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“Ignore the Courts”: Whistleblower Claims Rock Trump DOJ Nominee’s Confirmation

Yeshiva World News -

A top Justice Department official nominated to become a federal appeals court judge said Wednesday that he never told department attorneys to ignore court orders, denying the account of a whistleblower who detailed a campaign to defy judges to carry out President Donald Trump’s deportation plans. Emil Bove’s nomination for the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has come under intense scrutiny after a fired department lawyer claimed in a complaint filed Tuesday that Bove used an expletive when he said during a meeting that the Trump administration might need to ignore judicial commands. Bove pushed back against suggestions from Democrats that the whistleblower’s claims make him unfit for the federal bench. “I have never advised a Department of Justice attorney to violate a court order,” Bove told the Senate Judiciary Committee. He added, “I don’t think there’s any validity to the suggestion that that whistleblower complaint filed yesterday calls into question my qualifications to serve as a circuit judge.” Bove, a former criminal defense attorney for Trump, has been at the forefront of some of the most contentious Justice Department actions since Trump’s return to the White House, including the dismissal of the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. He also accused FBI officials of “insubordination” for refusing to hand over the names of agents who investigated the U.S. Capitol riot and ordered the firings of a group of prosecutors involved in the Jan. 6 criminal cases. Bove took criticism of his tenure head on, telling lawmakers he understands some of his decisions “have generated controversy.” But Bove said he has been inaccurately portrayed as Trump’s “henchman” and “enforcer” at the department. “I am someone who tries to stand up for what I believe is right,” Bove said. A former federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, Bove was on Trump’s legal team during his New York hush money trial and defended Trump in the two federal criminal cases brought by the Justice Department. If confirmed by the Senate, he’ll serve on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which hears cases from Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Democrats said Bove has proven himself himself unfit for a lifetime appointment during his short tenure at the Justice Department, accusing him of abusing his power and putting his loyalties to Trump above all else. “Bove has led the effort to weaponize the Department of Justice against the president’s enemies,” said Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the committee. “Having earned his stripes as a loyalist to this president, he’s been rewarded with this lifetime nomination.” Bove’s hearing came a day after the filing of a whistleblower complaint from a former Justice Department lawyer who was fired in April after conceding in court that Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man who had been living in Maryland, was mistakenly deported to an El Salvador prison. That lawyer, Erez Reuveni, described efforts by top Justice Department officials in the weeks before his firing to stonewall and mislead judges to carry out deportations championed by the White House. Reuveni described a Justice Department meeting in March concerning Trump’s plans to invoke the Alien Enemies Act over what the president claimed was an invasion by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. Reuveni said Bove raised the possibility that a […]

“Ignore the Courts”: Whistleblower Claims Rock Trump DOJ Nominee’s Confirmation

Yeshiva World News -

A top Justice Department official nominated to become a federal appeals court judge said Wednesday that he never told department attorneys to ignore court orders, denying the account of a whistleblower who detailed a campaign to defy judges to carry out President Donald Trump’s deportation plans. Emil Bove’s nomination for the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has come under intense scrutiny after a fired department lawyer claimed in a complaint filed Tuesday that Bove used an expletive when he said during a meeting that the Trump administration might need to ignore judicial commands. Bove pushed back against suggestions from Democrats that the whistleblower’s claims make him unfit for the federal bench. “I have never advised a Department of Justice attorney to violate a court order,” Bove told the Senate Judiciary Committee. He added, “I don’t think there’s any validity to the suggestion that that whistleblower complaint filed yesterday calls into question my qualifications to serve as a circuit judge.” Bove, a former criminal defense attorney for Trump, has been at the forefront of some of the most contentious Justice Department actions since Trump’s return to the White House, including the dismissal of the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. He also accused FBI officials of “insubordination” for refusing to hand over the names of agents who investigated the U.S. Capitol riot and ordered the firings of a group of prosecutors involved in the Jan. 6 criminal cases. Bove took criticism of his tenure head on, telling lawmakers he understands some of his decisions “have generated controversy.” But Bove said he has been inaccurately portrayed as Trump’s “henchman” and “enforcer” at the department. “I am someone who tries to stand up for what I believe is right,” Bove said. A former federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, Bove was on Trump’s legal team during his New York hush money trial and defended Trump in the two federal criminal cases brought by the Justice Department. If confirmed by the Senate, he’ll serve on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which hears cases from Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Democrats said Bove has proven himself himself unfit for a lifetime appointment during his short tenure at the Justice Department, accusing him of abusing his power and putting his loyalties to Trump above all else. “Bove has led the effort to weaponize the Department of Justice against the president’s enemies,” said Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the committee. “Having earned his stripes as a loyalist to this president, he’s been rewarded with this lifetime nomination.” Bove’s hearing came a day after the filing of a whistleblower complaint from a former Justice Department lawyer who was fired in April after conceding in court that Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man who had been living in Maryland, was mistakenly deported to an El Salvador prison. That lawyer, Erez Reuveni, described efforts by top Justice Department officials in the weeks before his firing to stonewall and mislead judges to carry out deportations championed by the White House. Reuveni described a Justice Department meeting in March concerning Trump’s plans to invoke the Alien Enemies Act over what the president claimed was an invasion by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. Reuveni said Bove raised the possibility that a […]

Face to Face With the Truth

Matzav -

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz

For some time now, it has been evident that we are living through historic days. Choose any starting point. Take the Covid pandemic, for instance. A virus that emerged in China swiftly swept across the globe, infecting millions, claiming countless lives, and leaving lingering scars – physical, emotional, and societal. The pandemic wasn’t just a medical crisis. It rattled the foundations of the global economy. In the United States and beyond, businesses shuttered, industries transformed, and livelihoods vanished. The world was forced to adapt to a new, altered reality.

But the devastation went beyond illness and economics. In some places, politicians, drunk on power and driven by agendas, took aim at shuls and yeshivos, weaponizing “science” to shut them for months. In the name of science, they closed stores, banned gatherings, confined people to their homes, and injected millions with vaccines developed in haste, under the banner of urgency. They forced us to wear masks, telling us that they prevented the disease from spreading. Anyone who didn’t wear them while on an airplane was ridiculed and thrown off, unless they were eating, for while eating, the disease wouldn’t spread, even if the mask was off.

Covid toppled governments and governors alike, dancing hand in hand with the Malach Hamovess, until Hashem decided that His message had been sent that we are not in control. Despite humanity’s towering achievements in medicine, science, and technology, man remains powerless in Hashem’s world. It is He who rules, He who decides who shall live and who shall not, who shall rise to power and who shall fall, who should lead and who should follow, how the world turns- and when it stops.

We can turn back to Shemini Atzeres of 5783, a day that shocked Israel and the world. In a brutal and historic surprise attack, Hamas terrorists breached Israel’s borders. Within hours, 1,200 people were murdered, thousands were wounded, and 251 were taken hostage. The vaunted Israeli army and police, long revered for their readiness and strength, were of no help. For nearly seven hours, bloodthirsty savages rampaged with impunity, torturing and slaughtering men, women, children, and even infants.

The questions came quickly and painfully. How could it be? How could Israel – the most surveilled, protected state in the world – be blindsided? How could its famously secure border be torn open by a band of terrorists? Where were the defenders of Israel, the celebrated heroes of the IDF, praised for their bravery and vigilance? On the day they were needed most, they were absent. Some had been killed in the first wave. Others were cut off, communications severed. And as desperate civilians dialed for help, there was no answer. The lines were dead. The operators themselves had been murdered. It would take hours before rescue arrived, and it was far too late for many.

How could such horror unfold? Some have tried to offer answers. Others continue searching. But for many, the truth is clear: This was not merely a failure of intelligence or security. It was a decree from Heaven. When Hashem ordains something, no force on earth – not even the strongest army – can stand in its way. He does it for reasons that are beyond our human comprehension. Sometimes it takes decades or longer to see Hashem’s plan unfold, and sometimes it only takes a couple of years, as we are seeing now.

Because of the Hamas declaration of war on Israel and due to the terrible tragedy they caused, Israel immediately went to war to destroy and dislodge Hamas from Gaza. While opponents of the Israeli government, internally and externally, including President Biden and his administration, condemned Prime Minister Netanyahu for the war he was waging, he continued fighting a historic battle.

Israel eliminated the entire leadership of Hamas and tens of thousands of its fighters. Its rocket arsenal was destroyed, along with the threat it posed to Israel. One of Iran’s proxies had been removed from the chessboard. Their Lebanese proxy, which had threatened Israel for decades from its northern border, joined the war, bombarding Israel repeatedly with Iranian-supplied rockets. Finally, Israel eliminated their heads, their generals, and their leaders, and the threat they represented was done away with. Iran lost another proxy they had spent decades and billions of dollars building. It was historic.

In the aftermath of Hezbollah’s weakening, another Iranian proxy fell, this time in Syria. The longtime dictator, once feared and entrenched, suddenly found himself unable to hold back the rebels who had challenged him for years.

One historic event after another unfolded, and all were set in motion by the tragedy of October 7th, a day of darkness that Hashem brought upon His people for reasons only He knows. What is clear, and what remains clear to this day, is the unmistakable presence of the Yad Hashem, guiding every step, seen and unseen.

And now we are living through another historic event that people will be reading about and discussing for years to come. After decades of warnings about the threat Iran posed to Israel’s existence, Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu ordered a surprise attack on Iran – its capital, Tehran, its nuclear infrastructure, and the leaders who directed it.

Miraculously, the Israeli armed forces succeeded beyond anyone’s wildest imagination. The small country that had fallen victim to an Iranian proxy two-and-a-half years earlier was enabled by Hashem to achieve superiority over Iran, conducting hundreds of unimpeded sorties across its skies, dropping bombs on strategic targets at will.

The Hand of Hashem was evident, and the existential nuclear threat was methodically dismantled. The country that had threatened the Western world, the Arab world, and Israel for so long was eviscerated by Mivtza Am K’lavi.

But the threat wasn’t yet fully neutralized. That happened on Shabbos Kodesh, Parshas Shelach, when we read how Yehoshua told the nation, “Hashem itanu al tira’um – Hashem is with us; you need not fear our enemies” (Bamidbar 14:9). The Ramban (ibid.) explains that Yehoshua was telling them that they bear witness to the many miracles that Hashem performs for them on a regular basis and should know that they have nothing to fear.

It was on that day that President Donald Trump ordered the total destruction of Iran’s three main nuclear facilities, previously believed to be impregnable. In a historic act, bombers flew directly from the United States and, without being detected, destroyed the feared sites with perfect coordination and precision.

American presidents had promised for years that Iran would not be permitted to obtain a nuclear weapon, but they never did anything beyond issuing statements at best, and, at worst, they enabled Iran to continue its dangerous march.

European leaders were also no help, and the UN is now busy criticizing the United States for removing the threat.

It was President Trump, criticized and mocked ever since he declared his candidacy for president in 2016, who demonstrated what leadership is. With moral clarity, he understood that there is good and there is evil, but there is no moral equivalence. After thoroughly reviewing every necessary component and warning Iran and the world that if they would not surrender, he would end their nuclear ambition, he followed through on his threat, proving that the fake news and Democrat lies about him being all bluster were just that: lies.

Those who wondered how Trump could have been elected in 2016 and then reelected in 2024 – with the entirety of the mainstream media and political establishment lined up against him, along with nonstop allegations and court cases – were once again shown unmistakably that lev melochim v’sorim b’Yad Hashem. He was placed in that position by Hashem for good reason.

When President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu took to the airwaves to inform their nations of what had just occurred, they both made a point of thanking G-d for making it happen.

When we see Netanyahu, who once took credit for everything, now including Hashem in his public remarks and telling his generals, commanders, and citizens that the main component in victory is siyata diShmaya, we know that something has changed.

Living in historic times has its downsides, but it has upsides as well, and seeing the Yad Hashem guiding the world is a major plus.

Each historic event, no matter how far apart in time or geography, seems to echo a shared theme: We are being shaken awake. Covid silenced cities. October 7th shattered illusions. Taking out Iran’s nuclear weapons brought a hush to the world. That quiet wasn’t empty. It was filled with a message. Hashem is speaking, not in whispers but in roars.

We plan, prepare, and protect, but He overrides it all. Our schedules, our systems, our assumptions, they shatter like glass when His will moves against them. It is not punishment alone. It is a reminder. A world too reliant on itself forgets its Source. We chase progress and call it purpose. But Hashem has always been the One turning the pages of history.

And now, He’s turning them faster and more clearly. He is bringing us to the ultimate geulah, if we only cooperate.

We believed in our systems. We trusted the strongest army in the Middle East. But in these last few years, each pillar we leaned on has trembled.

Hospitals – overwhelmed. Governments – unsure. Armies – unprepared. How quickly the mighty are made small. How easily the “secure” becomes shattered. We saw the border breach and realized that there is no wall high enough to keep out a decree from Heaven.

But what did not falter? What remained untouched by virus, terror, or fear? The Torah did not collapse. The truth did not shift. Amid the chaos, Hashem remained constant. And for those who looked upward, emunah became firmer than any wall of stone.

In moments like these, people ask, “Where was Hashem?” But the deeper soul asks something else: “Where were we?”

Where were we when He gave us quiet mornings, healthy children, and parnassah without panic? Did we notice Him then? Did we thank Him? Or do we only notice when He reminds us through temporary pain that He never left?

Still, even in darkness, emunah lives. We saw it in the people who ran toward the rockets with tallis and tefillin. In the voices singing Acheinu while sirens screamed overhead. In the unity, the tefillah, the return. Bitachon didn’t die in the rocket fire. It burned brighter.

My dear friend, Rav Avrohom Zeivald, who directs Lev L’Achim, told me that the search among the secular community for a connection to Hashem and for learning Torah is now stronger than he has seen in the thirty years he’s been involved in kiruv.

A nation scattered across the world has been shaken into reality. Jews who hadn’t opened a siddur in years are now whispering Tehillim. Secular hands hold onto tzitzis. Bat Yam and Bnei Brak cry together. A nation is turning – slowly, painfully, but unmistakably – back to its Source.

We are being summoned to rediscover our soul. Teshuvah is no longer a theoretical concept. It is our lifeline. Hashem is not distant. He is reaching for us, and thankfully, we are reaching back.

That is what these historic times are meant to do. They strip away the noise, the illusions, and the layers we’ve wrapped around ourselves until we are left face to face with the truth we’ve always known – that we are in Hashem’s Hands.

Not in theory, not in a drosha, but in the stillness after the sirens, in the helplessness of the unanswered call, in the cry of a nation that knows no one else can save us. Those who pay close attention can hear, in the sounds of the sirens and the falling bombs, the resonances of a shofar and the footsteps of Moshiach fast approaching.

We do not understand the cheshbonos. We do not know why so many had to suffer. But we must know that this is the final refining, that the world is being hollowed to make room for eternal brachos.

We, who merit to live in the time of ikvesa d’Meshicha, know that the cracks in the world are not signs of destruction, but labor pangs before rebirth.

There is pain. But there is also awakening. There is tragedy. But there is also clarity. We are watching a world unravel, not randomly, but precisely and purposefully, preparing for something greater.

Don’t be influenced by the naysayers or the media. The present chaos is not the end. It is the beginning. We are being prevented from traveling to Eretz Yisroel, and those who are there are being held back from their regular routines, but know that very soon, all of Klal Yisroel will be brought to Eretz Yisroel on kanfei neshorim and will live lives of incomparable bliss.

{Matzav.com}

CIA Director: Iran’s Nuclear Program Has Been Severely Damaged

Matzav -

CIA Director John Ratcliffe issued a public statement Wednesday addressing the current state of Iran’s nuclear program following recent military actions.

“CIA can confirm that a body of credible intelligence indicates Iran’s Nuclear Program has been severely damaged by the recent, targeted strikes. This includes new intelligence from an historically reliable and accurate source/method that several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years,” he said.

Ratcliffe noted that intelligence gathering is ongoing and that relevant officials continue to be briefed. He added that the agency would also work to keep the American people informed. “CIA continues to collect additional reliably sourced information to keep appropriate decision-makers and oversight bodies fully informed. When possible, we will also provide updates and information to the American public, given the national importance of this matter and in every attempt to provide transparency,” added Ratcliffe.

In a separate announcement earlier that day, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard reinforced the assessment, explaining that the recent airstrikes had inflicted long-term setbacks on Iran’s nuclear development.

“New intelligence confirms what POTUS has stated numerous times: Iran’s nuclear facilities have been destroyed. If the Iranians chose to rebuild, they would have to rebuild all three facilities (Natanz, Fordow, Esfahan) entirely, which would likely take years to do,” Gabbard wrote in a post on X.

She went on to call out major media networks, accusing them of distorting the facts in their coverage. “The propaganda media has deployed their usual tactic: selectively release portions of illegally leaked classified intelligence assessments (intentionally leaving out the fact that the assessment was written with ‘low confidence’) to try to undermine President Trump’s decisive leadership and the brave servicemen and women who flawlessly executed a truly historic mission to keep the American people safe and secure,” she wrote.

The previous evening, President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to denounce reports by CNN and the New York Times, both of which questioned the effectiveness of the strikes.

“Fake news CNN, together with the failing New York Times, have teamed up in an attempt to demean one of the most successful military strikes in history. The nuclear sites in Iran are completely destroyed! Both the Times and CNN are getting slammed by the public!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

Trump also reposted remarks from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who strongly defended the outcome of the military action. “Based on everything we have seen — and I’ve seen it all — our bombing campaign obliterated Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons.”

Hegseth emphasized the precision and power of the bombing operation, pushing back against any suggestion that the results were overstated. “Our massive bombs hit exactly the right spot at each target—and worked perfectly. The impact of those bombs is buried under a mountain of rubble in Iran; so anyone who says the bombs were not devastating is just trying to undermine the President and the successful mission,” added Hegseth.

{Matzav.com}

Sukkos In North Korea? Hoping To Boost Tourism, Kim Jong Un Opening A Tourist Site On Its East Coast

Yeshiva World News -

North Korea next week will open a signature tourist site on its east coast that it called a prelude to a new era in its tourism industry, though there is no word on when the country will fully reopen its borders to foreign visitors. The Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone has hotels and other accommodations for nearly 20,000 guests who can swim in the sea, play sports and other recreation activities and eat at restaurants and cafeterias on site, state media said. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un toured the site and cut the inaugural tape at a lavish ceremony Tuesday, the official Korean Central News Agency reported Thursday. He said its construction would be recorded as “one of the greatest successes this year” and called the site “the proud first step” toward realizing the government’s policy of developing tourism, according to KCNA. The Wonsan-Kalma zone will begin service for domestic tourists next Tuesday, KCNA said. But it didn’t say when it will start receiving foreign tourists. Kim has been pushing to make the country a tourism hub as part of efforts to revive the ailing economy, and the Wonsan-Kalma zone is one of his most talked-about tourism projects. KCNA reported North Korea will confirm plans to build large tourist sites in other parts of the country, too. But North Korea hasn’t fully lifted the travel curbs, including a ban on foreign tourists, that were imposed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting from February 2024, North Korea has been accepting Russian tourists amid the booming military and other partnerships between the two countries, but Chinese group tours, which made up more than 90% of visitors before the pandemic, remain stalled. In February this year, a small group of international tourists visited the country for the first time in five years, but tourist agencies said in March that their tours to North Korea were paused. (AP)

Sukkos In North Korea? Hoping To Boost Tourism, Kim Jong Un Opening A Tourist Site On Its East Coast

Yeshiva World News -

North Korea next week will open a signature tourist site on its east coast that it called a prelude to a new era in its tourism industry, though there is no word on when the country will fully reopen its borders to foreign visitors. The Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone has hotels and other accommodations for nearly 20,000 guests who can swim in the sea, play sports and other recreation activities and eat at restaurants and cafeterias on site, state media said. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un toured the site and cut the inaugural tape at a lavish ceremony Tuesday, the official Korean Central News Agency reported Thursday. He said its construction would be recorded as “one of the greatest successes this year” and called the site “the proud first step” toward realizing the government’s policy of developing tourism, according to KCNA. The Wonsan-Kalma zone will begin service for domestic tourists next Tuesday, KCNA said. But it didn’t say when it will start receiving foreign tourists. Kim has been pushing to make the country a tourism hub as part of efforts to revive the ailing economy, and the Wonsan-Kalma zone is one of his most talked-about tourism projects. KCNA reported North Korea will confirm plans to build large tourist sites in other parts of the country, too. But North Korea hasn’t fully lifted the travel curbs, including a ban on foreign tourists, that were imposed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting from February 2024, North Korea has been accepting Russian tourists amid the booming military and other partnerships between the two countries, but Chinese group tours, which made up more than 90% of visitors before the pandemic, remain stalled. In February this year, a small group of international tourists visited the country for the first time in five years, but tourist agencies said in March that their tours to North Korea were paused. (AP)

Khamenei, Whose Fate Was Unclear, Delivers Live Video Message, Proclaims “Victory” Over Israel, US

Yeshiva World News -

Rumors have been swirling about the fate of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who went into hiding after the launch of Israel’s war against the Islamic Republic, with some reports speculating that he was badly injured or even killed. The rumors were put to rest on Thursday when Khanemei delivered a live televised speech, his first public statement since the ceasefire was declared. Unsurprisingly, Khamenei spouted lies and propaganda about Iran’s “victory” and even claimed that the Islamic Republic delivered a “harsh slap to America’s face” and “crushed the Zionist state.” He added that the US felt forced to join the war out of fear that “the Zionist regime would be totally destroyed.” Khamenei also claimed that Trump exaggerated about the extent of the damage to Iran’s nuclear sites, saying that “the US hit them but didn’t achieve much,” and categorically rejected Trump’s demand for Iran’s unconditional surrender. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Khamenei, Whose Fate Was Unclear, Delivers Live Video Message, Proclaims “Victory” Over Israel, US

Yeshiva World News -

Rumors have been swirling about the fate of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who went into hiding after the launch of Israel’s war against the Islamic Republic, with some reports speculating that he was badly injured or even killed. The rumors were put to rest on Thursday when Khanemei delivered a live televised speech, his first public statement since the ceasefire was declared. Unsurprisingly, Khamenei spouted lies and propaganda about Iran’s “victory” and even claimed that the Islamic Republic delivered a “harsh slap to America’s face” and “crushed the Zionist state.” He added that the US felt forced to join the war out of fear that “the Zionist regime would be totally destroyed.” Khamenei also claimed that Trump exaggerated about the extent of the damage to Iran’s nuclear sites, saying that “the US hit them but didn’t achieve much,” and categorically rejected Trump’s demand for Iran’s unconditional surrender. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Netanyahu Halts Aid To Gaza After Footage Emerges Of Hamas Seizing It

Yeshiva World News -

Footage of Hamas terrorists commandeering trucks of humanitarian aid that were transferred into Gaza without being inspected was published on Wednesday, raising the ire of many Israelis. In the wake of the footage, Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu held a tense conversation, during which Smotrich threatened to topple the government if Israel continues to provide supplies to its own enemies. Shortly later, Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz published a statement saying that they had suspended the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and ordered the IDF to present a plan within 48 hours to prevent Hamas from seizing humanitarian aid. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted the video and stated: “The humanitarian aid currently entering Gaza is an absolute disgrace. What is needed in Gaza is not a temporary halt of the ‘humanitarian’ aid, but a complete cessation of it.” “When I warned and alerted, and sadly the only one who voted a month and a half ago against allowing the aid, which was clear to me would provide oxygen to Hamas, there were those who mocked me and claimed that ‘the aid entering the northern Strip would only be for 10 days.’ And now it is becoming clear what was known in advance: Hamas is taking control of the quantities of food and goods, which contribute to its survival.” “Stopping the aid will quickly advance us toward victory. I will demand from the Prime Minister that in the next cabinet meeting, the issue of allowing aid into the Strip be brought up for a renewed vote.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Netanyahu Halts Aid To Gaza After Footage Emerges Of Hamas Seizing It

Yeshiva World News -

Footage of Hamas terrorists commandeering trucks of humanitarian aid that were transferred into Gaza without being inspected was published on Wednesday, raising the ire of many Israelis. In the wake of the footage, Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu held a tense conversation, during which Smotrich threatened to topple the government if Israel continues to provide supplies to its own enemies. Shortly later, Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz published a statement saying that they had suspended the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and ordered the IDF to present a plan within 48 hours to prevent Hamas from seizing humanitarian aid. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted the video and stated: “The humanitarian aid currently entering Gaza is an absolute disgrace. What is needed in Gaza is not a temporary halt of the ‘humanitarian’ aid, but a complete cessation of it.” “When I warned and alerted, and sadly the only one who voted a month and a half ago against allowing the aid, which was clear to me would provide oxygen to Hamas, there were those who mocked me and claimed that ‘the aid entering the northern Strip would only be for 10 days.’ And now it is becoming clear what was known in advance: Hamas is taking control of the quantities of food and goods, which contribute to its survival.” “Stopping the aid will quickly advance us toward victory. I will demand from the Prime Minister that in the next cabinet meeting, the issue of allowing aid into the Strip be brought up for a renewed vote.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Fugitive Ecuadorian Drug Lord “Fito” Recaptured After Year on the Run

Yeshiva World News -

A fugitive drug trafficker wanted by authorities in Ecuador and the United States was recaptured more than a year after he escaped from prison in the Andean nation, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa announced Wednesday. José Adolfo Macías, alias “Fito,” who led a gang called “Los Choneros” in Ecuador and has been indicted in New York City on charges he imported thousands of pounds of cocaine into the United States, was captured in the Ecuadorian city of Manta, his hometown, officials in Ecuador said. Interpol had issued an arrest warrant for Macias after hi s mysterious prison escape in early 2024 from the Guayaquil Regional Prison, where he was serving a 34-year sentence for drug trafficking. Ecuadorian authorities have yet to explain how he escaped. They only learned of his escape when a military contingent arrived to transfer him to another maximum-security prison but didn’t find him in his cell. The Ecuadorian army confirmed Macias’ recapture in what appeared to be the basement of a house. A video provided by the army showed the moment of the arrest, with a uniformed officer aiming a gun at the head of the drug trafficker, who gave his full name. The officers had found him hiding in a small hole beneath what appeared to be a kitchen counter. Wednesday’s announcement of his arrest comes in the same week that Federico Gómez, alias “Fede,” the leader of another gang called Las Aguilas, was confirmed to have escaped from an Ecuadorian prison. Last year, U.S. Attorney John Durham said in a news release that Macias led Los Choneros and its “network of assassins and drug and weapon traffickers” since at least 2020. With an extensive criminal record including charges of murder and organized crime, Macías has cultivated a cult status among fellow gang members and the public in his home country. While behind bars in 2023, he released a video addressed to “the Ecuadorian people” while flanked by armed men. He also threw parties in prison, where he had access to everything from liquor to roosters for cockfighting matches. The seven-count indictment unsealed in Brooklyn charges Macías and an unidentified co-defendant with international cocaine distribution, conspiracy and weapons counts, including smuggling firearms from the United States. Los Choneros employed people to buy firearms, components and ammunition in the United States and smuggle them into Ecuador, according to the indictment. Cocaine would flow into the United States with the help of Mexican cartels. “Los Choneros operated a vast network responsible for the shipment and distribution of multi-ton quantities of cocaine from South America through Central America and Mexico to the United States and elsewhere,” the indictment says. Last year, the U.S. classified Los Choneros as one of the most violent gangs and affirmed its connection to powerful Mexican drug cartels who threaten Ecuador and the surrounding region. Authorities in Ecuador have classified the gang as a terrorist organization. Earlier this month, the Ecuadorian government announced the reward for the capture of Macías would be increased to $1 million. (AP)

Fugitive Ecuadorian Drug Lord “Fito” Recaptured After Year on the Run

Yeshiva World News -

A fugitive drug trafficker wanted by authorities in Ecuador and the United States was recaptured more than a year after he escaped from prison in the Andean nation, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa announced Wednesday. José Adolfo Macías, alias “Fito,” who led a gang called “Los Choneros” in Ecuador and has been indicted in New York City on charges he imported thousands of pounds of cocaine into the United States, was captured in the Ecuadorian city of Manta, his hometown, officials in Ecuador said. Interpol had issued an arrest warrant for Macias after hi s mysterious prison escape in early 2024 from the Guayaquil Regional Prison, where he was serving a 34-year sentence for drug trafficking. Ecuadorian authorities have yet to explain how he escaped. They only learned of his escape when a military contingent arrived to transfer him to another maximum-security prison but didn’t find him in his cell. The Ecuadorian army confirmed Macias’ recapture in what appeared to be the basement of a house. A video provided by the army showed the moment of the arrest, with a uniformed officer aiming a gun at the head of the drug trafficker, who gave his full name. The officers had found him hiding in a small hole beneath what appeared to be a kitchen counter. Wednesday’s announcement of his arrest comes in the same week that Federico Gómez, alias “Fede,” the leader of another gang called Las Aguilas, was confirmed to have escaped from an Ecuadorian prison. Last year, U.S. Attorney John Durham said in a news release that Macias led Los Choneros and its “network of assassins and drug and weapon traffickers” since at least 2020. With an extensive criminal record including charges of murder and organized crime, Macías has cultivated a cult status among fellow gang members and the public in his home country. While behind bars in 2023, he released a video addressed to “the Ecuadorian people” while flanked by armed men. He also threw parties in prison, where he had access to everything from liquor to roosters for cockfighting matches. The seven-count indictment unsealed in Brooklyn charges Macías and an unidentified co-defendant with international cocaine distribution, conspiracy and weapons counts, including smuggling firearms from the United States. Los Choneros employed people to buy firearms, components and ammunition in the United States and smuggle them into Ecuador, according to the indictment. Cocaine would flow into the United States with the help of Mexican cartels. “Los Choneros operated a vast network responsible for the shipment and distribution of multi-ton quantities of cocaine from South America through Central America and Mexico to the United States and elsewhere,” the indictment says. Last year, the U.S. classified Los Choneros as one of the most violent gangs and affirmed its connection to powerful Mexican drug cartels who threaten Ecuador and the surrounding region. Authorities in Ecuador have classified the gang as a terrorist organization. Earlier this month, the Ecuadorian government announced the reward for the capture of Macías would be increased to $1 million. (AP)

Trump Says US And Iranian Officials Will Talk Next Week As Ceasefire Holds

Yeshiva World News -

Israel and Iran seemed to honor the fragile ceasefire between them for a second day Wednesday and U.S. President Donald Trump asserted that American and Iranian officials will talk next week, giving rise to cautious hope for longer-term peace. Trump, who helped negotiate the ceasefire that took hold Tuesday on the 12th day of the war, told reporters at a NATO summit that he was not particularly interested in restarting negotiations with Iran, insisting that U.S. strikes had destroyed its nuclear program. Earlier in the day, an Iranian official questioned whether the United States could be trusted after its weekend attack. “We may sign an agreement, I don’t know,” Trump said. “The way I look at it, they fought, the war is done.” Iran has not acknowledged any talks taking place next week, though U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff has said there has been direct and indirect communication between the countries. A sixth round of U.S.-Iran negotiations was scheduled for earlier this month in Oman but was canceled after Israel attacked Iran. Iran has insisted that it will not give up its nuclear program. In a vote underscoring the tough path ahead, its parliament agreed to fast-track a proposal that would effectively stop the country’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. watchdog that has monitored the program for years. Ahead of the vote, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf criticized the IAEA for refusing “to even pretend to condemn the attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities” that the U.S. carried out Sunday. “For this reason, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran will suspend cooperation with the IAEA until security of nuclear facilities is ensured, and Iran’s peaceful nuclear program will move forward at a faster pace,” Qalibaf told lawmakers. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said he wrote to Iran to discuss resuming inspections of their nuclear facilities. Among other things, Iran claims to have moved its highly enriched uranium ahead of the U.S. strikes, and Grossi said his inspectors need to reassess the country’s stockpiles. “We need to return,” he said. “We need to engage.” International Atomic Energy Agency Director Rafael Grossi said Wednesday that Iran must quickly resume cooperation with international inspectors, telling French broadcaster France 2 that the IAEA had lost visibility over sensitive nuclear materials since the onset of hostilities. Grossi said Iran is legally obligated to cooperate with the IAEA under the Non-Proliferation Treaty. “During a war, inspections are not possible. But now that hostilities have ceased, and given the sensitivity of this material, I believe it is in everyone’s interest that we resume our activities as soon as possible,” he said. The Israel Atomic Energy Commission said its assessment was that the U.S. and Israeli strikes have “set back Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years.” It did not give evidence to back up its claim. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, confirmed that the strikes by American B-2 bombers using bunker-buster bombs had caused significant damage. “Our nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that’s for sure,” he told Al Jazeera on Wednesday, refusing to go into detail. He seemed to suggest Iran might not shut out IAEA inspectors for good, noting that the bill before parliament only talks of suspending work with the agency, not ending it. He also insisted […]

Trump Says US And Iranian Officials Will Talk Next Week As Ceasefire Holds

Yeshiva World News -

Israel and Iran seemed to honor the fragile ceasefire between them for a second day Wednesday and U.S. President Donald Trump asserted that American and Iranian officials will talk next week, giving rise to cautious hope for longer-term peace. Trump, who helped negotiate the ceasefire that took hold Tuesday on the 12th day of the war, told reporters at a NATO summit that he was not particularly interested in restarting negotiations with Iran, insisting that U.S. strikes had destroyed its nuclear program. Earlier in the day, an Iranian official questioned whether the United States could be trusted after its weekend attack. “We may sign an agreement, I don’t know,” Trump said. “The way I look at it, they fought, the war is done.” Iran has not acknowledged any talks taking place next week, though U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff has said there has been direct and indirect communication between the countries. A sixth round of U.S.-Iran negotiations was scheduled for earlier this month in Oman but was canceled after Israel attacked Iran. Iran has insisted that it will not give up its nuclear program. In a vote underscoring the tough path ahead, its parliament agreed to fast-track a proposal that would effectively stop the country’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. watchdog that has monitored the program for years. Ahead of the vote, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf criticized the IAEA for refusing “to even pretend to condemn the attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities” that the U.S. carried out Sunday. “For this reason, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran will suspend cooperation with the IAEA until security of nuclear facilities is ensured, and Iran’s peaceful nuclear program will move forward at a faster pace,” Qalibaf told lawmakers. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said he wrote to Iran to discuss resuming inspections of their nuclear facilities. Among other things, Iran claims to have moved its highly enriched uranium ahead of the U.S. strikes, and Grossi said his inspectors need to reassess the country’s stockpiles. “We need to return,” he said. “We need to engage.” International Atomic Energy Agency Director Rafael Grossi said Wednesday that Iran must quickly resume cooperation with international inspectors, telling French broadcaster France 2 that the IAEA had lost visibility over sensitive nuclear materials since the onset of hostilities. Grossi said Iran is legally obligated to cooperate with the IAEA under the Non-Proliferation Treaty. “During a war, inspections are not possible. But now that hostilities have ceased, and given the sensitivity of this material, I believe it is in everyone’s interest that we resume our activities as soon as possible,” he said. The Israel Atomic Energy Commission said its assessment was that the U.S. and Israeli strikes have “set back Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years.” It did not give evidence to back up its claim. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, confirmed that the strikes by American B-2 bombers using bunker-buster bombs had caused significant damage. “Our nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that’s for sure,” he told Al Jazeera on Wednesday, refusing to go into detail. He seemed to suggest Iran might not shut out IAEA inspectors for good, noting that the bill before parliament only talks of suspending work with the agency, not ending it. He also insisted […]

FM Sa’ar, Other Minister Backs Trump’s Call To End “Perversion Of Justice” Against Netanyahu

Yeshiva World News -

Following the unprecedented remarks of US President Donald Trump, who on Wednesday evening called for the corruption cases against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to be dropped, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar published a scathing post on Thursday morning in which he attacked the judicial system and deemed the cases against Netanyahu as a perversion of justice against him and the entire country. Sa’ar wrote that “during long months in which the Prime Minister stood at the forefront of managing a historic campaign against Iran, he was forced to appear again and again in court—for a trial that has lost all real value, a trial on events from a decade ago that has been going on for five years regarding an offense that should have been removed from the books.” “The judges already suggested two years ago that the prosecution reconsider the indictment on the bribery charge. Since then, almost nothing remains—and yet the state continues to conduct a long and exhausting trial for breach of trust while recruiting three state witnesses. This is a farce that is stagnating, not advancing justice, and it is a perversion of justice not just for Netanyahu but for the entire country.” Sa’ar noted that even when he was in the opposition, he called for ending the trial with a plea bargain, but according to him, “the prosecution refused any attempt at mediation and entrenched itself in its path.” Now, he says, with the military campaign against Iran in full swing and the Prime Minister “managing it around the clock,” the prosecution is expected to put an end to the legal saga: “The prosecution has the authority to stay the proceedings—it should have been exercised a long time ago. No wonder the call for a pardon is rising, and Trump simply said what everyone thinks.” Culture Minister Miki Zohar posted an image of Netanyahu and Trump in front of an image of a lion and stated, “President Trump is right—it’s time to call off the trial! The president of the world’s greatest superpower and a true friend of the Jewish people, Donald Trump, voices what many Israeli citizens feel in their hearts—especially and particularly in the midst of historic days in the nation’s history. The legacy of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will be etched in the annals of history as one who saved the Jewish state from a proven existential threat and a real danger of annihilation and as one of the greatest leaders in its history.” “Especially in these days, when we all need to focus on the return of the hostages and the defeat of our enemies, it is time to put an end to the inconceivable injustice and personal persecution against him and to cancel the baseless trial immediately. The cases are collapsing anyway, and therefore it is not too late to recalculate.” National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir stated, “Israel is indeed an independent and sovereign country, but President Trump is absolutely right—it is time to cancel the absurd trial that the deep state fabricated in an attempt to carry out a coup against democracy. An urgent reform in the judicial system is a must!” Likud MK Tally Gotliv went even further than her colleagues, calling on Trump to impose personal sanctions against top judicial officials. She wrote, “Dear President Trump, you […]

FM Sa’ar, Other Minister Backs Trump’s Call To End “Perversion Of Justice” Against Netanyahu

Yeshiva World News -

Following the unprecedented remarks of US President Donald Trump, who on Wednesday evening called for the corruption cases against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to be dropped, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar published a scathing post on Thursday morning in which he attacked the judicial system and deemed the cases against Netanyahu as a perversion of justice against him and the entire country. Sa’ar wrote that “during long months in which the Prime Minister stood at the forefront of managing a historic campaign against Iran, he was forced to appear again and again in court—for a trial that has lost all real value, a trial on events from a decade ago that has been going on for five years regarding an offense that should have been removed from the books.” “The judges already suggested two years ago that the prosecution reconsider the indictment on the bribery charge. Since then, almost nothing remains—and yet the state continues to conduct a long and exhausting trial for breach of trust while recruiting three state witnesses. This is a farce that is stagnating, not advancing justice, and it is a perversion of justice not just for Netanyahu but for the entire country.” Sa’ar noted that even when he was in the opposition, he called for ending the trial with a plea bargain, but according to him, “the prosecution refused any attempt at mediation and entrenched itself in its path.” Now, he says, with the military campaign against Iran in full swing and the Prime Minister “managing it around the clock,” the prosecution is expected to put an end to the legal saga: “The prosecution has the authority to stay the proceedings—it should have been exercised a long time ago. No wonder the call for a pardon is rising, and Trump simply said what everyone thinks.” Culture Minister Miki Zohar posted an image of Netanyahu and Trump in front of an image of a lion and stated, “President Trump is right—it’s time to call off the trial! The president of the world’s greatest superpower and a true friend of the Jewish people, Donald Trump, voices what many Israeli citizens feel in their hearts—especially and particularly in the midst of historic days in the nation’s history. The legacy of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will be etched in the annals of history as one who saved the Jewish state from a proven existential threat and a real danger of annihilation and as one of the greatest leaders in its history.” “Especially in these days, when we all need to focus on the return of the hostages and the defeat of our enemies, it is time to put an end to the inconceivable injustice and personal persecution against him and to cancel the baseless trial immediately. The cases are collapsing anyway, and therefore it is not too late to recalculate.” National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir stated, “Israel is indeed an independent and sovereign country, but President Trump is absolutely right—it is time to cancel the absurd trial that the deep state fabricated in an attempt to carry out a coup against democracy. An urgent reform in the judicial system is a must!” Likud MK Tally Gotliv went even further than her colleagues, calling on Trump to impose personal sanctions against top judicial officials. She wrote, “Dear President Trump, you […]

“Communist Lunatic”: Trump Erupts After Mamdani’s Stunning Primary Victory

Yeshiva World News -

In the wake of Zohran Mamdani’s stunning first-place finish in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary, President Donald Trump unleashed a scathing and deeply personal tirade against the 33-year-old socialist lawmaker — warning that his rise marks a dangerous new chapter for the Democratic Party and the country at large. “Democrats have crossed the line by elevating a 100% Communist Lunatic,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Wednesday morning, reacting to Mamdani’s upset victory over former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who conceded the race late Tuesday after trailing by roughly 70,000 votes. Trump, never one to hold back, turned his fire not just on Mamdani’s politics but his appearance, intelligence, and supporters. “He looks TERRIBLE, his voice is grating, he’s not very smart, he’s got AOC+3 — Dummies ALL — backing him,” Trump wrote. “Even our Great Palestinian Senator, Cryin’ Chuck Schumer, is groveling over him. Yes, this is a big moment in the History of our Country!” The “AOC+3” label is Trump’s long-used nickname for the progressive congressional bloc led by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, joined by Reps. Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaib — all of whom have expressed support for Mamdani’s candidacy. Trump’s broadside follows a night of political whiplash in New York, where Mamdani — a self-described democratic socialist and Queens assemblyman — toppled one of the state’s most recognizable political figures in Cuomo. The upset has sparked elation among progressives and concern across much of the Democratic establishment. In a follow-up post dripping with sarcasm, Trump said the party should go all-in: “The Democrats should nominate Low IQ Candidate, [Congresswoman] Jasmine Crockett, for President, and AOC+3 should be, respectively, Vice President and three High Level Members of the Cabinet. Added together with our future Communist Mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, and our Country is really SCREWED!” Trump’s comments were not without political resonance. In Mamdani, Republicans believe they’ve found a symbol of Democratic extremism heading into 2026 — one they hope to use to fuel their messaging nationwide. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

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