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Israel’s High Court of Justice on Tuesday temporarily blocked the implementation of the law that freezes the arrest of bnei Torah who have not reported for military service, issuing an interim order while signaling that a final ruling on the legislation is expected in the near future.

The temporary injunction was issued shortly after an expanded panel of nine Supreme Court justices, led by Deputy Chief Justice Noam Sohlberg, concluded a lengthy hearing on a series of petitions seeking to strike down the law.

Those challenging the legislation include the Israel Hofsheet (Be Free Israel) movement, the Movement for Quality Government in Israel, the Brothers and Sisters in Arms organization, along with MKs Yair Lapid and Avigdor Liberman. The petitioners argued that the law was enacted through an improper legislative process and unlawfully violates the constitutional principle of equality in a manner that fails to satisfy the standards required under Israel’s Limitation Clause.

The proceedings took an unusual turn because the government declined to send anyone to defend the very law it had passed. Instead, the Knesset was represented by its legal adviser, attorney Yitzhak Bart, who told the Court that “there is no choice but to strike down the law,” maintaining that the legislation was approved through a process that did not comply with the requirements of Basic Law: The Knesset or the Knesset’s own procedural rules.

Justice Gila Canfy-Steinitz questioned how the Court should handle a situation in which the Knesset declines to defend legislation it enacted. Bart replied that this was “a unique and highly unusual situation,” explaining that the Knesset’s legal advisers are obligated to defend legislation only when it has been passed in accordance with the law. He added that throughout the legislative process, the legal advisers repeatedly warned lawmakers about serious flaws in the bill.

Representing Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, attorney Aner Helman argued that the legislation is “defective and harmful,” insisting that it does not satisfy “even a single requirement of the Limitation Clause.”

Helman contended that the law effectively bars criminal enforcement against those who fail to report for military service and could even halt prosecutions that are already underway. He argued that, particularly at a time when the IDF says it needs thousands of additional soldiers, there is no basis for allowing the law to remain in effect.

Several members of the Court also pressed the state’s legal representatives during the hearing. Justice Yael Wilner questioned why so much emphasis was being placed on the current wartime situation, asking whether the same concerns about discrimination would not exist during peacetime as well. Justice Daphne Barak-Erez observed that the legal dispute is not about the enlistment of yeshivah bochurim itself, but rather about whether criminal sanctions may be imposed.

In a rare development, the justices later permitted attorney Natan Rosenblatt, who was not one of the parties to the case, to address the Court on behalf of the Chareidi community. Rosenblatt argued that the Chareidi public has endured a series of hardships in recent months and asserted that it has repeatedly been treated unfairly by the judicial system.

“We have never, not even once, received a favorable ruling from the High Court.”

Rosenblatt went on to ask the Court: “In a Jewish and democratic state, is it appropriate to place a person before the dilemma of whether to obey the Torah or obey the law?”

Justice David Mintz sharply challenged that assertion.

“Sir, with all due respect, I am restraining myself. I am listening to what you’re saying, and I simply cannot believe what I am hearing. Is there a Torah prohibition against military service?”

Rosenblatt answered that there is, replying: “Your Honor, as a religious man, knows that there is such a prohibition. All the leading Torah sages say so.”

Justice Mintz rejected that characterization, responding: “That itself is apparently subject to very serious dispute. Not all the leading Torah sages. You are speaking from a sectarian perspective. What kind of statement is that?”

{Matzav.com}

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) is openly questioning whether he is still welcome in the Democratic Party, expressing growing frustration over what he views as the party’s increasingly anti-Israel direction while Republicans continue encouraging him to switch sides.

In an interview with NBC News, Fetterman suggested that some members of his own party appear eager to push him out because of his outspoken support for Israel and his willingness to break with Democratic leadership on key issues.

“If the Democratic caucus doesn’t want me, they could just let me know,” Fetterman said, adding that he is troubled by “the very anti-Israel party that we’re becoming.”

The Pennsylvania Democrat has become one of the most vocal pro-Israel voices in his party, repeatedly condemning Hamas, defending Israel’s military campaign, and criticizing progressive Democrats who have called for cutting off U.S. military aid to the Jewish state. His positions have increasingly placed him at odds with the party’s activist base.

His latest remarks come as Republican lawmakers continue making public and private appeals for him to leave the Democratic Party. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has said Republicans would welcome Fetterman into the GOP, while other Republican senators have likewise praised his willingness to challenge his own party on issues such as Israel, immigration, and energy policy.

Despite the overtures, Fetterman has stopped short of saying he intends to switch parties. Instead, he has made clear that his continued membership in the Democratic Party hinges on one issue above all others: Israel.

Earlier this month, Fetterman warned that he would leave if Democrats formally embraced an anti-Israel platform.

“If our party ever becomes, and just makes it official, the anti-Israel party, that’s when I would leave because that’s been a moral clarity for me,” he said.

Fetterman has pointed to a growing shift within the Democratic Party following votes by more than 100 House Democrats to block billions of dollars in military aid to Israel, saying he believes support for America’s closest Middle East ally should remain a core Democratic principle.

His willingness to challenge progressive orthodoxy has also made him a target on the left. Progressive activists and candidates have sharply criticized his positions on Israel, while some have accused him of abandoning the movement that helped elect him.

For now, however, Fetterman insists he has not made any decision to leave the Democratic Party. Even as Republicans continue to court him, he has maintained that his immediate focus remains representing Pennsylvania, while warning that the party’s trajectory on Israel could ultimately determine whether he stays.

{Matzav.com}

A coalition of prominent Jewish legal organizations is sharply criticizing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani after he failed to appoint a single Jewish member to an influential committee that helps recommend judicial nominees, accusing his administration of continuing a pattern that has left many Jewish New Yorkers feeling excluded and ignored.

In a joint letter, the Queens Brandeis Association, the Jewish Lawyers Guild, the Brooklyn Brandeis Society, and the Bronx County Jewish Bar Association expressed outrage over the makeup of the 18-member Mayor’s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary.

“Your recent announcement of appointees to the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary has left us deeply disappointed,” the organizations wrote.

The groups noted that, despite City Hall’s pledge that the panel would represent the diversity of New York City, none of the appointees were Jewish attorneys, judges, or legal professionals.

“Not a single Jewish attorney, former judge or legal professional was appointed to a committee your administration described as one that would be ‘truly reflective of New York City,’” the letter continued.

According to the organizations, the latest decision is not an isolated incident but part of a broader trend that has increasingly alienated the city’s Jewish community. They pointed to Mamdani’s refusal to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, as well as the omission of Jewish neighborhoods from a city map highlighting immigrant communities, as additional examples of what they view as a troubling pattern.

The organizations also emphasized that the controversy comes at an especially sensitive time, just days after a violent antisemitic attack outside an Upper West Side synagogue heightened concerns about the safety and security of Jewish residents throughout the city.

Calling on the mayor to reverse course, the groups urged him to add qualified Jewish representatives to the committee and reaffirm that the Jewish community deserves equal treatment.

“We urge you to correct this exclusion by appointing qualified Jewish members to the Advisory Committee and to reaffirm that Jewish New Yorkers are entitled to the same representation, respect and protection as every other community.”

The letter was signed by Elizabeth Forspan, Benjamin Kaufman, Jeffrey Miller, and Matthew Kluger, who also voiced particular frustration over the administration’s decision not to appoint retired Appellate Division Justice John Leventhal.

City Hall rejected allegations that religion played any role in Leventhal’s exclusion. Instead, Mamdani’s office said the decision stemmed from Leventhal’s previous legal work involving convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.

“To date, Mayor Mamdani has had the privilege of appointing a dozen qualified judges from a range of backgrounds, including Jewish judges,” Mamdani press secretary Joe Calvello told Politico.

“When informed that Mr. Leventhal served on [Ghislaine] Maxwell’s legal team, the Mamdani administration chose not to move forward with his appointment. Any suggestion that the decision around MACJ was motivated by religion is false.”

The advisory committee is led by attorney Ali Najmi, a close confidant of Mamdani who has publicly referred to the mayor as his “brother.” Najmi played a significant role in Mamdani’s rapid rise within New York City’s Democratic socialist movement and now oversees the panel responsible for evaluating judicial candidates before they are nominated by the mayor.

The dispute adds to growing tensions between Mamdani and many leaders in New York’s Jewish community, who have repeatedly accused him of using anti-Israel rhetoric that they believe has contributed to a hostile atmosphere for Jewish residents.

Last week, Mamdani released a video message on social media in which he described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “war criminal” and declared that he is “not welcome” in New York City ahead of Netanyahu’s expected appearance at the United Nations General Assembly in September.

The mayor also acknowledged that New York City has no legal authority to arrest Netanyahu based on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, since the United States is not a member of the court.

Just two days after those remarks, Raul Morales allegedly carried out a stabbing attack on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, injuring an Asian man and a Jewish man wearing a yarmulke while reportedly shouting “Allahu Akbar.”

Morales has been charged with attempted murder and hate crimes and could face up to 40 years in prison if convicted.

The day after the attack, Jewish leaders gathered outside the synagogue where the assault occurred and blamed the mayor’s rhetoric for helping create an increasingly dangerous environment.

“Mayor Mamdani, stop fanning the flames of hatred and division. The consequences are not abstract, they are playing out on our streets,” said UJA-Federation of New York CEO Eric Goldstein.

Apple briefly crossed the historic $5 trillion market valuation threshold Tuesday, becoming only the second company ever to reach the milestone and reclaiming its position as the world’s most valuable publicly traded company after a sharp rally in its stock price.

The iPhone maker’s shares climbed as much as 1.8% during early trading, reaching $342.89 per share and pushing the company’s market capitalization above the $5 trillion mark for the first time. Although the stock later surrendered much of those gains, the milestone underscored Apple’s remarkable resurgence in recent weeks.

With its latest surge, Apple overtook Nvidia to become the world’s most valuable company. Apple now holds an estimated market value of roughly $5 trillion, compared with Nvidia’s approximately $4.7 trillion. Alphabet follows with a valuation near $3.9 trillion, while Microsoft stands at about $2.9 trillion.

Apple’s stock has significantly outperformed Nvidia this year despite the latter’s dominance in artificial intelligence. Shares of Apple have climbed nearly 25% since the start of the year, while Nvidia’s stock has gained just 2.6% over the same period. Nvidia shares slipped about 1.4% in Tuesday trading.

The achievement highlights how rapidly the largest technology companies have expanded over the past several years. Apple became the first publicly traded company to reach a $1 trillion valuation in 2018, doubled that figure to $2 trillion in 2020, and crossed the $3 trillion mark in 2022. Nvidia later became the first company to surpass both $4 trillion and $5 trillion as investor enthusiasm surrounding artificial intelligence sent its valuation soaring.

The milestone came on the same day Apple unveiled a new financing program designed to make iPhones more affordable for consumers. Beginning soon, U.S. customers will be able to lease an iPhone for up to two years through a new program called Upgrade, with monthly payments starting at $17.99. The initiative is being launched in partnership with buy-now, pay-later provider Klarna and will be available through both Apple’s retail stores and online platform.

The announcement follows recent price increases across several Apple product lines. The company recently raised the starting prices of iPads and Mac computers by at least $100, with some premium models increasing by more than $1,000, citing a worldwide shortage of memory components.

For much of the past decade, Apple held the title of the world’s most valuable company after surpassing Exxon in market capitalization in 2011. The company later alternated with Microsoft for the top position before Nvidia overtook both amid the explosive growth of AI-related investments.

Like its largest competitors, Apple has been increasing investments in artificial intelligence, though at a far more measured pace. The company spent approximately $12.7 billion on capital expenditures during fiscal 2025, well below the massive spending plans announced by its rivals. Alphabet has projected about $205 billion in AI-related investments this year, while Microsoft and Amazon have each outlined plans to spend up to roughly $190 billion and $145 billion, respectively, as the race to dominate artificial intelligence intensifies.

The Shwekey family has a new voice. Radio host Menachem Toker revealed this week that the mystery singer who recently released a debut song under a veil of secrecy is none other than Rabbi Moshe Dovid Shwekey, the eldest brother of renowned Jewish music stars Yaakov Shwekey and Yosef Chaim Shwekey.

Toker made the announcement during his Bein Hazmanim program on Kol Chai, ending days of speculation over the identity of the previously unknown performer. The revelation came after Toker challenged listeners during his previous broadcast to identify which famous singer’s brother was behind the anonymously released track.

One listener, Chaggai from Netanya, correctly guessed that the singer was a member of the Shwekey family and won a dinner for two at a Yerushalayim restaurant.

A noted talmid chochom and marbitz Torah, Reb Moshe Dovid has long been active behind the scenes in Jewish music, earning recognition as a composer rather than a performer. Among the songs he has written are “Lech Ami” and “Tefillas HaShelah,” along with other well-known compositions. Despite his years of musical involvement, he had never pursued a public singing career, leaving the spotlight to his younger brothers.

“The oldest brother in the Shwekey family never sang publicly and never stepped into the limelight,” Toker said. “He left the stage to his younger brother Yaakov and his even younger brother Yosef Chaim—and now, perhaps, he’s beginning a career.”

Toker explained that the debut song was initially released without identifying the performer by name, but the singer’s identity was disclosed during the radio program. The audience was then treated to the new recording.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump signaled Tuesday that he is still pursuing a diplomatic resolution with Iran rather than another round of military action, even as he emphasized that the United States retains the ability to inflict devastating damage on the Islamic Republic if necessary. His comments, delivered just hours before meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, also included a pointed remark suggesting he does not need updates from the Israeli leader about developments inside Iran.

Speaking in an interview with Fox News before his White House meeting with Netanyahu, Trump addressed concerns surrounding the Iranian nuclear facility known as “Pickaxe Mountain,” where Israeli intelligence reportedly believes Tehran has transferred uranium enrichment centrifuges. The president dismissed the importance of the site, saying, “It’s not a big deal.”

Asked whether Netanyahu had informed him about Iranian activity at the facility, Trump brushed aside the suggestion with a sharp response directed at the prime minister.

“I don’t need Bibi to tell me that. I know exactly what’s going on there.”

Trump went on to underscore America’s overwhelming military capabilities, saying the United States could rapidly cripple Iran’s infrastructure by targeting bridges, electrical facilities, and other key assets. Despite that, he stressed that military action is not his preferred course.

“I want to avoid that. I’m not interested in doing it,” he said.

The president also asserted that Tehran is once again interested in negotiations with Washington following the recent conflict.

“Iran wants to talk. There’s a chance we’ll make a deal,” Trump said, adding that Iranian officials sought a halt to U.S. military operations and expressed interest in returning to the negotiating table after the latest fighting.

Trump’s remarks came only hours before Netanyahu was scheduled to present updated intelligence on Iran’s nuclear program and the regime’s efforts to restore its military capabilities. The Israeli leader is expected to urge the president not to place too much confidence in diplomacy alone as Tehran works to rebuild.

Still, Trump’s public comments indicate that, at least for the moment, he remains focused on pursuing negotiations and maintaining diplomatic pressure rather than launching another large-scale military campaign against Iran, while continuing to emphasize that the military option remains available if circumstances change.

Dear Matzav Inbox, 

As a mother whose child is currently enrolled in day camp, I was deeply disappointed to hear from my son about his day-to-day experience and to observe firsthand how a counselor failed to uphold the expected standards and conduct of a ben Torah, including the use of inappropriate language directly in front of the campers. Equally troubling is how common it has become to see multiple counselors absorbed in their smartphones instead of engaging with the children, often standing around scrolling while the kids are left unsupervised or ignored. After speaking with several other mothers whose children also attend the camp, I found that they share the very same concerns and sense of disappointment—to the point that one parent has already chosen to pull her child out of the camp entirely because of these issues.

It leaves many of us wondering: Why are parents who cannot afford sleepaway camp forced to expose their children to this kind of environment? Day camp is the reality of summer for so many families in our community, and those children deserve the same protected, refined atmosphere that is expected throughout the rest of the year.

While discussing this troubling situation with fellow parents, one important systemic point was raised. Because many fine bnei Torah are immersed in their yeshivos or away in camps during July, the pool of local candidates for day camp counselors can sometimes be critically shallow. However, local Roshei Yeshivah could play a transformative role by encouraging bochurim who remain in the city to step up for the sake of the community, rotating to take responsibility for a bunk or supervise activities a few times each week.

Additionally, many bungalow colony day camps successfully utilize a model in which rebbeim rotate supervising afternoon activities or serve directly alongside the staff. While we certainly respect that rebbeim deserve time with their own families during the summer, we must ask: If it were their own children sitting in these bunks, exposed to inappropriate language and constant smartphone distraction, wouldn’t they step in and make personal sacrifices to protect them? Adopting these community-based approaches—bringing in committed bochurim and having experienced leadership rotate through these roles rather than relying solely on younger, distracted staff—would provide a consistent presence of positive mentorship, proper standards, and meaningful supervision.

Camp is not merely a place for recreation; it is an extension of our children’s chinuch and character development during the summer months. Counselors serve as frontline role models, and our community relies on them to model integrity, patience, and middos tovos. When those entrusted with our children’s care fall short of these foundational values—whether through unbecoming speech or constant distraction by their phones—it sends a discouraging message to the young minds who look up to them.

I hope this serves as a wake-up call to camp administrations about the profound responsibility they bear in shaping our youth and the need to strengthen both their hiring standards and their staffing model before more families feel compelled to walk away.

Sincerely,

A Frustrated Mother

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A young boy miraculously escaped without injury after being struck and run over by a moving vehicle in Bnei Brak in what witnesses described as an extraordinary act of Divine protection.

The frightening incident occurred at the intersection of Kahaneman Street and Kibbutz Galuyot Street as the child was crossing the road alongside his older sister, who was pushing a baby stroller.

tHE boy’s yarmulke suddenly fell off his head while the siblings were in the middle of the crosswalk. Without warning, the child turned back toward the center of the roadway to retrieve it.

At that very moment, a vehicle entered the intersection and struck the child before continuing forward, passing directly over him.

Bystanders rushed to the scene, fearing the worst after seeing the car drive over the young boy.

To the amazement of everyone present, the child got up on his own moments later and appeared to be completely unharmed. Witnesses described the incident as nothing short of miraculous.

Emergency responders were called to the scene to examine the child, who, according to sources, did not suffer any apparent injuries despite the terrifying ordeal.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

[COMMUNICATED]

No matter where you live, the word “cancer” is a frightening reality for all too many of your neighbors, r”l. This dreadful disease and its treatment regimens afflict men, women, teenagers, even young children, of all ages and backgrounds – as well as their family and friends. 

In our communities, virtually every one of these suffering souls relies on RCCS as a lifeline – the one-stop resource that guides them from diagnosis through recovery and makes sure that everyone has access to the absolute best medical care available anywhere in the world. 

One recent case illustrates just how life-changing RCCS’s work can be. 

A young patient with a specific strain of colorectal cancer was referred by RCCS to an experimental study of a new drug that seemed hopeful. To be eligible for this study, patients needed to have a specific biomarker that is only found in 5% of patients with this strain of cancer. He was one of only 12 patients accepted into the study, where patients received three doses of the experimental treatment over the course of 12 weeks. 

The results were astounding and the treatment so effective that the pharmaceutical company decided to commission a second study that would be open to patients with colorectal cancer, even without the indicated biomarker, with the hopes that the same efficacy could still be achieved. Although there was concern that the results would not be as good as the previous results of the first experimental treatment, it was a hopeful development nonetheless for patients stricken with this cancer. 

A while later, when 35-year-old Shloimy was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer, the RCCS Patient Department was hopeful that he could be referred to this study and receive this potentially lifesaving treatment. 

Unfortunately, the study was not going to be open and available for some time. Being a stage 3 diagnosis, on the verge of metastasizing, the cancer needed to be treated immediately, before it risked spreading to other areas of the body. 

RCCS refers many colorectal cancer patients to a top specialist at Cornell Medical Center to undergo surgical removal of the tumorous tissue before undergoing chemotherapy. After meeting with the doctor, Shloimy’s prognosis was bleak. He was told that surgery must be performed immediately. There were numerous roadblocks in the way, but RCCS managed to get all the necessary testing, imaging and paperwork done and schedule the surgery for the next Monday. 

Having lost his father at a young age, the prognosis was devastating for Shloimy. On the day of his father’s Yahrzeit, which happened to fall out a few days before his surgery and treatment was scheduled to commence, he went to the kever and cried and davened. On that very day, RCCS unexpectedly received the amazingly good news that the second phase of the experimental trial treatment was now open. 

It was determined that the patient was a candidate and could join, but only before undergoing the surgery. On this experimental drug, he would receive three infusions over eight weeks. The subsequent surgery would then have a good chance for a vastly better outcome, while also negating the need for chemotherapy. 

10 weeks later, Shloimy came out of surgery. The specialist reported that it appeared to be a great success, as only the cancerous tissue had to be removed, preserving the healthy surrounding tissue. It was clear that the experimental drug was helping. 

Baruch Hashem, Shloimy is now in remission! 

The work of RCCS is extremely broad. They provide medical referral and support, getting each patient into the best doctor for their diagnosis; this includes handling their medical records and expediting appointments. To this end, they conduct extensive medical research to provide patients with the most cutting-edge medical treatment. They provide crucial financial support to cover insurance premiums and other out-of-pocket expenses. In essence, they serve as the patient’s virtual “back office” from beginning to end. 

They arrange insurance guidance and advocacy, helping a patient navigate the complex world of insurance and advocating for them when an insurer rejects a claim. They ensure that finances never stand between a patient and world-class treatment.  

RCCS is having their annual online campaign this week, and everyone is urged to please support it generously. All funds raised go to support their incredible work – giving Jewish cancer patients the best possible chance of recovery and survival.  Please visit dryveup.com/rccs to participate. 

A large-scale Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation officially got underway in New York City on Monday, marking the launch of the enforcement surge that President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, vowed would target the city’s sanctuary policies.

Homan first announced plans for the expanded ICE presence last month but did not specify when the operation would begin.

During a June 8 appearance on Fox & Friends, Homan issued a direct warning to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, saying, “You’re going to see more ICE agents than you’ve ever seen in New York City, and it’s coming.”

His comments followed the passage of additional sanctuary-state legislation by New York’s Democrat-controlled Legislature. The new measures further limit cooperation between state and local law enforcement agencies and federal immigration authorities.

At the time, Homan said the increased ICE presence was a direct response to those policies.

“I’m keeping my promise: We’re going to send more ICE agents to New York because you took away the efficiencies of safer arrests at county jails,” Homan added in June.

According to NewsNation, that promise began taking shape Monday as ICE formally launched its expanded enforcement effort across New York City.

The first wave of the operation was concentrated in Queens, with plans to broaden the effort into additional boroughs in the coming days.

For now, the operation is being carried out by ICE personnel already assigned to New York. Officials have not announced any plans to supplement the mission with agents from other regions.

Homan indicated that the immigration enforcement surge could remain in effect for more than a month, though he did not disclose additional details regarding the scope or duration of the operation.

{Matzav.com}

Newly released diary entries from Dr. Anthony Fauci suggest that, behind closed doors, many leading scientists considered a laboratory origin for COVID-19 to be a real possibility, even as Fauci publicly dismissed the theory as a conspiracy. The diary excerpts were made public by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

One of the key entries, dated January 2020, recounts a conference call Fauci held with a group of prominent scientists and public health officials from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and the Netherlands. Participants included then-NIH Director Francis Collins, Wellcome Trust Director Jeremy Farrar, U.K. Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance, Scripps Research scientist Kristian Andersen, German virologist Christian Drosten, University of Sydney professor Edward Holmes, University of Edinburgh professor Andrew Rambaut, Dutch virologist Ron Fouchier, Tulane University virologist Robert Garry, University of Dundee professor Mike Ferguson, and Erasmus Medical Center virologist M.P.G. Koopmans.

In his notes, Fauci acknowledged that there was considerable concern among those on the call about whether the virus could have been engineered. He wrote, “There was not total agreement about the likelihood of deliberate insertion,” referring to the possibility that the virus had been created in a laboratory. According to the diary, only two participants argued strongly that the virus almost certainly arose naturally, while the remaining scientists believed a laboratory origin was a plausible explanation.

The discussion took place in January 2020, before governments imposed COVID lockdowns and before the World Health Organization officially declared the outbreak a global pandemic.

Fauci elaborated on the differing views among the scientists, writing:

“Ron Fouchier said he was sure that this could occur naturally and we should not waste our time and divert effort to pursue this. This is expected of him since he was the original GOF person with Yoshi Kawaoka. Also, Christian Drosten was with Ron; the rest felt that deliberate insertion was possible and given the fact that Dr. Zheng-Li Shi at the University of Wuhan has been working for years in GOF in coronaviruses to allow adaptation of the spike protein to bind to the human ACE2 receptor, we could not let this go. We decided to have Jeremy with Francis to contact Tedros with Stewart Simonson’s help (I arranged this) to see if Tedros would convene experts.”

Despite those private discussions, Fauci would go on to spend years publicly rejecting the lab leak theory as a conspiracy, even while his own diary reflected a more cautious view. In later entries, he repeatedly acknowledged that the origin of the virus remained uncertain.

Writing in May 2021, Fauci addressed criticism that he had changed his position on the issue:

“The situation continues to get “out of control” with regard to the press reports concerning my ‘flip flopping’ concerning the theory of the origin of the virus. I had always said that the very highly likelihood is that the virus originated naturally from an animal reservoir jumping to a human. However, over the past couple of days given the amount of speculation about the possibility of a lab leak I have been saying that no one is 100% certain of the origin including me and so I am calling for a thorough investigation.”

Another diary entry, dated June 7, 2021, appeared to revisit the January 2020 conference call. In it, Fauci claimed that the participants had been evenly divided over whether COVID originated naturally or may have been engineered. That account appears to conflict with his earlier notes, which indicated that only two scientists favored a natural-origin explanation while the rest viewed a laboratory origin as a realistic possibility.

He wrote:

“Scott Gottlieb had appeared on Face the Nation and mentioned in an attempt to help me then I had actually gone to Europe in Jan/Feb. 2020 to brief health ministers about the possibility that the virus could have been constructed an escape from the laboratory. He did this to indicate that I was not hiding anything because I already knew that this was a possibility and so I didn’t change my mind currently by saying that a lab leak is a possibility since I was talking about it openly back then. As it turns out, he was a little bit mixed up because on January 31st, 2020 I received a call from Jeremy Farrar who conferenced in Christian Andersen to tell me that Ed Holmes and Christian had seen a copy of the sequence of the virus and felt that there was a possibility that because of the unusual furin cleavage site that this could possibly have been a constructed virus. as indicated in my notes of January 31st and February 1st , 2020, since I am not an evolutionary biologist I called together by phone a group knowledgeable scientist together with Francis Collins and a few other people to discuss this. After a considerable amount of discussion about half of the people felt that this was possibly a constructed virus and the other half were convinced that this was a natural occurrence. A few weeks later Christian Andersen got together with Bob Garry and Andrew Rambaut to examine this more carefully and they came to the conclusion that they were convinced that this was a natural occurrence and a jump from the animal reservoir. They published their data in a preprint server in February followed by a nature paper in March of 2020 . That is the reason why it appears that a I briefed people which I did not. I was briefed by them. Scott had said that I had briefed a group of international health people he seemed to have gotten some of the story wrong , but overall he was correct.”

As the pandemic continued, Fauci’s diary entries took a far more dismissive tone toward the lab leak theory. He praised media reports criticizing the hypothesis, writing, “Great Article in Politico that describes the lies of the Trump people about the ‘lab leak’ theory,” and also commended similar reporting by The Guardian.

In another entry, Fauci accused conservatives of promoting politically motivated conspiracy theories surrounding the virus’s origin. He wrote, “The conspiracy of the far right and the trump loyalists continues. Recently representative Mike McCall the minority On the House Foreign Affairs Committee released a report by the panel’s republican staff essentially saying that the lab leak was the cause of COVID-19 and hinting the NIH’s role in creating the virus.”

He continued:

“This is based on no new information or no new data. It is very clear what is going on and it needs to be called out. It is all part of “The Big Lie”. First, trump actually won the election; next, January 6th was a friendly visit to the capital book shop; next trump was right and China caused the virus; next Fauci and the NIH helped the Chinese create the virus; next, discredit Fauci and it looks like trump is telling the truth. It is plain and simple a concerted effort aimed at getting trump re-elected and exonerating him from any blame in the complete mess up of his response to COVID-19.”

Since leaving government service, Fauci has continued to reject allegations that he misled the public regarding gain-of-function research or the origins of COVID-19. At the same time, the Trump White House has updated its official coronavirus webpage to state that a laboratory leak is the most likely explanation for the pandemic’s origin.

The updated White House page argues that “‘The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2’ publication — which was used repeatedly by public health officials and the media to discredit the lab leak theory — was prompted by Dr. Fauci to push the preferred narrative that COVID-19 originated naturally,” adding that the virus “possesses a biological characteristic that is not found in nature” and that “Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) researchers were sick with COVID-like symptoms in the fall of 2019, months before COVID-19 was discovered at the wet market.”

Fauci is scheduled to appear before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on Wednesday, where he is expected to face questions about the newly released diary entries and his handling of the pandemic’s origins.

{Matzav.com}