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Australian officials announced night that the death toll from the vicious, antisemitic rampage at Sydney’s Bondi Beach has climbed to 15 precious lives, a tragedy that has shaken the entire country. For Australia, this is the most devastating act of violence in three decades, not seen since the 1996 massacre in Tasmania that took 35 lives.

Authorities revealed that the perpetrators were a father and son, Sajid Akram, 50, and his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram. Sajid, who held legal permits for six firearms, was killed in the exchange of gunfire, while Naveed remains in critical condition. Police reported finding an ISIS flag inside their vehicle.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the atrocity in stark terms, calling it “an act of pure evil” directed specifically at Australian Jews. “We will devote every possible resource necessary to respond to this attack,” he declared. He added, “My government will continue to stand with Australian Jews, to eradicate all expressions of antisemitism.” The prime minister later visited the site, laying a wreath in memory of the victims.

As the community reels, authorities have released the names of seven of the victims taken in the attack. Among them are Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a Chabad shliach in Sydney who helped arrange the Chanukah celebration on Bondi Beach; Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman, 87, murdered as he tried shielding his wife; Tibor Weizmann, who likewise fell while protecting his spouse; Dan Elkayim, 27, a French Jew who moved to Sydney last year; Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, another dedicated Chabad shliach; Reuven Morrison, 62, originally from the Soviet Union and a beloved member of the local Chabad kehilla; 82-year-old Marika Pogany; and Matilda, just 10 years old, whose family has chosen not to release her last name.

In addition to the murdered, 42 people were wounded, 11 of them fighting for their lives, including two police officers who rushed toward the danger to save others.

In the wake of the massacre, the National Security Headquarters issued an urgent advisory to Israelis abroad, noting that “past experience shows that there is a concern about copycat phenomena by supporters of terrorism who may act inspired by the event.” They urged travelers and communities to act with heightened caution: avoid unsecured public gatherings, especially those connected to Jewish life; remain alert around Jewish or Israeli locations; and immediately notify security forces if anything suspicious is observed.

{Matzav.com}

Jimmy Lai, the pro-democracy former Hong Kong media mogul and outspoken critic of Beijing, was convicted in a landmark national security trial in the city’s court on Monday, which could send him to prison for the rest of his life. Three government-vetted judges found Lai, 78, guilty of conspiring with others to collude with foreign forces to endanger national […]

Raised in the Midwood section of Brooklyn, Ida Plotzker attended a girls’ yeshiva and spent a gap year in Israel before enrolling at Touro Flatbush in 1989. She majored in psychology and fondly recalls her undergraduate experience as “a warm and supportive environment.” For many years, Ida taught preschool at the Yeshivah of North Jersey […]

[Video below.] A deadly shooting at a Hanukkah gathering in Sydney has sparked a rare and forceful rebuke from Sen. John Fetterman, who openly broke with fellow Democrats while siding with Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham over concerns about antisemitism and policies toward Israel.

The attack took place Sunday at the annual Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach, where gunfire erupted during the event. Australian police said the assault “targeted” the Jewish community and confirmed it is being treated as an act of terrorism. Twelve people were killed, including one suspected attacker, and many others were wounded.

Appearing on “Sunday Morning Futures,” the Pennsylvania Democrat said he was aligned almost entirely with comments Graham had made earlier in the program, particularly regarding international efforts to advance Palestinian statehood despite Hamas’ continued violence. Fetterman said he agreed “with virtually everything” Graham warned about.

“It’s an absolute betrayal for Israel and for the worldwide Jewish community,” said Fetterman.

He went on to criticize Western governments that have moved to recognize a Palestinian state even as Hamas continues to carry out attacks. “Whether it’s France or Australia or any of these nations, our Western allies are now calling for a two-state solution when Hamas refuses to disarm and are actively trying to kill Jews. I can’t imagine why anybody would do that at this point,” he added.

Earlier Sunday, Graham sharply condemned countries that have formally recognized a Palestinian state, accusing them of “rewarding killing Jews” through those decisions. Australia, France, the United Kingdom, and Canada all extended recognition earlier this year. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney later issued a statement asserting that the move was not intended to legitimize terrorism, but rather to encourage long-term reconstruction efforts following the Israel-Hamas war.

The United States, by contrast, has not formally recognized a Palestinian state.

Beyond foreign policy, Fetterman turned his criticism inward, accusing fellow Democrats of increasingly tolerating hostile rhetoric toward Israel. He said such language is now “becoming more and more part of my party’s platform.”

“I can’t imagine why so many parts of people in my party continue to back away or to kind of deflect… condemning these kinds of horrific acts of terrorism,” said Fetterman.

Long known as one of the most outspoken pro-Israel voices within the Democratic caucus, Fetterman has repeatedly urged his party to recalibrate its approach to the Jewish state. He also pointed to social media as a major driver of antisemitism, particularly among younger Americans.

“The young people in our nation have turned their back entirely against Israel, and that’s the social media, that’s the scourge, that’s where antisemitism breeds,” he said.

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A person of interest detained after a Brown University shooting that killed two students and injured nine will be released after law enforcement authorities determined there was no basis to keep the individual in custody, officials said Sunday night. The disclosure, made at a hastily convened late night news conference, represents a dramatic setback in an investigation […]

In a heated appearance Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut tied the deadly shooting at Brown University to what he described as policies advanced by President Donald Trump.

Murphy argued that differences in state gun laws directly affect levels of violence, asserting that stricter regulations save lives. “If you look at states like Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, California that have stronger laws, we have gun violence rates, murder rates, mass shooting rates that are two to 3 to 4 times lower than states that have loose gun laws. And many of the weapons that are used in our states for gun crimes come to our states from those states that have an ability for criminals and people with serious mental illness to buy weapons. So what we know is that stronger laws do work. Since we passed that bill in 2022, the first bill in 30 years that strengthens the nation’s gun laws, gun violence rates and mass shooting rates have come down in this country.”

He then directly blamed the current administration for worsening conditions, saying, “But this is not shocking because over the last year, President Trump has been engaged in a dizzying campaign to increase violence in this country. He is restoring gun rights to felons and people who have lost their ability to buy guns. He eliminated the White House office of gun violence protection, and he has stopped funding mental health grants and community anti-gun violence grants that Republicans and Democrats supported in that 2022 bill. So he has been engaged in a pretty deliberate campaign to try to make violence more likely in this country. I think you’re unfortunately going to see the results of that on the streets of America.”

CNN host Dana Bash pushed back on the scope of the accusation, responding, “That’s a pretty big statement. He’s a campaign to make violence more likely.”

Murphy stood by his assessment, insisting the consequences were predictable. “Of course. I mean, he’s knowingly restoring gun rights to dangerous people. He is cutting off grants that have bipartisan support to try to interrupt violence in our cities or to try to get necessary mental health resources to families and children in need. The evidence tells you that when you stop funding mental health, when you stop funding community anti-gun violence programs, when you give gun rights back to dangerous people, you are going to have an increase in violence that is knowable and that is foreseeable.”

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{Matzav.com}

Serbia’s prosecutor for organized crime on Monday charged a government minister and three others with abuse of office and falsifying of documents to help pave the way for a real estate project linked to Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law. Proposed criminal charges were announced against Culture Minister Nikola Selaković, who is a close […]

Meaningful Minute Announces “reKindle,” Premiering December 13th as the First Film in the new Wynn Series New York, NY · December 2025Meaningful Minute is announcing the release of reKindle, a new documentary premiering December 13th. The film is the first installment in the Wynn Series, presented in partnership with respected wealth manager and philanthropist Shuey […]

Against the backdrop of Chanukah, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu addressed Israel’s police leadership and officers with words of gratitude, warning, and resolve during a candle-lighting ceremony at the National Police Academy on Sunday evening.

The event brought together Netanyahu and his wife Sara, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and his wife Ayala, and Israel Police Inspector-General Danny Levy. Also present were senior police commanders, academy graduates, and male and female officers, along with the family of Master-Sgt. Ran Gvili of the National Counter-Terrorism Unit, who fought heroically on October 7 and was taken hostage to Gaza.

Netanyahu opened his remarks with a pledge regarding Gvili’s fate. “We will bring Ran back, just as we brought back 254 out of our 255 abductees,” he said. “Some did not believe. I believe. My friends in the government believed. They said: ‘It will be a miracle.’ I said: ‘This nation performs miracles.’ Hakadosh Boruch Hu helps a people who help themselves. We are a people who have learned to help ourselves, because we knew that in times of distress, it is not certain that anyone else will help us.”

He then reflected on Jewish history and the persistence of hatred toward Jews. “This was largely our fate in exile with waves of antisemitism that kept returning, rising, returning, rising, and returning, rising,” Netanyahu said. “What changed with the establishment of the State of Israel was not the disappearance of antisemitism but our ability to repel the massacres and mass murders against Jews, which always followed numerous accusations, lies, and insults. That is the change.”

Turning to recent events abroad, the prime minister addressed the deadly Chanukah attack in Australia. “Even today, they try to murder, and sadly, even today they succeeded in murdering Jews. They massacred Jews in Sydney, Australia,” he said.

Netanyahu revealed that he had previously warned Australian leadership of the consequences of their policies. “Four months ago, I wrote a letter to the Prime Minister of Australia. I told him: ‘Your policy encourages terrorism. It encourages antisemitism. You call for a Palestinian state, and you are essentially giving a prize to Hamas for the terrible massacre they carried out on October 7th. You are legitimizing all these rioters and you are not lifting a finger to eliminate these terror hotspots. This will lead to more murders.’ He did nothing.”

He cautioned that further attacks should be expected and emphasized where Jews are safest. “We know there will be additional attacks. The safest place for the Jewish people in the world is where the government, the army, and the security forces will defend them – that is first and foremost in the State of Israel, because we defend ourselves, and we defend ourselves with the help of the IDF, with the help of the security forces, and with the help of the brave male and female officers of the Israel Police.”

Addressing the officers directly, Netanyahu underscored their role on October 7. “Honored guests and friends, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, his wife Ayala, the Police Inspector-General, the command staff, and the academy graduates, you were on the first line of defense on October 7. I do not forget that. I was on the line and I saw the line of the heroes and heroines, the female police officers who fought and fell, and the male police officers who fought and fell. A tremendous hero, Ran Gvili, simply fought until the last bullet with a broken arm, but with an unwavering spirit.”

The prime minister framed Israel’s current struggle in historical terms, drawing parallels to ancient times. “Somehow we returned to our land after the exile imposed upon us. And the first thing we had to renew was our capacity for self-defense. This is what we have been doing over the past two years with renewed vigor and great success. We essentially represent the free world, modern civilization, against the barbarians who want to return us to the Middle Ages. That is what they want. And like in the days of the Maccabees, they hesitate – the few against the many – we are a nation of about ten million against many, against the enemies who only recently fought us as two hundred million.”

He continued by describing the military response that followed the October 7 attack. “True, they attacked us, they caused us an unbearable disaster on October 7, but on October 8, it already turned around. We went and struck them clockwise. First in Gaza, then in Lebanon, then in Syria, also in Iraq, and above all – in Iran. No one believed, no one believed in the miracles and wonders in those days and in this time. But we believed. You believe.”

Netanyahu concluded with words of appreciation and encouragement to the police. “I want to commend you, police officers of Israel. Continue to believe. Continue to safeguard us and also safeguard one another. Thank you very much on behalf of the people of Israel throughout the generations. Happy Chanukah to all of you.”

{Matzav.com}

On Sunday, Eli Sharabi crossed paths with President Joe Biden during the Philadelphia Eagles football game.

Reflecting afterward, Sharabi described the encounter publicly, writing, “It was a deep honor to meet President Biden in Philadelphia. We thanked him sincerely for his efforts toward the release of the hostages and for his steadfast support of the State of Israel. We are grateful for this meaningful opportunity.”

Sharabi’s story is inseparable from the horrors of October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists attacked southern Israel. A resident of Kibbutz Be’eri, he was kidnapped during the massacre and held in Gaza until February 2025, when he was freed as part of a ceasefire agreement.

During his 491 days of captivity, Sharabi was kept in underground tunnels in Gaza. While he was imprisoned, his wife, Lianne, and his daughters, Noiya and Yahel, were murdered in their safe room during the attack. He only learned of their deaths after his release. His brother Yossi was also abducted and later died while in captivity.

In the months since regaining his freedom, Sharabi has sought to tell his story to the world. He authored a memoir titled “Hostage,” detailing the trauma and endurance of his time in captivity. The book has drawn wide attention, and last month Time magazine named “Hostage” one of the 100 “must-read” books published over the past year.

As part of his efforts to reach international leaders, Sharabi sent an English-language copy of his memoir in October to President Donald Trump, continuing his mission to ensure that the experiences of the hostages are neither forgotten nor ignored.

{Matzav.com}

Iran’s rial slid further Monday to a new record low of more than 1.3 million to the U.S. dollar, deepening the currency’s collapse less than two weeks after it first breached the 1.2-million mark amid sanctions pressure and regional tensions. Currency traders in Tehran quoted the dollar above 1.3 million rials, underscoring the speed of […]

As diplomats converged in Berlin for high-stakes discussions on ending the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signaled a willingness to abandon Kyiv’s bid to join NATO—if the West provides binding security guarantees—while firmly rejecting proposals that would hand Ukrainian land to Russia.

Arriving at Germany’s Chancellery, Zelenskyy prepared for meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, part of a broader round of talks involving Ukrainian, American, and European officials.

Ahead of the meetings, Zelenskyy addressed reporters via audio messages shared on a WhatsApp group, explaining that with Washington and several European capitals having blocked Ukraine’s NATO aspirations, Kyiv expects alternative protections comparable to those enjoyed by alliance members. “These security guarantees are an opportunity to prevent another wave of Russian aggression,” he said. “And this is already a compromise on our part.”

He stressed that any such guarantees must be anchored in law and backed by the U.S. Congress, adding that he anticipated updates following a separate meeting between Ukrainian and American military officials in Stuttgart. Zelenskyy also planned to hold one-on-one talks later in the evening with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and possibly other European leaders.

At the same time, Zelenskyy pushed back against U.S. ideas he said involved Ukrainian withdrawals in the east. He disclosed that Washington had raised a plan under which Ukraine would pull back from parts of the Donetsk region to create a demilitarized free economic zone—an approach he flatly rejected. “I do not consider this fair, because who will manage this economic zone?” he said. “If we are talking about some buffer zone along the line of contact, if we are talking about some economic zone and we believe that only a police mission should be there and troops should withdraw, then the question is very simple. If Ukrainian troops withdraw 5-10 kilometers, for example, then why do Russian troops not withdraw deeper into the occupied territories by the same distance?”

Calling the matter “very sensitive,” Zelenskyy argued that the most realistic option would be to freeze positions where they currently stand, saying that “today a fair possible option is we stand where we stand.”

The territorial dispute remains one of the biggest obstacles to a deal. Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded that Ukrainian forces leave the remaining areas of Donetsk still under Kyiv’s control—an ultimatum Ukraine has refused. Moscow’s stance was reinforced Sunday by Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov, who told the business daily Kommersant that Russian police and national guard units would remain in parts of Donetsk even if they were designated a demilitarized zone under a future agreement.

Ushakov also cautioned that compromise would not come quickly, saying U.S. proposals that had reflected Russian demands were later “worsened” by changes suggested by Ukraine and its European allies. In comments aired on Russian state television, he added that “the contribution of Ukrainians and Europeans to these documents is unlikely to be constructive,” warning that Moscow would have “very strong objections.” He noted that territorial questions were discussed in Moscow earlier this month when Witkoff and Kushner met with Putin, adding, “The Americans know and understand our position.”

European leaders, meanwhile, voiced growing unease about the broader implications of the conflict. Chancellor Merz, who has led European backing for Ukraine alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, said Saturday that “the decades of the `Pax Americana´ are largely over for us in Europe and for us in Germany as well.” He warned that Putin seeks “a fundamental change to the borders in Europe, the restoration of the old Soviet Union within its borders.” “If Ukraine falls, he won’t stop,” Merz cautioned during a party conference in Munich. Putin has denied any intention to rebuild the Soviet Union or attack NATO allies.

Even as diplomacy intensified, the fighting continued. Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched ballistic missiles and 138 attack drones overnight, with 110 intercepted, though impacts were recorded at six locations. Zelenskyy said hundreds of thousands of families remained without electricity across southern, eastern, and northeastern regions, with crews racing to restore power, heat, and water after a major overnight assault.

According to Zelenskyy, Russia has fired more than 1,500 strike drones, nearly 900 guided aerial bombs, and 46 missiles of various types at Ukraine over the past week alone. “Ukraine needs peace on decent terms, and we are ready to work as constructively as possible. These days will be filled with diplomacy. It’s very important that it brings results,” he said.

Russia’s Defense Ministry countered that its air defenses shot down 235 Ukrainian drones late Saturday and early Sunday. In Russia’s Belgorod region, a drone wounded a man and set his home ablaze in the village of Yasnye Zori, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said. Elsewhere, Ukrainian drones reportedly hit an oil depot in Uryupinsk in the Volgograd region, sparking a fire, according to Governor Andrei Bocharov.

In the Krasnodar region, authorities said Ukrainian drones struck the town of Afipsky, where an oil refinery is located. Officials reported shattered windows in nearby residential buildings but said there was no damage to the refinery itself.

{Matzav.com}

In the months following the sudden death of her husband Charlie Kirk, Erika Kirk has kept her public focus on protecting his legacy and the organization he built. As she continues to navigate that loss, she has also found herself confronting a wave of online speculation that has strained personal and professional relationships.

Those tensions came to the surface during recent television appearances, where Kirk spoke emotionally about the impact of rumors circulating online. At a CBS town hall, she cut off a question about the speculation with a blunt response: “Stop. That’s it. That’s all I have to say. Stop.” Days later, appearing on Fox News’ “Outnumbered” on Dec. 10, she expanded on her frustration. “When you go after my family, my Turning Point USA family, my Charlie Kirk Show family, when you go after the people that I love, and you’re making hundreds and thousands of dollars every single episode going after the people that I love because somehow they’re in on this, no,” she said.

Against that backdrop, Kirk announced that she and conservative commentator Candace Owens will meet privately, marking their first in-person conversation after weeks of public disagreement. The two women, who once shared a close working relationship and personal friendship, have found themselves increasingly at odds as online conspiracy theories and commentary escalated.

Kirk shared the development in a short post on X on Sunday, explaining that both sides had agreed to step back from public discourse ahead of the meeting. “Candace Owens and I are meeting for a private, in-person discussion on Monday, December 15,” Erika said. She added that the pause would extend across platforms and formats: “@RealCandaceO and I have agreed that public discussions, livestreams, and tweets are on hold until after this meeting. I look forward to a productive conversation. Thank you.”

Owens, a former Turning Point USA employee, has been at the center of much of the online debate, which has fueled weeks of mounting tension between the two women. The upcoming meeting appears to be an effort to move the conversation out of the public eye and into a more direct, personal setting.

{Matzav.com}

Roomba maker iRobot has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but says that it doesn’t expect any disruptions to devices as the more than 30-year-old company is taken private under a restructuring process. IRobot, which became well known for its robotic vacuums, has struggled of late, dealing with increased competition, layoffs and a declining stock […]

A Chareidi toddler, approximately three years old, was found wandering alone at around 2:00 a.m. in a parking area at the bus terminal near the Kalandiya crossing, south of Ramallah. B’chasdei Hashem, police announced later in the morning that the child’s parents were successfully located and he was returned safely to his family. According to […]

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In the hours after a terrorist attack ripped through a Chanukah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday, killing at least 16 people, a parallel assault erupted online. Across X and Reddit, conspiracy theories insisting the massacre was a “false flag” operation orchestrated by Israel spread rapidly, amplified by accounts with large followings and, in […]

A 4-year-old child died yesterday from complications of influenza at Poriah Medical Center (Galilee Medical Center North), marking another tragic death amid a widening flu outbreak. The child had been hospitalized in intensive care and was not vaccinated. His death comes after additional fatalities in recent months linked to severe flu complications. Poriah Medical Center […]

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A stray comet from another star swings past Earth this week in one last hurrah before racing back toward interstellar space. Discovered over the summer, the comet known as 3I/Atlas will pass within 167 million miles (269 million kilometers) of our planet on Friday, the closest it gets on its grand tour of the solar […]