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Domagoj Patkovic, 31, was arrested in Portland, Oregon, on Tuesday and charged with making multiple bomb threats against Jewish hospitals in New York, dating back to May 2021. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, one of the threats in September 2021 led to a partial evacuation and lockdown of a hospital on Long Island. No explosive devices were found. The indictment, filed in August and recently unsealed, accuses Patkovic of threatening several Jewish hospitals in New York City and Long Island. On May 18, 2021, he allegedly called a hospital and claimed, “bombs are all over your facility,” and said that Jews “are gonna go skyrocket up into the sky for Allah.” Patkovic is also accused of live-streaming six calls to six different hospitals, prompting police bomb sweeps. Patkovic faces up to 155 years in prison if convicted. U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said Patkovic and his co-conspirators were “motivated by their hatred of Jewish people” and therefore “targeted Jewish hospitals and care centers in New York City and on Long Island with hoax bomb threats, needlessly endangering patients and staff by creating chaos and alarm.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

According to unconfirmed Palestinian reports, the terrorist responsible for the failed suicide bomb attack in Tel Aviv on Sunday night was Jaafar Mona, a resident of Shechem in central Shomron.

The reports claimed that Israeli authorities notified Mona’s family.

The 17-pound backpack explosive detonated prematurely, killing only the bomber and wounding one Israeli.

The Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist groups accepted responsibility for the bombing and vowed to carry out additional suicide attacks.

However, Israel security officials have yet to officially attribute the attack to Hamas and Islamic Jihad and are investigating whether another party might have dispatched the terrorist, according to Ynet.

As the investigation continues, Israeli security officials said that Iran or Hezbollah may have directed the attacker.

“There is an Iranian effort to activate people here,” Yigal Carmon, president of the Middle East Media Research Institute, told JNS. “This was apparently done with Iranian direction.”

In a statement on Monday, Tel Aviv District Commander Peretz Amar said that the terrorist had no prior criminal record and that the explosive device was likely homemade and faulty, Ynet reported.

“We have identified the terrorist, who is from the Palestinian territories. He isn’t someone who is found in our registry, and the explosive device was likely manufactured where he lived,” he said.

“We suspect the terrorist was supposed to reach a certain location and apparently noticed the synagogue on his way. He decided to stop for a moment to arm the device, but apparently pressed something else and activated it,” he said.

Ayalon District Police Commander Haim Bublil told Kan News Radio on Monday that “it is possible that the assailant planned to reach the nearby synagogue or perhaps the shopping center. We have no ability to understand why [the bomb] exploded at this point in time.”

“The scene here speaks for itself. It was a powerful charge that could have caused significant damage. We are in a kind of miracle that the incident did not end in dozens of deaths,” he said.

Mispalilim at the Lechi Road synagogue, named for Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, known by the acronym Rashbi, told JNS that they were in the middle of Shmone Esrei just after 8 p.m. when there was a thunderous blast, the electricity went out and the Shul’s windows shattered.

“Our first thought was it was a missile,” Yehuda Meshulam, who directs the Shus, which also doubles as a Beis Medrash, told JNS.

Others mentioned a drone.

Racing outside, worshippers saw a truck on fire, as the smell of smoke and ash choked the air. They lugged buckets of water to douse the flames until rescue workers arrived.

Seeing a man’s remains under the truck, some thought that it might have been an underworld bombing. “We actually calmed down because we thought it was a criminal attack and not terrorists that might be walking around,” said Meshulam.

They never expected it to be a suicide bomber—a hallmark of Palestinian terrorism two decades ago that killed hundreds of Israelis in scores of attacks nationwide.

By Monday morning, after police and security officials examined video footage from an adjacent hardware shop, it had emerged that the blast just outside the Shul was a bungled terror attack.

The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, which arrived in the Middle East late Wednesday night, is essentially a large airbase housing four combat squadrons and three additional squadrons dedicated to transport, reconnaissance and electronic warfare.

With a crew of 5,000, this is the vessel designed to deter Iran from attacking Israel.

On Aug. 2, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to relieve the USS Theodore Roosevelt operating in the Gulf of Oman, the arm of the Indian Ocean that connects the Arabian Sea with the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf.

USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in Guam on Aug. 4. It transited the Strait of Malacca and entered the Indian Ocean on Aug. 16.

The combat capability of the Abraham Lincoln, on its own, is larger and more advanced than that of the entire Jordanian Air Force. The carrier is also equipped with anti-aircraft missiles, other air defense systems, and anti-ship missiles.

The Abraham Lincoln serves as the home for three squadrons of F-18 Hornet aircraft, the primary fighter-bomber of the U.S. Navy. Additionally, it includes a squadron of EA-18G Growler aircraft, a model adapted for electronic warfare.

But the crown jewel of the carrier’s capabilities is the Marine Corps’ “Black Knights” squadron, which operates stealth F-35C fighter jets, modified for deployment from the carrier’s deck.

This is the first F-35 squadron to be stationed on an aircraft carrier and has been active on the Abraham Lincoln since 2020. The squadron itself boasts a long history and a proud legacy dating back to World War II, and it is considered the pride of the U.S. Navy’s air division.

After Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre, Austin ordered the USS Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean.

In a statement, Austin said that this was being done “as part of our effort to deter hostile actions against Israel or any efforts towards widening this war following Hamas’s attack on Israel.”

The strike group included the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea, guided-missile destroyers USS Gravely and USS Mason, and Carrier Air Wing 3, with nine aircraft squadrons, and embarked headquarters staffs.

The Eisenhower CSG joined the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, which had arrived days earlier. The Ford CSG included the USS Normandy, USS Thomas Hudner, USS Ramage, USS Carney and USS Roosevelt.

The U.S. Navy has 11 aircraft carriers in service, one undergoing trials, two new ones under construction and six planned.

(JNS)

Anti-Israel Ireland is considering purchasing Israeli drones for its army, the Irish Times reported on Wednesday. Ireland, which has always been hostile to Israel, increased its hostility to new heights since October 7th, joining South Africa’s absurd claim against Israel at the Hague, recognizing a Palestinian state as a reward for terrorism, and urging the EU to rescind its trade agreements with Israel. Its Prime Minister even referred to an Irish-Israeli hostage who was released from captivity in Gaza as a “child who was lost and was now found.” However, when it comes to its self-interests, all its supposed views are scattered to the winds. It has no qualms about using Israeli arms, purchasing over $9.45 million of Israeli-manufactured arms in the past ten years. And now despite Israel’s so-called “genocide” in Gaza, the Irish military is allowing Israeli companies to submit bids for a tender for a fleet of drones, the Times reported. According to the report, Israel, which is a “world leader in drone technology” is “well-positioned to secure the contract.” Ireland was joined by Spain and Norway when it recognized a Palestinian state in May. However, Spain also put its self-interests ahead of its so-called affinity for the Palestinians. Its plan to open an embassy in Ramallah failed because Spanish diplomats refused to relocate from Israel due to concerns about “quality of life and security.” “It’s absurd to recognize Palestine without opening an embassy to formalize it,” sources from the Spanish Foreign Ministry who spoke with the Spanish digital newspaper Ok Diario said at the time. Of course, the Spanish diplomats’ concerns are valid. In April, German Ambassador to the Palestinian Authority Oliver Owcza was attacked by a mob of enraged Palestinian students at Birzeit University over Germany’s support for Israel. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

In a JNS/Direct Polls survey of Israelis conducted on Aug. 19 regarding their view of the presidential race that pits Vice President Kamala Harris against former President Donald Trump, Harris enjoys the support of a 28% of Israelis to Trump’s 64%, with 9% of Israelis professing to have no opinion.

In a JNS/Direct Polls survey of Israelis carried out on July 9, 34% of respondents supported Biden to 55% for Donald Trump and 11% had no opinion.

In this week’s poll, Harris has virtually no support among Israelis aged 18-29; 93% support Trump compared to a 7% for the vice president. All age groups support Trump against Harris by well over 50 points except seniors. Israelis 65 and over are tied with 43% supporting each candidate and 14% undecided.

With the U.S. pushing Israel to avoid taking action against Iran or Hezbollah in Lebanon that risks intensifying the regional war, JNS/Direct Polls asked Israelis a series of questions about how they assess the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to Israel’s security and how they feel about defying the administration’s wishes on a series of pressing issues.

When asked to what extent they believed Biden and Harris when they declare their commitment to Israel’s security, 38% of respondents said that they have great faith in the U.S. leaders’ commitments to Israel’s security. Twenty-one percent said they somewhat believed them, 22% said they had little faith in their commitment, and 19% said they have no faith in the U.S. leaders’ commitment to Israel’s security.

On the other hand, only 34% of Israelis believe that Biden and Harris are committed to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Sixty percent do not believe them. And 6% have no opinion.

Fifty percent of Israelis believe that following the events of Oct. 7, Israel should give less consideration to the U.S. administration’s positions on foreign affairs and national security issues. Twenty-three percent believed that Israel’s position should be unchanged from what it was on Oct. 6, and 22% said Israel should give greater consideration to the U.S. position.

These numbers were reflected in answers to specific questions.

Fifty-two of Israelis said that in the event the U.S. asks for Israel not to carry out a military operation in Lebanon or attack Iran’s nuclear installations, Israel must defy the U.S and act in accordance to its interests. Another 29% said that it depends on the specific circumstances in which the U.S. makes the request. Eighteen percent of Israelis responded that Israel must abide by such an American request.

JNS asked the Israeli public what they believed was responsible for the rising levels of animosity towards the Jewish state among Democrats. Forty-five of respondents attributed the growing hostility to the presence of extreme progressive view in the American body politic. Thirteen percent attributed the hostility to either the Israeli government or the American Jewish community.

Twenty-six percent of Israelis believed that progressive opinion and hostility towards the Israeli government and American Jews were equally responsible for the rising levels of hostility. And 16% said neither of the choices was accurate.

The poll was carried out on Aug. 19 among 531 Israelis aged 18 and up from a representative sample of the public. A statistical sampling error of 4.6% with a 95% probability was calculated.

(JNS)

IDF Sergeant Ori Ashkenazi Nechemya has tragically fallen in battle in southern Gaza. Cleared for publication on Thursday evening, Nechemya, aged 19, from Ashkelon, was a soldier in the 46th Battalion, 401st Brigade.

Nechemya was killed by an attack using an anti-tank missile in the Rafah area of southern Gaza.

Since October 7th, 695 IDF soldiers have been killed. This number includes 331 soldiers killed in the ground operation in Gaza. An additional 4,349 soldiers have been injured, and there are 21 soldiers still hospitalized in serious condition. Another 172 soldiers are in moderate condition, and three in light condition.

{Matzav.com}

Agudath Israel of America expresses deep concern regarding the recent decision by Commissioner of Education Dr. Betty Rosa to significantly and unilaterally raise the tax levy upon the predominantly Orthodox Jewish district of East Ramapo, New York. The tax levy — the highest increase in memory — raises East Ramapo’s already high property taxes by a whopping 5.38% instead of 1%, the increase legitimately decided by the voters of East Ramapo and its elected school board. The state Commissioner interceded in the local matter at the behest of a taxpayer, supported by the NAACP, who was concerned that the suggested budget would be insufficient for public school needs. The Commissioner’s order conceded that her intervention here was “extraordinary” in response to the contention that the move would effectively “permit any taxpayer to challenge any action by any board… including whenever they do not agree with the budget.” The East Ramapo school board, which can be removed by the Commissioner, had little choice but to approve the Commissioner’s actions last week, but stated that it did so under protest. A particularly dangerous aspect of the Commissioner’s order is its framing of the events as neglectful or malicious actions taken by a white (Jewish), private school (yeshiva) attending majority against a Black and Hispanic, underprivileged, public-school attending minority. While assuredly not the intent, this rhetoric only inflames already dangerous racial tensions and antisemitism and does nothing to solve the issue. Agudath Israel has argued, publicly and recently, that the state’s formula to fund districts and public schools (Foundation Aid) is fundamentally flawed and at fault here. It does not account at all for nonpublic school students, even though the district is required to supply certain services to all children. Given the unique demographics of East Ramapo, where most children attend yeshiva, the district has, naturally, experienced budgetary shortfalls. “In effect,” said Rabbi Shragi Greenbaum, Agudah’s Rockland Regional Director, “instead of appreciating parents who, at great personal sacrifice, self-fund their children’s education, saving the state nearly a half a billion dollars annually in this district alone, the state has enacted punitive tax levies to compensate for a broken formula.” To be clear, Agudath Israel supports properly funding public schools. All children deserve the facilities and resources to succeed. But the funds to accomplish that ought to come from the state legislature, not through an unprecedented, unilateral tax levy imposed by the Commissioner of Education. Agudath Israel therefore urges the state to resolve the deficiency at its heart. The state must act in the best interest of public-school and nonpublic school children alike and fix the formula, instead of usurping the voice, and further taxing the pocketbooks of, East Ramapo’s Jewish residents.

The IDF has increased the intensity and scope of its attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon and plans to respond harshly to the Iran’s terrorist proxy’s recent heavy barrages on northern Israel.

Israel has started to transfer forces, resources and intelligence assets to the northern front following progress against the Hamas terrorist group in the Gaza Strip.

The possible movement of the main theater of war from Gaza to Lebanon was highlighted by separate visits on Wednesday by Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

During a visit to the Ramat David Airbase, 12 miles southeast of Haifa, Netanyahu said, “The Air Force is our iron fist which knows how to hit the soft underbelly of our enemies.”

Meanwhile, Gallant declared during a visit to the Gaza-Egypt border that the IDF has achieved victory over Hamas’s Rafah Brigade, which was the terrorist group’s final functioning brigade, according to Israel military assessments.

Hezbollah fired 180 rockets at northern Israel on Wednesday, directly hitting several houses in Katzrin on the Golan Heights and moderately wounding a man.

On Tuesday morning, the Shi’ite group launched a 55-rocket barrage at the Upper Galil and Golan Heights, followed by a 20-rocket barrage in the afternoon.

Some 7,000 residents of Katzrin and about 2,000 residents in the northern Golan Heights have been instructed to stay close to safe zones for long hours over the past two days.

The Hezbollah attacks came after Israel struck terrorist targets deep inside Lebanon, striking several Hezbollah weapons storage facilities in the Beqaa Valley on Monday and overnight Tuesday.

Overnight Wednesday, the IAF struck Hezbollah terrorist targets in more than 10 areas in Southern Lebanon, including weapons storage facilities, military structures and a launcher used to attack Israel.

(JNS)

The US National Transportation Safety Board opened an investigation into the recent crash and fire of a Tesla Inc. Semi truck in what is believed to be the first probe involving the company’s electric big rig.

The Tesla Semi ran off the road on Interstate 80 near Emigrant Gap, California, around 3 a.m. Monday. No one was injured, but the vehicle caught fire and ignited nearby brush, closing the freeway in both directions for several hours.

Tesla makes the Semi at its factory near Reno, Nevada, and uses the vehicle to transport parts to its auto plant in the San Francisco Bay area. Though the Semi was first unveiled in November 2017, it’s still in pilot production almost seven years later.

The NTSB has long shown interest in electric-vehicle blazes involving lithium-ion batteries, in part because of the challenges emergency responders can have with extinguishing the fires.

(c) Washington Post

Britain’s drug regulator authorized the Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi on Thursday, saying it’s the first medicine to show some impact in slowing the progression of the neurodegenerative disease. But the U.K. government likely won’t be paying for it after an independent agency separately issued draft guidance concluding that the benefits of Leqembi “cannot be considered good value for the taxpayer.” In addition to the cost of the drug, providing Leqembi requires that patients be hospitalized every two weeks to receive it and be closely monitored for side effects. Experts also noted the lack of data regarding the long-term effectiveness of Leqembi, made by Japanese drugmaker Eisai. “The reality is that the benefits this first treatment provides are just too small to justify the significant cost,” said Dr. Samantha Robers, chief executive of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, or NICE. The draft guidance issued by NICE will now be open for public consultation and all responses will be considered at a second meeting later this year before final advice is issued. The agency estimated about 70,000 people in Briton might benefit from Leqembi. The drug is still available to be prescribed if patients pay for it privately. In the U.S., it costs about $26,000 per patient per year. Some experts said that while they understood patients and their families might be disappointed by the news, there was hope better drugs might be developed soon. Hilary Evans-Newton, chief executive of Alzheimers Research UK, said Leqembi represented “the beginning of a sea-change in how diseases like Alzheimer’s will be treated in the future.” She said there were more than 160 trials underway testing over 125 experimental treatments for Alzheimer’s across the globe. “Despite today’s frustrating news, it really is a matter of when, not if, new treatments become available,” she said in a statement. Others worried the contrasting decisions by the British regulator and its health watchdog could produce further divisions in health care. “This will see greater inequities emerging in people with dementia, as only those who are able to access private healthcare will be able to receive the drug,” said Tara Spire Jones, director of the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized Leqembi in July last year, clearing the way for Medicare and other insurance plans to begin covering the treatment. Last month, the European Medicines Agency recommended that Leqembi not be authorized across the EU, saying that the drug’s impact on slowing cognitive decline did not outweigh its serious side effects, including swelling and potential bleeding in the brain. (AP)

Since the IDF began drafting Charedi men last month, only around 70 individuals have reported to military induction centers, significantly fewer than the number summoned following a High Court of Justice ruling. Only seven Charedim reported to the centers on Wednesday to complete pre-enlistment screenings, according to the IDF. The military has warned that those repeatedly ignoring the draft orders could face arrest. Adjustments have been made at the induction centers to accommodate Charedi recruits, including having only male soldiers and officers handle their processing and adapting psycho-technical tests and interviews to the Charedi community. The draft has sparked frequent protests by Charedi groups opposed to military service. On Wednesday, about 100 men demonstrated near the IDF’s recruitment office in Yerushalayim, leading to five arrests. The IDF began issuing draft orders to around 3,000 Charedim last month in response to a June High Court ruling, which nullified the legal framework allowing yeshiva students to avoid compulsory service. Many of the draft notices were sent to men who were not in yeshiva full-time. The conflict over Charedi enlistment remains one of the most divisive issues in Israel, with the government seeking a legislative solution to gradually increase Charedi participation in the military, though significant disagreements persist among political factions. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The boy who went missing in Arizona has been found safe and sound, b’chasdei Hashem.

Tzion Marin was found in good condition by members of Rockland Chaveirim.

Developing…

The Biden-Harris administration has renewed a sanctions waiver for Iran’s state-controlled broadcaster, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), allowing it to continue operations despite its history of publishing antisemitic and anti-Israel content. The decision, communicated to Congress on August 9, permits the IRIB to engage in financial transactions necessary to keep its TV, radio, and news services running. This marks the first renewal of the waiver since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7. The waiver last occurred in February 2023. Press TV, an arm of the IRIB, broadcasts in English and is described as having given “a platform to a wide array of neo-Nazis, white supremacists and Holocaust deniers.” Ever since October 7, it has been incessantly promoted antisemitic, anti-Israel and anti-US rhetoric, conspiracies, and propaganda. Senator Ted Cruz blasted the administration for easing sanctions while Iranian-backed groups attack U.S. troops and allies. “The Biden-Harris administration’s appeasement of the Iranian regime knows no bounds, even while the regime and its proxies are launching daily attacks against American troops and our allies,” Cruz said. “The administration has allowed over $100 billion to flow to the ayatollah, which he pours into nuclear development, terrorism, and propaganda, all of which is also supposed to be subject to sanctions—which the administration is also waiving or refusing to enforce,” he added. Secretary of State Antony Blinken approved the decision, claiming it is “vital to the national security of the United States.” Despite the waiver, IRIB and its leadership remain under U.S. sanctions for censorship and human rights abuses. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A doctor working at Soroka Medical Center in the Negev city of Be’ersheva pledged allegiance to the Islamic State terrorist group, the Israel Police and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) said on Thursday.

Muhammad Azzam, 34, an Israeli originally from Nazareth and a resident of Be’ersheva who is a specialist at the hospital, was arrested a month ago and an indictment was filed on Aug. 8. The details of the case had been under a gag order until now.

“The hospital administration takes the allegations very seriously and is shocked by them. The case is being investigated and handled by the relevant legal authorities, and we are confident in their handling of the matter,” Soroka Medical Center said in a statement.

According to a Justice Ministry statement, Azzam began showing an interest in ISIS in 2014, reading “extreme content” associated with the group in the subsequent years.

Following the Hamas-led massacre of Oct. 7, Azzam decided to officially join ISIS, swearing allegiance to Abu Hafs al-Hajri al-Qurashi, the new caliph of the organization. Further to the indictment, he sent his friends footage of the Oct. 7 atrocities with a tone of mockery and joy.

Police said the content found on his cellphone included videos of executions, beheadings and mutilated bodies. There were also folders titled “Explosive Materials” and “Poison Preparation” with information on ricin poison and rotten meat.

Azzam has been detained until all of the legal proceedings finish as the prosecution has requested, because his behavior indicates he is a danger to the public, particularly his role as a doctor in a hospital.

(JNS)

A former babysitter pleaded guilty to manslaughter Wednesday for the 2019 death of a man she was accused of disabling as an infant 40 years ago. Terry McKirchy, 62, accepted a plea deal for the death of Benjamin Dowling, who died at 35 after a life of severe disabilities caused by a brain hemorrhage he suffered in 1984 when he was 5 months old while at McKirchy’s suburban Fort Lauderdale home. Investigators believed she caused the injury by shaking him. In a letter of apology read to Dowling’s parents by her attorney, assistant public defender David Fry, McKirchy said she was feeling overwhelmed and exhausted by taking care of numerous children and struck him, causing his injuries. McKirchy, who now lives in Sugar Land, Texas, was indicted with first-degree murder by a Broward County grand jury three years ago after an autopsy concluded Dowling died from his decades-old injuries. He never crawled, walked, talked or fed himself, his family has said. She voluntarily entered the Broward County Jail on May 29 after having been free on $100,000 bail since shortly after her indictment. This isn’t the first time McKirchy has taken a deal in connection with Dowling’s injuries, receiving an exceptionally light sentence after pleading no contest to attempted murder in 1985. Then six months pregnant with her third child and facing 12 to 17 years in prison, she was sentenced to weekends in jail until giving birth. She was then freed and put on probation for three years. At the time, she insisted she was innocent, telling reporters that her “conscience is clear.” She said then that she took the deal because wanted to put the case behind her and be with her children. Prosecutors called the sentence “therapeutic” but didn’t explain at the time. Ryal Gaudiosi, then McKirchy’s public defender, said the sentence was “fair under the circumstances.” He died in 2009. Rae and Joe Dowling had been married four years when Benjamin was born Jan. 13, 1984. Both Dowlings worked, so they hired McKirchy, then 22, to babysit him at her home. Rae Dowling told investigators that when she picked up Benjamin from McKirchy on July 3, 1984, his body was limp and his fists were clenched. She rushed him to the hospital, where doctors concluded he had suffered a brain hemorrhage from severe shaking. McKirchy was arrested within days. The Dowlings told reporters in 1985 they were stunned when prosecutors told them minutes before a court hearing of the plea deal McKirchy would receive. The Dowlings said in a 2021 statement that Benjamin endured several surgeries in his life, including having metal rods placed along his spine. He got nourishment through a feeding tube and attended rehab and special schools. The Dowlings had two more children and would take Benjamin to their games and performances. The family moved to Florida’s Gulf Coast in the late 1990s. He died at their home on Sept. 16, 2019. “Benjamin would never know how much he was loved and could never tell others of his love for them,” they said. “Benjamin did smile when he was around his family, although he could never verbalize anything, we believe he knew who we were and that we were working hard to help him.” Shaken baby syndrome first gained national attention in the […]

Canada’s two largest railroads shut down early Thursday in response to a labor dispute that could have dire consequences for North America’s economy, threatening deliveries of cars, timber, petroleum products, grain and other crucial supplies.

The Canadian Pacific Kansas City railroad and the Canadian National Railway locked out Teamsters union members at 12:01 a.m. after they failed to reach a deal with Teamsters Canada Rail Conference on a contract late Wednesday, despite days of heated negotiations.

The Canadian government has rejected calls to intervene, but Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday urged parties to “get to a resolution.”

The Teamsters say the railways are requesting that the union make concessions “on crew scheduling, rail safety, and fatigue management” – echoing union concerns at the heart of a threatened 2022 rail strike in the United States. Meanwhile, the railroads say they have offered significant pay increases and addressed concerns about scheduling.

Teamsters Canada, which represents nearly 10,000 rail workers at the two companies, has been without contracts at the companies since the end of 2023.

The fallout of a Canadian rail strike could be far-reaching in the United States and Canada. Businesses have warned of “devastating consequences” that could trigger inflated prices and supply-chain shortages across North America and beyond. The U.S. railway Union Pacific has said a shutdown would sideline more than 2,500 railcars that normally cross the U.S.-Canada border each day, according to a company document reviewed by The Washington Post.

This week, in a letter addressed to President Joe Biden as well as other U.S. and Canadian officials, dozens of trade associations, including the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Cotton Council, said a rail shutdown would trigger “harmful consequences for Canadian and American agricultural producers, the agricultural industry, and both domestic and global food security.”

Each day of a work stoppage would require three to five days for the railroads to recover, said Jonathan Abecassis, a Canadian National spokesman.

The strike will also have major implications for travelers on Canada’s passenger rail lines, forcing tens of thousands of commuters in Canada’s three largest cities to find alternate transportation.

The railroads started winding down operations this week in anticipation of a shutdown. Shipments of perishable and hazardous products – such as frozen food, propane and chlorine used to purify water – had been halted to avoid stranding dangerous or spoilable products. The companies in recent days began stopping rail shipments that start in Canada, as well as those originating in the United States and headed for Canada. Now that massive flow of goods has screeched to a complete halt.

Murad Al-Katib, chief executive of AGT Foods, one of the world’s largest suppliers of staple foods such as beans and wheat, said food supply chains would be “immediately disrupted,” noting that many commodities – such as peas, lentils, chickpeas and durum wheat used for pasta – travel across the Canadian border to U.S. processing and packaging facilities.

“This is a disastrous outcome that’s going to lead to higher prices and processing plants shutting down,” Al-Katib said.

Some companies have made contingency plans to transport goods by truck, but logistics experts say truckers will not be able to meet the excess demand.

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, one of the largest U.S. rail unions, which is affiliated with the Teamsters, has told some 51,000 stateside members that they can refuse to cross any picket lines operated by Canadian rail workers, according to a copy of the letter obtained by The Post.

Canadian Pacific Kansas City served a lockout notice to the union on Aug. 9. Then the union on Sunday issued a strike notice to the company. Separately, Canadian National issued the union a lockout notice on Sunday.

The Teamsters said the railroads are demanding “grueling on-call schedules” and concessions around worker scheduling and safety provisions, “regardless of the risks” as the railroads face worker shortages. Canadian National is also forcing workers to relocate across the country for months at a time to combat understaffing, the union said. The union said it does not want to make sacrifices on its workers’ availability or relocations.

Paul Boucher, president of Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, said in a statement on Thursday that the companies “have shown themselves willing to compromise rail safety and tear families apart to earn an extra buck,” adding that “their sole focus is boosting their bottom line, even if it means jeopardizing the entire economy.”

Both rail companies said they’ve made generous offers to the union.

Canadian National said in a statement Thursday that the company “had no choice but to finalize a safe and orderly shutdown and proceed with a lockout,” adding that the union had “not shown any urgency or desire to reach a deal that is good for employees, the company and the economy.”

Patrick Waldron, a spokesman for Canadian Pacific Kansas City, said in a statement Tuesday that the railway had offered “significant wage increases” but had withdrawn an improvement intended to address the union’s concerns about scheduling because of union leadership’s opposition to that offer.

Rail transport carries billions of dollars in goods between Canada and the United States every month, according to the U.S. Transportation Department. Roughly 30 percent of all freight rail operations in Canada cross into the United States each year, the Association of American Railroads said.

In 2022, Congress and Biden intervened in a dispute between U.S. railways and unions about concerns similar to those reported by Canadian rail workers, such as severe understaffing and grueling schedules, forcing a deal that averted a strike.

(c) Washington Post

Bullet fragments were discovered in at least some of the corpses of six Israeli hostages retrieved from Khan Yunis in Gaza this week, according to information shared with their families.

This finding lends credence to the theory that some hostages were killed by their captors shortly before an aerial assault that preceded Monday’s IDF and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) rescue operation.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant called it a “daring and dangerous operation in the Hamas tunnels in Khan Yunis.”

Haim Peri, Yagev Buchshtab, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell and Alexander Dancyg were all killed in captivity. The IDF announced the deaths of five of them several weeks ago, with Munder presumed alive until Tuesday (although it is unclear if his death was known to officials who chose not to share it with the public).

The families confirmed that bullet fragments were indeed found in and near the bodies of their relatives. However, they have not yet received the final ballistics report with comprehensive details.

Munder, 79, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz along with his wife, Ruthi, their daughter Keren and 9-year-old grandson Ohad. Ruthi, Keren and Ohad were released in the November hostage deal. Their son Roi was murdered during the Hamas-led massacre on Oct. 7 along with some 1,200 others.

Metzger, 80, also a member of Nir Oz, was kidnapped alive and the IDF announced his death about two months ago. His wife, Tamar, who was also kidnapped to Gaza, was released in November.

Peri, 80, was also kidnapped from Nir Oz, of which he was a member.

Dancyg, 76, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz. The IDF announced his death in late July, along with that of Buchshtav.

Popplewell’s death was announced on June 3. The 51-year-old British Israeli was taken from his home in Kibbutz Nirim by Hamas terrorists. His mother, Channah Peri, 79, was released in November.

The total number of hostages remaining in the hands of Hamas in Gaza now stands at 109.

(JNS)

Dear Matzav Inbox,

I’m writing to follow up on a Matzav letter that appeared earlier this week.

Not so long ago, there was a notorious website known as Failed Messiah. For years, it thrived on a diet of scandal, real or imagined, aimed squarely at destroying the frum community from within. Its goal? To sow discord, mistrust, and division by revealing every potential shortcoming, every possible mistake, every fabricated outrage—tearing down kehillos, rabbonim, and individuals with glee.

But, in a moment of Divine mercy, Failed Messiah was put out of its misery.

And yet, here we stand today, and it seems that we no longer need Failed Messiah. Why, you ask? Because now we have our very own, frum people—or very own “unzere”—doing the job for him. That’s right. We have become our own worst enemies, doing the damage ourselves, with the help of WhatsApp do-gooders.

These aren’t outsiders looking to destroy us. No, these are members of our own frum community, who have taken it upon themselves to expose every flaw, every imperfection, every moment of human frailty that exists within our frum world.

Of course, they’ll tell you, every day, with constant reminders, that it’s all lesheim Shomayim. Isn’t it always? Pure intentions, noble goals—after all, they’re just trying to help, right? Yes, they’ll admit, they make mistakes sometimes, but they really mean well. They’re not in it for the money, fame or recognition, they say. Just lesheim Shomayim. They eat, sleep and post with Hashem on their mind. So holy!

Well, let me remind them: the road to Gehennom is paved with good intentions.

Today, we don’t need an external force like Failed Messiah to showcase every alleged weakness in the frum community. No, we’ve got our own self-appointed arbiters of truth, our very own do-gooders, who have picked up the mantle to address, expose, and broadcast every so-called problem.

They’ve taken it upon themselves to correct us, to educate us, to guide us on how to behave as the Am Hanivchar. Boruch Hashem! They’re here to help us avoid the chillul Hashem of poor parking habits in shopping centers, of people cutting the line at amusement parks, of dressing improperly in supermarkets, of credit card and loan shark scandals, of people not behaving the way they should, of ostentatious simchos, of extravagant bands, of terrible school-owners, of selfish askanim, and so on and so forth. They’re the ones to highlight every financial misstep, every instance of someone who’s been dishonest or less than perfect.

And why? Because, of course, the rabbonim aren’t doing their jobs, right? The leaders of our community are apparently failing us, so these modern-day Failed Messiahs feel it’s their sacred duty to step in. If they don’t expose every problem, every scandal, every challenge, then who will? If they don’t point out every flaw in our society, how will we ever become better? How will we ever achieve the perfection they so desperately seek?

I suggest that we start calling these people “Failed Messiahs.” Let’s call them what they are. Let’s identify them by those whose mission they have embraced.

To these people, I say: You are making Failed Messiah proud. You’ve taken up his mission, and you’ve made it your own. Congratulations. Aren’t you proud to have inherited his legacy? Aren’t you proud to be the ones to carry the torch of destruction from within? You’ve taken a page out of his book, and you’ve written a new chapter.

But here’s the truth you seem to have forgotten: Our community was built on the wisdom of our rabbonim, on the guidance of our gedolim, and on the foundation of Torah values. We don’t need your self-righteousness, your criticism, or your so-called lesheim Shomayim crusade.

So before you rush to expose the next scandal, the next flaw, the next chillul Hashem, take a moment to consider what you’re really doing. Consider whose legacy you’re truly upholding. And ask yourself: Are you building our community or are you tearing it down?

Sincerely,
Saying the Truth

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