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Once derided as an embarrassment, New York’s LaGuardia Airport has now claimed the title of America’s best airport. The stunning turnaround was made official in Forbes Travel Guide’s second annual Verified Air Travel Awards, which spotlighted excellence in air travel across multiple categories.

The awards recognized 18 winners spanning first- and business-class cabins, airport lounges, and dining experiences. For the second year running, LaGuardia took home the crown for Best U.S. Airport — a remarkable achievement for a facility that President Biden once compared to “some third-world country.”

Nearly $8 billion in renovations have transformed the Queens travel hub into a modern showpiece. The Forbes report praised the airport for its “spacious gate areas, state-of-the-art architecture and food from New York culinary institutions,” highlighting local favorites like H&H Bagels and Junior’s.

The accolades didn’t stop there. Earlier this year, the Skytrax rankings also declared LaGuardia the Best Airport in North America for 2025, calling it the top choice for domestic and short-haul international travel.

Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton reflected on the transformation with pride. “A decade ago, the suggestion that LaGuardia Airport would one day be recognized on the world stage as the best regional airport in North America would have been laughable,” he said. “But the Port Authority and our private partners have built what we promised – a world-class airport, with inspiring architecture, public art, iconic concessions and state-of-the-art technology that has propelled LaGuardia from worst to best in the nation in the eyes of the critics and passengers alike.”

While LaGuardia celebrated its national victory, Singapore’s Changi Airport once again reigned supreme globally, taking home the award for Best International Airport. The travel hub’s unmatched amenities include a 10-story shopping complex, multiple indoor gardens, a butterfly sanctuary, a rooftop swimming pool, a museum, a 24-hour movie theater, a dinosaur-themed park, and the breathtaking Rain Vortex — the tallest indoor waterfall on the planet, standing at 130 feet.

For the airline categories, Emirates was named Best International Airline, while Delta Air Lines captured the title of Best U.S. Airline for the second consecutive year.

Delta had a particularly strong showing, earning five 2025 Verified Air Travel Awards — more than any other carrier. The Atlanta-based airline, which marks its 100th anniversary this year, was also recognized for Best U.S. First Class for its A321neo recliners and for Best U.S. Business Class through its Delta One service.

Passengers flying Delta One enjoy exclusive access to the Delta One Lounge, and its flagship location at JFK International Airport was singled out as the Best U.S. Airline Lounge.

Opened in 2024, the JFK Delta One Lounge is a sprawling, upscale retreat offering full-body massage chairs, fine dining options, private shower suites with robes and slippers, and soundproof work pods — setting a new standard for premium travel comfort.

Capping its list of achievements, Delta was also awarded Best Airline App for its seamless interface that offers real-time flight updates, personalized notifications, luggage tracking, and easy access to global upgrade certificates — reinforcing its place as the standout U.S. airline of 2025.

{Matzav.com}

The U.S. national debt has soared to a staggering new high, crossing the $38 trillion threshold for the first time — a grim reminder of Washington’s relentless borrowing spree. Treasury Department figures released Wednesday put the total at $38,019,813,354,700.26 as of October 21.

It marks yet another rapid climb, with the country adding another trillion dollars in debt just two months after breaching the $37 trillion mark in mid-August, and less than a year since it first crossed $36 trillion last December. The speed of the increase highlights a troubling trend: America’s debt is ballooning at a rate never before seen in peacetime.

Much of the surge stems from demographic pressures. As America’s population ages, spending on Social Security and Medicare continues to climb, driving entitlement costs ever higher.

But it’s not only social programs fueling the problem. A growing share of federal spending now goes toward servicing the debt itself. Higher interest rates — imposed by the Federal Reserve to tame inflation — have made borrowing dramatically more expensive, creating a feedback loop that compounds the problem.

Michael A. Peterson, CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, told FOX Business that “reaching $38 trillion in debt during a government shutdown is the latest troubling sign that lawmakers are not meeting their basic fiscal duties.”

He added that the pace of borrowing is accelerating beyond historical norms. “If it seems like we are adding debt faster than ever, that’s because we are. We passed $37 trillion just two months ago, and the pace we’re on is twice as fast as the rate of growth since 2000.”

Peterson warned that the exploding cost of interest payments is draining resources that could otherwise be used for public investment. He noted that over the past decade, interest expenses cost the U.S. about $4 trillion — a figure projected to skyrocket to $14 trillion in the next ten years. Those mounting costs, he said, “crowd out important public and private investments in our future, harming the economy for every American.”

In the fiscal year that ended on September 30, the federal deficit hit roughly $1.8 trillion. Analysts expect that figure to worsen as entitlement spending and debt-servicing obligations continue to expand.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projects that by 2035, debt held by the public — the metric economists often use to gauge fiscal health — will surge from around 100% of GDP in 2025 to about 120% of GDP. Over that same period, annual deficits are forecast to reach $2.6 trillion, with a staggering $22.7 trillion added to the national debt over the next decade.

A major factor driving those deficits is the steep rise in interest payments. The CBO estimates that net interest costs will climb from $1 trillion this year to $1.8 trillion by 2035.

By then, total federal spending is projected to reach $88 trillion — about 23.6% of the nation’s GDP — while revenue will hover around $65 trillion, or 17.5% of GDP. That spending level is far above the 50-year average of 21.1% of GDP, while revenue is only slightly above its long-term norm of 17.3%, reflecting a widening gap between what Washington takes in and what it continues to spend.

{Matzav.com}

New York Attorney General Letitia James was arraigned at a federal court in Norfolk, Virginia, Friday, where she pleaded not guilty to two felony charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. The charges against James stem from her 2020 purchase of a home in Norfolk, Virginia. Prosecutors allege that James misled a bank about the nature of the residence in order to obtain more favorable loan conditions. The indictment states that James misrepresented the financial institution in claiming it would be her secondary residence, and instead rented it out to a family. According to the indictment, the lower interest rate would allow James to save nearly $19,000 over the course of the 30-year loan. James entered the not guilty plea herself to U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker. She is being represented in the case by defense attorney Abbe Lowell, and by Andrew Bosse, a former assistant U.S. attorney based in Norfolk who formerly headed up the office’s criminal division. James’ arraignment is the latest in a string of prosecutions brought against the president’s perceived political foes, despite objections from career prosecutors — some of whom have since been fired or resigned. James, a Democrat, has long-drawn Trump’s ire after she campaigned for attorney general in 2016 largely on vows to investigate Trump’s actions and businesses. She also successfully secured a $450 million civil fraud case against him last year, though an appeals court later tossed the financial penalty portion of the case. “This is nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system,” James said in a statement after she was indicted. “These charges are baseless, and the president’s own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost,” she added. Her indictment, like the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, was presented to a grand jury by former White House aide Lindsey Halligan, whom President Donald Trump installed as the acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia last month. Trump, in September, said he would install Halligan as the top prosecutor for the Eastern District of Virginia, replacing interim attorney Erik Siebert, who resigned under pressure to indict both Comey and James. “No one is above the law. The charges as alleged in this case represent intentional, criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public’s trust,” Halligan said in a statement. “The facts and the law in this case are clear, and we will continue following them to ensure that justice is served.” After the arraignment, it is likely that she will file a motion to dismiss her case for vindictive and selective prosecution, following similar steps taken by Comey’s legal team in Alexandria earlier this week.

British Airways has confirmed it will restart daily flights between London Heathrow and Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, joining a growing list of European carriers restoring scheduled service to Israel. Spain’s Iberia will relaunch its Madrid–Tel Aviv route, rejoining Air Europa which recently resumed operations on the same city pair. Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) will resume its Copenhagen–Tel Aviv route next week after a nine-year hiatus. Germany’s low-cost carrier Eurowings and Swiss International Air Lines are also resuming flights, while Italy’s ITA Airways and Air India are expected to restore service by year-end. The return of major European airlines is beginning to ease the surge in fares that followed months of reduced capacity. Winter ticket prices on key routes have already fallen sharply as seat supply improves. U.S. carriers are also returning. American Airlines announced it will resume daily nonstop flights between New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport and Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport beginning March 28, deploying Boeing 777-200ER aircraft; tickets go on sale October 27. The move follows United Airlines’ resumption of Newark–Tel Aviv service in July and Delta Air Lines’ restart of JFK–Tel Aviv service on September 1, which now operates seven times weekly. The coordinated return of transatlantic and European services signals a broader normalization of air links with Israel after months of disruptions, offering travelers more capacity and downward pressure on fares ahead of the winter season. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Former Mossad director Yossi Cohen has offered an account of his agency’s global intelligence operations—revealing that the widely-publicized sabotage of Hezbollah’s communications infrastructure in September 2024 is only part of a far broader espionage campaign. In an appearance on the The Brink podcast, Cohen said the now-notorious “pager operation” — in which operatives within Hezbollah were duped into activating explosive-laden devices — reflected a strategic paradigm he developed more than two decades ago. The method, he said, is known within Mossad as the “manipulated equipment method” or “pager method,” and it was implemented across “virtually every potential theatre of operation.” “You know how many equipment I mean treated equipment that we have in these countries? You can’t. You don’t. I do,” Cohen said of the scale of the campaign. “In all the countries that you can imagine,” he added when pressed for geographic specifics. Cohen traced the origins of the scheme to the early 2000s, saying it was developed in the period 2002-2004 while he led Mossad’s Special Operations division under former chief Meir Dagan. According to Cohen, the logic was simple: if adversaries are purchasing equipment, Israel should intervene by embedding itself into their supply chain and exploiting it. “If I know that … Iran or other countries … are buying something that I can be part of their supply chain, I will do,” Cohen said. He pointed to the 2006 Second Lebanon War — in which Israel fought Hezbollah — as the initial battlefield where this “manipulated equipment” tactic was tested. Cohen says that the strategic method was then scaled and refined for global use. Perhaps most striking, Cohen admitted that the system had not been deployed effectively in the Gaza Strip, identifying the region as a “critical shortfall” in Mossad’s intelligence architecture. “Not Gaza. Not enough,” he told the podcast host. He suggested that had the system been operational there, Israel’s readiness in the run-up to the October 7th 2023 attack might have been very different. Cohen didn’t restrict his critique to foreign targets. He also took aim at Israel’s internal security agencies. He said that when he sought to take responsibility for intelligence operations in Gaza prior to the October 7 attack, he was met with stiff resistance from both Shin Bet (Israel’s internal security service) and the IDF Intelligence Directorate. Cohen claimed the agencies treated Mossad’s proposals with institutional arrogance: “We’re the IDF… we’re Shin Bet… we don’t need you.” He maintained that his warnings about a deficiency in intelligence coverage were regularly voiced, but went unheeded: “I have told and written that they ‘have nothing sufficient on the level of intelligence’ prior to October 7th.” And he challenged those agencies for failing to publicly dispute the claim. The revelations raise fundamental questions about how far Israel’s covert operations have extended—and where vulnerabilities remain. By describing a system that is global, meticulously engineered and highly embedded in adversary logistics, Cohen’s account sheds light on the evolving nature of intelligence warfare in the 21st century. But the admission of a gap in Gaza may fuel renewed scrutiny of Israel’s strategic posture along its southern border. Critics may argue that if Mossad’s capabilities were so advanced elsewhere, why were they unable—or perhaps unpermitted—to deploy them where they were arguably most needed. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Democratic Socialist Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani tried to deflect mounting criticism Thursday after a bruising mayoral debate in which his rivals painted him as untested, unproductive, and missing in action in Albany. Speaking at a press conference in Murray Hill, Mamdani accused former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa of running on empty rhetoric rather than ideas for the city. “I spent 90 minutes on stage with Andrew Cuomo and I, like many here, could tell you his critiques of me, his critiques of Curtis Sliwa, but I could not tell you what he was actually running on to deliver for this city,” Mamdani said. But the Queens lawmaker, 34, refused to answer questions from reporters about his legislative record — or his absence from the state Capitol — even as critics continued to pounce on his threadbare résumé. Cuomo, running as an independent, accused Mamdani during Wednesday night’s Spectrum NY1 debate of “never accomplishing anything,” blasting him for passing just four bills in five years. “You never even proposed a bill on housing or education,” Cuomo charged. “You don’t know how to run a government. You don’t know how to handle an emergency. You had the worst attendance record in the Assembly… Shame on you!” Sliwa, the perennial GOP contender, was even more cutting. “Your résumé could fit on a cocktail napkin,” he told Mamdani, drawing laughs from the audience. Mamdani, who entered the Assembly in 2020, has struggled to shake criticism that his legislative record is thin and his time in Albany fleeting. The New York Post reported in June that he missed roughly half of all Assembly votes this year while campaigning for mayor. After collecting his paycheck when the state budget passed in April, Mamdani didn’t return to Albany for the remainder of the session. He passed just one bill in 2024 — the same number as an 88-year-old Republican lawmaker from Nassau County who was homebound with health issues. Even some of Mamdani’s colleagues have expressed frustration. “I show up! I’m there every day doing my job,” said Assemblyman Chris Tague (R-Schoharie). “He should be an actor in Hollywood — everything is theatrics and acting with him.” While the number of standalone bills passed isn’t always the defining measure of a legislator’s influence, Mamdani has also struggled to shape the state’s sprawling budget process. His flagship free-bus pilot program, briefly included in the 2023 budget, was axed by Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie the following year after Mamdani voted against the spending plan. Cuomo, 67, used the debate to turn Mamdani’s signature issues against him, mocking his complaints that Albany hasn’t delivered funding for juvenile offender programs. “If Zohran thought that there was money locked up in Albany, maybe he should have gone to Albany and proposed a bill to release it,” Cuomo quipped. The former governor, who’s styled his independent bid as a centrist alternative to both Mamdani’s democratic socialism and Sliwa’s hard-right populism, sought to portray the Assemblyman as an unserious protest candidate. “There’s no reason to believe you have any merit or qualification for 8.5 million lives,” Cuomo said. Mamdani fired back from the stage, accusing Cuomo of rewriting history. “We just had a former governor say, in his own words, that the city has been getting screwed by the state,” he […]

A sweeping surge of cold air from Canada is set to plunge much of the central and eastern United States into an early taste of winter, with more than 50 million Americans expected to face frost and freeze alerts. Meteorologists warn that the deep chill could bring temperatures as low as the 20s in some regions this morning.

FOX Weather meteorologist Dylan DeBruyn explained to The New York Post that the sweeping freeze warnings will stretch from southern Minnesota all the way to central New Jersey. “Frost and freeze alerts are posted for over 50 million Americans, who could see frosty conditions on Friday morning,” he said.

The cause of the frigid plunge, DeBruyn noted, is a powerful front sweeping down from the north. “A powerful cold front is allowing cool Canadian air to filter in behind it. Temperatures will drop 5–10 degrees below average and could drop below freezing into Friday morning,” he said.

He added that calm winds and cloudless skies will make conditions ripe for frost to settle overnight. “The drop below freezing, coupled with calm winds & clear skies, will allow frost to develop,” DeBruyn said.

In New Jersey, the National Weather Service has issued frost advisories for nine counties, including western Monmouth, Mercer, Salem, Gloucester, Burlington, Ocean, Cumberland, and Atlantic, where temperatures are expected to dip into the mid- to upper 30s by dawn, according to NJ.com.

Such plunging temperatures mark the likely close of the growing season across much of the affected region, as frost and freezing conditions can destroy crops and harm sensitive plants.

While the cold front will touch much of the East, New York City itself will be spared any official frost warnings. Even so, the city will feel the chill as the mercury falls heading into the weekend. “While New York City is not included in any alerts, lows into Friday and Saturday morning will be in the mid-40s,” DeBruyn added.

Weather experts note that the first frost in the city usually doesn’t arrive until around mid-November—meaning this cold snap, though brief, is arriving weeks ahead of schedule.

{Matzav.com}

WATCH:

BREAKING: NY AG Letitia James pleads NOT GUILTY to federal charges of bank fraud.

Authorities are on the scene after two suspicious packages were found near a kosher supermarket in Johannesburg, South Africa, following an earlier report of a suspicious device in the area.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio: “We think it’s in Israel’s long term security, and I think our Israeli partners agree, to be able to have a Gaza that is no longer an operating space for a terrorist organization. That’s why this plan calls for the demilitarization of Gaza, and that’s what we’re committed to.”

ELIMINATED: The IDF announced that Abbas Hassan Karki, a senior Hezbollah terrorist in charge of the group’s logistics in southern Lebanon, was killed in an Israeli drone strike near the town of Toul, close to Nabatieh. Karki, who led Hezbollah’s “Southern Front” logistics and previously held several key roles, was reportedly central to rebuilding the group’s military infrastructure and overseeing weapons storage and transfers across the region.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Knesset’s annexation vote cannot proceed and warned that such a move could jeopardize all peace agreements.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio begins his visit at the Combined Maritime Coordination Center (CMCC) in southern Israel.

FBI Director Kash Patel delivered a fiery response to ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith’s claim that President Trump was behind the arrests of NBA stars and coaches involved in an illegal betting network. Speaking on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle, Patel mocked Smith’s theory, saying, “I’m the FBI director. I decide which arrest to conduct and which not to conduct.”

Patel went on to blast the sports analyst’s comments as utterly ridiculous. “That may be the single dumbest thing I’ve ever heard out of anyone in modern history. And I live most of my time in Washington, DC,” he said, visibly exasperated.

He didn’t stop there, drawing a comparison to one of his least favorite political figures. “It’s right up there with Adam Schiff. We arrest people for crimes,” Patel added, rejecting the notion that the FBI’s actions were politically motivated.

The controversy erupted after Patel announced a massive federal operation earlier that day. More than 30 individuals — a mix of NBA figures and members of several notorious Mafia families — were arrested in what authorities described as one of the most significant gambling busts in years.

The investigation revealed that coaches and players from the Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Toronto Raptors were tied to the betting ring. Portland’s head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former NBA player Damon Jones were among those indicted. Officials said the operation pulled in more than $7 million in illicit profits over two years.

Smith, reacting on his ESPN show First Take, suggested the crackdown was politically timed. “Tell me when we’ve seen that … We’ve seen accusations before. We’ve seen athletes get in trouble with the law before. You don’t see the director of the FBI having a press conference. It’s not coincidental. It’s not an accident. It’s a statement, and it’s a warning that more is coming,” Smith said.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” he continued. “It’s very concerning. We don’t know where this is gonna go. But everybody better brace themselves, because he’s coming,” Smith added, alluding to Trump.

The outspoken host went even further, speculating that the administration could extend its reach to other areas of pop culture and sports.

Patel, dismissing the theory as baseless political theater, emphasized that the arrests were driven by evidence and law enforcement priorities, not politics. “We arrest people for crimes,” he repeated, underscoring that the FBI operates independently — no matter who occupies the Oval Office.

{Matzav.com}

A reservist from Abu Ghosh was arrested after police discovered a large cache of ammunition and military equipment in his home. He reportedly told officers he kept the items there because he didn’t want to leave them in his vehicle. Police have detained him for questioning.

The IDF concluded its largest military drill since the war began, a five-day exercise along the Lebanon border led by the 91st “Galilee” Division with support from the Air Force, Navy, police, and emergency services. The drill aimed to boost readiness for extreme defense scenarios, rapid mobilization, and offensive operations, incorporating lessons from two years of conflict. It also included logistics, medical, and maintenance training, such as evacuating casualties under fire and providing emergency support.

The last time U.S. President Donald Trump visited South Korea in 2019, he made a surprise trip to the border with North Korea for an impromptu meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to revive faltering nuclear talks. Now, as Trump is set to make his first trip to Asia since his return to office, speculation is rife that he may seek to meet Kim again during his stop in South Korea. If realized, it would mark the two’s first summit since their last meeting at the Korean border village of Panmunjom in June 2019, and fourth overall. Many experts say prospects for another impromptu meeting aren’t bright this time but predict Trump and Kim could eventually sit down for talks again in coming months. Others dispute that, saying a quick resumption of diplomacy isn’t still likely given how much has changed since 2019 — both the size of North Korea’s nuclear program and its foreign policy leverage. Talks of fresh diplomacy Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to restore diplomacy with Kim as he boasted of his relationship with the North Korean leader and called him “a smart guy.” Ending his silence on Trump’s outreach, Kim last month said he held “good personal memories” of Trump and suggested he could return to talks if the U.S. drops “its delusional obsession with denuclearization” of North Korea. Both Washington and Pyongyang haven’t hinted at any high-profile meeting ahead of the Oct. 31-Nov. 1 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in South Korea. But South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young told lawmakers in mid-October that it was possible for Trump and Kim to meet at Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone again when the U.S. president comes to South Korea after visiting Malaysia and Japan. “We should see prospects for their meeting have increased,” said Ban Kil Joo, assistant professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy in Seoul. He cited the recent suspension of civilian tours to the southern side of Panmunjom and Kim’s comments about a possible return to talks. If the meeting doesn’t occur, Ban said Kim will likely determine whether to resume diplomacy with Trump when he holds a major ruling party conference expected in January. No notable logistical preparations that imply an impending Kim-Trump meeting have been reported, but observers note that the 2019 get-together was arranged only a day after Trump issued an unorthodox meeting invitation by tweet. Kim’s greater leverage Since his earlier diplomacy with Trump fell apart due to disputes over U.S.-led sanctions on North Korea, Kim has accelerated the expansion of an arsenal of nuclear-capable missiles designed to strike the U.S. and its allies. He has also strengthened his diplomatic footprint by aligning with Russia over its war in Ukraine and tightening relations with China. Subsequently, Kim’s sense of urgency for talks with the United States could be much weaker now than it was six years ago, though some experts argue Kim would need to brace for the end of the Russia-Ukraine war. “Considering the current situation, it seems difficult to imagine Kim Jong Un coming over for talks,” said Kim Tae-hyung, a professor at Seoul’s Soongsil University. With an enlarged nuclear arsenal, stronger diplomatic backing from Russia and China and the weakening enforcement of sanctions, Kim has greater leverage and clearly wants the U.S. to acknowledge North Korea as a nuclear power, a status needed to call for the lifting of […]

President Donald Trump signaled he is weighing whether to urge Israel to free arch Palestinian terrorist murderer Marwan Barghouti, the jailed Fatah thug regarded by many Palestinians as their most unifying political figure.

The move would represent a major shift as Washington explores options for a new leadership structure in Gaza after the war.

In an interview released Thursday, Trump acknowledged that Barghouti’s case had come up in internal talks among his aides. “I was literally being confronted with that question about 15 minutes before you called,” he told TIME Magazine when asked about the idea. “So I’ll be making a decision.”

The White House declined to offer any comment regarding Trump’s contemplation of the matter. His acknowledgment of the ongoing discussions highlights the immense challenge facing U.S. and Israeli policymakers as they seek a credible authority to govern Gaza once Hamas is removed.

Barghouti’s name has long loomed large in Palestinian politics, but Israel has refused to consider his release. He was notably excluded from this month’s Gaza ceasefire prisoner exchange, even though Hamas negotiators reportedly pressed for his inclusion.

Israel considers Barghouti a terrorist responsible for orchestrating deadly attacks. Convicted in 2004 for involvement in assaults that left five Israelis dead, he is currently serving multiple life terms.

Yet, for many Palestinians, Barghouti’s imprisonment has only elevated his stature. Supporters describe him as a pragmatic nationalist who, while endorsing armed resistance at times, also promoted the vision of two states living side by side. His admirers liken him to Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid icon who rose from incarceration to lead South Africa.

Now 66, Barghouti remains one of the rare figures commanding respect across the fragmented Palestinian political spectrum. With Mahmoud Abbas aging and deeply unpopular, polls routinely show terrorist Barghouti as the leading choice to succeed him as head of the Palestinian Authority.

Before his arrest, the sickening terrorist led Fatah’s operations in the West Bank during the second intifada. Israel accused him of directing the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a coalition of Fatah-linked militants that carried out numerous deadly attacks.

Though he never confirmed or denied ties to the Brigades, Barghouti often defended the Palestinians’ right to resist amid expanding settlements and military crackdowns. He simultaneously spoke of his desire for a peaceful resolution and a sovereign Palestinian state alongside Israel.

When captured by Israel, Barghouti refused to defend himself in court, declaring that he did not recognize its authority. He was convicted on multiple counts of murder tied to attacks by the Brigades and sentenced to five life terms, though acquitted on several other charges.

The latest prisoner release under the ceasefire deal primarily freed Hamas and Fatah members jailed since the 2000s, many serving time for deadly assaults or attempted attacks on Israelis. Most were subsequently sent either to Gaza or into exile abroad after regaining their freedom.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu pushed back against claims that the United States dictates Israel’s actions, declaring that Israel remains a sovereign nation in full control of its decisions.

His comments came after President Donald Trump told TIME Magazine that Israel would not move forward with applying sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, warning, “Israel would lose all of its support from the United States if that happened.”

“I deeply, deeply appreciate President Trump’s support – both for the wartime operations, for my decision to enter Gaza City, and for his mobilization of the Arab world to help bring back our hostages through our military pressure and his diplomatic pressure,” Netanyahu said in response to a question from Channel 12 News.

The prime minister went on to describe the joint efforts between Israel and Washington, noting the success of recent operations. “We brought back 20 hostages alive, something no one believed would happen. Now, in the framework we’re advancing – including tonight’s conversation with Marco Rubio, and earlier with Vice President Vance – we’re working to promote the goals of demilitarizing Gaza and disarming Hamas, along with other matters important to us. That’s what matters. The cooperation between us, between partners, is a blessing for the State of Israel. We are an independent country,” he emphasized.

The exchange followed a contentious Knesset session on Wednesday, during which lawmakers approved in a preliminary reading two bills proposing the application of Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria. Netanyahu’s office quickly distanced the government from the move, asserting that “the Knesset vote on annexation was a deliberate political provocation by the opposition to sow discord during Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Israel.”

According to the statement, both pieces of legislation were introduced by opposition Knesset members, not by members of the governing coalition.

Vice President JD Vance reacted sharply to the developments as he boarded Air Force Two to leave Israel, calling the vote “weird” and expressing bewilderment over the timing. He told reporters that he had been informed the move was “symbolic” and merely a “political stunt.” In his words, “If it was a political stunt, then it was a stupid political stunt, and I personally take some insult to it.”

Vance made clear that Washington’s position remains unchanged, stating, “The West Bank is not going to be annexed by Israel. The policy of the Trump administration is that the West Bank will not be annexed by Israel. That will continue to be our policy.”

{Matzav.com}