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A Democratic congressional candidate in Texas is facing fierce backlash after her campaign promoted inflammatory rhetoric calling for an immigration detention center to be converted into a “prison for American Zionists” that would include a castration facility.

Maureen Galindo, a therapist who finished first in the Democratic primary for a South Texas House seat, drew outrage after her campaign posted the remarks on Instagram while accusing her runoff opponent of participating in alleged Zionist trafficking schemes.

Galindo’s campaign claimed that if she is elected to Congress, she would pursue legislation targeting Zionism.

“When Maureen gets into Congress, she’ll write legislation so that all Zionism and support of Zionism is undoubtedly Anti-Semitic, since it’s Zionism harming the Semites,” her campaign wrote on Instagram last week.

The post then escalated further, declaring:

“She’ll turn Karnes ICE Detention Center into a prison for American Zionists and former ICE officers for human trafficking. (lt will also be a castration processing center for pedophiles which will probably be most of the Zionists).”

The Karnes Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility has frequently been the focus of demonstrations by progressive activists opposed to ICE policies.

The remarks came as Galindo’s campaign attempted to rebut claims by her Democratic opponent, Johnny Garcia, that she supports putting Jews into warehouse-style detention facilities.

Critics quickly pointed out that her own language about imprisoning Zionists in detention centers closely resembled the accusations she was trying to deny.

“The standard that Democrats rightly apply to right-wing antisemites must apply equally to left-wing Jew-haters,” the watchdog group StopAntisemitism said in a statement. “Democratic leaders must clearly, publicly denounce these bigots infecting their party without hedging.

“They must decline to appear on platforms with Hasan Piker. They must stop winking at extremist voices and truly stand for the principles they claim to stand for.”

Galindo led the Democratic primary in March with 29.2% of the vote, while Garcia received 27%, sending both candidates into a runoff election scheduled for next Tuesday after neither secured a majority.

The two candidates are competing for Texas’ 35th Congressional District, which stretches from San Antonio toward the Austin suburbs. The district is currently represented by Rep. Greg Casar, though Republicans recently redrew the district’s boundaries in hopes of making the seat more competitive.

“Instead of focusing on table-kitchen issues my opponent is pushing conspiracy theories and hateful rhetoric. That’s why Republicans are spending to boost her campaign,” Garcia wrote Tuesday on X.

Garcia has argued that Republican-linked groups are attempting to elevate Galindo’s candidacy through outside spending. Much of that attention has focused on Lead Left PAC, an obscure political organization that has reportedly spent $428,713 supporting Galindo, according to the latest Federal Election Commission filings.

Democrats contend the actual amount may be significantly higher. Records indicate the PAC has spent more than $1 million across three Democratic House primaries.

FEC filings also show that before the March primary, Galindo herself had raised less than $10,000.

“At a time when antisemitism is at historic levels, Republicans’ dirty campaign tricks aren’t just cynical, they’re extremely dangerous,” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Madison Andrus told The Post.

“Republicans are spending nearly $1 million to uplift a violent antisemite — no matter what your politics are, using virulent antisemitism for your own partisan gain is nothing short of disgusting.”

National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Christian Martinez mocked the increasingly bitter Democratic primary fight.

“Democrats Johnny Garcia and Maureen Galindo are tearing each other apart in a full-blown primary civil war, turning their own races into a circular firing squad.”

Martinez also took aim at Democratic leadership, saying House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ preferred candidates were struggling badly this election cycle.

“Hakeem Jeffries’ pathetic handpicked candidates were already staggering through the cycle with embarrassing fundraising numbers, zero grassroots energy, and no real support from Texans,” he told The Post.

Campaign mailers backing Galindo have highlighted her support for impeaching President Trump and dismantling ICE.

Galindo has also called for Garcia, a former Bexar County public information officer, to be tried for treason.

Throughout the campaign, Galindo has repeatedly attacked Zionists and has also targeted “Jews who own Hollywood,” echoing a widely condemned antisemitic trope.

{Matzav.com}

In two undercover operations carried out within less than 12 hours on Wednesday, soldiers from the Duvdevan Unit arrested two wanted terrorists in Qabatiya and Shechem (Nablus).

During one operation, the unit’s troops arrested a suspect in the village of Qabatiya, in the Menashe Brigade’s area of responsibility. The suspect had allegedly been working to advance terrorist operations and was planning to carry out a terror attack in the immediate timeframe.

In a separate operation, forces arrested another suspect in Shechem, in the Samaria Brigade’s area of responsibility, for allegedly advancing terrorist activity.

The detainees were transferred to the Shin Bet for interrogation.

{Matzav.com}

Police arrested a suspect Wednesday evening following a large-scale manhunt after a 52-year-old yungerman was fatally stabbed inside Kollel Chazon Ish on Rechov HaAri in Bnei Brak.

The victim, Rabbi Yishai Por זצ”ל, was attacked during the afternoon hours inside the kollel. According to police, the suspect fled the scene immediately after the stabbing, while emergency medical personnel evacuated the victim to a hospital in critical condition. He was pronounced dead a short time later.

Following the attack, Dan District Commander Elad Klein conducted a special situational assessment at the scene, and the investigation was handed over to the district’s major crimes unit.

Initial findings indicate that the incident was criminal in nature and that the suspect — a 52-year-old homeless man — was previously acquainted with the victim. Police said there had been no prior complaints filed by the victim against the suspect.

After the suspect escaped, police launched an extensive search operation. A short while later, officers from the Bnei Brak–Ramat Gan station, working together with police in Beit Shemesh, located and arrested the suspect in Beit Shemesh. He was taken in for questioning.

In an unusual move aimed at allowing the victim to be buried later Wednesday night, the forensic institute in Abu Kabir reopened specially after hours in order to process the body and avoid delaying the levayah.

According to information published by Chadashot HaPargod and attributed to avreichim who were present in the kollel and witnessed the events firsthand, the background to the shocking attack stemmed from a strange dispute that had developed over the past week.

A troubled individual known in the area had reportedly confronted the victim repeatedly regarding the study of the writings of the Rambam.

According to witnesses, the suspect claimed that it was forbidden to study the Rambam’s works. Rabbi Por, described as a righteous and upright avreich known for his tremendous diligence in learning, reportedly continued his regular sedorim and immersed himself in Torah without responding to the provocations.

Witnesses said that on Tuesday night, the suspect approached the victim and ominously warned him that because he continued studying the Rambam’s writings, “he sees that he will not complete his year.”

On Wednesday, that threat tragically became reality.

According to reports, the suspect entered the bais medrash during learning hours armed with a weapon, approached Rabbi Por’s shtender, and stabbed him to death in a brutal attack.

One of the most heartbreaking details of the tragedy is that the murder reportedly took place in front of the victim’s 13-year-old son, who had been sitting beside his father during the sacred moments of Torah study and witnessed the horrifying attack unfold.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States is prepared to give Iran a final opportunity to reach an agreement that would lead to the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, while insisting he is not rushing toward a broader conflict.

Speaking to reporters, Trump said the administration stands ready to respond if necessary, but emphasized that he is deliberately avoiding hasty action despite political pressure and mounting tensions in the region.

Trump explained that any agreement with Tehran would require the reopening of the critical shipping route, saying, “we’d have to open the strait. That would open immediately. So we’re going to give this one shot.”

The president dismissed suggestions that domestic political considerations were pushing him toward a faster timetable, remarking, “I’m in no hurry. [People say] due to the midterms, I’m in a hurry. I’m in no hurry.”

Trump also stressed that his preference is to avoid a large-scale military confrontation if possible, stating, “I just, ideally, I’d like to see a few people killed as opposed to a lot. We can do it either way, but I’d like to see few people killed.”

During the remarks, Trump pointed to what he described as growing frustration and instability inside Iran, arguing that worsening living conditions and dissatisfaction with the regime could shape future developments in the country.

The president questioned whether Iran’s leadership was prioritizing the welfare of its citizens, saying that “some of the things they’re doing to me means they don’t have the good of the people [in mind], and they have to have the good of the people.”

Trump further claimed that public anger inside Iran has intensified significantly in recent months.

“There’s a lot of anger now in Iran because people are living so badly. There’s a lot of foment that we haven’t seen before so much, and we’ll see what happens.”

{Matzav.com}

The Yarchei Kallah in Yerushalayim ahead of Chag Matan Torah, initiated by the “Torasi V’Umanusi” foundation headed by the Chevron Rosh Yeshiva HaGaon HaRav Yosef Chevroni shlit”a and under the nesius and hadracha of Maran the Rosh Yeshiva HaGaon Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch shlit”a, concluded with a chashuve massa from Maran HaGaon Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch shlit”a. The event, which brought together hundreds of anshei maaseh, baalebatim, and kovei itim from all over Eretz Yisrael who were invited to the event, were zoche to a day that was Kulo Torah, Amal, and spiritual hachana for zman matan toraseinu.

The event, hosted by the Yirmiyahu 33 hotel in Yerushalayim, started early morning hours, with the hundreds of participants filling the halls with a great atmosphere of shkius in learning, ritcha d’oraysa, and a special hisromemus ahead of Shavuos. Alongside the many participants on-site, hundreds more connected throughout the day to the live stream of the event, which was broadcasted on various platforms in Eretz Yisroel and Chutz La’Aretz.

Throughout the day, Gedolei Yisroel, Roshei Yeshivos, and Marbitzei Torah shlit”a gave shiurim and shmuses around the sugya of Birchos HaTorah b’iyun, halacha l’maaseh, drush, and mussar, with geshmake Q&A’s in divrei Torah and chizuk among the oilam.

Among the participants and speakers at the event: Rabbeinu HaGadol Maran Rosh HaYeshiva HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch shlit”a, HaGaon HaGadol HaRav Shaul Alter shlit”a, Maran Rosh Yeshivas Chevron HaGaon HaRav Dovid Cohen shlit”a, HaGaon HaGadol HaRav Yehoshua Eichenstein shlit”a, HaGaon HaTzaddik Rav Shimon Galai shlit”a, Chevron Rosh Yeshiva HaGaon HaRav Yosef Chevroni shlit”a, HaGaon HaRav Elimelech Kornfeld and HaGaon HaRav Daniel Rabin from the Rabbonim of ‘Chelki B’Kehilasi’, HaGaon HaRav Yitzchok Mordechai HaCohen Rubin shlit”a, HaGaon HaRav Yehuda Aryeh Dunner shlit”a, HaGaon HaRav Yisrael Landau shlit”a, HaRav Dovid Braverman shlit”a, and other choshuve Rabbonim.

The central speech of the event was delivered by Rabbeinu HaGadol Maran Rosh HaYeshiva HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch shlit”a, who spoke about the chashivus to give a chizuk to the olam ha’Torah among the working tzibbur, and the tremendous need to strengthen Yiras Shamayim and keep a kavua mussar seder, even just a seder of 5 or 6 minutes: “It’s a muchrach for every Yid to have a mussar seder, and this doesn’t just belong to a yeshiva bochur or a kollel yungerman. It doesn’t make a nafka mina if a person is a balebos or a ben yeshiva; without limud mussar, a person can forget his tachlis in his day-to-day life. A Yid needs to know that to hold onto Yiras Shamayim, he is mechuyav to learn mussar.”

Maran the Rosh Yeshiva added that the koach of a kavua limud mussar is that it changes a person’s whole hashkafa on life: “A person who learns mussar will suddenly see that things he was sure were a muchrach for him, are not a muchrach at all. And like Reb Yisroel Salanter says, if a person learns a quarter-hour of mussar, he will find out he has a whole hour to learn.”

The seder hayom that the askanim put together for the Yarchei Kallah day, as well as the divrei hisorerus of Maran the Rosh Yeshiva, left a powerful influence among the oilam, creating a special hachana with kabalos l’maaseh to strengthen kviyus itim and limud mussar ahead of the chag of Matan Toraseinu.

Alongside the divrei chizuk and hachana for Kabalas HaTorah from HaGaon HaGadol Rav Shaul Alter shlit”a and HaGaon HaTzaddik Rav Shimon Galai shlit”a, the participants were zoche to have a Q&A session with them on inyanim that are nogea to the tzibbur of kovei itim l’Torah in chayei hamaaseh, with specific reference to their nisyonos, setting up sidrei limud, and keeping a ruchniyusdige seder hayom amidst the tirdos of parnassa and everyday life.

The ‘Shivti’ organization Lehagdil Torah u’leha’adira and Keren ‘Torasi V’Umanusi’, pointed out at the end of the event that given the gevaldige hatzlacha, the massive response, and the big demand, there are expected to be more maamadei Torah and events for the tzibbur of bnei Torah kovei itim throughout the entire year.

The evet was dedicated l’ilui nishmas HaRav Uri Lupolianski zt”l, founder of the ‘Yad Sarah’ organization, who was niftar this past year and was poel his whole life to be marbe chesed and zechuyos in Klal Yisroel.

Passengers traveling with doctor-prescribed marijuana are now officially permitted to bring it aboard commercial flights under a revised policy quietly updated by the Transportation Safety Administration last month.

The move marks a major shift in federal air-travel policy, given that while medical cannabis has been legalized in 40 states and Washington, D.C., marijuana has continued to remain illegal under federal law, which governs airports and aviation security nationwide.

The policy update follows an order signed by President Trump reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III substance, a change that formally recognizes accepted medical uses for cannabis and opens the door for expanded federally approved research.

According to the TSA’s updated guidance, medical marijuana may now be transported in both checked luggage and carry-on bags. The agency emphasized that its primary concern remains aviation security rather than searching for personal drug possession.

“TSA’s screening procedures are focused on security and are designed to detect potential threats to aviation and passengers,” the policy revised April 27 spells out.

“Accordingly, TSA security officers do not search for illegal drugs, but if any illegal substance or evidence of criminal activity is discovered during security screening, TSA will refer the matter to a law enforcement officer.”

The agency also made clear that the TSA officer stationed at the checkpoint retains discretion over whether any particular item is ultimately allowed through security.

Attorneys interviewed by SFGATE said that travelers carrying small amounts of marijuana are seldom targeted for prosecution by airport authorities, though they cautioned that larger quantities could still lead to legal trouble.

In some cases, authorities continue to crack down aggressively on passengers carrying substantial amounts of cannabis. In March, for example, a 23-year-old Texas man was arrested at Miami International Airport after officials allegedly discovered 75 pounds of marijuana packed inside his luggage. He was later charged with drug trafficking.

{Matzav.com}