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Following the US military operation that removed Venezuela’s leadership, President Donald Trump said the United States would take control of the country, arguing that the situation on the ground left no better alternative. In a telephone interview with The Atlantic, Trump said that “rebuilding there and regime change — anything you want to call it — is better than what you have right now.”

Trump expanded on that point by delivering a blunt assessment of Venezuela’s condition. “Rebuilding is not a bad thing in Venezuela’s case,” he said. “The country’s gone to —-. It’s a failed country. It’s a totally failed country. It’s a country that’s a disaster in every way.”

His remarks came a day after US forces carried out overnight strikes in Caracas, hitting military targets and taking Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife into custody. The pair were transported to New York City, where Maduro was jailed to face federal narco-trafficking charges.

In the aftermath of the operation, the Trump administration signaled that it was prepared to work with other elements of the Venezuelan government, provided that Washington’s objectives were met. Those goals included opening the country’s vast crude oil reserves to US investment.

Amid the upheaval, Delcy Rodriguez was confirmed as interim president by Venezuela’s Supreme Court and senior military officials. She responded defiantly to the US action, insisting that Maduro remained the nation’s only legitimate leader and declaring that “we’re ready to defend our natural resources.”

Trump, however, issued a direct warning to Rodriguez, saying her future depended on her cooperation with Washington. “If she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro,” he told The Atlantic.

{Matzav.com}

Sharp reactions rippled through the Knesset on Sunday night after comments made by MK Yitzchak Goldknopf of United Torah Judaism during a heated session of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee focused on the proposed conscription legislation.

In the committee session, Goldknopf had addressed the sanctions included in the draft law and likened them to “a yellow star for Torah students,” a statement that immediately sparked outrage across party lines.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid responded with a deeply personal rebuke, addressing Goldknopf directly. He said that his father wore a yellow star in the Budapest ghetto because there was no Jewish army to defend him, and that his grandfather was forced to wear one before being murdered in a concentration camp. Lapid charged that the comparison trivialized the Holocaust and demeaned the sacrifice of IDF soldiers, describing the remarks as damaging and profoundly offensive.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also weighed in forcefully, saying there is no place in the coalition for leaders who are “disconnected, insensitive, and who repeatedly harm Israeli society, IDF soldiers, and Torah students.” He stressed that Goldknopf is no longer part of the mainstream coalition and is not expected to return.

Smotrich added that IDF soldiers are those standing on the front lines against antisemitism and its contemporary expressions. He said the Religious Zionist camp believes it is possible to unite Torah learning with military service and is committed to showing that the chareidi public can do so as well.

Committee chairman MK Boaz Bismuth of Likud publicly distanced himself from the analogy. While expressing “great respect for Torah scholars and the chareidi community,” he said the language used “crosses a line” and has no place in such a discussion.

Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli issued his own sharp criticism, calling the comparison a sign of extreme political detachment. He said that equating draft-related sanctions with the yellow star reflects a profound disconnect and added that the public deserves more responsible leadership, particularly on matters so sensitive to Jewish history and national unity.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump has been “unequivocal” that Hamas must fully disarm before his proposed peace framework can move forward, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday, demonstrating a hard U.S.-Israeli stance that leaves little room for compromise with the Iran-backed terrorist group. Speaking to reporters ahead of Israel’s weekly Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said […]

The Tel Aviv District Court on Sunday sentenced Ibrahim Shalhoub, 29, of Tulkarm, to life imprisonment for the murder of Ludmila Lipovsky hy”d, an 83-year-old woman who was stabbed to death in Herzliya in December 2024. Shalhoub pleaded guilty and was convicted of murder under aggravated circumstances as an act of terrorism, as well as […]

Ukrainian military intelligence has revealed a covert operation in which Russian authorities were manipulated into paying a $500,000 assassination bounty to their own enemies, after being deceived into believing a wanted anti-Kremlin figure had been killed.

According to Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, the operation was designed both to protect Denis Kapustin, commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, and to uncover a hostile intelligence network tasked with eliminating him. Officials described the effort as a “complex, multi-stage” mission coordinated with a pro-Ukrainian Russian group.

The ruse hinged on convincing Russian operatives that Kapustin had been successfully assassinated. Ukrainian intelligence officers staged drone footage to simulate his supposed death, creating visual evidence intended to satisfy Moscow’s handlers.

Two strike drones were central to the deception. One drone appeared to strike a vehicle allegedly carrying Kapustin, while a second drone documented the aftermath, showing a burning car that served as “proof” of the purported hit.

Ukrainian officials said the fabricated material was convincing enough that Russian intelligence proceeded to release the promised bounty. The $500,000 payment, intended as a reward for Kapustin’s assassination, was transferred to Ukrainian operatives.

Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence said the funds are now being redirected to strengthen its special forces, effectively turning a Russian assassination contract into financial support for Ukraine’s war effort.

The Telegraph reported that Kapustin was falsely declared dead on Dec. 27, with Russia’s own volunteer force initially echoing the claim in a Telegram post that vowed revenge and stated, “Your legacy lives on.”

That report noted that Moscow had pursued Kapustin for years and was prepared to pay a substantial sum for his elimination, underscoring how damaging his group’s activities have been for the Kremlin.

The deception unraveled publicly on New Year’s Day, when Kapustin appeared alive in a video released by Ukraine’s military intelligence. He was shown standing beside Gen. Kyrylo Budanov.

In the video, Budanov congratulated those involved in the operation and openly mocked Russia’s security services for unwittingly financing Ukraine’s military campaign. He said he was pleased that the funds meant for Kapustin’s “liquidation” were instead used to support Ukraine’s fight.

The Guardian reported that Ukrainian intelligence portrayed the operation as both a defensive maneuver and a counterintelligence success, preserving Kapustin’s life while identifying those behind the plot, including alleged planners within Russia’s special services and operatives recruited to carry out the attack.

According to the report, the “Timur Special Unit,” which is linked to Kapustin, also received funds allocated for the assassination.

The episode adds to a growing list of intelligence successes by Ukraine against Moscow’s security apparatus, including the Federal Security Service and the GRU, long considered among the world’s most formidable intelligence agencies.

It also highlights how deception, drone technology, and covert operations are playing an increasingly central role in a conflict that is evolving into a high-tech shadow war fought far beyond traditional battlefields.

{Matzav.com}

Diplomatic contacts between Israel and Syria are set to resume this week, with senior representatives from both countries scheduled to convene in Paris on Monday to reopen discussions toward a new security framework, Axios reported, citing an Israeli official and another individual familiar with the matter.

The planned meetings are expected to span two days and will bring together Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and a newly assembled Israeli negotiating team. According to the report, the talks are intended to focus on a potential security arrangement that would address demilitarization in southern Syria, alongside an Israeli pullback from territories entered following the collapse of the Assad regime.

The renewed effort comes after President Trump personally urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to restart the negotiations during their recent meeting in Mar-a-Lago, Axios reported. Netanyahu agreed to move forward with additional talks while underscoring that any agreement must safeguard Israel’s security interests.

This upcoming round will be the first in nearly two months and represents the fifth session overall. Previous negotiations were put on hold amid wide disagreements between the parties and following the resignation of Israel’s earlier lead negotiator, former Minister Ron Dermer.

The initiative is being actively supported by the Trump administration, which has prioritized stabilizing the security situation along the Israel-Syria border. President Trump’s Syria envoy, Tom Barrack, is expected to play a mediating role during the discussions.

In preparation for the Paris meetings, Netanyahu appointed a new Israeli delegation led by Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter. Other members named by Axios include Netanyahu’s military adviser, Gen. Roman Gofman, and acting National Security Adviser Gill Reich.

{Matzav.com}

UPDATE: ZAKA reports that the body of the missing Israeli citizen at the ski resort town of Crans-Montana, Switzerland, has now also been identified. ZAKA teams continue to operate at the scene, in coordination with Swiss police and rescue authorities, the Israeli Ambassador to Switzerland, Tibor Shalev Schlosser, the local Chabad shliach Rabbi Yitzchak Levi […]

Police in Winnipeg Canada have opened a hate-crime investigation after antisemitic graffiti were spray-painted on the exterior of the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue overnight. Jewish organizations strongly condemned the vandalism, warning that repeated targeting of Jewish institutions poses a serious threat to the community.

The Jewish community in Lausanne issued a statement mourning the loss of two young girls after the deadly blaze, saying, “it is with great sorrow that we announce the deaths of Alicia and Diana, who were tragically killed in a fire. The community partakes in the family’s mourning and will stand beside it as needed.” Alicia and Diana Gunst were sisters, ages 14 and 15, whose bodies were confirmed earlier in the day.

ZAKA’s International Unit later reported that another missing victim from the same incident has now been identified. The organization said that the remains of Charlotte Needham, a 15-year-old Israeli citizen, were located and formally identified following the inferno at the ski resort in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, where she had been unaccounted for.

In the aftermath of the disaster, ZAKA personnel remain active on the ground, working in coordination with Swiss authorities. Their teams are continuing to assist local police, emergency responders, and security forces as recovery and investigative efforts proceed at the site.

The fire at the popular Alpine resort has sent shockwaves through Jewish communities in Switzerland and abroad, as confirmations of the victims’ identities bring a painful close to days of uncertainty surrounding those who had been missing.

{Matzav.com}

A press conference held by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was momentarily interrupted when a Chabad truck drove past the event blasting the song “Hinei Ma Tov,” bringing the proceedings to a brief standstill.

The incident occurred as Mamdani was in the midst of announcing members of his new cabinet and outlining a series of administrative changes. As the music echoed through the area, aides and reporters paused, and the mayor stopped speaking until the truck passed and the sound faded.

“It’s a good song,” Mamdani said.

WATCH:

While announcing new members of his administration, Mayor Zohran Mamdani stopped to listen to a passing Chabad truck that was playing “Hinei Ma Tov.”

“It’s a good song,” Mamdani said. pic.twitter.com/OVnbcKMcHp

— Anash Reporter (@AnashReporter) January 3, 2026

Trump: We need Greenland for national security. “If you take a look at Greenland, you have Russian and Chinese ships all over the place.”

James Comer: You’re gonna see the Trump administration continue to freeze funds until Democrat governors do like what the Republican governors are doing, they’re complying with the federal government, with the Trump administration.

A new MTA fare of $3 takes effect on Sunday across New York City.

TEHILLIM: Please daven for HaRav Dovid Magid shlit”a, a Lakewood resident and former Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Gedolah of Bayonne, who suffered a serious medical incident on Motzei Shabbos and needs Rachamei Shomayim. His name for Tehillim is Elchonon Dovid Aryeh Leib ben Ita Faiga.

After serving tens of thousands of Israeli travelers for two decades, the Chabad House in Kathmandu, Nepal, was suddenly ordered to vacate its building. Chabad shliach Chezki Lifshitz and his wife say the landlord recently demanded all Hebrew signs be removed, sharply raised the rent, and then ordered an immediate eviction, which he believe stemmed […]

Schumer: Rubio I just heard in your interview said they’re doing what’s good for the American people. If they want to do what’s good for the American people, it should not be some escapade in Venezuela.

Minister Says Hezbollah Sought Inside Control of Kiryat Shmona Through Property Buys Israel’s Negev and Galilee Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf told a Cabinet meeting that Hezbollah allegedly encouraged Arab citizens of Israel to purchase apartments in Kiryat Shmona during the war in an effort to “take over the city from within.” Security officials say the Shin […]

A federal appeals panel ruled that California’s ban on openly carrying firearms in densely populated counties is unconstitutional, saying it violates the Second Amendment. The case began after a Siskiyou County resident sued to restore open carry.

Syrians started swapping old banknotes for new ones under a plan to replace Assad-era money and strengthen the currency’s value.

Mike Waltz: “Maduro was a state-backer of narcoterrorism. These operatives are some of the most vicious in the world… Enough was enough. Enough with our homeland security being threatened.”