Feed aggregator

Israeli authorities have denied entry to prominent anti-Israel activist Linda Sarsour following a recommendation by the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, in accordance with the policy of Minister Amichai Chikli.

The ministry said it acted after receiving information from the Population and Immigration Authority and other sources indicating that Sarsour was expected to arrive in Israel. Following a review, Ministry Director-General Avi Cohen-Scali recommended that she be denied entry under Amendment 40 to Israel’s Entry Law and pursuant to existing interagency procedures governing such cases. The recommendation was accepted, and Sarsour was barred from entering the country.

According to the ministry, Sarsour has been a prominent supporter of the BDS movement, which advocates boycotts, divestment, and sanctions against Israel. Officials said she has participated in and encouraged anti-Israel activism in the United States and has been involved in campaigns promoting sanctions against Israel.

The ministry also accused Sarsour of supporting anti-Israel demonstrations on American college campuses and cited her involvement with organizations including Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and American Muslims for Palestine (AMP).

Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli said: “I instructed my ministry’s director-general, Avi Cohen-Scali, to prevent the entry into Israel of Linda Sarsour, one of the most prominent figures behind anti-Israel boycott activity in the United States and one of the leaders of the violent protests supporting Hamas after October 7. In doing so, we continue to implement without compromise the policy I established at the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism: Anyone who incites and supports boycotts against the State of Israel will bear the consequences and will themselves be boycotted.”

Avi Cohen-Scali, director-general of the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, said: “Those who incite and fuel hatred against the State of Israel will not set foot in it. We will continue to act to prevent hostile and antisemitic elements from entering the territory of the State of Israel.”

The decision is the latest step by Israeli authorities to enforce laws restricting entry for foreign nationals who actively promote boycotts against Israel or engage in activities viewed as hostile to the state.

Israel’s Shin Bet security service has reportedly launched an internal investigation following an unusual incident involving Sara Netanyahu, wife of Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, outside the Prime Minister’s official residence on Gaza Street in Yerushalayim.

According to a report by journalist Uri Misgav, the incident occurred after Netanyahu was left waiting outside due to a delay in the arrival of her official government vehicle. Witnesses who were present at the scene reportedly said that she appeared visibly upset and was heard raising her voice during a phone conversation while waiting on the street.

As the delay continued, Netanyahu allegedly attempted to hail a passing taxi in order to continue to her destination. However, members of the Shin Bet’s VIP protection unit intervened and prevented her from entering the vehicle.

According to the report, the security personnel physically blocked the taxi from approaching because security regulations prohibit the prime minister’s wife from traveling in an unapproved and unsecured vehicle. The standoff reportedly led to several minutes of heated exchanges before the official driver eventually arrived, allowing Netanyahu to continue her journey.

Following the incident, and at Sara Netanyahu’s request, the Prime Minister’s Office reportedly filed a formal complaint with the Shin Bet, demanding an immediate review of the circumstances surrounding the episode.

The complaint characterized the incident as a serious security failure, arguing that the delay left the prime minister’s wife exposed to potential danger in the heart of Yerushalayim. In response to the allegations, the Shin Bet has begun examining the events and the conduct of those involved.

Neither the Prime Minister’s Office nor the Shin Bet issued an official response to the report.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio forcefully rejected criticism from Sen. Cory Booker during a tense Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Tuesday, dismissing claims that the Trump administration is seeking to return to the type of nuclear agreement with Iran that it previously condemned.

The exchange unfolded as lawmakers debated the administration’s strategy toward Tehran and ongoing diplomatic efforts surrounding Iran’s nuclear program.

Booker argued that the United States had gained little leverage despite its pressure campaign against Iran and accused the administration of pursuing negotiations similar to the 2015 nuclear accord that President Donald Trump withdrew from during his first term.

“We are the strongest nation on the planet Earth and we’re in a stalemate with Iran. And now we’re begging to get back into a deal that you all trashed in the first place,” Booker said during the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.

Rubio quickly pushed back, insisting that Iran—not the United States—is under pressure and entering negotiations from a position of significant weakness.

“There’s no begging,” Rubio responded.

The secretary pointed to Iran’s worsening economic conditions, arguing that severe financial problems have left the regime increasingly desperate.

“The Iranians were begging because their economy is losing hundreds of millions of dollars a day. They have hyperinflation, their currency is completely devalued, and they’re struggling to make payroll for their government workers. Iran is in a very serious situation.”

Rubio also disputed any suggestion that Iran has emerged stronger despite months of regional conflict and economic sanctions, contending that the country’s military infrastructure has suffered major setbacks.

“I don’t know where you’re getting this perception that Iran is stronger. Iran has no navy left. They’ve lost a substantial percentage of their defense industrial base and a substantial percentage of their missile launchers, and their economy is far worse today than it was six to nine months ago.”

The sharp exchange highlighted the growing debate in Washington over the administration’s approach to Iran, with critics questioning whether renewed negotiations will produce meaningful results and administration officials maintaining that Tehran is negotiating under mounting economic and military pressure.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump has directed federal health officials to conduct a new review of the nation’s childhood vaccination schedule, a move that could lead to additional changes in the vaccines routinely recommended for American children and teenagers.

The executive order, signed Friday, builds on a scientific evaluation issued earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. That report highlighted that the United States recommends a larger number of childhood vaccines than other developed nations and administers significantly more doses than some countries in Europe.

Following the release of that assessment, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised its childhood immunization guidance in January, reducing the number of routinely recommended vaccinations from 17 to 11. The decision drew strong opposition from many medical organizations and public health experts.

Under the updated CDC recommendations, vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), hepatitis A, hepatitis B, dengue fever, meningococcal ACWY, and meningococcal B are generally recommended only for children considered to be at elevated risk.

The agency maintained its existing recommendations for protection against 11 illnesses, including measles, mumps, rubella, whooping cough, tetanus, diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzae type b, pneumonia, polio, human papillomavirus (HPV), and chickenpox.

Trump’s executive order instructs the CDC and its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to reexamine both the January HHS report and the most recent clinical research. The review is intended to determine whether further revisions should be made to the national vaccine schedule for children and adolescents.

In a fact sheet released alongside the order, the White House said: “President Trump is reaffirming his commitment to gold-standard science, ensuring Americans receive the best possible medical advice, and empowering patients and doctors with maximum flexibility.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics took a different approach after the January CDC changes, issuing its own immunization guidelines that continue to recommend routine protection against 18 diseases. Those recommendations include vaccines for RSV, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rotavirus, influenza, and meningococcal disease.

AAP officials have argued that comparisons between the United States and other countries can be misleading because vaccine recommendations are based on each nation’s unique public health conditions and healthcare infrastructure.

“We don’t follow Denmark’s vaccine recommendations because we don’t live in Denmark,” Dr. Jose Romero, a member of AAP’s committee on infectious diseases, said in a statement last year. “Children in the United States are at risk of different diseases than children in other countries. We also have a completely different health system.”

The American College of Physicians also voiced concern over the administration’s latest action, warning against replacing longstanding U.S. guidance with policies modeled after those of other countries.

“This is the second time the administration has attempted to unilaterally substitute vaccine guidance from other countries to replace the U.S. vaccine schedule which was developed for the specific needs of the U.S. population,” ACP President Dr. Jan Carney said in a statement. “The U.S. childhood vaccine schedule was designed through years of transparent, scientific review focused on preventing serious illness, outbreaks and deaths among our country’s large, diverse population with uneven access to health care services.

“The evidence is clear: vaccines are safe and effective at preventing deaths, hospitalizations and the spread of disease,” she added. “The changes that this executive order directs cannot be allowed to move forward.”

{Matzav.com}

[Video below.] A Frontier Airlines flight traveling from Puerto Rico to Chicago was forced to make an emergency diversion to Miami after a passenger allegedly attempted to open an aircraft exit door and later tried to gain access to the cockpit during a frightening disturbance in the air.

The incident occurred Sunday aboard Frontier Flight 3345, which had departed from San Juan and was en route to Chicago O’Hare International Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration said the crew reported a “passenger disturbance” during the flight.

According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, flight attendants and passengers observed a man behaving erratically and attempting to open one of the aircraft’s exit doors. Witnesses told authorities that the passenger repeatedly said he wanted to get off the plane.

Officials said crew members instructed the man to remain seated and stop his disruptive behavior, but he allegedly refused to comply. Instead, he reportedly moved toward the front of the aircraft and attempted to enter the pilots’ compartment.

As the situation escalated, an off-duty flight attendant who was traveling as a passenger volunteered to sit near the man in an effort to help monitor him and keep the situation under control.

Authorities said the encounter turned physical when the off-duty attendant briefly left his seat to use the restroom. During that time, the disruptive passenger allegedly attempted to grab the attendant’s bag and then tried to choke him.

Flight attendants and several passengers ultimately intervened and were able to restrain the man while the aircraft was redirected to Miami International Airport.

The plane landed safely shortly before noon local time. Upon arrival, law enforcement officers boarded the aircraft, took the passenger into custody, and arrested him. Authorities said he has not yet been publicly identified and was charged with misdemeanor battery.

Frontier Airlines later confirmed the incident and said the disruption caused only a temporary interruption to the flight’s journey.

“Law enforcement boarded the aircraft in Miami and removed the passenger, and the flight subsequently continued on to Chicago a few hours later,” a Frontier Airlines spokesperson said.

After the passenger was removed, the flight resumed service and departed for Chicago later that day.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}