Feed aggregator

WATCH: Cornel West storms off set during debate over Charlie Kirk’s murder

PHOTOS: On Monday evening, Boro Park Chaverim volunteers attended a Hilchos Shabbos shiur focused on handling Shabbos-related calls. The shiur was delivered by the Skvere Dayan, HaRav Mechel Steinmetz Shlita, and took place at the new BPJCC Community Center on 13th Avenue and 51st Street.  

Inmates in a prison in Bolivia staged a rooftop protest, demanding payment of overdue daily food allowances from the state

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has tightened the Pentagon’s grooming rules, declaring that service members who require a shaving exemption for more than a year will be discharged. Exemptions, often granted for medical conditions must now come with a treatment plan.

A 24-year-old man who brutally attacked a Jewish father in front of his three young children in a Montreal park has been declared not criminally responsible. The decision, delivered by a Quebec Court judge, followed a psychiatric evaluation concluding that Sergio Yanes Preciado was suffering from a serious mental illness, most likely schizophrenia, and was unable to comprehend that his behavior was wrong. Preciado had been facing an assault causing bodily harm charge stemming from the August 8 incident in the Parc-Extension neighborhood, an episode that was recorded by a bystander.

The victim, a 32-year-old father, was walking with his three children in Dickie-Moore Park when Preciado sprayed him with water, according to the psychiatric report. Seeking to understand what had happened, the father approached Preciado, who then shoved him and punched him in the face, knocking him down. The report states that Preciado continued the assault by hitting his victim in the head and neck with his fists, knees, and feet.

Throughout the assault, Preciado said nothing, according to police records. Afterward, he picked up the kippah that had fallen from the victim’s head and threw it into a splash pad, as described in the police account and supported by images cited in the psychiatric assessment.

The attack was strongly denounced by Jewish organizations and political leaders. While investigators initially considered antisemitism as a possible motive, the psychiatric review determined this was “improbable.” Doctors Samuel Lavergne and Mathieu Dufour of the Philippe-Pinel Institute, a psychiatric hospital specializing in criminal cases, noted that Preciado had never expressed hostility toward Jews and would likely have acted similarly toward someone of a different faith.

The report describes a decline in Preciado’s mental health beginning last winter. He withdrew socially, abandoned a CEGEP program he had just enrolled in, and spent most of his time at home. Living with his mother, he quit his job in April. Concerned, his parents reached out to authorities. In June, his mother called the police, asking that he be taken to a hospital. Police declined, reasoning that since Preciado had no prior record and did not seem to be a danger, hospitalization was not necessary.

The psychiatric assessment concluded that Preciado harbors “delusional ideas” involving “energy exchanges” between people and feelings of persecution, imagining that others were trying to project bad energy onto him or drain his energy. These beliefs, according to the report, factored into the assault.

Preciado told evaluators that he thought the victim was trying to engage in an energy exchange. He claimed that spraying the man with water was intended playfully, but when the father came closer, he felt threatened and believed he was acting in self-defense. As for the kippah, Preciado said he threw it because he thought the man would retrieve it before pursuing him.

The report quotes him as saying he bore no ill will toward the victim and did not target him because of his Jewish identity. “Nevertheless, he says people of the Jewish faith are more spiritual and capable of such energy exchanges.”

Patricia Johnson, spokesperson for Quebec’s prosecution service, confirmed that Preciado is currently held at Montreal General Hospital. His case is now under the jurisdiction of Quebec’s Commission d’examen des troubles mentaux, which will monitor his condition, assess the risk he may pose, and determine whether he should remain hospitalized or be released under specific conditions.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump touched down in the United Kingdom on Tuesday, beginning a rare second state visit as Britain staged a lavish royal reception to court the American leader.

“A lot of things here warm my heart,” the 79-year-old Republican told journalists upon landing with First Lady Melania Trump. “It’s a very special place.”

On Wednesday, Trump is set to be welcomed by King Charles III at Windsor Castle, where a carriage procession and a state banquet await. The following day, he will sit down with Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the premier’s country retreat.

The tone of the trip was clear as soon as Air Force One arrived at Stansted Airport outside London, where the couple was met with a formal guard of honor.

Speaking after flying by helicopter to Winfield House, the U.S. ambassador’s London residence where he will stay, Trump praised the British sovereign. “He’s been a friend of mine for a long time, and everyone respects him, and they love him,” Trump said. “Tomorrow’s going to be a very big day.”

This makes Trump the first American president to be extended two state visits, following his earlier welcome by Queen Elizabeth II in 2019.

British officials have openly acknowledged their efforts to strengthen ties with Trump, who has personal roots in Scotland and maintains several golf resorts across the U.K.

Ordinary citizens, however, will be kept at a distance, with events conducted under strict security measures and away from public access.

Even so, opposition to his presence is mounting. A major protest has been scheduled in London for Wednesday, and on Tuesday night activists projected images of Trump alongside Jeffrey Epstein onto Windsor Castle.

Trump has faced persistent questions over Epstein, as his administration resisted calls to release documents connected to the scandal.

The controversy has also spilled into British politics, with Prime Minister Starmer dismissing his Washington ambassador Peter Mandelson just before the visit after emails surfaced showing contact with Epstein.

Wednesday’s pageantry in Windsor is set to include a carriage ride through the castle grounds and a joint aerial display by both U.S. and U.K. military aircraft, described by officials as the grandest show of its kind for any state visit in recent memory.

That evening, King Charles will preside over a formal dinner in Trump’s honor, with both leaders scheduled to deliver speeches.

Attention will then turn to political discussions on Thursday, when Starmer hosts Trump at Chequers, with trade agreements and the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza on the agenda.

The trip coincides with a string of economic announcements, including Microsoft’s new commitment to invest $30 billion in Britain over the next four years.

For Starmer, the timing is critical, as he grapples with internal strife within the Labour Party and questions over his leadership following the Mandelson dismissal.

Downing Street has framed the visit as an opportunity to see the “unbreakable friendship” between the United States and Britain “reach new heights.”

Evie Aspinall, who heads the British Foreign Policy Group think tank, told AFP that the occasion carries weight for both sides. “For Trump, the state visit is an opportunity to revel in the pomp and ceremony he loves,” she said. “For Starmer, the visit is a chance to distract from domestic discontent and shift the limelight onto international issues where he has had greater success.”

FBI Director Kash Patel testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday that federal agents are tracking more than 20 people believed to be linked to an online forum where the accused shooter of Charlie Kirk was active.

During the hearing, Patel confirmed that Tyler Robinson, 22, who is accused of fatally shooting the Turning Point USA co-founder and CEO at an event in Utah last week, had been part of a chat group on Discord. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino had already told Newsmax on Monday that new intelligence suggested the murder might have been connected to a wider circle rather than carried out entirely alone.

“What we’ve already done is start a legal process not just on Discord, so that the information we gathered is sustained and held in an evidentiary posture that we can use in prosecutions should we decide to do so,” Patel said. “And we’re also going to be investigating anyone and everyone involved in that Discord chat.”

Missouri Senator Josh Hawley pressed Patel about reports that Robinson’s online group included more than 20 members.

“It sounds like you’re trying to run down all of that to see if that’s accurate, who else may have been on that thread, what they may have known,” Hawley said. “Is that fair to say?”

Said Patel: “It’s a lot more than that. We’re running them all down.”

When Hawley followed up and asked whether the number was “a lot more than 20,” Patel replied again: “Yes, sir.”

Louisiana Senator John Kennedy questioned Patel on whether Robinson had carried out the attack on his own. Patel would not exclude the possibility of a broader plot, saying there were “a number of individuals that are currently being investigated and interrogated, and a number yet to be investigated and interrogated, specific to that chat room.”

Kennedy pressed further: “So, others could have been involved?”

“Yes, sir,” Patel responded.

Patel’s remarks signaled that the inquiry could extend far beyond Robinson, with investigators weighing whether the shooting of one of the most prominent conservative figures in the country was part of a coordinated conspiracy.

{Matzav.com}

JUST $36!! This Elul: at the Ribnitzer’s kever!! JUST $36 – Your name. 150 kapitlach. The Ribnitzer’s kever. Before Rosh Hashanah. CLCIK HERE!!! JUST $36!! This Elul: at the Ribnitzer’s kever!! JUST $36 – Your name. 150 kapitlach. The Ribnitzer’s kever. Before Rosh Hashanah. CLCIK HERE!!!

An international symposium against antisemitism was held this week in Antwerp amid an alarming rise in antisemitism in the country. The conference, organized by the Jewish Information and Documentation Center (JID), a Belgian organization dedicated to fighting antisemitism, was attended by over 300 people, including HaRav Pinchas Padwa, the Rav of the Shomrei Hadas community in Antwerp; Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever; and Israeli Ambassador to Belgium Idit Rosenzweig Abu. Another noted participant was Imam Hassen Chalghoumi, the imam of Drancy’s municipal mosque near Paris and the chairman of the Conference of Imams of France, who said during his speech that “there can be no negotiation with radical Islam.” “Jews have been declared animals in Belgium,” JID President Michel Kotek declared. JID Vice President Ralph Pais noted that Belgian Jews—who now number about 30,000—have lived peacefully for decades, with few antisemitic incidents, but antisemitism has become a daily concern. “Many are considering leaving, to places like Israel or the United States,” he said. Two professors at Ghent University spoke about the pervasive antisemitism in Belgian academia. Professor of international law Marc Cools said, “Belgium is the laboratory of European antisemitism.” Maarten Boudry, a philosopher from Ghent University, said, “The academic world has been poisoned.” Nigel Goodrich, founder of the European Coalition for Israel (ECI), said, “History and the world map are being rewritten in Belgian educational institutions.” Earlier this month, Joel Rubinfeld, the president of the Belgian League Against Antisemitism (LBCA), spoke with The Jerusalem Post about antisemitism in Belgium, saying that antisemitism, which was already a growing problem before the October 7 massacre, has risen so dramatically since then that he believes it spells the end of a significant Jewish kehilla in the country. “We are going to be the last generation with a significant Jewish population in Belgium,” he asserted. Flanders Minister-President Matthias Diependaele stated several weeks ago, “I don’t know who the ‘biggest bastard’ in the conflict is: Hamas or Israel.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Tensions flared Tuesday evening at the entrance junction to Rechasim, when a routine traffic stop of a yeshiva student quickly escalated into a dramatic confrontation between police and members of the community.

Traffic police had pulled over the young man for a standard inspection. When his details were run through the system, it flagged him as a deserter from the IDF. Officers detained him and summoned the military police to take him into custody.

As news of the arrest spread rapidly through designated phone hotlines that monitor detentions of yeshiva students, crowds began to converge on the scene. Within a short time, large numbers of people gathered at the junction, and under heavy pressure from the swelling protest, the young man was released.

The background to the incident lies in the continued failure of the government to pass a new draft law. In its absence, yeshiva students are legally classified as draft dodgers, exposing them to arrest and military prosecution. The renewed activity of the military police in recent days has sparked concern and anger throughout the chareidi community.

Just this morning, reports emerged that after a long hiatus in which the military police refrained from making proactive arrests of draft-eligible yeshiva students, officers have recently resumed such operations. Since the start of the week, military police attempted to arrest chareidi draft evaders in cities including Netivot and Kiryat Ata. In all cases, the attempts failed after protesters rushed to the sites and forced the police to leave without carrying out the arrests.

Community activists also noted a troubling pattern: According to a review by Matzav.com, so far, almost all of the arrests have targeted Sephardic yeshiva students.

An IDF source denied deliberate targeting, stating: “We are not intentionally acting against Sephardic yeshiva students. But since there is a decision not to operate inside strictly chareidi cities, we focus on mixed neighborhoods. By nature, those areas are home primarily to Sephardic families.”

{Matzav.com}

Over 100 drones crossed from the Egyptian border into Israel over the past month, some carrying weapons, Kan News reported on Monday. According to the report, the IDF is concealing the exact number of drones that succeeded in crossing into Israel without being intercepted. IDF and Border Police forces have failed to thwart most of the smuggling attempts. An IDF officer in the Egyptian border sector said, “There’s surveillance, patrols, intelligence and command centers—and it all goes to waste. Even if surveillance spots the vehicle coming from the Egyptian side, by the time the forces arrive, the smugglers are already at their homes. It’s very frustrating. From time to time, we manage to neutralize a drone.” The IDF spokesperson responded to a query on the matter by stating, “We are aware of the growing phenomenon of smuggling by drones and are acting with close monitoring through a variety of methods and tools, including surveillance, intelligence gathering, and observation. Staff work is underway to improve the operational response in the area.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Tyler Robinson appeared remotely from a Utah jail cell on Tuesday evening, joining a virtual session before District Judge Tony Graf. He wore a green “suicide smock,” showed no expression, and spoke only to confirm his name.

Accused of killing Charlie Kirk, Robinson sat still as the judge listed seven charges against him. He had disheveled hair, a few days of stubble, and was dressed in a vest resembling the one seen in his booking photo.

During the proceedings, Judge Graf stated that Robinson, age 22, was “indigent,” and had therefore been assigned legal representation.

Robinson offered only minimal reaction, giving small nods at several moments in the brief 10-minute hearing, including when told he would remain held without the possibility of bail.

Prosecutor Chad Grunander informed the court that the state had submitted a protective order in favor of Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk. Judge Graf approved the order, though no explanation was provided for the request.

Grunander also announced that the prosecution had formally declared its plan to pursue the death penalty in Robinson’s case, echoing earlier remarks made by Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray when the charges were first brought.

Judge Graf concluded by noting that a waiver hearing is set to take place through WebEx on September 29 at 10 a.m., urging Robinson to be present.

{Matzav.com}

As the June war erupted, Israel’s intelligence services quietly launched one of the most daring operations in the Mossad’s history. According to a new report by Channel 13, the agency deployed roughly 100 foreign agents inside Iran, entrusted with crippling Tehran’s most advanced missile launchers and air defense systems. The agents — none of them Israeli — had been trained in secret for months to operate sophisticated missile platforms weighing hundreds of kilograms. Smuggled piece by piece into Iran and assembled under the nose of the regime’s security apparatus, the weapons were turned against Iran’s own ballistic missile infrastructure and anti-aircraft batteries in the opening days of the war. The sheer scale of the operation is what sets it apart. Intelligence veterans describe it as unprecedented in both complexity and risk: not only did the Mossad recruit and infiltrate scores of foreign operatives into hostile territory, but it also trained them to mastery on advanced weapons systems in order to strike with precision when the conflict began. By every account, the gamble paid off. Iranian missile capabilities were severely degraded at the start of hostilities, buying Israel critical time to blunt the onslaught. The full scope of the mission remains shrouded in secrecy, but even the limited details hint that this was the Mossad’s largest-ever covert strike inside the Islamic Republic — an audacious play that may have shifted the trajectory of the war before it even began. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

During a heated session of the Knesset National Security Committee on Tuesday, several MKs argued against allowing the International Committee of the Red Cross access to Israeli prisons. Officials from the Israel Prison Service (IPS) cautioned that permitting such visits could endanger national security.

Since the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023, and the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict, the Red Cross has not been allowed to visit Palestinian inmates or deliver updates on their status.

In August 2024, the High Court demanded that the state explain why it continues to block Red Cross representatives from entering Israeli prisons to meet with Palestinian detainees.

Committee members argued that since the Red Cross has failed to provide adequate aid or visit Israelis held captive in Gaza, it is unacceptable to allow the organization to meet with Palestinian prisoners.

Committee chair MK Zvika Fogel of Otzma Yehudit declared that “no effort” had been made by the Red Cross for the hostages.

“Reciprocity must be preserved and conditions kept equal. I will do everything to ensure the Red Cross visits our hostages, and until that happens, I will stand at the prison gates and prevent their visits,” Fogel told the gathering.

MK Limor Son Har-Melech, also from Otzma Yehudit, lashed out at the Red Cross, labeling it “an antisemitic organization.”

She accused the organization of “acting in a biased manner toward our hostages” by equating them with Palestinian prisoners instead of recognizing them as “terrorists who raped, murdered, and committed horrific crimes.”

By contrast, MK Aida Touma-Sliman of Hadash-Tal spoke in favor of reinstating the Red Cross visits. She argued, “Many things are happening inside the prisons. The High Court ruling on prisoner conditions is no coincidence.”

Her comments referred to a recent High Court decision that found the IPS had failed to provide sufficient and nutritious food for security prisoners. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has publicly advocated for stricter conditions, though he insists that inmates are still receiving “basic minimal conditions required by law.”

Touma-Sliman further claimed that the Red Cross’s absence from the hostages is not due to neglect, but rather because the group has not been able to “convince Hamas to allow visits.”

“To blame them [Red Cross] for that is far-fetched and absurd. Both sides are telling them: You will not visit until the other side allows it,” she said.

An IPS counter-terror division representative expressed concerns that Red Cross involvement could compromise safety, warning, “We have information that Red Cross visits could harm prison security and possibly state security.”

The IPS legal advisor also defended the ban, telling lawmakers, “Since the beginning of the war, the IPS’s position has been that the Red Cross should not enter prisons, based on a professional assessment by the intelligence division that such visits could harm prison security and endanger prison staff.”

Likud MK Ariel Kallner likewise emphasized the dangers of permitting access, pointing to past incidents.

“There have been cases where the Red Cross harmed state security and used its access to convey information,” he said.

“Allowing visits to those murderers in our prisons is a delusional request that is unfair, unjustified, and unacceptable,” Kallner added.

Family members of hostages also spoke during the meeting, voicing their anguish.

Hanna Cohen, whose niece Inbar Haiman was murdered and whose body is still being held by Hamas, shared her pain: “Our daughter was kidnapped by those who sit in prison and are now requesting Red Cross visits.”

“In a normal country, they should have been executed,” she said bitterly.

“I don’t know where our daughter is. The law obligates the Red Cross to check where she is. My family is tortured,” Cohen added.

Concluding the debate, Fogel urged the government to take a hard stance, saying, “We must act as a state with backbone. The cabinet must decide: no Red Cross visits until information on our hostages is received.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

House approves bills to reshape DC’s criminal justice system The House passed legislation Tuesday that would overhaul how youth who commit crimes are prosecuted in the District of Columbia as congressional Republicans mobilized behind President Donald Trump’s efforts to crack down on crime in the nation’s capital. One of the bills, called the “DC Crimes Act,” would lower the age of a youth offender in the federal district from 24 to 18 and require that criminal sentencing be at least as long as the mandatory minimums for adults, overruling local D.C. policy. It would also require the D.C. attorney general to establish a public website that would publish statistics on youth criminal acts.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Israel will relentlessly hunt down the Hamas terror group’s leaders if harm comes to any of the remaining Israeli hostages. Speaking at a press conference as the IDF launched a major ground operation in Gaza City, Netanyahu said he had raised the hostage crisis directly with President Donald Trump. “We discussed a possibility that came up, which is very, very important in my eyes — dealing with the issue of the hostages’ security,” Netanyahu told reporters. He said Trump, like him, was appalled by Hamas’s admission that it was holding hostages in locations deliberately meant to endanger them. “As Hamas’s spokesperson said, they used our hostages as human shields — placed them in locations that would endanger them,” Netanyahu said. “This is horrifying. It also horrified the president. He addressed it.” The prime minister then leveled his own threat. “If they harm a hair on the head of even one hostage, we will hunt them down with greater force until the end of their lives — and that end will come much faster than they think,” Netanyahu said. Addressing Hamas leadership directly, he added: “You will have no shelter anyway. But our effort to reach you will be redoubled sevenfold, and we will reach you much faster than you think.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Moving Selichos at the Kosel tonight (by “Bais Kneset Teshuva”) led by Reb Nesanel Davis of Chicago. Also seen is Reb Natan Chafetz of Lev L’Achim.

Newly declassified FBI files released Tuesday by Sen. Chuck Grassley raise fresh allegations that President Joe Biden and his son Hunter were linked to a foreign bribery scheme involving Ukrainian energy giant Burisma Holdings. The documents, known as FD-1023 reports, detail interviews in 2017 and 2019 with confidential bureau sources who alleged Burisma owner Mykola Zlochevsky funneled money to Ukrainian leaders and sought U.S. political protection through the Bidens. One source told agents that Zlochevsky attempted to bribe then-Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko with $100 million to halt an “Interpol investigation,” offering “shares and guaranteed profits from gas sales” tied to Burisma. The informant alleged both Joe and Hunter Biden had financial interests in the company through a Latvian shell firm, while Hunter collected roughly $1 million annually from 2014 to 2019 as a board member. Another file claimed Joe Biden met with Poroshenko “to protect the interests” of his son and Burisma’s owner — and that U.S. intelligence officials intervened to shield Zlochevsky from Ukrainian prosecutors. “We aren’t saying the allegations are true,” Grassley said in a Senate hearing with FBI Director Kash Patel. “We want to know what the FBI did to fully investigate their veracity or lack thereof, and what they concluded. Let’s put this matter to rest, one way or the other.” The 2019 interview alleged that Burisma’s reverse merger with Texas-based CUB Energy was part of a broader money-laundering operation tied to Russian interests. The source claimed Russian emissary Viktor Medvedchuk and President Vladimir Putin oversaw a network of Ukrainian energy firms designed to move Moscow’s money through Kyiv. A separate 2017 interview alleged that “JOSEPH BIDEN would ‘take care’ of BURISMA HOLDING issues around the world,” while Poroshenko would shield Zlochevsky. That same informant warned Russia’s foreign intelligence service was running a “direct operation” to penetrate American political elites. These revelations build on a 2020 informant report Grassley previously released, alleging that Joe and Hunter Biden each took $5 million in bribes to protect Burisma from a corruption probe. At the time, then–Vice President Biden had pushed Ukrainian leaders to fire prosecutor Viktor Shokin by threatening to withhold $1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees — a move the Obama administration defended as anti-corruption policy. Not all FBI sources have proven reliable. Alexander Smirnov, an informant behind the 2020 claims, later admitted to fabricating parts of his testimony and was sentenced last year to six years in federal prison. Still, Grassley and Sen. Ron Johnson say the newly released files show multiple informants raising consistent red flags — and demand answers about whether the FBI pursued the leads or allowed them to languish. “In total, we now have three different FBI confidential human sources providing information about the Biden family and potential criminal conduct,” Grassley said. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu addressed the nation Tuesday evening in a live press conference, seeking to calm public concerns following comments he made the previous night that rattled financial markets. Speaking extensively on the state of Israel’s economy, Netanyahu also revealed that President Donald Trump has invited him to the White House in two weeks and delivered a stark warning to Hamas leadership.

Netanyahu opened by stressing his confidence in Israel’s economic resilience, declaring, “I have full confidence in the Israeli economy. Israel’s economy is strong, very strong. It amazes the entire world — and even more so, it has amazed the world over the past two years while we’ve been at war.”

He recounted how a senior international economist recently told him, “I don’t believe it when I see these figures. These are not the numbers of an economy at war.” Netanyahu emphasized that “contrary to all predictions, the shekel is stronger today than it was before the war. Our stock exchange is performing better than the S&P in the United States.”

The prime minister pointed to additional indicators, noting that unemployment has fallen to historic lows and that recent months have seen “a massive inflow of investors into the Israeli economy.” He added that housing prices have also begun to decline.

Addressing the uproar caused by his earlier comments, Netanyahu explained, “There was a misunderstanding that supposedly shook the markets. But there was no such shake, because the markets recognize the advantages of investing in Israel. I was asking to cut bureaucracy to help us move toward security independence. Out of that came a misunderstanding, but the markets understood exactly what I said.”

Turning to foreign policy, Netanyahu disclosed that President Trump invited him for an official visit to Washington. “I had several conversations with him after the strike in Doha, and all of them were very good,” Netanyahu said. He clarified that Israel acted independently in Qatar: “I made the decision with the cabinet to operate in Qatar. It was my responsibility, and we did not involve the White House. I spoke with Trump afterward, and all our conversations, including yesterday’s, were very good.”

Earlier, a senior Israeli official had suggested a possible meeting on the sidelines of next week’s UN General Assembly, though no arrangements were finalized. Netanyahu confirmed, however, that he will meet Trump at the White House on Monday, two weeks from now, following his UN address.

The prime minister also issued a stern warning to Hamas regarding Israeli hostages. “I spoke with Trump about the issue of the hostages, and he issued a statement about Hamas’s threats against them,” Netanyahu said. “If they harm even a single hair on the heads of the hostages, we will hunt them down with greater intensity until the end of their days, and we will reach them much faster than they think.”

Pressed about tensions with Israel Defense Forces leaders, including Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and those advocating a deal for the hostages, Netanyahu responded that “the leaks are inaccurate,” adding, “At every stage there have always been those who opposed or hesitated, and that is why it is the political echelon that ultimately decides.”

He was also asked about allegations against Social Equality and Women’s Advancement Minister Mai Golan. “I don’t know the case and I can’t comment on it,” Netanyahu said. “Just because someone is accused of something doesn’t mean anything. I can give personal testimony to that.” He added sharply: “What I can say is this — soon there won’t be a single minister, male or female, that the attorney general and the state prosecutor won’t try to indict. I checked: during the previous government, nothing, zero.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

With the arrival of fall, New York City is bracing for weeks of heavy congestion in Manhattan, prompting officials to issue warnings for drivers. Nearly three dozen “Gridlock Alert Days” have been designated, during which motorists are strongly advised to avoid the borough to escape severe backups and immovable traffic.

The first wave of alert days coincides with the annual United Nations General Assembly. Data from the NYC Department of Transportation shows that Midtown experiences its slowest traffic speeds of the year during this period, averaging just four to six miles per hour. The UN gathering will be held from September 22 through September 26.

“New York City welcomes the UN General Assembly once again this year, but New Yorkers and visitors alike should do their part in minimizing congestion and seeking non-driving modes of transportation,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez.

In previous years, a temporary bike lane was installed through the First Avenue tunnel, between East 40th and 49th streets, to ease gridlock during the UN event. After proving effective, the DOT made this protected bike lane a permanent feature last fall.

Once the General Assembly days conclude, city planners have identified 15 additional dates later in the year when gridlock is expected, largely due to holiday festivities and heavy tourism.

To combat the gridlock, officials are urging commuters to opt for alternatives such as bicycles, subways, buses, commuter trains, ferries, or simply walking.

“We are seeing the success of congestion pricing in its first year as few vehicles enter the city’s urban core, making it especially important to stick with transit during Gridlock Alert Days,” Rodriguez added.

The following dates have been listed as Gridlock Alert Days for 2025:

• Monday, September 22
• Tuesday, September 23
• Wednesday, September 24
• Thursday, September 25
• Friday, September 26
• Wednesday, November 19
• Thursday, November 20
• Tuesday, November 25
• Wednesday, December 3
• Thursday, December 4
• Friday, December 5
• Monday, December 8
• Tuesday, December 9
• Wednesday, December 10
• Thursday, December 11
• Friday, December 12
• Monday, December 15
• Tuesday, December 16
• Wednesday, December 17
• Thursday, December 18

Additional details are available at nyc.gov/gridlockalert.

{Matzav.com}