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Speaking to attendees at the Tikva Jewish Leadership Conference, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz offered a rare glimpse into the strategic thinking guiding Washington’s expectations for how the Gaza conflict must ultimately conclude, Channel 12 News reported.

Waltz described the administration’s view of the crossroads bluntly. “Here are the choices: it was either Hamas, or it was the IDF in perpetuity (in the Gaza Strip). And if it was the IDF in perpetuity, then frankly I don’t think we had a way of expanding the Abraham Accords, which is the number one objective of this administration.”

His comments underscored a central tension in US policy: while Hamas remaining in control of Gaza is wholly unacceptable, the White House is equally unwilling to endorse a long-term Israeli military and civil presence there. A sustained IDF role, he stressed, would directly interfere with the administration’s diplomatic ambitions—particularly its push to broaden the Abraham Accords.

Waltz went on to credit the architects of the original regional breakthroughs, saying, “You don’t get that unless you have President Trump, his team – Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Marco Rubio and people in there fighting the good fight,” pointing to the individuals he believes laid the groundwork for any further regional realignments.

{Matzav.com}

A Brooklyn court case that has shaken an entire community took another dramatic turn when Miriam Yarimi accepted a plea agreement that sharply reduced her potential prison time. Judge Danny Chen approved the deal, granting a sentence of three to nine years after Yarimi pleaded guilty to manslaughter, according to court filings.

Prosecutors, who had pressed for a far steeper penalty, are preparing a detailed submission ahead of her Wednesday sentencing. They intend to outline why they believe Yarimi’s punishment should be closer to the 15-year maximum they originally requested.

The tragedy unfolded in March, when Yarimi’s Audi A4 hurtled down Ocean Parkway and smashed into an Uber before spiraling toward Natasha Saada and her four young children. Two of the children, Diana, 7, and Deborah, 5, were killed instantly, while 4-year-old Philip suffered devastating injuries.

“The lives of Natasha Saada and her young daughters were stolen by the callous choices of a chronically reckless driver on Ocean Parkway,” said Eric Gonzalez, district attorney for Brooklyn. “Though the proposed sentence falls short of the maximum we sought, it will still send a clear message that reckless driving that ends in tragedy will be met with serious penalties.”

The wreck rattled south Brooklyn’s Jewish community, where residents had long voiced fears about speeding along Ocean Parkway but say this disaster underscored how quickly disaster can strike.

Yarimi, known for her work as a wigmaker and even advertising it with the vanity plate “WIGM8KER,” had no valid license at the time of the crash. She had amassed an astonishing 93 traffic violations, among them 20 speeding offenses that together brought more than $10,000 in fines, records indicate.

Her behavior in the moments after the collision added another disturbing layer. First responders reported that Yarimi made erratic and alarming remarks, insisting she was “possessed” and “had the devil in me,” according to sources. A criminal complaint states she told officers, “The devil’s in my eyes. I’m haunted inside. I didn’t kill anyone. I didn’t hurt anyone. Prove it. Show me proof.”

{Matzav.com}

The U.S. Education Department is handing off some of its biggest grant programs to other federal agencies as the Trump administration accelerates its plan to shut down the department. It represents a major step forward for the administration’s dismantling of the department, which has mainly involved cutting jobs since President Donald Trump called for its […]

The office of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas issued a fierce denunciation on Monday night, insisting that Israel bear full accountability for what it characterized as a direct provocation by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The uproar followed Ben-Gvir’s declaration that Abbas should be arrested and that senior PA figures should be assassinated if the United Nations advances recognition of a Palestinian state.

In its announcement, the PA leadership said it viewed Ben-Gvir’s remarks as nothing less than an open call to harm Abbas and other senior officials. The statement blasted what it described as “dangerous incitement” and argued that such rhetoric fuels violence, emboldens would-be attackers, and encourages Israeli civilians to target Palestinian Arabs, their communities, and their sacred sites.

The PA Chairman’s Office urged Washington and the broader international community to intervene, asserting that global pressure is needed to halt what it labeled a reckless escalation from the Israeli government. According to the statement, this kind of language only ratchets up instability, fans hostility on the ground, and drags the region further from any realistic attempt to restore negotiations.

Ben-Gvir ignited the controversy during the opening of his Otzma Yehudit faction meeting on Monday, where he took aim at a UN Security Council proposal that includes the phrase “a path to a Palestinian state.” He claimed the concept keeps resurfacing in different formats and is once again being pushed forward.

Linking diplomatic advocates of statehood to terrorism, Ben-Gvir argued that those promoting such political moves are the very same players who support violence. He dismissed the notion of Palestinian nationhood as a project for a “fabricated people,” asserting that its champions hope to erect it “upon the ruins of the State of Israel.” He also tied the idea to the October 7th attackers, accused its supporters of paying stipends to terrorists, and claimed that those who deny the Holocaust share the same objective of establishing a Palestinian state.

Ben-Gvir then pressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take decisive steps against the Palestinian Authority. He declared that Abbas “and his terrorist associates” should not be shielded from consequences. If the UN proceeds with recognition, Ben-Gvir insisted Israel must respond with targeted action against top PA leaders and order Abbas’ arrest, suggesting that a prison cell in Ktzi’ot Prison is already waiting for him.

{Matzav.com}

NYC Mayor Eric Adams toured one of the Hamas-built terror tunnels used for attacks and kidnappings.

J.D. Vance, Jr., a 67-year-old resident of Grand Rapids, Michigan – who shares his name with Vice President J.D. Vance – was sentenced to two years in federal prison on Monday after posting several threatening messages online, including threats to kill the President, the Vice President, and one of the President’s children. U.S. District Judge […]

UPDATE: Lebanese authorities say the death toll from the Israeli strike on Hamas in Lebanon has risen to 13.

Saudi Arabia’s leadership signaled a massive expansion of its financial footprint in the United States, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman telling President Donald Trump that the kingdom will boost its expected investments from $600 billion to about $1 trillion. The dramatic increase reflects strong confidence in the direction of the U.S. economy and Trump’s aggressive focus on economic growth.

Their conversation at the White House on Tuesday began with Trump applauding the already-announced $600 billion commitment. But he wasted no time in urging the crown prince to go even further. “Because he’s my friend, he might make it a trillion, but I’m gonna have to work on him,” Trump said.

Mohammed bin Salman did not hesitate to meet the challenge. He told Trump that Saudi Arabia would raise its investment target to $1 trillion, a pledge he then restated publicly. According to Al Jazeera, the crown prince affirmed that the previously unveiled $600 billion plan “will increase to $1 trillion.”

Trump, prodding him to confirm the leap, asked: “You’re telling me now the $600 billion will be $1 trillion?” The crown prince answered plainly: “Definitely.”

Al Jazeera also highlighted a social-media message quoting the crown prince: “We will announce an increase in our investments in the United States to reach approximately one trillion dollars.”

The original initiative called for hundreds of billions to flow into American energy ventures, infrastructure projects, security cooperation, and technology partnerships over a four-year span. Some of that funding is already translating into major agreements—from multibillion-dollar weapons purchases to advanced AI-related deals as Saudi-aligned firms partner with chipmakers and cloud providers to construct data centers and artificial-intelligence hubs.

The exchange underscored Trump’s signature approach to global diplomacy, one that pairs political alliances with demands for tangible economic rewards inside the United States.

Saudi advisers have maintained that the enormous spending reflects their confidence in Trump’s tax and regulatory reforms, predicting they will unlock substantial opportunities for both the kingdom’s sovereign wealth entities and private-sector investors.

For the crown prince, the move fits neatly into his Vision 2030 blueprint, which seeks to broaden Saudi Arabia’s economic base beyond oil. Yet the bulk of this expanded investment is expected to pour into U.S. production facilities, energy infrastructure, construction, and frontier technology.

Uncertainties remain about the timeline for deploying a full trillion dollars and about how much of the total will come from public versus private Saudi sources.

Still, the understanding forged between Trump and Mohammed bin Salman points to a potentially transformative chapter in the relationship between Washington and Riyadh.

{Matzav.com}

The IDF carried out an airstrike this evening inside the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon, targeting what it says was a Hamas training facility used by operatives preparing attacks against Israel. Lebanon’s health ministry reports that 13 people were killed and four others wounded in the strike. According to the IDF, the site […]

A judge has dismissed a Trump administration legal challenge to New York policies that block immigration officials from arresting people at state courthouses, saying the federal government can’t force states to cooperate with those enforcement efforts. U.S. District Judge Mae D’Agostino late Monday granted New York’s motion to dismiss the government’s lawsuit, one of several […]

For a quarter century, Mikvah Yisroel of Flatbush has been the quiet heart of our community, a place of kedusha, beauty, and care. Hundreds of thousands of tevilos have taken place within its walls, each one strengthening the foundation of Jewish life in Flatbush. Now, for the first time since the mikvah was built, the […]

Jewish women are hiring doulas to protect them and their babies from NHS antisemitism, the Jewish Chronicle reported earlier this month. London-based doula Shoshana Maurer said that since the October 7 massacre, at least 11 Jewish women hired her due to concerns of NHS antisemitism, and numerous other women she spoke to voiced the same […]

Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi is pressing ahead with his broad restructuring of Israel’s media landscape, and his latest move targets the radio sector. According to a report in Yisrael Hayom, the minister’s office will today publish the draft of a new Broadcasting Reform Law that would reshape how radio stations operate in Israel.

Under the proposal, regional commercial radio stations—currently limited to specific geographic zones—would be allowed to broadcast nationwide, pending approval from the relevant regulatory authorities. The goal, officials say, is to modernize a system that has remained largely unchanged for decades.

The Attorney General’s office, however, has voiced strong objections to Karhi’s plan. Legal officials argue that the changes to the radio market, along with Karhi’s wider television and news-broadcast reforms, would “harm the reliability of the news.” The opposition tracks the same criticism directed at Karhi’s other media restructuring efforts.

If the legislation advances, several stations stand to gain from the expanded coverage, including Radio Tel Aviv, Galei Yisrael, Radio Darom, and others. Major beneficiaries would also include media magnates such as Eli Azur, owner of Radio 103, and Yitzchak Mirilashvili, owner of Channel 14 and of Radio Kol Chai.

The political maneuvering surrounding the reform continues within the coalition. Just days ago, Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke with Minister Karhi and Coalition Chair MK Ofir Katz to address ongoing Likud infighting over who will control deliberations on the new media laws.

According to Kan News, Netanyahu—seeking to avoid a confrontation with MK David Bitan—told Karhi he has not yet decided whether the legislation will be handled by Bitan’s Economic Affairs Committee or by a new committee that would be under Karhi’s influence. Netanyahu reportedly said he needs several more days before determining whether to establish a special committee dedicated to the Broadcasting Law, a move that would bypass the Knesset’s legal advisers and proceed despite Bitan’s objections.

Last week, the Knesset plenum approved Karhi’s Communications Law in its first reading, with the chareidi parties voting in favor. Their support, sources said, stemmed from hakaras hatov for Karhi’s role in passing the komah k’sherah (kosher cell-phone) legislation, as well as part of a broader coalition understanding that included the advancement of the Rabbinical Courts Law shortly before the communications bill was brought to a vote.

If Karhi succeeds in advancing this next stage of the reform, audiences across Israel may soon be able to tune in to stations that until now were strictly local—including popular chareidi radio outlets—on a nationwide scale.

{Matzav.com}

The Israeli Police have finished the investigation into the “Qatargate” affair, and the case file is expected to be transferred to state prosecutors within about 60 days for possible indictments. A key delay is that Jay Footlik an American lobbyist described as acting on behalf of Qatar has still not been questioned, and the U.S. […]

Robert P. George, a prominent conservative legal scholar, has resigned from the Heritage Foundation’s board in protest of its president Kevin Roberts’ defense of Tucker Carlson’s interview with far-right white nationalist Nick Fuentes. George, who holds one of Princeton University’s top academic chairs and is considered a leading figure in conservative constitutional thought, cited Roberts’ […]

Police have launched an investigation after anonymous individuals threatened to murder Rav Zevadia Cohen if he does not step back from his candidacy for chief rabbi of Tel Aviv.

According to a report by Kan News on Tuesday, officers arrived at the rav’s home in recent days to collect surveillance footage from the surrounding area. This morning, police also conducted a search of his vehicle. The threats allegedly warned that harm would come to him unless he immediately removed his name from consideration for the Tel Aviv rabbanus.

The incident comes just a week after it was reported that Shas is working to advance Rav Cohen’s appointment as the city’s next chief rabbi. That effort has faced resistance from within the Tel Aviv municipality, led by Mayor Ron Huldai, who is said to oppose the move—particularly due to the fact that Rav Cohen did not serve in the IDF.

A recent City Council meeting brought the tensions into public view. Protocols published in Yisrael Hayom, via journalist Yotam Dashe, revealed a heated exchange over the vote to approve representatives to the committee that will ultimately select the new chief rabbi.

During the debate, Huldai sharply criticized the initiative, telling council members that the proposed appointment does not serve the interests of the residents. “We’re talking about a free city. A city that is home to everyone, regardless of their beliefs or worldview. There is no room for religious coercion—not in this city,” he said. “The municipality has no intention of funding a position whose necessity in our day is questionable. We need to invest in education, welfare, transportation—not in politically motivated jobs.”

His comments prompted an immediate outcry from members of Shas and the Jewish Home, who accused the mayor of disrespecting tradition and disregarding the needs of religious residents. “Tel Aviv deserves a chief rabbi just like any other city. The rabbinate does not belong only to the chareidi public; it must serve everyone,” one representative said.

Another council member added that if a rabbi is ultimately chosen, he must be someone who reflects the broader Israeli experience. “If Tel Aviv is going to have a chief rabbi, he needs to be someone who understands Israeli society—who served in it and is part of it. In a city like ours, a rabbi who didn’t serve in the army cannot represent the public. This is an issue of values, not of religion.”

Police say the investigation into the threats against Rav Cohen is ongoing.

{Matzav.com}

The Satmar Rebbe, Rav Aharon Teitelbaum, delivered a fierce denunciation of the proposed draft legislation during a special reception held in his honor at the headquarters of the Badatz of the Eida Hachareidis in Yerushalayim on Monday night.

Addressing the looming conscription law—commonly referred to as the Bismuth draft plan—the Rebbe warned that the legislation represents a spiritual threat of the highest order. He told those assembled that he traveled to Israel specifically to stand alongside “the warriors of Hashem” who are fighting against what he described as a disastrous decree.

The Rebbe emphasized that the Torah promises, “ki lo sishachach mi’pi zaro,” insisting that any attempt to enforce mandatory military enlistment on the chareidi public is nothing short of an effort to secularize religious Jews. “All those who impose the draft decree intend only to make the chareidim abandon their faith,” he said. “There are people who are prepared to vote for a law that would send half of the Jewish people in Eretz Yisroel into the army, which is shmad. Anyone who votes for the law is voting to uproot the religion, which is yehareg v’al ya’avor.”

He cautioned that the real danger comes not only from outspoken supporters of the law, but from those within the community who are willing to compromise. According to the Rebbe, such concessions pave the way for spiritual devastation.

The Rebbe also repeated a story he has shared many times over the years, something he heard from his uncle around seventy years ago. His uncle predicted that the day would come when a draft decree would be imposed in Eretz Yisroel and that no chareidi Jew would be able to live under such a “government of destruction.” “That day has arrived,” the Rebbe declared.

After the gathering at the Badatz offices, the Rebbe participated in a reception for the Satmar community in Yerushalayim, held in a large tent on Dorash Tov Street. The event also featured the completion of a new Sefer Torah, written in memory of two Sifrei Torah that were destroyed in a devastating fire two years ago in the Yona Street beis medrash. Following the final letters, the Rebbe lifted the newly completed Torah, and Rav Meir Hirsch, CEO of the Satmar institutions in Kiryas Yoel, was honored with rolling the Sefer Torah.

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הרבי מסאטמר בישראלצילום: א. אייזנבאך ודוד ארזני

הרבי מסאטמר בישראלצילום: א. אייזנבאך ודוד ארזני הרבי מסאטמר בישראלצילום: א. אייזנבאך ודוד ארזני {Matzav.com}

An Israeli drone carried out a strike in the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon, with initial reports saying that multiple people were killed. There are also reports of the assassination of Fatah’s leader in Lebanon, Munir Al-Maqdah. The IDF confirmed it struck terrorists operating inside a Hamas training compound in the Ain al-Hilweh […]

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that he will travel to Turkey this week in an attempt to jump-start negotiations on ending Russia’s full-scale invasion, which began nearly four years ago. The Kremlin said that Russia would not be sending anyone to Turkey, and it was not immediately clear if there would be U.S. participation in […]

House overwhelmingly passes bill to release Jeffrey Epstein files • The House overwhelmingly passed a bill ordering the Department of Justice to release all of its files on Jeffrey Epstein. • President Donald Trump, a former Epstein friend who has railed against the focus on the files, abruptly dropped his opposition to the bipartisan bill […]