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An unusual incident in Modi’in has triggered public backlash after a local resident was detained by police over a yarmulka he was wearing, which featured both Israeli and Palestinian flags.
According to a report by N12, Dr. Alex Sinclair, who regularly wears a yarmulka, found himself in a confrontation with police due to the design of the head covering, which displayed the two flags side by side.
Sinclair said the incident began while he was sitting at a café near his home, when another individual noticed the symbols on his yarmulka and objected, telling him he intended to call the police.
Police officers arrived shortly afterward, and according to Sinclair, one of them told him that wearing such a yarmulka could constitute a violation of the law and that he needed to accompany them to the station for questioning.
During the encounter at the police station, Sinclair said officers attempted to persuade him to surrender the yarmulka. He told N12 that he was informed he could be released if he agreed to leave the item with police as evidence or as a prohibited object. Sinclair refused, explaining that he had worn the yarmulka for years and that it held personal significance. He alleges that after he declined to hand it over voluntarily, an officer took the yarmulka and later returned it to him after cutting it, physically removing the Palestinian flag.
Sinclair described the experience as deeply unsettling, saying he initially thought it might be a misunderstanding or even a joke, as he was unaware of any law prohibiting such imagery on a religious or personal garment. He added that the incident undermined his sense of security in dealing with law enforcement authorities.
Israel Police responded that, contrary to some reports, the individual was neither arrested nor formally questioned. According to the police statement, officers from the Modi’in station responded on April 20, 2026, to a report about a man sitting in a business wearing a yarmulka bearing a Palestinian flag. He was brought to the station for clarification and was released afterward. Police added that since a complaint has been filed with the department responsible for investigating police conduct, they cannot provide further details at this time.
{Matzav.com}
What began as a painful and public moment of bizayon quickly turned into an extraordinary display of achdus and chesed, as the broader tzibbur rallied in support of two bochurim who were mocked on camera while collecting for hachnosas kallah.
The widely circulated video, showing the two young bnei yeshiva being ridiculed by Inbar Twizer of Channel 12 News, sparked outrage—but also inspired one of the most remarkable grassroots fundraising efforts seen in recent memory, unfolding within less than a day.
Aryeh Ehrlich and media personality Yair Levy, who had been accompanying the bochurim—identified as A. and S.—since the story broke, visited them this evening. They brought fruit platters on behalf of Klal Yisroel, offering chizuk and solidarity in the wake of the incident.
In an emotional post, Ehrlich described the encounter and the mindset of the two young men who unexpectedly found themselves at the center of a national storm. “The conversation yesterday with the two righteous bochurim – A. and S. – who went out to help with hachnosas kallah and were forced to endure an ugly humiliation, quickly turned into a great beam of light of chesed and unity,” he wrote.
He noted that while the bochurim appeared somewhat overwhelmed by the sudden attention, their perspective remained one of emunah. “They believe that this is how Hashem arranged things from Heaven.”
The most striking revelation came when one of the bochurim shared what they had originally expected from their efforts: “We thought we would come back from the round with 200 shekels at most – in the end they told us it came out to more than 200,000 shekels.”
Ehrlich concluded by relaying their gratitude: “A. and S. thanked everyone for the support and love that was showered upon them from every direction.”
While criticism continues to mount in media circles over the conduct of the reporter, the tzibbur responded in a very different way—choosing generosity over anger. The remarkable sum raised will go entirely toward its intended purpose: the mitzvah of hachnosas kallah.
https://matzav.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/VIDEO-2026-04-22-14-38-33.mp4 {Matzav.com}Growing uncertainty is surrounding the condition—and even the possible survival—of Mojtaba Khamenei, as reports and speculation intensify regarding the state of Iran’s leadership at a sensitive moment for the regime.
According to emerging reports, there are increasing signs that Iranian authorities may be deliberately concealing the true extent of Khamenei’s condition, projecting an image of stability while serious developments may be unfolding behind the scenes.
Israeli analyst Amit Segal addressed the issue Thursday on Channel 12 News, noting that the available information is both limited and questionable, particularly since most of it originates from within Iran itself.
Segal said the reports suggest Khamenei may have suffered severe injuries, including the loss of a leg and the need for complex facial reconstruction, but is reportedly refusing treatment out of concern that his condition would be exposed. According to a report in The New York Times, Iran’s president—who has medical training—is personally overseeing his care, adding another layer of intrigue to the situation.
A central question now being raised is whether Khamenei is even alive, or whether the regime is maintaining an illusion of leadership to preserve internal stability. Segal said there are voices in Israel openly entertaining that possibility: “Assuming Iran’s president did not share the full information, it is worth considering another possibility — that he may no longer be with us. That is a possibility that some in Israel support. They have no proof of it, but they say: ‘Look, all the information about his existence relies on second-tier sources.'”
Further suspicion has been fueled by the conduct of Iran’s political leadership, which in some cases appears to be acting contrary to established directives attributed to the supreme leader. Segal pointed to the Iranian president’s recent visit to Pakistan, where he displayed what he described as “extreme and fundamentalist rigidity,” while at the same time deviating from Khamenei’s known position against engaging in certain negotiations.
“Do you allow yourself to act in contradiction to the leader’s position, or perhaps you believe there is a reasonable chance that the instruction never came from the leader at all — because he cannot deliver it, or because he simply does not exist?” Segal asked.
Until clear and verifiable proof of life emerges, the uncertainty is expected to persist. “It is worth keeping this possibility in mind until we see him holding today’s newspaper. And I think it will take time before that happens,” Segal concluded.
Observers note that authoritarian regimes have historically concealed the deaths of leaders for days or even weeks in order to manage succession struggles—raising the possibility that a similar scenario could now be unfolding in Tehran.
{Matzav.com}R’ Simcha Felder, an Orthodox Jewish member of the New York City Council, stormed out of the first meeting of the council’s newly formed Task Force to Combat Antisemitism after Phylisa Wisdom, executive director of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, said that City Hall’s policy is not to define hate, including Jew-hatred.
Eric Dinowitz, a council member and co-chair of the bipartisan task force, pressed Wisdom during the hearing on Wednesday about how her office defines antisemitism.
“The vast majority of the Jewish community values the IHRA definition,” he said, of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of Jew-hatred.
Among the contemporary examples that are part of the working definition is singling the Jewish state out for unique criticism and denying its right to exist. One of Zohran Mamdani’s first actions as mayor in January was to revoke his predecessor’s executive order using the IHRA definition as city policy.
“Where cities have laid out that anti-Zionism is a proxy for ‘Jew,’ they saw a decrease in incidents,” Dinowitz told Wisdom, who assumed her position in February.
“The policy of this administration,” Wisdom responded, “is that we will continue to not have a codified definition of any form of hate.”
Simcha Felder, a New York City Council member, is pictured as the council’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism holds its first hearing, April 22, 2026. Credit: John McCarten/NYC Council.Felder, who represents heavily Charedi neighborhoods in Brooklyn, including Borough Park and Flatbush, questioned whether Wisdom has ever experienced real Jew-hatred.
The Orthodox council member also pointed out that the state law mandating Holocaust education in public schools is widely ignored. “It would be very helpful if children at a young age got that education,” he said. “Schools throughout the state are in violation of state law.”
Felder also said that elected officials’ tendency to link Jew-hatred and Islamophobia in the same breath, even when data shows no equivalence in incidence, normalizes anti-Jewish sentiment.
After Wisdom said that city policy was not to define hate, Felder stormed out.
“The last straw was when they asked her about determining whether or not something is a hate crime, and she said that she and her assistant are going to decide case-by-case whether something is a hate crime or not,” he told JNS, of Wisdom. “That was outrageous. She is not competent to decide. I don’t think she should have been hired.”
“That was nuts, and that’s why I exploded,” he said.
“I can’t recall ever hearing something so absurd from someone in the administration,” added Felder, who has represented his area in the state Senate and in the New York City Council for a combined 21 years. “That’s unconscionable and unacceptable.”
Government of inaction’
During the newly formed task force’s inaugural hearing, which ran for five hours on Wednesday, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, senior New York City Police Department officials and representatives of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism testified, including about what city data confirms is a deepening crisis.
Jews, who make up about 10% of the city’s population, are targets of more than half of all hate crimes committed there. The hearing illuminated pointed disagreements about the problems of Jews being targeted by verbal attacks and slurs, which are considered protected free speech.
Michael Gerber, NYPD deputy commissioner for legal matters, testified that Jews accounted for more than 50% of confirmed hate crime victims in New York City in both 2024 and 2025—a proportion that has held steady.
In 2025, there were 566 confirmed hate crimes in the city and 327, or 58%, were antisemitic. In the first quarter of 2026, 78 of 143 confirmed hate crimes, again more than half, targeted Jewish people, he said.
Brooklyn is home to what Gonzalez described as the largest Jewish population of any county in the United States and has borne a disproportionate share of Jew-hatred. In 2025, Brooklyn recorded 239 hate crime incidents, 62% of which targeted Jews. In the first quarter of 2026, the majority of Brooklyn hate crimes continued to target Jews.
Dinowitz, a former teacher and Democrat who co-chairs the task force with Inna Vernikov, a Republican, said that about a quarter of anti-Jewish hate incidents in the city have been directed at children or at places children frequent, including schools and playgrounds. (Dinowitz and Vernikov are Jewish.)
“Throughout our history as a people, we have seen inaction leading to the persecution and eviction of Jewish people from their homes,” Dinowitz said at the hearing. “Today we will not be a government of inaction that allows Jews to be persecuted because we are looking the other way.”
New York City Council members Eric Dinowitz and Inna Vernikov are pictured as the council’s bipartisan Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, which they co-chair, holds its first hearing, April 22, 2026. Credit: John McCarten/NYC Council.Hate crime data
One of the hearing’s most contentious issues concerned how the NYPD counts and reports hate crime data. JNS has reported that after the city recorded a 182% increase in Jew-hatred in the city in the first month of Mamdani’s mayoral administration, in January, that the city has twice changed the way it reports hate crime statistics.
Gerber said that in early March, the NYPD stopped using what he called “hodgepodge numbers,” which he described as figures that did not reflect confirmed hate crimes or the full universe of incidents flagged for investigation by the department’s Hate Crimes Task Force.
Although many have suspected that Mamdani ordered the change in data reporting, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch has said that she made the decision on her own, and Gerber reiterated that at the hearing.
Tisch “ordered us to stop using” the earlier figures and “it was not at the directive or initiative of anyone at City Hall,” he said. “We should have done a better job explaining what we were doing, and on reflection should have made those changes in one step rather than two.”
In February, the city said it would only report “confirmed” hate crimes rather than including suspected hate crimes that are being investigated. In March, it said it would report both “confirmed” and “reported” hate crimes. JNS has reported that the city’s decisions make it difficult to compare 2026 statistics with those from prior years and that different city and police sites have varied counts of hate crimes, including anti-Jewish ones.
New York City Council members Eric Dinowitz and Inna Vernikov are pictured as the council’s bipartisan Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, which they co-chair, holds its first hearing, April 22, 2026. Credit: John McCarten/NYC Council.“The fact that a victim is a member of a protected class is not enough,” Gerber said, of what is classified as a hate crime. “The law requires more before we can bring that charge.”
The legal threshold, which requires prosecutors to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a perpetrator was motivated at least in part by bias, was a recurring source of frustration for council members.
Several pressed Gerber and Gonzalez on where the legal lines fall.
Chanting in support of Hamas outside a synagogue is protected speech, as is screaming an antisemitic slur at someone on the street, according to Gerber. He said that something would rise to the level of “hate crime” only if there is a specific threat of violence or obstruction.
Blocking the entrance to a synagogue or school is a crime, and those who do so are subject to arrest, he said. But anti-Israel graffiti on a restaurant isn’t necessarily considered a hate crime, and the NYPD would have to prove the motivation was anti-Jewish rather than political, he said.
Dinowitz, the task force co-chair, said that police officers misread the use of “Zionist” and “Zio,” which perpetrators use as stand-ins for “Jew.”
“There are people using this as a proxy,” he said. “Kosher restaurants being graffitied with the word ‘Zionist,’ there should be no question that those are hate crimes,” he said. “What you’ve delivered is the ‘out.’ If you just use the word ‘Zionist’ instead of ‘Jew,’ you may be okay.”
Gerber told the council members on the task force that his hands are tied.
“We have to follow the law, which distinguishes between religion and political viewpoints,” he said. “It is not lost on me that this may well be an anti-Jewish hate crime, but we have to prove that.”
Vernikov, the Republican co-chair of the task force, cited a recent incident which upset Jewish parents in her South Brooklyn district.
Two nights earlier, protesters marched through the heavily Jewish area carrying Palestinian flags and some covered their faces with keffiyahs. They paused outside a synagogue, where a rabbi was helping a bar mitzvah boy prepare. Parents called her office, frightened.
Gerber said that based on the video he reviewed, the protestors did not stop or block entrances, which meant that their actions were not criminal. He acknowledged that the department did not have enough uniformed officers on site, because the anti-Israel group stood previously at a commercial site to protest without marching.
“They were on the sidewalk,” Gerber said. “We can’t say the sidewalk is open to the public except for them. That would be content-based speech regulation.”
“What can I tell my constituents, so they can feel that their children will be safe?” Vernikov said.
Phylisa Wisdom, head of the New York City mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, is pictured as the New York City Council’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism holds its first hearing, April 22, 2026. Credit: John McCarten/NYC Council.‘Openly, proudly and safely’
Vernikov noted that the task force invited all five district attorneys of New York City’s boroughs, but Gonzalez, of Brooklyn, was the only one to appear before the task force.
He established a Hate Crimes Bureau when he took office in 2017, and six prosecutors and four analysts and clerks staff the bureau, he said.
“Jewish life should be lived openly, proudly and safely,” Gonzalez testified. “No one should be afraid riding the subway, going to shul, visiting friends or opening a Jewish-owned business.”
While the Manhattan and Queens district attorneys offices each receive more than $1 million in dedicated hate crime funding from the city, his office, which handles the highest volume of antisemitic hate crimes, has received $50,000, he told the council.
“I asked for $1.1 million,” he said. “We received $50,000 to fight all hate crimes. The increase in incidents has not been matched by more funding.”
Gonzalez described a conviction rate of more than 90% on cases brought to trial but noted that juries sometimes convict on the underlying crime, like assault or vandalism, but acquit on the hate crime enhancement.
Phylisa Wisdom, head of the New York City mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, is pictured as the New York City Council’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism holds its first hearing, April 22, 2026. Credit: John McCarten/NYC Council.Juvenile offenders and people with serious mental illness are among the most significant perpetrators, he said, and argued for more investment in prevention and education.
“When I confront young people who have been arrested, they don’t understand the history or the meaning of a lot of these symbols,” he said. “Social media plays a role. The education piece, which is not happening, is critical.”
Gale Brewer, a council member who represents the Upper West Side, said that of a dozen middle schools in her district, only four have taken students on an educational trip to a Holocaust museum in the city.
“It is a free program. I will badger the others and they will go,” she said. “We’re not doing enough. We have to focus on prevention.”
Report to come
Wisdom, who runs the Mamdani administration’s office on hate crimes, which it says it won’t define, testified that her office added another staffer and is embarking on a listening tour of Jewish community leaders.
The office plans to release a report before the High Holy Days summarizing what it heard from the Jewish community and how that will shape policy over the remaining years of the mayor’s term, Wisdom told the task force.
The public portion of the hearing included vivid personal accounts and sharp criticism.
A Queens public school educator described a student doing a Hitler salute in his classroom, but the city’s Education Department and district superintendent didn’t follow up after the principal filed a report.
The New York City Council’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism holds its first hearing, April 22, 2026. Credit: John McCarten/NYC Council.A subway rider, who wears a kippah, described his fear riding public transit after a masked group took over a subway car last year. “I am openly identifiably Jewish,” he said. “This is an unacceptable breach of public safety.”
Not all testimony supported the task force.
Leo Ferguson, who identified himself as scholar in residence at Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, called the committee “not serious” and accused Vernikov, who has faced criticism in the past for her comments about Muslims, of undermining its credibility.
He argued that Jewish community safety cannot be separated from the safety of other communities.
Dinowitz pressed officials to commit to specific next steps: more granular reporting on perpetrator demographics and enhanced training protocols for police, who too often dismiss reports of antisemitic attacks as political speech.
Gerber agreed to bring the request for disaggregated age data back to Tisch, the police commissioner.
“This work has to lead somewhere meaningful,” Dinowitz said, at the close of the hearing. “Anything that forces a Jewish person to hide their Star of David or remove their yarmulke is a problem we have to address. We have to do the work to get it done.” JNS
{Matzav.com}
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has not issued any public audio or video statements since taking power, reportedly due to severe injuries sustained in an Israeli airstrike in late February, a development that comes as President Donald Trump points to unclear leadership in Tehran as a major obstacle in ongoing peace efforts.
According to a report citing four Iranian officials, Khamenei, 56, has avoided public appearances because he “does not want to appear vulnerable or sound weak.” The officials said he has undergone multiple medical procedures, including three surgeries on one leg and an operation on his hand, and is expected to require a prosthetic.
“His face and lips have been burned severely, making it difficult for him to speak [and] he will need plastic surgery,” the report stated.
The same report said top officials have largely stayed away from visiting him, fearing Israeli forces could track their movements. As a result, authority has shifted increasingly toward military leadership, particularly Iran’s generals, rather than civilian officials.
“Senior government officials do not visit him, fearing that Israel may trace them to him and kill him,” the report added.
Communication with Khamenei is said to be highly restricted, relying on handwritten messages delivered through a chain of couriers traveling by various routes to avoid detection.
“Messages to him are handwritten, sealed in envelopes and relayed via a human chain from one trusted courier to the next, who travel on highways and back roads, in cars and on motorcycles until they reach his hide-out. His guidance on issues snakes back the same way.”
Despite the difficulty in accessing him, the report noted that certain senior figures, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Health Minister Mohammad-Reza Zafarghandi, “have both been involved in his care.”
The situation has reinforced concerns within the Trump administration that fragmented leadership and slow internal communication are hindering diplomatic progress, particularly as questions remain about whether Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf have the authority to negotiate on behalf of Iran.
Earlier this week, Trump extended a temporary ceasefire with Iran indefinitely while awaiting a response to a new U.S. proposal that calls for ending nuclear enrichment and surrendering roughly 1,000 pounds of highly enriched uranium.
“There’s obviously a lot of internal division,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Wednesday.
“This is a battle between the pragmatists and the hardliners in Iran right now, and the president wants a unified response. And so, as we await that response, there’s a cease-fire.”
The report also indicated that Khamenei has transferred significant decision-making power to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the hardline military force.
“It was the Guards who came up with the strategy for Iran’s attacks on Israel and the Persian Gulf states, along with the closing of the strait to maritime traffic,” it said. “They were the ones who agreed to a temporary cease-fire with the United States and approved back-channel diplomacy and direct negotiations with the United States.
“They tapped Mr. Ghalibaf from among their own ranks to lead the talks with Vice President JD Vance in Islamabad.”
{Matzav.com}
A significant upgrade to cellular infrastructure in Yehuda and Shomron officially began Thursday with the inauguration of the first state-funded communications tower in Kedumim, marking the start of a broad initiative aimed at improving connectivity and strengthening personal security across the region.
The tower was dedicated in a ceremony held in the Mitzpe Yishai neighborhood, attended by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, Finance Minister and Minister within the Defense Ministry Bezalel Smotrich, and local council head Uziel Vatik.
The event, which took place just one day after Israel’s 78th Independence Day celebrations, also highlighted the launch of a major housing development project, with plans for 1,400 new residential units in the nearby Nachalat Esther neighborhood. The move is expected to further establish Kedumim as a central hub in the Shomron. This tower is the first to be activated under a broader government tender led by the Communications Authority in the Civil Administration.
The newly inaugurated site joins dozens of others constructed over the past three years, with many more planned throughout Yehuda and Shomron in the coming year.
In the first phase of the project, 22 towers are being built. The Kedumim tower is the first to become operational, while additional sites in Bruchin, Kedar, the Almog Junction area, and Mitzpe Yericho are awaiting connection to electricity. A second phase, expected to be announced soon, will include 27 additional towers, bringing the total to 49 in the initial rollout.
Communications Minister Karhi emphasized the broader significance of the project, stating: “From the heart of the Shomron in Kedumim, to all of Yehuda and Shomron. The tower we are inaugurating today as a cornerstone for Kedumim, the great city, is the opening shot for dozens of additional cellular sites that will be established here, G-d willing, over the coming year in an unprecedented national project, alongside dozens we have already built across Yehuda and Shomron. Three years ago, Prime Minister Netanyahu, at my request, declared communications infrastructure in Yehuda and Shomron a national project and a security necessity. Today we are bringing that vision into reality on the ground. Sovereignty — in practice.”
{Matzav.com}
The White House on Thursday charged that China is systematically siphoning off intellectual property from American artificial intelligence labs, warning the issue could complicate relations ahead of a planned meeting between U.S. and Chinese leaders next month.
In a memo released publicly, Michael Kratsios, who leads the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said the administration has evidence pointing to organized efforts tied largely to China targeting advanced U.S. AI systems. “The US government has information indicating that foreign entities, principally based in China, are engaged in deliberate, industrial-scale campaigns to distil US frontier AI systems,” he wrote in the document, which was first reported by the Financial Times.
He further described the methods allegedly used in these operations, including the deployment of large numbers of fake accounts and technical workarounds designed to bypass safeguards. “Leveraging tens of thousands of proxy accounts to evade detection and using jailbreaking techniques to expose proprietary information, these coordinated campaigns systematically extract capabilities from American AI models, exploiting American expertise and innovation,” he added.
Responding to the accusations, the Chinese Embassy in Washington rejected the claims, calling them unfounded. It said it opposes “the baseless allegations,” and emphasized that Beijing “attaches great importance to the protection of intellectual property rights.”
The timing of the memo is significant, coming just weeks before President Donald Trump is expected to travel to Beijing for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The allegations threaten to heighten friction in an already tense technological rivalry between the two countries, which had seen some easing after an agreement reached last October.
The developments also cast uncertainty over whether the U.S. will proceed with allowing advanced AI chips made by Nvidia to be exported to China. While the Trump administration approved such sales earlier this year under certain restrictions, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick indicated on Wednesday that shipments have yet to begin.
The memo also highlights the concept of “distillation,” a technique in which smaller AI systems are trained by drawing on the outputs of larger, more advanced models, often to reduce development costs.
Addressed to federal agencies, the document states that the administration intends to brief American AI firms about the alleged activities and consider further steps in response. It adds that officials will “explore a range of measures to hold foreign actors accountable” for the campaigns.
{Matzav.com}President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is not feeling pressure to quickly conclude the ongoing conflict with Iran, even as negotiations remain uncertain and fuel prices continue to stay high worldwide.
“For those people, fewer in number now than ever before, that are reading The Failing New York Times, or watching Fake News CNN, that think that I am ‘anxious’ to end the War (if you would even call it that!) with Iran, please be advised that I am possibly the least pressured person ever to be in this position,” he wrote on Truth Social Thursday. “I have all the time in the World, but Iran doesn’t — The clock is ticking!”
His comments signal no defined timeline for ending the standoff, which is nearing the two-month mark. Although active fighting has largely subsided following a ceasefire Trump extended indefinitely earlier in the week, there is still no clear resolution in sight.
During congressional hearings on Wednesday, administration officials avoided offering estimates for when energy prices might ease. Meanwhile, some Republican lawmakers have privately indicated that reaching 60 days of conflict could become a critical point in determining their continued backing.
A key factor shaping the situation is the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial maritime route through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes. As U.S. naval forces work to locate and remove mines from the waterway, Trump earlier Thursday instructed the Navy to “shoot and kill” Iranian boats still laying explosives in the strait.
Concerns have grown that clearing the mines could take an extended period. While Trump did not provide a timeline for reopening the shipping lane, he reiterated that any vessels continuing such activity should be confronted.
“There is to be no hesitation,” he wrote in an earlier social media post. “Additionally, our mine ‘sweepers’ are clearing the Strait right now. I am hereby ordering that activity to continue, but at a tripled up level!”
Earlier this week, Trump extended the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran, while also maintaining a blockade on Iranian shipping in the strait.
Following a joint U.S.-Israel operation against Tehran in February, Iran significantly reduced traffic through the vital corridor, driving oil prices sharply higher.
The continued blockade has further strained relations, with Tehran suspending peace discussions until restrictions on its shipping are lifted.
Speaking in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump acknowledged that Americans may continue to face higher gas prices in the short term but suggested the broader objective justifies the cost.
“You know what they get for that? Iran without a nuclear weapon,” he said.
While no new negotiations have been scheduled, Trump indicated earlier in the week that it was “possible” talks could resume as soon as this weekend.
Analysts warn that any damage to vessels from remaining mines could further disrupt global trade through the strait.
The White House has sought to minimize concerns about Iran’s maritime capabilities, even after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized two foreign vessels in the waterway on Wednesday. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the incidents did not violate the ceasefire and pointed to them as evidence of the effectiveness of U.S. military operations.
“And for the American media who is sort of blowing this out of proportion to discredit the president’s facts — that he has completely obliterated Iran’s conventional Navy — these two ships were taken by speedy gunboats,” she said. “Iran has gone from having the most lethal Navy in the Middle East to now acting like a bunch of pirates.”
Trump has also emphasized in recent days the impact of U.S. strikes on Iran’s military strength.
“Iran’s Navy is lying at the bottom of the Sea, their Air Force is demolished, their Anti Aircraft and Radar Weaponry is gone, their leaders are no longer with us, the Blockade is airtight and strong and, from there, it only gets worse — Time is not on their side!” he wrote on Thursday.
{Matzav.com}
A U.S. Army Special Forces soldier was arrested Thursday on charges that he exploited classified details about a military mission targeting Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro to place highly profitable bets on a prediction market platform, allegedly earning more than $400,000.
According to the Justice Department, Master Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke played a role in both the planning and execution of “Operation Absolute Resolve,” a January 3 raid on Maduro’s residence in Caracas. Investigators say he had access to “sensitive, nonpublic, classified information” connected to the operation.
Prosecutors allege that roughly a week before the mission, the 38-year-old placed wagers exceeding $33,000 on Polymarket, a platform where users bet on real-world outcomes, including developments involving Maduro and potential U.S. military action in Venezuela.
Authorities say the bets yielded approximately $409,000 in profits. They also claim Van Dyke attempted to conceal both his identity and the source of his gains by routing the money through foreign cryptocurrency accounts.
Van Dyke has been charged with three counts of violating the Commodity Exchange Act, one count of wire fraud, and one count of engaging in an unlawful monetary transaction.
If convicted on all counts, he could face a maximum sentence of 60 years behind bars.
The case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
“Prediction markets are not a haven for using misappropriated confidential or classified information for personal gain,” said US Attorney Jay Clayton said in a statement. “The defendant allegedly violated the trust placed in him by the United States Government by using classified information about a sensitive military operation to place bets on the timing and outcome of that very operation, all to turn a profit.
“That is clear insider trading and is illegal under federal law.”
{Matzav.com}
In the aftermath of the Iran war, Israel’s Defense Ministry is moving to rebuild and strengthen its weapons reserves, signing a major procurement deal to enhance readiness for future conflicts and reduce reliance on foreign suppliers.
As part of a broader effort to prepare for immediate combat scenarios and a more intense security decade ahead, the ministry’s procurement directorate has issued multi-year orders for advanced aerial munitions from Elbit Systems totaling more than 600 million shekels. The deals are being managed by the unit responsible for air and naval acquisitions.
The munitions will be produced at Elbit facilities across Israel, employing thousands of workers and reinforcing the country’s domestic defense manufacturing capabilities.
The agreement includes Rampage missiles, a heavy, precision-guided ballistic weapon designed for use by fighter jets. Developed by Elbit, the missile can reach speeds of up to Mach 5 and is intended to strike enemy air defense systems, including those positioned deep underground.
Defense Minister Yisroel Katz said: “We are continuing to strengthen Israel’s independence in munitions. The IDF must have, at every moment, the tools to operate with power, speed, and without reliance on external factors. At a time when we are marking Israel’s 78th Independence Day, this carries special significance — true independence is also measured by the ability to produce and defend ourselves by our own means. We will continue to act with determination to ensure that the State of Israel relies on its own strength and is prepared for any challenge.”
Defense Ministry Director General Amir Baram added: “This deal is another practical step in implementing the Defense Ministry’s strategy to expand Israel’s defense production base. In light of complex challenges and the lessons of the war, it is our duty to ensure Israel’s independence in munitions and to strengthen ‘blue-and-white’ production capabilities. We are not only equipping ourselves for the immediate term, but also laying the foundation that will allow the IDF to respond to any combat scenario while relying on independent production capabilities, advanced technology, and supply continuity.”
Elbit Systems President and CEO Bezhalel (Butzi) Machlis said: “This series of contracts demonstrates Elbit Systems’ position as a technological leader in the field of aerial munitions. We are proud of our long-standing partnership with Israel’s Defense Ministry and our ongoing commitment to developing and supplying precise and reliable solutions, which are among the factors enabling the Israeli Air Force’s aerial superiority.”
{Matzav.com}
A Jewish resident said he was left fearing for his safety after being attacked and verbally abused in what he described as an antisemitic incident.
The man, who identified himself as Moshe, told BBC News that he was working at a property in Slough, England on Monday when another individual approached him and began shouting hostile remarks.
Footage recorded by Moshe shows a confrontational man threatening violence, including saying he would break his jaw, while also trying to knock the phone out of his hand.
The footage cannot be posted because of the repeated profanity it features.
Thames Valley Police confirmed that a 48-year-old man from Slough was taken into custody on suspicion of racially or religiously aggravated assault, along with public order offenses.
Moshe explained that he had been wearing a black yarmulka, the traditional head covering worn by Jewish men, during the encounter on Elliman Avenue.
“I was thinking two things,” he said. “Number one was survival. Number two, I was just berating myself: ‘What were you thinking going out like this, in England, as a visible Jew?'”
The video also captures the suspect repeatedly using profanity, questioning Moshe’s presence by asking “what are you doing round here, bro?” and referring to him as a “dirty Jew.”
Following the attack, Moshe said he no longer feels secure in certain areas of the country.
Police reported that officers responded to the scene at 16:36 BST, where a man in his 20s had been threatened.
Detective Inspector Terry Dixon said the incident is likely to “cause a great deal of concern” within Jewish communities.
He added: “Antisemitic incidents, or indeed any hate-related incident, will not be tolerated and we will do everything in our power to bring those responsible to justice.”
Shomrim, a volunteer group that assists Jewish communities, condemned the episode, calling it an “abhorrent, vile and unprovoked antisemitic assault.”
{Matzav.com}President Donald Trump said Thursday that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to prolong their ceasefire for an additional three weeks following discussions at the White House involving senior U.S. officials.
“The Meeting went very well!” Trump said in a Truth Social post announcing the extension of the temporary truce.
He added that the United States intends to assist Lebanon in strengthening its defenses against Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group. “The United States is going to work with Lebanon in order to help it protect itself from Hezbollah,” Trump wrote.
Confirming the extension, Trump stated: “The Ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be extended by THREE WEEKS.”
The decision delays the expiration of the original 10-day ceasefire reached last week, allowing both sides more time to pursue diplomatic efforts.
According to Trump, the meeting in the Oval Office included “High Ranking Representatives” from Israel and Lebanon, along with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, and U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa.
{Matzav.com}
Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last ruling monarch, was targeted in Berlin on Thursday when a protester threw red paint at him, according to footage and reports from the scene.
He was unharmed in the incident. Video showed Pahlavi quickly stepping away as security personnel subdued and detained the individual responsible. Shortly afterward, he acknowledged supporters with a wave before entering his vehicle.
The episode unfolded as Pahlavi was leaving a press briefing in which he voiced opposition to the ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran. The confrontation took place outside Germany’s federal press conference venue, The Washington Post reported.
WATCH:
The report noted that Pahlavi had not been scheduled to meet any German government officials during his trip. Speaking to reporters, he argued that the ceasefire rests on the assumption that Iran’s leadership will alter its conduct and act more pragmatically.
“I don’t see that happening,” he said. “I’m not saying that diplomacy should not be given a chance, but I think diplomacy has been given enough chance.”
He urged European nations to increase their efforts to “support the Iranian people fighting for democracy.” Pahlavi also stated that 19 political prisoners had been executed by the Iranian government in the past two weeks, with another 20 individuals reportedly facing death sentences.
“Will the free world do something, or watch the slaughter in silence?” he said.
Pahlavi, 65, is the son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the shah who was deposed during the 1979 Islamic Revolution that led to the establishment of Iran’s current clerical leadership. His father faced widespread opposition from large segments of the population, culminating in mass protests that forced him from power.
Despite decades in exile, Pahlavi has continued to present himself as a potential figure in Iran’s future political landscape. However, the extent of his backing within the country remains uncertain. He has openly supported U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran and has been among those calling on President Donald Trump to act on commitments to assist demonstrators who were killed during protests in Iran earlier this year.
{Matzav.com}The full closure of the separate beach in Kiryat Sanz in Netanya has led to growing tension between city officials and members of the chareidi community, following a cliff collapse that damaged the stairway leading down to the beach and the recent tragedy in which the Spiegel brothers z”l lost their lives. While the municipality presents the move as a necessary safety step, critics argue it does not truly address the ongoing danger.
According to senior chareidi sources, the closure is not being effectively enforced. “The beach may be closed officially, but in reality people are still going in,” one said. “On Fridays, hundreds come there, without a lifeguard, without supervision, and it’s a recipe for the next tragedy. They need to open access from another direction, from Blue Bay, and do it in a safe way.”
The criticism extends beyond enforcement to the slow pace of repairs. Community representatives say that despite the time that has passed since the collapse, meaningful rehabilitation work has yet to begin. “The clock is ticking. It’s unclear what they are waiting for,” they said. “If there is danger, it must be handled quickly. The current situation is the worst of all.”
City officials insist the beach was closed out of responsibility for public safety. However, no clear timetable has been released for when work will begin or when the beach may reopen, increasing frustration and uncertainty among regular visitors.
Netanya Mayor Avi Salama said in response: “The public that needs a separate beach must receive a solution already for the coming summer season. From my perspective, this is not just a matter of a promise but of responsibility. There are diverse communities in the city with different needs, and it is our obligation to allow everyone to enjoy the beach in a respectful, organized, and safe manner. I have instructed the professional teams to prepare accordingly so that the solution will be both quick and appropriate for the long term.”
He added: “At the same time, it is important to say honestly that there is a need and dependence here on approvals and budgets from the Interior Ministry. We are working in cooperation with the Director General of the Interior Ministry, Israel Uzan, and with the support of Shas chairman Aryeh Deri, in order to advance the issue under the leadership of the Shas faction, Deputy Mayor Rabbi Oren Gabai and council member Rabbi Dov Shtamer. The more productive the cooperation, the faster we will bring a solution. This week we held a professional working meeting with all relevant parties, with the goal of advancing solutions already for the coming summer — both strengthening the cliff and arranging the stairs and access to the beach. During the meeting, several immediate solutions were raised that would allow a safe and convenient reopening of the beach to the public already this summer, alongside examining broader long-term plans that will ensure stability, safety, and proper development of the site for the coming years.
In addition, several creative and interesting proposals were raised during the meeting for activities and special additions to the beach ahead of the bein hazmanim period in the month of Av. We will continue to act, with Hashem’s help, with determination and responsibility, to bring real solutions for the benefit of the public. It should be remembered that the beach is currently closed and there is a danger of the cliff collapsing; we will update as soon as we have a solution.”
{Matzav.com}
Israel’s Price Committee has approved an automatic increase in regulated dairy prices, with costs set to rise by approximately 1.05 percent beginning May 1, 2026. As part of the update, a standard carton of milk will now cost 7.35 shekels, while egg prices will remain unchanged.
The joint committee, operating under the Agriculture and Finance Ministries, said the adjustment follows a built-in pricing formula established by law, which periodically updates prices based on production costs. As reported by N12, eggs were excluded from this round of increases.
According to the committee’s calculations, much of the change is due to a retroactive component of approximately 1.28 percent. The consumer price index rose by about 2 percent, while wage costs increased by roughly 0.9 percent. These upward pressures were partially offset by a decline of about 0.6 percent in the cost of raw milk, along with a decrease in the current component compared to the previous adjustment.
Prices for regulated dairy products are updated automatically based on economic indicators, without requiring political approval or ministerial sign-off. Each year on April 1, the need for adjustments is reviewed, and any new pricing takes effect the following month. The system is designed to balance consumer affordability with the production costs faced by dairies and manufacturers.
The updated consumer prices, effective May 1, are as follows:
Fresh milk, 3% fat (1-liter carton): 7.35 shekels
Fresh milk, 1% fat (1-liter carton): 6.92 shekels
White cheese, 5% fat (250g container): 5.87 shekels
Fresh milk, 3% fat (1-liter bag): 6.41 shekels
Sweet cream, 38% fat (250 ml): 7.64 shekels
Sour cream, 15% fat (200 ml): 2.84 shekels
Emek cheese, 28% fat (100g): 5.285 shekels
Eshel, 4.5% fat (200 ml): 1.99 shekels
Gil, 3% fat (200 ml): 1.78 shekels
{Matzav.com}Business owners in the Shikun Dalet neighborhood and the municipal market in Tiveriah are reporting a widespread fraud scheme after a recent surge of high-quality counterfeit 200-shekel bills circulated through the area. According to multiple accounts, groups of young individuals purchased large quantities of food, clothing, and footwear using fake cash that was convincing enough to pass even electronic verification machines. In many cases, unsuspecting merchants accepted the bills and even returned legitimate change, only to later discover the deception.
As reported by Mako, the scheme only came to light when store owners attempted to deposit their daily earnings at the bank. One local shopkeeper described the moment he realized what had happened: “At the end of the day, I went to deposit the money at the bank. The next day I got a message that at least 15 of the 200-shekel bills were fake. And the same thing happened to other shop owners and market vendors.”
Another merchant, who operates a clothing and footwear business, said he suffered significant losses after falling victim to the scam. “They looked like trustworthy young guys, not the type who come to rip you off or pull a scam,” he recalled. “They made purchases worth several thousand shekels and said a close friend of theirs was getting married. The next day I deposited the bills in an envelope at the bank and was told they were fake. That’s a loss of 5,000 shekels. After the war we took a serious economic hit, and probably our eagerness to sell merchandise we were stuck with — along with the damage we suffered from being closed during the war — caused us not to check the bills.”
Authorities and sources familiar with the issue say the operation appears to be part of a larger, organized counterfeit network. Criminal groups reportedly conducted preliminary “test” purchases to gauge whether merchants would detect the fake bills. Once they realized checks were minimal or ineffective, they escalated to purchases totaling tens of thousands of shekels.
Investigators estimate that around ten underground counterfeit printing operations are currently active in northern Eretz Yisroel and areas under Palestinian Authority control, many located in Arab-sector communities. Much of the counterfeit currency is distributed through Telegram channels, which also offer forged biometric IDs, driver’s licenses, and passports. Profits from these operations can reach as much as five million shekels in a strong month. Bills that are not sold directly are reportedly circulated by members of criminal organizations and their relatives, who use them to purchase everyday goods and produce in local markets.
A criminal figure from northern Eretz Yisroel described how easily the scam works, especially in busy marketplaces. “The easiest place to use fake bills is in markets. Most vendors don’t have special machines and they just take the bills and put them in their pocket without checking. It’s very easy to fool them. The bills then get passed on to suppliers, and if no one catches it, they go through many hands. Only at the bank is the forgery discovered, but by then it’s too late for the business owners.” In some cases where the counterfeit was identified immediately, the suspects simply switched to 100-shekel notes and claimed they were unaware the earlier bills were fake.
{Matzav.com}Israeli military prosecutors filed charges on Thursday against two IDF personnel serving as Air Force technicians, accusing them of carrying out espionage activities on behalf of Iran.
The two suspects were taken into custody last month in a coordinated operation involving the Shin Bet, the Military Police, and the Israel Police, after investigators concluded there was sufficient evidence to support the allegations.
According to the charges, the soldiers maintained communication over a period of several months with Iranian intelligence operatives. During that time, they allegedly carried out various assignments at the direction of their handlers in exchange for payment. The indictment states that one of the soldiers transferred sensitive materials from his Air Force training, including information related to fighter jet systems, along with video recordings of locations within a military base.
During questioning, the suspects said their connection with Iranian agents ended after they declined to perform missions involving weapons. However, investigators claim that even after contact was severed by the handler, the two continued reaching out in an effort to receive additional payments.
One of the accused faces serious charges, including assisting the enemy in wartime, passing intelligence to hostile elements, and facilitating contact with a foreign agent, among other offenses. The second soldier has been charged with maintaining contact with a foreign agent, transferring information to the enemy, and additional related violations.
{Matzav.com}In the aftermath of joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes that wiped out large portions of Iran’s senior leadership at the outset of the war, a single figure has quietly consolidated control behind the scenes, reshaping the country’s direction. The NY Post reports that according to analysts, Maj. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, a top commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has rallied a close group of allies to oversee both Tehran’s military operations and its negotiating efforts.
Soon after Vahidi, now 67, assumed de facto control alongside his inner circle, Iran adopted a more uncompromising posture. Officials declined to participate in peace discussions with the United States this week, while attacks intensified against vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz.
Vahidi, who has long been under heavy Western sanctions and has been tied to terror incidents in Argentina, is seen as representing the regime’s most hardline camp. That faction has effectively pushed aside more moderate figures in Tehran, including those formally tasked with negotiating with Washington.
Even if American officials were to reach an agreement with Iran’s representatives, questions remain about whether such a deal would carry any weight as long as Vahidi and his associates retain actual control.
Earlier in his career, Vahidi led Iran’s elite Quds Force during the 1990s, expanding Tehran’s regional reach before handing leadership to Qasem Soleimani.
Both Vahidi and Soleimani are widely credited with building the infrastructure that enabled Iran’s proxy network to flourish across the region, including the Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Unlike his two immediate predecessors at the IRGC, Vahidi also built a career within Iran’s political establishment, serving in high-ranking posts such as defense minister and interior minister under separate governments.
The veteran commander was named deputy head of the IRGC last December by then–Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
After Khamenei and IRGC chief Mohammad Pakpour were killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes on February 28, Vahidi moved into the top leadership position within the powerful paramilitary organization.
Following Khamenei’s death, Vahidi backed the appointment of his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as successor, despite reports that the elder ayatollah had not intended for him to inherit the role.
With Mojtaba reportedly wounded in the same February strikes and absent from public view, analysts argue that the new supreme leader serves largely as a figurehead, according to Khosro Isfahani of the Washington-based National Union for Democracy in Iran.
“If Mojtaba is alive, and that is a big if, he is just a sock puppet. He is the first AI-generated supreme leader in human history,” Isfahani told The Post, referencing the fake photos the regime had posted of Mojtaba following his appointment.
“He has zero political capital, zero public support, and zero sway over the decision-making. The regime has and will continue attributing statements to him,” Isfahani added.
Vahidi’s grip over Iran’s negotiating team became apparent when he brought in Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and a longtime IRGC figure, to join the delegation earlier this month.
According to the Institute for the Study of War, Zolghadr’s role was to ensure that negotiators adhered strictly to IRGC directives.
That influence was reportedly demonstrated when Zolghadr filed a complaint against Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi after the diplomat was said to have signaled a willingness to make concessions during early rounds of talks.
“Zolghadr sent a complaint to senior IRGC leaders, almost certainly including Vahidi, that Araghchi had surpassed his mandate during the negotiations by expressing flexibility regarding Iran’s support for the Axis of Resistance,” the ISW said of the initial peace talks.
“Zolghadr’s anger caused senior leaders in Tehran, including former IRGC Intelligence Organization Chief and long-time member of Mojtaba’s inner circle, Hossein Taeb, to call the negotiating delegation back to Tehran,” the think tank added.
Iran’s negotiating team has not returned to Pakistan to resume discussions with the United States, a sign that Vahidi and Zolghadr’s influence remains dominant.
With talks still stalled, Isfahani described Iran’s approach as a calculated strategy in which different officials play contrasting roles, with Vahidi taking a hardline stance while others project moderation.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is said to be leading the delegation alongside Araghchi, may appear more pragmatic, but Isfahani argued that his background aligns closely with Vahidi’s.
“A comparative study of the two key players in the arena, Vahidi and Ghalibaf, shows that they grew through the ranks of the IRGC together and have historically advocated for identical policies and strategies,” he pointed out.
Vahidi has also been linked to major terror attacks abroad, including the 1994 bombing of the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, which killed 85 people.
Interpol issued a red notice for Vahidi, calling on global law enforcement agencies to locate and arrest him, effectively labeling him a wanted international fugitive.
Argentine investigators have also connected him to the 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires.
In addition to those allegations, Vahidi has faced U.S. sanctions over his involvement in Iran’s nuclear and missile programs. Further sanctions were imposed in 2022 in response to the regime’s violent crackdown on protests following the death of Mahsa Amini.
The European Union likewise sanctioned Vahidi that year over the use of live ammunition against demonstrators during the protests, which human rights groups say resulted in nearly 500 deaths.
{Matzav.com}
