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A 2-year-old girl was tragically niftar after being struck by a vehicle in Monsey on Monday afternoon. Monsey Scoop reports that the child, Henny Weingarten a”h, was struck by a vehicle on Calvert Drive in Monsey. Rockland Hatzolah paramedics rushed to the scene, and found the little girl in traumatic arrest. Paramedics worked on her for about 10 minutes before a pulse was restored and then rushed her to Nyack Hospital, where she was tragically pronounced after valiant efforts to revive her. Misaskim and Chesed Shel Emes are currently working to ensure kavod hameis. Levaya details will be published when available. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Thousands of Montreal Jews and allies marched on Sunday wearing the blue and white colors of the State of Israel in a show of support that included a call for the release of the 101 hostages still being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

More than 10,000 people registered at $18 a person to participate in the March for Jerusalem, with organizers estimating that almost double that number showed up at Hampstead Park, where the 5-kilometer procession began.

“The Jews of the Diaspora strengthen the Jews of Israel, and the Jews of Israel strengthen the Jews of the Diaspora,” Yair Szlak, president and CEO of Federation CJA, told JNS at the march.

“We are one people, we will always be one people and we need to make sure that we stay united because together we will win. Together, we will be stronger and more resilient. Am Yisrael Chai,” he said.

Participants marched enthusiastically through the streets of Hampstead, a predominantly Jewish neighborhood, before passing through busy main city thoroughfares, all the while being cheered on by those who witnessed the masses from balconies and windows in their homes.

“Those who are trying to intimidate us—we will not hide. We are proud to be Canadian, proud to be Jewish and proud of our relationship with Israel,” Szlak said. “We wear our kipot, our Magen Davids. We put our mezuzahs on our doors and we are proud of it.

“This is to celebrate Jewish life, celebrate Israel, show our support for our hostages, our soldiers, the country, and launch our annual campaign,” he added.

Every year, Federation CJA raises $45 million for the local community and the Jewish state. This year, the organization aims to raise $105 million to bolster security amid the growing tide of antisemitism.

In the aftermath of the Hamas-led Oct. 7 massacre of 1,200 people in Israel, anti-Jewish hate crimes skyrocketed across Canada.

Ahead of the march, participants gathered at the BringThemHome Montreal booth to pick up posters of the hostages and buy cookies emblazoned with yellow ribbons for the captives, the proceeds of which are being donated to Israeli causes.

At the booth, JNS met Eric Hazan, whose cousin Omer Shem Tov was kidnapped from the Supernova music festival on Oct. 7 and is still be held in Gaza.

“The past months, nearly the past year now, have been an absolute disaster for our family. We are all entirely focused on campaigning for the release of Omer and the rest of the hostages. We are very anxious and fearful for them, especially after the execution of six hostages last week, but we remain hopeful,” Hazan said.

“Seeing all these people gathered here to support us is incredibly important. I truly hope this message of solidarity reaches the rest of the families back in Israel. They are not alone and everyone is here for them,” he added.

In this respect, 40 members of the Christians for Israel group marched alongside members of the Jewish community.

“We have a deep love for the Jewish people and for Israel. It’s horrible what is happening, a lot of injustice, and we want to show our support,” Benjamin, 36, a member of the group, told JNS. “Israel is God’s chosen people, the apple of God’s eye.”

At the event, JNS met Israeli expats and tourists including Yael, 38, from Rishon Letzion, who was in Montreal for work. She felt compelled to video-call her children back in Israel so that they could see the love and support in real time.

“It is very surprising and extremely emotional to see so many people gathered here in support of our country, the hostages and everything happening around us,” Yael told JNS.

“It’s very hard to be away from home, being away from the country one can feel cut off. But at this moment, I feel at home here, and it warms my heart,” she said.

A selection of kosher restaurants provided pizza and hot dogs. Visitors could also purchase dog tags in support of the families of hostages, and Federation CJA sweatshirts with the words “Love” and “Strength” printed on them.

Among the speakers were former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Irwin Cotler and Consul General of Israel in Montreal Paul Hirschson.

“It’s the biggest Jewish community event since I have been in Montreal and I was not going to miss it,” Hirschson told JNS.

“ I am amazed at how many people are here despite the cloudy weather. The Montreal Jewish community has always been standing in partnership with Israel. There is a lot of antisemitism but it doesn’t intimidate anybody and it will not frighten any of us,” he said.

(JNS)

Shabbos Kestenbaum, a Jewish Harvard alumnus currently suing the university over its handling of antisemitism, announced on Thursday that he has officially broken with the Democratic Party and will be voting for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. Kestenbaum made the announcement during a speech at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual convention, citing his growing disillusionment with Democratic leadership. “I did not support Trump in 2016, I did not support Trump in 2020… I did not support Trump six months ago. Nobody’s perfect,” Kestenbaum said. “The Democratic Party has taken the Jewish vote and Jewish voters for granted for far too long,” he added, before announcing, “I will be supporting, I will be endorsing, I will be voting for President Trump.” Kestenbaum’s shift isn’t a surprise. In July, he addressed the Republican National Convention, urging voters to elect a president who would confront terrorism and instill patriotism in schools. While he didn’t specify his candidate preference at the time, his appearance indicated a growing alignment with Republican values. Kestenbaum also attended the Democratic National Convention in August, sharing positive interactions with fellow delegates, though he remained critical of the party’s stance on antisemitism. At the RJC event, Kestenbaum voiced frustration with Democratic lawmakers, particularly those on the left, like Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman, for their support of anti-Israel campus protests. He praised Republicans for being more responsive to efforts against campus antisemitism, saying leaders such as House Speaker Mike Johnson and Rep. Jason Smith had actively engaged with Jewish students. Kestenbaum criticized the Biden administration for its lack of clear policies to combat antisemitism on campuses. In contrast, he credited the Trump campaign for inviting Jewish students to front-row seats at events where Trump condemned antisemitism and outlined concrete policies, including deporting foreign nationals who support terrorism and withholding federal funding from universities that violate students’ civil rights. “These common-sense, once bipartisan policies are not a hallmark of the Harris campaign. They are not featured on any campaign platform,” Kestenbaum said. Although Kestenbaum has left the Democratic Party, he noted he will continue to support pro-Israel Democrats like Congressman Ritchie Torres and remains aligned with other Democratic policies, such as minimum wage and environmental protections. Nevertheless, he emphasized that the Democratic Party has failed to protect Jewish students. “I wanted to show my party, the Democratic party, that they could and they should support Jewish students,” Kestenbaum concluded. “For the first time since I started voting, I cannot support the Democratic nominee for president.” He added, “I did not abandon the Democratic party. The Democratic party abandoned me.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Congress returns to Washington on Monday with limited time to prevent a government shutdown and November’s elections already clouding conversations over federal financing.

Funding for the federal government expires Sept. 30, when the 2024 fiscal year ends. Without new legislation, the government would shut down while millions of voters, including in some battleground states, are already able to cast their votes.

Congress is set to consider a stopgap funding bill, called a continuing resolution or CR, to keep operations going at current levels and buy legislators more time to craft annual spending bills. But Republicans, who control the House, and Democrats, who run the Senate, disagree on how long to extend funding for – a crucial question in which control of the White House weighs heavily.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) plans to put a CR up for a vote that extends federal funding until March 28. He is set to attach unrelated legislation that would require voters to show proof of citizenship before registering to vote for federal elections. That bill already passed the House in July. Noncitizen voting is already illegal in federal races, and election administration experts say the proposal could wreak havoc on states’ ability to run elections.

“House Republicans are taking a critically important step to keep the federal government funded and to secure our federal election process,” Johnson said in a statement. “Congress has a responsibility to do both, and we must ensure that only American citizens can decide American elections.”

Democrats – and even some senior House Republicans – prefer a continuing resolution that extends until just after the November vote, allowing lawmakers in an end-of-year “lame duck” session to hammer out funding bills with fewer political consequences for either side and freeing whoever is president come January from an early spending fight.

“I would rather get these fiscal year 2025 bills out of the way so that when you do have Trump in the White House, you have a Republican House and Republican Senate, we can spend the beginning of this next Republican presidency not dealing with last year’s battles, but dealing with the very, very ambitious agenda the President Trump has put forward,” Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, told The Washington Post.

The disagreement is not much of an impasse, lawmakers say. The most likely scenario, officials from both parties privately concede, is that Democrats will reject the voting restrictions while Republicans demand the March funding deadline.

The longer bill, though, will force Congress later this calendar year to consider additional spending legislation for other programs set to expire before March or those that need supplemental resources.

The Department of Veterans Affairs requires an additional $15 billion: $3 billion to make up for a looming benefits shortfall, and $12 billion in resources to provide care for military service members suffering from the affects of toxic burn pits. House appropriators introduced legislation Friday to make up for the benefits needs, but have not addressed the remaining issues.

Portions of the farm bill, the massive five-year agriculture policy legislation, expire Sept. 30, and others expire at the end of the year. Lawmakers considered attaching a one-year farm bill extension to the CR, but opted against it.

Leaders from both parties favor providing Maryland additional money to rebuild Baltimore’s collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge. That, along with funding for other failing roadways, could cost up to $3.1 billion. Those funds were also not included in the CR.

“We need a continuing resolution because House Republicans let their most extreme members drive the ship. A continuing resolution that ends in December – rather than one that lasts a half year – is better for our national security and military readiness, veterans and their families, victims recovering from natural disasters and all hardworking American taxpayers,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro (Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said in a statement.

The relative calm in the spending debate is tenuous. Election momentum could change the political calculus of either side.

House Democrats are bullish on their chances of winning the majority, and with a March deadline could control the levers of power to write their own funding bills if they hold the Senate and the White House. Republicans, also eyeing a sweep of Congress and the White House, see the later deadline as a chance to solidify their legislative priorities, too.

But pushing the funding fight into 2025 would complicate the next president’s first 100 days in office, when Democrats would hope to expand voting rights and pursue new social spending for child care and other programs, and Republicans would try to pass a sweeping tax law.

GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump could also influence the government funding picture. Trump and Republican officials nationwide have falsely spread rumors that noncitizen voting could sway the outcome of the presidential race. In fact, noncitizens casting ineligible ballots is vanishingly rare. But as Trump makes the innuendo a larger part of his campaign, some of his chief backers in Congress could feel compelled to demand voter eligibility restrictions remain part of the continuing resolution. And Republicans hope to use the issue to force vulnerable Democrats to discuss immigration, a policy area where polls show conservatives with a clear political advantage.

– – –

(c) Washington Post

A senior Ukrainian official said Monday Western partner countries must allow Ukraine to use weapons they have supplied to strike military warehouses inside Russia because of strong suspicions Iran has provided ballistic missiles for the Kremlin’s war effort. The United States has told allies it believes Iran has sent short-range ballistic missiles to Russia for its war in Ukraine, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press at the weekend. Western countries supporting Ukraine in the war have hesitated to let its military strike targets on Russian soil, fearing they could be sucked into Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II, but the head of the Ukrainian presidential office said “protection is not escalation.” “In response to the supply of ballistic missiles to Russia, Ukraine must be allowed to destroy warehouses storing these missiles with Western weapons in order to avoid terror,” Andrii Yermak said on his Telegram channel. He did not specify which country was supplying the missiles. Russia has already subjected Ukraine to repeated and devastating long-range missile and drone bombardments that have killed more than 10,000 civilians since the start of the war in February 2022, according to a United Nations tally. The barrages have also crippled electricity production. Ukraine has refused to cave in, however, and recently launched a bold incursion into Russia’s Kursk region even while toiling to hold back a Russian push in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region. Russia has been receiving Iranian-made Shahed drones since 2022. The possible shipment of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia as well has alarmed Western governments as President Vladimir Putin reaches out to other countries to provide him with support. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday said of the Iranian missile reports that “this kind of information is not true every time.” He added, however: “Iran is our important partner. We are developing our trade and economic relations. We are developing our cooperation and dialogue in all possible areas, including the most sensitive ones, and will continue to do so in the interests of the peoples of our two countries.” In Iran, foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani denied Tehran armed Russia with missiles. “We strongly reject allegations about Iran’s role in sending weapons to one side of the war and we assess these allegations as politically motivated by some parties,” Kanaani said. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on Saturday expressed “deep concern” about that possibility. “Iran must completely and definitively stop providing weapons to Russia in order to prove with actions, not words, the sincerity of its political leadership’s statements about non-involvement in fueling the Russian war machine of death,” a statement said. CIA Director William Burns warned in London at the weekend of the growing and “troubling” defense relationship involving Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. Those ties, he said, threaten both Ukraine and Western allies in the Middle East. China’s Defense Ministry on Monday announced joint naval and air drills with Russia starting this month. While China has not directly provided Russia with arms, it has become a vital economic lifeline as a leading customer for Russian oil and gas. It has also supplied electronics and other items with both civilian and military uses. (AP)

WATCH: Interview: Dramatic Moments in Political Advocacy

Ishay Ribo made history last Elul, becoming Jewish music’s first-ever performer to step out onto Madison Square Garden’s stage. Now, with his second performance at the world’s most famous arena just days away, he recalls that moment of immense emotion in a personal message to the audience. “There’s this moment of self-reflection,” he says, “You go on stage, you’re vulnerable.”

Ribo’s heartfelt message comes as the New York area’s Jewish community—from secular to Chareidi and from Teaneck to Lakewood, Crown Heights, and Boro Park—gears up for his second historic Madison Square Garden performance on 12 Elul, 15 September. As part of his Elul tour, the evening promises a night of heartfelt prayer, togetherness, and comfort after a tragic year for the Jewish people worldwide. 

Ribo shares his immense gratitude when the music kicked in, erased all divides, and unlocked a profound feeling of togetherness with the audience. “The crowd surrounds you, the music brings you all together, and you lift your eyes to heaven and say, “Todah Hashem”

To purchase tickets, visit: Ticketmaster

The Israel Defense Forces has launched an investigation after the names of six hostages killed by Hamas, whose bodies were recovered more than a week ago, were leaked before their families could be notified through official channels.

News of the bodies’ recovery spread online hours before they were returned to Israel, resulting in the families learning of their loved ones’ deaths through social media rather than from the army.

To put a stop to the rumors, the army felt obliged to publish a special announcement that the bodies had been recovered, although without confirming the identities of the abductees, Channel 12 reported.

The IDF is investigating how the details of the sensitive operation leaked.

“As soon as the serious leak occurred, the IDF Information Security Department opened an investigation, upon completion of which measures will be taken as required. The IDF takes seriously leaks of any kind, especially regarding the abductees, that harm their families,” said the IDF Spokesperson’s Department.

The bodies of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, Eden Yerushalmi, 24, Almog Sarusi, 25, Alexander Lobanov, 32, Carmel Gat, 40, and Master Sgt. Ori Danino, 25, were found in a 65-foot-deep tunnel in Rafah in southern Gaza on Sept. 31. The bodies had gunshot wounds to the head and elsewhere.

An initial IDF investigation, details of which were released to the press on Sunday, revealed the horrifying conditions under which the Israelis had been held in the Gaza tunnels.

According to a Channel 12 report, the hostages were held in a small and narrow tunnel where they had difficulty standing. There were no air vents in the tunnel and the abductees had great difficulty breathing. There were no toilets or showers in the tunnel. The abductees showered with water bottles that were also used for drinking.

The hostages suffered from starvation and experience drastic weight loss. Yerushalmi dropped to a weight of 36 kg (79 lbs). A few protein bars were found, but not enough to prevent hunger.

There was a generator and a small flashlight that didn’t always work.
A chess board, stationery and notebooks were found. The notebooks were collected by the security forces and will be delivered to the families.

There is evidence that some of the hostages attempted to defend themselves from the terrorists.

According to the autopsies performed the night the bodies were recovered, the captives were murdered 48 to 72 hours prior, which would place their deaths at some point between the mornings of Aug. 29 and Aug. 30.

That the captives were shot at short range suggests that they were executed by their Hamas captors.

(JNS)

With only a few weeks left before the elections for the Israeli Chief Rabbinate, the Moetzet Chachmei Hatorah of Shas has made the decision to back the candidacy of Rav Dovid Yosef, a member of the Moetzet Chachmei Hatorah and head of Bais Medrash Yechaveh Da’as, for the position of Rishon LeTzion and Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel.

On Sunday, Rav Dovid visited the residence of the elder member of the Moetzet Chachmei Hatorah, Rav Moshe Maya, who showered him with brachos and stated that if he were part of the electing body, he would undoubtedly vote for Rav Dovid’s candidacy.

Rav Maya added that while the Moetzet Chachmei Hatorah is not formally intervening in the matter as a group, he personally supports this candidacy and remarked, “I will dance on the day that Your Honor is chosen,” expressing his excitement and offering Rav Dovid a brocha for success and siyata diShmaya.

The endorsement from Rav Maya joins the support of other Moetzet Chachmei Hatorah members, including Rav Shlomo Machpud, Rav Reuven Elbaz, and Rav Shlomo Ben Shimon, who issued letters of support for Rav Dovid, stating that he is the most deserving candidate for this position and continues the path of his father, Chacham Ovadia Yosef.

Rav Dovid, who attended Selichos last night at Yeshiva Or HaChaim, received extraordinary honor from the rosh yeshiva and fellow Moetzet Chachmei Hatorah member, Rav Reuven Elbaz, who praised him, saying, “Today we are hosting the Rishon LeTzion who continues the legacy of his father, Maran Rav Ovadia. With Hashem’s help, we will soon merit to host him at Selichos this year as the chief rabbi and Rishon LeTzion.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

Discount retailer Big Lots has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, as it contends with a pullback in consumer spending and soft sales. The Columbus, Ohio-based company plans to sell its assets and ongoing business operations to private equity firm Nexus Capital Management. Big Lots, which sells furniture, home decor and other items, said in a statement on Monday that high inflation and interest rates have hurt its business as consumers have pulled back on their home and seasonal product purchases, two categories the chain depends on for a significant part of its revenue. Sales at stores open at least a year, a key gauge of a retailer’s health, have declined for nine straight quarters, according to FactSet. Big Lots said that its performance has been improving, but that its board determined during a strategic review that the proposed sale to Nexus was the right move for the business. The company had postponed the release of its second-quarter results to later this week. The company will continue to sell goods at its stores and on its website during the court-supervised sale process. The chain added that it does plan to close some stores, but didn’t specify how many or what locations would be impacted. At the end of 2023, Big Lots operated nearly 1,400 stores in 48 states. “The actions we are taking today will enable us to move forward with new owners who believe in our business and provide financial stability, while we optimize our operational footprint, accelerate improvement in our performance, and deliver on our promise to be the leader in extreme value,” Big Lots President and CEO Bruce Thorn said in a statement. Nexus Capital will serve as a “stalking horse” bidder in a court-supervised auction, with the proposed sale subject to higher offers or other bids that could be considered better. If Nexus winds up as the winning bidder, the deal is anticipated to close in the fourth quarter. Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData, said in an emailed statement that Big Lots seems to have lost some customers at a time when consumers are comparing prices more. “Big Lots operates in a very crowded and competitive market where other value players do a far better job of delivering on low prices and compelling bargains. It needs to step up its game if it is to succeed post-bankruptcy,” he said. Big Lots Inc. has secured commitments for $707.5 million of financing, including $35 million in new financing from some of its current lenders. Once approved by the court, the financing, along with cash from its ongoing operations, is expected to provide sufficient liquidity to support the company while it works to complete the sale. The chain has also received a notice from the New York Stock Exchange because the average closing price of its shares was below $1 over a consecutive 30 trading-day period. The notice doesn’t mean that Big Lots’ stock will be immediately delisted as the company can appeal. In premarket trading shares slid 40% to 30 cents. (AP)

All the senior intelligence officers who were responsible for ensuring the security of Israel’s southern sector ahead of Hamas’s surprise attack on Oct. 7 have moved to other important positions in the IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate, Army Radio reported on Sunday.

Four lieutenant colonels, each responsible for a different intelligence branch in the IDF Southern Command on Oct. 7 and who failed to anticipate Hamas’s intentions, have advanced to new commands, the station’s Doron Kadosh reported.

Lt. Col. “Nun,” head of the intelligence branch responsible for ‘hostile sabotage activities,’ whose job it was to alert the IDF to such incidents in the Gaza sector, has become head of the same branch for the Yehuda and Shomron sector.

Meanwhile, the Southern Command’s deputy intelligence officer, who was also head of its digital branch, will join a classified military intelligence unit in a senior position.

The head of the target branch, responsible for gathering intelligence on targets in the Gaza Strip, will join a unit at intelligence headquarters, which partners with the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and deals with terrorist funding.

Finally, the head of the field branch will take a senior staff position at Unit 9900, the Intelligence Directorate’s Visual Intelligence collection unit.

Most of the four officers have already started in their new positions, Army Radio reported.

The appointments were decided by the previous head of Military Intelligence, Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, who submitted his resignation in April over his failure to warn of Oct. 7. Haliva left the post and retired from the army on Aug. 21.

“On Saturday, October 7, 2023, Hamas carried out a murderous surprise attack against the State of Israel, the consequences of which are difficult and painful. The Intelligence Directorate under my command did not live up to the task it was entrusted with,” Haliva wrote to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi in his resignation letter.

The report on the four lieutenant colonels comes two days after it was revealed that a former intelligence officer in the Southern Command, identified only as Lt. Col. “A,” was removed from his post for carrying out an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate.

Despite this ethical lapse, and his own responsibility for the intelligence failure on Oct. 7, Lt. Col. “A” was appointed IDF representative at the Israel National Cyber Directorate.

Lt. Col. Yossi Sariel, head of Unit 8200, also remains at his post despite calls for his removal.

Unit 8200, Israel’s signals intelligence unit, is the IDF’s largest intelligence gathering unit.

An intelligence system that normally supplied important information on Hamas in use by Unit 8200 was down on the night of Oct. 6 due to a malfunction and fixed only after the Gazan terrorists had infiltrated Israel, Channel 12 reported.

The system, whose nature was not detailed, won an Israel Security Prize for its contribution to the country’s security.

However, former senior officers in the unit told Channel 12 that the system was down because it was neglected by Sariel, who dismissed its importance.

Although the identity of Unit 8200’s commander is normally a closely guarded secret, The Guardian outed Sariel’s identity in April due to a security lapse on his part when he published a book on Amazon.

Sariel authored The Human Machine Team, which offers a future vision regarding the relationship between human and artificial intelligence.

An electronic version of the book included an anonymous email address traced to Sariel’s name and Google account, leading the British paper to reveal the spy chief’s identity.

The IDF called the exposure of Sariel’s personal details “a mistake” and said, “The issue will be examined to prevent the recurrence of similar cases in the future.”

(JNS)

NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban is reportedly expected to resign in the coming days, as a federal investigation into possible corruption looms, sources told POLITICO. Caban, who has not yet formally stepped down, is facing increasing pressure following a federal probe involving top city officials, including members of his own family. Caban was scheduled to meet with police leadership on Monday, but according to two sources, the decision to resign is not entirely his to make. As of Monday afternoon, no official resignation had been announced. City Hall spokesperson Fabien Levy declined to comment on the rumors, saying, “We remain focused on ensuring New Yorkers are safe every single day, and that’s our top priority. We’re not going to speculate on rumors at this point.” Mayor Eric Adams, who has been known to stand by his embattled aides, defended Caban’s leadership during a Monday press conference. “I chose him for his experience and what he brought after 30-something years of service,” Adams said, brushing off the speculation. “Rumors are always out there… There was nothing that came from me that fed those rumors.” However, when pressed on whether he could guarantee Caban would still be commissioner in two months, Adams gave a more cryptic response: “I don’t think anything in life is guaranteed.” The potential resignation would mark the first major shakeup in Mayor Adams’ administration since federal investigators last week raided the homes of several top city officials. Among those targeted was Caban, whose phone was seized by authorities, along with phones belonging to his twin brother, James Caban, and other members of his inner circle, including his chief of staff and Deputy Inspector Robert Gault. The investigation, led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the IRS, reportedly centers on potential conflicts of interest involving James Caban’s nightlife consulting business and whether he profited from his brother’s role as police commissioner. In addition to Caban, federal agents also seized electronic devices from Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III, his brother Terence Banks, and Tim Pearson, an aide to Adams with significant influence over the police department. The mounting pressure on Caban has come from across the political spectrum, with the New York Post editorial board and progressive City Council Member Lincoln Restler both calling for his resignation. The departure of Caban would be a significant blow to Adams, who has made public safety a cornerstone of his administration and is preparing for a reelection campaign. The federal probes into his administration, including an investigation into his 2021 campaign, could undermine his image as a competent leader. Despite the controversy, Adams has maintained his support for Caban, telling PIX11 on Friday that the commissioner has “driven crime down” and that he still had “full confidence” in his ability to do the job. Caban was appointed as police commissioner in July 2023, following the resignation of Keechant Sewell, who left the post after just 18 months due to frustrations with City Hall oversight. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Former President Donald Trump has taken a narrow lead over Vice President Kamala Harris in the latest New York Times/Siena College poll, released Sunday. The poll shows Trump with 48% support among likely voters, edging out Harris by a single point, who garnered 47%. This marks a significant four-point surge for Trump compared to the previous month. While Harris continues to show strength in the critical battleground states, where she is either tied or slightly leading Trump in five of the seven key states, this national momentum for Trump comes as a surprise to many. The previous poll had Harris leading Trump nationally, 49% to 46%, but the latest numbers suggest that Trump’s campaign is gaining traction just as the election season heats up. Nate Cohn of The New York Times observed that Harris, who had a strong performance in August, appears to have stalled. “Is Kamala Harris’s surge beginning to ebb?” Cohn asked, pointing out that this is Trump’s first lead in a major nonpartisan national survey in about a month. “There’s no way to know whether the Times/Siena poll is too favorable for Mr. Trump…but the poll nonetheless finds that he has significant advantages in this election — and they might just be enough to put him over the top.” While Cohn acknowledged the possibility of this being an outlier poll, the numbers undeniably signal a strong rebound for Trump as the campaign enters a critical phase. Even in the battleground states, where Harris has been performing well, Trump has made gains. He holds slight leads in Arizona and North Carolina, while Harris leads or is tied in Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. However, all races in these states remain within the margin of error, making them too close to call. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

U.S. Central Command head Gen. Erik Kurilla arrived in Israel on Sunday, where he met separately with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi.

Kurilla and Halevi held a situational assessment where they discussed the current threats, with an emphasis on the northern front with Lebanon and Iran.

The CENTCOM chief also met with Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin, commander of IDF Northern Command. They held a situational assessment in the commander’s “pit,” or command and control ‎center, where Kurilla was presented with the Israeli military’s operational plans for Lebanon.

“The IDF will continue to deepen the relationship with the United States Army out of a commitment to strengthening regional stability and coordination between the armies,” the IDF said.

During Kurilla’s meeting with Gallant, the two men talked about ways to strengthen the U.S.-Israel military alliance against common threats in the Middle East.

“Discussed the operational and strategic situation in the region with @CENTCOM Commander General Kurilla, and reflected on ways to further strengthen interoperability to achieve our common objectives,” Gallant tweeted after the meeting.

“Israeli and American troops work closely together to deter common threats posed by Iran and its proxies. Together we are stronger,” he added.

Kurilla previously met with Gallant in Israel on Aug. 5. That trip came as U.S. forces mobilized to defend Israel from major attacks expected from Iran and Hezbollah that so far have not materialized, at least from Tehran. Israeli aerial forces carried out a massive preemptive strike against Hezbollah in Lebanon in late August after detecting preparations for a large-scale attack.

(JNS)

European Union countries are buying too much of their defense equipment abroad, almost two thirds of it in the United States, and failing to invest enough in joint military projects, a landmark report on EU competitiveness warned on Monday. The 27 member states are also failing to make best use of Europe’s research and development capacities to modernize their armed forces, with just a fraction the level of U.S. investment, said the report by former Italian prime minister and European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi. The report comes as the EU continue to struggle to find enough weapons and ammunition to help Ukraine survive the full-scale Russian invasion, now in its third year, and to kickstart Europe’s defense industry. “Europe is wasting its common resources. We have large collective spending power, but we dilute it across multiple different national and EU instruments,” said Draghi’s report, which has been a year in the making and is likely to fuel an overhaul of the bloc’s industrial strategy. Part of the problem, it said, is failing to invest properly in Europe to create stronger defense firms. “We are still not joining forces in the defense industry to help our companies to integrate and reach scale,” it said. The report pointed out that “we also do not favor competitive European defense companies.” The report notes that, between mid-2022 and mid-2023, 63% of all EU defense orders were placed with U.S. companies, and a further 15% with other non-EU suppliers. Last week, the Netherlands joined a list of EU members to order big budget U.S.-made F-35 warplanes. Across the 27 nations in 2022, defense research and development spending amounted to 10.7 billion euros ($11.8 billion) — just 4.5% of the total — compared with $140 billion in the United States, or around 16% of all defense spending. NATO allies — almost all of whose members are part of the EU — have been ramping up defense spending since Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014. Their aim is for each country to spend at least 2% of gross domestic product on their national defense budget. Consecutive U.S. leaders have been exhorting European allies and Canada to spend more on defense for more than a decade, although former President Donald Trump was the only one to threaten to refuse to defend any country that did not respect the goal. Much of the money goes back to U.S. industry. NATO forecasts that 23 of its 32 members will meet or exceed the 2% target by the end of the year, up from just three countries in 2014. Western defense spending has been further spurred by Russia’s fully fledged invasion of Ukraine in 2022. On top of this, NATO allies also want to dedicate at least 20% of their national defense expenditure to major new equipment. That includes funds for research and development, which is crucial for modernizing their armed forces. The report highlighted the shortcomings of countries investing in their national defense industry rather than joint procurement. When Ukraine appealed for artillery, for example, EU countries supplied 10 types of howitzers. Some use different 155 mm shells, causing logistical headaches. In contrast, the A-330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport plane was developed jointly, and this allowed participating countries to pool resources and share operating and maintenance costs. (AP)

Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, along with five other hostages, reportedly fought to defend themselves in the moments before they were executed by Hamas terrorists in a Gaza tunnel, according to new details from the IDF investigation. The families of the six hostages were briefed over the weekend by IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari, who shared that several of the victims tried to resist their attackers before being shot. The bodies of Goldberg-Polin, 23, and the other hostages—Eden Yerushalmi, 24, Ori Danino, 25, Alex Lobanov, 32, Carmel Gat, 40, and Almog Sarusi, 27—were discovered on August 31 in a tunnel beneath Rafah in southern Gaza. Evidence suggested that Goldberg-Polin, Danino, Lobanov, and Sarusi defended Yerushalmi and Gat before they were killed. The tunnel conditions were described as dire, with no air vents, toilets, or showers, and too low for the hostages to stand. Items including protein bars, a flashlight, and a chess set were found at the scene, along with notepads that have been given to the families. Autopsies revealed that all six hostages were killed by short-range gunshots, likely the day before their bodies were discovered during an IDF raid. Hamas has since taunted the families by releasing pre-recorded videos of the hostages, including a message from Goldberg-Polin where he told his family, “I love you, I miss you… keep on fighting.” In a somber security cabinet meeting on Sunday, the IDF presented harrowing footage from the tunnel. The video, recorded by IDF forces, revealed the inhumane conditions in which the hostages were held. Cabinet members were reportedly shocked and horrified by the footage, describing it as “extremely tough to watch.” The IDF plans to show the video to the victims’ families before deciding whether to release it to the public. At a Knesset committee meeting on Monday, Esther Buchshtab, whose son Yagev was also murdered in captivity by Hamas, confirmed that her son was executed. She criticized government policy, saying that military pressure leads to the killing of hostages, rather than their rescue. Mossad chief Dedi Barnea briefed the cabinet on ongoing negotiations for a deal, indicating that talks are still underway, with an American mediation proposal expected, but not guaranteed. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Thousands of Israelis traveling to the Kever of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov (1772-1810) in Ukraine ahead of Rosh Hashanah next month will not be permitted to connect through Moldova and will be rerouted via Romania and Poland instead, a trip organizer said on Sunday.

The annual Yamim Noraim journey, which is taking place despite the Russo-Ukrainian War, is being made even more difficult due to a decision by Moldovan authorities last week not to allow Israeli charter flights to land in their country after months of negotiations on the issue.

Tens of thousands of mostly Chassidic Jews from Israel, the US and other countries make the trek to Uman every year ahead of Rosh Hashanah, to spend the start of the new year at Rabbi Nachman’s Kever.

The predominantly male travelers to Uman, located about 125 miles south of Kyiv, continued last year despite travel warnings issued by the Israeli government and the pleas of Ukrainian officials to stay away because of the war with Russia.

Moldovan officials cited security concerns at the airport for the decision.

“We feel exploited by the Moldovans after months of talks on the issue,” Levi Yitzhak Gvirtz of the Ichud Breslev in Uman told JNS on Sunday.

He said that about 15,000 passengers on charter flights were affected by the change, about half of the roughly 30,000 visitors expected to make the trip this year. The majority of the travelers come from Israel.

The organizers are now working to reroute all the pilgrims via Romania and Poland.

There are no flights to and from Ukraine because of the war.

“In the end, people will not give up on the trip, only now they will be more uncomfortable and that’s a shame,” Gvirtz said.

The issue of Uman Rosh Hashanah came up in a call last month between the Israeli and Ukrainian leaders.

Last month, the United States issued a travel warning against American citizens going to Uman because of the security situation in Ukraine.

Last year, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu cautioned Israelis against traveling to Uman for the Yamim Noraim, saying they must take full responsibility for their own safety.

“God has not always protected us, both on Ukrainian and other European soil,” Netanyahu said.

(JNS)

33-year-old Benzion Rivlin, a member of Neturei Karta, was charged with criminal mischief as a hate crime and trespassing, after attacking the Monsey Service Station over its support for Israel, MONSEY SCOOP REPORTED. Rivlin attempted to damage an American/Israeli flag at the service station early Tuesday morning using spray paint, but was caught by Ramapo police officers moments later. Sources tell Monsey Scoop that a Ramapo Police officer saw Rivlin in the act, and arrested him following a brief pursuit. This is not the first such incident at Monsey Service Station, as the business has faced vandalism, flag theft, and protests since the owner’s daughter began displaying an Israeli flag earlier this year. “Between the stealing of the flags and the spray-painting on the sidewalks… the chanting and protesting outside and the dead fish thrown in front of our building, I couldn’t even tell you how many times we’ve been going through this,” the business told News12. While police cannot confirm if Rivlin is connected to previous incidents, he was arrested in March on a different hate crime-related charge. Rivlin is due in court on September 19 for the latest charges. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israel Police officers on Monday arrested 13 suspects and were checking a suspicious vehicle they stopped on the busy Route 6 highway near the Choreshim interchange.

The Horeshim interchange is in the southern Sharon Plain, close to Shomron.

“All the occupants of the vehicle were detained for questioning,” said the statement, adding that sappers were searching for explosives.

On Sept. 2, Israeli security forces neutralized a car bomb outside the entrance to the Jewish community of Ateret in the Binyamin region of Shomron.

Police and military sappers used a robot to inspect the vehicle, which was carrying two large gas tanks connected to an operating mechanism.

There were no casualties in the incident, which Yisrael Ganz, the head of the Binyamin Regional Council, called a “great miracle.”

Days earlier, the Hamas terrorist group hailed a “double heroic operation” after car bombers wounded three Israelis in the Gush Etzion region of Yehuda.

Last month, Hamas leader abroad Khaled Mashaal called for a return to suicide terrorist attacks against Israelis in Yehuda and Shomron.

During a video address to a conference in Istanbul, Mashaal said, “Resistance operations in the West Bank are escalating despite the harsh conditions,” CNN Arabic reported.

“We want to return to martyrdom operations. This is a situation that can only be addressed by open conflict. They are fighting us with open conflict, and we are confronting them with open conflict,” he continued.

On Aug. 19, the “military” wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad both claimed responsibility for a failed suicide bombing in south Tel Aviv.

In a statement, Hamas vowed to continue to carry out suicide attacks “as long as Israel continues its massacre and policy of assassinations in Gaza.”

(JNS)

One month after a judge declared Google’s search engine an illegal monopoly, the tech giant faces another antitrust lawsuit that threatens to break up the company, this time over its advertising technology. The Justice Department, joined by a coalition of states, and Google each made opening statements Monday to a federal judge who will decide whether Google holds a monopoly over online advertising technology. The regulators contend that Google built, acquired and maintains a monopoly over the technology that matches online publishers to advertisers. Dominance over the software on both the buy side and the sell side of the transaction enables Google to keep as much as 36 cents on the dollar when it brokers sales between publishers and advertisers, the government contends in court papers. They allege that Google also controls the ad exchange market, which matches the buy side to the sell side. “It’s worth saying the quiet part out loud,” Justice Department lawyer Julia Tarver Wood said during her opening statement. “One monopoly is bad enough. But a trifecta of monopolies is what we have here.” Google says the government’s case is based on an internet of yesteryear, when desktop computers ruled and internet users carefully typed precise World Wide Web addresses into URL fields. Advertisers now are more likely to turn to social media companies like TikTok or streaming TV services like Peacock to reach audiences. In her opening statement, Google lawyer Karen Dunn said, “We are one big company among many others, competing millisecond by millisecond for every ad impression.” Revenue has actually declined in recent years for Google Networks, the division of the Mountain View, California-based tech giant that includes such services as AdSense and Google Ad Manager that are at the heart of the case, from $31.7 billion in 2021 to $31.3 billion in 2023, according to the company’s annual reports. The trial that began Monday in Alexandria, Virginia, over the alleged ad tech monopoly was initially going to be a jury trial, but Google maneuvered to force a bench trial, writing a check to the federal government for more than $2 million to moot the only claim brought by the government that required a jury. The case will now be decided by U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema, who was appointed to the bench by former President Bill Clinton and is best known for high-profile terrorism trials including that of Sept. 11 defendant Zacarias Moussaoui. Brinkema, though, also has experience with highly technical civil trials, working in a courthouse that sees an outsize number of patent infringement cases. The Virginia case comes on the heels of a major defeat for Google over its search engine, which generates the majority of the company’s $307 billion in annual revenue. A judge in the District of Columbia declared the search engine a monopoly, maintained in part by tens of billions of dollars Google pays each year to companies like Apple to lock in Google as the default search engine presented to consumers when they buy iPhones and other gadgets. In that case, the judge has not yet imposed any remedies. The government hasn’t offered its proposed sanctions, though there could be close scrutiny over whether Google should be allowed to continue to make exclusivity deals that ensure its search engine is consumers’ default option. Peter Cohan, […]