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A federal judge has directed the National Park Service to allow a liberal activist organization to continue displaying a controversial “86 47” flag near the National Mall, ruling that the slogan represents protected political expression rather than a threat against President Donald Trump.

The decision came Monday when U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss granted a two-week temporary restraining order in favor of Accountability Now USA, a group that has been staging anti-Trump protests near the federal courthouse on Constitution Avenue for months.

At the center of the legal dispute was the organization’s use of a flag bearing the phrase “86 47,” a slogan that has generated national attention in recent weeks after former FBI Director James Comey faced scrutiny over a social media post featuring seashells arranged to form the numbers “8647.”

Comey subsequently removed the post, issued an apology, and insisted that he never intended the image to be interpreted as a call for violence.

In his opinion, Moss dismissed the government’s claim that the flag constituted a threat directed at the president.

“The Court does not doubt that political violence is on the rise and that it poses a grave threat not just to the targets of the threats but to the country as a whole. But the enormity of that problem does not change the meaning of Plaintiff’s speech, which by any reasonable measure merely advocated for the President’s impeachment and removal from office — that is, ‘to throw [him] out,'” Moss wrote.

Moss determined that Accountability Now USA was using the phrase as a political statement advocating Trump’s removal through constitutional means, specifically impeachment, rather than as a call for physical harm.

The judge further concluded that the slang term “86” lacks a single universally accepted definition and that the group’s message did not rise to the level of incitement or encouragement of immediate unlawful conduct.

As part of the ruling, Moss included a definition from Merriam-Webster, observing that the phrase “eighty-six” has been in use since the 1930s and is commonly understood to mean removing, rejecting, or getting rid of something.

Attorneys representing the Justice Department argued that the slogan had taken on a more ominous meaning following a May 24 confrontation near the White House in which an armed individual was fatally shot by law enforcement officers.

Government lawyers also cited growing concerns surrounding political violence and threats aimed at elected officials and public figures.

Court records indicate that Secret Service agents questioned protesters about the meaning of the display. According to those filings, demonstrators told investigators that they wanted Trump removed from office but had no desire to see him physically harmed.

While acknowledging the government’s broader concerns, Moss maintained that those fears did not change the plain meaning of the group’s expression.

Under the judge’s order, the National Park Service must allow the display to remain in place for the next two weeks while the legal challenge continues to move through the courts.

MK Meir Porush delivered a fiery address in the Knesset on Monday, warning Police Commissioner Danny Levy that continued arrests of yeshiva students could lead to a complete breakdown in cooperation between police and Chareidi municipalities across Israel.

Porush pointed to a letter sent earlier in the day by the chairman of the Forum of Chareidi Local Authorities, Meir Rubinstein, informing the police that Chareidi municipalities were suspending cooperation with law enforcement over what they described as the targeting of Torah learners.

“Today, nine local authority heads in the State of Israel placed a bright red warning sign before the Inspector General of the Israel Police,” Porush began his speech.

He said the message conveyed by the municipal leaders was unmistakable and accused police leadership of pushing the country toward instability.

“A warning sign carrying a clear message: You, the Police Commissioner, are leading the country toward anarchy. The Forum of Haredi Local Authority Heads, led by the Mayor of Beitar Illit, Rabbi Meir Rubinstein, sent a letter to the Commissioner informing him that they will have no choice but to cancel all cooperation with the police.”

Porush emphasized that municipal leaders did not arrive at the decision lightly and understood the far-reaching consequences that could result from severing ties with the police.

“But when the police have effectively become the enforcement arm of the infamous Attorney General-a bureaucrat who has decided to inflame tensions and trample every reasonable understanding-we have no choice but to fight back with full force.

“The reality in which Israeli police officers, instead of combating the rising crime in the streets, are occupied with hunting yeshiva students-married scholars and young men whose only offense is studying Torah-is a distorted reality that has no place in a properly functioning state.”

Continuing his criticism, Porush argued that law enforcement has alienated an entire sector of the population and jeopardized years of cooperation between police and Chareidi communities.

“In a country governed by Jews, the police have turned themselves into the enemy of an entire public simply because it studies Torah-a public numbering more than one million people over the age of 18. In doing so, they are erasing decades of coordinated work, daily coexistence, and basic trust that was an asset to all of us. Our message today to the Police Commissioner is sharp and clear: the responsibility for dismantling this framework of cooperation rests solely on your shoulders.”

Porush then issued what he described as a final warning, insisting that the arrests must stop immediately or relations between the police and the Chareidi public would continue to deteriorate.

“There is a final ultimatum here: if these arrests are not stopped immediately, if you do not cease this persecution that is leading the country toward complete anarchy, we will leave you with no foothold in our communities. The Haredi public will not remain silent while its sons are being persecuted, nor will it file reports with a police force that has lost its trust and legitimacy.

“Mr. Commissioner, regaining your senses is your immediate duty-before it becomes too late to turn the clock back,” concluded MK Porush.

{Matzav.com}

The IDF announced Monday evening that Captain Dr. Ori Yosef Silvester, 30, of Tel Aviv, was killed during combat operations in southern Lebanon. Silvester served as a physician in the Shaked Battalion (424) of the Givati Brigade.

The fallen officer was killed during an incident that also left several other Israeli soldiers wounded. According to the IDF, two officers and one soldier sustained serious injuries in the same engagement, while another soldier was moderately wounded.

In addition, two more officers and another soldier suffered light injuries during the incident.

All of the wounded troops were evacuated from the battlefield and transported to hospitals for medical treatment.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu said Monday evening that Israel has not changed its policy toward Hezbollah, responding to President Donald Trump’s claim that he intervened to prevent an Israeli strike in Beirut’s Dahieh district.

In a statement issued after speaking with Trump, Netanyahu stressed that Israel remains prepared to attack Hezbollah targets if the terror group continues launching attacks against Israeli civilians.

“I spoke this evening with President Trump and told him that if Hezbollah does not cease attacking our cities and civilians, Israel will strike terrorist targets in Beirut. This position remains unchanged. At the same time, the IDF will continue operating in southern Lebanon as planned,” Netanyahu said.

Earlier in the day, Trump announced what he described as a breakthrough arrangement involving both Israel and Hezbollah, saying his conversations with representatives from both sides had prevented a further escalation of the conflict.

“I had a very productive call with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel, and there will be no Troops going to Beirut, and any Troops that are on their way, have already been turned back. Likewise, through highly placed Representatives, I had a very good call with Hezbollah, and they agreed that all shooting will stop – That Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel. President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

Later, Lebanese officials released additional details regarding the reported understanding, describing a series of diplomatic contacts involving Washington, Beirut, and Israel 27aimed at preventing a wider conflict.

“As part of the efforts undertaken by the Lebanese government to preserve stability and prevent further escalation in Lebanon, and following a telephone conversation between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Lebanese authorities received confirmation that Hezbollah had agreed to an American proposal providing for a mutual cessation of attacks.

“Under the proposed arrangement, Israel would halt strikes on southern Beirut’s Dahieh district, while Hezbollah would refrain from carrying out attacks against Israel. Subsequently, the ceasefire agreement would be expanded to apply throughout Lebanese territory.”

The Lebanese statement further claimed that Trump personally helped secure Israeli approval for the proposal through additional diplomatic contacts.

“Later, President Donald Trump spoke by telephone with Lebanon’s ambassador to the United States, Nada Mawad, and informed her that he had obtained the agreement of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the proposed arrangement. Ambassador Mawad conveyed the results of the discussions to President Aoun, who in turn updated Hezbollah on the details.”

The reported understanding immediately drew criticism from National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who urged Netanyahu not to back away from military action against Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut.

“Mr. Prime Minister, you said that a strong prime minister tells the President of the United States ‘yes’ when possible and ‘no’ when necessary,” Ben-Gvir wrote.

Calling for a tougher approach, Ben-Gvir argued that Israel should continue its offensive regardless of American pressure.

He emphasized his position: “This is the time to tell our friend, President Trump, ‘no.’ Now is the time to do what is necessary and required to strike Hezbollah, free the hands of our fighters, and restore security to the north,” Ben-Gvir wrote on his account on X.

The differing statements from Israel, Washington, and Beirut underscored the uncertainty surrounding the reported arrangement, even as diplomatic efforts continue to prevent the fighting from expanding into a broader regional confrontation.