as the growing brazenness of the current generation, citing the teaching of Chazal that in the period preceding the arrival of Moshiach, brazenness will increase. He wrote that with each passing day and hour, that brazenness appears to be growing and intensifying.

He then described his shock after being shown several photographed pages bearing the headline, “Daas Torah Regarding the Mitzvah of Ascending Har Habayis in Our Time.” Rav Amar characterized the presentation as a new level of brazenness, devoid of truth and based on distortion.

Addressing the halachic issue itself, Rav Amar wrote that the leading poskim of previous generations, as well as the gedolei Torah of the present generation, have prohibited entering Har Habayis with the utmost severity. According to the Rambam, he noted, entering prohibited areas can carry the punishment of kareis, while even the Raavad maintains that entering is prohibited on a Torah level.

Rav Amar therefore rejected any attempt to present ascending Har Habayis as representing the accepted Torah position.

He further accused those behind the publications of attributing fabricated or distorted positions to prominent rabbonim, including both gedolim who are no longer alive and those living today.

Rav Amar said his own name had also been improperly inserted into the materials, despite what he described as his well-known and longstanding opposition to ascending Har Habayis.

He wrote that his position is widely known and that, in shiurim delivered in yeshivos and kollelim, he regularly presents what he considers strong evidence demonstrating that there is no reliable way today to make the measurements necessary to determine precisely which areas may be entered.

Rav Amar acknowledged that a minority of rabbonim have taken a different position on the issue, noting that virtually every subject is subject to disagreement. Had the activists simply stated that they rely upon the minority opinion, he wrote, he would have remained silent.

Instead, Rav Amar charged, they are attempting to portray their position as far more broadly accepted because they recognize that halachah generally follows the majority — particularly when the majority is so overwhelming. He accused them of deliberately misleading the public and causing others to stumble.

Concluding his letter, Rav Amar issued an unusually forceful warning against relying upon the publications or those responsible for them.

“The Jewish people should know that all the words and writings of those distributors are lies and deception,” Rav Amar wrote, adding that anyone concerned for his spiritual wellbeing should distance himself from them and their sphere of influence.

He further declared that they had demonstrated that fear of Hashem was not before them, and therefore “they cannot be relied upon, and it is forbidden to believe their words in anything they say.”

Rav Amar concluded with a tefillah that Hashem remove the spirit of impurity from the land, that Moshiach Tzidkeinu be revealed peacefully, and that the Bais Hamikdash be rebuilt in its proper place speedily in our days.

{Matzav.com}

A potentially tragic incident was narrowly avoided Thursday afternoon in Netivot after a young child became trapped inside an abandoned vehicle during extreme summer heat and was unable to escape until a passerby noticed the situation and rushed to help.

The child remained inside the sealed vehicle during the hottest part of the day until the owner of a local delivery company happened to pass by and spotted the child in distress.

According to a report by the local news outlet Netivoti, the delivery driver saw the child desperately trying to open the car doors but unable to get out. He immediately ran to the vehicle and succeeded in rescuing the child. By the time the child was freed, he was reportedly sweating heavily and appeared dehydrated after spending a prolonged period inside the sweltering vehicle.

The vehicle was reportedly abandoned, not in use, and had neither a valid inspection nor insurance. Authorities have not yet determined how the child managed to get inside the car or how long he remained trapped before being discovered.

Baruch Hashem, the incident ended without injuries. Nevertheless, it once again highlighted the serious danger posed by abandoned vehicles that remain unlocked and accessible to children, particularly during the summer months, when temperatures inside a closed vehicle can climb rapidly to life-threatening levels.

In recent years, Israel has witnessed numerous tragic cases involving children who were forgotten or became trapped inside vehicles. According to data from the Beterem Child Safety Organization, 23 children have lost their lives over the past five years after being forgotten or trapped in vehicles. During the same period, 53 children were injured, while another 1,513 were rescued safely.

Child safety experts warn that the temperature inside a closed vehicle can soar to approximately 70 degrees Celsius (158 degrees Fahrenheit) within about 30 minutes, even when the outside temperature is only around 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). They stress that parking in the shade or leaving a window slightly open does not eliminate the danger. Infants and young children are especially vulnerable because their bodies heat up three to five times faster than those of adults, and they are unable to free themselves.

ZAKA and the Beterem Child Safety Organization are urging parents never to leave a child unattended in a vehicle, even briefly. They also recommend slowing down and consciously checking that every child has exited the vehicle before walking away by using multiple senses—looking at the children, confirming they are with you, physically touching them, and listening for them. According to safety experts, engaging sight, hearing, touch, and movement together helps reinforce the routine and reduces the risk of forgetting a child.

The Netivot incident also underscores the importance of securing or removing abandoned vehicles from residential neighborhoods to prevent similar potentially deadly situations in the future.

{Matzav.com}

American officials have reportedly expressed frustration after learning that some money donated in the United States to Magen David Adom was used to purchase European-made ambulances rather than American vehicles.

According to a report by ynet, the funds in question were raised through American Friends of Magen David Adom (AFMDA), which has spent 86 years raising money in the United States to support the Israeli emergency medical organization.

For years, American-made Ford and Chevrolet ambulances purchased with the assistance of donors in the United States were a common sight on Israeli roads. Over the past three years, however, Magen David Adom has purchased almost no American-made vehicles, with much of its recent fleet procurement consisting of Mercedes ambulances manufactured in Poland.

American administration officials reportedly became aware of the situation over the past month and were unhappy to learn that money donated in the United States was ultimately being spent on vehicles manufactured outside the country.

A senior US administration official sent a sharply worded message to Magen David Adom officials, writing, “Using American donation funds to purchase ambulances from European countries that hate Israel is not an acceptable practice.”

A senior Israeli official familiar with the matter said American officials were surprised to discover that substantial sums raised from donors inside the United States were not being channeled back into the American economy through purchases of US-made vehicles and other products.

The criticism carries additional significance because of the Trump administration’s “America First” policy. The administration has emphasized strengthening American industry and the domestic economy across a broad range of policies involving trade, investment, energy, immigration and foreign affairs.

The dispute now raises questions over whether Magen David Adom will alter its procurement practices and increase purchases of American-made ambulances or continue using some US-raised donations to purchase vehicles manufactured in Europe.

Magen David Adom responded to the report by saying it was unaware of any such communication from American officials.

“MDA is not aware of any such inquiry. The friends associations purchase the ambulances in accordance with the organization’s operational needs and the types of vehicles required. Most of the ambulances are purchased in the US. MDA is the only organization in Israel that uses US-made ambulances,” the organization said.

{Matzav.com}

Thousands of Vizhnitzer chassidim from across Eretz Yisroel gathered Tuesday in the Bais Medrash of the Gerer Chassidus on Yirmiyahu Street in Yerushalayim for a massive prayer rally and fundraising event on behalf of the Union of Vizhnitzer Institutions. The gathering focused on the government’s ongoing efforts to draft yeshiva students, with the Vizhnitzer Rebbe issuing a forceful directive prohibiting enlistment in any military framework.

The gathering was filled with emotion as the Vizhnitzer Rebbe appeared before the thousands despite his visibly weakened condition in recent weeks. The event had originally been planned for the holy site of Meron, but because of the Rebbe’s health it was relocated to Yerushalayim, near Ora, where he has been residing over the past year for rest and recuperation.

The evening began with a moving and inspiring presentation by the American-based Yiddishe Nachas children’s choir, which vividly portrayed the Jewish people’s historic mesirus nefesh for Torah study throughout the generations.

The program continued with a powerful dramatic presentation depicting “Prison 10,” in which a chassid was shown sitting in iron chains while completely immersed in the study of Torah, symbolizing unwavering devotion to Hashem and His Torah even under imprisonment and persecution.

The thousands in attendance also heard addresses from Rav Zusha Horowitz, av beis din of the Chassidic communities in Elad, and Rav Mordechai Grinfeld, one of the senior Vizhnitzer rabbonim in Antwerp, whose passionate speech deeply inspired the assembled crowd.

Moments before the Vizhnitzer Rebbe entered, his brother-in-law, Rav Menachem Ernster, rosh yeshiva of Vizhnitz, led the congregation in Selichos and Shema Koleinu using the moving Yomim Noraim melody, as thousands joined him in tearful prayer. Rav Yaakov Mordechai Hager, av beis din of Vizhnitz in Elad, then led the recitation of Tehillim and Shir Hamaalos Mimaamakim, with the verses recited responsively by the chazzan and the crowd.

During the gathering, a special delegation headed by Rav Menachem Ernster, together with Rav Yitzchak Yeshaya Hager and Rav Yaakov Mordechai Hager, personally visited the home of the Gerer Rebbe to invite him to participate in the event.

The Gerer Rebbe accepted the invitation, and his arrival at the gathering sparked an outpouring of emotion as thousands of chassidim broke into spirited singing. The Vizhnitzer Rebbe welcomed him with exceptional warmth and honor, while Rav Yaakov Mordechai Hager greeted the Gerer Rebbe on behalf of his father and thanked him for graciously hosting the event and extending generous hospitality.

Organizers said the Gerer Rebbe’s participation underscored the cry of the Torah world over the draft decree and reflected a united Chareidi front committed to strengthening the walls of Torah and religion during this critical period.

The emotional peak of the evening came when Rav Yaakov Mordechai Hager read a special message from the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, presenting what he described as a clear and unequivocal directive to all Vizhnitzer chassidim and the broader Chareidi public.

The Rebbe’s first instruction was an absolute prohibition against military service. He ruled that no one is to enlist in the Israeli military “in any army framework whatsoever, under any circumstances or in any form.”

He further instructed parents and educators to strengthen children and tinokos shel bais rabban with teachings of simple emunah and mesirus nefesh for the sanctification of Hashem’s Name.

In addition, the Rebbe called upon the public to undertake a special kofer nefesh campaign to strengthen the Torah world and support the network of Vizhnitzer institutions in light of the current situation facing the Chareidi community.

הכינוס של ויז’ניץ צילום: שוקי לרר הכינוס של ויז’ניץצילום: שוקי לרר הכינוס של ויז’ניץצילום: שוקי לרר הכינוס של ויז’ניץצילום: שוקי לרר הכינוס של ויז’ניץצילום: שוקי לרר הכינוס של ויז’ניץצילום: שוקי לרר

הקריאה הבהולה של רבי מיילך לפדיון שבויים וההתחייבות לישועה

בשיתוף קופת העיר

08:36

המתנה המפתיעה שהעניק מנשה צרפתי לבנו החתן רגע לפני החופה

מקודם

14:29

לא ציפינו: רוכשי דירות שנתקלו בסירוב מהבנק, קיבלו פתרון יוצא דופן

תוכן מקודם

06:17

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{Matzav.com}

Nancy Pelosi is denying that she was aware of Joe Biden’s apparent decline while he was president, arguing that anyone who did know about his condition had a responsibility to take action.

In an interview with Politico’s Jonathan Martin, the onetime House speaker repeatedly maintained that she had no knowledge that Biden was experiencing any decline while in office.

“I didn’t know, but I do think that those who did know should have acted upon that information, whatever that means,” Pelosi said.

Pelosi acknowledged that questions remain over who within Biden’s inner circle was aware of his condition and when they became aware of it.

“There was the staff saying the family knew, the family saying the staff knew, I don’t know,” she added, while saying those with knowledge should have acted sooner.

Pelosi and Biden had been at odds over the events surrounding the 2024 presidential campaign, though Pelosi said in March that the two had since spoken.

Pelosi, who was broadly viewed as one of the most influential Democratic figures pushing Biden toward abandoning his 2024 reelection bid, also again rejected claims that she personally told him to leave the race.

She said her conversation with Biden instead focused on polling and concerns about how his campaign was being managed.

“I only said to President Biden, ‘I’ve come to question the polling that you have and how your campaign is being conducted,'” Pelosi said. “I didn’t ask him not to run or anything like that. This is what I asked. ‘I would hope that we could have some other pollsters come in and sit with your pollster and discuss what they hear out there.'”

Pelosi said she also suggested that Biden provide the public with evidence demonstrating that he was capable of serving another term in the White House.

“And I did say this, ‘I think the public would like to hear that you’ve had a testing that demonstrates that you can serve the next [term],'” she added.

Asked by Martin how Biden reacted to that suggestion, Pelosi said he responded that the demands of serving as president effectively tested him every day.

Pelosi described their private discussion as cordial and rooted in their shared Catholic faith, while insisting that reports about what transpired during the meeting did not originate with her.

“He responded. We were prayerful, you know, Catholic. We’re prayerful. We had our rosaries and all that. And we had a lovely meeting. It was only the two of us, except when he put somebody on the phone to talk about the polls. So, whatever people said about it there, didn’t come from me, or maybe it came from somebody in his staff, but none of his staff was really in the room. He said, ‘I get tested every day in what I’m doing and the rest of that.’ I said, ‘I think people want to see something more in that regard.’”

Pelosi’s latest account drew sharp criticism from Fox News political analyst Guy Benson, who characterized her explanation as “non-credible gaslighting.”

Benson argued that Biden’s condition had been readily apparent and accused Pelosi and other Democratic figures of dismissing concerns about his fitness until his disastrous 2024 debate performance made doing so politically untenable.

“Everyone with eyes and ears clocked the former president’s clear decline. The gaslighting denials came from partisan actors who were invested in a political outcome, very much including Pelosi. Once their gaslighting efforts died on that debate stage, they feigned shock at the very reality they’d cynically attacked others for noticing, very much including Pelosi. Because their desired outcome abruptly required turning on Biden, the knives came out. And the sharpest knife may have belonged to Pelosi. She can try to deny this, but it’s just more non-credible gaslighting,” Benson told Fox News Digital in a statement.

Pelosi’s public comments in the aftermath of Biden’s June 2024 debate had fueled speculation that she was seeking to pressure him to reconsider his candidacy. In early July of that year, Biden had publicly insisted that he intended to remain in the presidential race.

Yet during an appearance on “Morning Joe,” Pelosi appeared to leave open the possibility that Biden could still withdraw, describing his candidacy as a decision that had yet to be made.

“It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run. We are all encouraging him to make that decision, because time is running short,” Pelosi said at the time.

{Matzav.com}

Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that the Trump administration’s strategy in its confrontation with Iran is centered on two primary objectives: maintaining stable global energy prices and ensuring that Tehran is permanently prevented from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Speaking during an interview on Fox News, Vance was asked about the shifting nature of the conflict and what the administration hopes to achieve once the fighting subsides. He expressed confidence that the United States will emerge in a stronger strategic position.

“Well, the thing I can say with confidence is I think this ends with the United States in a stronger position, with Iran not having a nuclear weapon, and with the Strait of Hormuz returned to a place where oil and gas prices are stable for the American people,” Vance declared.

JD Vance on Iran:

It’s inherently an unpredictable thing because the Iranians themselves are unpredictable, and sometimes they don’t honor the commitments they make to us.pic.twitter.com/9twTWcoc9o

— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 13, 2026

Vance acknowledged that negotiations with Iran have often been frustrating, arguing that the regime has repeatedly failed to honor its commitments. He said the United States has a broad range of options—diplomatic, economic, and military—that it can employ depending on the circumstances.

“I think the issue here is that the Iranians sometimes make commitments that they don’t honor. They make a deal, they don’t honor the deal. And I understand your point about the seesaw nature of this, but I think what that reflects is that we have a lot of tools at our disposal to compel action. And sometimes we’re focused on the energy piece of it because we want Americans to be able to afford the price of oil and gas. Sometimes we’re obviously focused on the military nature of it, sometimes we’re focused on the nuclear program.”

Describing the administration’s overall strategy, Vance said President Donald Trump is carefully employing the full range of American power rather than acting indiscriminately.

“So I think what is really happening is that you’re seeing a President of the United States at the height of his authority with a lot of tools, diplomatic, military, and economic,” Vance remarked.

“What I think is really going on from the inside is that we’re using those tools very selectively, very strategically to get the outcome that the president of the United States needs to get for the benefit of the American people.”

The vice president said the administration remains focused on two specific priorities, beginning with protecting the flow of energy through the Persian Gulf in order to keep fuel prices in check.

“It’s ensuring that the Gulf countries continue to send oil and gas to the world economy so that we have energy price stability. That’s obviously important for the American people. I know that oil is down today and it’s way down from the highs in the early days of the conflict. That’s goal number one, keep oil and gas cheap for Americans all over our country.”

He said the second objective is to eliminate Iran’s nuclear ambitions once and for all.

“And then obviously goal number two is [to] ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon. I feel confident we’re accomplishing both of those goals, but it’s inherently an unpredictable thing because the Iranians themselves are unpredictable and they sometimes don’t honor the commitments they’ve made to us,” Vance concluded.

Vance’s comments came just days after President Trump addressed reporters about the possibility of a broader military escalation with Iran.

Earlier this week, when asked whether a major escalation remained possible after he had warned Iran that diplomatic negotiations represented its final opportunity before “decapitation,” Trump replied, “You’ll find out.”

Pressed further on whether a significant escalation was still on the table, Trump responded, “Well, we certainly have that ability if we want to do that. You’ll find out.”

The following day, after returning from a visit to Ohio, Trump again expressed deep skepticism toward Iran’s leadership while asserting that the United States now controls one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints.

“Iran is going fine, going just absolutely fine,” Trump said, before adding, “I’m the last person to trust Iran. They’ve lied to me constantly. We have total control over the Hormuz Strait right now. They don’t have control. We have total control. We own it. And at some point, maybe they’ll do something, and then they get blown away.”

Trump concluded by arguing that Iran has lost the dominant regional influence it once wielded.

“But we right now, we’re in a very good position. We have a country that has been the bully of the Middle East for 50 years. It’s been saying 47 for four years. And they’re no longer the bully of the Middle East,” Trump stated.

{Matzav.com}

An Arab American advocacy group filed a proposed federal class-action lawsuit on Tuesday against Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Caterpillar and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, alleging that the defendants facilitated Israeli military operations in Lebanon that damaged property owned by U.S. citizens.

The 79-page complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan by the Dearborn, Mich.-based Arab American Civil Rights League and several plaintiffs who say they own homes, apartments and other property in Lebanon.

The suit alleges that the companies supplied weapons, aircraft, software, parts and heavy equipment to Israel despite knowing, or having reason to know, that those products could be used “in a manner involving unreasonable risk of harm to the persons and property of the plaintiffs.” The complaint also cites the Leahy laws, which restrict U.S. security assistance to foreign military units accused of human-rights violations.

In one example, U.S. citizen Kareem Hassan Jammal claimed that he owned “multiple houses and apartments in Lebanon” that were destroyed during Israeli airstrikes in 2024 and 2026.

While the complaint includes 18 individual plaintiffs who assert ownership interests in property in Lebanon, it contains only a map labeled “Map of 2026 Israeli Aggression in Lebanon” and does not appear to include deeds, title records or other documentation establishing ownership.

The plaintiffs are represented by attorney Nabih Ayad, the ACRL’s founder and chairman, who served on the Michigan Civil Rights Commission from 2008 to 2011.

The lawsuit seeks injunctive relief, including a “temporary injunction halting the transfer of further instrumentalities” to Israel. JNS

IDF surveillance soldiers stationed in two separate sectors near the Gaza border are warning that Hamas operatives have been approaching the military’s designated security zone on a daily basis, raising fears of a dangerous repeat of the conditions that preceded the October 7 massacre. The soldiers say they repeatedly identify threats but often encounter delays in obtaining authorization to open fire.

In interviews with Channel 12, the lookouts said they have observed suspicious individuals—including Hamas terrorists—regularly nearing the yellow line, the boundary marking the IDF-controlled area inside Gaza. According to the soldiers, the activity poses a genuine danger, yet forces in the field are frequently not granted permission to neutralize those approaching.

The lookouts believe Hamas is deliberately probing Israel’s defenses, using these repeated incursions to gauge how quickly and forcefully the IDF responds.

One of the soldiers said the current atmosphere is eerily reminiscent of the days before Hamas launched its October 7 assault. “I feel like October 6th. The only difference is that we see it on the yellow line and not on the fence.” She added that those approaching the area appear to be constantly testing Israel’s response. “It’s literally like before October 7th.”

According to the lookouts, one of the greatest obstacles is the lengthy approval process required before troops can engage suspicious individuals. They said that when authorization must come from senior command levels, it can take considerable time, whereas approval is obtained much more quickly when the decision rests with the battalion commander on the ground.

The soldiers described one recent incident near the border in which a lookout spotted a suspect carrying what appeared to be a weapon and observed activity suggesting an explosive device might be planted. She immediately alerted troops in the area, but despite identifying what she believed to be a serious threat, no authorization was given to eliminate the suspect.

“It got stuck up top,” the lookout claimed. She said the soldiers feel powerless, explaining that while they identify suspicious activity in real time and warn the forces on the ground, they are often unable to translate those warnings into immediate action because of the approval process and a broader desire to preserve calm.

One lookout acknowledged that speaking publicly could expose her to disciplinary measures, but said remaining silent was no longer an option. “If they tell me that I’m going to jail because of what I said, I say it’s worth it.”

Responding to the report, the Prime Minister’s Office rejected claims that political leaders are limiting the military’s ability to act. “The political echelon does not restrict the IDF from eliminating any threat to our forces and citizens. In accordance with the political leadership’s directive, the Chief of Staff clarified the rules of engagement and emphasized: eliminating a threat is the responsibility of every soldier in the field, and every soldier is expected to act decisively to eliminate the threat.”

{Matzav.com}

Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s embattled rollout of New York City’s new pied-à-terre tax was back on track Thursday after an appellate court temporarily cleared the way for the city to continue implementing the program, though the legal fight over the tax remains far from resolved.

The ruling lifts—for now—a restraining order issued Monday by a lower court, allowing City Hall to resume the rollout while a full panel of appellate judges reviews the case. The order was signed by Associate Justice Philip Hom of the Appellate Division in Brooklyn.

Attorneys representing three New York City homeowners challenging the tax quickly blasted the decision. Former First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro, who is representing the plaintiffs, accused the Mamdani administration of trying to sidestep the lower court’s ruling, calling the effort “an astonishing display of chutzpah.”

“It is a shame that the City can’t own up to its own mistakes and admit that it has badly botched the rollout of this surcharge,” Mastro said after the appellate ruling. “Instead, the administration is doubling down, going to court to ensure that it can continue harassing and threatening New York City homeowners who clearly are permanent residents — something the City would know if it would only do its homework.”

In court filings submitted Thursday, Mastro argued that the city was “compounding their illegal conduct by going to extraordinary lengths to avoid a three-week pause in their harassment campaign of New York City homeowners, all done in their zeal to impose a Surcharge that does not have to be invoiced until November 15, 2026 and collected until January.”

He further accused city officials of “negligence, laziness or intentionality” for failing to use existing government data to determine who actually qualified for the tax before sending out thousands of notices. According to the filing, the city may have been counting on residents missing the exemption deadline in order to collect additional revenue.

“The only reasonable explanation is that the City is trying to ensnare thousands more New York City residents who are not liable for this Surcharge into having to pay it anyway,” Mastro wrote Thursday in a court filing.

During the hearing, Mastro sharply criticized the city’s approach, telling the court, “You can’t terrorize first and then clarify,” adding that “which is exactly what the city is trying to do.”

Staten Island Supreme Court Judge Wayne Ozzi voiced similar concerns when he issued Monday’s temporary restraining order, questioning whether the city had fulfilled its legal obligation to verify eligibility before mailing the tax notices.

“So if they surcharge people who are surcharged only because they didn’t file for an exemption, I don’t think that’s appropriate,” the judge said, according to the hearing transcript.

City attorneys countered that delaying the rollout would create significant administrative problems because Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the legislation only in late May, leaving the Department of Finance with strict statutory deadlines for implementing the tax.

Corporation Counsel Steve Banks also argued that delaying the rollout could deprive the city of “sorely needed revenues for the City to help close its generational budget gap.”

Banks maintained that once the city appealed Judge Ozzi’s ruling, the appeal automatically stayed the lower court’s order, allowing officials to continue the rollout without interruption while the appeal is pending.

The lawsuit, filed last Friday, contends that the city violated the state law authorizing the pied-à-terre tax by failing to use the extensive state records the legislation specifically made available to identify eligible taxpayers before sending notices.

Instead, the complaint argues, City Hall shifted that burden onto homeowners by requiring them to prove they qualified for an exemption within what was initially a one-month filing period, later extended.

Among the plaintiffs are Staten Island residents Rachel O’Brien and Carmine Morano—the wife and father of City Councilman Frank Morano—whose homes appeared on the city’s published tax list alongside thousands of other properties.

A third plaintiff, Chelsea resident Simon Hedley, who has publicly described himself as a supporter of Mayor Mamdani, also received one of approximately 17,000 tax notices, according to the lawsuit. Hedley has since successfully obtained an exemption after applying for one following the filing of the case.

{Matzav.com}

The Trump White House issued a report Thursday accusing countries of helping exporters sidestep U.S. tariffs by routing products through third-party nations, estimating that the practice is costing the federal government between $19 billion and $26 billion in lost tariff revenue each year.

According to the report, China began shifting its strategy after new U.S. tariffs were imposed in 2018 by sending goods to countries such as Mexico, Malaysia, and others for minimal processing or repackaging before shipping them to the United States. The practice, known as transshipping, allows products to avoid being identified as Chinese exports.

The report argues that while official trade statistics appeared to show declining imports from China, the strategy enabled Beijing to continue expanding its manufacturing base while undermining American factories and threatening U.S. jobs.

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro told reporters during a conference call that China is disguising the origin of its exports through more than 40 countries, although he emphasized that the larger problem is the willingness of other nations to facilitate the tariff-avoidance scheme.

“For years, the great transshipment scam has let communist China launder its exports,” Navarro said.

The report was released just weeks before Chinese leader Xi Jinping is expected to visit the United States in September. During his own trip to Beijing in May, President Donald Trump spoke favorably about Xi.

Although Beijing has characterized its ties with Washington as one of “strategic stability,” the report contends that Chinese industrial policies promoting manufactured exports have disrupted key industries—including automobiles, metals, and electronics—not only in the United States but also across Europe, Japan, and other major economies.

Navarro said China is not the only country employing such tactics, warning that nations including India could also use transshipping to circumvent tariffs. He added that trade agreements negotiated by the Trump administration will include provisions to punish countries that participate in the practice.

Since returning to office, the Trump administration has imposed steep tariffs on imports from countries around the world in an effort to strengthen domestic manufacturing. While the policy has targeted both allies and adversaries, economists have also pointed to the tariffs as contributing to higher inflation in the United States.

The White House report estimates that the value of goods routed through third countries each year ranges from approximately $34.2 billion to as much as $303 billion, based on government and private-sector data. Using a midpoint estimate of $75 billion in transshipped goods, the administration calculated annual tariff revenue losses of between $19 billion and $26 billion.

Navarro said U.S. Customs and Border Protection has begun testing an artificial intelligence system designed to detect transshipping operations. He added that importers caught falsely declaring a product’s country of origin can be required to pay tariffs retroactively for imports dating back roughly one year.

Several of Trump’s tariff policies enacted during his second term have been challenged in court, and the Supreme Court struck down some of those measures in February.

Despite the ongoing disputes over tariffs, the U.S. trade deficit has narrowed considerably. Although America continues to import more goods than it exports, the trade gap has totaled $371 billion so far this year—about $189 billion lower than during the same period a year ago.

{Matzav.com}

The Pentagon is preparing to deploy the USS George Washington to the Middle East, where it will replace the USS Abraham Lincoln following one of the longest and most demanding carrier deployments in recent memory, according to a Wall Street Journal report published Thursday.

U.S. officials told the Journal that the George Washington’s deployment is part of a routine carrier rotation that had already been scheduled before members of Congress began raising alarms about the difficult conditions facing sailors aboard the Lincoln.

The Abraham Lincoln originally left on deployment last November but was redirected to the Middle East in January as the United States prepared for war with Iran. Since then, the carrier’s aircraft have participated in Operation Epic Fury—the U.S. air campaign against Iran—and the ship has continued operating as part of the maritime blockade of Iranian ports, the Journal reported.

The extended mission has placed extraordinary demands on the crew. According to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., the carrier has now spent more than 250 days deployed and nearly 200 consecutive days without stopping at a port—an unprecedented period at sea.

Blumenthal sent a letter this week to War Secretary Pete Hegseth and acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao requesting detailed information about the conditions aboard the vessel.

In his letter, the senator pointed to reports describing shortages of essential supplies, contaminated drinking water, plumbing failures, safety issues, interruptions in mail delivery, and increasing mental health challenges among the crew.

Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., also announced that he plans to press the Pentagon and the Trump administration for answers regarding the situation.

“At the end of the day, we know that those who are serving have to have comfort knowing that they’re getting properly taken care of,” Stutzman told CNN on Thursday.

Earlier reports indicated that sailors aboard the Abraham Lincoln had been coping with dwindling food supplies as well as shortages of everyday necessities such as toothpaste and soap.

Lawmakers have also voiced growing concern about crew fatigue and declining mental health after months of continuous operations with virtually no opportunities for rest during port visits.

According to the Wall Street Journal, sending the USS George Washington to the region will allow the Abraham Lincoln and its exhausted crew to head home while ensuring the United States continues to maintain an aircraft carrier presence in the Middle East as tensions with Iran remain high.

{Matzav.com}

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Thursday strongly defended the overwhelming majority of Jewish residents in Judea and Samaria while sharply condemning a small group of Israelis accused of criminal and violent behavior, insisting their actions do not represent the broader community.

“‘Settlers’ are not the problem in Judea/Samaria. ‘Unsettlers’ are,” Huckabee wrote. “Very small minority who do great damage to Palestinian families & to Israel.”

Huckabee pointed to comments made by Yisrael Ganz, head of the Binyamin Regional Council and chairman of the Yesha Council, who publicly denounced the conduct of Israelis involved in a recent confrontation near the Palestinian Arab village of Qusra.

“Real settlers like Yisrael Ganz, Governor of Judea/Samaria, condemn the actions of the few,” Huckabee wrote. “Let’s hope the media gives attention to this & balances their stories.”

The controversy centered on an incident in Qusra, where several Israelis were reported to have attempted to occupy a Palestinian Arab residence. After the family refused to vacate the home, a lengthy standoff ensued until Israeli security personnel arrived and removed the group. Following the evacuation, the Israelis allegedly tried to obstruct a roadway leading into the village.

Ganz forcefully criticized the episode, saying it “does not reflect our values or our way of conducting ourselves.”

“There is no place for individuals to take matters into their own hands and establish an outpost in someone’s backyard, even when dealing with an illegal home or an attempt to seize control of the land,” Ganz said. “There is no justification whatsoever for violence against uninvolved civilians or security forces.”

He added, “There is no doubt that some are exploiting these events as part of a campaign against the Jewish communities, but that must not obscure the simple truth: what happened in Qusra was wrong and is unacceptable to us.”

Ganz said Jewish communities in Binyamin and across Judea and Samaria would continue moving forward “with determination and responsibility” through what he described as “an orderly and proper process.”

“At the same time, I call on the Israeli government to cancel the Oslo Accords and enable legitimate, regulated Jewish communities throughout the open areas,” he said.

Israeli security personnel, including IDF troops, Border Police officers, and Civil Administration officials, arrived to dismantle an unauthorized outpost that had been established several days earlier. During the operation, Hilltop Youth activists attempted to impede the evacuation by placing large boulders across nearby access roads.

Central Command commander Avi Bluth visited the scene to oversee the operation before departing roughly an hour later. Security forces ultimately completed the evacuation and restored order without major confrontations.

According to reports, the outpost had been established about three days earlier near Qusra as an expansion of the Tel Talpiyot outpost. Palestinian officials claimed it prevented local residents from reaching their homes and interfered with daily life.

The incident followed several recent reports alleging that Israeli civilians had entered homes and other areas near Qusra and the neighboring village of Jalud in attempts to assert control over the properties.

An IDF spokesperson condemned the reported conduct in unusually strong terms, calling it “illegal, despicable, and improper.” The spokesperson also said several Hilltop Youth activists attempted to gain entry into the area by riding in an ambulance after the military had declared the location a closed military zone.

“Upon the ambulance’s arrival at the crossing, IDF forces identified Israeli citizens inside it who sought to enter the area under its cover,” the spokesperson said.

The military stated that those responsible would be handled together with the appropriate security agencies and warned that any active-duty or reserve soldiers found to have taken part in the incidents would face disciplinary action.

During overnight operations Thursday, security forces dismantled two unauthorized outposts in Area B near Qusra and Jalud, confiscated equipment from both sites, and detained one Israeli.

Soldiers from the IDF’s 51st Battalion were deployed to the area to conduct patrols and defensive operations aimed at maintaining security and protecting local residents.

Earlier in the week, Huckabee also responded to accusations made by Palestinian Arab Ihab Hassan, who claimed that Israeli “settler terrorists” had surrounded the home of an American citizen in Qusra and alleged that the U.S. Embassy had failed to intervene.

“This is another lie,” Huckabee responded.

Huckabee said the U.S. Embassy in Yerushalayim had been “VERY involved” and explained that the IDF and Israel Police entered the area at the embassy’s request to remove what he described as “the Israeli terrorists” responsible for the incident.

“The actions of those doing this to this family’s home is criminal,” Huckabee wrote, adding that the White House had not “intervened” because Washington had already been kept informed of the situation.

He further characterized the intimidation of the family as a “horrific act of terror meant to intimidate and harass” and denounced the conduct as “disgusting” and “thuggish.”

“There is no excuse for such thuggish behavior,” Huckabee wrote. “But saying the US Ambassador or US Embassy doesn’t care or hasn’t done anything is simply untrue.”

In a follow-up post sharing video of Israeli security forces dismantling the outpost, Huckabee said the footage demonstrated that the IDF and Israel Police had acted to remove illegal trespassers who were attempting to intimidate Palestinian residents.

“It’s just not accurate to say Israel nor the US Embassy did nothing to protect Palestinian homeowners/US citizens,” he wrote.

{Matzav.com}

Stav Cohen, 30, an Israeli attorney and special-forces reservist, has spent more than 12 years fighting terrorists. He now plans to deploy his combat skills against another threat to the Jewish state—this one found on American college campuses.

“A loaded M16 is to prevent the next attack tonight,” but it’s necessary to talk to college students before they become “the next Mamdani or the next Congress leaders,” the grandchild of Holocaust survivors told JNS.

Cohen is co-founder of the Israeli nonprofit Frontline Advocates, which trains Israeli veterans and others to defend the Jewish state and which is about to lead a seven-member delegation to New York from Aug. 23 to 30.

“For me, this is the only way to build a better future,” he told JNS. “To stop the bloodshed.”

Cohen and Itay Sagi, 27, plan to lead the delegation, which is slated to spend the week holding public debates and filming social media posts near New York University, Columbia University, Fordham University, Fashion Institute of Technology, City College and Stony Brook Southampton, per a preliminary schedule that JNS viewed.

The group is also scheduled to participate in Jewish communal and church events in the Hamptons, and it plans to return to Israel on Aug. 30.

Most members of the delegation are young Israelis, in their 20s.

Cohen told JNS that the nonprofit isn’t funded by the Israeli Foreign Ministry, although the latter supports it in other ways, including providing it with facilities and instructors for a six-week speaker-training program in Israel.

‘Sneak into most horrible places’

After Oct. 7, Cohen realized that the stories his grandfather told him about Auschwitz were repeating themselves and that fighting terrorists one-by-one, as he does as a special-forces reservist, was not enough to confront the broader threat, he told JNS.

“My job is to sneak into the most horrible places, where terrorism cells are breathing, get the bad guys and scram out,” he said. “Most of the time it gets messy, and lots of shooting happens.”

After many experiences that he called “near-death” and injuries, “if God, fate or the world, whoever that is, decided that I still have a job to play, a role to play here, then this is to build bridges between Jews, Muslims and Christians and stop this craziness,” he said.

“Because,” he told JNS, trailing off, “good people are dying.”

Cohen told JNS that the group brings private security to its events and often holds public appearances outside campus buildings, because indoor events have presented security problems in the past.

“I was once giving a lecture at John Jay College, and 150 masked protesters—masked as in, wrapped keffiyehs around their faces—tried to break in,” he said. “They physically attacked police officers.”

“They managed to break in,” he said. “They were stopped literally in the hallway before they got us to the class, and then I had to sneak out through the back door.”

“Two police cars escorted me back to the hotel,” Cohen told JNS.

Cohen is nervous about bringing the group to New York City amid concerns about antisemitic violence in the city.

“I’m seeing what’s going on in New York,” he told JNS. “I’m getting death threats on a daily basis, and they’re tracking us down, and they know that we’re coming.”

“I fear for my speakers’ lives,” he said.

Unfillable void

“I’m not afraid of anyone,” Sagi told JNS, of going to the Big Apple. “I’m mostly afraid for my speakers, but I’m sure they’re gonna be fine.”

After being critically wounded in combat shortly after Oct. 7, Sagi grew determined to make the loss of his friends “worth it,” as he put it.

“We need this place to be somehow worth their loss,” he told JNS. “It will never be. It’s a void.”

The Hebrew word for death is tied to the notion of a void that “you can never fill,” according to Sagi.

“But we need to try, and we need to shed light on it,” he told JNS. “That’s what I’m trying to do.”

Yuval Patiev, 23, was a 20-year-old commander in the Golani Brigade when Hamas terrorists stormed across the Gaza border on Oct. 7, leaving him critically wounded.

Nearly three years later, after more than a year of rehabilitation, he plans to share his story in New York City with students close to the age he was when he fought that day. He said he plans to do that, so they can “know my reality.”

“I can tell them the story that at 20 years old, I was surrounded by terrorists and basically accepted my death,” he told JNS. “I felt that because I have a crazy story to tell, and I have the ability to tell and share, then I must do it because a lot of people can’t.”

One of the memories that has stayed with Patiev most from that day was realizing that he might not live.

“We saw them inside Israel, not even running. They were walking,” he told JNS, of the Hamas terrorists. It was crazy. It was insane. We couldn’t believe what we were witnessing.”

As the attack unfolded and he remained trapped for hours after being wounded, Patiev began to come to terms with what he assumed would be his fate.

“You accept death, and you’re thinking about—how is your family going to react,” he told JNS. “How is your funeral going to be? What are people going to say about you?”

For Eliana Solomon, 24, the trip marks a return to the city where she grew up.

Raised in New York City in a Zionist family, she made aliyah alone at 18 and served as an officer in the Israeli military. She now leads the training program at Frontline Advocates and has traveled with the group on two prior delegations.

“Our war that we’re fighting here in Israel is not just the physical war,” she told JNS. “It’s really the advocacy war, which is the media and the lies that are going around about our country.”

‘The real side of Israel’

“I realized it wasn’t enough,” Solomon said, of serving in the Israeli military.

“I realized that there was an entire other front that we’re completely forgetting about,” she told JNS.

During a previous Frontline Advocates visit to Washington Square Park in lower Manhattan, delegation members set out Israeli flags and spoke with passersby.

Some shouted at them from a distance. One man cursed the group, made violent remarks and tried to physically confront Cohen before being arrested, she told JNS.

“I want to show people the real side of Israel,” she said. “I want to show people that we’re people, and that at the end of the day, the IDF soldiers that everyone’s so scared of are young people just like me.”

“We’re not just fighting for Israel,” she said. “We’re fighting for the future of America as well.”

Cohen told JNS that beyond that goal, he is fighting for his 4-month-old daughter, who was born during Iranian ballistic-missile attacks on Israel.

“She’s a baby. She’s a pure baby,” he said. “She was born in a bomb shelter four months ago when Iran shot ballistic missiles.”

The delivery was complicated, Cohen said, and the umbilical cord wrapped around his daughter’s neck twice amid attacks outside.

“It all happened through sirens over and over and explosions,” he said. “It was crazy.”

For Cohen, the experience reinforced the stakes of trying to change minds abroad—not only for Israel today but for the country in which his daughter will grow up.

“This is for my 4-month-old baby daughter, and just an M16 won’t do that,” he told JNS. “It just ain’t gonna cut it no more. We have to fight with words and by the narrative.”

“This is why we’re trying to build bridges, and this is why I’m dedicating my life to building a better future,” he said. JNS

Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior envoy, is expected to arrive in Israel next week for high-level meetings focused on the future of Gaza, according to five sources familiar with the plans who spoke to Axios on Thursday.

The trip will be Kushner’s first official visit to Israel since January and comes as the Trump administration and the Board of Peace intensify efforts to implement the next phase of their Gaza initiative, which calls for Hamas to be disarmed and for Israel to eventually withdraw military forces under a structured framework.

While Washington and Yerushalayim remain aligned on the broader objective, Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu’s government has expressed significant reservations about key elements of the American proposal.

“We see eye-to-eye on the strategic goal, but Israel has expressed some doubts about the plan and we want to talk to them in order to make sure we are coordinated,” a U.S. official told Axios, noting that Kushner’s travel schedule has not yet been finalized and could still change.

The visit follows Trump’s announcement two weeks ago that the Board of Peace had reached an understanding with Hamas under which the terror group would surrender its weapons and transfer both security responsibilities and civilian governance in Gaza to a newly established Palestinian technocratic administration.

Although Netanyahu publicly rejected that demilitarization framework on Sunday, the statement came after a private phone conversation with Kushner several days earlier. According to a U.S. official, Netanyahu agreed during that call to allow the initiative to move forward despite his concerns and pledged to limit Israeli military operations in Gaza to create conditions for the disarmament process to begin.

Officials within the administration believe Netanyahu’s public criticism is aimed primarily at Israel’s domestic political audience rather than signaling a genuine break with the U.S. plan.

“We understand Bibi’s political needs. We have no problem with it as long as he continues to do what we ask – especially regarding restraining attacks in Gaza,” a senior U.S. official told Axios.

In the wake of those discussions, the IDF reportedly reduced the pace of its operations in Gaza and repositioned troops to the agreed-upon “Yellow Line” established under the framework.

Kushner is expected to travel with Nickolay Mladenov, who serves as the Board of Peace’s appointed high representative for Gaza. The two are scheduled to hold talks with Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials and may also travel to additional countries in the region to meet with leaders involved in shaping Gaza’s future.

Behind closed doors, U.S. officials are working to prevent Israel’s election campaign from slowing implementation of the next stage of the Gaza roadmap. At the same time, Netanyahu is attempting to navigate the political pressures of the election season without creating a direct confrontation with Trump ahead of the vote.

“The elections are making everyone hysterical,” a U.S. official said in describing the current political climate.

Kushner and Mladenov’s primary goal is to reach a practical understanding with Netanyahu on how Gaza will be administered in the months ahead.

“We are not rushing into anything here. We want to make sure all steps in Gaza are being done properly,” another U.S. official said, adding, “We think our plan is better than the alternative.”

{Matzav.com}

Israeli authorities remain without a breakthrough nearly a week after Mali and Liel Yahalomi disappeared, with investigators continuing to examine multiple possible scenarios, including terrorism, criminal involvement, or the possibility that the pair vanished of their own accord.

The case is being handled by Lahav 433’s National Unit for Combating Economic Crime. As part of the ongoing investigation, detectives on Thursday interviewed friends of the missing mother and daughter and also visited Bank of Jerusalem, where Mali Yahalomi works, to gather testimony and any information that could shed light on the circumstances surrounding the disappearance.

According to a Channel 13 report, investigators in Austria are increasingly convinced that Mali and Liel are no longer in the country. If that assessment is correct, the search effort becomes significantly more complex, as authorities would need to widen the scope of their investigation well beyond Austria’s borders.

As speculation continued to mount, the Yahalomi family released a video statement on Thursday urging the public to avoid relying on rumors and conflicting media reports regarding the disappearance.

The family stressed that it would not respond to reports lacking official confirmation and appealed to investigators to continue exploring every possible direction.

“My family and I are aware of the rumor mill and the conflicting reports being spread by the media in the past few hours,” one of the family members stated. “We wish to make clear that we are unable to comment on unverified information that does not come from the official bodies.”

The relatives also referred to the statement issued by Bank of Jerusalem, emphasizing the bank’s findings after its internal review. “Following the inquiry that was conducted, nothing was found indicating any unusual activities with the bank’s funds or assets.”

The family further urged investigators not to prematurely dismiss any possibility, stating, “We ask all relevant authorities not to rule out any avenue in the investigation.”

They concluded by expressing hope for a positive outcome despite the uncertainty. “Amidst the uncertainty and worry, the family continues to hope and wish that the search will lead to them, and that this story will ultimately end and they will return home safely,” it said.

Earlier reports indicated that the Mossad had joined search efforts in Vienna as authorities work to locate the missing pair.

Separately, Bank of Jerusalem sought to reassure customers Thursday after widespread rumors triggered concern and sent the bank’s stock sharply lower, at one point falling 12.39%. The bank said there is no indication that customer funds were improperly handled or stolen.

In a message distributed to customers, the bank wrote: “Following information and rumors that have recently surfaced, and in light of a thorough and comprehensive examination conducted by the bank, we wish to clarify unequivocally that there is no concern whatsoever of embezzlement of Bank of Jerusalem customers’ funds.”

The market decline followed speculation tied to Mali Yahalomi’s disappearance. In a letter to employees, Bank of Jerusalem CEO Yair Kaplan emphasized that her employment at the bank is the only known connection to the institution, writing: “Apart from the fact that she is an employee of the bank, no connection has been found between the incident and the bank.”

Kaplan also reminded employees that the case is subject to a court-issued gag order and warned against circulating information about the investigation. The bank reiterated its earlier findings, stating: “Following an examination that was conducted, no findings were discovered indicating any unusual activity involving the bank’s funds or assets.”

{Matzav.com}

The Kennedy Center is set to undergo a sweeping two-year closure to accommodate major renovation work after its board approved the plan on Thursday, according to two people familiar with the decision. While the main facility will shut down, some outdoor performances may continue during the construction period.

The vote, taken by a board made up largely of allies of President Donald Trump, reinforces an earlier proposal that leaders argued was essential to address significant safety and infrastructure concerns. Opponents, however, fear the closure could pave the way for broader changes as part of Trump’s ongoing effort to reshape Washington during his second term.

The individuals who disclosed the board’s decision spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly before an official announcement.

The latest action comes after U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper halted a previous closure that had been scheduled to begin on July 5. It remains unclear whether Thursday’s vote will trigger another court challenge. In his earlier ruling, Cooper wrote that the board’s March 16 approval of the shutdown appeared “ill-informed and seemingly preordained.”

With the project now moving forward once again, board members are expected to face renewed scrutiny over whether they fully evaluated all available alternatives before deciding on a complete closure.

Before Thursday’s meeting, Kennedy Center officials said directors would consider three possible paths. One called for shutting the entire complex, while another would have allowed portions of the building to remain open with “some continued public access and limited programming in spaces unaffected” by the renovations. Under that proposal, performances could have continued at the Reach, the center’s outdoor campus.

A third proposal would have avoided a full shutdown by implementing “a highly limited series of phased closures to address only the Center’s most serious infrastructure needs while scheduling and maintaining a full slate of programming.”

Shortly after returning to the White House in January 2025, Trump replaced the Kennedy Center’s leadership and installed a new board of trustees that subsequently elected him chairman. In December 2025, the board also added Trump’s name to the building, though Judge Cooper later ruled that action was unlawful.

Trump’s name was removed from the building in June, but the location where it had appeared remains concealed behind a large tarp. Cooper has directed the Kennedy Center to provide updates on how long the covering is expected to remain.

The renovation project is part of a broader campaign by Trump to remake prominent landmarks throughout the nation’s capital.

Among those efforts is the demolition of the White House East Wing to make room for a new ballroom. Construction on that project was ordered halted last week after an appeals court ruled that Congress had not approved it, though Trump has vowed to appeal the case to the Supreme Court.

Other initiatives have also encountered setbacks. Renovation work at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has faced continuing problems after algae returned, while U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro disputed Trump’s assertion that vandalism was responsible for the damage.

At the same time, the administration continues to advance plans to renovate the golf course at East Potomac Park and construct a triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery.

Trump has repeatedly criticized the Kennedy Center, describing it as “rusted, rotted, and rat and bug infested.” After Cooper blocked both the closure and the addition of Trump’s name to the building, the president suggested turning the facility over to Congress.

Kennedy Center officials have maintained that the extensive renovation project is necessary because of the building’s deteriorating condition.

During a tour of the facility in April, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer Matt Floca showed reporters areas with extensive water damage, saying corrosion had reduced some steel supports to the thickness of tissue paper. He also noted that major mechanical systems, including several 800-ton cooling units, are decades old and require replacement.

Floca said he had considered repairing the building in phases but ultimately advised Trump that a complete closure would be the most effective approach.

“When the president asked: ‘How do you make these projects the best? How do you make them really excellent and deliver them efficiently?’ my recommendation was you close the building and you do everything over a definite period of time, two years,” he said.

The ongoing legal and political controversy surrounding the Kennedy Center even became part of the entertainment during the presentation of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in late June, when comedian Bill Maher made the dispute part of his remarks.

At the beginning of the ceremony, Kennedy Center trustee Pamella Roland DeVos, who was appointed by Trump, emphasized the institution’s mission, calling it a “national cultural center open not just for some but for every American patron who wants to experience the greatest art and expression the world has to offer.”

“The responsibility that comes with it is one our board takes very seriously,” she said.

{Matzav.com}

Great excitement is being felt among Sanz-Klausenburger chassidim in Eretz Yisroel ahead of a surprise visit by the Sanz-Klausenburger Rebbe, who is traveling from his home in Boro Park for a brief visit ahead of the Yomim Noraim, marking his first trip to Eretz Yisroel in two years.

Immediately after landing today, he was scheduled to travel to Tzefas, where he will stay at the home of the family of noted philanthropist and baal chessed Rav Shalom Fisher z”l.

The highlight of the visit is expected to take place this coming Shabbos, Parshas Shoftim, when hundreds of Sanz-Klausenburger chassidim from communities throughout Eretz Yisroel are expected to travel to Tzefas to spend Shabbos in the presence of the Rebbe.

The tefillos and tishen will be held at the Tomer Devorah complex in Tzefas’ Old City, with preparations underway to accommodate the large number of chassidim expected to attend.

During his packed visit, the Rebbe is scheduled to receive chassidim seeking his counsel and brachos. He will also participate in several family simchos connected to the chassidus.

Among them will be the wedding of a grandson of Reb Azriel Tauber, a longtime confidant of the Rebbe and a leader of the Sanz-Klausenburger community in Eretz Yisroel. The Rebbe is also expected to attend a wedding in the family of philanthropist Reb Eliyahu Schlossberg, one of the prominent supporters of the chassidus.

As part of the visit, the Rebbe will travel to Netanya together with a large group of chassidim to visit the kever of his father, the Shefa Chaim of Sanz-Klausenburg zt”l.

A special team of askanim is overseeing preparations for the Rebbe’s visit, including transportation, accommodations and arrangements for the large tefillos and gatherings expected during his stay.

{Matzav.com}

Sen. Bernie Sanders is calling on Democratic Party leaders to prohibit super PAC spending in Democratic primary elections, singling out AIPAC after the pro-Israel organization spent millions of dollars in Michigan’s high-profile Senate primary.

In an open letter released Sunday, Sanders urged Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin to dismantle what he described as a “corrupt system” of campaign financing by banning super PAC involvement in Democratic primaries.

Much of Sanders’ criticism centered on the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which poured approximately $32 million into an unsuccessful effort to defeat Abdul El-Sayed, an outspoken critic of Israel, in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary. El-Sayed ultimately prevailed over Rep. Haley Stevens, who was widely viewed as a pro-Israel moderate.

Sanders also pointed to reports indicating that AIPAC is now considering investing heavily in support of Republican nominee Mike Rogers, who is expected to face El-Sayed in a closely watched general election this November.

“It is absurd that they spend tens of millions of dollars to try to determine who the Democratic nominee is and, if they fail, then proceed to support the Republican candidate in the general election,” said Sanders. He added that corporate PACs, including “crypto, AI and other online betting special interests,” have spent a record $517 million this election cycle.

The Vermont independent, who caucuses with Senate Democrats, has long advocated overturning the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision through a constitutional amendment. That ruling opened the door for corporations and outside groups to spend unlimited sums on political campaigns. In his latest letter, Sanders argued that Democrats need not wait for constitutional changes and instead should immediately “prohibit super PACs from participating in its primaries.”

AIPAC quickly rejected Sanders’ proposal.

“Millions of Democrats are AIPAC members who are proud to help elect principled Democrats,” AIPAC said Monday in its response to Sanders.

The organization also responded on X, writing, “This letter isn’t about democracy or campaign finance — that’s why he doesn’t name the billionaire super PACs that back him. Sanders just wants to blacklist Americans who disagree with him.”

During an appearance Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Sanders acknowledged that Democrats would likely be at a major disadvantage if they voluntarily abandoned super PAC support in general elections. Nevertheless, he argued that the party should “take charge of what takes place within their own primaries right now.”

Sanders remains one of the most prominent progressive Jewish politicians in the United States. Over the past year, he has thrown his support behind a number of left-wing candidates critical of Israel, including El-Sayed, Adam Hamawy, who captured the Democratic nomination in New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District, and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Although Sanders first rose to national prominence through his focus on economic inequality, he has increasingly centered his criticism on Israel’s military campaigns in Gaza and Iran. Last year, he became the first sitting U.S. senator to declare that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza. Earlier this year, a record 40 senators voted in favor of his “Block the Bombs” resolutions seeking to halt certain U.S. weapons sales to Israel.

{Matzav.com}

Apple has agreed to pay $150,000 to resolve a federal religious discrimination lawsuit accusing the company of refusing to accommodate a Jewish employee’s Shabbos observance and later terminating his employment after he raised concerns about antisemitic treatment.

The case was brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in September 2025 on behalf of Tyler Steele, who had worked for years at Apple’s retail store in Reston, Virginia. The lawsuit alleged that the technology giant violated federal law by denying Steele’s request for a religious accommodation and retaliating against him after he complained.

According to the complaint, Steele converted to Judaism in the spring of 2023. At first, his supervisor approved his request not to be scheduled on Fridays and Saturdays so he could properly observe Shabbos. However, after a new manager took over, that accommodation was revoked.

The lawsuit states that in September 2023, Steele asked again to have Fridays and Saturdays off, but his new manager, Anthony Dosch, refused the request. The complaint further alleges that Dosch told Steele he “could become a rules Nazi with regards to our policies.”

The EEOC also alleged that, shortly after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Dosch cautioned Steele against discussing politics or the war while at work. About a month later, Steele was issued a misconduct warning alleging that body odor had violated company policy.

Federal officials said Steele reported what he believed was antisemitic conduct, along with the denial of his religious accommodation, to Apple management in November 2023. According to the lawsuit, he was dismissed from his position in January 2024 after reminding Dosch that he would be unable to work on an upcoming Friday because of his religious obligations.

“Employees should not have to violate their religious beliefs to keep their jobs or live in fear of retribution because they requested an accommodation,” EEOC Philadelphia Regional Attorney Debra Lawrence said in a statement at the time the lawsuit was filed.

The EEOC’s lawsuit charged Apple with religious discrimination and unlawful retaliation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

On August 7, Apple and the EEOC jointly notified a federal court in Virginia that they had reached a settlement, nearly one year after the lawsuit was filed. The agreement still requires judicial approval before becoming final.

As part of the settlement, Apple denied any wrongdoing and did not admit liability. Nevertheless, the company agreed to pay Steele $80,000 in back wages along with $70,000 in compensatory damages and interest, for a total of $150,000.

The agreement also requires Apple to revise its policies regarding religious accommodations and provide training to certain employees in its Virginia operations within 90 days.

{Matzav.com}

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri has entered the battle over the upcoming Likud primaries, directing chareidi activists to support several candidates who have worked closely with the chareidi community during the current Knesset term.

According to sources, Deri has instructed grassroots activists within the chareidi sector to campaign on behalf of several Likud candidates ahead of the party’s internal elections. At the top of his recommended list are MK Boaz Bismuth, chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, and MK Chanoch Milwidsky, chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee.

Both lawmakers have earned significant appreciation among chareidi leaders and activists for their efforts on issues affecting the chareidi public throughout the current term.

As chairman of the Finance Committee, Milwidsky has played a central role in advancing budgetary and financial matters benefiting the chareidi community, including confronting legal challenges posed by the Attorney General and Israel’s High Court of Justice.

Bismuth, who heads the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, has been deeply involved in deliberations surrounding the military draft law and efforts to regulate the status of bnei yeshivos.

Deri has also included Coalition Chairman MK Ofir Katz and MK Avichai Boaron among his preferred candidates, with activists likewise encouraged to assist their campaigns in the primaries.

The directive reflects a broader strategy of rewarding Likud lawmakers who have supported the chareidi community on major legislative and policy issues during the current Knesset, with the expectation that chareidi activists who are registered Likud members will return that support at the ballot box.

The Likud primaries are scheduled for Monday, August 17, when party members will choose the party’s slate of candidates for the next Knesset election.

{Matzav.com}