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New York Attorney General Letitia James is launching an online platform where people can upload photos and videos of ICE agents and immigration raids.

In a new interview with TIME Magazine, President Donald Trump made clear that Israel should not proceed with extending sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, cautioning that doing so would severely damage its relationship with Washington. The conversation, published Thursday, took place before the Knesset held a preliminary vote on the measure.

“It won’t happen,” Trump told TIME. “It won’t happen because I gave my word to the Arab countries. And you can’t do that now. We’ve had great Arab support. It will not happen. Israel would lose all of its support from the United States if that happened.”

The president stressed that maintaining strong ties with Arab nations remains central to the stability achieved since the Gaza ceasefire. He credited those alliances with reshaping regional politics and emphasized that pushing sovereignty now would undermine that progress.

During the wide-ranging discussion, Trump reflected on his diplomatic efforts following the truce in Gaza, his view of Iran’s diminished influence, and his plans to personally visit the Gaza Strip. When asked directly whether such a visit would occur, he replied, “I will,” confirming his intention to go. He added that he had been invited to head the newly created “Board of Peace,” which he said will play a major role in determining the region’s next steps. “The Middle East has never been brought together. It’s really been brought together now,” he said.

Trump also spoke warmly about his recent meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. According to the president, their conversation was friendly and marked by mutual respect. He said Abbas praised his accomplishments in the region. “He said, ‘You’ve done something that no other president would have done,’” Trump recalled. “He congratulated me. He said, ‘What you did is not even possible to do.’”

Looking ahead, Trump said that Saudi Arabia is nearing full normalization with Israel under the Abraham Accords. Describing the momentum as historic, he added confidently, “We have peace in the Middle East.”

{Matzav.com}

Klal Yisroel was struck this week with an unimaginable tragedy on Sunday when four precious Yeshiva bochurim were tragically killed in a horrific car accident in New Jersey. Three of the bochurim were from Lakewood, and one from South Fallsburg. The pain and grief that swept through the Torah world was indescribable as they mourned the loss of Yaakov Kilberg z”l, 19, Aharon Nosson Lebovits z”l, 18, and Shlomo Abba Cohen z”l, 18 — all from Lakewood — and Chaim Simcha Grossman z”l, 18, of Fallsburg, New York. In times like these, when words fail and hearts ache, Klal Yisroel does what it has always done — we come together. We daven. We say Tehillim. We learn Mishnayos. We share in the pain of acheinu bnei Yisroel. And even in the darkest moments, sparks of light — of chesed, of achdus, of greatness — emerge. YWN has learned of two remarkable incidents that took place in the wake of this tragedy — acts of quiet, selfless kindness that have moved us, and we feel should be shared with our hundreds of thousands of readers. Shortly after the devastating news broke, an anonymous individual contacted the Lakewood Chevra Kadisha and wired funds to cover all the levaya and kevura expenses for the four bochurim. Without seeking recognition, this tzadik performed an extraordinary chesed shel emes, stepping forward on his own to ensure that these precious neshamos were cared for with dignity, and to leave one less thing for these heartbroken families to think about. Soon after the levaya, another anonymous benefactor reached out to Adirei HaTorah in BMG, asking to sponsor four yungerleit for an entire year l’zecher nishmas the four bochurim. Then, on Thursday, a sign appeared in BMG announcing yet another anonymous donation — the full sponsorship of the entire BMG kollel for that day, also in their memory. These powerful gestures remind us that even amid deep sorrow, chesed can lift and inspire. May these acts of kindness serve as a zechus for the neshamos of the four bochurim, and may their memory be a source of blessing for all of Klal Yisroel. May we never again know such pain, and may Hashem comfort the families and the entire nation that mourns with them. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Vice President JD Vance sharply rebuked Israel’s Knesset following its vote to extend sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, saying the move made little sense and served no real purpose.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force Two as he prepared to depart Israel, Vance described the decision as “weird” and admitted he found it confusing.

The Vice President said he had been told the measure was intended merely as a “symbolic” act and a “political stunt.” He didn’t hold back in his response: “If it was a political stunt, then it was a stupid political stunt, and I personally take some insult to it.”

Clarifying the administration’s stance, Vance emphasized that Washington’s approach remained firm: “The West Bank is not going to be annexed by Israel. The policy of the Trump administration is that the West Bank will not be annexed by Israel. That will continue to be our policy.”

{Matzav.com}

Four family members of a Republican running for governor in Illinois were killed in a Montana helicopter crash on Wednesday, his campaign said. Killed in crash were the son and daughter-in-law of former state Sen. Darren Bailey, a Republican who lost the 2022 gubernatorial election in Illinois and is seeking his party’s nomination again in next year’s race. Two of Bailey’s grandchildren also were killed, Bailey’s campaign said in a statement Thursday. “Darren and Cindy are heartbroken by this unimaginable loss. They are finding comfort in their faith, their family, and the prayers of so many who love and care for them,” the statement said. (AP)

PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU STATEMENT: The Knesset vote on annexation was a deliberate political provocation by the opposition to sow discord during Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Israel. The two bills were sponsored by opposition members of the Knesset. The Likud party and the religious parties (the principal coalition members) did not vote for these bills, except for one disgruntled Likud member who was recently fired from the chairmanship of a Knesset committee. Without Likud support these bills are unlikely to go anywhere.

Senator Marco Rubio warned Wednesday evening that the Knesset’s move to extend Israeli sovereignty in Yehudah and Shomron could jeopardize President Trump’s roadmap to end the fighting in Gaza.

The preliminary Knesset tally was razor-thin: the sovereignty measure cleared its first reading by a single vote. Twenty-five MKs supported the bill and 24 opposed it, while several Likud members stayed away or abstained — the lone Likud lawmaker to break with the party line and back the bill was MK Yuli Edelstein.

Alongside that measure, MK Avigdor Liberman’s proposal to annex Ma’ale Adumim won comfortable approval, passing 32–9.

From United Torah Judaism, MKs Yitzchak Goldknopf, Yisrael Eichler and Yaakov Tesler recorded yes votes. Members of Blue and White and Shas were similarly absent from the plenum when the sovereignty motion was taken.

Mr. Trump has previously voiced his objection to Israeli annexation moves, telling a reporter last month that he will “not allow” Israel to carry out such a move.

Rubio — who is scheduled to land in Israel on Thursday — said nations beyond the Middle East are ready to contribute troops to an international force for Gaza, a key element of President Trump’s peace proposal.

The State Department’s announcement of Rubio’s trip made clear his mission: the release said the secretary will be in Israel through Saturday and will then travel on to Malaysia, Japan and South Korea, adding that Rubio will be traveling to Israel “to support the successful implementation of President Trump’s Comprehensive Plan to End the Conflict in Gaza, which has garnered unprecedented international support.”

“During his visit, the secretary will reaffirm America’s unwavering commitment to Israel’s security and engage with partners to build on the historic momentum towards durable peace and integration in the Middle East,” the statement added.

Rubio’s arrival follows a flurry of U.S. diplomacy this week — Vice President J.D. Vance visited Israel earlier, arriving after envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Vance, pressing Hamas to honor the ceasefire, warned sharply: “If Hamas doesn’t cooperate, then as the President of the United States has said, Hamas is going to be obliterated,” though he declined to give a timetable for compliance.

{Matzav.com}

Elon Musk said that in about two years, phones will connect directly to Starlink satellites, allowing users to watch videos anywhere without relying on regional carriers or worrying about dead zones.

During his visit to the Kirya in Tel Aviv, Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife used a specialized VR system to observe events in the Gaza Strip. He then received a comprehensive intelligence briefing from the IDF, covering missing and fallen soldiers, the demilitarization of Gaza, and the disarmament of Hamas.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the decades-long deepening of economic ties with the United States is over, turning many of Canada’s former strengths—especially those linked to the U.S.—into vulnerabilities, and stressed that the country must now look after itself and one another, as “we are stronger together.”

In a new interview with TIME Magazine, President Trump warned that Israel would “lose all US support” if it annexes the West Bank

WATCH: Newly released footage shows the Louvre thieves calmly escaping with the stolen Crown Jewels, estimated to be worth $102 million, as they slowly wheeled the treasures out of the museum before vanishing into the streets of Paris.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to arrive in Israel tonight for talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, followed by a broader meeting with senior cabinet members, including the foreign minister.

A group of pro terrorist individuals stormed into the lecture hall of Jewish economics professor Michael Ben-Gad at the University of London, on Tuesday, interrupting his class in what appeared to be a targeted act of intimidation — shouting that he was not someone students should learn from and that he should be locked up.

IDF troops carried out an operation at the offices of the “Islamic Charity Association” in Hebron to disrupt terror financing and confiscate incitement materials. During the raid, soldiers discovered copies of Hitler’s Mein Kampf along with other propaganda equipment.

The IDF says it carried out airstrikes in Lebanon’s eastern Beqaa Valley a short time ago, targeting a Hezbollah training camp where terrorists had gathered, as well as a precision missile manufacturing site and other facilities. The military says the camp was used by Hezbollah to plan attacks against Israel.

During a meeting this afternoon with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Defense Minister Israel Katz reaffirmed that Israel remains “committed to bringing back all the fallen hostages, disarming Hamas, and ensuring a better future for the region,” his office said. Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and senior IDF officials also attended the meeting at the military’s Kirya headquarters in Tel Aviv, which focused primarily on the situation in the Gaza Strip.

JD Vance on the Judea and Samaria sovereignty vote in the Knesset yesterday: “It was a very stupid political stunt, and I personally take some insult to it… The West Bank is not gonna be annexed by Israel.”