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U.S. President Donald Trump’s vision for a Gaza “board of peace” is moving ahead without Tony Blair, whose potential appointment was quietly dropped after multiple Arab and Muslim governments made clear they objected to his inclusion, according to officials involved in the conversations.

When Trump rolled out his 20-point blueprint for governing Gaza after the war, Blair was the lone name publicly floated for the council. Trump at the time praised him, describing Blair as a compelling pick, and Blair indicated he was open to participating on the panel Trump intends to lead himself.

But regional leaders swiftly raised alarms behind the scenes, pointing to years of distrust rooted in Blair’s backing of the 2003 Iraq War and warning that Palestinians could be marginalized if he were elevated to the top tier of the new framework, sources said. Trump later conceded he would first need to verify that Blair was “acceptable” to all sides before any appointment took place.

Blair has remained engaged in Mideast diplomacy and has been working for over a year on his own transition plans for Gaza through the Tony Blair Institute, even coordinating with Trump’s inner circle — including Jared Kushner, who previously handled the Middle East file in Trump’s first term.

Although Blair’s team offered no official response, someone close to him said he will not take a seat on the contemplated peace council, which is expected to feature sitting world leaders once finalized. Instead, the understanding is that Blair will participate on a leaner executive committee beneath the council. That working group is also expected to include Trump adviser Steve Witkoff, Kushner, and senior officials from Western and Arab countries, according to those briefed.

Leadership of that executive committee is expected to fall to Nickolay Mladenov, the onetime UN envoy for Middle East peace and former Bulgarian defense minister. His expected responsibilities mirror much of what Blair was once being eyed for — helping steer Gaza’s transition and mediating between international stakeholders and a still-to-be-formed Palestinian technocratic team.

Major components of Trump’s Gaza blueprint remain unresolved. Diplomats note that crucial details — from which Palestinians would make up the administrative body, to the composition and authority of the international stabilization force Trump envisions, to the method of disarming Hamas after the atrocities of October 7, 2023 — are still unset. No nation has yet stepped forward with a public commitment of troops or support for the proposed security model.

Even so, Trump maintains the initiative is advancing and has hinted that a shift into the next implementation stage may be announced soon. For now, though, not a single member of the “board of peace” has been officially named, more than two months after the plan’s debut, while Gaza remains carved between areas held by Hamas and sectors controlled by Israeli forces.

{Matzav.com}

Headline PCE prices were up 2.8% year over year in September, a touch higher than August’s 2.7%. Core PCE, which strips out food and energy, also rose 2.8% from a year earlier, down slightly from 2.9% in August. Goods prices moved higher as tariffs filtered through, while services inflation ticked down: prices for goods were […]

Hamas has rebuilt its fighting force to an estimated 20,000 armed terrorists, reestablishing military and political control over large portions of the Gaza Strip during the cease-fire, according to a new report from the New York Times. The terror group is manning checkpoints, enforcing street-level authority, and replenishing its finances through new taxes on commercial […]

Reports emerging from Kiryat Gat claim that American forces stationed at the facility overseeing the Gaza ceasefire have voiced serious concerns about Israeli military personnel allegedly tracking and monitoring activity inside the joint base. The accusations, first published by the Guardian, were swiftly rejected by the Israel Defense Forces as “absurd.”

According to the report, individuals familiar with the internal workings of the Civil-Military Coordination Center — the CMCC — say Israeli personnel have routinely documented conversations taking place there. Some recordings were said to be done out in the open, others more discreetly, stirring frustration among American personnel and several other participating nations.

The sources cited insisted that the pattern of intelligence gathering grew concerning enough that the base’s American commander, Lt. Gen. Patrick Frank, called in his Israeli counterpart for a direct conversation. During that exchange, he reportedly made it clear that “recording has to stop here.”

The situation allegedly prompted some countries to warn their teams inside the building not to discuss sensitive matters, worried that information could be “collected and exploited,” as the report put it.

While declining to comment on whether Frank issued such a warning, the IDF emphasized to the Guardian that nothing spoken inside the CMCC is classified. It added that taking notes and summarizing discussions is standard procedure for any serious organization. “The IDF documents and summarizes meetings in which it is present through protocols, as any professional organization of this nature does in a transparent and agreed-upon manner,” the military said. It reiterated that “The claim that the IDF is gathering intelligence on its partners in meetings in which the IDF is an active participant is absurd.”

The U.S. military, approached with the same allegations, declined to address them.

Established under American leadership shortly after the current ceasefire took effect, the CMCC functions as the central hub for coordinating humanitarian flows into Gaza while managing the broader stabilization effort for the enclave. It operates out of a logistics company building in Kiryat Gat, around 20 kilometers from Gaza.

The compound divides its space by floor: Israel occupies the first, the U.S. operates from the third, and a shared international operations arena spans the second level, where representatives gather around expansive screens and planning boards. Those with a presence at the base include Israel, the U.S., Jordan, the UK, Germany, Denmark, Canada, Australia, France, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates.

Despite being on home turf, Israel has not been driving the decision-making, according to an Israeli official who told The Times of Israel in November that Washington has effectively taken the lead — including on issues tied to humanitarian aid deliveries. Israel has charged that Hamas has repeatedly hijacked or manipulated aid convoys, prompting Jerusalem to restrict certain goods.

A U.S. official speaking anonymously to the Guardian disputed the notion that America holds unilateral authority over aid. The relationship, the official said, operates “hand in glove,” explaining that Israel functions as the hand, while the CMCC is “the glove over that hand.”

Diplomats quoted in the article said that ongoing discussions at the center have resulted in Israel easing limits on several previously banned items it had categorized as having “dual use” potential — materials it feared Hamas could exploit.

CMCC officers last month reported that roughly 800 aid trucks per day have entered Gaza since the ceasefire began, marking the highest sustained flow of humanitarian assistance since the war broke out.

But while the center has been operating since October, its organizational structure and legal framework remain undefined. This ambiguity persists even as the initial phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point outline for Gaza approaches completion.

Under the second phase of Trump’s plan — which is expected to roll out soon — a new administrative model for Gaza is supposed to take shape. That stage is not slated to begin until Israel completes the return of the last fallen hostage, Master Sgt. Ran Gvili.

Trump’s blueprint envisions Hamas disarming and Israeli forces pulling back while a multinational contingent moves in. At the same time, a Palestinian technocratic authority would step in to handle the day-to-day governance of Gaza, as the Strip transitions to its postwar framework.

{Matzav.com}

Hungary’s Jewish community has reinaugurated its only Jewish hospital after a sweeping $26 million renovation funded by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government, JNS reported. Speaking at the reinauguration ceremony in Budapest, Orbán recalled how Budapest’s Jewish hospitals were shut down or destroyed by Fascists during the Holocaust. The Jewish Charity Hospital, founded in 1914 and […]

Yad L’Achim is raffling off one of the most exquisite heritage menorahs ever crafted — and only 499 tickets will be sold. You’ll receive a random ticket number between 1–499, and that will be the amount you pay for your ticket – and a chance to bring home this stunning heirloom piece…while supporting the lifesaving […]

A legislative committee session erupted in controversy Monday after members of Otzma Yehudit arrived wearing lapel pins shaped like nooses, a dramatic show of support for their effort to impose the death penalty on terror convicts. The display immediately drew fierce criticism from across the political spectrum.

The pins, metallic and gold-colored, resembled the yellow ribbons worn by most Israeli officials since October 7 in solidarity with the hostages. But Otzma Yehudit said the symbolism here was deliberate and stark. According to National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s office, the nooses represent the party’s “commitment to the demand for the death penalty for terrorists” and deliver “a clear message that terrorists are deserving of death.”

Ben Gvir and four of his party’s lawmakers wore the pins as they entered the National Security Committee meeting, where their contentious death penalty legislation was again under discussion. That bill, which passed its first reading in November, would allow capital punishment for those convicted of deadly terror attacks — something Israel has historically reserved for only one case, the 1962 execution of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann.

During the hearing, Ben Gvir told the committee that the noose was merely one illustration of how such executions could be carried out. “One of the options through which we will implement the death penalty law for terrorists,” he said of the symbol. He continued, “Of course, there is the option of the gallows, the electric chair and also the option of euthanasia.”

Despite the Israeli Medical Association’s stated objection to the proposal, Ben Gvir insisted there is support within the healthcare community. He claimed he has received “100 calls from doctors who said: ‘Itamar, just tell us when.’”

Opposition figures reacted sharply. Yair Lapid told his Yesh Atid faction that the display was severely damaging Israel’s already strained image abroad. “Pictures of the pins with a noose are spreading throughout the world and causing indescribable damage,” he said.

Democrats party leader Yair Golan denounced the spectacle as well, warning that it signaled something far darker than a policy debate. “A noose on a minister’s lapel is not a policy statement — it’s a declaration of intent,” he posted on X. “When a government uses the imagery of death to project strength, it is no longer fighting terrorism; it’s rehearsing dictatorship.”

Legal experts expressed similar alarm during the committee session. Gil Shapira of the Public Defender’s Office urged lawmakers to halt the bill, arguing that “A great many countries in the world do not implement it, and the trend is in fact to abolish it.” A written advisory from the committee’s legal counsel also warned that key components of the legislation may violate constitutional standards.

The counsel’s memo stressed that while capital punishment is not rejected categorically, its use must be strictly limited and demonstrably deterrent — not punitive. “In light of the inherent difficulty in the death sentence, in which there is no going back from, and in order to limit — if not prevent entirely — the possibility that innocents will be convicted and sent to their death, it is in our opinion correct to tighten the conditions for using the death penalty,” it read.

The legal team cited several problems: mandatory sentencing provisions that could strip judges of discretion; the sweeping and ambiguous definition of the offense; and applicability to Palestinians under military rule, raising potential conflicts with international treaties. The draft text states that capital punishment would apply to anyone who “intentionally or recklessly” causes the death of an Israeli citizen in an act intended to harm “the State of Israel and the rebirth of the Jewish people in their homeland.” Advisers noted that the vagueness of this wording would likely make the law difficult to interpret.

Another flaw, according to the memo, is that the proposed law would not apply when victims are permanent residents or foreign nationals — a gap that could create inconsistency in terror-related sentencing.

As debate swirled, Ben Gvir seized the moment to boast about deteriorating conditions for Palestinian security inmates since he took office, referencing recent reporting on prisoner deaths. “This morning, I saw that it was published that under Itamar Ben Gvir, 110 terrorists have died. They said there has never been anything like this since the state’s founding,” he said.

He dismissed a damning Public Defender’s Office audit describing hunger, overcrowding, scabies outbreaks, and violent abuse in Israeli detention facilities. While denying that the Prison Service contributed to the deaths — claiming inmates “arrived sick or died from various injuries” — he made clear he had no regrets. What he called the “summer camp” conditions that allegedly existed before his tenure, he said, are now over.

{Matzav.com}

While spending several days in New York, Israeli President Isaac Herzog delivered sweeping remarks to the Biennial National Assembly of the American Zionist Movement, addressing representatives from more than fifty organizations. His talk moved through a range of concerns—from the sharp rise in antisemitism across the United States to Israel’s security challenges and recent political developments affecting Jewish life in New York.

Herzog opened by voicing deep alarm at the climate facing Jews in America. He said he was “extremely disturbed” by what he sees as a dramatic escalation in hostility. “Antisemitism has never been so apparent in the public discourse,” he told the audience, noting that this hostility comes “from both the left and right.” As he put it bluntly, “no Jew should be harassed anywhere in the world because of his or her faith.” Herzog emphasized collective responsibility in pushing back: “We have to fight together, with all the legal tools we have, to combat antisemitism and explain our case that the only nation state of the Jewish people is protecting the free world and is a beacon of tikkun olam to the entire world.”

Turning to New York, home to the largest Jewish population outside Israel, Herzog expressed unease about local political rhetoric. Without naming him, he referenced the incoming mayor, saying the city now has “a mayor-elect who shows utter contempt to the nation state of the Jewish people.” In the wake of demonstrations outside a Manhattan shul hosting an Aliyah program, Herzog stressed that safeguarding the ability of Jews to worship freely is non-negotiable. He reminded the audience that “Jews have prayed three times a day for hundreds of years and thousands of years to Jerusalem, and we yearn to go back to Jerusalem-this is a basic rule of Judaism.” What troubled him most, he said, was that “The fact that a mayor-elect, an elected official, speaks in contempt about this whole notion, which is part and parcel of all of us here and the great Zionist movement, worries me a lot.”

Herzog then confronted head-on the accusations that Israel has engaged in genocide. He dismissed the charge unequivocally, maintaining that “Israel is a law-abiding nation. The law is part of our DNA.” He insisted that “Our guidelines are the rules of international humanitarian law. Our sons and daughters went to fight in order to defend our people and operate according to the rules.” Acknowledging the imperfections of any military campaign, he noted that “if we make mistakes, we also expose them and deal with them.” Herzog contrasted the claims against Israel with its actual conduct: “Israel was never operating in any genocidal form. On the contrary, we supplied humanitarian aid from day one. I was extremely active on this. We care for the pain of the people in Gaza. We care, and I still care very much, for their future.”

He also spoke about the emotional and national aftermath of the October 7 atrocities. Israeli society, he said, continues to show extraordinary strength despite the trauma that lingers from that day. “We’re a very strong, resilient nation which carries a scar of agony from generation to generation, and in this generation, we are carrying the scar of pain and agony of October 7th and onwards.”

Addressing the regional threat environment, Herzog warned that Israel’s adversaries are far from retreating. “Iran is trying to regroup and continue the battle against Israel big time with all of their capabilities,” he cautioned. He added that “They want to get to the bomb. They want to advance their terror agencies. We follow this closely. We see what they’re trying to do in Lebanon. We see what they’re trying to do elsewhere. We should not be naive for a moment.”

{Matzav.com}

Touring key areas of the Gaza Strip, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir described the position of Israeli forces under the current ceasefire framework in terms that signal a major shift. He referred to the Yellow Line — the line to which the IDF pulled back — as “a new border line,” framing it not as a temporary marker but as a defining security boundary.

Speaking to troops in Beit Hanoun and Jabalia, Zamir emphasized Israel’s determination to prevent Hamas from regaining strength. “We will not allow Hamas to reestablish itself. We control large parts of the Gaza Strip and stand along [strategic] lines. The Yellow Line is a new border line, a forward defensive line for the communities and an offensive line,” he said, according to a statement released by the IDF.

The ceasefire has not halted hostile attempts to breach that line. On Sunday, the IDF reported that soldiers killed a Palestinian terror operative in the south after he crossed the ceasefire line and advanced toward them “in a way that posed an immediate threat.” The previous day, three operatives were shot dead when they crossed the Yellow Line in the north and moved toward Israeli forces.

Under the current map, the Yellow Line leaves Israel holding roughly 53 percent of Gaza, stretching from the northern city of Beit Hanoun down to the entirety of Rafah in the south. Zamir’s choice of calling it a “border” is likely to spark debate among those who insist the IDF’s position is only temporary and part of a phased exit.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu addressed the timeline for the next stage of the ceasefire, standing alongside Germany’s visiting chancellor. He said that phase two would begin once the body of Ran Gvili — the last hostage remaining in Gaza — is returned. In this stage, the IDF is expected to pull back from current positions as Hamas begins disarming and as the International Stabilization Force begins to deploy.

Netanyahu repeated the message later, telling Israeli diplomats that “in the second phase, we are moving to disarmament and demilitarization.” He noted that Washington intends to establish the international force to carry out the mission, adding, “I said, go ahead.”

The UN Security Council formally endorsed the 20-point peace plan put forward by US President Donald Trump, including the creation of the ISF. But deployment has stalled due to two major issues: the final hostage has not yet been recovered, and several participating countries remain wary, particularly given Hamas’s signals that it does not intend to disarm.

Israel has urged that the ISF be responsible for neutralizing Hamas’s military capacity. That expectation, however, has unsettled governments weighing troop contributions, with many fearing head-on confrontations with Hamas operatives or being dragged into clashes between Palestinian terror groups and Israeli forces.

Thus far, Indonesia and Azerbaijan have committed to joining the mission, while Turkey has expressed enthusiasm as well — though Israel has blocked Ankara from playing any operational role in Gaza.

While moving through the Strip on Sunday, Zamir reminded forces of the human dimension still weighing on the nation. “The vast majority of our hostages have returned, but our mission will not be complete until the final fallen hostage, Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, is brought back,” he said.

He urged the troops not to let the relative quiet of the ceasefire dull their preparation or discipline. The military, he told them, “must not be complacent; we must prepare across all arenas and maintain readiness and vigilance alongside adherence to operational norms.”

{Matzav.com}

A Harvard visiting law professor arrested for firing a pellet gun outside a Brookline, Massachusetts, synagogue on Yom Kippur has agreed to leave the United States, the Department of Homeland Security announced. Carlos Portugal Gouvea, a Brazilian citizen, was suspended by Harvard after his Oct. 1 arrest outside Temple Beth Zion, an “independent, inclusive” congregation. […]

Alina Habba is exiting her position as the leading federal prosecutor in New Jersey after a bruising legal battle culminated in an appellate decision that determined she was ineligible to serve in the role. She explained her departure in a written statement, saying, “As a result of the Third Circuit’s ruling, and to protect the stability and integrity of the office which I love, I have decided to step down in my role as the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey.” She added a pointed reminder that her move should not be misread, declaring, “But do not mistake compliance for surrender. This decision will not weaken the Justice Department, and it will not weaken me.”

Her appointment to the post came in March, when President Trump selected her for the acting role after she had served both as his personal lawyer and later in a White House advisory position. Her brief stretch as the state’s top federal enforcer, however, quickly became entangled in a fierce challenge over whether she had ever lawfully held the job.

The controversy erupted when defendants in two unrelated criminal cases argued that her appointment ran afoul of a 1998 federal vacancies statute. Their contention was that the process used to install her bypassed required legal steps, invalidating her authority from the outset. A federal judge agreed, invalidating her work dating back to late July — though that ruling was temporarily paused as the administration sought relief from a higher court.

Throughout the dispute, the administration maintained that Habba’s elevation complied with a longstanding law that permits a first assistant to step into the U.S. attorney post for an interim period. Habba, then 41, had been sworn in on March 28 for a 120-day term. But on July 22, a federal judicial panel refused to extend her tenure and instead placed First Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace into the job.

That reshuffling prompted immediate pushback from the Justice Department. Attorney General Pam Bondi swiftly removed Grace and reinstated Habba, attempting to reassert the administration’s authority over the appointment. The appeals court, however, rejected that maneuver, finding that Bondi had never validly appointed Habba as first assistant in the first place — a prerequisite to the legal argument the government was relying on.

In a sharply worded opinion, Senior U.S. Circuit Judge D. Michael Fisher described the administration’s attempts to keep Habba in place as emblematic of broader political obstacles. “It is apparent that the current administration has been frustrated by some of the legal and political barriers to getting its appointees in place,” he wrote, adding that “Its efforts to elevate its preferred candidate for US Attorney for the District of New Jersey, Alina Habba, to the role of Acting US Attorney demonstrate the difficulties it has faced — yet the citizens of New Jersey and the loyal employees in the US Attorney’s Office deserve some clarity and stability.”

The court also found that once President Trump formally nominated Habba for Senate confirmation on June 30 — a nomination later withdrawn to allow Bondi to reinstall her — she became legally barred from continuing in the acting position. Judge Fisher noted that accepting the administration’s argument would create a loophole allowing even unsuccessful nominees to return to acting posts, writing, “The government’s argument basically defeats itself.”

The ruling ultimately closed the door on Habba’s turbulent tenure, prompting her decision to step aside while insisting the fight has not diminished her resolve.

{Matzav.com}

Sec. Scott Bessent: “These direct payments will give producers the breathing room they need to market this year’s harvest and plan for next season… thanks to the administration’s pro growth policies, input costs like fuel and fertilizer are easing… Interest rates are coming down, helping farmers prepare for the next harvest.”

In Sidon, southern Lebanon, clashes broke out between opponents of the Syrian regime and its supporters who are celebrating one year since Assad’s fall.

It’s been revealed that since Trump took office, Illinois Gov. Pritzker has released 1,700 individuals with active ICE detainers — including those accused or convicted of serious violent offenses — back into the community.

Scenes from Umayyad Square in Damascus, where Syrians are celebrating the first anniversary of the fall of Assad’s regime.

Sec Rollins: As Trump said, we are very pleased to announce that today, we are going to be effectuating a $12B bridge payment to our farmers… by the end of this month, every farmer that is able to apply for it will know exactly what that number looks like.

President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, Alina Habba, resigned Monday as the top federal prosecutor for New Jersey, leaving the job after an appeals court said she had been serving in the post unlawfully. In a statement posted on social media, Habba assailed the court’s ruling as political, but said she was resigning “to protect […]

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani posted a video on Sunday advising illegal immigrants on how to avoid and resist federal immigration authorities — urging them to “stand up to ICE,” refuse entry to officers, and assert their rights during enforcement actions. The Democratic socialist, set to take office on January 1, called himself as […]

TRUMP: “Since my successful meeting in South Korea with President Xi, purchase have been made, and soybeans are being exported out of the United States to China as we speak.”

After weeks of speculation about whether he’d stay in his modest Queens rental, incoming Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed that he and his wife, Rama Duwaji, will pack up their Astoria apartment and settle into Gracie Mansion once he’s sworn in. The choice, he explained, wasn’t symbolic or political — it was personal.

“My wife Rama and I have made the decision to move into Gracie Mansion in January,” he said, making clear that the move was driven by concerns close to home.

“This decision came down to our family’s safety and the importance of dedicating all of my focus on enacting the affordability agenda New Yorkers voted for.”

For years, Mamdani’s critics hammered him for his rent-stabilized, $2,300 one-bedroom — a setup they said was wildly out of sync with his six-figure earnings in the Assembly and his calls for sweeping rent freezes. The tension around the apartment only intensified during the mayoral campaign, with opponents repeatedly framing his living situation as hypocritical.

Even as the firestorm built, Mamdani stayed largely silent about whether he’d abandon the Astoria unit for the official residence on the Upper East Side. He finally broke that silence, framing the decision within his broader vision for the city.

“My priority, always, is serving the people who call this city home. I will be a mayor for the line cooks on Steinway, for the children swinging at Dutch Kills Playground, for the bus riders waiting for the Q101,” he said.

“While I may no longer live in Astoria, Astoria will always live inside me and the work I do.”

Throughout the campaign, opponents seized on his apartment as a political weak point. Andrew Cuomo — running as an independent — accused Mamdani of misusing the rent-regulated system, arguing that someone with his family background shouldn’t occupy a unit that could go to a struggling tenant.

Mamdani, the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia professor Mahmood Mamdani, pushed back throughout the race. He has long maintained that when he first moved in, he had no idea the place was rent-stabilized. His team also pointed out that he’d been earning only $47,000 at the time.

Still, even as he prepares to step into the mayoralty, Mamdani acknowledged that leaving his longtime home won’t be easy. He reflected on the details of daily life in the building that had shaped his years in Astoria.

“Cooking dinner side by side in our kitchen, sharing a sleepy elevator ride with our neighbors in the evening, hearing music and laughter vibrate through the walls of the apartment,” Mamdani said.

“To Astoria: thank you for showing us the best of New York City. We have called this neighborhood home as our city weathered a devastating pandemic, cruel attacks on immigrants, and years of an affordability crisis,” he continued.

“Time and again, this community has shown up for one another. We will miss it all — the endless Adeni chai, the spirited conversations in Spanish, Arabic and every language in between, the aromas of seafood and shawarma drifting down the block.”

{Matzav.com}