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A sharp disagreement over what was said during a private phone call between Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has emerged as a key episode in the rapidly deteriorating relationship between Israel and Britain, culminating this month in British measures targeting Israeli communities in Yehuda and Shomron and retaliatory steps by Yerushalayim.

According to a New York Times report published yesterday, the tense conversation took place on August 11, approximately four weeks before Britain announced its new policy. The discussion centered on Israel’s plans for construction in the E1 area between Yerushalayim and Maale Adumim. The two governments, however, now give significantly different accounts of what Sa’ar communicated during the call.

Three officials familiar with the conversation told the Times that British officials came away believing Sa’ar had clearly signaled that Israel would not open construction tenders for E1 before Israel’s elections in October.

Just one week later, however, the Israeli government published tenders for approximately 1,200 housing units in E1, allowing construction companies to begin submitting bids. British officials viewed that development as contradicting what they believed they had been told during the August 11 conversation.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry strongly disputed that version of events. According to the ministry, Sa’ar had said only that there would be “no change on the ground itself in E1” before the elections.

The ministry further maintained that publication of the tenders was “nothing new,” noting that the broader E1 construction plan had already received final approval more than a year earlier.

Miliband’s office declined to discuss the specifics of the private conversation. The British government has instead reiterated its broader position that continued Israeli construction in Yehuda and Shomron threatens the prospects for a future Palestinian state. Britain officially condemned the E1 tender when it was announced in August and summoned Israel’s chargé d’affaires over the decision.

The dispute over the August phone call is only one component of a much wider diplomatic breakdown between London and Yerushalayim.

According to the Times, the E1 tenders were not the sole reason Britain moved against Israeli communities in Yehuda and Shomron. Miliband became foreign secretary in July after Andy Burnham became prime minister and quickly began developing a new British policy toward Israel, including possible action targeting the communities. Burnham had already signaled that his government would take a different approach to Israel from that of his predecessor, Keir Starmer.

That policy was formally unveiled on September 8, when Miliband addressed Parliament and announced measures targeting Israeli communities in Yehuda and Shomron, including restrictions on trade in goods from those communities. Britain also stated that it considers Israel’s continued presence in what it calls the Palestinian territories unlawful under international law.

Miliband specifically pointed to E1 as one of the developments behind Britain’s response, describing the project as “a longstanding red line for the international community, which is why we saw such an outpouring from our allies.”

The British foreign secretary also invoked allegations of “ethnic cleansing” in discussing Palestinian displacement in Yehuda and Shomron. The phrase has been sharply disputed by Israeli officials, while Britain has cited settlement expansion and violence against Palestinians as part of its rationale for the new measures.

Sa’ar responded forcefully, rejecting Britain’s policy and asserting Israel’s historical and national rights in Yehuda and Shomron.

“We did not return to our land after 2,000 years only to lose it under pressure from jihadists, Islamists, antisemites, far-leftists and wokes,” he said. “Not only will you fail to harm us, you will harm yourselves and your own influence.”

Israel subsequently announced retaliatory measures, including the closure of the British consulate in Yerushalayim and restrictions involving British officials dealing with Palestinian affairs. Israel also barred several British politicians and other individuals whom Sa’ar accused of involvement in antisemitic or anti-Israel activity.

The British action also drew criticism from Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, who argued that it would “strengthen extremist voices in Israel” shortly before the election.

“It’s clear to everyone that this is a decision motivated by domestic politics,” Lapid said, accusing the British government of using a “cynical attack on Israel to satisfy disillusioned voters.”

At the center of the entire dispute is E1, a strategically significant tract between Yerushalayim and Maale Adumim where large-scale Israeli construction has been discussed for decades.

Successive Israeli governments held back from implementing major construction there amid international pressure. Britain and other governments argue that building in E1 could impede the territorial continuity of a future Palestinian state by making movement between the northern and southern portions of Yehuda and Shomron more difficult and further separating Palestinian areas from eastern Yerushalayim. Israel disputes international claims regarding the illegality of Jewish communities in Yehuda and Shomron, while members of the current government have openly said that E1 construction is intended in part to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, one of the leading advocates for expanding Jewish construction in the area, has previously said the E1 project “buries the idea of a Palestinian state.”

The dispute has intensified further as Israel advances additional housing plans. Reuters reported this week that a new tender for 2,167 units was added to the E1 expansion, bringing the combined number involved in the latest tenders to 3,401.

According to the New York Times, each additional procedural step makes the E1 project increasingly difficult to reverse. The deadline for companies to submit bids for approximately 1,200 of the units is October 19, shortly before Israel’s election.

The Israeli government has also announced another tender involving more than 2,100 units, with bidding scheduled to open later in October.

The dispute over precisely what Sa’ar told Miliband on August 11 therefore remains unresolved. British officials say they understood Israel to be signaling that the E1 project would not advance before the election; Israel says Sa’ar promised only that no physical change would occur on the ground during that period.

That disagreement has now become part of a much larger confrontation, as Britain moves forward with measures against Israeli activity in Yehuda and Shomron and Israel responds with diplomatic restrictions of its own — marking one of the sharpest periods of tension between London and Yerushalayim in recent years.

{Matzav.com}

National Security Minister and Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben Gvir on Sunday called for the execution of the terrorist accused of murdering Netanel Shakron in the shooting attack near Neve Tzuf, arguing that the case should become the first in which Israel’s newly enacted death penalty law for terrorists is applied. The Knesset approved the law in March.

“This is the first case in which the Terrorist Death Penalty Law can be implemented,” Ben-Gvir said.

Ben Gvir maintained that the circumstances of the Binyamin attack fall within the provisions of the new law and said the death sentence should therefore be imposed.

“In this case, the punishment is mandatory, and therefore we are demanding that this punishment be imposed and that the terrorist be executed.”

The National Security Minister insisted that the recently passed law should now be put into practice.

“The law is the law. This is the law we passed. This is the law that allows the terrorist to be executed, and this is the opportunity. Now, execution.”

The legislation, which passed the Knesset in March by a 62-48 vote, established capital punishment for certain Palestinians convicted in military court of lethal terrorist attacks against Israelis. The law has also faced legal challenges and criticism from Israeli and international rights organizations.

Ben Gvir’s demand followed Sunday’s deadly shooting at the Ein Raya spring near Neve Tzuf in Binyamin. The victim was identified as Netanel Shakron, a resident of Alei Zahav and father of six who had gone to the spring with his eldest son to immerse ahead of Yom Kippur.

According to Israeli authorities, the terrorist arrived at the area by vehicle and opened fire toward people at the spring. After the shooting, he left the vehicle while armed and escaped on foot, prompting an extensive manhunt by Israeli security forces.

IDF troops surrounded the village of Deir Nizam as the search intensified. Several hours later, soldiers from the elite Duvdevan Unit apprehended the suspect at a hospital in Ramallah following the pursuit. Israeli authorities also recovered the vehicle believed to have been used in the attack.

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But what happens when we don’t even know to whom we owe whom to pay?

This is indeed a dilemma!

Are our hands completely clean?

Is there anything in our hands or in our possession that’s not 100% our own?

Perhaps, we don’t know who the owner is, but does that make it ours?

The thought is frightening!

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Can we stand before Hashem pleading for mercy; asking for brachos for ourselves and our loved ones, when our hands are sullied by money that’s not ours?
The Gemara (Beitza 29a, Bava Kamma 94b) discusses the issue of returning unknown debt. Click here for halachic overview

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President Donald Trump is considering a range of options for dealing with Iran, including additional military action, continued economic pressure and a possible diplomatic agreement, as Iranian leaders prepare to travel to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. Trump also indicated that he would likely be willing to meet Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian while he is in the city.

Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reported Sunday that he had spoken directly with Trump about the administration’s next steps toward Tehran. According to Yingst, the President said he remains in the process of deciding among several possible approaches, including renewed military operations or an attempt to reach an agreement with the Iranian government. Trump has separately said in recent days that he is approaching a major decision over whether to resume large-scale military operations against Iran.

Asked about the possibility of sitting down with Pezeshkian during the UN gathering, Trump indicated that he would likely be open to such a meeting. Pezeshkian and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected to be among the Iranian officials attending the General Assembly after the United States approved visas for the core Iranian delegation.

Trump also addressed heightened security warnings issued to Americans in the Middle East. According to Yingst, the President said he does not regard this weekend as fundamentally different from other recent weekends, despite the continuing regional tensions.

The conversation also touched on the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, who have recently been involved in escalating regional hostilities, including threats to major shipping routes. Yingst said Trump indicated that Washington remains in contact with the Houthis and that the group has agreed not to engage in hostilities against the United States. Trump separately said last week that Washington was in talks with the Houthis about the possibility of an agreement.

According to Yingst, Trump stressed that he has not yet settled on his next move toward Iran and cautioned Tehran against taking provocative action while the administration evaluates its options.

No firm timetable was provided for when Trump expects to reach that decision. The President has been publicly weighing whether to intensify military operations or pursue another diplomatic track, with the U.S.-Iran conflict now stretching into its seventh month.

Yingst said Trump also spoke about difficulties determining which Iranian officials have the authority and willingness to negotiate an agreement. According to the President’s account, some Iranian officials have been attempting to avoid being located amid the conflict.

The administration is also confronting divisions within Iran’s leadership, Yingst reported, pointing to Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on one side and harder-line figures within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on the other. The extent to which those internal divisions would affect any potential negotiations remains unclear.

Meanwhile, the U.S. naval blockade of Iran remains in effect, continuing to place additional strain on Tehran’s economy amid the broader conflict. Iran, for its part, has warned the United States and its allies against another escalation and threatened further retaliation if additional attacks are launched.

Yingst cited CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper as saying that more than one billion barrels of crude oil have been escorted out of the Persian Gulf since the blockade began, an effort aimed at maintaining the movement of energy supplies while increasing economic pressure on Iran.

Trump has yet to provide a specific date for deciding which course the United States will pursue. His comments indicate that military, economic and diplomatic options remain under consideration as the administration evaluates its next move.

The arrival of Pezeshkian, Araghchi and other Iranian officials in New York for the UN General Assembly could provide an opportunity for diplomatic contact. Whether such a meeting will actually take place has not been announced, leaving open the possibility of negotiations even as Trump continues to consider further military action against Tehran.

Israeli soldiers thwarted an attempted ramming attack near the Ganim military post in northern Shomron on Sunday, killing one terrorist and apprehending a second, approximately an hour after a separate shooting attack in Binyamin claimed the life of a father of six.

The two terrorists approached the Ganim post in a vehicle and attempted to ram soldiers stationed there. Troops from the IDF’s 890th Battalion responded by opening fire at the vehicle, killing one of the attackers and taking the second into custody.

Following the attempted attack, additional IDF and Border Police forces were deployed to the area and began operating at the scene.

Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan praised the soldiers for their response and called for stepped-up operations against terrorism in the area.

“I commend the IDF soldiers who acted decisively and neutralized the terrorists. This incident proves once again that offensive operations in the terrorist villages must be intensified and the security checkpoints must be restored. Terror must not be allowed to raise its head.”

The attempted ramming came roughly an hour after a deadly terrorist shooting at the Neba spring, also known as Ein Raya, near Neve Tzuf in Binyamin. The victim, Netanel Shakron, a resident of Alei Zahav and father of six, had gone to the spring with his oldest son to immerse ahead of Yom Kippur.

In the earlier attack, a terrorist drove to the spring and opened fire. Shakron was discovered unconscious inside a vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds. Magen David Adom personnel treated him at the scene before rushing him to Beilinson Hospital while continuing efforts to save his life. He was subsequently pronounced dead.

After carrying out the shooting, the armed terrorist left his vehicle and escaped on foot. The IDF responded by imposing a closure on the nearby village of Deir Nidham, where the attacker was believed to have fled.

The IDF launched a large-scale manhunt involving troops from the Binyamin Brigade and the elite Duvdevan Unit, along with reinforcement companies and Israel Police personnel. Security forces erected roadblocks and conducted searches on foot, while drones and Israeli Air Force assets were deployed from the air as part of the pursuit.

{Matzav.com}

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Netanel Shakron, a father of six from Alei Zahav, was murdered Sunday morning in a terrorist shooting at the Ein Raya spring near Neve Tzuf in Binyamin, where he had gone with his oldest son to immerse ahead of Yom Kippur. The terrorist fled the scene and was captured several hours later by Israeli forces at a hospital in Ramallah.

The Samaria Regional Council announced Shakron’s death Sunday afternoon, identifying him as a longtime resident of Alei Zahav. He leaves behind his wife, Meirav, and their six children. Their oldest child is in 11th grade, while their youngest is just four years old.

Shakron worked as an information systems analyst for Hachshara Insurance Company. His wife, Dr. Meirav Shakron, is a lecturer at Ariel University.

According to Israeli authorities, the terrorist drove to the spring and opened fire at those at the site. He then emerged from his vehicle while armed and escaped on foot. Israeli security forces launched an extensive manhunt, surrounding the village of Deir Nizam as they searched for him.

Several hours later, soldiers from the IDF’s Duvdevan Unit apprehended the terrorist at a hospital in Ramallah. Drones and Israeli Air Force aircraft were also used during the pursuit.

Magen David Adom paramedic David Trachtenberg described the desperate efforts to save Shakron’s life after emergency personnel arrived at the scene.

“We arrived at the scene and saw a male in his 30s inside a vehicle, unconscious, with multiple gunshot wounds. We removed him from the vehicle and immediately began providing life-saving medical treatment. We placed him in the ambulance, and with the assistance of a physician and a paramedic, immediately began evacuating him to the hospital while fighting for his life, providing medical treatment and blood products, in the hope of stabilizing his condition.”

MDA EMT Yosef Rimal said emergency personnel arrived with substantial forces and immediately began treating the critically wounded victim.

“We received a report of a man who had been injured by gunfire. We arrived at the scene with a large number of forces and found the man unconscious. We immediately began providing advanced medical treatment, including controlling bleeding, bandaging and administering medications, and evacuated him in an MDA ambulance in serious condition.”

Before the terrorist was captured, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces were conducting an intensive search and vowed that those responsible for terrorism would be pursued.

“Our security forces are currently pursuing the vile terrorist who carried out the murderous attack in Binyamin. No terrorist is immune, neither are those who assist them; we will settle scores with all of them – in Gaza, in Lebanon, and in Judea and Samaria. At the same time, our heroic fighters eliminated another terrorist who attempted to carry out a terrorist attack in Samaria.”

Netanyahu said he had also ordered the IDF and Shin Bet to intensify operations throughout Yehuda and Shomron in response to the attack.

He added that he has “instructed the IDF and the Shin Bet to carry out operations in Judea and Samaria with reinforced forces, to impose closures and carry out offensive measures and arrests in order to safeguard the security of Israeli citizens. I have instructed that steps are taken to demolish the terrorist’s home immediately. On behalf of all citizens of Israel, my wife and I send our heartfelt condolences to the family of the victim murdered in the terrorist attack and share in their heavy grief.”

The IDF chief of staff traveled to the area following the shooting and said the military was maintaining heightened readiness throughout the country ahead of Yom Kippur. Reinforced forces have been deployed in multiple areas, with the increased alert expected to remain in effect throughout the fast.

“Our mission is clear and ongoing – to thwart terrorism, to act decisively against any threat and to protect the citizens of the State of Israel,” the Chief of Staff said.

Yisrael Ganz, head of the Binyamin Regional Council and chairman of the Yesha Council, arrived at the scene while the manhunt was still underway. He said the victims had come to the spring specifically to immerse before Yom Kippur when the gunman struck.

“Residents came to the spring ahead of Yom Kippur to immerse themselves in the water. A terrorist arrived armed with an M16 and opened fire on them. One of the residents was very seriously wounded and is being evacuated to the hospital.”

Ganz said at the time that multiple branches of Israel’s security establishment were participating in the search for the attacker, while pledging that the spring would continue to be visited despite the attack.

“IDF forces, the police, Shin Bet, and Border Police are all pursuing the terrorist, who is still in the area. This is a very difficult incident, but we are strong, and we will get through this as well. With God’s help, during Sukkot this place will once again be filled with visitors. No one will drive us away from here.”

After Israeli forces located and captured the terrorist, Ganz praised the speed of the operation but expressed regret that the attacker had been taken alive.

“I commend the security forces for their swift action, which removed the threat to the residents of Binyamin. I am deeply sorry that the despicable murderer remains alive. On the eve of Yom Kippur, he sought to take lives and break our spirit, but he failed. The people of Israel will not be intimidated or broken by terrorism.

“The capture of the terrorist is not the end of the incident. Judea and Samaria are flooded with illegal weapons, and the Palestinian Authority’s security forces possess tens of thousands of weapons that could be turned against us. Nearly three years after October 7, we must not wait for another disaster. I call on the Government of Israel to immediately launch a broad operation to collect illegal weapons, dismantle terrorist infrastructure, and disarm the Palestinian Authority and its security forces.”

Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan later visited the Shakron family home, where he described Netanel as a quiet and giving person devoted to his family and community.

“We are facing a very difficult event, together with the entire people of Israel. We are grieving, embracing and supporting the family. Netanel was a man of kindness, a humble person who loved others, a devoted family man and part of a deeply rooted, longtime family in Alei Zahav. He was murdered after immersing with his son ahead of Yom Kippur. Our hearts are broken. We will embrace Meirav and the six children and stand by their side. These barbarians will never break us.

“From here, I say before the entire world: You will never break the communities of Samaria, the people of Israel or the State of Israel. We will build the Land of Israel even more. I strengthen and embrace the IDF soldiers, Border Police officers, Israel Police officers, ISA personnel and all the security forces in their fight against terrorism.

“I expect the Israeli government and the senior command to shift from defense to offense, launch an operation throughout the entire area, go from house to house, collect every weapon and restore the security checkpoints. On the eve of Yom Kippur, we are grieving, but we are not broken. A thousand despicable terrorists like these will not defeat us.”

In Alei Zahav itself, Shakron’s murder left the community mourning a husband, father and neighbor described as humble, kindhearted and deeply devoted to those around him.

“The Alei Zahav community bows its head and mourns the murder of our beloved friend, Netanel Shakron. Netanel was a man of kindness, humble, modest and beloved, a devoted husband to Meirav and a devoted father to their six children. The Shakron family is a deeply rooted, longtime family in the community and an inseparable part of Alei Zahav. We all embrace Meirav and the children and will stand by their side during this difficult time and in every way necessary. May his memory be a blessing.”

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has placed a hold on the Trump administration’s proposed $2.8 billion munitions sale to Israel, joining House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York in withholding support for the transaction. Semafor reported that Shaheen’s hold has been in place since July.

Shaheen has raised concerns about the Israeli government’s military actions in Gaza and Syria, as well as violence by extremist Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank. According to Semafor, she has also sought information from the Trump administration about how Israel intends to use the weapons included in the proposed package.

The $2.8 billion package includes 40,000 2,000-pound bombs — 20,000 MK-84 bombs and 20,000 BLU-117 bombs, according to Reuters. The Biden administration had previously withheld a shipment of some 2,000-pound bombs to Israel because of concerns about their potential use in densely populated areas of Gaza.

Palestinian health authorities currently say that more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the war began following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Those figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel says its military operations are directed against Hamas and other terrorist groups and has accused Hamas of operating among civilians.

Because Shaheen is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, her objection can delay the informal congressional review that generally precedes major U.S. weapons sales. Such holds are not themselves a binding legal prohibition on an administration proceeding with a sale, but the State Department traditionally attempts to address concerns raised by the senior lawmakers overseeing foreign affairs before formally notifying Congress.

Semafor first disclosed Shaheen’s hold, reporting that it has been in effect since July. Her move became public shortly after Meeks announced his own opposition to advancing the same package through the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Meeks said his concerns centered on whether the Netanyahu government would use the American-supplied weapons in compliance with U.S. law and international humanitarian law. His objection alone does not legally prevent the administration from proceeding with the sale.

Asked by CNN on Wednesday about Meeks’s decision, Shaheen said, “all of us share concern about what Israel is doing.”

“What they’re doing in Gaza, they’re bombing in places like Syria and what that means for any peaceful solution in the Middle East,” she said.

Shaheen then expanded on her objections to the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, particularly in the West Bank.

“Netanyahu needs to hear from America that we don’t like what he’s doing. We don’t like what’s happening in the West Bank where settler violence is killing Palestinians, sending them out of their homes, disrupting basic infrastructure. And the Netanyahu administration has basically done nothing to address that,” Shaheen continued.

The holds by Shaheen and Meeks amount to opposition from the ranking Democrats on both congressional committees that review major foreign arms sales. The administration could nevertheless attempt to move the transaction forward despite those objections; Semafor noted that congressional holds during the informal review process are customary rather than legally binding.

The proposed sale comes amid continuing debate in Congress over U.S. military assistance to Israel. In April, 40 members of the Senate Democratic caucus voted to block a separate arms sale to Israel, reflecting increased opposition among Democratic lawmakers to some weapons transfers.

The Trump administration, meanwhile, has continued to support substantial military assistance and weapons sales to Israel. Reuters reported that the current package was informally presented to the congressional committees responsible for reviewing major arms transactions before any formal notification of the sale.

Neither the State Department nor the Israeli Embassy immediately responded to Reuters’ requests for comment when details of the proposed $2.8 billion package emerged earlier this week.

For now, the package remains caught in the congressional review process, with the senior Democrats on both the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee seeking additional assurances about how the weapons would be used before giving their approval.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump’s planned Triumphal Arch in Washington, D.C., has cleared a key aviation review, with the Federal Aviation Administration determining that the towering monument would not endanger aircraft — provided that an “eternal flame” and extensive lighting are installed to ensure pilots can see it.

“The FAA’s determination includes conditions for the Arch to be appropriately marked with a non-standard eternal flame on top of the structure and floodlight projectors pointed towards the Arch to make it noticeable for pilots,” an FAA spokesperson told The Hill.

The agency issued its hazard determination Friday following an examination by FAA safety specialists. The review considered “airspace, air traffic patterns and procedures around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, as well as operations at nearby military/public-use airports,” before concluding that the proposed structure “would not pose a hazard to aircraft.”

The lighting requirements represent a change from an earlier FAA recommendation. The agency had previously indicated that the arch would need conventional red obstruction lights, similar to those used atop the Washington Monument, but those lights are no longer required under the newly released determination. Instead, the eternal flame and floodlighting would serve to make the structure visible to pilots.

The FAA provided additional specifications in correspondence with the National Park Service, stating that the searchlight projectors accompanying the flame should “provide an average illumination of at least 15 foot-candles (161.46 lux) over the top one-third of the structure.”

Trump’s proposed arch is expected to rise approximately 250 feet, which would make it substantially taller than Paris’ Arc de Triomphe, which stands roughly 164 feet high, as well as Mexico City’s Monumento a la Revolución, which reaches approximately 220 feet.

The monument is planned for Memorial Circle on Columbia Island, between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. The site lies along the Arlington Memorial Bridge corridor, whose historic design was intended to symbolize the reunification of the North and South following the Civil War.

The proposal has also generated opposition. A veterans organization launched a campaign against the project last week, arguing that placing the enormous structure between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery would interfere with an important historic and symbolic sightline.

The group argued that it was “entirely inappropriate and borders on sacrilege to the men and women buried” at Arlington National Cemetery to disrupt the visual connection between the cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial.

The National Park Service has separately concluded that the project could adversely affect numerous historic properties and landscapes in the Washington area, particularly through changes to established views and sightlines.

Its review identified nearly 40 historic locations that could potentially be affected by the project, including the Pentagon, Washington Monument, U.S. Capitol, National Mall, Lincoln Memorial, Robert E. Lee Memorial and Lyndon B. Johnson Memorial Grove.

Despite those concerns, the FAA’s latest determination removes a significant aviation-related obstacle facing the project. The proposed arch would stand close to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and near heavily traveled flight paths, prompting questions from aviation experts and lawmakers about whether such a tall structure could complicate operations in Washington’s already tightly controlled airspace.

The FAA has now concluded that the arch can coexist with those aviation operations — as long as the required visibility measures are incorporated into the final design. Under the agency’s determination, that means Trump’s planned monument will not simply be illuminated at night: its enormous upper section will be continuously floodlit, with the distinctive eternal flame burning at its summit to make the structure readily identifiable to pilots.

{Matzav.com}

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Maamad Hashava TODAY EREV YOM KIPPUR AT 3PM

Forgotten Debt?* Damaged A Car? *Return An Item??

Keren Neki Kapayim is an innovative halachic solution developed by Gedolei Haposkim for the return of unknown debts and misplaced assets.
Join the thousands who have come clean and your Tefillos will soar this Yom Kippur.

As upstanding, committed Shomrei Torah Umitzvos, our life is all about observing the dictates of Torah and halacha to the utmost of our abilities. Obviously, we each have our shortcomings in different areas, and for this reason the Torah gives us the opportunity of Teshuva – to come clean and make good on our failings. There is one area though, for which the ordinary process of Teshuva, do not suffice to clear us of our misdeeds – that is the real of bein odom l’chaveiro – sins between man and fellow man. When it’s simply a question of a personal offense – one has to ask for forgiveness. If it’s a monetary obligation the debt must be paid up.

But what happens when we don’t even know to whom we owe whom to pay?

This is indeed a dilemma!

Are our hands completely clean?

Is there anything in our hands or in our possession that’s not 100% our own?

Perhaps, we don’t know who the owner is, but does that make it ours?

The thought is frightening!

Click HERE to join the Neki Kapayim annual Maamad Hashava!

Can we stand before Hashem pleading for mercy; asking for brachos for ourselves and our loved ones, when our hands are sullied by money that’s not ours?
The Gemara (Beitza 29a, Bava Kamma 94b) discusses the issue of returning unknown debt. Click here for halachic overview

The solution developed by the dayanim of Keren Neki Kapayim is a new and innovative idea to achieve a complete and immediate return to the true owner of the money, whoever and wherever he might me

President Donald Trump is proposing a new name for artificial intelligence, arguing that the term used to describe the rapidly advancing technology is both inaccurate and inelegant. On Saturday, the President posted a poll on Truth Social offering followers three possible replacements for “AI.”

Trump’s three choices were “Superior Intelligence,” “Extreme Intelligence” and “Supreme Intelligence.” He invited users to select their preferred option for what he described as an expanding technological revolution.

“Many people think that the words ‘Artificial Intelligence’ are inaccurate, and very ineloquent, relative to AI, or Artificial Intelligence,” he wrote.

Trump said his suggested alternatives are a “far more elegant and accurate description of this new phenomena.”

By 12:45 p.m. Saturday, more than 27,000 Truth Social users had participated in the poll, according to The Hill.

The President’s unusual proposal comes amid an increasingly intense debate over the future of artificial intelligence, including disagreements over whether the rapidly developing technology needs additional government safeguards. Several technology executives have recently urged the industry to slow the development of increasingly powerful AI systems, while Trump has generally opposed efforts that he believes could impede American AI development.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and Elon Musk have all recently expressed support for slowing or more carefully pacing the development of increasingly capable AI models. Their concerns have centered on whether safety measures and oversight can keep pace with rapidly improving systems.

At the same time, some Republican lawmakers have pursued measures addressing particular concerns surrounding AI and the infrastructure needed to support it, including data privacy, surveillance technology and the rapidly growing number of data centers.

Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Jon Husted of Ohio both advanced efforts during the past week dealing with aspects of the expanding technology. Husted has pushed legislation aimed at preventing ordinary utility customers from being saddled with infrastructure costs generated by large data centers.

Hawley, meanwhile, invited executives from companies that manufacture AI-powered license-plate-reading systems, including Flock Safety, to appear before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism as part of an inquiry into the technology.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has taken a position that combines some regulation with industry self-policing. Speaking to reporters Sunday, Johnson said, “Obviously, there’s a need for guardrails, but there’s also a keen need for the industry to self-regulate and self-monitor and report to us.”

The debate intensified after Amodei published an essay calling for companies developing the most advanced AI models to deliberately moderate the pace at which their capabilities increase, arguing that additional time is necessary to develop appropriate safeguards.

“We must slow the pace at which we improve the capabilities of AI models,” Amodei wrote in a blog post. “Progress will still seem fast, and we must make wise use of the time we gain.”

Trump’s idea of replacing the term “artificial intelligence” is not entirely new. He previously suggested “supreme intelligence” as an alternative in late 2025, though he indicated at the time that technology industry leaders would ultimately determine what terminology to use.

The President has increasingly made artificial intelligence a major focus of his administration’s economic and technology policy. He has also developed relationships with prominent technology executives, several of whom are expected to attend a White House state dinner during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s upcoming visit to Washington.

Trump has repeatedly described artificial intelligence as an enormous economic opportunity for the United States and has resisted calls for restrictions that he says could weaken the country’s position relative to China. He recently described AI technology as “the Greatest Economic Development Engine in History,” arguing that its potential economic impact exceeds that of traditional commodities such as oil, gold and diamonds.

In a September 14 social-media post, Trump went further, dismissing calls for additional AI regulation and arguing that strong presidential oversight was sufficient to address potential dangers associated with the technology.

“The only control or ‘guardrails’ that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the U.S.A. has that, in spades!” the president wrote.

Trump has since expanded his AI proposals further, announcing plans for an “AI Force” and saying he intends to name an AI “Czar,” as his administration seeks to accelerate American development of the technology while a growing number of industry figures and lawmakers debate what safeguards should accompany it.

{Matzav.com}

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Dr. Asher (Allan) Plaut z”l, the longtime pediatrician whose Kingston Avenue office in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, was a familiar address to generations of local families and who devoted more than four decades to caring for the community’s children.

Dr. Plaut was niftar on Shabbos following a short illness. He was 75.

Although he resided in Lawrence, New York, Dr. Plaut’s professional life was deeply intertwined with Crown Heights. His pediatric practice, located at 372 Kingston Avenue, became a fixture of the neighborhood, where parents brought their children for everything from routine examinations and childhood illnesses to the anxious moments that inevitably send a parent searching for a trusted doctor.

For many Crown Heights families, Dr. Plaut was not simply the pediatrician listed on an insurance card. He was the doctor they knew. Parents who had brought one child to him returned with the next, and as the years passed, his decades of practice meant that he cared for multiple generations of families throughout the community.

Dr. Plaut graduated from SUNY Downstate Medical Center in 1977 and went on to specialize in pediatrics. He was a board-certified pediatrician, with hospital affiliations that included Maimonides Medical Center and Long Island Jewish Medical Center. His medical career ultimately stretched for nearly half a century.

Day after day and year after year, he made the trip from his home in Lawrence to Kingston Avenue and continued serving a community that had come to depend upon him.

His commitment to Crown Heights did not go unnoticed. In 2018, Dr. Plaut received a Citation of Honor from New York State Senator Jesse Hamilton recognizing his exemplary service to the community.

But perhaps the greatest testimony to his work was something no citation could capture: the enormous number of children who passed through his office during more than four decades of practice.

There were the routine visits and annual checkups, the winter viruses and summer injuries, the worried telephone calls, the prescriptions, the referrals, and the countless questions from nervous parents. There were families who knew that when something was wrong with a child, Dr. Plaut’s Kingston Avenue office was where they turned.

The length of his tenure itself tells a remarkable story. A physician who remains in one neighborhood for more than 40 years does not merely accumulate patients; he becomes part of the community’s history. Children grow up, marry, and have children of their own, while the same familiar doctor remains behind the desk and in the examination room.

Dr. Plaut continued that avodas hakodesh of healing and helping others for decades, quietly carrying the responsibility that comes with being entrusted with the health of another person’s child.

Dr. Plaut is survived by his wife, Mrs. Dina Plaut, as well as his children and grandchildren, who continue the family he cherished.

The levayah is taking place this morning at Bais Medrash Ateres Yisroel, Rabbi Blumenkrantz’s shul, located at 8-27 Cornaga Avenue in Far Rockaway.

Kevurah will follow at King Solomon Memorial Park in Clifton, New Jersey.

Yehi zichro baruch.

On this eve of Yom Kippur, we at Matzav.com would like to wish you and your families a gemar chasimah tovah. We hope and pray that this year will be one of great yeshuos for all of Klal Yisroel and that we will merit the geulah during this year, 5787.

At the same time, we pray that Hakadosh Boruch Hu continue to watch over us and protect us from the unspeakable dangers that lurk across the world. And we pray as well that the thousands of Yiddishe neshamos who are so far away from the Torah path find the light and draw closer to their heritage and the One Above.

We wish you all a meaningful fast and that all your tefillos will be accepted On High, letovah.

Once again, a gemar chasimah tovah to you and yours.

Sincerely,

The Matzav.com  staff

FBI Director Kash Patel said yesterday that the bureau has used artificial intelligence to help prevent potential school shootings in North Carolina and roughly half a dozen other states, while dramatically expanding its use of AI since he took charge of the agency. Patel said the FBI’s use of the technology has increased by 605 percent during his tenure.

During an appearance on Fox News’ “Saturday in America,” host Kayleigh McEnany asked Patel about an earlier statement in which he said the FBI had used AI software to rapidly evaluate a tip concerning a potential school shooting in North Carolina.

Patel said Saturday that the North Carolina case was not an isolated example and that the bureau has used similar technology in several other states.

“We’ve done it in North Carolina and about half a dozen other states to prevent school shootings since I’ve been in the seat,” the FBI director told McEnany. “AI, when used lawfully, is a critical tool to triage data. For far too long the institutional morass in D.C. rejected the advancements of technology.”

Patel said the FBI has moved aggressively to incorporate artificial intelligence into its operations and intends to further expand the technology’s role in evaluating potential threats.

“I have increased the use of AI in the FBI by 605 percent,” Patel continued. “And what we’re about to do is work with our **… **partners and look at databases and collect information and get DNA and then get these threats back out to the field and stop people from killing children at schools.”

Patel also said the FBI is working with private-sector technology companies as well as state and local law enforcement agencies as part of the initiative. His 605 percent figure was also cited during his Senate Judiciary Committee appearance earlier in the week, when he was questioned about the bureau’s modernization efforts.

The FBI director said his decision to expand the bureau’s use of artificial intelligence was not “a political mission.” He also criticized Democratic senators for focusing on other controversies during Tuesday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing rather than questioning him about the FBI’s expanded use of technology.

In a separate appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity” following the hearing, Patel accused Democratic members of the committee of behaving “like buffoons on Capitol Hill.”

Tuesday’s hearing featured contentious exchanges between Patel and Democratic senators over a number of issues involving his management of the FBI. Lawmakers questioned him about allegations that government resources had been used for personal travel, including trips involving his girlfriend, sporting events and a hunting retreat. Patel disputed allegations of improper use of government resources.

The questions followed earlier scrutiny from congressional Democrats over Patel’s use of FBI aircraft and other government resources.

Patel had previously denied wrongdoing in a July letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa, saying that his travel was “[fully compliant]” with FBI rules.

The FBI’s rapidly growing use of artificial intelligence comes amid a wider debate in Washington and Silicon Valley over how quickly increasingly powerful AI systems should be developed and deployed, and what safeguards should accompany them.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei recently called for slowing the development of increasingly capable artificial-intelligence systems while stronger protections are put in place.

“We must slow the pace at which we improve the capabilities of AI models.”

Amodei has also proposed allowing competing AI companies greater latitude to cooperate on common safety standards, including through an exemption from certain antitrust restrictions.

That idea has encountered opposition from some members of Congress, including Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri.

During Patel’s Senate hearing, Hawley said there is “absolutely no world” in which he would support granting AI companies “antitrust exemptions.”

Patel, meanwhile, is arguing for broader use of the technology inside the FBI, particularly as a means of rapidly processing large amounts of information and identifying potentially imminent threats.

While Patel has publicly cited the North Carolina case and said similar interventions have occurred in roughly half a dozen other states, publicly available reporting reviewed Saturday did not provide a detailed accounting of each case or independently establish the precise role AI played in preventing each alleged plot. His claim that FBI use of AI has risen by 605 percent is likewise a figure provided by Patel and has not been accompanied publicly by a detailed breakdown explaining how the bureau calculates its overall level of AI usage.

{Matzav.com}

The Trump administration has begun erecting 30-foot border wall panels across a section of the remote Big Bend region of West Texas, moving ahead with a major expansion of the U.S.-Mexico border barrier despite opposition from local landowners, elected officials and environmental groups.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed Friday that crews have begun installing the massive steel panels in Hudspeth County, part of a 47-mile stretch designated by the government as Big Bend 1. Construction began earlier in the week, with CBP posting an image showing a crane hoisting one of the wall sections into position.

The work marks the first major wall construction to get underway in the Big Bend area under the administration’s current plans. The broader initiative calls for five separate projects across a region that encompasses hundreds of miles of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Big Bend takes its name from the sweeping curve made by the Rio Grande as it winds through the rugged West Texas landscape. The region is known for its mountains, desert terrain and dramatic river canyons and includes Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park and other protected areas.

CBP has emphasized that the construction now underway is not taking place inside the most prominent protected lands in the region.

The agency said it currently has no plans to erect a wall in “Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park, or the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area.”

However, other types of border-security infrastructure have been proposed in portions of the broader Big Bend area, including areas involving the national park, and those plans have generated lawsuits and substantial local opposition.

Work on two other projects, known as Big Bend 2 and Big Bend 4, is currently paused through September 30. CBP agreed to halt ground-disturbing activity on those projects to “allow for additional public engagement.”

Big Bend 4 includes portions of Big Bend National Park and continues east toward the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River and Lower Canyons area, while Big Bend 2 runs from the Ruidosa area toward Madera Canyon in Big Bend Ranch State Park.

The temporary pause followed legal challenges and weeks of pressure from residents and elected officials who have questioned the need for extensive barriers in the sparsely populated region and expressed concern about the effects on private property, wildlife, tourism and historically significant areas.

Opponents have argued that the Big Bend region is fundamentally different from more heavily trafficked sections of the southern border. Historically, it has recorded the fewest illegal crossings of any region along the southwest border, according to a recent Texas Tribune review.

The administration, however, has maintained that physical barriers and other security infrastructure are necessary to deter illegal crossings and strengthen control of stretches of the border that currently have little or no physical barrier.

The Big Bend construction is part of a much larger border-security effort backed by tens of billions of dollars in federal funding. The administration’s broader plans combine physical walls and barriers with access roads, surveillance equipment and other technology.

Local opposition has remained intense even as construction begins.

Clara Benson, founder of the No Big Bend Wall Coalition, told The Associated Press that her organization had received reports in recent days of construction equipment and supplies being transported into the region. She said opponents intend to continue challenging the project regardless of how much construction takes place.

“We will continue fighting to the end,” Benson said, per the AP. “You talk to people in west Texas and they say even if they put it up, we’ll fight for them to take it down. So this fight is not over.”

Opponents have also raised concerns about the potential consequences for ranching and other local businesses.

Yolanda Alvarado, a cattle rancher and regional director of No Big Bend Wall, previously warned that the effects could extend well beyond the individual properties on which barriers are erected.

“Our livelihoods are threatened at this point. Not just landowners, but business owners, and not just Big Bend National Park …. it’s everyone in this region.”

Landowners have also taken their objections to court. A coalition representing 230 landowners filed a federal lawsuit on September 14 challenging the administration’s plans to construct border barriers across portions of the Big Bend region.

One farmer involved in the litigation said the proposed construction could interfere with his family’s ability to access water needed for agricultural operations, illustrating one of the property-rights disputes surrounding the project.

Resistance has not been confined to environmental organizations or traditionally Democratic officials.

In March, sheriffs representing five West Texas counties sent a bipartisan letter to federal and state officials opposing construction of a wall in the Big Bend region.

Texas Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican, has also pressed federal officials to consult local stakeholders about the projects and the possible consequences for the region. The concerns raised have included potential effects on wildlife migration, Native American cultural sites, tourism and the regional economy.

Big Bend National Park is itself an important economic engine for the surrounding communities. More than 568,000 recreational visitors came to the park in 2025, generating nearly $64 million in economic activity, according to figures cited amid the ongoing dispute.

Federal officials have held discussions with local leaders, although those meetings have not resolved the disagreement.

Earlier this month, county judges from the region were scheduled to meet with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin about the border projects. Mullin did not attend the meeting, leaving department staff members to speak with the officials instead.

Brewster County Judge Greg Henington said afterward that the discussion produced little new information, although he indicated that CBP officials appeared to be considering some of the concerns raised by local leaders.

“It was the same old same old,” Henington said.

Henington said local officials continued to urge Washington to clearly explain its plans, make use of existing infrastructure where possible and repair damage resulting from construction.

“I just reiterated to him that our message back to Washington is the same as it was two weeks ago,” Henington said. “Our three points were: Number one, get your message straight and stick to it. Do what you say and say what you do. Two, use existing infrastructure. And three, try to find a way to not just build a road and abandon it, and repair what you tore up.”

Despite those objections, the Big Bend 1 project in Hudspeth County is now moving forward.

CBP says it has accelerated construction elsewhere along the southern border as well, with crews currently completing approximately 12 miles of barriers per week. The agency says about 200 miles of new construction have been completed since President Trump returned to office.

For now, the legal and political battle is proceeding alongside the physical construction. Crews are installing the 30-foot panels along the Big Bend 1 corridor, while activity on Big Bend 2 and Big Bend 4 remains paused through September 30 as federal officials conduct additional discussions with local stakeholders.

The result is an unusual split across the sprawling West Texas region: construction of President Trump’s border wall has now begun in one section of Big Bend, even as lawsuits, temporary pauses and opposition from landowners and officials leave the future of several other sections unresolved.

The White House yesterday began enforcing President Donald Trump’s ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico, denying journalists from all three news organizations entry to the White House complex and confiscating or disabling press credentials, one day after the President announced that the outlets would no longer be permitted on the grounds.

The three organizations quickly condemned the move, saying it interfered with constitutionally protected press freedoms and indicating that they were prepared to challenge the restrictions. The White House Correspondents’ Association also objected and called for the journalists’ access to be restored.

MS NOW was among the first outlets to report Saturday morning that its journalists had been stopped from entering.

“Earlier this morning MS NOW journalists were denied access to the White House grounds. The White House belongs to the American people and the decisions made inside are funded by our tax dollars,” MS NOW wrote in a statement. “MS NOW intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy.”

CBS News independently reported seeing MS NOW correspondent Akayla Gardner and a cameraman turned away from the White House at approximately 8 a.m. Saturday. Their press passes had been revoked.

CNN confirmed roughly two hours later that its own journalists had also been prevented from entering the White House grounds. Senior White House reporter Betsy Klein said her credential had been deactivated and subsequently confiscated.

CNN characterized the restriction as an “illegal assault” on press freedom and said it would continue covering the administration regardless of whether its journalists were permitted inside the White House.

“CNN’s mission to report on the U.S. government will continue regardless of any attempts to restrict physical access to the White House and other government buildings, or any other attempts to impede our journalism,” CNN said in its statement. “We have a right under the U.S. Constitution to do our reporting without hindrance or interference from the government.”

Politico subsequently disclosed that White House reporter Cheyenne Haslett had also attempted to enter the complex and was turned away.

Politico Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Greenberger said Haslett’s credential was taken after she attempted to report for work.

“A few minutes ago, our colleague Cheyenne Haslett attempted to enter the White House to do her job as a POLITICO reporter. Secret Service denied her entry to the complex and confiscated the pass that allows her access to the White House,” Greenberger said in a statement, which was first distributed internally to Politico’s newsroom.

The restrictions followed Trump’s announcement Friday that CNN, MS NOW and Politico were barred from the White House “effective immediately.” The President accused the organizations of publishing false coverage of him, his administration and the country and warned that other news organizations could eventually face similar restrictions.

“Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America,” Trump wrote.

The President said Friday that his decision was based on what he described as a broader pattern of coverage rather than a single article or broadcast. Asked at a news conference whether he was attempting to intimidate journalists, Trump rejected that characterization and criticized media coverage he considers dishonest.

For Gardner, the effect of the new policy became apparent when she arrived at the White House Saturday morning and attempted to use her credential.

She said she successfully passed the initial security checkpoints but encountered a problem when she scanned the badge that normally allows her to enter the complex.

“It did not work. There was a red beeping light,” Gardner said.

According to Gardner, an officer then informed her that the credential had been disabled and took it from her. When she asked for an explanation, she said the officer told her the matter was “above him.”

The restrictions did not appear to be applied uniformly to every employee of the affected organizations Saturday morning. Gardner said an MS NOW producer accompanying her was still able to enter the White House, even though her own credential and that of a photographer had been disabled.

CNN’s Klein reported a similar encounter. She said a security officer informed her that her pass had been deactivated and confiscated it, directing her to the White House press office if she wanted additional information.

The restrictions immediately drew criticism from press-freedom organizations and journalists, including some media figures whose organizations were not affected by the ban. The critics argued that excluding journalists because of the content of their reporting raises First Amendment concerns.

CNN had already signaled that it was prepared to challenge the restriction after Trump announced it Friday.

“Should the ban which President Trump threatened go ahead, it would be an illegal assault on that fundamental and constitutionally-protected right,” a CNN spokesperson said in a statement.

Trump has had a contentious relationship with CNN for years and has repeatedly criticized both the network and individual correspondents. During an Oval Office appearance in June, Trump described CNN as “crooked as hell” and “a very corrupt organization.” He also criticized CNN White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins, calling her a “corrupt reporter” with “hatred in her eyes.”

Politico similarly indicated that it intended to contest the restrictions.

“We stand by her and all reporters here covering the White House. As we said yesterday, we will vigorously defend our First Amendment rights,” Greenberger said following Haslett’s removal.

Trump has separately accused Politico of receiving $8 million in government subsidies connected to subscriptions to Politico Pro, the publication’s premium information service. Politico has disputed the characterization that government purchases of its subscription products amounted to subsidies.

“The claims that POLITICO received government subsidies are false and have been thoroughly debunked,” Politico said in a statement.

The White House Correspondents’ Association also weighed in following Saturday’s incidents. WHCA President Jacqui Heinrich said the decision raised concerns extending beyond the three organizations immediately affected.

The action “violates the First Amendment,” Heinrich said, adding that the WHCA “calls on the administration to immediately restore our colleagues’ access.”

“The implications extend beyond these organizations: a standard used to exclude one news outlet because of its coverage could be applied to any outlet in the future,” Heinrich wrote. “The American people, through a free and independent press, must be able to scrutinize those elected to power, regardless of whether government officials view it favorably. That’s why courts have repeatedly held that once the White House provides access to journalists, it cannot deny that access arbitrarily or based on the content of their reporting.”

Previous disputes over White House press credentials have resulted in federal court rulings against administrations that withdrew individual reporters’ access without adequate process. Courts ordered the restoration of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta’s credential in 2018 and Playboy correspondent Brian Karem’s credential in 2019, although the precise legal questions surrounding the latest restrictions could be litigated separately.

The latest action represents a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between the Trump administration and news organizations whose coverage the President has repeatedly criticized. Trump has also suggested that CNN, MS NOW and Politico may not be the last organizations affected by the new approach.

For now, all three outlets say they intend to continue covering President Trump and his administration despite being denied physical access to the White House, while their statements Saturday indicated that a legal challenge to the restrictions could follow.

WATCH:

An estimated 150,000 people filled the Kosel plaza and the surrounding streets of the Old City on Motzoei Shabbos for the final and largest Selichos gathering before Yom Kippur, bringing an extraordinary month of tefillah at the Kosel to a close as Klal Yisroel prepared for the holiest day of the year.

The enormous crowd began arriving during the early evening hours, eventually filling not only the Kosel plaza but nearby balconies, passageways and alleys throughout the Old City. The gathering represented the culmination of weeks of Selichos at the Kosel, which have drawn increasingly large crowds throughout Elul and the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah. Earlier in Elul, some 50,000 people attended just one of the major Selichos gatherings.

Among those participating in the final Selichos were several survivors of Hamas captivity, including Eliya Cohen, Rom Braslavski, Elkana Bohbot and Ohad Ben Ami. Cohen was accompanied by his partner, Ziv Abud, who survived the Nova festival massacre.

Their arrival generated an emotional response from the tens of thousands gathered at the Kosel, many of whom greeted the survivors warmly. Their presence carried particular significance after years in which tefillos for the hostages had become a central part of public gatherings at the Kosel.

WATCH THE FULL VIDEO:

Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu attended together with his wife, Sara Netanyahu. Also participating were Sephardic Chief Rabbi Rav David Yosef; Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Rav Kalman Meir Ber; Rav Shmuel Rabinowitz, Rav of the Kosel and the holy sites; Yerushalayim Mayor Moshe Lion; government ministers; public officials; and numerous rabbanim and other dignitaries.

During the gathering, Netanyahu offered a tefillah for the safety and success of IDF soldiers and members of Israel’s security forces, as well as for the protection of Eretz Yisroel.

The Chief Rabbis similarly offered heartfelt tefillos for the welfare of the Jewish people and for greater achdus among Yidden.

Addressing the massive crowd, Rav Rabinowitz reflected on the remarkable scenes witnessed at the Kosel throughout the preceding weeks and the diverse cross-section of Jews who had come together for Selichos.

“This month has once again proven that the Western Wall is the beating heart of the Jewish people. From every corner of the country and from every part of our nation, people came here in large numbers – members of every community, holding every opinion and worldview, those who wear a kippah and those who do not – and stood together as one, with one heart. Together, we prayed for the success of IDF soldiers, the recovery of the wounded, the comfort of bereaved families, and the peace and unity of the people of Israel. From the holiness and spiritual elevation of the Selichot gatherings, we enter the new year with great hope: a year of healing and comfort, victory and blessing, and above all – a year in which we remember that we are all one people, bound by a shared fate and united in a shared prayer.”

The sheer size of the crowd meant that many people were unable to enter the Kosel plaza itself. To allow those gathered farther away to participate, the proceedings were broadcast live on large screens positioned outside the main plaza.

Additional screens were installed on the walls near Jaffa Gate and at IDF Square, with the assistance of the Yerushalayim Municipality and the Yerushalayim Development Authority. The broadcasts allowed the overflowing crowds throughout the surrounding area to follow the Selichos and join the tefillos despite being unable to reach the plaza.

The massive Motzoei Shabbos gathering capped an extraordinary Elul and Aseres Yemei Teshuvah at the Kosel. According to the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, nearly two million people from across Eretz Yisroel and from a wide range of backgrounds came to the Kosel during the Selichos period.

The crowds included former hostages, bereaved families, wounded IDF soldiers and disabled veterans, active-duty soldiers, members of the security forces and countless other Jews who came to daven during the Yemei Harachamim V’Haselichos.

The Western Wall Heritage Foundation said: “We conclude the month of mercy and Selichot with great satisfaction and emotion. During this period, nearly two million worshippers from across the country and from all segments of Israeli society visited the Western Wall plaza. Among them were captivity survivors, bereaved families, wounded and disabled IDF veterans, IDF soldiers, and members of the security forces, alongside countless members of the people of Israel, who came together in shared prayer for the sake of the people of Israel.”

The foundation has meanwhile completed its preparations for Yom Kippur itself, when thousands more are expected to make their way to the Kosel over the course of the fast.

Particularly large crowds are expected toward the end of Yom Kippur for Neilah, when the plaza traditionally fills with mispallelim for the final tefillah of the day.

{Matzav.com}

War Secretary Pete Hegseth is forcefully denying a Washington Post report alleging that more American service members have died during the ongoing war with Iran than the Pentagon has publicly acknowledged, calling the newspaper’s account “DISGUSTING and FAKE” and “a complete LIE.”

The dispute erupted after the Post reported Friday that at least 22 U.S. military personnel have died since the United States and Israel began military operations against Iran on February 28 — at least four more than the 18 deaths currently reflected in the Pentagon’s public Defense Casualty Analysis System, known as DCAS.

Hegseth responded to the story with an unusually sharp denunciation.

“This is DISGUSTING and FAKE. A complete LIE,” Hegseth wrote on X. “Shame on the Washington Post — they’re worse than Iranian state media.”

The Post based its report on interviews with six U.S. officials described as familiar with the War Department’s internal casualty accounting. Five of those officials told the newspaper that at least 22 service members have died, while a sixth placed the figure at 23.

According to that sixth official, not every death omitted from the public tally was necessarily the direct result of enemy action. Rather, the additional cases involved American military personnel serving in the Middle East during the hostilities.

That distinction is significant because the dispute is not simply over the number of Americans killed directly by Iranian attacks. The Post’s report concerns whether all U.S. military deaths connected to personnel deployed in the region during the war are being properly reflected in the Pentagon’s public casualty accounting.

The identities of the additional service members, along with precisely when, where and how they died, have not been publicly established. Officials who spoke to the Post reportedly expressed frustration that the deaths they were aware of internally did not appear in the publicly accessible casualty database.

The Post also reported that three U.S. contractors based in the Middle East have died since the conflict began. Those contractor deaths are separate from the military fatality count.

The Pentagon declined to answer detailed questions from the Post about the apparent discrepancy before publication, according to the newspaper. Hegseth subsequently issued his categorical denial on social media, but his response did not provide a detailed accounting explaining why the officials’ figures differed from the public database.

The controversy follows earlier questions surrounding changes to the Pentagon’s public casualty numbers.

In July, the Pentagon’s public tally of American military personnel killed during the Iran conflict temporarily fell from 18 to 14, according to reporting at the time. Military officials said four names had disappeared from the count because those service members died after President Donald Trump announced an April ceasefire that subsequently broke down.

The Pentagon disputed suggestions that it was intentionally reducing the casualty count. Acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez attributed the discrepancy to “temporary data disruptions” and “anomalies” affecting the department’s website.

“The department attempted to explain the anomalies to The New York Times ahead of publication, but given their lack of knowledge in this area, they proceeded to write a non-story,” Valdez said at the time, adding, “We remain committed to ensuring the utmost accuracy of all casualty reporting.”

The latest Post report has renewed scrutiny of the casualty-accounting system, particularly because the officials cited by the newspaper claim the internal numbers do not match those available to the public.

The Defense Casualty Analysis System is the Pentagon’s official public database for casualty information. How a service member’s death is classified can depend on the circumstances surrounding it and the results of military investigations, meaning that deaths occurring in a combat theater are not automatically categorized as combat deaths.

That distinction may ultimately prove important in resolving the apparent discrepancy. The Post acknowledged that some of the additional deaths identified by its sources were not necessarily caused directly by the fighting with Iran.

But the newspaper’s sources maintain that the overall number of American service members who have died while serving in the region since the war began is higher than the figure currently presented publicly by the Pentagon.

Reuters independently reported the existence of the Post story and Hegseth’s denial but did not independently verify the newspaper’s figure of at least 22 deaths.

The controversy comes as American forces remain heavily engaged across the Middle East and as the human and financial costs of the war continue to attract scrutiny in Washington.

More than 800 American service members have also reportedly been wounded since the conflict began, although casualty classifications and the relationship of individual injuries to direct combat vary.

The disagreement over fatalities has now become a broader dispute over transparency, with the Post standing by reporting based on multiple officials familiar with internal figures while Hegseth is flatly rejecting the central allegation.

At present, the two accounts remain unresolved publicly: the Pentagon database lists 18 military deaths associated with the conflict, while five officials cited by the Post say the actual number is at least 22 and another places it at 23. The identities and circumstances of the additional deaths cited by those officials have not been made public.

U.S. mortgage rates have climbed sharply again, with a closely watched daily measure of the average 30-year fixed mortgage reaching 7.20% on Friday, September 18, adding another major affordability hurdle for Americans already confronting elevated home prices and a sluggish housing market.

The 7.20% figure comes from Mortgage News Daily’s daily index, which stood at 7.19% Thursday and 7.24% Wednesday. Just one month ago, the same benchmark was roughly 6.75%, meaning borrowing costs have risen by about 45 basis points in a matter of weeks. A year ago, the index stood at 6.37%.

Other widely followed mortgage surveys show somewhat lower rates because they use different methodologies and reporting periods. Freddie Mac’s weekly survey put the average 30-year fixed mortgage at 6.95% for the week ending September 17, up sharply from 6.76% a week earlier. Zillow marketplace data put the average at 7.04% heading into the weekend.

The takeaway, however, is consistent across the major gauges: mortgage borrowing costs have risen rapidly and are once again hovering around or above the psychologically significant 7% level.

Mortgage News Daily’s 30-year rate was 7.12% on September 11, 7.17% on September 14, 7.22% on September 15 and 7.24% on September 16 before easing slightly. Its September 18 reading of 7.20% was 83 basis points higher than the comparable rate one year earlier.

The latest surge comes amid renewed pressure in the bond market, persistent inflation concerns and a significant shift in Federal Reserve policy.

The Federal Reserve this week raised its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point, its first increase in roughly three years, as policymakers sought to address inflation that has remained stubbornly above the central bank’s target. Inflation has recently been running at 3.4% year over year, while higher energy prices have added to concerns that price pressures could remain elevated.

Mortgage rates are not directly set by the Federal Reserve. Instead, they tend to track longer-term bond yields, particularly the 10-year Treasury yield, while also reflecting expectations about inflation, economic growth and future monetary policy.

The 10-year Treasury yield recently approached 5%, helping drive mortgage rates higher. Concerns about persistent inflation, government borrowing and the enormous amount of capital being raised for artificial-intelligence infrastructure have all contributed to pressure on longer-term borrowing costs.

The jump to 7.2% can make a substantial difference for a homebuyer.

On a $500,000 30-year mortgage, principal and interest at 6% would be approximately $2,998 per month. At 7.2%, the payment rises to roughly $3,394 — nearly $400 more every month, or about $4,750 more per year. That does not include property taxes, homeowners insurance or other housing costs.

For a $750,000 mortgage, the difference becomes even more pronounced: principal and interest at 6% would be about $4,497 monthly, compared with approximately $5,091 at 7.2%, a difference of nearly $600 every month.

The renewed rise in rates is particularly painful because home prices remain elevated in many parts of the country. Unlike previous periods when high mortgage rates coincided with significantly lower home prices, today’s buyers are frequently confronting both expensive financing and expensive properties.

The result has been an unusually difficult housing environment in which many prospective buyers cannot afford to purchase while existing homeowners have little incentive to sell.

Millions of homeowners refinanced or purchased homes when mortgage rates were around 3% during the pandemic-era period of exceptionally low borrowing costs. Selling a home with a 3% mortgage and purchasing another property with financing near 7% can dramatically increase a homeowner’s monthly payment even if the new house is not significantly more expensive.

That so-called mortgage “lock-in” effect has contributed to reduced housing turnover and constrained the supply of existing homes available for sale.

Home sales have consequently remained near historically weak levels. The Associated Press reported that sales have been hovering around lows not seen in roughly three decades, while pending home sales were recently down 4.7% from a year earlier.

The latest rate increase also represents a striking reversal from expectations earlier in the year that borrowing costs might gradually ease.

The Federal Reserve’s move toward higher rates has complicated that outlook. Bank of America economists now expect two additional Fed rate increases before the end of 2026, citing persistent inflation and continued strength in the economy, although financial markets currently see fewer additional increases as more likely.

The Fed’s benchmark rate and mortgage rates do not necessarily move in lockstep. Indeed, mortgage rates can fall even when the Fed raises rates if investors become convinced that tighter monetary policy will ultimately bring inflation under control. Conversely, mortgage rates can rise without a Fed move when bond investors become more concerned about inflation or government borrowing.

The difference between various published mortgage-rate figures also means borrowers should not assume that 7.20% is the rate they will personally receive.

Mortgage News Daily describes its figure as an average daily rate for a top-tier conventional 30-year fixed mortgage and notes that an individual borrower’s actual cost can be higher depending on the circumstances. Freddie Mac’s weekly survey uses a different methodology, while Zillow and other services derive averages from their own lender networks.

A borrower’s credit score, down payment, debt-to-income ratio, loan size, location, type of mortgage and whether points are paid upfront can all substantially change the rate offered by a lender.

Government-backed loans are also currently carrying somewhat lower headline rates. Recent marketplace data showed 30-year FHA and VA mortgages in the mid-6% range, compared with conventional 30-year mortgages above 7%, though fees, eligibility requirements and APRs must also be considered.

For would-be buyers, the return of 7%-plus mortgages amounts to another setback after several years of unusually difficult affordability conditions.

The broader question now is whether 7.2% represents a temporary spike caused by recent volatility or the beginning of another sustained period of elevated mortgage costs. With inflation remaining above the Fed’s target and policymakers signaling continued concern about price pressures, there is little certainty that meaningful relief for homebuyers is imminent.