WATCH: Officials Give Press Conference Following Second Trump Assassination Attempt
Watch Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, the FBI and Secret Service officials provide updates after an apparent ‘attempted assassination’ of former President Trump.
Watch Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, the FBI and Secret Service officials provide updates after an apparent ‘attempted assassination’ of former President Trump.
Two Israeli citizens were safely returned and arrested after crossing the barrier with the Gaza Strip overnight Thursday, with the IDF emphasizing that they never actually entered the coastal enclave.
IDF surveillance spotted the two people crossing through a gate in the fence into the buffer zone area between Israel and Gaza. Israeli forces were dispatched to the scene to take them into custody before they were handed over to the police.
“We emphasize that the citizens did not cross into the territory of the Gaza Strip. The approach to the obstacle area is dangerous and interferes with the activities of the security forces in the area,” the IDF said.
Sept. 8 marked a decade since Avera Mengistu, an Israeli from Ashkelon then 28 years old, was captured by Hamas in Gaza.
Ten years ago, in the aftermath of the 2014 Gaza war (“Operation Protective Edge”), Mengistu breached the border fence near Zikim Beach and was subsequently captured by Hamas. He had struggled with mental health issues.
Hisham al-Sayed, a Bedouin from southern Israel who was also mentally ill, also crossed the fence in 2015 was taken captive by Hamas.
The bodies of soldiers Lt. Hadar Goldin and St. Sgt. Oron Shaul, captured during “Operation Protective Edge,” were also being held by Hamas before the Oct. 7 attack, in which the terrorist group captured another 251 civilians and soldiers, with 97 remaining in Gaza, both alive and dead.
(JNS)
An Israeli Border Police officer was lightly wounded in a terrorist stabbing attack outside Yerushalayim’s Old City tonight.
Magen David Adom personnel treated a fully conscious 20-year-old male in mild condition before evacuating him to the hospital.
Israeli authorities confirmed the victim was attacked at the Damascus Gate in the eastern part of the capital.
“Large police and Border Police forces are on the scene. The terrorist tried to escape into the Old City and was neutralized,” added the authorities. The terrorist’s condition was not immediately clear.
Last month, a Border Police officer was lightly wounded in a terrorist stabbing attack on the Route 60 highway near the tunnel checkpoint at the entrance to Bethlehem on the outskirts of southern Jerusalem.
The 20-year-old female officer was administered medical treatment and evacuated to the capital’s Hadassah Medical Center with minor wounds.
On July 16, Border Police shot and killed a terrorist after he stabbed and lightly wounded one of them in Samaria. The Palestinian assailant was subsequently identified as a 19-year-old resident of the Gaza Strip. JNS
{Matzav.com Israel}
The FBI released a statement saying that the incident at former President Trump’s golf club “appears to be an attempted assassination.”
It is unclear at this time why they are saying that.
Authorities revealed that a witness claimed to have identified the suspect’s vehicle.
“Fortunately, we were able to locate a witness that came to us and said, ‘Hey, I saw the guy running out of the bushes.’ He jumped into a black Nissan, and I took a picture of the vehicle,” Sherif Ric Bradshaw said.
Authorities managed to catch up to the vehicle and detain the suspect. Authorities also recovered a GoPro and AK-47 from the scene according to Bradshaw.
“We have somebody in custody right now that is a potential suspect,” he explained.
Sherif Ric Bradshaw said that officials will release photos of the suspect’s backpack and rifle.
“There’s also a GoPro on the fence there, where he was intent on filming what was going on,” Bradshaw said while showing the photos.
“The public doesn’t need the panic,” he added.
Bradshaw estimated that Trump was on the gold course — and probably “between 300 and 500 yards” away from the suspected shooter.
A map of how close the would-be shooter was to Trump.An official noted Trump was about one or two holes behind where the shooter was perched.
Bradshaw indicated that Trump’s security was lighter because he’s not the sitting commander-in-chief.
“At this level that he is at right now, he’s not the sitting president. If he was, we would have had this entire golf course around it. But because he’s not, security is limited to the areas that the Secret Service deems possible,” Bradshaw said.
Trump’s alleged would-be shooter was “relatively calm” when he was taken into custody Martin County Sheriff William D. Snyder said.
“He was not displaying a lot of emotions. Never asked, ‘What is this about?’” the sheriff said.
The world remains captivated by the impressive operation that has been attributed to Israel, during which “Israeli special forces conducted a rare raid in Syria earlier this week, U.S. officials said, killing at least 16 people and striking a blow against a suspected Iranian missile factory,” as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
This mission was notable due to its scale and the involvement of Israeli ground forces in Syria, alongside airstrikes. Reports indicate that on Tuesday, American officials informed the New York Times that Israeli forces descended from helicopters using ropes and retrieved materials from the missile facility.
U.S. officials stated that Israel had informed them of the impending operation near Masyaf in western Syria, although details about the timing and execution were not provided. CENTCOM Commander Michael Kurilla was briefed on the plans when he visited Israel’s Northern Command on Sunday, where he was shown operations related to Lebanon.
“This attack was spectacular and out of the ordinary,” commented Andrew Tabler, a former director for Syria on the National Security Council and senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “It shows that Assad and the regime are still in the Axis of Resistance even if Assad has allowed very few Iranian strikes from his country.”
Charles Lister, a contributor to the Middle East Institute who has closely tracked developments at the location using reports from individuals in Syria and abroad, as well as local news, explained that the raid targeted a facility inside a mountain that produces missiles and rockets. He noted that the factory is managed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a terrorist organization according to U.S. designation, and is part of a larger military complex under Assad’s regime. “It is the kind of operation the Israeli military would need to conduct if they were to carry out an attack against a similarly hardened military facility in Iran,” said Lister. Israel has accused Iran of utilizing a research center near Masyaf to develop missiles for its proxies to deploy against Israel.
On Monday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the strike and denied that the Islamic Republic has any military presence in Syria. The Iranian news agency Tasnim claimed no Iranian personnel were present. On Thursday, the Iranian embassy in Damascus also rejected Syrian television reports that Israel had captured four Iranian operatives during the operation.
The New York Times reported that U.S., Israeli, and independent experts have described the site of the raid as a center for weapons research and development that aids Iran. According to these experts, Iran may be developing chemical, biological, and possibly nuclear weapons there, along with missiles intended for Hezbollah.
Lister informed the New York Times that the first wave of airstrikes destroyed four Syrian military positions in the Masyaf area, including an air defense post. The second round targeted a building linked to underground tunnels, and the third phase involved Israeli helicopters landing commandos near the bunkers. As the commandos advanced, Israeli drones struck Syrian forces responding to the attack.
Since October 7, Israel has launched numerous strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon and also targeted Syria due to activity by Iranian and Hezbollah forces. According to data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project and the Institute for National Security Studies, the Israeli military has conducted over 180 strikes in Syria.
{Matzav.com}
Following reports of gunfire near President Trump at the Trump National Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, the son of the former President, Don. Jr, posted online that a suspect has been apprehended, and that an AK-47 was found in the bushes.
Writing on X, Don Jr. said: “Again folks!
SHOTS FIRED at Trump Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida.
An AK-47 was discovered in the bushes, per local law enforcement. The Trump campaign has released a statement confirming former President Trump is safe.
A suspect has reportedly been apprehended.”
Previously, the Trump campaign released a statement from campaign Communications Director Steven Cheung, saying: “President Trump is safe following gunshots in his vicinity, no further details at this time.”
{Matzav.com}
Donald Trump released a statement to alert his supporters that he was unharmed following a concerning security situation involving a man who was detained with a high-powered firearm at one of his golf properties.
“There were gunshots in my vicinity but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!” Trump wrote on Sunday, referencing the second gun-related incident he has encountered since July. This particular event occurred at the Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach.
He went on to add, “Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER!”
In his message, he also expressed gratitude to his supporters, saying, “I will always love you for supporting me. Unity. Peace. Make America Great Again. May God bless you.”
{Matzav.com}
Jewish-American tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday after becoming the first civilian to conduct a private spacewalk, venturing outside SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule after traveling farther from Earth than any human in more than 50 years.
The capsule landed near Florida’s Dry Tortugas at 3:37 Eastern time in the predawn darkness, finishing the five-day mission to orbit.
It was also carrying two SpaceX engineers and a former U.S. Air Force Thunderbird pilot.
As the capsule floated in the water following its splashdown and waited for the recover team, Isaacman radioed, “We are mission complete.”
The spacewalk, which began shortly before 7 a.m. on Thursday, marked a significant milestone in private space exploration. Isaacman, the 41-year-old founder and CEO of payment processing company Shift4, emerged from the capsule on a tether, facing the vast expanse of space with Earth gleaming below.
“Back at home, we all have a lot of work to do, but from here, Earth sure looks like a perfect world,” Isaacman remarked upon exiting the spacecraft, as reported by the New York Post.The daring feat came after Isaacman and his three crewmembers reached an altitude of nearly 870 miles above Earth’s surface, surpassing the Earth-orbiting record set during NASA’s Project Gemini in 1966. Only the Apollo mission astronauts who traveled to the moon have ventured further into space.
Isaacman’s spacewalk lasted approximately 15 minutes before SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis replaced him. The other two crewmembers, engineer Anna Menon and former U.S. Air Force pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet, also participated in the extravehicular activity.
The entire spacewalk procedure, including preparation and completion, took about two hours. SpaceX streamed the event live on its website, allowing viewers worldwide to witness this historic moment in commercial spaceflight.
The mission, dubbed Polaris Dawn, is part of a series of three trips Isaacman purchased from SpaceX in 2022. While the cost of these expeditions has not been publicly disclosed, they represent a significant step forward in private space exploration.
Isaacman and his crew launched from Florida on Tuesday for their five-day journey. They wore newly designed SpaceX suits that Isaacman helped develop, which were crucial for protection against the vacuum of space during the spacewalk.
The spacewalk’s success was not guaranteed, as SpaceX unexpectedly delayed its start by a few hours. However, the company assured via social media that “all systems are looking good” before proceeding with the mission.
This achievement builds upon Isaacman’s previous space endeavor in 2021, when he became the first space tourist to orbit Earth without a professional astronaut onboard.
As private citizens continue to push the boundaries of space exploration, Isaacman’s successful spacewalk opens new possibilities for civilian involvement in extraterrestrial activities. It also highlights the growing role of commercial enterprises in advancing space technology and exploration. JNS
{Matzav.com}
An Israeli Border Police officer was lightly wounded in a terrorist stabbing attack outside Yerushalayim’s Old City on Sunday night.
Magen David Adom personnel treated a fully conscious 20-year-old male in mild condition before evacuating him to the hospital.
Israeli authorities confirmed the victim was attacked at the Damascus Gate in the eastern part of the capital.
“Large police and Border Police forces are on the scene. The terrorist tried to escape into the Old City and was neutralized,” added the authorities. The terrorist’s condition was not immediately clear.
Last month, a Border Police officer was lightly wounded in a terrorist stabbing attack on the Route 60 highway near the tunnel checkpoint at the entrance to Bet Lechem on the outskirts of southern Yerushalayim.
The 20-year-old female officer was administered medical treatment and evacuated to the capital’s Hadassah Medical Center with minor wounds.
On July 16, Border Police shot and killed a terrorist after he stabbed and lightly wounded one of them in Shomron. The Palestinian assailant was subsequently identified as a 19-year-old resident of the Gaza Strip.
(JNS)
Law enforcement sources report that the Secret Service is investigating a shooting incident near Donald Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, just as the former president was departing the area.
“President Trump is safe following gunshots in his vicinity. No further details at this time,” stated Steven Cheung, the Trump Campaign Communications Director.
This event occurs nearly two months after Thomas Matthew Crooks fired at Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13.
Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
{Matzav.com}
The governments of Britain and the US have expressed serious concerns that Russia may have exchanged nuclear knowledge with Iran in return for receiving ballistic missiles, which Tehran is providing for Moscow’s war effort against Ukraine.
During a meeting in Washington DC on Friday, US President Joe Biden and British Labour Party leader Keir Starmer acknowledged the growing military partnership between Iran and Russia. This comes at a time when Iran is getting closer to enriching enough uranium to achieve its longstanding goal of producing a nuclear weapon.
According to British officials, these concerns about the exchange of nuclear technology were raised as part of the deepening cooperation between Tehran and Moscow.
Earlier in the week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a similar warning during his trip to London, where he met British Foreign Secretary David Lammy. However, this statement was somewhat overshadowed by the announcement of Iran’s missile deliveries to Russia.
“For its part, Russia is sharing technology that Iran seeks – this is a two-way street – including on nuclear issues as well as some space information,” Blinken said, accusing both countries of engaging in activities that create further instability and insecurity globally.
Britain, alongside France and Germany, jointly warned last week that Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium had grown substantially, far beyond what could be justified for civilian purposes. They emphasized that Iran now possesses enough uranium to produce four nuclear weapons.
However, there is still uncertainty about the extent of Iran’s technical expertise in building a nuclear bomb or how quickly it could develop one. Nevertheless, collaborating with Russian specialists or relying on Russian expertise could accelerate this process, although Iran continues to deny any intention of constructing a nuclear weapon.
In 2015, Iran agreed to halt its nuclear weapons program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions by the US and other western nations. However, this agreement was abandoned in 2018 by then-US President Donald Trump. In response, Iran began violating the limits on uranium enrichment that had been set under the deal.
For several months, concerns have been mounting in the West about how close Iran is to developing a nuclear bomb. These fears have further escalated tensions in the Middle East, where the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has already raised regional instability.
Iran, along with Hezbollah in Lebanon, supports Hamas, which has made Iran’s nuclear ambitions a major concern for Israel. Israel views Iran’s nuclear development as a direct threat to its security.
After Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine, Iran began supplying Russia with Shahed drones and even helped Moscow establish a facility to produce more drones for bombing Ukrainian targets. Earlier this year, Iran also attempted a missile and drone attack on Israel, which was thwarted with assistance from the US and UK.
Although Russia and Iran have not historically been close allies, they have increasingly united against the West, forming part of a broader alliance with nations like China and North Korea, reminiscent of Cold War-era rivalries between states.
Last week, Blinken disclosed in London that US intelligence had determined that Russia had received its first delivery of Iranian Fath-360 ballistic missiles, which have a range of up to 120 kilometers (75 miles). These missiles are capable of striking Ukrainian cities already devastated by Russian bombings, prompting the West to reconsider its strategy and implement new economic sanctions.
Keir Starmer arrived in Washington on Thursday night for a special foreign policy meeting with Biden at the White House on Friday. The session began with a brief private discussion in the Oval Office before moving to a more extended 70-minute meeting in the Blue Room, involving top foreign policy officials from both countries.
Starmer was joined by Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Chief of Staff Sue Gray, and National Security Adviser Tim Barrow. President Biden was accompanied by Blinken and his own National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, among others.
Ahead of the summit, British officials indicated that the two nations had come to a preliminary agreement to allow Ukraine to use Anglo-French Storm Shadow missiles against Russia. When asked by reporters, Biden suggested that this was one of the key issues to be discussed during the meeting. “We’re going to discuss that now,” he said as the meeting got underway.
No official statement followed the discussions, likely to keep Russia uncertain about the outcome. It is expected that Ukraine will use these missiles as part of a larger military strategy to target airbases, missile launch sites, and other key Russian military locations involved in the war.
The UK needs approval from the US to allow Ukraine to use these missiles, as they contain American-made components.
During the meeting, Biden and Starmer were the primary speakers, with most of the discussions led by the two leaders. The other officials present, including Lammy, only spoke when invited by Biden or Starmer to contribute.
Starmer asked Lammy to brief the group on his and Blinken’s recent visit to Kyiv, where they met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Following the meeting, Starmer commented that the two sides had engaged in “a wide-ranging discussion about strategy.”
{Matzav.com}
The New York Times informed its readers on Friday that they should anticipate delays in the 2024 election results, suggesting that Americans should not necessarily expect to know the outcome of the presidential race on Election Night.
Historically, even before the advent of modern technology, close presidential races sometimes extended into the early hours of the next morning. One notable example is the 1960 election between Robert F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, an election many political analysts believe was unfairly taken from Nixon.
In the 21st century, even with advancements in technology, tight elections can still result in prolonged counting periods, varying by state. In the 2020 election, for instance, it took four days after Election Day for the final results to be determined.
The Times cautioned that, due to “intense security measures required for counting mail-in ballots,” it is unlikely that Americans will know the winner of the 2024 presidential election immediately. As the paper reported: “If a winner is not declared on election night, it will not necessarily point to failures in the process. More likely, it will be a result of the intense security measures required for counting mail-in ballots.”
Officials are preparing voters for the possibility of waiting longer for results, particularly in closely contested races. This is part of an effort to address concerns that could be raised by conspiracy theorists about the legitimacy of the vote count. The report states: “Election officials across the country are trying to telegraph to voters that waiting long hours or even days for a result is not unexpected in a close election. They are eager to counter conspiracy theorists who may seize on the uncertainty as evidence of fraud or malfeasance.…”
The process of counting mail-in ballots is time-consuming because it involves multiple security steps. This includes verifying signatures and ensuring that voters did not attempt to vote in person as well. Election workers must also manually open the ballots and prepare them for processing before they can be counted: “Counting mail ballots takes more time because there are more steps involved. A variety of security measures, including signature verification and ensuring that voters did not also try to vote in person, are required. Election officials must open the ballots and flatten them out before they can be put in a tabulator to be counted.”
However, the Times reassured its readers that, despite these precautions, the 2024 results are not expected to take as long as they did in 2020. According to the publication, many states have streamlined their procedures for counting mail-in ballots, and election officials are now more experienced with the process.
{Matzav.com}
Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is scheduled to travel to the United States later this month to deliver an address to the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 27, his office announced on Sunday.
The Israeli premier is slated to leave for New York on Sept. 24 for meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of the event, according to the statement.
Netanyahu is to address the 79th Session of the U.N. General Assembly three days later, on Friday afternoon, and fly back the next Sunday.
Israel is girding for a high-stakes diplomatic confrontation at the United Nations, as the Palestinian Authority pushes for sweeping measures against the Jewish state, including calls for an arms embargo and sanctions.
Jerusalem has reportedly crafted a series of escalating countermeasures, from freezing funds to cutting security ties with Ramallah, should the General Assembly vote to adopt the proposed anti-Israel resolutions.
As high-level diplomatic consultations unfold, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has directed his team to draw up measures against the P.A. If it follows through on its threats and violates the Oslo Accords, Jerusalem won’t hesitate to “go all the way,” diplomatic sources have warned.
According to a report by Israel’s Channel 12 News on Sept. 8, Ramallah has circulated a draft resolution asking the General Assembly to urge Israel to withdraw from Judea and Samaria and remove some 500,000 Israeli citizens living in the territory within six months. JNS
{Matzav.com Israel}