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Deep sorrow descended on Beit She’an Thursday as hundreds gathered to accompany Sergeant First Class Tuvia Lipschitz Hy”d, a Golani Brigade soldier who was killed in battle in southern Lebanon on Erev Yom Tov, to his final resting place.

Family members, friends, and fellow soldiers came in large numbers to pay their last respects and escort him on his final journey at the city’s cemetery.

His mother, Shadmit Hodaya, delivered a tearful hesped at the fresh kever, saying: “Tovi, we walked with you the entire way. We tried to teach values and good middos, and you absorbed everything. But you should know, the choices were yours, the strengths were yours, and the bravery is all yours. Everything is yours, Tovi. Tov El Yosef, just like your name, it fits you so precisely. Your entire being was good.”

Through tears, she continued: “We stand here with broken hearts, struggling to grasp the magnitude of the loss, and we part from you, a beloved and pure child.”

The deputy commander of the Golani Brigade, Lt. Col. Naor Amichai, also spoke, saying: “Tuvia was a beloved son, a remarkable brother, a true friend, and a courageous and devoted soldier. He insisted on joining the Golani Brigade, continuing the path of his father and brother, and enlisted in August 2024. After completing his training, he joined Battalion 13 and became a top-tier fighter, someone you could rely on with your eyes closed.”

The commander added: “Tuvia’s image will remain etched in the hearts of his friends and commanders. His courage and spirit will accompany us for many days to come.”

His older brother, Shilo, spoke with anguish, saying: “There are not enough words in the world to describe you. I failed in my role, to protect you, to guard you. We grew up together with only 11 months between us, my little brother. I cannot comprehend how this happened in our home. You used to tell Mom that there is a lot of work to do. You came home and the work was not finished—there is still much work. Dear Golani soldiers, finish the work.”

Another brother, Argaman, also delivered a hesped: “My big brother, something is missing in me, my brother. I am trying to walk in your path, to be strong, but I am broken. Broken from the fact that you are not here, from this void left in the family, that has opened in my heart. You always jumped in first—what a childhood we had together. I always knew my big brother would protect me. I will always be your younger brother and you will always be my big brother. You were a brother, a friend, full of life and strength.”

His sister, Rimon, parted from him with heartbreaking words: “Our Tovi, I never imagined you would return to us in a coffin. I promise that our family will stand back up on its feet, because that is what you would want. I know you are sitting close to the kisei hakavod and raising a l’chaim with all our malachim. You were better than all of us—Hashem truly takes the best.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump on Thursday pointed to immigration policies under the Biden administration following the arrest of a Haitian migrant accused of fatally attacking a Florida mother in a shocking broad-daylight assault, and shared graphic footage of the incident.

According to court records, Rolbert Jaochin, 40, is accused of beating a 51-year-old mother of two with a hammer outside a Chevron gas station in Fort Myers on Friday morning, leaving her mortally wounded in the parking lot.

In a lengthy Truth Social post, Trump denounced the suspect, referring to him as an “animal” responsible for the gruesome killing.

The post also included an uncensored video of the attack, which Trump described as “one of the most vicious things you will ever see.”

“To my fellow Republicans, and frankly all Common Sense Americans, NEVER FORGET that Joe Biden and the Democrat Party turned the United States of America into a dumping ground,” Trump seethed.

“Please say a prayer for this innocent woman’s family. We will ensure quick and severe JUSTICE is served in this case!” he added.

Trump acknowledged the disturbing nature of the footage, saying he would not advise people to watch the roughly 20-second clip but felt compelled to share it so the public could understand “what Democrats are protecting.”

The video shows Jaochin striking the windshield of a black SUV in the gas station lot before the victim, who worked at the station, exits a nearby store and appears to say something to him.

The suspect then responds and quickly approaches her. As he reaches the woman, he leaps forward and strikes her in the face with a hammer, according to the footage.

She collapses onto the pavement, where he continues to hit her multiple times while she lies defenseless, the video shows.

After the attack, he steps over her and leaves the scene, according to the footage.

Emergency responders later found the victim lying on the ground in a pool of blood, and she was pronounced dead at the scene, court documents indicate.

Authorities apprehended Jaochin later that same day, with officers reportedly recognizing him from prior encounters.

Investigators say he admitted to the killing. He now faces charges including homicide, criminal mischief, and property damage exceeding $1,000.

Officials have not publicly released the victim’s identity or provided a motive for the attack.

Federal authorities said the suspect, originally from Haiti, entered the United States in August 2022 and was allowed to remain under Temporary Protected Status granted during the Biden administration.

After his arrest, Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged a detainer against him, with the Department of Homeland Security stating that he will “be deported regardless of the outcome of this case.”

Argentina’s President Javier Milei has been selected to light a torch at the official Independence Day ceremony on Har Herzl, in recognition of his strong and consistent support for Israel on the international stage.

The announcement was made Thursday evening by Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev, who said she chose Milei for the honor due to his firm backing of Israel through a series of diplomatic and policy decisions.

Milei, who has led Argentina for the past two and a half years, has taken a number of notable steps in support of Israel. These include recognizing Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Hezbollah, and Hamas as terrorist organizations, advocating for the release of hostages, renaming a street previously called “Palestine” to “Bibas Family Street,” and actively fighting antisemitism in international forums while defending Israel’s right to protect itself.

Regev praised Milei’s leadership and close relationship with Israel, stating: “In these very complex years that we are in the midst of, the State of Israel has found in Buenos Aires a true friend and a devoted partner. President Javier Milei is one of the prominent leaders of the free world and one of Israel’s closest allies, a true friend and a true Zionist, an example of partnership, loyalty, and appreciation for the Jewish people and one of the greatest friends of the Jewish people. Choosing him expresses the tremendous gratitude that all Israeli citizens feel toward his leadership and our immense pride in the warm and close relationship between Israel and Argentina.”

Earlier in the day, additional torch lighters were announced, including hostage and missing persons coordinator Gal Hirsch, as well as Talik Guaili, whose son, police officer Ran Hy”d, was killed on October 7. Also selected was Rabbi Avraham Zarbiv, who is currently serving in the reserves.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said he has no intention of stepping down, pushing back on the idea during his first interview with an American television network, portions of which aired Thursday.

In a segment of a longer interview set to be broadcast Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press, journalist Kristen Welker asked Díaz-Canel whether he would be “willing to step down if it meant saving Cuba.”

Before responding directly, Díaz-Canel challenged the premise of the question, asking whether it had been posed to other world leaders: “Is that a question from you, or is that coming from the State Department of the U.S. government?”

He went on to stress Cuba’s independence, saying, “In Cuba, the people who are in leadership position are not elected by the U.S. government, and they don’t have a mandate from the U.S. government. We have a free sovereign state.”

Díaz-Canel said his leadership was not driven by personal or political ambition but rather by the will of the Cuban people.

“If the Cuban people understand that I am not fit for office, that I have no reason to be here, then I should not be holding this position of president, I will respond to them,” he said.

The interview comes at a time of continued strain between Cuba and the United States, even as both sides acknowledge that discussions have taken place, though no specifics have been made public.

Díaz-Canel accused Washington of maintaining a “hostile policy” toward Cuba and argued that it has “no moral to demand anything from Cuba.”

He also said the U.S. should take responsibility for the impact of its policies, noting “and how much they have deprived the American people from a normal relationship with the Cuban people.”

While criticizing U.S. actions, Díaz-Canel said Cuba remains open to dialogue on any issue, without preconditions, stating it would proceed “not demanding changes from our political system as we are not demanding change from the American system, about which we have a number of doubts.”

Cuban officials continue to attribute the country’s worsening economic situation to U.S. energy restrictions, with fuel shortages affecting healthcare, transportation, and the production of goods.

In late March, a Russian tanker carrying 730,000 barrels of crude oil reached Cuba, marking the first such shipment in three months, with another delivery expected.

Despite earlier threats in January to impose tariffs on countries supplying oil to Cuba, President Donald Trump ultimately allowed the shipment to go forward.

“Cuba’s finished,” Trump said at the time. “They have a bad regime. They have very bad and corrupt leadership and whether or not they get a boat of oil, it’s not going to matter.”