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Former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel sharply criticized Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu, arguing that Israel stood at an unprecedented point of regional strength but was losing that advantage due to its current leadership.

Speaking on the Pod Saves America, Emanuel said Israel’s strategic position was stronger than at any time since the state’s founding, even as its political standing had deteriorated. “Israel has never been more strategically secure since Ben Gurion was dancing the hora in 1948 in Tel Aviv, but more politically vulnerable,” Emanuel said.

Emanuel, who previously served as chief of staff to Barack Obama and later as mayor of Chicago, went further, accusing Netanyahu of pushing Jews into isolation. “Never in my life [did I think] the prime minister of the State of Israel would lead Jews back into the ghetto, and that’s what’s happening in Israel, and that’s what’s happening in the world,” he claimed. “Jews can’t go to Europe and participate in Eurovision, while the UAE is hosting the world financially and in the F1 [Formula One racing].”

Emanuel argued that Israel’s diplomatic environment was unusually favorable, citing peace with neighboring countries and the absence of an immediate regional military threat. “This is the best strategic terrain Israel’s had since the founding. You have peace in Jordan with Israel; you have peace with Egypt; Syria and Lebanon — basically call it non-belligerence… Iran is on their back foot… You don’t really have in the near geography a strategic threat,” he said.

He maintained that Netanyahu’s conduct over time had deepened Israel’s isolation rather than capitalizing on these advantages. “He has literally — in the way he has executed pieces of the last — not just the last two years, but over his time — isolated Jews in Israel,” Emanuel said.

Turning to broader regional shifts, Emanuel said the Gulf states had evolved dramatically and now sought integration into the global economy, something he argued should have played directly to Israel’s strengths. “When we were starting in politics, the Gulf was all about just oil. Today, they want to be part of the world economy, which is what Israel’s ace is,” he said. “That is an invitation for Israel, and they’re pissing it away with this prime minister.”

{Matzav.com}

A senior State Department bureau pushed back against claims that the United States planned to bankroll a massive reconstruction effort in Gaza, flatly denying a report that Washington intended to commit $60 billion to the project, while stopping short of disputing other details of the proposal described in the report.

The response followed a report published Friday by The Wall Street Journal, which said the United States had circulated a long-term vision to prospective donor nations outlining a dramatic transformation of Gaza into a high-tech, upscale Mediterranean hub over a 20-year period, with an estimated total cost of $112 billion.

According to the Journal, the proposal envisioned the United States serving as an initial financial “anchor” by contributing $60 billion, with additional funding coming later from international donors and from Gaza itself as development progressed.

Soon after the report appeared, the X account of the State Department Near Eastern Affairs Bureau shared a link to a New York Post summary of the Journal’s reporting and issued a brief denial, writing, “This is fake news. Nowhere in the plan does it say the US will pay $60 billion.”

The post notably did not address other aspects of the Journal’s reporting, leaving open the possibility that the broader outline of the plan was accurate, even if the specific funding claim was not.

The Journal reported that it had reviewed a 32-page slideshow marked “sensitive but unclassified” that laid out a four-phase approach to clearing debris, rebuilding Gaza’s infrastructure, and lifting residents out of poverty. The presentation, the paper said, had been shared with wealthy Gulf states, as well as Turkey and Egypt.

{Matzav.com}

In the wake of growing antisemitic attacks across the globe, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called on Jews everywhere to relocate to Eretz Yisroel, warning that the situation facing Jewish communities had become increasingly dangerous.

Speaking at a Chanukah candlelighting ceremony in Rishon Lezion, Sa’ar reflected on the reality confronting Jews worldwide and the lessons of Jewish history. “Jews have the right to live in safety everywhere. But we see and fully understand what is happening, and we have a certain historical experience,” he said. “Today, Jews are being hunted across the world. Today I call on Jews in England, Jews in France, Jews in Australia, Jews in Canada, Jews in Belgium: come to the Land of Israel! Come home!”

Sa’ar emphasized that the State of Israel stood ready to receive them, stressing both the emotional and historical bond of the Jewish people to their homeland. He said Israelis “are waiting for you here with open arms. With love. In the true home of the Jewish people. Why raise your children in this atmosphere? Come with your families to the land of our forefathers, to the State of Israel, where the Jews taught the entire world what Jewish self-defense means. The time has come.”

{Matzav.com}

A surge in antisemitic incidents worldwide since Hamas launched its war against Israel on October 7, 2023, has placed Jewish communities on heightened alert, particularly during the eight days of Chanukah. Those concerns intensified further after a terror attack at a Chanukah gathering in Australia last week left 15 people dead.

Against that backdrop, a video now spreading on social media claims to capture a violent confrontation in Istanbul involving Jews on their way to a shul for Chanukah celebrations. The footage appears to show seven Jewish individuals surrounded and attacked by a large group described as pro-Palestinian demonstrators.

In the video, one assailant can be heard shouting, “We don’t want Zionists in our country.” The authenticity of the footage and the precise circumstances surrounding the incident could not be independently verified.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has issued a blistering legal opinion rejecting a government-backed bill that would establish a new type of commission of inquiry into the failures surrounding the October 7, 2023, Hamas invasion and atrocities, warning that the proposal would undermine any serious effort to uncover the truth.

In an opinion released Sunday, Baharav-Miara argues that the legislation — a private member’s bill introduced by Likud MK Ariel Kallner — should not receive government backing due to what she describes as fundamental and far-reaching flaws. According to the attorney general, the bill would damage the integrity of any investigation and block the possibility of a future, independent inquiry conducted without political interference.

“At issue,” she writes, “is a ‘personal bill,’ that is ‘tailored to the measurements’ of the current government and coalition.”

Baharav-Miara contends that the proposed framework would inject politics directly into the heart of the investigative process. The commission envisioned by the bill, she says, would be shaped by coalition and opposition appointments with almost no standards governing members’ qualifications, creating what she describes as a serious risk that political motives would override professional judgment.

“The proposal politicizes the commission, creates a commission for which there is a real concern that political considerations will override the professional considerations essential to investigating the truth, whose investigative powers are not appropriate for such a panel in the absence of a senior judge at its head, and whose mechanism is cumbersome and will thwart the ability to investigate the truth and draw objective conclusions,” she writes.

Under the bill, the inquiry would be labeled a “state-national” commission, with members selected jointly by the coalition and opposition — a structure the opposition has already pledged to boycott. Baharav-Miara contrasts this with existing law, under which a state commission of inquiry is appointed by the president of the Supreme Court and chaired by a retired Supreme Court justice, a model she views as critical to ensuring independence and credibility.

She further criticizes the origins of the proposal, asserting that it did not emerge from professional legal analysis but from political maneuvering at the highest levels. “It is not the result of professional staff work, but rather of political discourse led by the prime minister and in cooperation with the coalition factions,” she states, warning that this approach would produce a deeply compromised investigative body.

Baharav-Miara also addresses the broader principle at stake, arguing that the scale and gravity of the October 7 catastrophe demand less government influence over an inquiry, not more. Any reform of inquiry mechanisms, she says, should aim “to reduce the dependence of a state commission on the government” in order to strengthen public confidence — not to increase that dependence through a politically constructed panel.

In another sharp criticism, she accuses the bill’s sponsors of exploiting the legislative process by advancing the proposal as a private member’s bill. The move, she says, allows the government to sidestep legal oversight, since government-sponsored legislation requires the attorney general’s approval, while private bills do not. In her view, the bill is meant to “serve the personal, political interests of the government and its members, while abusing the [legislative] pathway of a private member’s bill.”

The attorney general also takes aim at a ministerial committee set to begin discussions on the scope and mandate of the proposed commission, a body chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. She argues that the committee has no legitimate legal standing, noting that such committees operate only alongside a properly constituted state commission of inquiry under existing law.

“Therefore, there is no place for the government to support the bill,” Baharav-Miara concludes, urging the government instead to follow established legal procedures and create a standard state commission of inquiry to examine the October 7 failures.

{Matzav.com}

Following mounting criticism of its reporting on the Israel-Gaza war, the British Broadcasting Corporation has said it will conduct an extensive review of its Middle East coverage, acknowledging that serious journalistic errors were made along the way.

The decision comes in the wake of a detailed, 13-page dossier accusing the broadcaster of bias, along with the leak of an internal memo authored by independent adviser Michael Prescott. That memo argued that BBC reporting frequently presumed negative intent on Israel’s part. It also charged that BBC Arabic minimized Israeli suffering while depicting Israel as the aggressor, even though Hamas initiated the war with its October 7 terrorist attack.

Addressing the complaints, Peter Johnston, the BBC’s Director of Editorial Complaints and Reviews, issued a formal response evaluating the allegations. In his report, Johnston admitted that the corporation committed several major errors, including incorrectly stating that the International Court of Justice had determined there was a “plausible cause of genocide” in Gaza.

Johnston’s findings also pointed to serious problems in how casualty figures were presented. Among the mistakes cited was a Newsnight segment that raised alarm over claims that 14,000 babies were at risk of starvation within 48 hours — a figure the BBC later acknowledged was wrong.

Other failures outlined in the report included a televised claim that Israeli forces had buried bodies in mass graves, when in fact Hamas was responsible, as well as a story about Gaza medical workers that failed to mention allegations that Hamas was operating from the hospital in question. The BBC further conceded that it did not disclose that the narrator of a Gaza documentary was the son of a Hamas official.

According to Johnston, the BBC later issued corrections and acknowledged that it erred by relying on freelance journalists whose social media activity reflected support for Hamas and antisemitic sentiment. He also noted that the Editorial Guidance and Standards Committee had already begun rolling out additional training for BBC Arabic staff.

Looking ahead, the BBC Board, together with the Editorial Guidance and Standards Committee, plans to launch a full editorial review of the broadcaster’s Middle East reporting. Johnston said this process is intended to provide a thorough assessment of coverage on a highly complex and sensitive subject and to ensure that lessons are properly learned.

Beyond the Middle East, the report also reviewed the BBC’s approach to other contentious areas, including gender identity issues and Britain’s colonial past. In those cases as well, it acknowledged weaknesses in how criticism was handled and called for further internal scrutiny.

{Matzav.com}

A tragic accident in Brooklyn’s Marine Park neighborhood claimed the life of a motorized scooter rider on Sunday. The incident occurred at the intersection of Fillmore Avenue and East 38th Street just before noon, where the rider was struck by a vehicle. Flatbush Hatzolah rushed to the scene and transported the victim in traumatic arrest […]

VP JD VANCE: We believe it is wrong for companies to bypass American labor just to go for cheaper options in the Third World.

The mother of the last Israeli hostage still being held in Gaza, Ran Gvili, to Sky News – “We will finish Hamas if they don’t give us Rani.”

TRAGIC UPDATE: The individual who was riding a scooter and was struck by a vehicle on Fillmore Ave and East 38 Street in Marine Park, was unfortunately Niftar at the hospital. Sources tell Flatbush Scoop that he is a Russian Jew, who Davens at the Chabad House in Mill Basin. A name and more details […]

VP: “More than 2.5 million illegal immigrants have left the United States — the first time in over 50 years that we have had negative net migration… Real wages are finally growing. Inflation is half what it was under Democrats. Gas prices are their lowest in years.”

Israeli defense officials disclosed new information Sunday about the intelligence campaign that led to the killing of Ra’ad Sa’ad, a senior Hamas figure who headed the terror group’s weapons production apparatus and played a central role in the October 7 massacre.

The operation, known as “Operation Last Supper,” was carried out just over a week ago and, according to officers involved, ranks among the most accurate and strategically significant strikes since the fighting began.

Sa’ad was regarded as a driving force behind Hamas’s weapons buildup and its so-called development “revolution,” overseeing the arming of terrorists while remaining deeply involved in operational planning.

Lieutenant M., who leads the Development Targets Department in the Intelligence Directorate, described Sa’ad as an especially elusive target who deliberately embedded himself among civilians. “He would make sure to stay in motion,” M. said in an interview published on the IDF’s Hebrew-language website. “He would move between hiding spots, he would stay in mosques, hospitals, and areas full of civilians, understanding that he was a top target.”

According to M., Sa’ad was not only involved in planning Hamas’s major attacks but took an active role in executing them, including the “Walls of Jericho” invasion plan aimed at Israeli communities near Gaza. “Beyond the operational coordination, he was particularly responsible for supplying weapons to the Hamas forces.”

Additional insight into the intelligence effort was provided by Lieutenant Y., head of the Enemy Activity Target Department in the Research Division, who emphasized the methodical nature of the operation. “The process was built over time. Persistent intelligence gathering, close surveillance, and early preparation, until the window of opportunity opened. When we got a clear picture, we acted precisely and swiftly.”

Y. stressed the strategic weight of the strike, describing Sa’ad as a linchpin within Hamas’s leadership structure. “The importance of the elimination is clear. This was one of the most active senior officials, a member of the original [Hamas] general staff, and a man who was directly behind smuggling and supplying weapons to attack Israel. We could not allow this to continue.”

He added that the removal of Sa’ad has already had a tangible impact on Hamas’s operational capabilities. “The damage to their ability to continue building up their capabilities is evident. Today they are operating out of necessity, with isolated attempts and a recovery capacity that is steadily diminishing.”

Despite the success, intelligence officials cautioned against complacency, underscoring that further operations remain ahead. “There is still work,” Lt. M. said. “We know who’s next in line. Each soldier and officer here understands the gravity of the mission; this elimination gives a sense of satisfaction, but there’s still a long road ahead.”

{Matzav.com}

In new footage of the Bondi Beach massacre aired by Australian media outlets, Israeli citizen Gefen Bitton was identified running into the line of fire to stop one of the terrorists. Bitton, 30, who has lived and worked in Australia for the past three years, paid a heavy price for his bravery—he was shot three […]

NORAD scrambled an F-16 to intercept an aircraft that entered the Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) zone over Palm Beach, Florida, where President Trump was located.

White House border czar Tom Homan warned Sunday that violence directed at Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers will continue unless elected officials and other leaders change their tone around immigration enforcement.

Speaking during a televised interview, Homan said he has been sounding the alarm for months about the consequences of what he described as incendiary language aimed at federal agents. “I wish the hateful rhetoric from congressmen, mayors, and governors would stop, because I said back in March there’s going to be bloodshed,” Homan said. “I don’t want more bloodshed. But unless they stop doing what they’re doing, there will be more, and I worry about that every day.”

According to Homan, threats against ICE personnel have skyrocketed, rising more than 8,000%, while assaults on agents have jumped by roughly 1,300%. He said the figures are unprecedented based on his decades-long career in law enforcement.

The Trump administration, Homan said, is responding with a hardline posture toward anyone who interferes with immigration enforcement. He cited an increase in federal prosecutions under Attorney General Pam Bondi, noting that the Justice Department is pursuing record numbers of cases involving obstruction of ICE operations and physical attacks on officers.

“We’re sending a strong message,” Homan said, stressing that anyone who “puts a hand on an ICE officer” should expect to be arrested and face federal charges.

Homan tied his warning to what he described as dramatic improvements at the southern border under President Donald Trump, praising the administration’s policies as producing the most secure border in U.S. history. He pointed to sharp declines in migrant encounters, saying nationwide encounters dropped to just over 30,000 in November and are down 95% since Trump took office nearly a year ago, compared with levels during the Biden administration.

Deportations have also accelerated, Homan said, with ICE deporting more than 600,000 illegal aliens and an additional 1.9 million leaving the country voluntarily.

Despite those gains, Homan argued that resistance from certain political leaders and members of the judiciary has fueled a more dangerous climate for immigration officers. “You cross a line, you’ll be prosecuted,” he said, adding that accountability should apply “even if you’re a judge.”

As an example, Homan pointed to a Milwaukee County judge who he said was found guilty of obstructing federal immigration agents during an incident at a courthouse, describing it as emblematic of officials using their authority to block enforcement efforts.

Homan also raised alarms about unaccompanied migrant children, stating that approximately 300,000 children went missing during the Biden years. He said the current administration has located about 129,000 of those children through coordinated efforts involving the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Health and Human Services.

He urged political leaders to dial down rhetoric as enforcement operations expand nationwide, warning that continued escalation could lead to further attacks on federal officers.

The comments came as Homan traveled through Arizona, where he said he planned to speak at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest conference. He said his remarks there would focus on border security and what he views as shifting attitudes among younger Americans after recent national events.

“I look forward to talking eye to eye with them,” Homan said, explaining that he wants to directly outline the administration’s border policies and push back against what he characterized as widespread misinformation.

Homan concluded by arguing that tougher enforcement is saving lives by discouraging dangerous crossings and curbing fentanyl trafficking, while reiterating that protecting law enforcement officers remains paramount. “I don’t want more bloodshed,” he said, “but unless they stop doing what they’re doing, there will be more.”

{Matzav.com}

The Vishnitzer Rebbe joined by thousands of his Chassidim tonight, Zos Chanukah, the last night of Chanukah.

Israel received a last-minute intelligence warning less than 24 hours before Hamas launched its devastating October 7, 2023 attack, but the alert was brushed aside. On October 6, 2023, Israeli intelligence gathered information suggesting Hamas was planning an operation the following morning, Kan reported Friday. The intelligence was collected during a drone-based surveillance mission over […]

Yeshivas Migdal Oz marked Chanukah with a particularly joyous and uplifting celebration themed “Lehazkiram Torasecha,” following the successful completion of its special “Kinyan Chanukah” learning campaign. As part of the initiative, the bochurim of the yeshiva were tested on their learning achievements in iyun, bekius, and a deep understanding of the sugyos they had covered. […]