Feed aggregator

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu held a phone call on Monday to discuss Gaza.

“The two leaders stressed the importance and obligation of disarming Hamas and demilitarizing the Gaza Strip, and discussed expanding the peace agreements,” the prime minister’s office wrote.

It added that Trump invited Netanyahu to meet at the White House “in the near future.” At press time, the White House had not released a readout of the call.

It’s not clear what peace agreements the two leaders discussed, but earlier on Monday Trump wrote that there was a “historic opportunity” for “peace in the Middle East” under Syria’s new president.

“It is very important that Israel maintain a strong and true dialogue with Syria, and that nothing takes place that will interfere with Syria’s evolution into a prosperous state,” Trump wrote.

“The new president of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is working diligently to make sure good things happen, and that both Syria and Israel will have a long and prosperous relationship together,” he added.

The message followed a meeting earlier on Monday between Trump’s special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, and al-Sharaa in Damascus.

Israel has continued to carry out counter-terrorism raids in south Syria, with an Israel Defense Forces commander saying over the weekend that “the IDF will continue to stand as a barrier between residents and the enemy, and will be the first to identify, respond and defend.”

Syria’s government has objected to the raids even as it has increased cooperation with the United States on countering ISIS, with Syria joining the U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition after al-Sharaa’s visit to the White House in November.

On Sunday, U.S. Central Command and the Syrian Ministry of Interior announced the elimination of 15 weapons-storage sites belonging to ISIS in southern Syria.

The “combined operation” included airstrikes and controlled ground detonations across Rif Dimashq province, destroying “over 130 mortars and rockets, multiple assault rifles, machine guns, anti-tank mines and materials for building improvised explosive devices” to ensure “gains made against ISIS are lasting and the group is not able to regenerate or export terrorist attacks to the U.S. homeland and around the world,” according to Admiral Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander.

He added that the coalition will “continue to aggressively pursue ISIS remnants in Syria.” JNS

{Matzav.com}

A son of notorious Mexican drug kingpin “El Chapo” pleaded guilty Monday to U.S. drug trafficking charges, months after his brother entered a plea deal. Known locally in Mexico as the “Chapitos,” or “little Chapos,” Joaquin Guzman Lopez and his brother, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, are accused of running a faction of the Sinaloa cartel. Federal […]

Channel 12 reports that those closest to Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu are pushing back hard against claims that his recent request for a presidential pardon was some sort of tactical first step toward admitting wrongdoing. His associates insist unequivocally: “The prime minister will not admit guilt… The pardon request is not an ‘opening stance.’”

According to the network, the formal request was already drafted last Thursday. Over Shabbos, the Netanyahu family wrestled with the decision, weighing whether submitting it would be the right move in the middle of a heated courtroom fight.

In the end, both trusted advisers and his wife, Sara Netanyahu, encouraged him to move ahead. The report describes their view of the request as “a win-win situation,” no matter how President Isaac Herzog responds.

People involved in the discussions outlined their thinking this way: If Herzog decides to issue a full pardon, the entire indictment collapses and the years-long legal saga is over. If Herzog signals he’d only consider it in exchange for a confession, Netanyahu’s circle can argue that he is being pressured into a false admission outside the boundaries of normal legal process. And if Herzog turns it down entirely, they can claim publicly that the prime minister humbled himself to request clemency, yet the legal system — “mobilizing to convict him at any cost” — refused him even that.

Channel 12 further reports that Netanyahu raised the pardon request during his call this evening with President Donald Trump. The president, who has already conveyed his view that Herzog should clear Netanyahu, expressed his support for the move.

{Matzav.com}

Bomb threats were emailed Monday to three district offices belonging to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, prompting swift law-enforcement action and renewed alarm over the escalating climate of political hostility. Schumer said the threatening messages carried the subject line “MAGA” and claimed that the “2020 election was rigged.” The threats targeted his offices in Rochester, Binghamton, and on Long Island.

“Local and federal law enforcement responded immediately and are conducting full security sweeps,” Schumer said in a statement. “Everyone is safe, and I am grateful for their quick and professional response to ensure these offices remain safe and secure for all New Yorkers.”

He emphasized again what he has stated repeatedly over the years: “As I have said many times, these kinds of violent threats have absolutely no place in our political system. No one—no public servant, no staff member, no constituent, no citizen—should ever be targeted for simply doing their job.”

Schumer was alerted earlier in the day by law-enforcement officials about the threatening emails. The Post has reached out to his team for copies of the messages.

The incident comes at a time when the security of elected officials has become a central concern on Capitol Hill. Just weeks ago, Schumer asked the US Capitol Police to offer “special protection” to Sens. Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin after a video they recorded urging service members to “refuse illegal orders” triggered backlash. President Trump accused them of “seditious behavior” and said they had attempted to undermine military authority.

In response to the overall rise in threats, the House has expanded its security program, including a $20,000 monthly allowance for members to cover private protection and the rollout of a “Mobile Duress Program” to give lawmakers urgent-alert capabilities.

Concerns about personal safety have already pushed several lawmakers to bow out. Reps. Jared Golden and Marjorie Taylor Greene both cited security worries when announcing that they would leave the House — Golden after completing his term, Greene stepping down next month.

These developments add to a broader pattern of violent incidents involving public figures over the past 18 months, including the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania targeting Trump, the shooting of Minnesota state legislators in June, the arson attack on Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and the assassination of conservative leader Charlie Kirk.

{Matzav.com}

Federal authorities have arrested a 20-year-old Sarasota, Florida, grocery store employee who investigators say was circulating bomb-making instructions in encrypted neo-Nazi group chats and drafting plans for a livestreamed domestic terror attack. Lucas Alexander Temple — who prosecutors say operated online under the aliases “Devilwaffen999” and “Micah Fischer” — was taken into custody on Nov. […]

NOW: Rav Meilich Biderman shlit”a leading Tefillos at Chatzos by the Bas Ayin’s kever in Tzfas. Footage via R’ Yehuda Kaszirer of Bikur Cholim of Lakewood.

For many children, the experience of getting their first pair of glasses is an inevitable milestone, the first in a lifetime of visits to the eye doctor. But what if those lenses could actually help preserve the child’s vision and reduce the chances for more serious eye problems in adulthood? That’s the promise of a […]

POTUS: “I want to just pay my respects to the National Guard and those two incredible people. One is no longer with us — one is looking down… We have another one who is fighting for his life.”

Secretary Noem: “We think up to 100,000 people came in under ‘Operation Allies Welcome’… they have to be vetted before we allow them to get on a plane and come to the United States of America… that wasn’t done by Joe Biden.”

Federal officials have accused New York state of freeing nearly 7,000 undocumented migrants with criminal records since President Trump entered office — all without alerting immigration authorities — while more than 7,000 others remain behind bars across the state, the NY Post reports. The Department of Homeland Security outlined the situation in a sharply worded letter sent Monday to Attorney General Letitia James.

According to DHS, every individual referenced in the letter is shielded by New York’s sanctuary policies. Federal authorities are now insisting that the state turn these offenders over for removal, arguing that state officials have repeatedly failed to notify ICE even when dealing with migrants accused of serious crimes.

The correspondence sent from Washington details how thousands of migrants have cycled through the criminal justice system — in some cases on bail, parole, or outright release — despite ICE detainers intended to transfer them to federal custody.

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons stressed the seriousness of the issue in his letter, stating: “These are people who are not only in the country illegally, but who have committed additional crimes, including heinous crimes like murder, rape, possession of child pornography, armed robbery, and many others.”

Documents obtained by The Post highlight 6,947 undocumented migrants with active ICE detainers who were released back into the community since Jan. 20. Their collective criminal histories include attempted murder, thousands of assaults, and hundreds of crimes ranging from burglaries and robberies to drug trafficking, weapons violations, and sexual predatory offenses.

New York’s sanctuary laws prohibit local agencies from coordinating with ICE, meaning that instead of being transferred to federal custody, these individuals were routinely allowed to walk free. As Lyons put it: “Virtually all Americans agree that people like this should be swiftly removed from the United States when they leave New York’s custody and not be returned to our streets to wreak havoc on law abiding citizens.”

The letter also notes that 7,113 additional detainees currently incarcerated in New York jails and prisons have ICE detainers outstanding. DHS tallied their combined offenses at 148 homicides, 717 assaults, 134 burglaries, 106 robberies, 235 dangerous drug offenses, 152 weapons offenses, and 260 sexual predatory crimes.

This latest warning follows an earlier letter issued to James on Sept. 15 — one DHS says received no response. The new correspondence includes an attachment listing a dozen individuals with severe criminal backgrounds who were recently freed by New York authorities despite active ICE holds.

Among those cited was Anderson Smith Satuye Martinez, identified as a Crips gang member with a prior assault conviction. He was arrested on Aug. 19 for weapons and drug offenses, released despite the detainer, and only later taken back into custody when ICE tracked him down in the Bronx on Sept. 11.

ICE also rearrested Jose David Hernandez Hernandez, who had previously faced allegations of rape, strangulation, and assault. Local authorities released him as well, but he is now in federal custody pending the conclusion of deportation proceedings.

Another case highlighted in the letter involved Alexander Moreno Montoya, a repeat offender with charges that include assaulting a police officer, weapons possession, and cocaine possession. He, too, was released from Rikers Island on March 17 despite an ICE detainer, then located by ICE agents on July 7 and removed from the United States.

In its closing line, the DHS letter presses the state attorney general directly: “Please confirm whether the State of New York plans to honor detainers on these aliens or whether each of these barbarians will someday walk the streets of New York again.”

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin reinforced that message, telling The NY Post: “Attorney General James and her fellow New York Sanctuary politicians are releasing murderers, terrorists, and …. predators back into our neighborhoods and putting American lives at risk.” She added: “We are calling on Letitia James to stop this dangerous derangement and commit to honoring the ICE arrest detainers of the more than 7,000 criminal illegal aliens in New York’s custody. It is common sense. Criminal illegal aliens should not be released back onto our streets to terrorize more innocent Americans.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump on Sunday defended his use of the word “retarded” to describe Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a remark that has drawn condemnation across the political spectrum but which Trump insisted was justified, claiming there is “something wrong” with the Democratic governor. The exchange unfolded aboard Air Force One during a press Q&A, after […]

A West Virginia National Guard member who was shot last week in a brazen daytime attack in Washington, D.C., remains in serious condition but showed positive signs by giving a thumbs-up that he could hear a nurse’s question and wiggling his toes, Gov. Patrick Morrisey said Monday. Morrisey said the family of 24-year-old U.S. Air […]

Speaking before global defense leaders at the International DefenseTech Summit in Tel Aviv, Brig. Gen. Benny Aminov, who heads the Defense Ministry’s Military R&D division within DDR&D, revealed that Israel has reached a major milestone in its battle against hostile unmanned aircraft. He reported that “drone challenges at Israel’s borders are moving toward a solution – we have achieved a technological breakthrough in enemy drone detection.”

Aminov described rapid progress on the next phase as well, explaining that “we are now working on interception solutions using drone-based systems that enable response to swarm scenarios while accelerating the development of new directed-energy weapons.” These capabilities are being designed specifically to cope with complex, fast-moving threats that traditional defense systems struggle to manage.

He emphasized that modern aerial dangers require a complete rethinking of how Israel adapts and deploys new tools, noting that “the issue of low-altitude threats is an example of a challenge that requires our defense establishment to change its operational approach fundamentally – responding within compressed timeframes, ensuring spiral development, accelerating testing during the development process, and bridging small defense-tech companies with major defense contractors.”

According to Aminov, Israel’s adversaries are constantly shifting their tactics, pushing the defense establishment to stay ahead. As he put it, “our enemies continue to evolve in this learning competition. This drives us to develop robust solutions, and it is here that directed-energy weapons demonstrate their unique strength. Their distinctive characteristics enable us to address even the unknown unknowns – threats we don’t yet know we face.”

The summit itself highlighted how combat experience and field lessons are shaping Israel’s next generation of military technology, as experts and innovators displayed cutting-edge work in areas expected to influence global defense strategies for years to come.

Among the high-profile attendees were Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram, Director General of the Defense Ministry; Brig. Gen. (Res.) Dr. Daniel Gold, head of DDR&D; Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Prof. Isaac Ben-Israel, who chaired the conference; Brig. Gen. Benny Aminov; Avi Berger, who leads DDR&D’s Space Program Office; Maj. Gen. (Res.) Nitzan Alon of Elements Venture Capital; Michael Dodd, U.S. Assistant Secretary of War for Critical Technologies and Acting Deputy Director of the Defense Innovation Unit; Dame Fiona Murray of MIT; Shaun Maguire of Sequoia Capital; Dr. Christian Steinborn of Rheinmetall AG; Francois Chopard of Starburst; along with numerous additional senior military, academic, and industry figures from Israel and abroad.

{Matzav.com}

Starting February 1, anyone flying within the U.S. without a REAL ID or another approved form of identification will have to pay a $45 non-refundable fee for TSA to verify their identity. REAL ID has technically been required since May, but travelers were only getting warnings until now. The TSA says the fee is meant […]

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday defended his Treasury chief against opposition claims that she misled the public and the markets about the state of the public finances before last week’s budget. Starmer said “there was no misleading” in the run-up to Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves’ tax-hiking budget, which the government hopes […]

Israel’s Transportation Minister Miri Regev unveiled an aggressive new enforcement plan on Monday aimed at curbing the mounting death toll on the nation’s roads, where 422 people have already lost their lives this year.

At the center of the initiative is a dramatic hike in penalties for motorists caught handling a mobile device behind the wheel. Under the proposal, drivers would be slapped with a 10,000-shekel fine, issued on the spot by police officers, with no preliminary legal process required. Regev’s office emphasized that the goal is to send a clear message about the severity of distracted driving.

Officials noted that repeat offenders will face even harsher consequences. If a driver is caught a second time within a short window, authorities would be able to impound the vehicle, pending a judge’s approval.

This represents a substantial jump from the current punishment structure, which imposes a 1,000-shekel fine along with eight points on the driver’s license.

The plan is now headed to the Economic Affairs Committee for deliberations, after which it is expected to be forwarded to the Knesset for a vote. The ministry indicated that the upgraded sanctions will likely extend beyond cellphone violations, targeting additional high-risk behaviors such as crossing a solid white line, ignoring red lights, and operating a vehicle under the influence.

{Matzav.com}

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Monday that three of his New York offices were targeted with emailed bomb threats from an email address alleging the “2020 election was rigged.” Schumer said in a statement that local law enforcement received bomb threats referencing his offices in Rochester, Binghamton and Long Island with the email subject […]

Sen. Chuck Schumer says law enforcement notified him of bomb threats sent to several of his New York offices today. According to Schumer, the threatening emails had the subject line “MAGA” and came from an address claiming the 2020 election was rigged.

Hakeem Jeffries: Meanwhile, you have Trump posting erratically on Thanksgiving like this guy can’t even give us a break on Thanksgiving.

A suspected Palestinian ramming attack near Chevron has triggered a major response from the IDF, after a vehicle struck a female soldier standing at the Alon Road junction on Route 60 and fled the scene. According to initial reports, the soldier was hit without warning and left on the roadside as the driver sped away. […]