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Major U.S. airlines voiced frustration after the Department of Homeland Security announced it would temporarily suspend its PreCheck and Global Entry programs, saying travelers were given little advance notice before the decision took effect. The suspension comes as much of the agency remains affected by a partial government shutdown.

The pause in the DHS-run programs is set to begin at 6 a.m. ET (1100 GMT) on Sunday. The disruption follows last week’s partial shutdown, which was triggered after Republicans and Democrats were unable to reach an agreement on immigration enforcement reforms.

Airlines for America criticized the move, warning that passengers are once again being caught in the middle of a political standoff. “Airlines for America is deeply concerned that … the traveling public will be, once again, used as a political football amid another government shutdown,” Chief Executive Chris Sununu said.

Sununu also said the timing of the announcement left travelers scrambling. News of the suspensions came at “extremely short notice to travelers, giving them little time to plan accordingly,” he added in a statement, urging Congress to “get a deal done.”

He noted that a similar shutdown last fall inflicted significant financial damage on the broader travel sector, estimating losses of $6.1 billion across the industry and related businesses.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the agency’s decision, saying resources must be redirected during the funding lapse. “TSA and Customs and Border Protection are prioritizing the general traveling population at our airports and ports of entry and suspending courtesy and special privilege escorts,” she said.

Noem added that DHS was being forced to make difficult operational choices in response to the funding shortfall. “We are making tough but necessary workforce and resource decisions to mitigate the damage,” she said in a statement to Reuters.

According to the Washington Post, the suspension of traveler programs is part of a broader set of emergency steps DHS is implementing to shift personnel and manage operations more than a week after Congress failed to approve additional funding.

The programs affected serve tens of millions of travelers. In 2024, the Transportation Security Administration reported that PreCheck had more than 20 million active members. Across all DHS trusted traveler programs, including Global Entry, the total number of vetted airline passengers surpassed 40 million.

PreCheck enables enrolled passengers to use dedicated security lanes at U.S. airports, allowing for faster screening and shorter wait times. The program is designed to streamline airport security for approved travelers.

Global Entry provides expedited customs and immigration processing for pre-approved, low-risk international travelers returning to the United States.

The latest action follows a directive from the Trump administration last week instructing another DHS component, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to halt the deployment of disaster relief personnel to affected areas as a result of the shutdown.

{Matzav.com}

Multiple Arab governments issued sharp condemnations of US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee after he voiced support for Israel’s control over territory across the Middle East, including Judea and Samaria, calling his remarks inflammatory, unlawful, and diplomatically inappropriate.

The controversy followed a podcast interview released Friday in which Huckabee spoke with American journalist Tucker Carlson. During the discussion, he defended Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and expressed belief in what he described as “divine providence” granting Israel authority over the land.

Citing a biblical claim to territory extending from the Nile River to the Euphrates River, Huckabee said, “It would be fine if they (Israel) took it all.”

After Huckabee referenced Israel’s religious claim to the broader region, Carlson pressed him for clarification, asking, “What land are you talking about?” Scholars differ in their interpretation of the biblical term “river of Egypt,” with some identifying it as a wadi in the Sinai Peninsula and others interpreting it as the Nile itself.

BREAKING: US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee tells Tucker Carlson that Israel has the Biblical right to take over all of the Middle East.

“It would be fine if they took it all.” pic.twitter.com/BN4fXh03ga

— Tucker Carlson Network (@TCNetwork) February 20, 2026

Reaffirming his earlier point, Huckabee responded, “It would be fine if they took it all,” again referencing what he described as Israel’s biblical entitlement to land between the Nile and the Euphrates. He added, however, that Israel is not attempting to dominate the entire Middle East, but maintains a right to exist within areas currently under its sovereignty.

Jordan was among the first to react. In an official statement, its Foreign Ministry labeled the ambassador’s remarks “absurd and provocative,” asserting that they “constitute a violation of diplomatic norms, an infringement on the sovereignty of states in the region, and a blatant breach of international law and the UN Charter.”

The Jordanian government further stated that Huckabee’s comments “contradict the publicly declared position of US President Donald Trump rejecting annexation of the occupied West Bank.”

Amman called for “the concerted efforts of all parties to consolidate stability in Gaza and to implement the US president’s plan and UN Security Council Resolution 2803, instead of issuing absurd, escalatory, irresponsible statements that carry no legal value or effect.”

Egypt also formally protested the remarks. In a statement from its Foreign Ministry, Cairo described the ambassador’s comments as a “flagrant departure” from the principles set out in international law and the UN Charter.

Egyptian officials expressed astonishment at the statements, arguing they conflict with President Trump’s previously outlined vision and the accompanying 20-point framework intended to bring an end to the war in Gaza. They also referenced conclusions reached at a Board of Peace conference in Washington held Thursday.

Cairo reiterated that Israel holds no sovereignty over what it called “occupied Palestinian land” or other Arab territories. It stressed its total opposition to any effort to annex Judea and Samaria, sever it from Gaza, or expand “settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory.”

Saudi Arabia joined the condemnation, with its Foreign Ministry declaring “in the strongest terms” its rejection of what it described as Huckabee’s “reckless remarks.” Riyadh said the statements violate international law, the UN Charter, and diplomatic standards, and warned that such rhetoric from a US official sets a dangerous example while disregarding the region’s long-standing ties with Washington.

In its statement, the Saudi government cautioned that such extreme comments “threaten international peace and security” by provoking tensions among nations and populations in the region and eroding the foundations of the global order.

Riyadh called on the US State Department to clarify its stance on what it characterized as a dismissed proposal and reaffirmed its unwavering opposition to any violation of national sovereignty, territorial boundaries, or state integrity.

The Saudi statement further emphasized that a lasting and comprehensive peace can only be achieved by ending the occupation through a two-state solution and establishing an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 lines with eastern Jerusalem as its capital.

Oman also voiced its objection. Its Foreign Ministry described the ambassador’s comments as an unlawful endorsement of imposing authority over Arab territories.

Muscat said the remarks run counter to international law and the UN Charter and warned that such language damages prospects for peace while jeopardizing stability and security in the region.

The Omani government reaffirmed its steadfast backing of the Palestinian Arab people’s right to self-determination and the creation of an independent state based on the June 4, 1967 borders with eastern Jerusalem as its capital, as well as ending the “occupation of all Arab territories.”

{Matzav.com}

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Early Friday morning, two suspects were arrested by the NYPD with the assistance of Boro Park Shomrim volunteers following a series of car break-ins in the Boro Park. Sources tell YWN that the suspects smashed car windows and broke into multiple vehicles before being arrested at Fort Hamilton Parkway and 41st Street after a coordinated […]

✈️❄️ The nation’s aviation network is grinding to a standstill as a powerful bomb cyclone slams the Northeast, disrupting more than 8,000 flights nationwide. • 8,000+ cancellations reported so far, with hundreds more delays through Tuesday • Major hubs hit hard: JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, Philadelphia, and Boston • JetBlue has canceled about 40% of its […]

President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said over the weekend that the President is questioning why Iran has not moved forward with an agreement on its nuclear program despite mounting pressure from Washington.

In an appearance Saturday night on Fox News, Witkoff told Lara Trump that the President is seeking clarity on Tehran’s position. “He’s curious as to why they haven’t…I don’t want to use the word capitulated, but why they haven’t capitulated,” Witkoff told Lara Trump, the President’s daughter-in-law.

He continued by describing what he said is the administration’s view that Iran is facing significant U.S. military pressure in the region. “[Trump is curious] why under this sort of pressure with the amount of naval power that we have over there, why they haven’t come to us and said, ‘We profess that we don’t want a weapon, so here’s what we’re prepared to do.’ And yet it’s hard to sort of get them to that place.”

Witkoff on Iran: The president is curious as to why — I don’t want to use the word capitulated but why they haven't capitulated. Why under this pressure with the amount of naval power over there, why they haven't come to us and said we profess we don't want a weapon… pic.twitter.com/gdv9CXjwBW

— Acyn (@Acyn) February 22, 2026

Witkoff also outlined what he described as the administration’s non-negotiable conditions, stating that Trump expects Iran to agree to “zero enrichment” of uranium. He noted that Iran’s current enrichment levels exceed what would be necessary for strictly civilian energy needs.

The remarks come as Trump has repeatedly pressed Iran to finalize a nuclear agreement, while simultaneously maintaining a heightened U.S. military presence in the Middle East in the event diplomatic efforts collapse.

On Friday, Trump publicly encouraged Tehran to “better negotiate a fair deal.” During those comments, he also referenced claims from Iranian opposition groups that 32,000 protesters have been killed in Iran — a figure that is considerably higher than other available estimates.

In response to the growing discussion, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, pushed back against reports suggesting Washington has formally demanded a permanent end to uranium enrichment.

Speaking to MS NOW, Araghchi clarified that Iran has not “offered any suspension, and the US side has not asked for zero enrichment.”

{Matzav.com}

Weddings scheduled for Sunday evening across New York and New Jersey have been moved up by several hours, with nearly all simchos rescheduled to the afternoon, as a powerful winter storm threatened to bring full blizzard conditions to the region tonight into Monday.

Event halls and caterers have confirmed that all simchos originally set for Sunday night were shifted earlier in the day in an effort to allow guests to travel home safely before conditions deteriorate. With forecasts calling for heavy snowfall, damaging winds, and near-zero visibility, families made last-minute adjustments to avoid the peak of the storm. (See invitations below.)

The annual dinners of Mesivta of Long Beach and Yeshiva Gedolah of Passaic have been cancelled.

The Links Strings Concert, scheduled to be held tonight in New Jersey, has been rescheduled for Tuesday, February 24.

In Lakewood, NJ, Yeshiva Ohr Yehuda cancelled their annual dinner, which was to be held tonight, and Mesivta Ohr Chaim Meir has moved their dinner up to the afternoon.

A major winter system is expected to slam New York City and the broader Tri-State area beginning this afternoon, intensifying rapidly after sunset. Eyewitness News Meteorologist Jeff Smith warned that the storm could rank among the most significant snow events the region has experienced in years.

Forecasters say the storm could be the largest snowmaker to strike the area since January 2016, when New York City recorded its biggest snowstorm on record. The last blizzard warning issued for the region was in March 2017, underscoring how unusual this event is. Meteorologists describe the system as a powerful convergence of energy from the Ohio Valley colliding with moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, producing a storm that resembles a winter hurricane.

By midday today, steadier snow is forecast to develop, especially from New York City south and west, with visibility beginning to drop. After sunset, temperatures will fall and the storm is expected to rapidly strengthen offshore, drawing intense snow bands directly into the region.

Meteorologists warn that snowfall rates could reach 2 to 3 inches per hour, with some areas seeing those heavy bands linger overhead for extended periods.

Most of the Tri-State area is projected to receive between 12 and 18 inches of snow. Localized totals could climb to 24 inches or more where the heaviest bands stall, particularly across Long Island and parts of the Jersey Shore. Areas farther north and west, including the Poconos and Catskills, are expected to see lower totals in the 8- to 12-inch range due to less direct access to the storm’s core moisture.

Blizzard warnings are in effect for Long Island, all five boroughs of New York City, Westchester and Rockland counties, coastal Connecticut, and much of New Jersey.

The storm meets the criteria for a blizzard, with winds expected to gust at 35 mph or higher, heavy snowfall, and visibility reduced to less than a quarter mile for at least three consecutive hours. Forecasters say the region could experience 10 to 12 hours of true blizzard conditions Sunday night into Monday.

Winds will steadily increase throughout Sunday, peaking overnight with gusts exceeding 40 mph across much of the region and potentially reaching 60 mph on Long Island. The combination of strong winds and wet, heavy snow raises the risk of downed trees and widespread power outages.

Road conditions are expected to worsen quickly Sunday evening. Officials warn that the Monday morning commute may be nearly impossible in some locations.

Snow is forecast to taper off Monday afternoon, though gusty winds and areas of blowing snow will continue to create hazardous conditions.

Temperatures will turn colder and breezy on Tuesday as cleanup efforts begin. Another system could approach midweek, though early projections indicate it will be significantly weaker than the current storm.

{Matzav.com}

Officers from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have assumed a leading role within Hezbollah as preparations intensify for a potential confrontation involving the United States and Israel, according to a report by Saudi outlet Al-Arabiya. At the same time, Lebanese political figures were said to be voicing alarm over the possibility that their country could be pulled into a broader regional war.

Citing sources described as close to Hezbollah, Al-Arabiya reported that several IRGC officers recently arrived in Lebanon from Iran and are now overseeing efforts to restore the group’s military strength. Hezbollah’s capabilities were heavily damaged during 14 months of hostilities with Israel that concluded with a ceasefire in November 2024, and the Iranian officers have reportedly been tasked with rebuilding those assets.

The unnamed sources said the Iranian personnel have been conducting direct briefings for Hezbollah members throughout Lebanon. They also claimed that IRGC officers were meeting with operatives from Hezbollah’s missile division at a facility in the Beqaa Valley that was struck overnight by Israeli forces. The wave of airstrikes reportedly left at least 50 people wounded and 12 dead, including a senior Hezbollah commander. The IDF said the strikes targeted Hamas and Hezbollah command centers.

Sources aligned with Hezbollah told Al-Arabiya that a broader Israeli assault on Lebanon is inevitable and could occur at any time.

The developments unfolded as US President Donald Trump has bolstered American military deployments in the region and has repeatedly warned that those forces could be used against Iran. Initially, his threats focused on Tehran’s harsh suppression of anti-regime protests last month, but more recently they have centered on Iran’s nuclear activities.

Hebrew-language media outlets have reported that Israel is preparing to coordinate military action with the United States and believes it could come under Iranian attack if Washington launches strikes on Iran.

The Kan public broadcaster reported last night that Israeli officials have detected preparations by Hezbollah, particularly within its rocket units, to carry out attacks in the event Iran is targeted. According to the report, Hezbollah could join forces with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iranian-backed Shiite militias in Iraq, and Yemen’s Houthi rebels in striking Israel.

Haaretz, citing unnamed Israeli military officials, reported that recent Israeli air raids against Hezbollah positions were designed to weaken the organization’s operational capacity in anticipation of possible hostilities. On Friday, at least 10 people were reported killed and 50 injured in Israeli strikes in eastern Lebanon after the Israel Defense Forces said it had targeted Hezbollah command centers.

Channel 12 news reported that Trump was leaning toward attacking Iran, but had agreed to a request from his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to give Iran another day or two to submit a proposal in the indirect US-Iran nuclear negotiations that commenced earlier this month.

An unnamed US official was quoted by the network saying that the 10- to 15-day deadline Trump gave Iran on Thursday was “not scientific.”

Trump has demanded Iran give up entirely on its nuclear enrichment program, but is reportedly open to letting the Islamic Republic preserve some “token” enrichment capabilities.

Last month in Lebanon, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem addressed pro-Iran demonstrators and declared that the group would not remain neutral if the United States attacked Iran, though he did not directly threaten Israel.

In a separate report this week, the Ynet news site, without citing sources, said Iran was urging Hezbollah to join it in combat should war break out with Israel. The report added that the IDF has formulated a plan to “significantly strike” Hezbollah and has conveyed to the group “that if it decides to intervene, this time the blow will be very painful.”

Yesterday, Lebanese outlet Nidaa al-Watan, which is critical of Hezbollah, cited “prominent political sources” as saying that Beirut must formally declare neutrality in the event of a US-Iran conflict and prevent Hezbollah from drawing Lebanon into another war with Israel.

“Hezbollah thought it could confuse Israel and the US by saying it would not be neutral if Iran were struck, so Israel responded by saying that as soon as it’s informed by Washington of the zero hour, it will preemptively strike Hezbollah. Israel won’t let Hezbollah have the initiative,” Nidaa al-Watan quoted its sources as saying. “Hezbollah will drag Lebanon into this war.”

Hezbollah, once a dominant power within Lebanon’s political system, has seen its influence reduced since January 2025, when Lebanon’s US- and Saudi-backed President Joseph Aoun, a former army chief, took office. Aoun has pledged to enforce the state’s exclusive authority over weapons, an implicit challenge to Hezbollah’s vast independent arsenal.

{Matzav.com}

In a wide-ranging and unusually candid interview, U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff told Fox News that Iran could, in theory, be “about a week away” from enriching uranium to weapons-grade levels. “They’re probably a week away from having industrial-grade bomb-making material. And that’s really dangerous,” he said. Yet the warning came with […]

At the direct order of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, a session of the Knesset’s Ministerial Committee for Legislation scheduled for Sunday morning was canceled in order to block the advancement of a bill to preserve the kedusha of the Kosel, including the southern section. The bill, proposed by Noam chairman Avi Moaz, would amend the […]

JPMorgan Chase disclosed that it terminated more than 50 bank accounts connected to President Donald Trump shortly after he left office following his first term.

The bank confirmed Friday that “more than 50 Trump accounts” were shut down in February 2021, just weeks after the January 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, according to The New York Times.

The disclosure came after Trump “and the Trump Organization” filed a lawsuit in January against JPMorgan Chase and its chief executive, Jamie Dimon, alleging that the bank had improperly cut off the president’s access to financial services, the newspaper reported.

According to the report, the accounts JPMorgan allegedly “debanked” included those tied to “for Trump hotels, housing developments and retail shops” across multiple states, in addition to “Trump’s personal private banking relationship that handled his inheritance:”

The accounts included those for Trump hotels, housing developments and retail shops in Illinois, Florida and New York, as well as Mr. Trump’s personal private banking relationship that handled his inheritance from his father, according to letter filed to the court.

In correspondence submitted to the court, JPMorgan did not provide a detailed explanation for the widespread closures. In one unsigned note to Mr. Trump, dated Feb. 19, 2021, the bank wrote that he would need to “find a more suitable institution with which to conduct business.”

Breitbart News’s John Nolte reported, Trump’s attorneys filed a $5 billion lawsuit against JPMorgan and Dimon, claiming that the institution debanked several of his accounts:

The lawsuit says that on February 19, 2021, Trump received notice, “without warning or provocation,” that several of his and his company’s bank accounts would be closed “just two months later, on April 19, 2021.

“In essence, JPMC debanked plaintiff’s accounts because it believed that the political tide at the moment favored doing so,” the lawsuit claims.

Before JPMorgan publicly acknowledged the account closures, the bank had sought to shift “the case be moved from Florida state court… to a federal court in New York,” according to the NYT.

{Matzav.com}

A grave incident occurred in the Chevron Hills area on Friday when a Jewish farm owner was violently attacked by Arabs from the village of Bani Na’im. The incident—which appeared to be a planned ambush in the farm’s grazing areas—began when the Arabs arrived and tried to drive away the farm’s shepherd. The shepherd alerted […]

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It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rebbetzin Rochel Zuckerman a”h, the devoted wife of Rav Aharon Zuckerman, rov of Khal Zichron Pinchos in Lakewood, NJ.

Rebbetzin Zuckerman was known to all who merited to know her as a woman of deep kindness, refinement, and strength. She embodied warmth and sincerity, greeting each person with a gentle smile and a listening ear. Her life was defined by chesed, compassion, and an unwavering dedication to Torah and to Klal Yisroel.

As a rebbetzin, she stood steadfastly at her husband’s side, supporting his harbotzas haTorah and rabbonus with devotion. Whether during their years in Brooklyn or later in Lakewood, she played an essential role in supporting her husband. Her home was open to all, a place of comfort, guidance, and encouragement. With dignity and humility, she carried the responsibilities of a rebbetzin, always seeking to uplift others.

She is survived by her husband, Rav Aharon Zuckerman; her children, Rabbi Yitzchok Zuckerman (Monsey), Rabbi Pinchos Zuckerman (Detroit), Rabbi Shlomo Chaim Zuckerman (Brooklyn), Rabbi Mayer Zuckerman (Jackson), Rabbi Eli Zuckerman (Passaic), Mrs. Roizy Nadoff (Lakewood), Rabbi Baruch Zuckerman (Lakewood), Rabbi Avraham Yeshaya Zuckerman (Lakewood), Mrs. Shaindy Trenk (Lakewood), and Mrs. Yenta Chaya Moldaver (Lakewood); and many grandchildren. She is also survived by her siblings, Mrs. Sarah Bleich (Brooklyn), Mrs. Itty Mendelson (Brooklyn), Rabbi Shmuel Lew (London), and Rabbi Luzzy Lew (Lakewood).

The levayah will be held Sunday morning at 9 a.m. at Khal Zichron Pinchos, located at 145 Flintlock Drive in Lakewood, NJ.

Yehi zichrah boruch.

{Matzav.com}

Multiple events planned for Sunday – including local weddings and the Mesivta of Long Beach dinner – have been rescheduled due to the impending blizzard.

In the latest setback to return astronauts to the moon, NASA delayed the highly anticipated flight yet again after a new problem cropped up with the rocket Saturday. April is now the earliest that the four Artemis II astronauts could fly to the moon. NASA revealed the latest problem just one day after targeting March […]

This is not just another story; it is a real case of פיקוח נפש! The Mirrer Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Binyamin Finkel, Rav Yitzchak Ezrachi, and the “Chafetz Chaim of the Generation,” Rav Yitzchak Kolodetzky, issue a bone-shaking call: “The home is disintegrating. The medical crisis and distress have reached the level of פיקוח נפש. It is […]

it is with great sadness that Matzav.comreports the the passing of renowned philanthropist and devoted patron of Torah and chessed Rabbi Yehuda Friedlander z”l, who was niftar over Shabbos at the age of 90.

Rabbi Friedlander, widely respected as one of the foremost benefactors of the Vizhnitzer and Sadigura courts, was known for his vast charitable contributions.

Throughout his life, Rabbi Friedlander divided his time between the Jewish community in Brazil — which he helped build and strengthen — and Yerushalayim, where he settled in his later years. His reputation as a generous supporter of thousands of Torah and charitable institutions preceded him, yet his heart was especially bound to the holy courts of Vizhnitz and Sadigura.

Within Vizhnitz, he was regarded as a central member of the chassidus’ board of trustees. His name is prominently associated with the grand and majestic Vizhnitz beis medrash in Beitar Illit, which he funded and dedicated from his personal wealth out of deep attachment to his rebbe, the Vizhnitzer Rebbe.

Rabbi Friedlander also maintained a profound and enduring relationship with the Sadigura court. He enjoyed close ties with the previous Sadigura Rebbe, and that connection continued with even greater strength with the current Sadigura Rebbe.

Beyond his financial generosity and acts of righteousness, Rabbi Friedlander was known for his rare diligence in limud haTorah. Just a month ago, an acquaintance recounted a moving example that illustrated his character. During a flight to the United States lasting more than ten hours, the 90-year-old philanthropist sat with a sefer open before him, immersed in learning without interruption or rest for the duration of the journey, like a young man in the prime of his strength.

The levayah was held at the main beis medrash in Kiryat Vizhnitz and proceeded to the Kfar Nachman cemetery in Ra’anana for kevurah.

Shivah will be observed at the home of his daughter, the Shargovitz family, at 2 HaHagana Street in Ra’anana.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}

At least 1,557 people held in Venezuela for political reasons have submitted their applications under an amnesty bill that was signed into law this week and are expected to be released from prison, authorities said Saturday. Thursday’s measure is expected to benefit opposition members, activists, human rights defenders, journalists and many others detained for months […]