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The United States remains open to nuclear pact talks with Iran, which again rejected Washington’s advances during a United Nations Security Council meeting.

The session focused on implementing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, of 2015 which outlined Iran’s commitments to limit its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

The permanent Security Council members—United States, United Kingdom, France, China and Russia—signed the agreement, as did Germany and the European Union.

Tuesday marked the first council gathering on the nuclear issue since sanctions were reimposed on the Islamic Republic through a so-called “snapback” mechanism, which the United Kingdom, France and Germany—known as the E3—triggered.

Sanctions were reimposed due to Iranian noncompliance with verification measures and limits on uranium enrichment levels.

“The United States remains available for formal talks with Iran but only if Tehran is prepared for direct and meaningful dialogue,” Morgan Ortagus, Washington’s deputy Middle East envoy, told the council.

 

“We have been clear, however, about certain expectations for any arrangement,” Ortagus said. “Foremost, there can be no enrichment inside of Iran, and that remains our principle.”

Citing its membership in the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Tehran said that American insistence on a zero uranium enrichment policy was a non-starter in talks.

“We appreciate any fair and meaningful negotiation, but insisting on zero enrichment policy, it is contrary to our rights as a member of the NPT, and it means that they are not pursuing a fair negotiation,” Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s U.N. envoy, said.

“They want to dictate their predetermined intention on Iran,” he added. “Iran will not bow down to any pressure and intimidation.”

Washington, which withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 during U.S. President Donald Trump’s first term, held five rounds of negotiations with Iran over the summer. Those talks did not yield an agreement, and a 60-day window for resolution, which Trump had set to expire in June, expired.

Israel struck Iranian targets, including nuclear facilities, the next day, triggering a 12-day war, during which the United States also bombed Iranian nuclear facilities.

“The lack of implementation by Iran of its international obligations related to its nuclear program constitute a grave threat to international peace and security,” said Jay Dharmadhikari, France’s deputy U.N. ambassador.

Dharmadhikari said that Iran’s uranium stockpile “would be of a sufficient quantity to produce 10 nuclear explosive devices” if increased slightly to military-grade levels.

Most signatories to the JCPOA say that the pact remains in force despite the diplomatic degradation this year. Moscow says the accord is a non-entity.

Vassily Nebenzia, Russia’s U.N. ambassador, lashed out at Slovenia, the current council president, for even scheduling Tuesday’s meeting. He said that the country did not “find the courage to impartially uphold your obligation not to act at the behest of those who insisted on holding a Security Council meeting on a non-existent agenda item.”

Nebenzia said that the EU, which coordinates the JCPOA committee, should not be allowed to brief the council, because the pact “does not exist anymore.”

Iravani agreed, telling the council that the JCPOA, which was put into force through Security Council Resolution 2231, expired on Oct. 18, as the accord states.

The E3 triggered the snapback provision shortly before the expiration date.

The Iranian envoy said that the accord “ceased to have any legal effect or operative mandate” and that there is “no mandate for the secretary-general to submit any report and no mandate for the council to hold discussions on it.”

He said that those who think the pact remains valid are engaging in a “calculated distortion” of the resolution.

Hedda Samson, deputy EU head of delegation, said that “the snapback of sanctions and nuclear restrictions must not be the end of diplomacy.”

“Quite the opposite,” Samson said. She urged Iran to give the International Atomic Energy Agency watchdog verifiable information on its nuclear program. JNS

{Matzav.com}

During a tish at the main beis medrash of the Karlin-Stolin chassidus in Givat Ze’ev, the Stoliner Rebbe addressed one of the most sensitive and widely debated issues in today’s chareidi world: the use of smartphones and modern technology.

Speaking at length, the Rebbe presented an approach that recognizes contemporary reality while insisting on uncompromising vigilance and spiritual responsibility. He began by noting that the world has changed and that technological devices have become deeply embedded in daily life.

“We have reached a situation where no one can honestly say it’s possible to manage without devices,” the Rebbe said. “It’s not possible. We need them. But that is precisely why there must be proper filtering, and they must be used with safeguards.”

The Rebbe rejected the view that a total ban on devices is the sole solution, illustrating his point with a practical analogy. “If someone shouts that it’s dangerous, driving a car is also dangerous,” he said. “There are many things in the world that involve danger. Just as we don’t tell a person not to drive because the road is dangerous, we cannot completely prevent the use of devices.”

At the same time, the Rebbe stressed that recognizing the need for technology does not mean unrestricted use. He directed pointed remarks to young avreichim building their homes, emphasizing that owning a device is not a religious obligation.

“An avreich who has just gotten married does not need to immediately run out and buy a device,” the Rebbe said. “It’s not a mitzvah. Devices should be used only for what is truly necessary—work needs and essential arrangements—not for nonsense or wasting time.”

Concluding his remarks, the Rebbe reminded his chassidim that beyond filters and human effort, a Jew’s greatest protection is tefillah. “We must daven and beg the Ribbono Shel Olam to guard us, our children, and our families,” he said. “We have to live with yosher halev—uprightness of heart.”

{Matzav.com}

[Audio below.] The controversy surrounding Israel’s proposed draft legislation intensified Wednesday night after Rav Dovid Cohen, rosh yeshiva of Chevron Yeshiva, issued a sweeping and uncompromising rejection of the Bismuth draft law. In sharp remarks delivered to talmidim at the yeshiva, Rav Cohen ruled out any compromise and declared that even young men who are not currently learning in a yeshiva framework may not be drafted into the army.

A recording of the address, revealed Wednesday evening by journalist Yoeli Brim on Channel 13 News, shows Rav Cohen leaving no room for debate over whether non-learning yeshiva-age men could be conscripted. He framed the issue not as a technical question of manpower, but as a fundamental struggle over the spiritual character of the Jewish people, warning that the draft law represents an attempt to secularize Torah society.

According to Rav Cohen, the current moment constitutes “a war for the very existence of the yeshivos.” He stressed that the discussion surrounding enlistment is not about how many soldiers the army needs, but about a broader cultural battle aimed at uprooting Torah from Klal Yisroel and drawing bnei Torah away from the beis medrash into a secular way of life. “This is a war on multiple fronts,” he said, describing it as an effort “to take us out of the yeshivos and bring us into lives of chilonius.”

In his remarks, Rav Cohen revealed that he had been formally approached with a series of questions regarding the draft, including distinctions between those who are learning and those who are not. He dismissed the entire framework of such inquiries, saying they were designed only to confuse the public. “Anyone who knows that Klal Yisroel has no existence without Torah, and that Torah and Klal Yisroel are embodied in the world of yeshivos, understands that whoever separates from the yeshiva world loses all of his spiritual standing,” Rav Cohen said. “These are not questions. Someone who understands does not ask, and someone who wants answers, I have no answers for him.”

LISTEN:

{Matzav.com}

Health officials are warning that this year’s flu season is being shaped by a particularly transmissible and hard-hitting strain that is rapidly gaining ground across the country.

The surge is being linked to a newly identified offshoot of influenza A (H3N2), known as subclade K. Public health monitoring shows that this mutation has become dominant in recent samples, both internationally and within the United States.

In a recent update, the World Health Organization described subclade K as a significant shift in the evolution of H3N2 viruses, raising concerns among researchers about how closely this season’s flu vaccine matches the circulating strain.

Doctors say patients infected with the K variant are often experiencing more pronounced symptoms than usual. Reported complaints include high fever, shaking chills, head pain, exhaustion, persistent cough, sore throat, and nasal congestion.

Data from the CDC indicates that nearly 90% of 216 recently analyzed H3N2 samples collected since late September were identified as subclade K, underscoring how quickly the variant has taken hold.

Respiratory illness activity is especially elevated in parts of the Northeast and several other regions. Surveillance tracking outpatient visits — not limited to confirmed flu cases — shows very high levels in New York City, New York State, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Louisiana, and Colorado. High activity has also been reported across multiple additional states and in Washington, D.C.

So far this season, federal estimates attribute at least 4.6 million illnesses, roughly 49,000 hospital admissions, and approximately 1,900 deaths to influenza.

Speaking with Fox News Digital, Dr. Neil Maniar, a professor of public health practice at Northeastern University, said early patterns suggest an unusually severe flu season. He noted that areas overseas where subclade K circulated earlier saw substantial illness, a trend that now appears to be emerging domestically as well.

Maniar described the current situation as a “perfect storm,” pointing to a combination of lower overall vaccination rates and uncertainty about how precisely this year’s vaccine targets the mutation. While the vaccine remains strongly recommended, he explained that a less-than-ideal match could be contributing to the intensity of cases being reported.

Despite these concerns, Maniar emphasized that getting vaccinated remains worthwhile, even now. Peak flu activity has not yet arrived, and the vaccine still offers important protection against severe outcomes linked to the K variant.

He also cautioned that flu complications are not limited to high-risk groups. Healthy individuals can become seriously ill, particularly as colder weather and indoor gatherings increase exposure risks. According to Maniar, partial immunity can begin developing within days of vaccination, with full protection generally reached within two weeks — making this an important window for those who have not yet received their flu shot.

{Matzav.com}

Mahmoud Abbas has openly acknowledged that the Palestinian Authority remains loyal to terrorists who murder and attack Jews, publicly affirming support that Israeli officials say confirms long-standing allegations about covert financial assistance to terrorists and their families.

The remarks came after reports revealed that the Palestinian Authority continues to transfer money to terrorists through indirect and concealed channels. In a statement he issued, Abbas did not deny the practice and instead expressed pride in it, writing: “I affirm, with absolute clarity, that loyalty to the sacrifices of our righteous martyrs, the prisoners who stand with them, the wounded, and their families is a deeply rooted national and moral duty.”

Abbas added that this obligation, in his words, “is not subject to political bargaining or exploitation, and cannot be used as a tool for incitement, division, or harm to the legitimate institutions of our national state.”

In Israel, the response was swift and sharp. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said that Abbas had now openly admitted what Israel has been saying for years. “Mahmoud Abbas admits that loyalty to the ‘martyrs,’ to imprisoned terrorists, to terrorists who were wounded, and to their families is a Palestinian national commitment,” Sa’ar said.

Sa’ar accused the Palestinian Authority of continuing to deceive the international community by claiming it had ended its policy of paying salaries to terrorists. “He does this while continuing to lie about ending the distorted policy of the Palestinian Authority of paying salaries to despicable terrorists and their families,” Sa’ar said. “The international community must hold the Palestinian Authority accountable for the payment of salaries to terrorists.”

Israeli officials noted that Sa’ar recently exposed how the Palestinian Authority allegedly continues these payments by disguising them as pension transfers to retirees of the Palestinian security services, a method Israel says is designed to bypass international scrutiny while maintaining financial support for convicted terrorists and their families.

{Matzav.com}

Knesset Speaker Amir Ochana of the Likud voted Wednesday in favor of an opposition-sponsored bill promoting civil marriage in Israel, despite clear coalition opposition to the legislation. Ochana’s vote triggered sharp condemnation from the chareidi parties, which accused him and Likud of violating long-standing agreements to preserve the religious status quo.

According to chareidi officials, Ochana’s support for the bill directly contradicted understandings reached between Likud and the chareidi factions, particularly commitments to block legislation seen as undermining marriage conducted according to das Moshe v’Yisroel. Senior figures in Degel HaTorah issued an unusually harsh response, calling Ochana’s move “an act that should never have been done.”

In an official statement, Degel HaTorah said that Ochana backed an opposition bill “in direct violation of the agreement between Likud and United Torah Judaism to safeguard the status quo.” The party added pointedly that “the mistake we made in agreeing to Likud’s request and supporting him as Knesset speaker will not be repeated.”

The Shas party also released a formal protest, stating that it “expresses strong objection to the Knesset speaker’s vote in favor of a law that harms the institution of marriage according to Jewish law, in complete contradiction to the position of the coalition.”

Chareidi leaders went further, warning that the civil marriage bill represents a serious breach in Israel’s Jewish character. In another statement, Degel HaTorah described the legislation as “a grave breach in the vineyard of Israel, liable to undermine the foundations of the Jewish identity of the State of Israel,” and said that Ochana’s decision to side with the opposition on such a sensitive issue amounted to a provocation demonstrating that he is “unfit to serve as Knesset speaker for the faith-based camp.”

United Torah Judaism chairman Yitzhak Goldknopf also weighed in, accusing the government of repeatedly violating agreements with the chareidi sector. “The Government of Israel, headed by Binyomin Netanyahu of Likud, continues to breach all the understandings and commitments made to the chareidi public,” Goldknopf wrote.

Referring specifically to Wednesday’s vote, Goldknopf added that Ochana “went even further” by supporting legislation that he described as “a blatant trampling of our holy Torah,” carried out in defiance of prior agreements and of what he called the historic alliance between Likud and the chareidi parties—an alliance built, he said, on safeguarding the values of Jewish tradition within the Knesset.

{Matzav.com}

Five years after the 2020 election, challenges in Georgia continue despite multiple audits. The latest questions surround the December meeting of the Georgia State Election Board. Nearly two weeks after the meeting, some continue to claim Fulton County was fraudulent because tabulation tapes were not signed that included 315,000 votes. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger […]

Federal prosecutors say four California activists who allegedly prepared a coordinated bombing campaign also repeatedly voiced violent threats toward Israel and openly embraced Hamas, according to an indictment unsealed this week, Times of Israel reports.

Authorities say the suspects—Audrey Illeene Carroll, Zachary Aaron Page, Dante Gaffield, and Tina Lai, ages 24 to 41—were part of a clandestine offshoot known as the Order of the Black Lotus, described in court papers as a radical faction within a network calling itself the Turtle Island Liberation Front.

The indictment alleges that Carroll authored a planning document titled “Operation Midnight Sun,” which laid out a New Year’s Eve attack across Southern California. Prosecutors say the plan called for striking offices tied to technology and logistics firms and targeting federal immigration agents, with the stated aim to “pulverize” selected sites.

Investigators say Carroll recruited the other defendants into the scheme and that the group began gathering bombmaking components, including PVC pipes, potassium nitrate, sulfur powder, gasoline, electronics, and pistol primers. The materials were allegedly taken to a remote desert campsite for testing, where the FBI moved in and made arrests before any devices were fully assembled.

As the alleged preparations progressed, the indictment says the defendants exchanged messages expressing extreme hostility toward Israel and the United States. Using encrypted messaging, Page wrote to the group, “death to israel death to the usa death to colonizers death to settler-coloniasm [sic.].”

Carroll responded, “Death to them all, burn it all down,” followed by three emojis of a burning heart.

In subsequent exchanges cited by prosecutors, Carroll wrote, “I identify as a terrorist,” and, “I am a Hamas fangirl.” Gaffield later told the group, “I am here to destroy Zionism by any means necessary.”

“Real Activism = Destroying Zionism By Any Means, even if it’s risky. If you aren’t willing to die for or lose your freedom, then you’re just another toy in the machine,” he added.

Carroll replied, “Glory to the martyrs and death to Israel.”

The indictment further alleges that Carroll argued the collapse of the United States would hasten Israel’s downfall. Prosecutors say images recovered from her home show posters marked with inverted red triangles—a symbol associated with Hamas—and slogans including, “Death to America, long live Turtle Island and Palestine.”

The Turtle Island Liberation Front, described by authorities as far-left, anti-Israel, anti-government, and anti-capitalist, also surfaced publicly during the same period. Prosecutors say the group promoted and joined a heated protest outside a Los Angeles synagogue, where demonstrators reportedly entered the building to disrupt a private event.

On social media, the group advertised the demonstration with incendiary language, calling synagogue members “genocidal monsters.”

“These genocidal war criminals have no place in our city, and no place in Palestine. Never let them live in peace,” the post said.

Photos released by prosecutors from the arrest scene show bomb components laid out alongside signs reading “Free Palestine,” reinforcing, they argue, the ideological motive behind the alleged plot.

The charges include providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists, possession of unregistered firearms, and conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction. Carroll and Page face potential life sentences if convicted, while Gaffield and Lai could each receive up to 25 years in prison.

{Matzav.com}

Harav Aharon Feldman shlit”a demonstrated incredible composure and dignity Monday night during a public asifah in Beit Shemesh that addressed the issue of giyus. The asifa, organized by the Ezram U’maginam organization, drew a diverse and mixed crowd and was headlined by Harav Feldman alongside Rav Yehoshua Eichenstein, Rosh Yeshiva of Yad Aharon and a […]

More than a dozen staff members are abandoning the Heritage Foundation to join a think tank founded by former Vice President Mike Pence, a dramatic defection that lays bare deepening fractures inside the conservative movement over extremism, antisemitism, and its future direction. The departing employees — including senior figures from Heritage’s legal, economic, and data […]

Speaking publicly months after his release from Gaza, Segev Kalfon accused Israel’s leadership of prosecuting the war against Hamas while leaving him to pay the personal price.

In an interview aired Wednesday on Kan public radio, Kalfon — who spent 738 days in Hamas captivity before being freed in October — said he was seized from inside Israel and questioned why he was left behind as the fighting continued. Hamas, he said, “took me from within the country’s borders. Why did I have to sit and pay the price? Why did I have to bear the cost of this war?”

Kalfon claimed the decision-making at the top treated the war effort as more important than the lives of captives. “If they’d gotten me out, they’d have had to stop the war — they didn’t want to get me out, because they made [the war] their first priority, above human lives,” he said.

Appealing to religious and ideological values, he challenged lawmakers on the right. “Where is [the religious obligation of] redeeming captives?” he asked. “You’re a right-wing government. Where are all the religious people who sit in the Knesset?”

Describing the dangers he faced while being held, Kalfon said Israeli airstrikes repeatedly put his life at risk. The army, he said, “bombed me so many times,” leaving him convinced that death could come from either side. “I got to a place where I said, ‘Great, if I don’t die at [Hamas’s] hands, maybe I’ll die by accident, at the hands of my own army.’”

He recounted being pulled alive from debris more than once. “Twice, I emerged from ruins. They bombed me eight, nine times. Think of it. It came to where I wanted to go down into a tunnel,” he said, adding that he was eventually taken underground.

Beyond the battlefield, Kalfon criticized the state for what he described as inadequate financial support for former hostages. He argued that even the most limited period of captivity should entitle survivors to full, lifelong care. “Even someone who spent just one day in captivity, is entitled to sit on a beach in Mexico with a coconut in their hand for the rest of their life — and for the government to pay for it all,” he said.

His remarks followed a coalition vote last month that blocked opposition-sponsored legislation to provide a one-time NIS 4 million ($1.2 million) assistance package to released hostages and their families.

Kalfon also reiterated a claim he has made before: that statements by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir during the war worsened his treatment in captivity. According to Kalfon, when Ben Gvir publicly boasted about tightening conditions for Palestinian security prisoners, his Hamas guards responded by beating him more severely.

He said that during his imprisonment in Gaza he was sometimes allowed to listen to the radio, and that about 16 months into captivity he heard his mother’s voice advocating for his release. That moment, he said, transformed his resolve to stay alive.

“For the first year and four months, I lost hope many times. I got to a place where I thought I’d commit suicide, because I didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of killing me,” he said.

“But then, after a year and four months, I received the sign from my mom, and I understood that at the end of the day it wasn’t just a sign from my mom, but from God, who wanted me to keep surviving despite the hardship.”

Since returning home, Kalfon said the psychological toll remains heavy. “I wake up a lot in the middle of the night; I don’t sleep much,” he said, noting that he is in therapy. “I’m in therapy — I have a therapist — but no one’s been through what I’ve been through.”

He described giving himself space each night to confront the memories. “I give myself an hour, two hours, at night, to fall apart if I need to. My eyes saw things, my ears heard things, my body felt things that you can’t erase,” he said.

Kalfon, a resident of Dimona, was abducted on October 7 after fleeing the Nova music festival as Hamas terrorists attacked the area, killing more than 360 people and kidnapping dozens amid a broader assault that left about 1,200 dead and 251 taken hostage. While trying to escape, he crossed Highway 232, where the gunmen spotted him and dragged him into Gaza.

{Matzav.com}

A car prominently displaying Chanukah decorations, including a menorah mounted on its roof, was deliberately firebombed early Thursday morning in Melbourne’s St Kilda East neighborhood. According to a statement from Community Security Group (CSG) Victoria, the incident occurred just after 3:00 a.m. Police were called to the scene after the vehicle—clearly identifiable as Jewish due […]

Artwork depicting Anne Frank wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh has ignited a fierce backlash in Germany, with Israeli officials and Jewish organizations accusing the artist and museum of desecrating Holocaust memory and drawing a moral equivalence between Israel and Nazi Germany. The painting, by Italian artist Constantino Ciervo, is on display at the Fluxus+ Museum in […]

ANTISEMITISM STRIKES MELBOURNE AGAIN: A car displaying a “Happy Chanukah” sign was firebombed at around 3:00 a.m. Wednesday night, on Balaclava Road in St Kilda East. Police are investigating the suspected arson attack. Thankfully, no injuries were reported — but the incident has left the local Jewish community shaken.

A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from enforcing a March presidential memorandum to revoke the security clearance of prominent Washington attorney Mark Zaid, ruling that the order — which also targeted 14 other individuals — could not be applied to him. The decision marked the administration’s second legal setback on Tuesday, after the […]

At a ceremony marking the induction of new pilots, Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu outlined a far-reaching plan to bolster Israel’s domestic defense production, saying the country intends to sharply cut its reliance on foreign suppliers.

Netanyahu said the government plans to allocate 350 billion shekels, about $110 billion, toward developing an independent arms capability, stressing that Israel will still procure certain necessities abroad even as it expands local manufacturing. “We will continue to acquire essential supplies while independently arming ourselves,” he said at the event.

Acknowledging the limits of full self-sufficiency, Netanyahu said Israel would nevertheless aim to maximize homegrown production. “I don’t know if a ⁠country can be completely independent but we will strive … to ensure our ⁠arms are produced ⁠as much as possible in Israel,” he said. “Our goal is to build an independent arms industry for the State of ⁠Israel and reduce the dependency on any party, including allies.”

{Matzav.com}

Justice Minister Yariv Levin has given up on appointing an official to head the investigation into the ex-Military Advocate General affair, Israeli media outlets reported on Wednesday. The decision comes after the High Court once again disqualified Levin’s appointment of Judge Asher Kula to oversee the case. Kan News reported on Wednesday that in addition […]

A Pennsylvania elementary school principal is facing termination after allegedly leaving a voicemail laced with antisemitic slurs for a Jewish parent. Philip Leddy, principal of Lower Gwynedd Elementary School in Montgomery County, confirmed to the Wissahickon School District that he made the comments Friday morning, according to an email sent to parents by Superintendent Mwenyewe […]

The Powerball jackpot has surged to an eye-popping $1.7 billion, placing one of the largest lottery prizes ever offered in the United States within reach of players nationwide.

The surge came after Monday night’s drawing failed to produce a jackpot winner, clearing the way for the prize to roll over once again and climb sharply.

The drawing is tonight at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time

Despite the excitement, the odds remain daunting, with a one-in-292.2-million chance of hitting the jackpot.

According to the game’s website, the eventual winner will have a choice between receiving the full $1.7 billion through annual payments spread over 29 years or opting for a one-time cash payout estimated at about $781.3 million before taxes.

The current prize ranks as the fourth-largest jackpot in Powerball history and among the biggest ever offered by any U.S. lottery, heightening anticipation as ticket sales continue to climb.

Monday’s drawing did not produce a grand-prize winner, but it did yield nine secondary prizes worth $1 million each across the country.

The biggest Powerball jackpot on record reached $2.04 billion, claimed by a ticket sold in California in 2022, which also stands as the largest U.S. lottery prize ever won.

{Matzav.com}

The average rate on a 30-year U.S. mortgage ticked down modestly this week, remaining in the same narrow range of the past two months. The average long-term mortgage rate fell to 6.18% from 6.21% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Wednesday. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.85%. Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, […]