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At the White House’s Chanukah celebration on Tuesday, President Donald Trump spoke about the recent hostage developments involving Gaza, praising what he described as their return. In his remarks, however, the President inaccurately suggested that the process was fully complete, stating, “We got back all of the hostages, and all of the dead young people that were dead.”

That assertion overlooked one critical case. The remains of Ran Gvili have not been returned and are still being held by Hamas, an omission that carries significance as negotiations over the next phase of Trump’s peace plan remain stalled in part because of the terrorist group’s failure to release the final hostage.

Moments later in the program, Trump invited Orna and Ronen Neutra to join him. The couple are the parents of Captain Omer Neutra, an American-Israeli soldier whose body was recently recovered from captivity in Gaza.

Speaking from the stage, Ronen Neutra expressed gratitude to the President for his efforts on behalf of their family, the Jewish people, and Israel, but he also addressed the inaccuracy directly. “Your amazing leadership brought us to the point where we got our kid back, but there is still one left: Ran Gvili. He’s still there.”

Ronen concluded with confidence in the President’s resolve, adding, “we know you’re going to bring him back.”

The audience responded with sustained applause as Trump acknowledged the correction with a nod, bringing the exchange to a close.

{Matzav.com}

A member of Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s transition team and a top fundraiser for his campaign once praised anti-police chants, embraced far-left ideology, and declared that the United States should be “punished for its sins,” according to social media posts that have resurfaced as Mamdani prepares to take office. Jack Gross, a far-left activist with close […]

[Video below.] President Donald Trump used remarks at the White House Chanukah reception on Tuesday to touch on domestic politics, foreign policy, and his long-standing ties with major political donors, drawing attention for comments that mixed humor, fundraising, and speculation.

During the event, Trump reflected on conversations involving Israeli-American philanthropist Miriam Adelson, who was standing beside him as he addressed the crowd. At one point, chants of “four more years” could be heard in the background, though the response was muted.

Adelson, speaking publicly at the reception, told Trump about a recent discussion she had with constitutional lawyer Alan Dershowitz, noting that he spoke “about four more years.” She encouraged the president to consider the idea, saying, “I said, ‘Alan, I agree with you.’ So, we can do it! Think about it!” As she spoke, the audience briefly echoed the chant, “Four more years!”

Moments later, Adelson leaned in and quietly said something to Trump. The president then shared the exchange aloud, telling attendees, “She said, ‘Think about it, I’ll give you another $250 million.’” Adelson immediately responded, “I will give.”

Trump went on to reminisce about Adelson’s late husband, Sheldon Adelson, describing him as a formidable presence. “But her husband Sheldon was an amazing guy, and he’d come up to the office, and there was nobody more aggressive than Sheldon,” Trump said. He recalled Sheldon Adelson’s persistence, adding, “He’d call and say, ‘Can I come over please?’ I’d say, ‘Sheldon, I’m president of the United States, it doesn’t work that way anymore.’”

Sheldon Adelson and Miriam Adelson were among the most prominent Republican megadonors over recent election cycles. Sheldon Adelson played a major role in financing Trump’s early presidential campaigns, and following his death, Miriam Adelson continued to be heavily involved in political giving.

In 2024, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Adelson’s political priorities, writing, “Adelson, a resident of Herzliya and a megadonor for settlement development in the West Bank, did not wish to hear Trump yearning for peace,” and adding that what Adelson “really wants from Trump’s second term is an Israeli annexation of the West Bank and a US recognition of Israeli sovereignty in all the regions of the land.”

Beyond donor-related remarks, Trump also used the Chanukah reception to comment on the political climate in Washington, including tensions in Congress and what he described as a growing problem of antisemitism among certain lawmakers.

He further reflected on the influence of pro-Israel advocacy in U.S. politics, suggesting it has diminished over time while reiterating his own support for Israel. “My father would tell me, the most powerful lobby that there is in this country is the Jewish Lobby. It’s the Israeli lobby. It’s not that way anymore,” Trump said.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

China is exploiting partnerships with U.S. researchers funded by the Department of Energy to provide the Chinese military with access to sensitive nuclear technology and other innovations with economic and national security applications, according to a congressional report published Wednesday. The authors of the report say the U.S. must do more to protect high-tech research […]

The roshei yeshiva of Bais Medrash Govoah in Lakewood have issued a formal letter prohibiting a concert that had been scheduled to take place in Jackson, New Jersey.

In the letter, the roshei yeshiva state that they were informed of plans to hold a concert event in Jackson and felt compelled to express their firm opposition.

The concert they refer to is a performance by the Miami Boys Choir.

The letter emphasizes concerns about the spiritual and communal implications of such an event, noting that similar gatherings have, in the past, led to outcomes that were not in keeping with the standards and values of the Torah community. The roshei yeshiva stress that the decision was made after careful consideration and with a sense of responsibility for the broader ציבור, particularly given the proximity of the event to large concentrations of bnei Torah.

The letter bans the concert even if there’s only separate seating.

The letter is signed by Rav Malkiel Kotler, Rav Yisroel Neuman, Rav Dovid Schustal and Rav Yeruchem Olshin.

The concert has since been cancelled.

{Matzav.com}

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is forced to spend hours each week in court in a years-long trial for charges that have been unraveling one by one. This week, he is providing testimony regarding the charges in Case 4000, which claims that Walla provided favorable coverage to Netanyahu in exchange for favors. The charges have been completely disproven […]

Israel’s Health Ministry issued an urgent warning amid a sharp surge in influenza cases, recommending that at-risk individuals, medical staff, and visitors to nursing homes and geriatric facilities wear protective face masks as flu-related illness and deaths climb rapidly. According to the ministry, 513 new cases of influenza A and one case of influenza B […]

Newly released internal communications have renewed scrutiny of the FBI’s 2022 search of President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, with senior officials and lawmakers pointing to evidence that agents questioned whether the legal threshold for the raid had been met.

FBI Director Kash Patel addressed the issue Tuesday, confirming that the operation proceeded despite internal reservations. “It’s true – we just turned over documents to Capitol Hill to be made public showing the FBI told DOJ they did not have probable cause for raiding President Trump’s home in Mar-a-Lago but DOJ ‘didn’t give a …..’ and did it anyway,” Patel wrote on X.

Earlier in the day, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa released newly declassified emails and memoranda detailing exchanges between the FBI and the Justice Department in the weeks leading up to the August 8, 2022 search. According to the records, FBI officials repeatedly questioned whether they had sufficient grounds to seek a warrant.

In one document, the FBI’s Washington Field Office stated that it “does not believe” that “we have established probable cause for the search warrant for classified records” at Mar-a-Lago. Another passage noted, “DOJ has opined that they do have probable cause, requesting a wide scope including residence, office, storage space.”

The internal correspondence also reflected frustration within the bureau over the direction of the investigation. “The 6 weeks spent fixated on probable cause for a search warrant have been counterproductive,” the document quotes the FBI as saying. It further added, “Continued investigation and additional interviews have not found any witness who has reported seeing classified records at Mar-a-Lago since the return of records via compliance on June 3, 2022,” and suggested that “WFO suggests alternative, less intrusive and likelier quick options for resolution.”

Grassley summarized his reaction to the disclosures in a post on X, writing, “Received shocking new docs today from DOJ & FBI showing FBI DID NOT BELIEVE IT HAD PROBABLE CAUSE to raid Pres Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home but Biden DOJ pushed for it anyway.” He added, “Based on the records Mar-a-Lago raid was a miscarriage of justice.”

Late Tuesday night, President Trump weighed in forcefully on the revelations, denouncing the search in a Truth Social post. “Unreasonable Search and Seizure!!! That was the FBI’s CRIMINAL RAID on Mar-a-Lago. This can never be allowed to happen again!!!,” he wrote.

Trump also responded to a supporter calling for accountability over the raid. After a user posted that “Someone should be arrested. Wray & Garland,” Trump replied, “and many others!!!”

{Matzav.com}

Four centrist Republicans broke with Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday and signed onto a Democratic-led petition that will force a House vote on extending for three years an enhanced pandemic-era subsidy that lowers health insurance costs for millions of Americans. The stunning move comes after House Republican leaders pushed ahead with a health care bill that does […]

House Republican leaders are determined to push ahead with a GOP health care bill that excludes efforts to address the soaring monthly premiums millions of Americans will soon endure as pandemic-era tax credits for people who buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act expire at year’s end. Speaker Mike Johnson had discussed the prospect of allowing more politically vulnerable GOP […]

President Donald Trump on Tuesday expanded his administration’s travel ban, barring holders of Palestinian Authority passports from entering the United States and adding five more nationalities to a list of countries facing full entry prohibitions. The new restrictions, announced in a White House social media post and detailed in an accompanying fact sheet, are scheduled […]

A group of Iranian hackers is claiming responsibility for a cyber intrusion targeting the cellphone of Naftali Bennett, according to reports in Hebrew-language media.

The allegation surfaced after the hackers, identifying themselves as “Handala,” announced what they described as a successful breach of Bennett’s device, an operation they named “Operation Octopus,” Ynet reported.

In a statement cited by Ynet, the group mocked Bennett’s professional background in the cyber field. “You once prided yourself on being a leading light of cybersecurity, and displayed your expertise to the world,” the hackers said, referring to Bennett’s role as a co-founder of a cybersecurity company.

The message continued with further derision. “And even so, how ironic that your iPhone 13 fell so easily into the hands of Handala,” the statement said. “Despite all of your pride and boasting, your digital fortress is nothing more than a paper wall waiting to be broken.”

Bennett has previously used the phrase “the head of the octopus” when describing Iran’s role in orchestrating threats against Israel throughout the region.

The incident comes as Bennett, who previously served as Israel’s prime minister, is widely viewed as the most serious political rival to Prime Minister Bibi Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of elections expected next year.

{Matzav.com}

A Queens Republican councilwoman is facing intense political backlash after posting — and later deleting — remarks calling for the “expulsion of Muslims” from Western countries in the aftermath of the deadly terrorist attack at a Chanukah celebration in Sydney. Councilwoman Vickie Paladino, who represents parts of northeastern Queens, wrote on social media following the […]

BRENDAN CARR: If you want to talk about weaponization, we saw that for 4 years under the Biden administration. SEN. KLOBUCHAR: Know what? Joe Biden is no longer president.

SEN. KLOBUCHAR: You’ve launched investigations into every major broadcast network except Fox. Is that correct? FCC CHAIR BRENDAN CARR: I don’t know if that’s true or not. We do have investigations going on NPR and PBS. We have a number of investigations.

Second near midair collision with US military aircraft reported near Venezuela.

Four House Republicans joined Democrats to force a vote on a three-year extension of enhanced Obamacare tax credits, which are set to expire Dec. 31. * The Republicans are Brian Fitzpatrick (PA), Mike Lawler (NY), Rob Bresnahan (PA), and Ryan Mackenzie (PA), who signed a discharge petition filed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. * […]

An Ashdod Small Claims Court ruled that airlines must cover basic passenger expenses after war-related flight cancellations, even when exempt from additional compensation due to security circumstances. * The ruling states this includes lodging, food, transportation, and alternative flights. * The case involved passengers stranded abroad after an Israir flight was canceled at the outbreak […]

Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) announced Wednesday that he will not seek reelection in 2026. Newhouse was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach President Donald Trump following the January 6, 2021 events at the U.S. Capitol. In a statement, he said the decision comes with gratitude for the opportunity to serve and without […]