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A police officer assigned to protect a shul in Belleville, Ontario, was seriously wounded Sunday night when a shotgun-wielding gunman opened fire outside the building as approximately two dozen Jews were inside for Yom Kippur davening, triggering a fierce exchange of gunfire that sent congregants scrambling for cover.

The shooting erupted at approximately 7 p.m. outside Sons of Jacob Synagogue, located near Victoria and Bleecker avenues in Belleville, about 110 miles east of Toronto. Authorities said as many as 20 to 30 shots were fired during the confrontation, with bullets striking the shul, nearby homes and vehicles. No congregants inside the building were injured.

Authorities on Monday identified the wounded officer as Const. Jeff Smith, a 13-year veteran of the Belleville Police Service. The suspected gunman was identified as 29-year-old Sean Ward of Quinte West. Smith remained hospitalized in serious but stable condition, while Ward was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.

According to Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit, which is investigating the police shooting, Smith was stationed near the shul when Ward allegedly approached armed with a shotgun and opened fire. Smith returned fire, and a second officer who arrived during the confrontation also discharged his weapon. Both Smith and Ward were struck.

The gunfire broke out as members of the small Jewish community were gathered inside the shul on the opening night of Yom Kippur.

Norman Weddum, president of Sons of Jacob Synagogue, said Smith had been positioned outside the shul in an unmarked police vehicle as a security measure. Weddum recalled suddenly hearing the barrage of gunfire while the congregation was inside.

“It was boom, boom, boom,” Weddum said. “So that’s when we ran back into the auditorium of the synagogue, closed the doors behind us so as to not leave a visible target and we hit the floor.”

Approximately 25 people were reportedly inside at the time. The congregation subsequently canceled its remaining Yom Kippur services following the shooting.

Weddum said he believes the location and circumstances of the attack point to an antisemitic motive.

“When an individual with a firearm approaches a synagogue where Jews are praying, I would call that a hate crime,” he said.

Authorities, however, have not yet established a motive or officially determined that the shul or Jewish community was deliberately targeted. Investigators are examining the possibility of a hate-related motive, but the investigation remained ongoing Monday.

Belleville Police Deputy Chief Sheri Meeks sought to reassure the community that there was no continuing threat while strongly condemning antisemitism and violence.

“We recognize the concern and uncertainty many may be feeling, particularly given that this occurred near the Sons of Jacob Synagogue during one of the holiest days in the Jewish faith,” Meeks said. “Let me be very clear: antisemitism, hate, and violence have no place in our community. Every person deserves to feel safe when attending a place of worship, gathering with loved ones, or participating in community life.”

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney condemned the shooting and emphasized the right of Canadian Jews to practice their religion without fear.

“Jewish people must be able to worship safely. To live free, open, proud Jewish lives. Canada’s government will do everything in our power to support law enforcement in ensuring that the perpetrator is held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” Carney said.

Carney’s comments came amid heightened concern over antisemitic incidents targeting Jewish institutions in Canada. Police departments in other communities increased their presence around shuls and other houses of worship following the Belleville shooting.

Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre also condemned the attack.

“This vile antisemitic violence in Canada must end, and this Liberal government must act now to protect our people,” Poilievre said.

“Jewish Canadians must once again be able to live in their communities and pray in their places of worship without fear of being shot at or attacked,” he added.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he was “disgusted” by the violence and expressed solidarity with Jews in Belleville and across the province.

“My thoughts are with the Jewish community in Belleville and across Ontario, who have every right to gather and worship safely and without fear,” Ford said.

“We owe an immense debt of gratitude to this brave officer and to all the first responders who acted so quickly to keep the community safe,” he added.

The Ontario Special Investigations Unit has assigned four investigators and two forensic investigators to the case. The SIU automatically investigates incidents involving police in Ontario that result in serious injury or death. Investigators have appealed to anyone who witnessed the shooting or possesses video or photographs of the incident to come forward.

Police maintained an increased presence around houses of worship in Belleville on Monday as investigators continued processing the scene around Sons of Jacob Synagogue. Authorities said there was no known ongoing danger to the public.

More than 70 yeshiva bochurim and yungeleit are spending Yom Kippur inside Israel’s Prison 10 military detention facility after refusing to enlist in the IDF, according to an organization assisting those imprisoned over the ongoing military draft controversy.

The Notnim Gav organization published a special notice ahead of Yom Kippur containing the Hebrew names of the detainees together with their mothers’ names, allowing members of the public to mention each of them individually in their prayers on Yom Kippur.

The notice was issued under a heading meaning “The Cry of Your Prisoners” and stated that more than 70 bochurim and yungeleit would remain behind bars throughout the holiest day of the Jewish year.

According to the organization, those listed were imprisoned after declining to enlist in the IDF in accordance with instructions from leading Torah authorities.

The publication of the names was intended to encourage Jews around the world to remember the detainees during their Yom Kippur prayers, asking that they be released quickly and emerge “from darkness to light.”

The public was also asked to pray that the prisoners remain strong during their incarceration, continue their dedication to Torah study and resist efforts to persuade them to change their position.

“Dear brothers, please pour out your prayers on their behalf for their speedy release, that they remain steadfast with all their strength against the enticements of the authorities, that the evil decree be annulled, and that they be sealed for a good year,” the notice stated.

The appeal concluded with an emphatic declaration opposing the enlistment of even a single bochur: “No! Not even one!”

{Matzav.com}

There was tremendous emotion among the talmidim of Rav Dov Kook after he returned to his home in Tiveria ahead of Yom Kippur, following an extended hospitalization and many months of complicated treatments and rehabilitation.

Rav Kook arrived back at his residence shortly before Yom Kippur and is spending the day together with his talmidim, with arrangements made for him to be present during the Yom Kippur tefillos in his bais medrash.

Rav Kook’s medical condition remains extremely serious and requires constant supervision. According to sources, Rav Kook is lying in bed and is currently unresponsive.

In order to accommodate his condition, a special area was prepared for Rav Kook inside the bais medrash. The designated space has been enclosed with a curtain, allowing him to remain in the bais medrash while maintaining the privacy and quiet required because of his medical condition.

The arrangement also prevents talmidim from approaching Rav Kook in a manner that could interfere with his rest or medical care, while at the same time allowing him to be together with the kehillah during the tefillos of Yom Kippur.

Despite the seriousness of his condition, there is tremendous joy and emotion among Rav Kook’s talmidim over the fact that, after his lengthy absence, he has finally returned to his home in Tiveria and is spending Yom Kippur in his own bais medrash surrounded by his talmidim.

Tefillos continue for Rav Kook’s complete recovery. The public is asked to daven for Rav Chizkiyahu Dov HaKohen Kook ben Shoshana.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump announced Sunday that his planned 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery will also serve as a military facility capable of housing drones, positioning snipers and storing ammunition, a significant expansion of the purpose originally envisioned for the massive Washington-area monument.

Trump has similarly described the new White House ballroom project as having a national security function, arguing that the structure can serve defensive purposes in addition to its ceremonial role. The President has presented both projects as combining his efforts to reshape and beautify Washington with security-related functions.

The Pentagon said Sunday that it did not have additional information about the military plans for the arch beyond what Trump announced publicly.

The announcement comes as the proposed arch remains the subject of a legal dispute. The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts has given the project preliminary approval, while three military veterans and an architectural historian have filed suit arguing that congressional authorization is required before construction can proceed.

In a social media post Sunday, Trump said he had agreed, at the “strong request” of the military, to convert the planned 250-foot-tall (76-meter) memorial arch “into a top grade Military Complex/Triumphal Arch, to house, store, and have the rapid ability to use large numbers of drones, plus Snipers, on both the roof and plaza areas, and additionally have and hold large quantities of sniper ammunition in storage.”

The proposed arch would rise at Memorial Circle near Arlington Memorial Bridge, a heavily traveled gateway connecting Washington with Northern Virginia. The location sits between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery and is close to the Pentagon and other major federal and military facilities.

The arch is one of several major construction and renovation projects Trump has pursued in Washington. Those projects include the new White House ballroom, changes at the Kennedy Center, renovations to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and plans to rebuild the golf course at East Potomac Park. The proposed golf course changes have raised concerns about potentially reducing public access to nearby running and biking routes.

Construction on the arch had initially been expected to begin this month, but the project has not yet received all of the approvals required for work to proceed. The National Capital Planning Commission approved the proposed site and preliminary plans in July but has not granted final approval. The commission is expected to consider the project again this fall.

President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have agreed to meet in New York this week for talks focused on efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, with Zelensky saying the meeting comes amid renewed diplomatic activity and “could change a lot.”

The agreement came during a telephone conversation between the two leaders on Sunday, as both prepare to travel to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. Reuters and other outlets confirmed Zelensky’s announcement of the planned meeting.

“We agreed to meet in New York, and this meeting could change a lot. There is diplomatic momentum,” Zelensky wrote on the X social media platform.

The planned face-to-face talks will take place as the Trump administration continues efforts to revive negotiations aimed at bringing an end to the war, now more than four and a half years old. U.S. officials have recently intensified diplomatic contacts with both Kyiv and Moscow.

Both Trump and Zelensky will be in New York in the coming days for the annual gathering of world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly.

In describing his conversation with Trump, Zelensky also expressed appreciation for the recent trip to Kyiv by U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who visited the Ukrainian capital earlier this month after holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The Sept. 6 visit marked the first trip to Ukraine by the two Trump envoys as part of their diplomatic efforts surrounding the war.

“The peace track is our number-one priority,” he said.

Zelensky said discussions with Washington have included possible measures aimed at reducing the intensity of the conflict while addressing several of Ukraine’s principal security concerns.

“There are ideas for de-escalation steps and for addressing fundamental security issues – energy security, food security, and the protection of human life,” he said.

The Ukrainian leader said Kyiv remains engaged with Trump’s representatives and is prepared to consider significant moves as part of the diplomatic process.

“We are working together with the American team and are ready to take really serious steps.”

The meeting comes amid an effort by the United States to explore potential de-escalation measures between Russia and Ukraine while attempting to restart negotiations toward a broader settlement. Zelensky said earlier this month that Washington was examining possible steps that could reduce hostilities during the approaching winter.

Zelensky also used Sunday’s statement to again thank Trump for signing legislation imposing expanded sanctions on Russia. The measure, championed by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, was signed by Trump on Friday after passing both chambers of Congress.

The new law targets Russian officials, financial institutions and elements of Moscow’s oil-export network, while also giving the administration authority to impose tariffs on major purchasers of Russian energy. Supporters of the legislation have described it as an effort to increase economic pressure on Moscow as diplomatic negotiations continue.

The upcoming New York meeting follows several weeks of renewed U.S. diplomatic activity. Witkoff and Kushner traveled to Moscow earlier this month for talks with Putin before continuing directly to Kyiv for discussions with Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials. Their trip was aimed at exploring ways to restart negotiations that had largely stalled.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called on the international media Sunday to give proper attention to the murder of an Israeli father of six in a terrorist shooting near Neve Tzuf, saying he would be watching to see whether the deadly attack receives balanced coverage around the world.

Huckabee issued the statement following the murder of Netanel Shakron, a resident of Alei Zahav who was shot at the Ein Raya spring in Binyamin after going there with his eldest son to immerse ahead of Yom Kippur. His son was not physically injured in the attack.

“This Israeli father of 6 murdered in front of one of his children,” Huckabee wrote on X. “The Palestinian terrorist was captured.”

The ambassador then turned his attention to the way terrorist attacks against Israelis are covered internationally.

“Let’s hope there will be balanced reporting of these attacks by int’l media. We will be watching…& waiting.”

Huckabee’s remarks echoed a message issued by Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s office following the attack, which accused international news organizations of failing to give sufficient attention to Palestinian violence against Israelis.

“The violence in Judea and Samaria global media won’t report on: Israeli father of six murdered in a terror attack on Yom Kippur Eve,” Netanyahu wrote.

The attack nevertheless received coverage Sunday from several international outlets, including the Associated Press and The Times of London. AP reported Shakron’s killing as part of its Middle East coverage, while The Times published a separate report on the shooting and subsequent capture of the suspected attacker.

Shakron, a father of six who lived in Alei Zahav, had traveled to the natural spring with his oldest son Sunday morning to immerse ahead of Yom Kippur. He was married to Meirav, and the couple’s six children range in age from four through high-school age. Shakron worked as an information-systems analyst, while his wife is a lecturer at Ariel University.

According to Israeli authorities, the terrorist arrived in a vehicle and opened fire toward Israelis at the spring. Shakron was found unconscious inside a vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds.

Magen David Adom teams immediately began intensive lifesaving efforts. Paramedics succeeded in restoring a pulse and evacuated Shakron to Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikvah, but he later succumbed to his wounds.

“We arrived at the scene and saw a male in his 30s inside a vehicle, unconscious, with multiple gunshot wounds,” MDA paramedic David Trachtenberg said. “We removed him from the vehicle and immediately began providing life-saving medical treatment.”

“We placed him in the ambulance, and with the assistance of a physician and a paramedic, immediately began evacuating him to the hospital while fighting for his life, providing medical treatment and blood products, in the hope of stabilizing his condition.”

Following the shooting, the terrorist abandoned his vehicle while armed and fled on foot, setting off a large-scale manhunt. IDF troops established roadblocks throughout the area as additional forces joined the search.

The pursuit ended several hours later when soldiers from the IDF’s elite Duvdevan Unit apprehended the suspected terrorist at a hospital in Ramallah, where he had sought medical treatment after being wounded while fleeing. Israeli forces also seized the vehicle allegedly used in the shooting.

{Matzav.com}

Ben Gurion Airport completely halted flight operations Sunday afternoon as Israel entered Yom Kippur, beginning a lengthy period in which no commercial passenger aircraft will take off from or land at the country’s main international airport.

The shutdown is part of Israel’s annual Yom Kippur observance, when commercial aviation and virtually all public transportation across the country come to a standstill. Israel’s airspace is now closed to regular civilian traffic, with operations scheduled to resume only after the fast ends Monday night.

According to the Israel Airports Authority’s official schedule, operations at Ben Gurion wound down gradually during the afternoon on Sunday, Sept. 20.

At Terminal 1, the final departure took place at 1 p.m., while the last domestic arrival was scheduled for 1:10 p.m. Terminal 3 remained active slightly longer, with the final international landing and departure scheduled for 1:55 p.m.

From that point, Ben Gurion entered a complete Yom Kippur shutdown, leaving Israel’s busiest airport without regular arriving or departing passenger flights for more than 32 hours.

The airport will remain silent throughout Yom Kippur on Monday. Terminal 3 is scheduled to receive its first international arrival at 10:30 p.m. Monday, several hours after the conclusion of the fast, while the first international departure is scheduled for 11:30 p.m.

Terminal 1 will remain closed even longer. It is scheduled to reopen for both domestic and international operations at 2 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22.

The Yom Kippur shutdown extends beyond Ben Gurion. Ramon Airport near Eilat ended flight operations at 11:30 a.m. Sunday and is not scheduled to resume service until 6 a.m. Tuesday. Haifa Airport’s final landing was scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, with operations there likewise set to restart at 6 a.m. Tuesday.

Israel’s land border crossings are also operating under special Yom Kippur schedules. The Allenby Crossing closed at 11 a.m. Sunday and is scheduled to return to its regular operating schedule Tuesday. The Begin Crossing closed at 1 p.m. and is scheduled to reopen at 10 p.m. Monday. The Rabin Crossing and Jordan River Crossing both closed at noon Sunday and are expected to resume regular operations Tuesday.

Public transportation throughout Israel has also shut down for Yom Kippur, with buses, trains and light rail service suspended during the fast. Services are expected to return gradually Monday evening, with regular operations resuming Tuesday morning.

The sweeping shutdown is one of the most distinctive features of Yom Kippur in Israel. With public transportation halted, commercial aircraft absent from the skies and the overwhelming majority of ordinary vehicle traffic disappearing from the roads, cities across the country have become unusually quiet for the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.

Yom Kippur began across Israel on Sunday evening, Sept. 20, and will conclude Monday evening, Sept. 21. In Yerushalayim, the fast began at approximately 5:58 p.m. Sunday and will end at approximately 7:13 p.m. Monday, while in Tel Aviv it began at approximately 6:22 p.m. and will end at approximately 7:15 p.m.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani at Gracie Mansion on Monday, bringing the two political adversaries together for their third face-to-face meeting as New York hosts world leaders arriving for the United Nations General Assembly.

City Hall confirmed the meeting Sunday, saying the discussion at the mayor’s official Upper East Side residence will center primarily on matters involving the city and its residents. The White House has also confirmed that Trump will meet Mamdani during the President’s trip to New York for the U.N. gathering.

“The meeting will focus on issues affecting New York City and New Yorkers,” City Hall told City & State.

Mamdani spokesperson Dora Pekec declined to provide additional information about the planned agenda, timing or logistics. ABC7 reported Sunday afternoon that a specific time for the meeting had not yet been announced.

The meeting will take place on Yom Kippur, as New York becomes the center of international diplomacy for the annual U.N. gathering. The General Debate of the 81st session of the General Assembly is scheduled to begin Tuesday, Sept. 22, and run through Saturday before concluding Monday, Sept. 28.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is among the foreign leaders expected in New York during the gathering. City & State reported that Netanyahu is scheduled to address the General Assembly on Thursday, several days after the Trump-Mamdani meeting. According to the report, Netanyahu is not currently expected to meet Trump during his brief U.S. visit.

Mamdani signaled last week that he intended to maintain an open line of communication with the President despite the substantial political and policy differences between them.

“When it comes to the president, we continue to have a conversation about how best to deliver for this city,” Mamdani said when asked whether he expected to meet Trump during the U.N. General Assembly.

The mayor said he and Trump have communicated both personally and by telephone and indicated that he sees continued contact with the White House as part of advancing New York City’s interests.

The relationship between the two men has evolved considerably since the 2025 mayoral campaign, when Trump repeatedly criticized Mamdani and Mamdani campaigned as a sharp opponent of the President and his policies.

Their first face-to-face meeting following Mamdani’s election came at the White House in November 2025. Despite the months of public attacks that preceded it, the Oval Office meeting took on a cordial tone, with both men emphasizing areas where the federal government and incoming city administration could potentially cooperate.

“We have one thing in common,” Trump said after the November meeting. “We want this city of ours that we love to do very well.”

Mamdani returned to Washington for another meeting with Trump in February, shortly after taking office. During that meeting, according to the Associated Press, Mamdani presented Trump with a mock New York Daily News front page reading “Trump to City: Let’s Build,” a play on the newspaper’s famous 1975 “FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD” headline, as the mayor sought federal cooperation on housing development.

The two administrations have continued to disagree on a range of policy issues, but Mamdani has characterized his dealings with Trump as an effort to maintain a working relationship where cooperation is possible. City Hall has argued that the mayor’s more diplomatic posture toward the President has produced benefits for New York.

Monday’s gathering will be the first time Mamdani hosts Trump at Gracie Mansion since becoming mayor. It will also place their developing relationship in the spotlight during one of New York City’s busiest diplomatic weeks of the year, with nearly 130 world leaders expected to attend the U.N. meetings.

For Trump, the meeting will be one stop during a New York visit dominated by the United Nations and international affairs. For Mamdani, it provides another opportunity to press the federal government directly on issues affecting the city while maintaining the unlikely working relationship that has emerged between two politicians who remain sharply divided on many major issues.

With Sukkos approaching, rabbonim in Bnei Brak have joined municipal and national enforcement officials in issuing an urgent warning against the construction of unauthorized balconies, platforms and other building additions intended to accommodate sukkahs, cautioning that improperly built structures can pose a serious danger to human life.

Israel’s Real Estate Enforcement Authority has launched a targeted enforcement operation ahead of the Yom Tov aimed specifically at illegal balconies, structural additions and other construction that requires permits and engineering approval.

Officials stressed that the campaign is not directed at ordinary temporary sukkahs erected for the holiday. Rather, the focus is on permanent or semi-permanent construction — including balconies and supporting structures — that goes beyond a conventional sukkah and is subject to building and safety regulations.

As part of the initiative, warning letters have been sent to contractors, metalworkers and suppliers involved in constructing such additions. The letters remind them that they are required to comply with building regulations and may not perform work for which the necessary permits have not been obtained.

At the same time, enforcement officials plan to conduct proactive inspections in communities around the country in an effort to identify unauthorized construction.

When inspectors discover balconies or other additions erected without the necessary permits and approvals, enforcement proceedings may be opened against those responsible.

The issue has particular relevance in densely populated communities such as Bnei Brak, where families living in apartment buildings sometimes seek creative ways to obtain an outdoor area suitable for building a sukkah.

In some cases, however, makeshift balconies or platforms can be constructed outside apartment buildings without the engineering safeguards required for structures that must support adults, children, tables, chairs and other substantial weight.

In an effort to prevent such construction before it takes place, the Bnei Brak Municipality, working together with the Real Estate Enforcement Authority, distributed a special notice to residents carrying a warning from the city’s rabbonim.

The rabbonim invoked the well-known principle of chamira sakanta mei’issura — that danger must be treated even more seriously than a religious prohibition — urging residents not to jeopardize lives for the sake of creating additional sukkah space.

The message emphasized that the desire to properly fulfill the mitzvah of sukkah cannot justify creating a structure that may endanger the family using it, neighbors or people passing below.

The Real Estate Enforcement Authority similarly warned that building an addition without a permit, or constructing one in violation of the conditions of an existing permit, is against the law and can present a potentially deadly safety hazard.

Aside from the physical danger, unauthorized construction can result in enforcement orders and substantial administrative fines. According to the authority, those penalties can reach hundreds of thousands of shekels, depending on the circumstances.

Responsibility may also extend beyond the homeowner. Depending on the case, both the property owner who commissioned the work and the contractor who actually performed the unauthorized construction can be held accountable.

Officials said the objective of the current campaign is therefore not merely to identify illegal structures after they have been erected, but to stop dangerous construction before it begins by warning homeowners and the professionals who might be hired to carry it out.

The Real Estate Enforcement Authority said:

“A balcony erected without a permit and without the approval of a structural engineer is not a temporary solution for Yom Tov — it can pose a danger to life. We are working with property owners, contractors and local authorities to stop the phenomenon before the construction takes place. Anyone who nevertheless chooses to build in violation of the law should know that the authority will be in the field and will use all of the enforcement tools at its disposal.”

The combined warning from the Bnei Brak rabbonim, municipality and enforcement authorities comes as families throughout the city begin preparing for Sukkos, with officials urging residents to ensure that any balcony or structural addition used for a sukkah has been legally approved and professionally determined to be safe.

{Matzav.com}

The House has approved legislation that would require automakers to include AM radio in new passenger vehicles at no additional cost to buyers, moving the bipartisan proposal one step closer to becoming federal law. The measure now goes to the Senate, where a companion bill has attracted substantial support from both parties.

The House passed H.R. 979, the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025, by voice vote on Tuesday.

Under the legislation, the Department of Transportation would be directed to establish a federal requirement that new passenger vehicles sold in the United States provide consumers with access to AM broadcast stations as standard equipment, without requiring an extra payment, fee or surcharge. The Senate received the House bill Wednesday, where it was read twice and placed on the Senate calendar.

The proposal has drawn extensive bipartisan backing in the House, with more than 300 lawmakers signing on as cosponsors.

Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., introduced the House legislation, with Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., serving as its original cosponsor.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., who was among those who pushed an earlier version of the proposal, argued that keeping AM radio in vehicles is particularly important when other communications systems fail during an emergency.

“AM radio is a lifeline,” Gottheimer said following House passage. “When the power goes out, when the cell towers go down, and when the Internet cuts off during a storm or an emergency, AM radio is often the only way families can get the life-saving information they need.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., similarly pointed to the role AM broadcasting can play when hurricanes, tornadoes and other disasters disrupt ordinary communications.

“When disaster strikes – especially in hurricane and tornado-prone states like Louisiana – local communities rely on AM radio to deliver accurate, up-to-date information and critical safety alerts,” Johnson said.

If the measure becomes law, the transportation secretary would have one year from enactment to issue the required rule. In most cases, the mandate would take effect within two years after the rule is issued, while certain smaller vehicle manufacturers would receive at least four years to meet the requirement.

During the period before the mandate fully takes effect, automakers selling vehicles that do not offer AM reception would be required to clearly inform prospective buyers. Manufacturers would also be prohibited from imposing an additional charge for access to AM radio.

The congressional effort follows decisions by several automakers to eliminate AM receivers from certain vehicles, particularly electric models. Manufacturers have cited electromagnetic interference from electric motors and high-voltage components as one reason for dropping the technology.

Automotive industry groups have opposed making AM reception a federal requirement. They argue that motorists can receive emergency information through other systems, including wireless emergency alerts, FM broadcasting and satellite radio.

With House passage complete, the legislation’s next hurdle is the Senate, where lawmakers from both parties have also rallied behind the effort.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., have spearheaded the Senate version of the legislation. Their companion measure, S. 315, cleared the Senate Commerce Committee in February 2025, and the senators announced two months later that the proposal had secured 60 Senate cosponsors.

After the House approved H.R. 979, Cruz and Markey jointly called on the Senate to move ahead with the measure.

“This vote sends a clear message to car manufacturers that AM Radio is a lifeline that must be protected in new vehicles,” the senators said in a joint statement.

“From emergency response to sports, entertainment, and news, AM radio is an essential communication tool for tens of millions of Americans.”

“It is now time for the Senate to pass the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act and for this legislation to become law,” they added.

Despite the broad bipartisan support, the Senate has not yet held final floor action on the House-passed legislation.

As of Sept. 16, H.R. 979 had been read twice in the Senate and placed on its legislative calendar, leaving Senate passage as the next step before the measure could be sent to President Donald Trump for consideration.

{Matzav.com}

Ukraine launched a massive overnight aerial assault on Russia involving more than 1,000 drones, with hundreds directed toward Moscow in what the Russian capital’s mayor described as the “largest ever” drone attack on the city. The strikes came as Russia entered the final day of its three-day parliamentary elections.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the unprecedented barrage caused damage at the Moscow Oil Refinery as well as a residential building. Russian officials said hundreds of the incoming drones targeting the capital were intercepted.

Across the broader Moscow region, authorities initially reported that two people — a 74-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman — were killed and another 20 were wounded. Russian officials subsequently said that a third person died in the hospital from injuries sustained in the attacks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv employed multiple types of domestically produced weapons in the operation, including Flamingo and Pelican missiles, targeting Russian oil and logistics infrastructure.

“These are billions of dollars that sustain the war machine,” Zelenskyy said, explaining Ukraine’s effort to increase the economic cost of Russia’s war.

At the same time, Ukraine continued to face Russian attacks of its own. Zelenskyy said a Russian drone struck a monastery in Ukraine’s Kherson region on Saturday, killing a clergyman and injuring four other people.

Russian strikes also brought fatalities in the Kyiv region. Ukrainian officials said a mother and two children were killed in one attack Saturday evening, while another child who had been wounded in a separate strike later died in the hospital.

The enormous Ukrainian attack coincided with the last day of Russia’s first parliamentary election since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The election took place under a political system in which most prominent anti-war opposition candidates were excluded, imprisoned or living outside the country, while the Kremlin-aligned United Russia party was expected to retain control of parliament.

Russia also conducted voting in four Ukrainian regions that Moscow claims to have annexed but does not fully control, as well as in Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. The annexations are not internationally recognized, and Ukraine has denounced the voting conducted in occupied territory as illegal.

Elsewhere in Russian-occupied territory, an attack in the Kherson region killed a member of a local election commission, according to Russia’s Central Election Commission.

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that its air defenses destroyed 1,110 Ukrainian drones overnight across Russian territory, occupied Crimea and the Black Sea. The figures provided by Moscow could not all be independently verified.

Sobyanin said 450 drones headed toward Moscow were destroyed. Despite the interceptions, several drones reached the grounds of the Moscow Oil Refinery, while another struck a residential building.

The Moscow mayor alleged that the timing of the assault was intended to interfere with Russia’s parliamentary voting, describing it as an “unprecedented attack.”

“The enemy failed in this regard,” he said.

More than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Ukraine has dramatically expanded its ability to conduct long-range strikes deep inside Russian territory. Kyiv increasingly relies on domestically manufactured drones and missiles to hit military, logistics and energy targets hundreds of miles from the front.

Ukraine’s long-range campaign has increasingly focused on Russia’s energy infrastructure, particularly oil refineries, as Kyiv seeks to reduce revenue and fuel supplies available to Moscow. Recent attacks have disrupted Russian refining capacity and contributed to fuel shortages and higher prices in parts of the country.

The latest attack comes as both countries increasingly rely on long-range aerial weapons while movement along the roughly 1,250-kilometer, or 780-mile, front has become difficult. Large numbers of drones and ground-based robotic systems have made troop and vehicle movements increasingly vulnerable, helping drive both sides toward strikes far beyond the immediate battlefield.

{Matzav.com}

Israel Police are asking the public for assistance in locating 24-year-old Yehuda Sferka, who has not been seen for two months and is believed to possibly have traveled from Yerushalayim to northern Israel.

Sferka has been missing since July 20, 2026, when he was last seen on Shaarei Chesed Street in Yerushalayim. Police issued a public appeal Sunday seeking any information that could help determine his whereabouts.

Investigators believe Sferka may have made his way north following his disappearance. Police have specifically identified the Tiveria and Meron areas as locations where he may have traveled.

Sferka is approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall and has dark hair and green eyes. At the time he was last seen, he was wearing a white shirt, dark pants and a black yarmulka.

Anyone who has seen Sferka or has information that could assist in locating him is urged to contact the Lev HaBira Police Station at 02-5381550 or call the Israel Police emergency hotline at 100.

{Matzav.com}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{Matzav.com}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{Matzav.com}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{Matzav.com}