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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called on President Donald Trump to issue an apology following remarks in which Trump suggested that NATO allies failed to fight on the front lines alongside U.S. forces during the war in Afghanistan, comments that sparked sharp backlash across the United Kingdom.

Speaking during an interview with Fox News at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, Trump questioned whether NATO would come to America’s aid if called upon, asserting that allied forces did not fully engage in combat during the Afghan conflict. The comments quickly ignited anger and deep distress in Britain, particularly among military families and veterans.

“We’ve never needed them, we have never really asked anything of them,” Trump said. “You know, they’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan, or this or that, and they did, they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines.”

The remarks stand in contrast to the history of the Afghanistan war, which began in October 2001, less than a month after the September 11 attacks. A U.S.-led coalition launched the invasion to dismantle al-Qaida and remove the Taliban regime that sheltered the group. NATO’s mutual-defense clause was formally invoked for the first time following the attacks, bringing forces from dozens of allied nations into the campaign alongside American troops.

In London, the reaction was immediate and emotional. Starmer paid tribute to the 457 British service members who lost their lives in Afghanistan and said Trump’s comments were deeply offensive.

“I will never forget their courage, their bravery and the sacrifice they made for their country,” Starmer said. “I consider President Trump’s remarks to be insulting and frankly appalling and I am not surprised they have caused such hurt to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured and, in fact, across the country.”

After 9/11, then–Prime Minister Tony Blair pledged that Britain would “stand shoulder to shoulder” with the United States. British forces went on to play a major role in combat operations, particularly in Helmand Province, until the UK withdrew its troops in 2014. U.S. forces remained in Afghanistan until their withdrawal in 2021, which culminated in the Taliban’s return to power.

More than 150,000 British troops served in Afghanistan over the course of the conflict, making the UK the largest contributor after the United States.

Ben Obese-Jecty, a British lawmaker who served as a captain in the Royal Yorkshire Regiment during the war, said Trump’s remarks diminished the sacrifices made by allied forces. It was “sad to see our nation’s sacrifice, and that of our NATO partners, held so cheaply by the president of the United States,” he said.

The controversy intensified because the comments came from a president who did not serve in the Vietnam War despite being eligible at the time. Trump received a deferment due to bone spurs, though he has been unable to recall which foot was affected, a point that has long fueled criticism.

“It’s hugely ironic that someone who allegedly dodged the draft for the Vietnam War should make such a disgraceful statement,” said Stephen Stewart, author of The Accidental Soldier, which chronicles his time embedded with British troops in Afghanistan.

Trump’s comments were not an isolated incident. In recent days, he has repeatedly downplayed NATO’s reliability while escalating rhetoric over Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark, including threats of economic retaliation against European nations that oppose U.S. ambitions there.

His claim that NATO allies would not stand by the United States clashes with established fact. NATO’s Article 5 — the alliance’s core collective defense commitment — has been invoked only once, in response to the 9/11 attacks, obligating all members to assist the United States.

“When America needed us after 9/11 we were there,” said former Danish platoon commander Martin Tamm Andersen. Denmark lost 44 soldiers in Afghanistan, the highest per capita death toll among coalition partners, with eight more killed in Iraq.

The latest remarks arrive at the end of a turbulent week for Trump on the international stage, marked by criticism over his approach to Greenland and concerns about the strain on trans-Atlantic ties. While he later struck a more conciliatory tone after meeting NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, saying they had outlined a “framework” for Arctic security cooperation, the damage to relations has lingered.

For families of the wounded and fallen, the remarks cut especially deep. Diane Dernie, whose son Ben Parkinson suffered devastating injuries in a 2006 land mine explosion in Afghanistan, described Trump’s words as “the ultimate insult” and urged Starmer to confront him directly.

“Call him out,” she said. “Make a stand for those who fought for this country and for our flag, because it’s just beyond belief.”

Responding to her appeal, Starmer said, “I’ve made my position clear, and what I say to Diane is, if I had misspoken in that way or said those words, I would certainly apologize and I’d apologize to her.”

{Matzav.com}

BREAKING: Five were arrested following the shooting of an Indiana judge and his wife.

Sean Duffy: “We have 40,000 deaths a year on American roads. We want to make it safer, Gavin Newsom is making it more dangerous. So what we’re going to do is we pulled money from him — almost $160m in one tranche, $40m in a different pot — but if they don’t come into compliance, […]

Sec. Duffy: “Under Joe Biden’s administration, whether it was 10 or 15 million people came into the country, Joe Biden gave them work permits and one of the easiest things for them to do was go to a crackpot commercial driver license school and go get a license and hit the roads.”

New York Governor Kathy Hochul declares a state of emergency ahead of the upcoming snowstorm.

IDF Spokesman Ahead of Shabbos: No Change to Home Front Guidelines Despite Tensions With Iran “Towards Shabbos, I want to say to all citizens of Israel — the IDF is optimally prepared, both in defense and in offense. It is important to emphasize: there is no change to the Home Front Command guidelines. We will […]

TRUMP: Record cold weight expected to hit 40 states. Rarely seen anything like it before. Could the environmental insurrectionist please explain – WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GLOBAL WARMING?

Dozens of South Koreans allegedly involved in online scams in Cambodia were returned to South Korea on Friday to face investigations in what was the largest group repatriation of Korean criminal suspects from abroad. The 73 South Korean suspects allegedly scammed fellow Koreans out of 48.6 billion won ($33 million), according to a South Korean […]

National Weather Service Director Ken Graham gives a warning ahead of this weekend’s winter storm: “The big thing is just stay off the roads. Listen to the local officials… we’re going to have large areas of sleet, making travel absolutely hazardous.”

Mayor Mamdani is telling NYC kids to forget about a traditional snow day on Monday — no matter the forecast. Public school students can at best hope for remote classes early next week as the city braces for a monster storm that the mayor has said is expected to bring “3–16 inches of snow.” “I […]

Amid ongoing tensions with Iran, IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin reassured the Israeli public on Friday that there are currently no changes to the Home Front Command’s safety guidelines. In a statement issued ahead of Shabbos, Defrin emphasized that the IDF remains fully prepared on all fronts. “Towards Shabbos, I want to say to […]

A new survey paints a stark picture of how Israel’s chareidi public views the current political climate, with an overwhelming majority saying hostility toward them is on the rise amid the ongoing debate over the draft law and intensified public rhetoric.

According to the representative poll of chareidi respondents aired on Channel 14, 93% said they sense an increase in hatred directed at their community in public discourse. Only a small minority reported feeling no change. For many respondents, the sentiment reflects what they described as sustained collective blame and deep-seated animosity they likened to antisemitic-style hostility.

When participants were asked where they feel the harshest expressions of hatred originate, 46% pointed to voters of opposition parties. Another 27% said they primarily experience hostility from supporters of Naftali Bennett. Nine percent attributed it to right-wing voters, another 9% to the media, 5% to the judicial system, and 4% said they were unsure.

The survey also examined satisfaction levels with how Knesset members are handling pressing issues facing the chareidi community. Sixty-four percent of respondents said they are satisfied with the performance of their representatives, while 36% said they are dissatisfied.

Respondents were further asked whether leading rabbinic authorities should instruct the entry of a younger, new chareidi slate into the Knesset. On that question, 48% said they have no opinion, 38% said yes, and 13% said no.

Despite the crisis surrounding the draft law and the withdrawal of chareidi parties from the governing coalition, most respondents said they still identify with the religious-right bloc. Sixty-nine percent reported feeling part of the “emunah bloc” and the right-wing camp, while 31% said they do not.

{Matzav.com}

Knesset member Yinon Azoulay addressed threats, protests, and harassment directed at him in recent weeks during an interview on the Kol Chai program Ossim Seder, hosted by Yisrael Meir, amid the ongoing public dispute surrounding the draft law.

Azoulay made clear that he has no intention of backing down from his position, saying his actions stem from a clear sense of mission. “I listen to the gedolei Torah. They sent me on this mission. Anyone who thinks I am, G-d forbid, intimidated by a protest or by any kind of violence is mistaken,” he said.

He stressed that pressure does not deter him, even when it comes from within the chareidi public itself. “Not from the Peleg Yerushalmi and not from anyone. We act, plainly and simply, according to daas Torah—right is left and left is right,” Azoulay said, adding that personal intimidation attempts will not influence his public stance or conduct.

At the same time, Azoulay drew a firm line when it comes to his family. “I have zero tolerance for any harm to my family. My children are part of my family, and they will not be touched,” he said emphatically.

He explained that while protest against him personally is legitimate, targeting his family crosses an unacceptable boundary. “Anyone who wants to demonstrate, let them demonstrate under my house. Anyone who wants to cause harm, let them come to me, not to my children.”

Azoulay went on to say that he is not afraid of demonstrations or personal threats. “I’m not afraid. I’m a public servant. Let them come and protest and do whatever they want,” he said, while sharply condemning acts of violence and thuggish behavior. “At some point, this ugly phenomenon of people coming to beat others and act violently has to be stopped. There is absolutely no justification for it.”

He concluded by reiterating that his position on the draft law and his broader public conduct are rooted in commitment to Torah values and the guidance of leading rabbinic authorities, and that no external pressure will change that, so long as clear boundaries of law, morality, and protection of family are maintained.

{Matzav.com}

Syrian government forces took control Friday of a prison housing members of the Islamic State group in the north of the country, after hundreds of Kurdish fighters evacuated from the area as part of a recent deal. Syria’s Interior Ministry said in a statement that the government’s prisons authority is now in charge of al-Aqtan […]

Argentine President Javier Milei surprised attendees at the World Economic Forum in Davos by weaving a Torah insight into his address, referencing the weekly parshas hashovua, Parshas Bo, to frame his critique of excessive state power and his broader worldview.

Milei had just завершed a forceful speech championing free-market capitalism and describing the United States as a “beacon of light” for the Western world. From there, he pivoted to the Torah portion of the week, using it as a lens through which to view modern global affairs.

“Parashat Bo describes the moment when Moses confronts Pharaoh, a symbol of the oppressive power of the state,” Milei said.

He went on to explain how the sequence of makos that followed Pharaoh’s refusal to release Bnei Yisrael carried enduring meaning. He noted that when Pharaoh “did not free the Hebrew people… the plague of locusts arrived, which signifies famine. Then came the plague of darkness, which signifies the loss of clarity in decision-making. Finally, the plague of the death of the firstborn, which lays bare the fate of a society that denies freedom.”

WATCH:

https://twitter.com/i/status/2014354188847693897

Milei concluded that the message is directly relevant to the present era, adding, “The analogy to what is happening today in the West is strikingly clear.”

The Argentine leader has consistently voiced strong support for Israel and revealed in 2024 that he has Jewish roots, after his grandfather discovered shortly before his passing that he was Jewish.

During his election campaign, Milei pledged that his first official trip abroad as president would be to Israel, a commitment he fulfilled shortly after taking office.

Last year, Milei was honored with the Genesis Prize, recognizing his outspoken and steadfast backing of Israel at a time when many countries have distanced themselves from the Jewish state.

{Matzav.com}

A municipal enforcement operation in the city of Elad on Thursday led to the seizure and removal of the main beis medrash of a long-operating yeshiva, during which Elchanan Inbal—winner of the “Hakol Hachodosh (The New Voice)” competition and son of the yeshiva’s rosh yeshiva—was briefly detained.

In an interview with Emes News, Inbal described what unfolded at the scene and accused the Elad municipality of heavy-handed, one-sided conduct and a lack of dialogue. He said the institution is a small yeshiva ketanah with a dormitory that has been operating in the city for nearly nine years and currently serves about 40 students. “This is the yeshiva of my father, Rabbi Yaron Inbal, who has been active in Elad for 25 years as a mechanech and community leader. For two years we’ve been trying to speak with the municipality, to meet and reach an arrangement, and they simply ignore us,” he said.

According to Inbal, the yeshiva followed accepted procedures over the years and submitted requests for formalization in the past. “We submitted a first request, a second request—the process was moving forward. Since the new mayor took office, nothing has moved. No one in the complex received permits, but for some reason they chose to act only against us.”

He added that the compound includes five other yeshivos and additional mosdos, some of them significantly larger. “There are six yeshivos there, some with hundreds of students. Each occupies four to six dunams. If this is really about a road alignment, why act against only one yeshiva?”

Municipal officials, for their part, said the issue involved the placement of structures without an authorized allocation and an encroachment on land designated for infrastructure. Inbal rejected that claim. “They’ve been talking about this road for ten years. If they want to regulate it, talk to us. Come and say: You have an alternative plot. There’s a solution. But they don’t talk. They just demolish.”

During the operation, the yeshiva’s central beis medrash—an edifice that Inbal said had stood on the site for about two years—was seized and removed. “It was a proper, well-invested, beautiful beis medrash. That was taken entirely. The other structures—trailers used as a dining hall, classrooms, kitchen, and restrooms—have remained for now,” he said.

Regarding his detention, Inbal said, “I was detained while trying to stop the demolition. In the end I was released, and I was told, ‘אשריך שנתפסת על דברי תורה – Blessed are you for being seized over matters of Torah.’ They understood there was no criminal offense here.”

Looking ahead, Inbal said no final decision has yet been communicated by the municipality and expressed hope for a change in approach. “We hope the Elad municipality will come to its senses and choose dialogue over force. This is a place of Torah, students, an entire community. It’s not something you erase with a truck.”

In a statement responding to residents’ inquiries, the Elad municipality said: “The removal activity currently being carried out in the area of the Maran Road exit is intended to clear a structure that was placed there illegally. The structure blocks the planned route of the city’s new exit road, and its removal is necessary to begin paving work expected to start soon for the benefit of residents. It is important to clarify: this is not an evacuation of a yeshiva.”

{Matzav.com}

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the future of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region will be a key focus as negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States meet in Abu Dhabi on Friday for talks to end Russia’s nearly four-year full-scale invasion. The three-way talks come hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the settlement in Ukraine with U.S. […]

Members of Israel’s State Comptroller Oversight Committee toured the Negev and held a professional briefing near the Sdeh Brir site, as opposition mounts to plans for phosphate mining that critics warn could endanger public health across the region.

The visit, led by committee chair Alon Schuster, followed a prior committee discussion seeking an opinion from the State Comptroller on the government’s policy regarding phosphate extraction at the site. Participating in the tour were Knesset members, leaders from Bedouin communities in the area, Arad Mayor Yair Maayan, and Arad city council members Yitzchak Gordon and Chaim Tzinterboim.

Committee members toured open areas adjacent to the proposed mining zone, observing firsthand the scale of the land involved and its proximity to residential neighborhoods and educational institutions. Following the field visit, lawmakers convened a formal committee session at the Al-Fura’a School complex, which sits near the planned mining area and operates under the authority of the Arad municipality. During the meeting, officials were presented with assessments indicating that more than 100,000 residents—including students in nearby schools—could be affected if the mining project moves forward.

The tour and hearing were conducted against the backdrop of claims raised in earlier committee deliberations that the mining plan is being advanced in contradiction to a 2022 government decision. That decision conditioned any progress on phosphate extraction on a comprehensive review of health and environmental impacts.

Schuster said the committee came to the area out of deep concern for proper governance. “In a functioning state, there must be order and responsibility,” he said. “It is unacceptable for discussions and decisions to move ahead on such a sensitive issue without thoroughly examining what it means on the ground.” He warned that the Sdeh Brir project could pose serious health and environmental risks to more than 100,000 Negev residents, citing potential dispersal of hazardous dust linked to severe respiratory illness, heart disease, and cancer, as well as the possible displacement of thousands of Bedouin residents.

Mayor Maayan, who guided the tour, emphasized what he described as genuine coexistence in the area. “Here, coexistence isn’t a slogan. It’s reality,” he said, noting that Arad was the only city to take in Bedouin residents during the war. Questioning the project’s rationale, Maayan asked why, if a mine is truly planned, no evidence has been presented to the Health Ministry proving there is no danger. “Human lives are being knowingly put at risk,” he said, adding that after failures to protect communities near Gaza, exposing more than 100,000 Arad-area residents to a proven health threat is unacceptable.

Maayan also raised concerns about the unresolved status of the Al-Fura’a community, saying its location has yet to be finalized. He called for immediate advancement of planning procedures for the settlement, noting that while the Education Ministry budgeted for a permanent school within Arad’s jurisdiction, the Bedouin Authority declined. “Today there are about 15,000 people in limbo,” he said, warning that it could take two decades to establish a regulated community, during which the population could double. “So where, exactly, is there room for a mine?”

Addressing the issue, Yitzchok Goldknopf said, “All of Eretz Yisrael was shaken this week by the deaths of two infants—and rightly so. Human life comes before everything. So why here, when there is a risk of sudden loss of life and the development of a large-scale health disaster, is there silence? Why wait to talk about it only after a tragedy occurs, G-d forbid? Everyone says this place is dangerous—so how can discussions even continue?”

MK Walid Al-Huashla urged unity, warning against politicizing the struggle. “There are ministers and lawmakers who come here to inflame tensions and deepen the conflict,” he said. “The Negev belongs to all citizens—Arab and Jewish alike. The fight against phosphate mining is a shared struggle, and it must be conducted together, as we live side by side, without sowing division or hostility.”

{Matzav.com}

The recovery of Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul’s remains from the Gaza Strip in January 2025 was, on its face, a rare moment of closure in a war defined by uncertainty, hostage diplomacy and incomplete answers. But newly disclosed details show that the operation unfolded less like a standard military retrieval and more like a layered […]

President Donald Trump warned Iran once again on Thursday, telling reporters during an airborne press briefing while traveling from Davos back to Washington that the United States has significantly increased its military presence in the region as tensions remain high.

“We have a lot of ships going in that direction, just in case. We have a big flotilla going in that direction. And we’ll see what happens,” Trump said. “We have a big force going toward Iran. I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely.”

https://twitter.com/i/status/2014459542612984310

Trump reiterated claims that his intervention last week stopped mass executions in Iran, asserting that hundreds of prisoners were spared as a result of U.S. pressure. “I stopped 837 hangings [last] Thursday. They would have been dead. Every one of them would have been hung. This is like from a thousand years ago,” he said.

Describing Iran as “an ancient culture” with “very smart people,” Trump said Iranian authorities had intended to execute “837 mostly young men,” but reversed course after receiving his warning.

“I said ‘if you hang those people, you’re going to be hit harder than you’ve ever been hit. It’ll make what we did to your Iran nuclear look like peanuts.’ And an hour before this horrible thing was going to take place, they canceled it. And they actually said they canceled it. They didn’t postpone it. They canceled it. So that was a good sign.”

Despite portraying the halt in executions as a positive development, Trump stressed that U.S. military readiness remains unchanged. “But we have an armada, we have a massive fleet heading in that direction. And maybe we won’t have to use it. We’ll see.”

The president also announced that new economic penalties aimed at Iran’s trading partners would soon be implemented. “If you do business with Iran, you will have a tariff of 25 percent,” he said.

A day earlier, Trump discussed rising tensions with Iran in an interview with CNBC, saying, “We hope there’s not going to be further action. They were shooting people indiscriminately on the streets and they were going to hang 837, mostly young people” after he warned Tehran of consequences for harming protesters.

Trump has also continued to address Iran’s nuclear ambitions, saying the country must abandon any pursuit of nuclear weapons. “They gotta stop with the nuclear.”

Earlier in the week, he warned that the United States would respond decisively if Iran carries out executions of protesters or follows through on threats to assassinate him.

During an interview with NewsNation host Katie Pavlich, Trump was asked about reports that Iranian authorities were still burning protesters alive and about recent assassination threats against him.

“Well, they shouldn’t be doing it, but I’ve left notification: Anything ever happens, the whole country is going to get blown up,” Trump said. “But I have very firm instructions: Anything happens, they’re going to wipe them off the face of this earth.”

{Matzav.com}