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NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani received a hostile reception at an NYPD National Night Out Against Crime event on Staten Island, where loud boos and jeers from the crowd cut his appearance short, forcing him to leave the stage after speaking for less than a minute.

The incident unfolded at the Midland Beach boardwalk during the NYPD’s 43rd Patrol Borough National Night Out Against Crime celebration, which drew approximately 3,500 residents and families, according to the Staten Island Advance.

As Mamdani walked toward the podium, attendees erupted in boos and shouted profanities, with some in the crowd repeatedly yelling for him to leave, according to videos posted on social media.

Despite his typically lengthy public appearances, the mayor delivered only a brief greeting, wishing those in attendance a “Happy Night Out Against Crime,” before being escorted away from the stage while smiling.

Many people in the audience expressed their displeasure by giving Mamdani a thumbs-down gesture as they continued booing and heckling him while he exited the area.

Although his appearance on stage ended quickly, Mamdani later stopped to pose for photographs with several attendees, according to the report.

The tense reception stood in sharp contrast to the spirit of the annual National Night Out events, during which the NYPD and city officials hosted more than 70 gatherings across New York City as part of a “community-building campaign” designed to strengthen partnerships between police and local residents and “help make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live.”

The newly formed HaTzibur HaCharedi party has issued a formal response to Matzav.com following several reports concerning the party, strongly denying claims that individuals associated with Gadi Eisenkot played any advisory role in its formation or strategy.

In a statement sent to Matzav.com by Menachem Fischer on behalf of the party, HaTzibur HaCharedi rejected reports based on a Kan 11 News report alleging that Ronen Manelis, Ronen Aviani, and Inbar Gitti were involved in advising the party during its early stages.

“We regret that the reporter chose to run with false information,” the statement said. “To be clear: Ronen Manelis, Ronen Aviani, and Inbar Gitti have never advised the HaTzibur HaCharedi faction. Any other claim amounts to serious defamation.”

The party said it was established independently in response to what it described as widespread demand within the Chareidi community for new political representation while remaining aligned with the right-wing bloc.

“The HaTzibur HaCharedi faction arose from the outcry of hundreds of thousands of Charedim seeking representation, while remaining committed to the right-wing bloc and camp,” the statement read.

The party also accused unnamed activists within the established Chareidi political parties of attempting to undermine the new movement.

“A group of panicked Askanim from the Charedi parties, who have staked everything on breaking apart the right-wing bloc and who are now in a state of panic, are busy spreading lies instead of looking the real problems facing Charedi society straight in the eye. We will not be deterred.”

In addition, the party asked Matzav.com to note that Avi Wartelsky has not served as an adviser to HaTzibur HaCharedi for some time.

Matzav.com had previously reported on Kan 11’s claims regarding the alleged involvement of associates of Eisenkot in the party’s early organizational efforts, as well as subsequent political developments involving the new faction. The party’s statement rejects those reports in their entirety.

{Matzav.com}

Dr. Anthony Fauci was voted in contempt of Congress on Thursday after a Senate committee determined that his repeated refusal to answer questions during a hearing on the COVID-19 pandemic warranted a criminal referral. The move comes after Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment 111 times while declining to respond to lawmakers’ inquiries.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved the contempt resolution by an 8-5 party-line vote, referring the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for possible prosecution. The hearing focused on Fauci’s handling of the pandemic and his previous congressional testimony concerning U.S.-funded “gain of function” research.

Under the resolution, Vice President JD Vance, acting in his role as President of the Senate, is authorized to certify the committee’s report and forward it to U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro for possible prosecution.

If convicted of misdemeanor contempt of Congress, Fauci could face a sentence of up to one year in prison and a fine of as much as $1,000.

At the July 29 hearing, Fauci criticized committee chairman Sen. Rand Paul, accusing the Kentucky Republican of targeting him personally.

Republican members of the committee had intended to question Fauci about research conducted at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the possibility that COVID-19 originated from a laboratory leak, and the scientific basis for several controversial pandemic policies.

Because Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment, he declined to answer even routine questions, including one from Sen. Josh Hawley asking about the color of his necktie.

Republicans argued that Fauci had forfeited his ability to invoke the Fifth Amendment because of both the opening statement he voluntarily delivered and the sweeping pardon he received from then-President Joe Biden covering potential federal offenses between January 2014 and January 2025.

“The assertion of a Fifth Amendment privilege only adheres to those instances where the witness has a reasonable fear of future prosecution, and it must be tailored to any such fear,” Hawley noted.

“Fauci faced no risk of federal prosecution. All he had to do was tell the truth,” Paul claimed shortly before the vote. “More than 100 times, though, he refused.”

“The chair ruled that Doctor Fauci’s assertion of the Fifth Amendment privilege was unsupported in light of the pardon and the testimony he offered in his opening statement. The chair directed Anthony Fauci to answer. He refused again,” he added.

Democrats attempted to halt the contempt proceedings by offering motions to table the resolution, including a proposal to grant Fauci immunity from federal prosecution if he agreed to testify fully. Republican members voted down each of those efforts.

Democrats argued that Fauci still had legitimate concerns about legal exposure because Paul has repeatedly urged the Justice Department to investigate whether Fauci misled Congress in prior testimony.

They also noted that three state attorneys general have subpoenaed Fauci and argued that any testimony he provided before the Senate could potentially be used in state investigations, despite his federal pardon.

Sen. Gary Peters, the committee’s ranking Democrat, accused Republicans of punishing Fauci for exercising a constitutional right.

“Future witnesses will argue that appearing before Congress exposes them to punishment, regardless of whether they comply with the subpoena and invoke a constitutional protection,” warned Peters, the top Democrat on the committee.

“The chairman has also suggested he may attempt to refer this matter to the Department of Justice without approval of the full Senate,” Peters added. “That would be even more dangerous.”

Earlier Thursday, Sen. Ron Johnson disclosed that the committee had obtained a copy of Fauci’s cellphone from the Department of Health and Human Services and said lawmakers are also seeking an additional transcribed interview with the former NIAID director.

{Matzav.com}

Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday dismissed reports that he had a contentious exchange with Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu over Iran policy, saying the two leaders had an honest but cordial discussion and insisting there was no confrontation.

The controversy stemmed from Vance’s recent appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast, during which he claimed that certain figures within the Israeli government had supported efforts to undermine negotiations with Iran and prevent a possible ceasefire agreement.

During an interview Wednesday on Fox News with Laura Ingraham, Vance was asked about an Axios report alleging that Netanyahu challenged him over those comments during the Prime Minister’s recent visit to Washington, D.C., at Blair House.

“He didn’t confront me. We had a nice and frank conversation,” Vance said, rejecting the characterization of the meeting.

The Vice President emphasized that while the United States and Israel remain close allies, they do not always see every issue the same way.

“As I’ve said repeatedly, Israel has been a great partner. They’re an ally of the United States of America. But like France or Britain or any other ally of the United States of America, we sometimes have differences of opinion,” the Vice President noted.

Vance said his responsibility is to advance American interests above all else, even when disagreements arise with friendly nations.

“And I think that the American media is fascinated by this dynamic, but the simple reality is my job is to pursue the interests of no other nation on Earth except for the United States of America. So when our interests are aligned with Israel, we talk about how to accomplish those shared objectives. When my viewpoint is averse to the Prime Minister of Israel, we have a frank conversation about that.”

Reflecting on the meeting, Vance reiterated that the discussion was respectful despite the differing viewpoints.

“a pleasant but direct conversation. I didn’t feel confronted.”

Netanyahu also addressed the reports during an interview with ABC News while he was in Washington, rejecting the suggestion that Israel had pursued the policy Vance described on the podcast.

“Well, we’re not actually. I had a very good conversation with the vice president this morning, and I think we straightened that out because we’re not. That’s not our policy,” the Prime Minister emphasized.

{Matzav.com}

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