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A Palestinian organization announced Thursday that it has submitted a criminal complaint in Switzerland against Israel’s Economy Minister Nir Barkat, accusing him of what it described as “international crimes,” while he is attending the World Economic Forum in Davos.

The group, Al-Haq, which Israel has designated a terror organization, wrote online that the Likud lawmaker and former Yerushalayim mayor “is currently present in #Davos and the public prosecutor is obliged to examine it while he is present in the country.”

Davos is hosting the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, an event that draws senior political leaders and top business figures from around the globe. Barkat traveled there to promote investment in Israel and hold meetings with foreign officials. President Isaac Herzog is also participating, alongside numerous other international leaders.

The statements issued by Al-Haq did not outline specific acts that Barkat is alleged to have committed, nor did they identify the other organizations said to be involved in filing the complaint. The move nevertheless fits a broader pattern in which pro-Palestinian groups attempt to pursue legal action against Israeli officials and citizens abroad over alleged war crimes connected to Gaza or the West Bank.

“Davos cannot be a safe haven for war criminals, where individuals facing serious allegations are granted impunity,” the group said in the post thread.

Another organization, the Hind Rajab Foundation, has in recent months pushed for the detention of Israelis overseas who served in Gaza, frequently relying on social media posts to identify targets and then submitting complaints to foreign authorities. Earlier this week, an Israeli comedian who shared a provocative video from Gaza reported being held for six hours in Canada following a complaint linked to the group.

There was no indication that the Hind Rajab Foundation played any role in the complaint involving Barkat, and the group did not reference him on its own X account.

In another post, Al-Haq asserted that Barkat, in his capacity as economy minister, “is responsible for unlawful Israeli colonization of Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel’s actions in Gaza,” and claimed that he had encouraged “genocide,” without pointing to specific remarks to support the allegation.

The organization further argued that during Barkat’s tenure as mayor of Yerushalayim from 2008 to 2018, he was “individually responsible for illegal Israeli settlement-related international crimes, including apartheid.” It added, “He should be investigated for his role in planning, permits, enforcement and demolitions in occupied Jerusalem.”

Many countries view eastern parts of Yerushalayim as territory illegally occupied by Israel. Israel, which captured the area during the 1967 Six Day War and later annexed it, regards the city as its undivided capital. Al-Haq’s posts did not clearly distinguish whether the accusations referred specifically to eastern Yerushalayim.

Responding publicly, Barkat shared an image of an article discussing the complaint and wrote, “No terror group will deter me. I will continue to develop the Israeli economy and represent the state fearlessly everywhere in the world.”

Israel designated Al-Haq a terror organization in 2021, alongside several other Palestinian NGOs, alleging they operate as fronts for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The group has previously sought international legal measures against Israeli officials and institutions.

{Matzav.com}

The Supreme Court has ruled that the name of the man accused of posing as a military officer and penetrating sensitive command facilities at the start of the war may be released, bringing an end to a long-running publication ban. The individual identified as the alleged “imposter officer” is attorney Asaf Shmuelovitz.

The decision was handed down following an appeal that sought Supreme Court review of an earlier Beersheba District Court ruling permitting the disclosure of his identity.

Prosecutors allege that Shmuelovitz falsely presented himself as a reserve officer, enabling him to enter headquarters and classified command centers connected to the Southern Command. Shmuelovitz has maintained that he acted out of a belief that he was helping during the chaotic opening days of the war.

After the court partially lifted the gag order, members of Shmuelovitz’s family released a statement denouncing the move and disputing the seriousness of the allegations. “Once part of the gag order was lifted, the entire narrative collapsed,” the family said. “At most, Asaf committed a classified-information offense that should have been handled through military disciplinary proceedings. This is a clear case of selective enforcement.”

In their statement, the family contended that Shmuelovitz operated in a capacity approved by his standing-duty commander, and that any classified material involved was either relayed by others during discussions or consisted of imprecise and unclear information. They further claimed that those with whom he communicated possessed higher security clearances within the military or other security bodies.

The family also noted that, with the prosecution’s agreement, a medical evaluation concluded that Shmuelovitz was unfit at the time of the alleged incidents. “Despite this, Asaf chose to continue with the trial in order to see the process through to the end,” the statement said. “He is confident that he will be acquitted and that it will be proven beyond doubt that the charges against him were exaggerated and unfounded.”

Deputy Minister Almog Cohen, who has taken an active role in the matter and participated in combat against Hamas during the October 7th massacre, voiced harsh criticism of how long the court took to issue its ruling. “It took the Supreme Court ‘only’ 838 days to rule on whether the name of the accused in the Southern Command espionage case – Asaf Shmuelovitz – could be published,” Cohen said.

Cohen further claimed that Shmuelovitz entered the Southern Command base on October 7 carrying a cellphone and recorded extremely sensitive material inside the command bunker. “He is only the tip of the iceberg,” Cohen added. “I will continue to fight to expose the full picture – who directed him, what his intentions were, and why the name Yair Golan appeared in his notebook and why they spoke on the phone. The people of Israel deserve to know who abandoned them, and all those responsible must be brought to justice.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said the United States is closely watching Iran’s nuclear activity and will not tolerate any move toward developing nuclear weapons, cautioning that Washington could respond if Tehran refuses to change course.

“We’re going to find out where they stand right now on nuclear,” Trump said. “They can’t have nuclear weapons. They have to stop,” he told CNBC.

Trump also said Iranian authorities backed away from killing protesters after he publicly warned last week that the United States might resort to military force. He claimed Iran’s leadership had been preparing for mass executions before reversing its plans following his statement.

“They were going to hang 837 people on Thursday,” he said. “I told them, ‘You can’t do that.’”

The president said he hopes no further steps will be required, while alleging that Iranian security forces had been shooting civilians in public areas.

Turning again to Iran’s nuclear efforts, Trump argued that without U.S. intervention last June under Operation Midnight Hammer, Tehran would have achieved a nuclear weapon within weeks.

“We hit them hard with B-2 bombers,” Trump said, adding that the aircraft were undetectable and that every strike reached its intended target. He noted that the United States has since ordered 25 additional bombers.

“They keep experimenting with nuclear, but at some point they’re going to get the idea that they can’t do that.”

{Matzav.com}

A draft arrangement taking shape between the United States and Hamas would center on the group’s disarmament while recasting the process as a political understanding rather than a formal surrender, according to details aired Thursday on i24NEWS.

The report said Hamas would issue a declaration stating that “at Israel’s request, it no longer poses a threat.” The framework would differentiate between heavy, offensive weaponry and lighter, personal, and defensive arms, using definitions to be drafted by Hamas itself.

If finalized, the document would carry the title “Understanding Agreement on the Issue of Weapons,” deliberately avoiding language that frames the move as an outright capitulation.

The outline of the deal was initially disclosed by Sky News Arabic, which reported that Hamas would agree to give up its weapons and hand over maps of tunnel networks in the Gaza Strip in return for recognition as a political entity.

Sources familiar with the talks said the terms would also provide that “the cessation of weapons use will allow some members of Hamas’ leadership, both military and political, to leave the Gaza Strip with an American assurance that Israel will not harm them in the future.”

Those sources added that Washington would permit a limited number of former Hamas police officers and officials to take part in administering a restructured “New Gaza,” contingent on their passing Israeli and American security vetting.

According to the reporting, U.S. officials have told mediators that Israel has expressed concerns about the proposal, particularly over the prospect of Hamas continuing to operate as a political party within the Palestinian Arab political arena.

{Matzav.com}

President Trump has launched a $5 billion lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase and its chief executive, Jamie Dimon, accusing the bank of cutting off his financial relationships for political reasons in the aftermath of Jan. 6.

The complaint, filed Thursday in Florida state court in Miami, asserts that the country’s largest bank abruptly terminated long-standing accounts connected to the president and his businesses in early 2021, ending a relationship that had spanned decades.

“JPMC debanked [Trump and his businesses] because it believed that the political tide at the moment favored doing so,” the lawsuit said.

According to the filing, Trump’s attorney Alejandro Brito argues the bank acted “without warning or remedy,” forcing Trump and related entities to relocate hundreds of millions of dollars within weeks and offering no avenue to appeal the decision. The suit contends this conduct ran contrary to JPMorgan’s own internal standards and constituted unfair and deceptive trade practices.

The complaint points to JPMorgan’s publicly stated ethics guidelines, quoting the bank’s code of conduct: “We set high expectations and hold ourselves accountable. We do the right thing — not necessarily the easy or expedient thing. We abide by the letter and spirit of the laws and regulations everywhere we do business and have zero tolerance for unethical behavior,” the lawsuit states, citing the bank’s code of conduct.

“Despite claiming to hold these principles dear, JPMC violated them by unilaterally — and without warning or remedy — terminating several of Plaintiff’s bank accounts,” the lawsuit claims.

The filing alleges the account closures were driven by what it characterizes as “political and social motivations,” asserting that JPMorgan sought to distance itself from Trump and his conservative positions following the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.

It further claims the bank placed Trump, members of his family, and affiliated businesses on an internal “blacklist” shared with other federally regulated banks, a move the lawsuit says resulted in widespread refusals by other institutions to do business with him and caused extensive financial and reputational damage.

“Given that Plaintiffs have always complied with all applicable banking rules and regulations and their wealth management accounts were in good standing, JPMC’s publication of President Trump, the other Plaintiffs, the Trump Organization and its affiliated entities, and/or the Trump family’s names on this blacklist, is an intentional and malicious falsehood,” the lawsuit states.

Trump alleges that by circulating those names, JPMorgan Chase engaged in “an unfair and deceptive trade practice,” arguing the bank “had no legitimate basis to do so and knew that doing so would induce, and did in fact induce, other banking institutions not to deal with them.”

Responding to the suit, a JPMorgan spokesperson told The NY Post: “JPMC does not close accounts for political or religious reasons. We do close accounts because they create legal or regulatory risk for the company.”

“We regret having to do so but often rules and regulatory expectations lead us to do so,” the spokesperson added.

“We have been asking both this Administration and prior administrations to change the rules and regulations that put us in this position, and we support the Administration’s efforts to prevent the weaponization of the banking sector.”

The lawsuit comes amid a sharp deterioration in the relationship between Trump and JPMorgan, fueled by overlapping political, regulatory, and personal disputes.

In recent months, Dimon has publicly criticized several Trump administration policies, including warning that the Justice Department’s criminal probe into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell could threaten the central bank’s independence and potentially drive interest rates higher.

JPMorgan has also opposed a White House proposal to cap credit card interest rates at 10% for a year, with executives cautioning that such a move could limit access to credit, harm consumers, and disrupt financial markets.

Tensions resurfaced again after Dimon criticized Trump’s immigration enforcement approach at the World Economic Forum in Davos, urging more restrained rhetoric and questioning aggressive ICE tactics, comments that stood out as one of the clearest public rebukes of the president by a sitting Wall Street chief.

Trump has frequently used the prospect of litigation against entities he views as adversarial.

The president has previously reached settlements with Paramount, Disney’s ABC News, YouTube, and Meta over disputes tied to interviews, broadcast remarks, and the suspension of his social media accounts after Jan. 6.

Those matters were resolved without admissions of wrongdoing, with the companies opting to pay tens of millions of dollars rather than engage in extended court battles.

{Matzav.com}

JEFFRIES: “The verdict is clear, Donald Trump and Republican policies have been a complete and total failure, a disaster, for the American people…Republicans continue to be focused on all the wrong things.”

President Trump has appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to another job.

Reporter: Why are there so many U.S. Citizens being caught up in this operation? Vance: They’re not being arrested because they violated the immigration laws. They’re being arrested because they punched a federal law enforcement officer. That is a totally reasonable thing.

At a somber asifah held at the Chanichei HaYeshivos beis medrash in the Ramot neighborhood of Yerushalayim, sharp remarks were delivered in the wake of a series of tragedies that struck the local community. The gathering followed the killing of yeshiva bochur Yossi Eisenthal z”l during a protest against the draft, as well as the murder of community members in a terror attack at the Ramot junction.

The central address was delivered by Rav Mechel Zilber, who spoke forcefully about the events surrounding the fatal bus-ramming that claimed the life of the young bochur. His words focused in particular on the minutes leading up to the incident and the behavior of those who surrounded the bus.

“I want to tell you,” Rav Zilber said at the outset, “that the attribute of Divine judgment struck this young boy. This is a heavenly secret. He ascended to the Heavenly Yeshiva. He has no problem. The problem is ours.”

While stressing that responsibility for the act itself rests with the Arab driver, Rav Zilber said that others bore moral responsibility for what unfolded. “The driver is an Arab who was provoked,” he said. “But you should know that anyone who provoked him is a murderer by accident. The Arab—may his name and memory be erased—but after all, they provoked him. Every single one needs to go to his rebbi and ask what kind of tikkun is required for accidental murder.”

Rav Zilber emphasized that his remarks were not directed at specific individuals, but at the broader ציבור. “I know Arabs. I’m from Tiveriah,” he said. “An Arab is willing to kill Jews, but he is afraid. There, they removed his fear because they provoked him. I am not pointing fingers at anyone in particular. I am speaking to all of Klal Yisroel.”

{Matzav.com}

The U.S. and China signed off on a deal to spin off TikTok’s U.S. operations, allowing the app to continue operating in the United States, a White House official confirmed. * The move is meant to address concerns tied to ByteDance, including potential Chinese government access to data of 170 million American users, under a […]

Jack Smith: The people who assaulted police officers and were convicted after trial in my view and I think in the view of the judges who sentenced them to prison are dangerous to their community. Some of these people have already committed crimes against their communities again.

The former superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district is expected to plead guilty in federal court Thursday to two charges, including falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen, which could result in a lengthy prison sentence and increase the risk of deportation. Ian Roberts, a native of Guyana in South America and a former Olympic […]

Say goodbye to the after-school ‘I’m bored!!!’ chorus, and say hello to Dabbl: a world of creativity, right at their fingertips. Visit justdabbl.com to get dabbling! Here’s what we love:– Awesome courses, taught by top talent!– Endless productive entertainment: With one subscription, your kids can explore everything! fishing, guitar, drawing, makeup, photography, sourdough, and tons more!– […]

In his will, the Chofetz Chaim, with his characteristic humility, composes an emotional summary of his life — an autobiography — and gives thanks to Hashem for the merit of his activities on behalf of the public.   He begins by setting forth the idea that profoundly impacted his generation and continues to do so […]

In an unusual and symbolic gesture, the Gerer Rebbe recently sent the famed silver bowl that graces his table on Shabbos and at tishen as a personal gift to a leading benefactor in the United States.

The recipient of the rare present is Reb Yosef Aryeh Breiner of Borough Park, a prominent supporter of Torah causes and one of the major backers of the Toraso initiative in Ger. The gift was sent on behalf of the Rebbe by Rabbi Yaakov Eisen, director of the organization.

Within the Gerer chassidic court, outward symbols of royalty are notably restrained compared to other chassidic dynasties. The Rebbe does not don white garments or ornate bekitches, does not carry a silver staff, and does not wear a decorative crown atop his tallis. As a result, the silver bowl that sits on his table has become one of the most recognizable and meaningful symbols associated with the Gerer Rebbe.

The silver bowl is placed before the Rebbe at every tish, on Shabbos and Yom Tov, at family celebrations, and even at simchos held outside the main beis medrash. Over the years, it has become closely identified with the Rebbe’s presence and the avodah of the Gerer chassidus.

The decision to present this historic item to Rabbi Breiner was made as an expression of deep appreciation for his exceptional support of Toraso, an initiative especially dear to the Rebbe. The program spearheads a major effort to strengthen bekius and memorization-based Torah learning among kollel members, while also encouraging thousands of Gerer chassidim who are working baalei batim to master Torah baal peh.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli military intelligence and the Shin Bet have opened a high-stakes investigation into what officials now believe was a deliberate exploitation of classified operational data to profit on the prediction platform Polymarket, after investigators linked a series of near-perfect wagers to the final internal planning window for Israel’s June 2025 strike on Iran. The activity […]

President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States will receive “total access” to Greenland under the terms of a new framework agreement announced this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, describing the Arctic territory as central to U.S. national security and future missile defense plans. “We’re talking about, it’s really being negotiated […]

A mysterious and striking incident took place at the ancient Jewish cemetery in Peshischa, the site of the kevorim of generations of the tzaddikei Beis Peshischa. In recent years, large numbers of visitors have been arriving at the site, particularly since the establishment of the hachnasas orchim building there.

This week, a local non-Jewish woman, who together with her husband had safeguarded the keys to the tziyun for decades, passed away at the entrance to the gravesite. Visitors to the cemetery were accustomed to calling the couple upon arrival, and they would open the ohel in all weather conditions, throughout the year.

According to sources, the caretaker collapsed and died of cardiac arrest at the entrance to the site after a group of mispallelim concluded their tefillos. She had come to lock up the ohel when she suddenly collapsed. Her passing occurred just one month after the death of her husband, who had long been regarded as the guardian of the site.

The ohel itself was constructed many years ago by emissaries of the Vaad for Peshischa, at the initiative of the Gerer Rebbe. It was built on the precise location of the graves, based on testimony from elderly residents of the town who remembered the site from before World War II. Responsibility for guarding the tziyun was passed down within the family, from the original caretaker to his son, who, as noted, passed away a month ago after suffering paralysis in recent years. This week, his wife died at the very entrance to the tziyun.

Dovid Rubinstein, director of Der Biala Hoif in Peshischa, said that a number of changes have been implemented at the site in recent years, including upgrades to the facility. He noted that access to the tziyun is now also controlled by a coded entry system.

{Matzav.com}

Federal officials say anti-Israel activist and former Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil is set to be deported to Algeria, bringing to a close a long-running legal fight over his immigration status and marking a major win for the Trump administration’s crackdown on campus activism tied to foreign policy concerns. Khalil, who was born in […]

Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith on Thursday defended his investigations of Donald Trump at a congressional hearing in which he insisted that he had acted without regard to politics and had no second thoughts about the criminal charges he brought. Smith testified behind closed doors last month but returned to the House Judiciary […]