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Chief Rabbi On Desecration of Rav Meir Mazuz’s Grave: “Only a Non-Jew Or a Madman Would Do Such a Thing”
Sephardic Chief Rabbi Rav Dovid Yosef condemned the desecration of the kever of Rav Meir Mazuz zt”l, calling the act outrageous and demanding that the cemetery be properly guarded.
Speaking on Motzoei Shabbos during the central Shabbos Shuva derasha at Yeshivas Kisei Rachamim—an annual event broadcast across Israel and abroad—Rav Yosef sharply criticized those responsible for the vandalism.
“On my way here, I was informed of the desecration of the tombstone and the sacred grave of Maran Rosh HaYeshiva, Rav Meir Mazuz zt”l. This is a dreadful and shocking act, and we strongly condemn it. Woe to the one who committed this deed. I assume it was not Jews who did this, since it occurred on Shabbos. I call on the mayor, Rav Chanoch Zeibert, to station guards at the cemetery, where many of the great leaders of Israel are buried. It is essential to ensure ongoing protection at the site to prevent vandals from harming it again, chas v’shalom,” Rav Yosef declared.
He added: “Certainly, the honor of Maran Rosh HaYeshiva Rav Meir Mazuz has not diminished and never will. He was a giant among giants, whom no one can even approach. The love and admiration for Maran Rosh HaYeshiva will only continue to grow. We are all his students.”
Despite Rav Mazuz’s absence this year, the traditional gathering at Kisei Rachamim carried on, with Rav Yosef, Rav Shlomo Moshe Amar, and Rav Tzion Mazuz delivering shiurim and leading selichos, broadcast on Kol Berama Radio and other media outlets.
As reported last night, talmidim visiting the kever discovered that vandals had defaced the matzeivah over Shabbos in a brazen act of desecration. Police have opened an investigation, and there is hope that those responsible will be identified and brought to justice.
{Matzav.com Israel}
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‘Hamas Has No Regrets Of Oct. 7,’ Terror Group Official Tells CNN After Surviving Doha Strike
A senior Hamas figure, Ghazi Hamad, made clear in an interview with CNN that the group has no remorse for the October 7 massacres in Israel, which left nearly 1,200 dead and over 250 taken hostage. The remarks were reported on Friday.
Hamad, who sits on Hamas’s political bureau, was recently targeted in an Israeli strike in Doha but survived the attempt.
The October 7 bloodshed in Israel, which saw thousands of terrorists storm the border, continues to reverberate globally. Despite the devastation it brought upon Gaza, Hamad insisted that Hamas does not regret its actions.
In the CNN exchange, Hamad wrongly claimed that Hamas struck only military positions, asserting that it “never intended to kidnap civilians.” He argued that the “Palestinian cause” had been strengthened by the assault, pointing to growing calls for recognition of Palestinian statehood and harsher criticism of Israel across the world.
“You know what the benefit of October 7 is now? If you look at the [United Nations] General Assembly yesterday, about 194 members opened their eyes to the atrocity and brutality of Israel, and they condemned Israel,” he told CNN. “We waited for this moment for 77 years.”
Osama Hamdan, another senior Hamas representative, echoed this message in a separate interview with Al Mayadeen, maintaining that countries moving toward recognition of a Palestinian state were influenced by Hamas’s October 7 attacks.
Pressed by CNN about the staggering number of Palestinian civilians killed in Gaza, Hamad remained unapologetic. The outlet also reminded viewers that he had previously boasted that Palestinians “are proud to sacrifice martyrs.”
CNN showed him video clips of Gaza residents condemning Hamas’s conduct. According to the report, Hamad “refused to look at the footage for more than a few seconds, pushing the iPad away.”
The CNN team also questioned him about Israeli claims that hostages were being used as human shields inside Gaza City during the ongoing IDF ground push. Hamad rejected the allegations, insisting the captives were being treated “with Islamic principles.”
Hamad further commented on international mediation efforts, saying discussions with President Donald Trump on halting the war were “frozen.” This contradicted Trump’s statements that talks with regional leaders had been progressing.
According to Hamad, no negotiations with Washington have taken place since the strike in Qatar. He accused Trump of granting Israel “the green light” to try to kill him, alleging this has caused U.S. mediators engaged in ceasefire efforts to “lose their credibility.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
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Bill Maher Says Slaughter of Christians In Nigeria Being Ignored Because ‘The Jews Aren’t Involved’
On Friday night’s broadcast of Real Time, host Bill Maher argued that mass killings of Christians in Nigeria by Islamist groups are largely being overlooked by the public and the press. He claimed the reason is simple: “the Jews aren’t involved.”
During the panel discussion, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) said she was grateful Maher had raised the subject, pointing out that American media has largely failed to cover the crisis in Nigeria.
“Well, because the Jews aren’t involved. That’s why,” Maher shot back. “It’s the Christians and the Muslims — who cares?”
Maher then described Boko Haram, the radical Islamist organization responsible for widespread violence in Nigeria, as being “literally attempting to wipe out the Christian population of an entire country.” He asked, “Where are the kids protesting this?”
“They are systematically killing the Christians in Nigeria. They’ve killed over 100,000 since 2009. They’ve burned 18,000 churches. This is so much more. These are the Islamists, Boko Haram. This is so much more of a genocide attempt than what is going on in Gaza,” he continued.
He went on to say that the slaughter has not received the attention it demands, blasting the lack of awareness. “If you don’t know what’s going on in Nigeria, your media sources suck,” Maher said. “You are in a bubble.”
The U.K. branch of Open Doors, a Christian advocacy group that supports persecuted believers, told Fox News Digital, “The crisis facing large areas of sub-Saharan Africa is hard to overstate. It is potentially existential for the future peace and stability of several nations in the region, not least Nigeria. Around 150,000 people have been killed in Jihadist violence over the last 10 years. Over 16 million Christians have been driven from their homes and their land across the region.”
Nigeria has consistently ranked as one of the deadliest places on earth for Christians. Research by Open Doors indicates that more believers are murdered there for their faith each year than in the rest of the world combined.
The White House has said it is working with the State Department to explore steps to stop the bloodshed and foster stability in the region.
{Matzav.com}
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Katz: Gaza Will Be Destroyed, Hamas Eliminated If Terror Group Does Not Disarm, Return All Hostages
Israeli Defense Minister Yisroel Katz issued a stern message to Hamas late last night, warning through a post on X/Twitter that the terror group would face devastating consequences if the conflict persisted.
“If Hamas does not release all the hostages and disarm, Gaza will be destroyed and Hamas will be eliminated,” he wrote.
He continued with a pledge of determination: “We will not stop until all the war’s objectives are achieved,” he added.
Katz explained that his statement came as the Israel Defense Forces pressed forward with intensified assaults in Gaza City, where more than 750,000 residents have already fled southward.
As part of those operations, the IDF targeted and destroyed significant terror infrastructure, including what Katz labeled “terror towers.” These high-rise buildings, tied by the military to Hamas activities, were brought down early in the campaign in order to seize control of the group’s final urban stronghold.
By Saturday, assessments from the IDF’s Southern Command indicated that Israeli forces had secured control over more than half of Gaza City.
Command sources told Walla that the territorial advances were made possible by carefully orchestrated maneuvers at several fronts, with multiple divisions working together under the framework of Operation Gideon’s Chariots II.
{Matzav.com Israel}
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FBI’s Patel Clarifies Role of Hundreds of Agents On Jan 6, Says Wray Lied to Congress
The FBI issued a response following a report that 274 plainclothes bureau personnel were present during the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol, Fox News reports. Officials explained their presence while criticism continued to mount against former Director Christopher Wray.
According to what officials told Fox News Digital, those agents were dispatched only after the riot was already underway in an effort to help control the crowds. Kash Patel argued that such assignments are outside the FBI’s responsibilities and faulted Wray for repeatedly withholding that information when testifying on Capitol Hill.
“Agents were sent into a crowd control mission after the riot was declared by Metro Police – something that goes against FBI standards,” Patel told Fox News Digital. “This was the failure of a corrupt leadership that lied to Congress and to the American people about what really happened.”
He added, “Thanks to agents coming forward, we are now uncovering the truth. We are fully committed to transparency, and justice and accountability continues with this FBI.”
An FBI representative also told Fox News Digital there is no evidence that any bureau agents were linked to President Trump’s speech earlier that morning at the Ellipse. However, the official acknowledged Wray should have disclosed to lawmakers that FBI personnel were at the scene.
President Donald Trump weighed in after The Blaze reported on the number of agents present, criticizing Wray for not being candid.
“It was just revealed that the FBI had secretly placed, against all Rules, Regulations, Protocols, and Standards, 274 FBI Agents into the Crowd just prior to, and during, the January 6th Hoax,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Saturday.
Trump added, “This is different from what Director Christopher Wray stated, over and over again! That’s right, as it now turns out, FBI Agents were at, and in, the January 6th Protest, probably acting as Agitators and Insurrectionists, but certainly not as ‘Law Enforcement Officials.’”
He demanded details on who the officers were and why they were there at the Capitol.
“Many Great American Patriots were made to pay a very big price only for the love of their Country,” Trump said, referring to his supporters who were prosecuted for their actions that day.
Earlier this year, Trump granted pardons or commutations to all individuals charged in connection with January 6 after he took office.
He concluded, “I owe this investigation of ‘Dirty Cops and Crooked Politicians’ to them! Christopher Wray, the then Director of the FBI, has some major explaining to do. That’s two in a row, Comey and Wray, who got caught LYING, with our Great Country at stake. WE CAN NEVER LET THIS HAPPEN TO AMERICA AGAIN!”
The Blaze, citing a senior congressional aide, said the number of agents should not be viewed as shocking, since the FBI often stations countersurveillance staff at large-scale events.
In testimony before a House committee on Nov. 15, 2023, Wray said, “If you are asking if the violence at the Capitol was part of some operation orchestrated by FBI sources or agents, the answer is no,” though he declined to confirm whether agents or informants had been embedded in the crowd.
Politico later reported that the 274 figure also included agents tasked with responding to pipe bombs found outside the headquarters of both national political parties the night before the riot.
Wray had been chosen to lead the bureau by Trump in 2017 after he dismissed James Comey, who was indicted just this week for allegedly lying to Congress.
The Justice Department’s inspector general, Michael Horowitz, released a report in December stating: “We found no evidence in the materials we reviewed or the testimony we received showing or suggesting that the FBI had undercover employees in the various protest crowds, or at the Capitol, on January 6,” though he confirmed there were 26 paid informants present, three of them assigned by the FBI.
That review also explained that FBI staff were deployed at the request of Capitol Police, who were overwhelmed, specifically to aid in crowd management. Horowitz made clear that none of the informants were allowed to provoke unrest, commit crimes, or enter the Capitol itself.
The Blaze suggested that confusion between the terms “plainclothes” and “undercover” may explain why both the inspector general’s findings and the FBI’s statements can technically be correct.
One official told Fox News Digital that many agents resented being asked to perform crowd control since they had no advance preparation and are not trained for such roles. The decision ran contrary to the bureau’s original intent to keep away from direct involvement.
The first FBI personnel began arriving at the Capitol around 2:30 p.m., after a riot was declared, and additional agents followed, the official said.
Patel later criticized Wray for the way he handled questions in Congress before the inspector general’s report came out.
“Why it took a ton of time and questioning in Congress for the director to get that point is what I’m trying to eliminate from the FBI,” Patel said. “If Congress asks you a question under oath, whether or not there were sources in [or] around Jan. 6th at the Capitol, you as the director of the FBI need to know that and not deflect and give a D.C. answer. You have to be prepared for that.”
{Matzav.com}
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