Israeli officials issued sharp responses on Sunday following announcements from Britain, Canada, and Australia that they had officially recognized a Palestinian state.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared: “The days of the British mandate are over. The only response to this anti-Israeli step is sovereignty over the homeland of the Jewish people in Judea and Samaria and the removal of the delusional idea of a Palestinian state from the agenda forever. Mr. Prime Minister, this is the time, and it is in your hands.”
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stated that at the next Cabinet session he will present a proposal to extend Israeli sovereignty across Judea and Samaria.
Leaders of the Yesha Council convened an urgent meeting after the announcements, warning: “A government that does not respond with the annexation of a broad territory to the declarations for the establishment of a terror state in the heart of the country will lose its right to exist.”
Israel Gantz, governor of Binyamin and chairman of the Yesha Council, added: “The government must stop dithering. We are in critical and historic times. Where we do not control one hundred percent, we may be hit by rockets and attacks. Only sovereignty is the true guarantee of long-term security. Before it is too late, it is time to go for this important and just move.”
Otzma Yehudit’s Yitzchak Wasserlauf also attacked the move, saying: “The Land of Israel belongs exclusively to the people of Israel. There is neither a Palestinian state nor people.”
Opposition leader Yair Lapid called the decision a “Diplomatic disaster, a bad move and a reward for terrorism.” He argued, “A functioning Israeli government could have prevented this – with wise and serious work, with professional diplomatic discourse and with proper explanation. The government that brought upon us the most grievous security disaster in our history, now brings upon us the most severe diplomatic crisis ever.”
Benny Gantz, head of Blue and White, warned: “Recognition of a Palestinian state after the seventh of October strengthens Hamas and the entire Iranian axis, prolongs the war, reduces the chance of returning the hostages.”
Former MK Gadi Eizenkot was equally blunt: “The preoccupation with a Palestinian state at this time and after the October 7th massacre is folly, and a reward for terror. The fact that at a time when our captives are languishing in Hamas tunnels, the world is preoccupied with this folly, is the result of a resounding diplomatic failure of the government and Netanyahu, who failed to translate military successes in a just war, which has become a diplomatic debacle.”
Naftali Bennett, who previously served as prime minister, declared: “Keir Starmer will not make the rules for us. Opposition for a Palestinian state is wall to wall in Israel.”
Yair Golan, head of the Democrats, took a different stance, contending that such a move could eventually serve Israel’s interests. He said: “Unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state is a major diplomatic failure of Netanyahu and Smotrich – a destructive move for the security of Israel. This is a direct product of Netanyahu’s political dereliction: refusal to end the war and the dangerous choice of occupation and annexation. The issue of a demilitarized Palestinian state can and should be part of a broad regional settlement that Israel is leading and that guarantees our security interests – this is what we will do when we replace this dangerous government.”
Ofir Akunis, Israel’s consul general in New York, issued a warning of his own: “To the weak leaders who support terror and a ‘Palestinian State’: We will remember you just like we remember Chamberlain’s actions in the 30s.”
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum denounced the recognition by the three countries, highlighting that 48 Israelis remain in Hamas captivity. They said: “As families who deeply want peace in the region, we believe that any discussion about recognizing a Palestinian state must be contingent upon the immediate release of all hostages. This is not just a precondition—it is a moral and humanitarian imperative.”
They continued: “We call on all nations to act responsibly and ensure that any ‘day after’ discussions occur only after our loved ones are brought home. We seek an end to this war, the safe return of all hostages, and a sustainable peace that benefits both peoples.”
The statement went on: “Any nation that fails to uphold this essential prerequisite acts against international law and effectively enables terrorism while legitimizing the October 7th massacre. Offering such significant political rewards without securing the return of all 48 of our loved ones represents a catastrophic failure of political, moral, and diplomatic leadership that will severely damage efforts to bring them all home.”
It added: “For nearly two years, the hostages have been held under severe conditions of abuse, violating international law. Hamas is starving them, torturing them, denying them medical care, and preventing international aid organizations from accessing them. The bodies of murdered hostages face the real danger of disappearing, representing a blatant violation of international conventions protecting the remains of those held by enemies, including violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2474. Hamas’s prevention of proper burial contradicts the principles of all three faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.”
They concluded: “The priority must be clear: release the hostages and end the war.”
Lior Carmel, mayor of Kissufim, sent a letter to Britain’s ambassador in Israel, Simon Walters, strongly objecting to the UK’s recognition. Carmel, who lost 20 friends in the October 7 massacre, wrote: “Hamas, which opened a war of extermination against Israel, is not worthy of a reward.” He invited the ambassador to attend a memorial ceremony in Kissufim next month and urged Britain to reflect on the implications of its decision “two years after the massacre.”
Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the move, saying it was “an important and necessary step toward achieving a just and lasting peace, in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy.”
In his remarks, Abbas continued that Britain’s recognition of the Palestinian right to self-determination “will pave the way for the implementation of the two-state solution, and will enable the State of Palestine to live alongside the State of Israel in security, peace and good neighborliness.”
He emphasized that immediate priorities should include a ceasefire, humanitarian aid into Gaza, the release of hostages and prisoners, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, restoration of Palestinian Authority control over the area, and the rebuilding of Gaza.
{Matzav.com}
The United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia declared their recognition of Palestine as an independent state on Sunday, a move signaling a sharp departure from Washington’s position and setting the stage for more Western governments to follow in the coming days.
“Today, to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two state solution, the United Kingdom formally recognizes the State of Palestine,” said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in his announcement.
Just moments earlier, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had made Canada the first G7 country to extend recognition, vowing a “peaceful future for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel.”
Australia quickly joined them, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declaring recognition of “the independent and sovereign State of Palestine.”
Although primarily symbolic, the recognition bolsters the Palestinians’ diplomatic standing and provides them with new opportunities to enter treaties and agreements.
Still, the step has no immediate effect on the dire conditions in Gaza, where the humanitarian disaster has spiraled after nearly two years of warfare, or in the West Bank, where tensions have intensified amid settler expansion and military actions.
According to the Palestinian health ministry, over 65,000 people have died in Gaza since October 2023, including many children. Large parts of the territory are in ruins, and most residents have been forced to flee their homes multiple times.
Health authorities said Israeli airstrikes killed at least 34 people overnight in Gaza City, where hundreds of thousands already endure famine conditions as Israel pushes its assault in the densely populated enclave.
Against this backdrop, a growing number of nations—many traditionally close to Israel—are now moving toward recognizing Palestine.
London had previously warned that it would extend recognition unless Israel “takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation” in Gaza. The official decision came as global criticism of Israel’s war intensified.
“In the face of the growing horror in the Middle East, we are acting to keep alive the possibility of peace and of a two-state solution,” Starmer said. “That means a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable Palestinian state — at the moment we have neither.”
The announcement has sparked outrage in Israel and frustration in Washington, with both governments arguing that such recognition only empowers extremists and hands a victory to Hamas, which carried out the October 7, 2023, massacre in Israel that killed around 1,200 people and left about 250 taken captive.
Recognition of Palestinian statehood is “nothing but a reward for jihadist Hamas — emboldened by its Muslim Brotherhood affiliated in the U.K.,” Israel’s foreign ministry posted on X.
“Hamas leaders themselves openly admit: this recognition is a direct outcome, the ‘fruit’ for the 7 October massacre,” the ministry added.
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum, representing relatives of those kidnapped, denounced the recognitions, accusing governments of “turning a blind eye” to those still being held.
“We believe that any discussion about recognizing a Palestinian state must be contingent upon the immediate release of all hostages,” the group said in its Sunday statement.
Starmer countered that this move was “not a reward for Hamas,” emphasizing that recognition ensures Hamas “can have no future, and no role in government.” Albanese echoed the point, saying Hamas must have “no role in Palestine.”
The shift by Britain and others brings them into alignment with the more than 140 out of 193 U.N. member states that already acknowledge Palestinian statehood.
France is expected to issue its recognition on Monday during a United Nations gathering in New York co-chaired with Saudi Arabia, coinciding with the start of the General Assembly.
French President Emmanuel Macron told Israel’s Channel 12 that nations “have to recognize the legitimate right of Palestinian people to have a state.” He condemned Israel’s latest incursion into Gaza City as “absolutely unacceptable” and “a huge mistake.”
Portugal also confirmed yesterday that it would recognize Palestine today.
Belgium, Luxembourg, and New Zealand are among others preparing similar announcements, likely to coincide with or precede the New York conference on the two-state solution.
Spain, Norway, and Ireland already extended recognition last year.
The idea of a Palestinian state centers on the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Israel, however, maintains control over both territories, leaving the Palestinian Authority unable to exercise full sovereignty.
Adding to tensions, Israeli officials recently approved a new settlement initiative that ultranationalist politicians hailed as the effective end of any hope for Palestinian statehood.
{Matzav.com}The National Counterterrorism Center released a stark bulletin on Friday cautioning that al-Qaida and its Yemen-based offshoot, al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, still harbor ambitions of striking the United States.
The nationwide alert, circulated to law enforcement agencies across the country, warned that these groups are actively looking to take advantage of global turmoil and American involvement abroad.
According to the memo, al-Qaida and al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula “are likely seeking to leverage their media publications and global conflicts, particularly where there is U.S. support or military involvement, to inspire potential attackers.”
The center, which was created in the wake of the September 11th attacks in 2004, advised government workers to remain especially vigilant.
Personnel were cautioned not to disclose their travel details on social media, to avoid displaying badges or IDs when off duty, and to watch for any signs of surveillance.
The advisory also drew attention to so-called “soft targets,” such as large gatherings at sporting events and concerts, recommending that local agencies use visible security and hold pre-event safety briefings.
Officials emphasized that the purpose of sharing the intelligence was to give local law enforcement the resources they need to prevent potential attacks.
Though the memo itself emphasized a general climate of risk, conservative commentator Laura Loomer issued a far more alarming set of warnings Friday night on X, claiming that al-Qaida networks have already penetrated the U.S. and are plotting coordinated attacks in multiple cities.
“Sources tell me tonight that the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) has officially determined that Islamic terrorists affiliated with Al Qaeda have infiltrated U.S. soil and are actively planning a series of coordinated Islamic terror attacks,” Loomer wrote.
“This marks the first time federal counterterrorism officials have openly acknowledged the immediacy of such threats,” she added.
Loomer further alleged that operatives are acquiring police and EMT uniforms from military surplus outlets and online vendors to disguise themselves as first responders.
She warned that the strategy is to use those disguises to blend in during the chaos, mislead crowds, and then carry out additional assaults.
She also claimed that hospitals in major metropolitan areas — including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Miami — have been examined as potential targets.
According to her reporting, the objective would be to paralyze trauma centers and emergency departments, preventing the injured from being treated and worsening the toll.
A Department of Homeland Security contact described the possible scenario to her as “horrific beyond comprehension.”
The developments highlight the ongoing reality that Islamist terrorism remains a persistent danger.
Back in June, Saad bin Atef al-Awlaki, head of al-Qaida in Yemen, issued a 34-minute recording calling for jihad against the United States and urging the killing of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
That call to action came shortly after Washington reaffirmed its commitment to Israel.
“There are no boundaries left after what has occurred — and continues to occur — to our people in Gaza,” al-Awlaki declared, urging Muslims in America to take revenge.
“As an initial and decisive action, I call upon every Muslim living in the sinful, arrogant, and criminal United States — whether Arab, American, or of any other descent. The only thing that matters is that they are Muslims, followers of the Prophet Muhammad,” he said.
On September 11, 2001, al-Qaida carried out the deadliest terrorist strike in American history, killing nearly 3,000 people.
Although U.S. counterterrorism efforts weakened the organization over the years, the group adapted, inspiring individual attacks and exploiting conflicts from Afghanistan to North Africa.
A Homeland Security assessment published late last year concluded that al-Qaida had “reinvigorated its outreach” to Western audiences and remained intent on targeting the United States.
{Matzav.com}
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Click HERE to join the Neki Kapayim annual Maamad Hashava!The dorm room door of a Jewish student at New York University was defaced with antisemitic markings last Tuesday, according to a joint statement from NYU president Linda Mills and Fountain Walker, the university’s vice president for global campus safety.
The student reportedly discovered the hateful graffiti upon returning to his residence later that evening. The markings were quickly removed after being reported.
University officials confirmed that the case is under investigation by Campus Safety, the New York Police Department, and the NYU Civil Rights Title VI Coordinator’s Office.
“The targeting of a Jewish student is inexcusable raw hatred,” Mills and Walker said in their statement. “We are committed to maintaining a community where all feel safe and welcome, and to eliminating antisemitism and other forms of hatred.”
Rabbi Yehuda Sarna, who serves as executive director of the Edgar M. Bronfman Center for Jewish Life, issued a statement assuring that every report of antisemitism is handled carefully and professionally. He also stressed that this recent case is unrelated to a different episode on September 1 involving the removal of a mezuzah from a student’s doorframe.
That earlier incident had initially raised fears of antisemitic intent, but when the individual responsible came forward, returned the mezuzah, and offered an apology, investigators concluded it had not been motivated by anti-Jewish bias.
On September 5, Walker explained that, for privacy reasons, the university could not disclose more details about the matter.
“The account given to Campus Safety and other University officials enables us to confidently conclude that, while problematic judgment was demonstrated, the investigation of the incident as an antisemitic incident should be closed,” Walker said.
{Matzav.com}
Edan Alexander, the American-Israeli soldier who was freed in May after spending 584 days as a captive of Hamas, announced on Thursday that he intends to return to active duty in the Israel Defense Forces next month.
“I was held for 584 days. Those were the hardest days of my life. Days of struggle, pain and separation from my family. But tonight, I’m standing here free,” Alexander said while addressing a Friends of the IDF gathering in the United States.
“Next month, God willing, I will return to Israel. I will once again, put on the IDF uniform, and I will proudly serve alongside my brothers,” he continued, in remarks included in a recording of the event.
“My story does not end with survival. It continues with service,” Alexander declared, before shifting to Hebrew and proclaiming, “Until victory,” punctuating the statement with two firm knocks on the podium.
After returning to New Jersey in June, Alexander traveled to the White House to meet President Donald Trump, whose administration had played a leading role in securing his release.
Following that 30-minute discussion, Alexander said he pressed Trump to take all possible measures to bring home the remaining captives and conveyed his worry that ongoing combat in Gaza could jeopardize their lives, according to statements shared by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
The 21-year-old, who had moved from the United States to enlist in the IDF, served in the Golani Infantry Brigade.
On October 7, 2023, he was taken hostage during the Hamas assault on southern Israel, when armed terrorists overran multiple communities, murdering roughly 1,200 people and abducting 251 others, setting off the war in Gaza.
When he was released, Alexander was the last American still alive in Hamas custody. Reports indicated that his freedom was largely seen as a gesture toward Trump by Hamas, with Israel playing little part in the negotiations. In her comments at the time, his mother, Yael Alexander, gave pointed thanks to Trump and his envoy Steve Witkoff, while notably leaving out Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu.
{Matzav.com}
U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, got into a shouting match during a committee hearing with U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, a Republican from Florida who is running to be that state’s next governor.
The heated exchange came several hours into a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on Congress’ authority over Washington D.C. and President Donald Trump’s ordering National Guard units into the nation’s capital to fight crime over many residents’ objections.
Tlaib called Trump’s ordering of federal troops into Washington neighborhoods an “abuse of power” and “a fascist takeover” which led Donalds to interrupt her shortly thereafter, calling her argument “insane.”
“The gentle lady doesn’t have an argument,” Donalds said. “But she’s going to refer to me and some of my colleagues as though we were from the Third Reich?”
WATCH:
{Matzav.com}
Police in New Hampshire said a deadly shooting unfolded early Sunday morning at a golf club in Nashua, leaving one person dead and several others wounded. Officials confirmed that a suspect has been taken into custody in connection with the case.
At first, investigators believed that there were two assailants involved. However, after reviewing security camera recordings, they determined that only a single shooter carried out the attack.
One witness recounted that the attacker yelled pro-Palestinian slogans such as “Free Palestine” while firing his weapon. The same witness explained that the suspect was later spotted inside a restaurant near the wedding hall, where someone managed to hit him over the head with a chair. The man, bleeding from the blow, then fled the scene.
Speaking to local station WMUR, the witness said: “He looked like a target, that he was going right for this person. So, I feel terrible for him. What he said was the children were safe and, you know, ‘Free Palestine.’”
{Matzav.com}
Jimmy Kimmel may soon see his late-night show revived, as reports indicate that he and Disney are negotiating a possible return.
According to Vanity Fair, representatives for Kimmel are engaged in advanced talks with Disney and ABC, working through details that could allow “Jimmy Kimmel Live” to continue into its 23rd season.
It remains unclear how close either side is to reaching an agreement, leaving the comedian and his team in uncertainty after the backlash from remarks he made this week about the killing of Charlie Kirk.
Kimmel has privately voiced concern about what the cancellation of his program would mean for his Los Angeles-based staff, many of whom are still struggling financially after the entertainment industry shutdown during the 2023 actors’ strike.
ABC executives had previously cautioned Kimmel to avoid politically charged commentary, especially when directed at President Trump.
“I really think that when they were trying to buy Fox, they were worried that Trump was going to [mess] them up somehow and that’s part of why they were nervous about my comments. I don’t think their political beliefs conflicted with mine, but if you want to have a big audience, you don’t want to [anger] a lot of people off and I was [angering] a lot of people off,” Kimmel told Howie Mandel on Thursday.
The program is now on indefinite pause following his controversial statements about Kirk’s murder.
In last Monday’s opening segment, the 57-year-old late-night host alleged that accused killer Tyler Robinson was aligned with Trump, even though law enforcement authorities had clarified that he held a “leftist ideology.”
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said.
ABC officially pulled the show from the lineup on Wednesday, and Kimmel has ignored repeated calls to issue a public apology.
On Thursday, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr issued a sharp warning to networks such as ABC, NBC, and CBS, reminding them that their broadcast licenses require them to act in the public interest. He said Kimmel failed in that obligation by “appearing to directly mislead the American public.”
President Trump, a frequent target of Kimmel’s on-air jabs, welcomed the suspension. He pointed to Kimmel’s “bad ratings” and pledged to take on additional late-night personalities.
Kimmel has been the host of the ABC show since 2003.
{Matzav.com}
A man pretending to be a police officer and carrying weapons was arrested by Secret Service agents inside the Arizona stadium set to host Charlie Kirk’s funeral today, according to news reports.
The individual, identified as 42-year-old Joshua Runkles, was allegedly armed with both a firearm and a knife and was also carrying outdated police credentials when he was confronted at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, home of the Arizona Cardinals, The Washington Post reported, citing a law enforcement source familiar with the incident.
Authorities say Runkles presented himself to agents as a private security guard and handed over “inactive law enforcement credentials,” according to the official who spoke with the outlet.
He was later turned over to the Arizona Department of Public Safety and booked into Maricopa County Jail on felony charges of impersonating law enforcement and a misdemeanor for bringing a weapon into a restricted area, department spokesman Bart Graves confirmed.
Although Runkles has since been freed on bond, investigators are still working to determine his motives for entering the venue, Graves told The Post. The bond amount was not specified.
Details about his history remain scarce, though a federal source told Fox News Digital that “is a former deputy sheriff out of Idaho.”
“They are going through his background and trying to figure out what he was up to there,” the same source added in comments to the outlet.
According to Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi, Runkles managed to enter the building “prior to the setup of any secure perimeter.”
“The U.S. Secret Service in coordination with local law enforcement in Glendale, Arizona, is investigating an individual who was observed exhibiting suspicious behavior” at the stadium, Guglielmi said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.
“The individual was approached by Secret Service and stated during the encounter that he was a member of law enforcement and that he was armed. The individual is not a member of authorized law enforcement working the event and is currently in custody,” Guglielmi explained to The Post.
“The U.S. Secret Service and local law enforcement are investigating the circumstances as to why he was at the location.”
Officials have not yet publicly released the suspect’s identity.
The memorial service, titled “Building a Legacy: Remembering Charlie Kirk,” is expected to bring together over 100,000 attendees, among them President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
Homeland Security has designated the funeral as a level-1 “special event assessment rating,” The Post reported, citing an agency official.
“This designation is reserved for events of the highest national significance and enables the federal government to provide the full range of law enforcement and security resources necessary to support local officials in ensuring a safe and successful event,” the official explained.
According to ABC News, federal authorities had already been monitoring “several threats of unknown credibility” leading up to the service.
“Violent extremists and unaffiliated lone offenders may view the memorial service or related events as attractive attack targets due to the attendance of these individuals, other senior U.S. government officials, state and local government officials, and political activists and due to major international media attention,” stated a law enforcement bulletin obtained by the outlet.
Kirk’s wife, Erika, is scheduled to deliver remarks alongside the president.
Other high-profile speakers include White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump Jr., Tucker Carlson, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, and Director of the White House Personnel Office Sergio Gor.
To secure the massive event, the Secret Service will oversee operations in partnership with local authorities, William Mack, the special agent in charge of the agency’s Phoenix office, told The Post.
Mack said teams were “already on the ground in Phoenix and Glendale, working side-by-side with state, local, and federal partners.”
Jose Santiago of the Glendale Police Department noted that safety measures would include “security of all different types – from the sky and the ground – and measures that won’t be visible to the naked eye,” as well as metal detectors and a strict no-bag policy for Sunday’s gathering.
Santiago added that several hundred officers will be deployed in and around the stadium for the duration of the memorial.
{Matzav.com}
