New York City Mayor Eric Adams, in one of his final acts as the city’s chief executive, signed two executive orders on Wednesday designed to curb antisemitism and prevent municipal dollars from being used in ways that support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting Israel. His actions immediately injected new tension into the transition to the incoming administration.
According to reporting by the New York Post, Adams’ first order prohibits the city and its pension funds from making contracting or investment decisions that discriminate against Israel. The directive is widely seen as a pointed contrast to Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, who has been outspoken in his backing of BDS.
Speaking at the North American Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism in New Orleans, Adams emphasized the longstanding connection between the city and Israel. As he put it, his administration “recognizes the benefit of maintaining a strong relationship between the city of New York and the state of Israel,” a statement cited by The Post.
His second order focuses on public safety, instructing the NYPD to strengthen enforcement measures to better protect synagogues and other houses of worship from threats, harassment, and intimidation.
These directives set the stage for a deeper clash of worldviews between Adams and Mamdani, who will decide after January 1 whether the orders remain in force. Mamdani’s team did not answer questions from Fox News Digital seeking comment.
Mamdani reaffirmed his stance in a November 4 interview with MSNBC, defending support for the BDS movement as a method of attempting to pressure Israel into meeting international legal standards. “And I’ve said, I support BDS because this is a movement that is looking for that kind of compliance. We haven’t seen it,” he said during the interview.
When pressed on whether BDS would become official city policy, “Morning Joe” co-host Willie Geist asked him directly, “Would BDS be the policy of your administration as mayor?” Mamdani responded by reiterating his commitment to nonviolent pressure campaigns. “I’ve said that I would support and have supported non-violent movements to bring about compliance with international law,” he said. “And where this mayor [Eric Adams] has violated and looked to violate that kind of law, I would bring us back into compliance.”
Mamdani also stated he intended to represent Jewish New Yorkers alongside all other communities.
As noted by The Post, New York City manages an enormous financial footprint—more than $32 billion in procurement spending for fiscal year 2024 and five major pension systems covering upwards of 750,000 people. Those funds collectively hold close to $300 billion in global investments, including more than $300 million in assets tied to Israel.
Adams’ actions follow a disturbing incident last week, when demonstrators reportedly shouted “globalize the intifada” and “death to the IDF” outside a Manhattan synagogue, highlighting the rising concern over Jewish safety in the city.
Explaining his rationale, Adams said his administration was “ensuring our city government doesn’t participate in that type of behavior and are putting in safeguards that protect New Yorkers’ tax dollars and protect their right to practice their religion without harassment.”
After speaking at Wednesday’s conference, Adams wrote on X that he “discussed and shared how we’re governing through the rising tide of hate, fear, and misinformation in our cities so we can better protect ALL communities.” He further insisted that “we cannot stand by as antisemitism or any other form of hate spreads.” As he declared, “We must loudly defend the Jewish people.”
In November, Adams had already cautioned Jewish residents about the shifting climate, telling attendees at a Combat Antisemitism Movement event in Tel Aviv that “everything is not fine” following Mamdani’s election.
{Matzav.com}
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres leveled harsh criticism at Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, arguing in a conversation with Reuters that the choices made by Israel during the war reflected deep flaws. Speaking at the Reuters NEXT gathering in New York, he insisted, “I think there was something fundamentally wrong in the way this operation was conducted with total neglect in relation to the deaths of civilians and to the destruction of Gaza.”
He maintained that Israel’s stated mission to wipe out Hamas had not been fulfilled while Gaza itself lay in ruins. “Gaza is destroyed, but Hamas is not yet destroyed. So there is something fundamentally wrong with the way this is conducted,” he said, suggesting the results failed to align with the goals Israel had declared at the outset of the war.
Pressed on whether those actions may have crossed legal red lines, the UN chief did not shy away from the implication. “There are strong reasons to believe that that possibility might be a reality,” he acknowledged when asked directly about potential war crimes.
Israel’s representative at the UN, Danny Danon, fired back immediately. In his comments to Reuters, he pushed back strongly, saying, “The only crime committed is the moral abomination that more than two years after the horrific massacres of October 7, the UN Secretary General has still not visited Israel – and has instead used his elevated platform to lambast and condemn Israel and Israelis at every opportunity.”
Guterres’s remarks build on a long history of friction between him and Israel, especially regarding the UN leader’s critiques of Jerusalem’s operations against Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. That tension intensified weeks after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 atrocities, when Guterres stated that the assault on Israel “did not happen in a vacuum,” wording that many Israelis interpreted as placing blame on the victim rather than the perpetrators.
After a wave of outrage, Guterres insisted that his words had been misconstrued and that he had unequivocally condemned Hamas. Nonetheless, the diplomatic rupture deepened soon after, when Israel Katz—then serving as foreign minister—declared that Guterres would no longer be permitted entry into Israel.
The pattern continued into this year. In March, Guterres voiced anger at Israel’s renewed operations in Gaza, declaring he was “outraged” by the strikes. Israel, in turn, reacted with its own forceful message. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein shot back, “We are outraged that you, Antonio Guterres, are the Secretary-General of the UN.”
He accused the UN chief of ignoring essential facts, adding, “Not a word about the fact that Hamas rejected two American proposals to extend the ceasefire and release more hostages-two proposals that Israel accepted.” He went further, saying Guterres declined to acknowledge that “Hamas exploits the transfer of goods to Gaza to rebuild its war machine in order to further attack Israel.”
Marmorstein concluded by pointing to what Israel sees as the UN’s own failures: “Not a word about UNRWA, which, under your leadership, employs Hamas terrorists, and its facilities were used by Hamas to hold hostages. Indeed, we are outraged by your moral bankruptcy.”
{Matzav.com}
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg has now instructed the government to return every dollar paid by two Jan. 6 defendants—Cynthia Ballenger and Christopher Price—after determining that they are entitled to full reimbursement for restitution and fines tied to their earlier misdemeanor convictions. His ruling marks a complete shift from his stance just a few months ago, when he refused their request.
In a newly issued memo order, Boasberg revisited the legal path that led the couple from their initial convictions through their appeal, and ultimately to the point where their payments could be undone. Ballenger and Price, who had been ordered to cover several hundred dollars in assessment fees and restitution, were among those charged for their actions at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
The judge’s directive now clears the way for the federal government to reimburse both defendants.
According to Boasberg, the decisive factors were not merely the broad pardon issued by President Donald Trump—which covered roughly 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants—but the fact that Ballenger and Price still had active appeals before the D.C. Circuit when the pardon was granted. That timing, he noted, resulted in the higher court wiping out their convictions entirely. As he put it, “Having viewed the question afresh, the court now agrees with the defendants.”
The couple had already been seeking to overturn their convictions when Trump returned to office earlier this year and issued the sweeping pardons. Despite that, Boasberg initially denied their bid in July to recover the $570 each they had already paid. Their renewed motion prompted him to reexamine the issue, setting the stage for his reversal.
In the revised memo, Boasberg emphasized that precedent still holds that a pardon alone does not automatically require the government to return money collected because of a conviction. “By itself, defendants’ pardon therefore cannot unlock the retroactive return of their payments that they ask for here,” he wrote, noting that part of his prior ruling remains intact.
The difference, he explained, was the legal impact of the D.C. Circuit voiding the convictions due to the mooted appeals. According to Boasberg, “thereby moot[ing] their appeals” caused the appellate court to nullify the cases entirely. That, he said, changes everything regarding repayment.
As he explained it, “So even if defendants’ pardon does not entitle them to refunds, the resulting vacatur of their convictions might,” adding that such vacatur “wholly nullifie[s]” the orders and effectively “wipes the slate clean.”
Boasberg’s order also weighed whether such repayment could properly be issued given federal appropriations rules and sovereign immunity, which typically protects the government from being compelled to return funds. He ultimately found that the judiciary has the authority to order repayment under these circumstances. “Because the court could order defendants to pay assessments and restitution, it can order those payments reversed,” he stated. “Those are two sides of the same action, and sovereign immunity does not stand in the way.”
The ruling is expected to draw attention among Trump supporters, who have long argued that judges like Boasberg, who have blocked some initiatives in the past, are politically motivated. But Boasberg underscored his reasoning plainly: “Having viewed the question afresh, the Court now agrees with defendants.” He concluded simply, “When a conviction is vacated, the government must return any payments exacted because of it.”
{Matzaav.com}
By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz
Every day, we navigate a world of uncertainty. The news troubles us and carries whispers of fear and chaos. We encounter challenges in our homes, workplaces, and communities that seem beyond our control. We have fears, doubts, and worries about our safety, our children, our livelihoods, and our people.
In the story of Yaakov Avinu, we find lessons for our journeys through life. We learn posuk after posuk depicting how Yaakov successfully confronted challenges, a testament to resilience and a reminder that a Yid can remain strong and unbroken even when the world presses in. His life teaches us that emunah, bitachon, and Torah empower us with perseverance, clarity, and steadfastness when all around us seems uncertain.
Yaakov Avinu’s story is not just another chapter in our history. It is the heartbeat of our existence in golus.
Yaakov led his children into golus, instilling in them the qualities they would need to persevere and thrive through a long exile. He dealt with Eisov and his malach. Although Yitzchok married the daughter of a rasha, he never lived with him nor had any dealings with him. Yaakov, however, lived with, worked for, and negotiated with his infamous father-in-law, Lovon.
Yaakov fled from one wicked person, his brother Eisov, into the clutches of another, Lovon. And when he finally left Lovon, he was confronted once again by his brother and his intention to kill him and his family.
Yaakov, the quiet talmid chochom, the ish tam yosheiv ohalim, whose voice was soft and whose strength was hidden, was the av who walked through the furnace of golus and emerged untouched.
Only Yaakov was forced to confront the shadows again and again – Eisov behind him, Lovon before him, wickedness at every turn, deception coiling around him like a serpent. He left the warmth of his parents’ home and the purity of the yeshiva of Sheim and Eiver to step into a world thick with corruption and dark with evil, yet he remained as holy and pure as he was in his parents’ home and when he learned in the yeshiva of Sheim and Eiver.
His life was a symphony of struggle, yet he never bent. He could say with clarity, “Im Lovon garti vetaryag mitzvos shomarti,” affirming that even in the home of a liar, he kept every mitzvah, “velo lomadeti mima’asov hara’im,” declaring that not one drop of Lovon’s spiritual poison – none of his crookedness – seeped into his soul. This is the gaon Yaakov, the dignity of remaining pure in a world built to break you.
The ma’asei avos, each account of the avos and their travels recounted in Sefer Bereishis, are not only our history. They are eternal choreography. Every step the avos took carved out the path that their descendants would walk. Yaakov’s journey, drenched in danger and layered with heartbreak and resilience, is the blueprint for Jewish life in golus. His voice echoes across centuries, reminding us that we must guard not only the mitzvos, but our very essence, lest the world’s corruption erode our inner truth.
Parshas Vayishlach in particular is an atlas of Jewish survival. The Ramban, with divine clarity, teaches that every encounter, every gesture, and every tremor between Yaakov and Eisov will replay itself across history with Eisov’s descendants. As long as they walk the earth, we must follow Yaakov’s way.
Centuries roll by, empires rise and fall, languages evolve, but the underlying reality remains unchanged. Diplomatic politeness masks ancient hostility. Polished civility hides the same animosity that burned in Eisov’s heart. Eisov remains Eisov. Yaakov remains Yaakov. The costumes shift, the smiles widen, the speeches grow smoother, but the essence endures.
Sometimes Eisov approaches with brutality, sometimes with warmth. Sometimes with arms stretched wide, dripping in faux brotherhood, and sometimes with threats veiled in elegant phrases. But Yaakov saw through him, and so must we.
The parsha begins by telling us that following his exit from the clutches of Lovon and his return to Eretz Yisroel, Yaakov sent malochim to Eisov. Rashi tells us that Yaakov dispatched actual angels to relay his message to Eisov. And we ask: Why the need for angels? Why couldn’t he have sent human emissaries? Why such spiritual force? The answer is that only angels would not be fooled by Eisov’s charm. Humans might be disarmed by his outward courtesy, misled by his tone, blinded by his apparent goodwill. But angels perceive the truth. When Yaakov heard that Eisov was approaching, he didn’t need more information. Movement alone was enough. Eisov moving toward Yaakov signals danger.
In our generation, we forget so easily. The young among us, born and raised in the comfort of the United States, can almost be forgiven for the shock that grips them each time the world’s ancient disdain is revealed. We read the headlines and gasp at the bias, as if the nations have ever truly loved us. And yet, for those who have studied Jewish history – and there is no reason more of us should not, know what our people have endured across the long, bitter centuries of golus – this is nothing new. The world’s indifference, and its sudden outrage, are quite familiar to us.
For the Jew, the eternal target of hatred, even when defending ourselves, we are condemned. When we fight back, the world cannot comprehend our survival. The nations cannot bear to see the victims rise, instead accusing us of the very crimes that have been perpetrated against us. One nation after another points fingers at us while supporting those who seek to destroy our land and our very existence. Across continents, the crowds of masses who march against us swell. Politicians bend, bow, and pander, and anti-Semitism grows like a shadow spreading over the earth. The world’s venom may change form, but its purpose remains unchanged. Yet, through all this, the Jewish soul endures. Like Yaakov, tested and tried from birth, we rise, we survive, and we preserve the light of our people, even when the world is deaf to our truth.
Despite this, people among us crave respect from those who have never offered it, chasing affection from those who cannot give it. Why do they still seek that approval? Why do they imagine that if we shine brightly enough, speak softly enough, and innovate impressively enough, the ancient hatred will dissolve?
Yaakov longed for peace, but never expected love. He wanted coexistence, not brotherhood. His strategy was humble and brilliant: divide the camp, ensure survival, and remain unbroken. To place hope in the nations’ goodwill is to forget the ancient warning of Chazal: “Hevu zehirin bareshus” – be wary of the powerful, for their friendship lasts only as long as it benefits them.
Too many Jews, dazzled by respectful conversation and diplomatic smiles, believe that gracious words signal true affection. Then, when anti-Semitism resurfaces predictably, they are startled, aghast, bewildered. But nothing has changed. Eisov sonei l’Yaakov. It is not cruelty. It is spiritual reality.
Even some of our own brothers speak with Eisov’s cadence. They belittle Torah as antiquated and mock shomrei mesorah as old-fashioned. They elevate rare, fringe opinions while ignoring the vast, eternal river of Torah. They drape their disdain in the language of progress, sophistication, and modernity, yet their words carry the same old chill.
Politicians, diplomats, cultural elites – all wield words as masks. Under the banner of “peace,” they attempt to soften us, weaken us, and reshape us. Eisov is b’gematria shalom (Baal Haturim, Parshas Toldos 25:25), because peace is the costume he wears to gain entrance into our hearts.
He speaks in peaceful tones, and his actions appear to be motivated by a desire to spread peace and brotherhood in the world. He presents himself as an intelligent, thoughtful person. Many people are impressed by his guile.
Success in any interpersonal dealing depends on clear knowledge of the person you are meeting and what they really want. Yaakov understood Eisov’s essence and had the vision to see beyond the exterior and appreciate his opponent. When we deal with other people, we must possess the awareness of our grandfather Yaakov. He gifted us this ability as part of his legacy to preserve the gaon Yaakov with doron, tefillah, and then milchomah.
We have to ensure that we are not impressed by the sweet talk and empty promises. We do not have malochim to act as envoys and discern the true intentions of modern-day Eisovs, but we do have the message of Yaakov Avinu, who taught us the halacha of Eisov sonei l’Yaakov, an ever-relevant truth.
One of the most futile pursuits of well-meaning Jews is what might be called headline-watching: the endless scanning of the world’s news, searching for signs of bias, for slights, for evidence that the nations are against us. Time and again, the slants, the prejudice, and the subtle and not-so-subtle sympathies toward those who oppose us leap off the page, as if the revelation itself could somehow change the world’s heart. And yet, history whispers the truth to those who will listen: The world has never truly loved us. Its envy, its duplicity, its relentless indifference are as old as the hills of golus. To be shocked by it is to forget the centuries etched into our bones, the lessons learned in golus, the sorrow carried in every generation.
A tragic hope of the early Zionist movement was the belief that the birth of a Jewish state would alter the hearts of the nations; that the world would finally accept our existence; that pogroms, hatred, and slander would fade like a dream at dawn. “When we have a state,” they said, “the goyim will no longer seek our destruction. The world will no longer pursue our ruin.” And yet, time and again, the truth proves otherwise. The hatred does not vanish. It mutates. It hides behind false smiles and polished speeches. It marches on in ways both subtle and brazen. The world may change in form, but Eisov remains, and the children of Eisov remain, ever cunning, ever opposed, ever present, and lately, their hatred toward us is more pronounced than ever.
This is the lesson of the gaon Yaakov. Yaakov Avinu, who walked among deceivers and adversaries, who negotiated with Lovon, who faced the wrath of Eisov and yet never lost his goodness, understood not only the world’s true face, but his own. With quiet pride, he knew his mission, he understood his role, and he acted with clarity and precision. To act rashly is easy. To wait, to restrain, and to assume a defensive posture while preparing for battle – that is the mark of greatness. Strength is not always measured in confrontation. Courage is not always shown in attack. Victory lies in the patience that comes from remaining loyal to Torah and its values. Tefillah leads to triumph, and at times the obligation of hishtadlus forces us to take decisive action.
Through this wisdom, through the discipline of seeing clearly, the Jewish people have endured, thrived, and preserved the holiness of their mission across centuries of oppression. Our goal has always been constant: not merely to exist, but to exist as shomrei Torah, as a people whose soul remains intact amidst the storms of the world. The wisdom of Torah guides us to know when to speak, when to offer doron, when to plead, when to daven, and when to defend with strength. The Torah, through recounting the lives of our avos and imahos, is our guide, teaching us the path of wisdom, the path of restraint, the path of courage in all its forms.
Even when surrounded by danger, deceit, and the unpredictable whims of others, Yaakov remained steadfast in his values, clear in his mission, and unwavering in his faith. Like him, we can endure.
The Torah we learn, the mitzvos we perform, and the tefillos we say all strengthen our path. The storms of life may rage, and the shadows may linger, but the light of Yaakov and the eternal resilience of Am Yisroel shine through them all. The world may test us, but it cannot break us. The day will come when truth will blaze, justice will prevail, and our people will rise in dignity and strength, carrying forward the legacy of the gaon Yaakov.
And so we wait – we yearn – for the day the novi describes in the week’s haftorah: “Ve’alu moshi’im beHar Tzion lishpot es har Eisov.” We await the day when the fog of exile will finally lift, when truth will blaze across the world, when Eisov’s masks will fall away, and the greatness of Yaakov and his offspring will shine with unfiltered splendor.
May that day come swiftly.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi revealed that his agency’s teams remain shut out of Iran’s primary nuclear complexes—Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow—sites that were struck during American military operations in June. Speaking with the Austrian outlet Die Presse, as cited by Middle East Monitor, Grossi noted that while some inspectors are still physically present in Iran, their work at these heavily damaged locations has been halted since the attacks.
Grossi described the aftermath bluntly, saying, “The main facilities suffered extensive damage, and inspections were impossible for security reasons.” He confirmed that access to Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow “remains unavailable,” emphasizing that the IAEA still has no ability to perform its technical monitoring at those sites.
The situation spiraled after mid-June, when Israel initiated a sweeping aerial assault on Iranian targets, triggering nearly two weeks of warfare. The United States entered the conflict briefly, launching coordinated strikes on several Iranian nuclear installations. In response, Tehran cut off cooperation with the IAEA, accusing the agency of taking sides and refusing to denounce the strikes—moves that effectively shut down all post-attack inspection efforts.
Efforts to restore oversight collapsed further when a September accord between Iran and the IAEA—meant to revive site access and restart uranium tracking—was tossed aside by Tehran. The agreement was scrapped after the E3 (Britain, France, and Germany) reinstated UN sanctions that had been lifted under the 2015 nuclear agreement.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, has since doubled down on the government’s position that no IAEA personnel will be allowed into the bombed-out facilities unless a new, explicit arrangement is crafted. “The facilities that were attacked have their own story, and until a decision is made and a conclusion is reached between us, the IAEA and others, cooperation is not possible,” Araghchi said.
Despite the deadlock, Grossi said last week that the UN agency is determined to reestablish full interaction with Tehran. He stressed that the IAEA aims to “restore continuity of knowledge” and regain comprehensive access to Iran’s nuclear program to verify what has taken place in the months since inspectors were barred.
{Matzav.com}
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Israel announced early Thursday that the remains of Thai hostage Sudthisak Rinthalak have been brought back to the country, concluding a painstaking identification process that involved multiple national agencies. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, “After the identification process was completed by the National Center of Forensic Medicine, in cooperation with the Israel Police and the Military Rabbinate, the Coordinator for Prisoners and Missing Persons, representatives of the IDF, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the family of deceased hostage Sudthisak Rinthalak, that their loved one has been returned to Israel and his identification finalized.”
Officials notified the family that preparations for Rinthalak’s return to Thailand will be handled jointly with Bangkok’s representatives. The PMO added, “The Coordinator for Prisoners and Missing Persons, Brig. Gen. (res.) Gal Hirsch, informed Sudthisak’s family that arrangements for his return for burial in his homeland will be carried out in coordination with the Embassy of Thailand in Israel, and that the Government of Israel shares in the deep grief of the Rinthalak family, of the Thai people, and of all the families of the deceased hostages.”
Rinthalak, a 42-year-old agricultural worker, was among the many foreign laborers attacked on October 7, 2023. He was seized while working in Kibbutz Be’eri’s orchards and murdered by Islamic Jihad operatives, who then transported his body into Gaza. His parents and his brother now grieve his loss.
Even as his remains were identified, Israel continues to pursue the recovery of others. Gaza terror groups are still in possession of the body of Yassam officer Ran Gvili.
The latest developments come after Israeli forces received the body of another murdered hostage on Wednesday evening, following a transfer from the Red Cross. Once the remains entered Israel, they were immediately sent to the National Institute of Forensic Medicine for examination.
Earlier Wednesday, Islamic Jihad claimed its operatives had come across the corpse of a hostage in Beit Lahiya during activities in the northern part of the Strip. The group asserted that its members had discovered the body while operating in the area.
This followed Tuesday’s handover of remains by Hamas, which Israel later determined were not connected to any of the hostages taken on October 7.
Just days ago, Israel recovered the body of Dror Or, another victim abducted from Be’eri during the October 7 massacre and held in Gaza until his remains were returned.
{Matzav.com}
