Feed aggregator

The Israeli Air Force struck terrorist targets adjacent, but not in, a humanitarian route in Gaza from where Hamas fired two rockets at Tel Aviv on Tuesday, the IDF said.

The airstrikes in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, were carried out outside of the humanitarian route, the Israel Defense Forces emphasized.

In the terrorist group’s first attack targeting Tel Aviv since May, one rocket hit in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of central Israel, and the other fell short inside the Strip.

The rockets were reportedly of the M-90 variety, with a range of 56.5 miles.

No air-raid sirens were activated as the projectiles were not on course to hit populated areas.

“The Hamas terrorist organization continues to deliberately embed its military assets used to carry out attacks against Israel next to humanitarian infrastructure and the civilian population inside the Gaza Strip,” the IDF said on Wednesday morning, providing an infographic of the area where the rockets were launched.

IDF troops continue to operate in south, central Gaza

Israeli forces are continuing to operate in Tel al-Sultan, just north of Rafah City, the former Hamas stronghold in southernmost Gaza along the Egyptian border.

Over the past 24 hours, troops killed armed terrorists and located large amounts of weapons, ammunition, grenades and additional explosive devices.

Furthermore, IDF troops dismantled terrorist infrastructure in central Gaza, as well as sniper and observational posts.

Additionally, IDF soldiers continue operational activities in Khan Yunis.

Over the past 24 hours, the IAF struck more than 40 terrorist infrastructure sites throughout the Gaza Strip, including structures where terrorists fired anti-tank missiles and terrorists posed a threat to IDF troops.

10,000 soldiers treated since Oct. 7

The Defense Ministry’s Rehabilitation Department released data on Wednesday showing that it has treated 10,056 IDF soldiers since the war began on Oct. 7.

Some 35% of them suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and other psychological traumas, while 37% have limb injuries.

The Rehabilitation Department is also working with some 62,000 wounded veterans from previous wars. The forecast is for the department by 2030 to be treating some 100,000 people, with at least half suffering from PTSD.

(JNS)

Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign team has been covertly modifying headlines in Google search results to create the impression that major news organizations are supportive of her, according to a recent report.

These altered headlines — each accompanied by a “Paid for by Harris for President” banner — were modified without the knowledge or consent of the news outlets involved, Axios revealed on Tuesday.

Nearly a dozen media outlets, including prominent ones like The Guardian, Reuters, CBS News, The Associated Press, and PBS, were affected by this misleading headline campaign.

Even smaller outlets, such as WDay Radio in North Dakota, were not spared from having their headlines altered.

These ads link to genuine articles from the news sources, but the headlines and accompanying descriptions have been tweaked to portray the 59-year-old presidential candidate in a more favorable light.

For instance, one ad connected to a Guardian article displays a headline that states, “VP Harris Fights Abortion Bans – Harris Defends Repro Freedom,” with additional text beneath it reading, “VP Harris is a champion for reproductive freedom and will stop Trump’s abortion bans.”

Another ad linked to an NPR story features a headline saying, “Harris Will Lower Health Costs,” with a description that adds, “Kamala Harris will lower the cost of high-quality affordable health care,” as reported by Axios.

Spokespersons from impacted organizations such as CNN, USA Today, and NPR — all of which have published positive content about Harris recently — indicated they were unaware of their involvement in this campaign.

“While we understand why an organization might wish to align itself with the Guardian’s trusted brand, we need to ensure it is being used appropriately and with our permission. We’ll be reaching out to Google for more information about this practice,” stated a Guardian spokesperson.

Although deceptive, this tactic does not breach Google’s policies since the ads are clearly marked as “sponsored” and are “easily distinguishable from search results.”

This startling revelation comes at a time when Harris is avoiding the very media that she is attempting to manipulate in her favor.

Since securing the presidential nomination over three weeks ago, the former California attorney general has avoided significant interviews or media appearances.

{Matzav.com}

A significant cyber attack has struck major Iranian banks, including the Central Bank of Iran, as reported by the London-based outlet Iran International. The attack has caused considerable disruption to financial operations across the country, and it remains uncertain whether the Iranian authorities have been able to fully recover from the impact. The report suggests that this may be one of the most extensive cyber assaults on Iranian infrastructure to date. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Earlier today, two rockets were fired from Lebanon, hitting the northern Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona, resulting in property damage, according to local officials. The city’s spokesperson mentioned that no warning sirens were activated before the rockets landed. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported. Hezbollah has taken responsibility for the attack.

A judge ruled Monday that independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s name should not appear on New York’s ballot, saying that he falsely claimed a New York residence on nominating petitions despite living in California. The scion of the famed Democratic political dynasty vowed to appeal, dismissing the ruling as partisan. If the judge’s decision is upheld, it would not only keep Kennedy off the ballot in New York but could also lead to challenges in other states where he used an address in New York City’s suburbs to gather signatures. “The Democrats are showing contempt for democracy,” Kennedy said in a statement, noting the ruling judge is a Democrat. “They aren’t confident they can win at the ballot box, so they are trying to stop voters from having a choice. We will appeal and we will win.” The ruling came after a North Carolina judge decided earlier Monday that Kennedy can remain on that state’s ballot following a separate challenge on different grounds. In New York, Judge Christina Ryba concluded in her 34-page decision that the rented bedroom Kennedy claimed as his residence in New York wasn’t a “bona fide and legitimate residence, but merely a ‘sham’ address that he assumed for the purpose of maintaining his voter registration” and furthering his political candidacy. “Given the size and appearance of the spare bedroom as shown in the photographs admitted into evidence, the Court finds Kennedy’s testimony that he may return to that bedroom to reside with his wife, family members, multiple pets, and all of his personal belongings to be highly improbable, if not preposterous,” the judge wrote. Ryba said evidence submitted in trial showed Kennedy had a “long-standing pattern” of borrowing addresses from friends and relatives so he could maintain his voter registration in New York state while actually residing in California, where he has a home with his wife, “Curb Your Enthusiasm” actor Cheryl Hines. “Using a friend’s address for political and voting purposes, while barely stepping foot on the premises, does not equate to residency under the Election Law,” the judge wrote. “To hold otherwise would establish a dangerous precedent and open the door to the fraud and political mischief that the Election Law residency rules were designed to prevent.” Clear Choice Action, the Democrat-aligned political action committee that backed the legal challenge on behalf of several voters in the state, said the ruling shows Kennedy intentionally misled election officials and betrayed voters’ trust. “The Kennedy team will undoubtedly file desperate lawsuit after desperate lawsuit in the coming days and weeks; they will fail, and it will not change the simple truth: he lied, and he’s being held accountable,” the organization said. Kennedy, who led a New York-based environmental group for decades and whose namesake father was a New York senator, argued during the trial that he has lifelong ties to New York and intends to move back. Kennedy said he currently rents a room in a friend’s home in Katonah, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) north of midtown Manhattan, though has only slept in that room once due to his constant campaign travel. The 70-year-old candidate testified that his move to California a decade ago was so he could be with his wife, and that he always planned to return to New York. Barbara […]

A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the University of California, Los Angeles, cannot allow pro-Palestinian protesters to block Jewish students from accessing classes and other parts of campus. The preliminary injunction marks the first time a U.S. judge has ruled against a university over the pro-Hamas riots on college campuses earlier this year. U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi’s ruling came in a lawsuit filed in June by three Jewish students at UCLA. The students alleged that they experienced discrimination on campus during the protest because of their faith and that UCLA failed to ensure access to campus for all Jewish students. “In the year 2024, in the United States of America, in the State of California, in the City of Los Angeles, Jewish students were excluded from portions of the UCLA campus because they refused to denounce their faith.” Scarsi wrote. UCLA argued that it has no legal responsibility over the issue because protesters, not the university, blocked Jewish students’ access to the school. Scarsi ruled that the university is prohibited from providing classes and access to buildings on campus if Jewish students are blocked from it. Yitzchok Frankel, a UCLA law student who filed the lawsuit, celebrated the order. “No student should ever have to fear being blocked from their campus because they are Jewish,” Frankel said in a statement. “I am grateful that the court has ordered UCLA to put a stop to this shameful anti-Jewish conduct.” UCLA spokesperson Mary Osako said the ruling “would improperly hamstring our ability to respond to events on the ground and to meet the needs of the Bruin community.” The university is also considering all available options moving forward, she said. “UCLA is committed to fostering a campus culture where everyone feels welcome and free from intimidation, discrimination, and harassment,” Osako said in a statement to The Associated Press. The ruling came after Scarsi ordered UCLA last month to create a plan to protect Jewish students. The University of California, one of the nation’s largest public university systems, is also working on systemwide campus guidelines on protests. (AP)

The UN Security Council gathered for an emergency meeting on Tisha B’Av, prompted by Algeria, to discuss the IDF’s attack on the Al-Taba’een school in Gaza. Israel’s UN ambassador, Gilad Erdan, shared photos with the Council showing the Hamas terrorists who were killed at the school. In a scathing critique of the Council, he said, “You convened for these terrorists who used a school as their terror base, but for the children of Majdal Shams, murdered by Hezbollah’s rocket fire, you couldn’t find the time for an urgent session! Shame on you!”

Ambassador Erdan displayed the images of the Hamas operatives targeted in the Gaza strike, as well as those of the Israeli children killed in Majdal Shams, expressing strong disapproval of the Security Council: “The Council convened today to discuss Hamas’ false claims. Shockingly, it seems that you have decided to dedicate your time to listen to the terrorists’ lies while no real concern has been shown when Israeli children were murdered recently by Hezbollah.”

Erdan then presented a board showcasing the faces of the terrorists who were neutralized in the strike: “These are terrorists eliminated in Gaza on Saturday. Terrorists, exploiting Al-Taba’een school as a base for their murderous objectives. These are the people you called an emergency session for!”

He also revealed a board displaying the faces of the children who were victims of a Hezbollah missile in Majdal Shams: “While those terrorists used a school as their terror base, these children will never see their school again. But for them, you couldn’t find the time for an urgent session! Shame on you!”

Erdan further condemned the Council for ignoring the looming threat of an Iranian attack on Israel: “The most unbelievable thing is your inaction to condemn and stop the biggest danger and threat to the entire region: Iran.”

“Right now, millions of Israelis are preparing for a direct Iranian attack, just as they did in April. Iran’s aggression threatens the entire region with war. Yet, you are here wasting time on falsehoods spread by the words of terrorists.”

{Matzav.com}

Iran’s much-anticipated retaliation against Israel for the killings of key terror leaders might be postponed if Israel and Hamas can reach a long-sought ceasefire agreement in Gaza during upcoming talks, U.S. President Joe Biden stated on Tuesday.

Biden’s remarks followed reports from Iranian officials who told Reuters that a planned retaliatory strike could be put on hold to allow negotiations to proceed, even as Hamas signaled it would not participate in the discussions. A member of the Israeli delegation also expressed skepticism about the talks’ success unless Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu broadens the team’s scope.

Ceasefire and hostage release negotiations are set to resume in either Egypt or Qatar on Thursday, with U.S. mediators highlighting the summit as a potential last chance to free hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, end the 10-month conflict in Gaza, and prevent a regional war involving Iran.

During a visit to New Orleans on Tuesday, Biden was asked if he expected Iran to delay a retaliatory strike if a deal was reached.

“That’s my expectation,” the president responded.

However, Biden also cautioned that securing a ceasefire agreement was becoming increasingly difficult while reiterating his determination to end the conflict.

“We’ll see what Iran does and we’ll see what happens if there is any attack. But I’m not giving up,” Biden said.

The U.S. State Department announced on Tuesday that efforts were underway to ensure Hamas representatives would attend the upcoming negotiations.

State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel confirmed that Doha had assured Washington it would “work to Hamas represented” at the talks.

On Monday, Hamas issued a statement declaring it would not attend the meeting unless mediators could persuade Israel to accept the updated proposal the group submitted in early July in response to the U.S.-supported plan.

The proposal involved Hamas retracting its core demand for Israel to commit upfront to a permanent ceasefire. Israel’s response included Netanyahu’s revised demands, which Hamas subsequently rejected.

While the location for Thursday’s summit remains unconfirmed, an Arab official told the Times of Israel that Doha is currently expected to host the meeting.

Despite uncertainty about Hamas’s participation, Patel stated that the U.S. “fully expects these talks to move forward.”

As efforts to finalize the long-awaited deal continued, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre informed reporters aboard Air Force One that Brett McGurk, the White House Middle East coordinator, would be traveling to Cairo and Doha in the coming days, while special envoy Amos Hochstein would visit Lebanon to prevent further regional escalation.

After Iranian officials hinted earlier on Tuesday that a successful hostage deal might prevent them from directly retaliating against Israel, Jean-Pierre emphasized that the U.S. believes “getting a ceasefire deal is the best way to de-escalate the tensions we’re seeing.”

The U.S. has been heavily involved in diplomatic efforts to dissuade Iran from launching an attack on Israel following the July 31 assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, which Iran blames on Israel. Jerusalem has neither confirmed nor denied any involvement in his death.

Hezbollah, the powerful Iranian-backed terror group in Lebanon, has also vowed revenge for the assassination of its top military commander Fuad Shukr near Beirut on the same day, in a strike claimed by the IDF.

With the risk of a broader Middle East war increasing, Iran has engaged in intense discussions with Western countries and the U.S. in recent days on how to calibrate its retaliation, according to three Iranian sources who spoke to Reuters under the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the issue.

Recent reports suggest that Israel believes Iran plans to attack before Thursday’s renewed talks for a deal. The new statements seem to indicate that any attack would occur only after the talks and only if they fail to produce results satisfactory to Iran.

However, a senior Iranian security official stated that Iran and its allies, including Hezbollah, would launch a direct attack if the talks between Israel and Hamas collapse or if Israel is perceived as stalling the negotiations. The sources did not specify how long Iran would wait for the talks to progress before taking action.

Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s office quickly announced last week that Israel would send negotiators to the August 15 talks “to finalize the details of the implementation of the agreement framework” after the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt issued a joint statement demanding that a deal be finalized and implemented without further delay.

A member of the negotiation team told Israel’s Channel 12 on Tuesday evening that there was no point in attending the talks unless Netanyahu expanded the team’s mandate.

The scope within which the Israeli team will be expected to negotiate has not yet been determined and will be established in a meeting with the prime minister later this week, according to the report.

Earlier this month, the Israeli delegation warned Netanyahu that it would be impossible to reach a deal with the new demands he issued in late July.

The widely reported demands—which Netanyahu insists are not new additions—include a requirement that IDF forces remain in control of the Philadelphi Corridor between Israel and Egypt and added restrictions on those displaced persons allowed to return to northern Gaza once the fighting ceases.

Netanyahu’s office has repeatedly denied these reports, asserting that the prime minister had not altered any part of the U.S.-endorsed May 27 proposal that has been stalled in negotiations for several months. Instead, his office claimed, he was merely providing “essential clarifications” to implement the original framework.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Tuesday evening that Israel was closely monitoring its enemies in anticipation of a potential attack.

“I am aware of the tensions and the great burden placed on the citizens of Israel. We are following what is happening, in Beirut, in Tehran, and in other places,” Gallant said during a visit to an IDF intelligence base in northern Israel.

“We are engaged both in removing the threats and preparing all possibilities, in order to be able to attack wherever we decide,” he added, according to remarks provided by his office.

Later, the Mehr news agency reported that Iran was conducting a military drill in the north of the country, though it did not clarify whether this was related to its plans to strike Israel.

Some speculated that an attack could occur on Monday night or Tuesday, when Jewish communities in Israel and worldwide observed the Ninth of Av, a day of mourning and tragedy in the Jewish calendar.

While the day did not witness any major attacks, Hamas terrorists attempted to launch two rockets at Tel Aviv for the first time in months, and on Tuesday night, approximately 40 rockets were fired from Lebanon at northern Israel. No injuries were reported.

{Matzav.com}

The federal government wants to make it easier for employees to quit a job and work for a competitor. But some companies say a new rule created by the Federal Trade Commission will make it hard to protect trade secrets and investments they make in their employees. At least three companies have sued the FTC after it voted to ban noncompete agreements, which prevent employees from working for competitors for a period of time after leaving a job. Their cases are now pending in Florida, Pennsylvania and Texas and the issue could end up in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. Here’s what you should know about noncompete agreements: What are they? Once seen as a way to protect trade secrets among high-level executives, noncompete agreements have become more common, with some companies requiring lower-wage employees in fast-food and retail establishments to sign them before accepting a job. The agreements prohibit employees from taking a job with a rival company or starting a competing business for a set period of time, to prevent employees from taking corporate secrets, sales leads, client relationships or skills to a competitor. What did the FTC do? The FTC voted in April to prohibit employers nationwide from entering into new noncompete agreements or enforcing existing noncompetes starting Sept. 4, saying the agreements restrict freedom of workers and suppress wages. “In many cases, noncompetes are take-it-or-leave-it contracts that exploit workers’ lack of bargaining power and coerce workers into staying in jobs they would rather leave, or force workers to leave a profession or even relocate,” the FTC said. The FTC says roughly 30 million people, or 1 in 5 workers, are subject to noncompete agreements. That in turn limits their ability to change jobs, which is often the best way to get a pay raise or promotion. Some people don’t even realize they’ve signed such an agreement until they’re hit with a lawsuit after changing jobs. The FTC rule does not apply to senior executives, which the agency defines as workers earning more than $151,164 who are in a policy-making position. Several states including California already have bans on noncompete agreements. “As far as I know there’s a lot of companies in California, and high tech employees who are doing just fine,” said Tom Spiggle, founder of the Spiggle Law Firm based in Washington D.C., which focuses on protecting workers. “They’ve just gotten a little out of hand with line cooks being subject to noncompetes in some industries,” Spiggle added. “Think about it. You can’t work in a similar position for a year or more, and there’s often a geographical radius. You’ve got to move so you’re able to continue to work. For people who are spooning the beans on the front line, they’re signing noncompetes. Why?” Who is suing the FTC and why? Companies opposing the ban say they need noncompete agreements to protect business relationships, trade secrets and investments they make to train or recruit employees. “The ban would make it easy for top professionals to go across the street and compete against us,” said John Smith, chief legal officer at Ryan, LLC, a tax services firm based in Dallas that sued the FTC. Ryan uses noncompete agreements and nondisclosure agreements to ensure employees don’t share trade secrets when they leave. But nondisclosure agreements are harder to […]

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is currently facing renewed criticism due to a resurfaced video from 2018 in which he is seen commending a Muslim cleric who has shared pro-Hitler propaganda and expressed support for the events of October 7th. In the video, shown above, Walz praises Imam Asad Zaman, referring to him as a “master teacher.”

In recent years, Imam Asad Zaman has used his Facebook platform to distribute official statements from Hamas, content from antisemitic blogs, and in 2015, he shared a link to a pro-Hitler film titled “The Greatest Story Never Told.” On October 7th, Zaman also posted his support for Palestinians, declaring that he and his organization “stand in solidarity with Palestinians against Israeli attacks.”

Mike Tobin, a correspondent for Fox News based in Chicago, covered the story on the show “Outnumbered.” He discussed how The Washington Examiner uncovered a video of Governor Walz speaking at an event organized by the Muslim American Society of Minnesota on February 16, 2018, where Walz offered high praise for Zaman.

During the event, then-candidate Walz remarked, “I am a teacher, so when I see a master teacher, I know it. Over the time we’ve spent together, one of the things I’ve had the privilege of is seeing the things in life through the eye of a master teacher, to try and get the understanding.”

As Walz runs for Vice President alongside Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, his connections with the controversial Muslim leader have come under increased scrutiny. Despite Walz’s previous remarks about spending time with Zaman, the Harris-Walz campaign issued a statement to Tobin asserting, “Gov. Walz does not have a relationship with [Zaman],” and emphasized that he “strongly condemns Hamas terrorism.”

This was not the only instance where Walz and Zaman appeared together in public.

“We observed more joint appearances between Zaman and Gov. Walz in 2019, specifically in January, April, and May. At one event, Zaman even delivered an invocation during the state of the state address,” Tobin reported. “They also appeared together in May of 2020, advocating for peace during the George Floyd riots, and again in 2023 following a series of mosque vandalism incidents.”

Sam Westrop from The Middle East Forum commented on the situation, stating that Governor Walz has turned a blind eye to Zaman’s extremist views due to his reliance on support from the Arab and Muslim communities, avoiding actions that could be perceived as Islamophobic.

Westrop remarked, “This is a serious problem. Under a Walz-Harris ticket, given Walz’s ability to embrace really just the worst kind of radicals within the Muslim community, one can only imagine this will be replicated at the White House level. Walz clearly doesn’t want to know about the extremists he embraces.”

Additionally, the Walz administration has allocated more than $100,000 in funding to Zaman’s organization, as indicated by state records examined by the Washington Examiner.

The Minnesota Muslim American Society, the organization connected to Zaman, is part of the larger Muslim American Society (MAS). In 2014, the United Arab Emirates labeled MAS as a terrorist organization. MAS has also faced backlash, particularly in 2019, when a video surfaced of children at a Philadelphia chapter event advocating for the killing of Jewish people.

According to federal prosecutors, the MAS was established as “the overt arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in the U.S.,” a detail first reported by the Washington Examiner.

{Matzav.com}

CNN’s Harry Enten issued a cautionary note to Democrats on Tuesday, stressing that despite Vice President Kamala Harris’s recent momentum in the polls, former President Donald Trump remains a formidable contender in the 2024 presidential race. “We put out those poll numbers yesterday, you know, New York Times-Siena College, we covered them. I showed you the Ipsos polling, all of which showed Kamala Harris with clear momentum and enthusiasm potentially on her side. But I just want to take a step back and sort of point out we’ve kind of been here before,” Enten began. Enten highlighted the historical context of polling inaccuracies, particularly in key battleground states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. “So August 13, how far where the polls off in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin — and this is in 2016 and 2020 — Trump was [under]estimated both times around and by significant margins. Take a look here, in 2016 the average poll in those states they mentioned, those Great Lakes battleground states, Trump was underestimated by nine points on average at this point in 2016. How about 2020? It wasn’t a one-off, look at this: He was underestimated by five points on average.” Enten noted that Harris’s current lead in the New York Times-Siena College polls is four points in each of these crucial battleground states. However, he urged caution, saying, “The bottom line is this: If you have any idea- if you’re a Kamala Harris fan and you want to rip open the champagne bottle, pop that cork, do not do it. Donald Trump is very much in this race. If we have a polling shift like we’ve seen in prior years, from now until the final result, Donald Trump would actually win. I’m not saying that’s going to happen, but I am saying that he is very much in this ballgame based upon where he is right now, and compare that to where he was in prior years.” Furthermore, Enten pointed out that while there is growing enthusiasm around Harris’s campaign, polling data indicates that Republicans are slightly more likely and Democrats slightly less likely to say they will vote compared to a few months ago. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Thousands of Israelis on Tuesday night heeded the call to attend the levaya of Jordan Cooper, z’l, a former lone soldier who died suddenly from a severe allergic reaction. His father Ross was moved to tears as he spoke about the response of the public to the last-minute call. “This is the reason why he came to this country, to protect you.” Cooper, 26, left his life in the States after October 7 to fight in Gaza along with his reserve unit and died suddenly while his parents, brother and grandfather were visiting. He was about to get engaged to be married and planned to live in Israel after his marriage. The levaya took place at the Ganei Ester cemetery in Rishon Lezion. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Mars, whose brands include M&M’s, Snickers and Skittles, is buying food company Kellanova in a deal worth nearly $30 billion, giving it access to a huge portfolio of consumer brands from Cheez-It to Pop-Tarts. Kellanova was created when the Kellogg Co. split into three companies last year. Kellanova, based in Chicago, houses many brands, including Pringles, Town House, MorningStar Farms and Rice Krispies Treats. It had net sales of more than $13 billion last year and has approximately 23,000 employees. Mars Inc. said Wednesday that it will pay $83.50 per share in cash. The company put the total value of the transaction at $35.9 billion. The deal is expected to close in the first half of next year. Once it is complete, Kellanova will become part of Mars Snacking. It will remain based in Chicago. “The Kellanova brands significantly expand our snacking platform, allowing us to even more effectively meet consumer needs and drive profitable business growth,” Andrew Clarke, global president of Mars Snacking, said in a statement. The deal comes at a time when rising prices are squeezing consumers and putting many companies under pressure to put a cap on prices. Economists say that many consumers appear to be returning to pre-pandemic norms, when most companies felt they couldn’t raise prices very much without losing business. (AP)

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s visit to the Har Habayis on Tuesday “demonstrated blatant disregard for the historic status quo with respect to the holy sites in Jerusalem,” according to Antony Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state.

“These provocative actions only exacerbate tensions at a pivotal moment when all focus should be on the ongoing diplomatic efforts to achieve a ceasefire agreement and secure the release of all hostages and create the conditions for broader regional stability,” Blinken said.

The U.S. secretary’s statement referred to “Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount.”

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu “has made clear that the actions of Minister Ben Gvir are inconsistent with Israeli policy,” Blinken said. “We will look to the government of Israel to prevent similar incidents in the future.”

“The United States reaffirms our commitment to the preservation of the historic status quo and will continue to oppose unilateral steps that are counterproductive to achieving peace and stability and undermine Israel’s security,” he added. JNS

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will have a book out next winter that draws in part upon his own life and religious faith for what he calls a “warning” about antisemitism. Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group, announced Wednesday that Schumer’s “Antisemitism in America” will be released Feb. 18. The 73-year-old Schumer, a Democrat from New York, will trace his journey from Brooklyn in the 1960s to Harvard in the ’70s to his decades in Washington, including the Jan. 6 siege in 2021. Schumer also will write about the recent wave of conspiracy theories about Jews and attacks against synagogues and Jewish students. “If America fails to understand the context and history of antisemitism, if America’s darker impulses ultimately overwhelm its better angels, an age-old truth will prove true once again: that antisemitism inevitably leads to violence against Jews and a rise in bigotry in our society at large. Jewish Americans never thought it could happen here in America,” he said in a statement. “Now, for the first time, they’re worried it could. As the Irish writer Conor Cruise O’Brien once said, ‘antisemitism is a light sleeper.’” Schumer previously wrote, with Daniel Squadron, “Positively American: Winning Back the Middle Class One Family at a Time,” which came out in 2007. (AP)

At Bais Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, NJ, the Annual Motzoei Tisha B’Av Seder at Bais Yitzchok-Binyan Herzka l’illui nishmas the mashgiach Rav Matisyahu Salomon zt”l.

WATCH:

A large number of IDF forces overnight Tuesday began a counterterrorism operation in the Palestinian villages of Tubas and Tammun, near Jenin. In the first strike of its kind in the Jordan Valley, the IDF carried out a drone strike on a house in Tubas, killing several terrorists and wounding others. A gun battle took place between local terrorists and IDF soldiers. The IDF stated. “An aircraft struck several armed terrorists in the village of Tammun as part of the operation in the Jordan Valley area. More details to follow.” The operation is ongoing.   (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

The virulently antisemitic and anti-Israel Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar won her Democratic party primary in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District on Tuesday, defeating her opponent Don Samuel and two other challengers. In her victory speech, Omar claimed that her black opponent Don Samuels, who is pro-Israel, worked with “literal Nazis” in order to defeat her.” Unfortunately, Omar did not follow in the paths of two of her fellow Squad members who lost their primaries – Reps. Jamaal Bowman in New York and Cori Bush of Missouri. AIPAC and other pro-Israel groups heavily aided the challengers of Bowman and Bush but the same support was not provided for Samuels as polls showed that Omar would be difficult to defeat. A pro-Israel campaign strategist told JTA last week that Samuels is ” a great pro-Israel guy, and she’s terrible, but she’s doing a real campaign and has for a long time. We did not see it as a race in which we could make a difference.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

First Axios reported that Antony Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state, was slated to depart on Tuesday for a trip to Israel, Egypt and Qatar. Then, Axios said, citing two unnamed sources, the trip was scrapped.

“Secretary of State Blinken has delayed his trip to the Middle East and won’t travel to the region tonight as planned due to the uncertainty about the situation, per two sources,” wrote Barack Ravid, a political reporter at the online outlet.

President Joe Biden, who was asked about the Middle East on Tuesday, “said he saw some linkage between the ceasefire effort in Gaza and Iran’s threat to retaliate,” per the pool report. “He said he’s not giving up on reaching a ceasefire deal.”

“It’s getting harder,” Biden said of the deal, according to the pool report. “I’m not giving up.”

“We’ll see what Iran does,” Biden added, per the pool. “We’ll see what happens.” The pool reporter asked the president if he expects Iran to hold off on attacking Israel—as it said it will—until a deal is reached. “That’s my expectation,” Biden said, per the pool.

‘Continuing to echo the same message’

Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesman at the U.S. State Department, was also asked about Blinken’s trip during the department’s press briefing on Tuesday. “What does he hope to achieve this time around that he was not able to achieve in the past eight trips?” Patel was asked.

“I don’t have any travel for Secretary Blinken to preview at the moment,” Patel replied. “What I can say is that as it relates to the Middle East region, the secretary is laserly focused and engaged on the region through calls with his counterparts, through calls with other leaders.”

“He has been working the phones for the past number of weeks, continuing to echo the same message, which is we are close to getting this ceasefire deal across the finish line, and it is vital for the release of the remaining hostages, including American citizens,” Patel said.

“It is vital for a surge in humanitarian assistance, which we believe will help alleviate the suffering that we’re seeing in Gaza, and it is vital for—to help get this region out of this endless cycle of violence,” Patel said. “He made that clear to a number of counterparts that he’s spoken to in the past few days, and I expect those kinds of conversations and diplomacy to continue.” JNS

{Matzav.com Israel}

Yemen’s Houthi rebels stormed the headquarters of the United Nations’ Human Rights Office in the capital, Sanaa, seizing documents, furniture and vehicles, a senior U.N. official said Tuesday. The seizure was the latest move in a crackdown by the Houthis on people working with the U.N., aid agencies and foreign embassies. The crackdown comes as the Iranian-backed rebels have been targeting shipping throughout the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. The rebels took over the U.N. Human Rights Office’s premises in Sanaa on Aug. 3, after forcing U.N. Yemeni workers to hand over belongings, including documents, furniture and vehicles, U.N. Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said in a statement. “Ansar Allah forces must leave the premises and return all assets and belongings immediately,” Türk said, using the official name of the Houthis. A spokesman for the Houthis didn’t return phone calls and messages requesting comment. The U.N.’s Human Rights Office said it had suspended the office’s operations in Sanaa and other Yemeni areas controlled by the Houthis following the June crackdown campaign. But it still operates in the parts of Yemen controlled by the internationally recognized government. In June, the Houthis detained more than 60 people working with the U.N. and other NGOs, according to the U.N. Human Rights Office. Among the detainees were six workers with the Human Rights Office, who joined two of their colleagues detained by the Houthis in November 2021 and August 2023, it said. Days after the arrest campaign, the rebels said they had arrested members of what they called an “American-Israeli spy network.” The Houthis issued what they purported to be videotaped confessions by 10 Yemenis, several of whom said they were recruited by the U.S. Embassy in Yemen. The U.N. Human Rights Office said one of its staffers who was detained earlier appeared in a video in which he was forced to confess to allegations, including of espionage, the office said. The Houthis’ claims could not be independently verified. The Houthis have been engaged in a civil war with Yemen’s internationally recognized government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, since 2014, when they took control of Sanaa and most of the north. The war in Yemen has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters, killing tens of thousands more. The rebels have imprisoned thousands of people during the war. And in recent months they intensified their crackdown on dissent at home, including recently sentencing 44 people to death. (AP)