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A heated confrontation erupted between Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and United Torah Judaism Chairman Moshe Gafni over expected cuts to the chareidi education budget as part of the government’s plan to increase defense spending amid the ongoing war.

The tension came ahead of today’s cabinet meeting, where the government is expected to approve an additional 31 billion shekels for the 2025 budget, with the majority allocated for defense expenses. Approximately 1.5 billion shekels are also set aside for humanitarian aid to Gaza.

According to a report by Ynet’s Amir Ettinger, Gafni lashed out at Smotrich during internal discussions, accusing him of siding with hostile legal authorities while the chareidi community faces financial hardship. “You are helping the wicked legal establishment when we are in distress,” Gafni reportedly said.

Smotrich responded sharply, firing back over Gafni’s criticism related to the draft law. “I don’t work under threats,” the finance minister said. “Don’t speak to me about being in distress when we are dealing with your foolish statements about the draft, while my community is filling the cemeteries.”

At the center of the dispute is the removal of approximately 800 million shekels originally allocated for the Ofek Chadash (“New Horizon”) education program for chareidi teachers. These funds were never actually transferred due to ongoing legal restrictions, but Prime Minister Netanyahu had previously promised to safeguard them until those restrictions were lifted.

Gafni expressed his outrage publicly on X earlier today: “The government will meet today to approve changes to the 2025 state budget. Among these changes is the reallocation of funds designated for the ‘Ofek Chadash’ program. Contrary to all agreements and commitments, the prime minister and the finance minister are taking budget money meant for thousands of chareidi teachers. While they now claim part of the funding will remain, their conduct clearly signals the government’s true intentions.”

Gafni vowed to continue fighting: “We will continue to struggle with all our strength to protect the rights of chareidi educators. Furthermore, next month, when the defense budget reaches the Knesset and Finance Committee for approval, we will consult with the gedolei haTorah on how to vote in light of recent developments.”

United Torah Judaism Chairman Yitzchak Goldknopf also condemned the move, announcing that UTJ would oppose an increase in the budget for Minister Orit Strock’s department.

“It is unacceptable that they repeatedly cut the education budgets for chareidi children in favor of funding that has unclear objectives,” Goldknopf stated.

{Matzav.com Israel}

U.S. veterans of the war in Afghanistan are telling a commission reviewing decisions on the 20-year conflict that their experience was not only hell, but also confounding, demoralizing and at times humiliating. The bipartisan Afghanistan War Commission aims to reflect such veterans’ experiences in a report due to Congress next year, which will analyze key strategic, diplomatic, military and operational decisions made between June 2001 and the chaotic withdrawal in August 2021. The group released its second interim report on Tuesday, drawing no conclusions yet but identifying themes emerging from thousands of pages of government documents; some 160 interviews with cabinet-level officials, military commanders, diplomats, Afghan and Pakistani leaders and others; and forums with veterans like one recently held at a national Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Columbus, Ohio. “What can we learn from the Afghanistan War?” asked an Aug. 12 discussion session with four of the commission’s 16 members. What they got was two straight hours of dozens of veterans’ personal stories — not one glowingly positive, and most saturated in frustration and disappointment. “I think the best way to describe that experience was awful,” said Marine veteran Brittany Dymond, who served in Afghanistan in 2012. Navy veteran Florence Welch said the 2021 withdrawal made her ashamed she ever served there. “It turned us into a Vietnam, a Vietnam that none of us worked for,” she said. Members of Congress, some driven by having served in the war, created the independent commission several months after the withdrawal, after an assessment by the Democratic administration of then-President Joe Biden faulted the actions of President Donald Trump’s first administration for constraining U.S. options. A Republican review, in turn, blamed Biden. Views of the events remain divided, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered yet another review this spring. The commission wants to understand the bigger picture of a conflict that spanned four presidential administrations and cost more than 2,400 American lives, said Co-Chair Dr. Colin Jackson. “So we’re interested in looking hard at the end of U.S. engagement in Afghanistan, but we’re equally interested in understanding the beginning, the middle and the end,” he said in an interview in Columbus. Co-chair Shamila Chaudhary said the panel is also exploring more sweeping questions. “So our work is not just about what the U.S. did in Afghanistan but what the U.S. should be doing in any country where it deems it has a national security interest,” she said. “And not just should it be there, but how it should behave, what values does it guide itself by, and how does it engage with individuals who are very different from themselves.” Jackson said one of the commission’s priorities is making sure the final report, due in August 2026, isn’t “unrecognizable to any veteran of the Afghanistan conflict.” “The nature of the report should be representative of every soldier, sailor, airman, Marine experience,” he said. Dymond told commissioners a big problem was the mission. “You cannot exert a democratic agenda, which is our foreign policy, you cannot do that on a culture of people who are not bought into your ideology,” she said. “What else do we expect the outcome to be? And so we had two decades of service members lost and maimed because we’re trying to change an ideology that they didn’t ask […]

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In response to the recent arrests of yeshiva students and the escalating draft decree, large-scale tefillah rallies are set to take place this Thursday, Erev Rosh Chodesh Elul, in cities throughout Israel.

The gatherings will be held simultaneously nationwide rather than as one central “million-person” assembly.

The initiative comes following a letter issued by Rav Dov Landau and Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, roshei yeshiva of Slabodka.

In their letter, the gedolim called on the chareidi public to “take to the streets and cry out in heartfelt tefillah and pleading” over the draft decree threatening the foundations of Torah study in Eretz Yisroel.

According to the plan, dozens of rallies will be held in cities and towns across the country, uniting communities in tefillah while avoiding a single centralized mass gathering.

The decision follows the historic asifa of gedolim held recently in Ma’ale HaChamisha, where it was resolved that Thursday, Erev Rosh Chodesh Elul, would be designated as a nationwide day of tefillah.

The official announcement issued after the meeting stated: “From here we issue the heartfelt call: Am Hashem, pour out your hearts before Him, for the power of Klal Yisroel lies in its tefillah. Therefore, we beseech all who trust in Hashem to dedicate special time to increase their tefillos. On the auspicious day of Erev Rosh Chodesh Elul, there will be a general day of tefillah to annul the harsh decree — through teshuvah, rectifying our deeds, and increasing our heartfelt pleas before the Ribbono Shel Olam. We also declare a full cancellation of work on that day, except for those compelled by employers to remain at their jobs. All who are able, from age fifteen and up, should fast for half the day. Those unable to fast should instead redeem it with tzedakah, until Hashem sees the suffering of His people and hastens His salvation with the nullification of this gezeirah.”

In addition, the Badatz of the Eidah Hachareidis issued its own call urging the public to dedicate Erev Rosh Chodesh Elul as a day of tefillah and fasting to “remove the harsh decree” and requesting that those able to do so fast for half the day.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Investigators on Tuesday were trying to determine what caused an explosion aboard a cargo ship laden with coal as it departed Baltimore’s harbor for East Africa. Officials said no one was injured in the blast Monday evening, which prompted a mayday call when it was reported near the site of last year’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. Video of the explosion showed flames shooting high into the air, followed by a large plume of dark smoke billowing over the Patapsco River. The Port of Baltimore’s main shipping channel was closed for several hours Tuesday while crews worked to locate a hatch from the ship that detached during the explosion and fell into the water, officials said. They announced late Tuesday afternoon that the channel had reopened. The 751-foot (229-meter) merchant vessel W-Sapphire was en route from Baltimore to East Africa, according to marine tracking websites. It was expected to arrive in the Port of Mauritius in about a month. Built in 2012, the ship is currently sailing under a Liberian flag. Officials said it was transporting coal. There were 23 crewmembers and two pilots aboard at the time of the explosion, according to Coast Guard officials. The ship is now anchored closer to Annapolis, Maryland, near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. “Crews are awaiting verification to confirm safe conditions before proceeding with further Coast Guard investigations onboard the vessel,” the agency said in a news release Tuesday afternoon. Baltimore Fire Department spokesperson John Marsh said the agency responded to a fire below deck. There were no reports of property damage beyond the ship, according to the Maryland Department of Emergency Management. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said his office was closely monitoring the situation. The Coast Guard established a 2,000-yard (1,829-meter) safety zone around the site of the explosion while crews searched for the missing hatch. They used a sonar-equipped survey vessel called Buck to assess the underwater conditions. The channel was closed for months after the deadly bridge collapse in March 2024, which killed six members of a roadwork crew and effectively brought port operations to a standstill. The bridge was destroyed when the container ship Dali lost power and crashed into one of its supporting columns. (AP)

All are asked to daven for Rav Alter Dovid Chaim Stern, who has been hospitalized in critical condition at Laniado Hospital in Netanya.

Rav Stern is a prominent talmid of the famed Ponevezher mashgiach, Rav Yechezkel Levenstein zt”l, and was among the close confidants of the Chazon Ish zt”l.

In addition to the central gathering in Yerushalayim, gatherings for tefillah and hisorerus are being organized in Bnei Brak and in Jewish communities across Eretz Yisroel.

All are asked to daven for Rav Alter Dovid Chaim ben Chaya Sarah Leviyah.

{Matzav.com Israel}

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Tuesday confirmed the U.S. government is vying for a 10% stake in Silicon Valley pioneer Intel in an unusual deal that would deepen the Trump administration’s financial ties with major computer chip manufacturers and punctuate a dramatic about-face from the president’s recent push to oust the company’s CEO. The ambitions that Lutnick confirmed in a televised interview with CNBC came the day after various news outlets reported on the negotiations between the Trump administration and Intel. The investment would be made by converting federal government grants previously pledged under President Joe Biden’s administration into a bushel of Intel stock that would turn the U.S. government into one of the company’s largest shareholders. “We think America should get the benefit of the bargain,” Lutnick told CNBC as he explained why President Donald Trump is pushing for the deal. “It’s obvious that it’s the right move to make.” Intel declined to comment on the negotiations with the Trump administration. The notion of the U.S. government holding a huge stake in Intel would have seemed inconceivable back in the company’s heyday when its processors were powering a personal computer boom that began in the mid-1970s. But Intel has been mired in tough times after missing mobile computing era unleashed by the iPhone’s 2007 debut. Intel has fall even farther behind in recent years during an artificial intelligence craze that has been a boon for two of its once-smaller rivals, Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices. The Trump administration is hitching a ride on their success by imposing a 15% commission on their sales of their chip sales in China in exchange for their export licenses. Those fees are expected to translate into billions of dollars in additional government revenue. The U.S. government’s negotiations to become a major Intel shareholder are coming on a heels of a $2 billion investment Japanese technology giant SoftBank Group disclosed late Monday that it plans to make in the Santa Clara, California, company. Softbank is accumulating its 2% stake in Intel at $23 per share — a slight discount from the stock’s price when its investment was announced. Intel’s shares surged nearly 7% to $25.32 in Tuesday’s early afternoon trading on the news of Softbank’s big bet on Intel, coupled with Trump’s designs on the company. SoftBank invests in an array of companies that it sees as holding long-term potential. It has been stepping up investments in the United States since Trump returned to the White House. In February, its chairman Masayoshi Son joined Trump, Sam Altman of OpenAI and Larry Ellison of Oracle in announcing a major investment of up to $500 billion in a project to develop artificial intelligence called Stargate. “Semiconductors are the foundation of every industry, Son said in a statement. ”This strategic investment reflects our belief that advanced semiconductor manufacturing and supply will further expand in the United States, with Intel playing a critical role.” Trump’s interest in Intel is also being driven by his desire to boost chip production in the U.S., which has been a focal point of the trade war that he has been waging throughout the world since he returned to the White House earlier this year for his second term in office. “We want Intel to be successful in American,” Lutnick said during […]

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced the cancellation of 37 security clearances for current and former government officials accused of “abusing public trust by politicizing and manipulating” intelligence. Among those affected are several individuals who played a role in the controversial intelligence assessment, ordered by Barack Obama, regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election.

According to an ODNI memo released Monday, the officials lost their clearances due to allegations of either politicizing or weaponizing intelligence, mishandling classified materials, or failing to adhere to standard tradecraft procedures. The list includes a former senior aide to Obama-era DNI James Clapper.

“The President has directed that, effective immediately, the security clearances of the following 37 individuals are revoked,” the memo declared.

The directive further instructed, “Their access to classified systems, facilities, materials, and information is to be terminated forthwith. Any contracts or employment with the U.S. Government by these 37 individuals is hereby terminated. Any credentials held by these individuals must be surrendered to the appropriate security officers.”

Among those named is Vinh Nguyen, who worked closely with Clapper on the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment, which has since faced widespread criticism for its findings suggesting that Russia favored Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election.

“Being entrusted with a security clearance is a privilege, not a right,” Gabbard stated. “Those in the Intelligence Community who betray their oath to the Constitution and put their own interests ahead of the interests of the American people have broken the sacred trust they promised to uphold.”

Gabbard emphasized that the intelligence community must adhere to its highest obligations, saying, “Our Intelligence Community must be committed to upholding the values and principles enshrined in the US Constitution, and maintain a laser-like focus on our mission of ensuring the safety, security and freedom of the American people.”

{Matzav.com}

The Trump administration has ordered the revocation of the security clearances of 37 current and former national security officials, including some who worked on the intelligence community’s assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election, according to people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to discuss it by name. A memo from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which was seen by The Associated Press, accuses the targeted individuals of having engaged in the “politicization or weaponization of intelligence” to advance personal or partisan gain. It’s the latest action of retribution by the Trump administration against national security officials he perceives as having been against him. It comes as his government has launched a sweeping effort to cast doubt on the legitimacy of intelligence community findings that Russia interfered on his behalf in the 2016 election. (AP)

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A Facebook post by Tiveriah Deputy Mayor Dudi “Dudik” Azulai has ignited a storm of controversy after he made sharp comments against the city’s growing chareidi population. The statement came in response to a pashkevil published by the Badatz opposing a planned concert by singer Yaakov Shwekey in the city.

In his post, Azulai warned that demographic trends indicate a significant shift in the city’s character:
“לצערי הרב ולפי המדדים שאני רואה – העיר בדרך להתחרדות, אלא אם כן יתקבלו החלטות קשות שיכולות לשנות את המגמה וזה אפשרי”
(“Unfortunately, according to the data I’m seeing, the city is on its way to becoming predominantly chareidi, unless difficult decisions are made that could reverse the trend, and that is possible.”)

The remarks drew heavy criticism from across the spectrum, with both chareidi and secular residents expressing outrage over his statements.

Speaking later in an interview with Radio Kol Rega, Azulai attempted to clarify his position, saying:
“אני אומר לחרדים אתם חרדים ואני חרד לשינוי צביונה של העיר. אנחנו צריכים לחיות אחד עם השני בעיר והפוסט הזה נכתב מדאגה לעיר ולתושבים. אני עוקב אחרי המגמה של הזרימה של כל מיני קהילות שמגיעות מחוץ לעיר ומתמקמות בטבריה. חלקן מתקבלות בצורה יפה חלקן כמו הסאטמרים לא רצויים”
(“I tell the chareidim — you are chareidim, and I am worried about the changes to the city’s character. We need to live together in this city, and this post was written out of concern for the city and its residents. I am monitoring the flow of various communities moving into Tiveriah. Some are welcomed nicely, but others, like the Satmar community, are not wanted.”)

Azulai went on to call for a serious public discussion about the city’s future:
“אני חושב שיש מה לעשות – צריך לקיים דיון נוקב לאן פניה של העיר מועדות. יכול להיות שבעוד 10 שנים כמות החרדים בטבריה תגיע ל-50 אחוז וצריך להכין את העיר לקראת זה, אולי יהיה צורך לחלק את טבריה ל-2, לחרדית וחילונית. כל ראש עיר שירצה להיבחר בעתיד יצטרך את החרדים אבל זה לא אומר שצריך לפרוש שטיח אדום”
(“I believe action can be taken. We need to have a deep discussion about where the city is headed. It’s possible that within 10 years, chareidim will make up 50% of Tiveriah, and the city must prepare for that. Perhaps it will even be necessary to divide Tiveriah into two, one chareidi and one secular. Any future mayor who wants to be elected will need the chareidim, but that doesn’t mean we should roll out a red carpet.”)

{Matzav.com Israel}

President Donald Trump’s political weaponization czar sent a letter urging New York Attorney General Letitia James to resign from office “as an act of good faith” four days after starting his mortgage fraud investigation of her. Then he showed up outside her house. Ed Martin, the director of the Justice Department’s Weaponization Working Group, told James’ lawyer on Aug. 12 the Democrat would best serve the “good of the state and nation” by resigning and ending his probe into alleged paperwork discrepancies on her Brooklyn townhouse and a Virginia home. “Her resignation from office would give the people of New York and America more peace than proceeding,” Martin wrote. “I would take this as an act of good faith.” Then last Friday, Martin turned up outside James’ Brooklyn townhouse in a “Columbo”-esque trench coat, accompanied by an aide and New York Post journalists. He didn’t meet with James or go inside the building. A Post writer saw him tell a neighbor: “I’m just looking at houses, interesting houses. It’s an important house.” James’ lawyer Abbe Lowell shot back on Monday, telling Martin in a letter his blunt request for James’ resignation defied Justice Department standards and codes of professional responsibility and legal ethics. The Justice Department “has firm policies against using investigations and against using prosecutorial power for achieving political ends,” Lowell wrote. “This is ever more the case when that demand is made to seek political revenge against a public official in the opposite party.” “Let me be clear: that will not happen here,” Lowell added. Lowell also blasted Martin’s visit to James’ home as a “truly bizarre, made-for-media stunt” and said it was “outside the bounds” of Justice Department rules. He included an image from security camera footage showing Martin, in his trench coat, posing for a photo in front of James’ townhouse. He said Martin looked as if he were on a “visit to a tourist attraction.” The Associated Press obtained copies of both letters on Tuesday. A message seeking comment was left for Martin’s spokesperson. James’ office declined to comment. The letters were the latest salvos in a monthslong drama involving Trump’s retribution campaign against James and others who’ve battled him in court and fought his policies. James has sued the Republican president and his administration dozens of times and last year won a $454 million judgment against Trump and his companies in a lawsuit alleging he lied about the value of his assets on financial statements given to banks. An appeals court has yet to rule on Trump’s bid to overturn that verdict. Earlier this month, the AP reported, the Justice Department subpoenaed James for records related to the civil fraud lawsuit and a lawsuit she filed against the National Rifle Association. Martin’s investigation stems from a letter Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte sent to Attorney General Pam Bondi in April asking her to investigate and consider prosecuting James, alleging she had “falsified bank documents and property records.” Pulte, whose agency regulates mortgage financiers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, cited “media reports” claiming James had falsely listed a Virginia home as her principal residence, and he suggested she may have been trying to avoid higher interest rates that often apply to second homes. Records show James was listed as a co-borrower on a […]

A senior commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that another large-scale conflict involving Israel or the United States could erupt at any moment.

“We are not in a ceasefire, we are in a stage of war. No protocol, regulation or agreement has been written between us and the US or Israel,” said Yahya Rahim Safavi, a top military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in comments to Iranian media.

“I think another war may happen, and after that, there may be no more wars,” he added, according to a translation by Iran International.

Safavi claimed that the U.S. and Israel rely on force to impose their policies, saying, “The Americans and the Zionists say they create peace through power; therefore, Iran must also become strong, because in the system of nature, the weak are trampled.”

He stressed the need to bolster Iran’s military and strategic capabilities, stating, “We must strengthen our diplomatic, media, missile, drone and cyber offensive strategy. We, the military, do scenario-planning, we see the worst case, and we prepare a plan for it.”

This latest statement comes after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi threatened in late July to respond to any future attacks from Israel or the United States in a “more decisive manner.”

“If there are concerns about the possible diversion of our nuclear program into non-peaceful purposes, the ‘military option’ proved incapable — but a negotiated solution may work,” Araghchi said at the time.

Following Israel’s declaration of victory in July, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu warned Tehran against advancing its nuclear program, saying, “if anyone in Iran tries to rebuild [the nuclear program], we will act with the same determination, with the same intensity, to foil any attempt.”

The most recent confrontation between Israel and Iran lasted 12 days, beginning on June 13 when Israel launched a surprise offensive.

According to Israeli officials, the operation targeted senior Iranian military leaders, nuclear scientists, uranium enrichment facilities, and ballistic missile sites in an effort to block what they described as Iran’s efforts to destroy the Jewish state.

Iran has repeatedly denied pursuing nuclear weapons. However, it has enriched uranium to levels beyond any civilian use, limited access for international inspectors at nuclear sites, and rapidly expanded its ballistic missile program. Israeli officials maintain that recent intelligence shows Iran had taken steps toward weaponization.

{Matzav.com}

The Justice Department has opened an investigation into whether police officials in Washington, D.C., have falsified data to make crime rates appear lower than they are, according to two people familiar with the probe who weren’t authorized to publicly discuss an open investigation. The investigation comes amid an escalating — and political — showdown between the Trump administration and the city over control of the police department. It wasn’t immediately clear what federal laws could have been violated by the possible manipulation of crime data. President Donald Trump claimed that violent crime in Washington is getting worse as he ordered a federal takeover of the city’s police department, flooding the streets with hundreds of National Guard members. But he exaggerated or misstated many facts about public safety in Washington, where crime rates have fallen in recent years. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office declined to comment on the investigation. A spokesperson for U.S. Attorney Jeannine Pirro’s office in Washington didn’t respond to emails seeking comment. The New York Times was first to report on the investigation. Earlier this year, a Metropolitan Police Department commander suspected of manipulating crime data was placed on paid administrative leave, NBC Washington reported. Bowser told the television station last Tuesday that the city’s police chief “had concerns about one commander, investigated all seven districts and verified that the concern was with one person.” “So, we are completing that investigation and we don’t believe it implicates many cases,” the mayor added. Former interim U.S. Attorney Ed Martin, who was Pirro’s predecessor and Trump’s first pick to lead the office, said Washington’s violent crime had decreased in the first 100 days since Trump returned to the White House in January. In an April 28 news release, Martin’s office said MPD data showed that violent crime had dropped by 25 percent since the start of 2025. “We are proving that strong enforcement and smart policies can make our communities safer,” Martin said in the release. (AP)

Qatar’s foreign ministry announced on Tuesday that the latest ceasefire proposal for Gaza, which Hamas has agreed to, is “almost identical” to an earlier plan presented by US special envoy Steve Witkoff.

On Monday, Hamas informed Egyptian and Qatari mediators of its acceptance of the newest hostage-ceasefire framework, according to a source familiar with the negotiations who spoke to The Jerusalem Post.

Israel received the proposal later that evening. An Israeli official told the Post that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would review Hamas’s offer, even though it represents only a partial deal and does not include the release of all the hostages. However, sources emphasized that Israel’s stance — which demands the release of all captives and includes additional terms for ending the war — has not changed.

Under the proposed arrangement, Hamas would free 10 living Israeli hostages in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire and the release of 150 terrorists currently serving life sentences. According to an Egyptian official speaking with Reuters, the plan would also require Israel to pause its military activity in Gaza for 60 days and could potentially serve as a stepping stone toward a broader agreement to end the conflict entirely.

Axios reported that Hamas’s acceptance “aligns 98%” with the proposal previously put forward by US President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff — a plan that Israel had already approved in principle. Senior Hamas official Taher al-Nunu echoed this in a Sunday interview with Al Jazeera, clarifying that there is “no clause in the proposal we agreed on related to Hamas’s weapons.”

Meanwhile, Al-Araby TV reported on Monday that a high-level meeting in Cairo involving Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Palestinian factions, Egypt’s intelligence minister, and Hamas representatives “was positive.”

According to Al-Araby TV, the talks also “demonstrated a heightened sense of responsibility and determination to end the war.”

Sources told The Jerusalem Post that Qatar’s prime minister traveled to Egypt on Monday to meet with mediators and review options for a potential hostage agreement. During that session, Egypt and Qatar presented Hamas with an updated ceasefire proposal in a meeting that also included representatives from multiple Palestinian factions, Al-Araby TV reported.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump on Tuesday offered his assurances that U.S. troops would not be sent to help defend Ukraine against Russia after seeming to leave open the possibility the day before. Trump also said in a morning TV interview that Ukraine’s hopes of joining NATO and regaining the Crimean Peninsula from Russia are “impossible.” The Republican president, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders held hours of talks at the White House on Monday aimed at bringing an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine. While answering questions from journalists, Trump did not rule out sending U.S. troops to participate in a European-led effort to defend Ukraine as part of security guarantees sought by Zelenskyy. Trump said after his meeting in Alaska last week with Russian President Vladimir Putin that Putin was open to the idea of security guarantees for Ukraine. But asked Tuesday on Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends” what assurances he could provide going forward and beyond his term that American troops would not be part of defending Ukraine’s border, Trump said, “Well, you have my assurance, and I’m president.” Trump would have no control over the U.S. military after his terms ends in January 2029. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later on Tuesday emphasized that “U.S. boots will not be on the ground” as part of any potential peacekeeping mission. The president also said in the interview that he is optimistic that a deal can be reached to end the Russian invasion, but he underscored that Ukraine will have to set aside its hope of getting back Crimea, which was seized by Russian forces in 2014, and its long-held aspirations of joining the NATO military alliance. “Both of those things are impossible,” Trump said. Putin, as part of any potential deal to pull his forces out of Ukraine, is looking for the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as recognition of Crimea as Russian territory. Trump on Monday said that he was arranging for direct talks between Putin and Zelenskyy. But the Kremlin has not yet said whether Putin, who has resisted previous calls by Trump and others for direct negotiations on ending the war, is committed to a face-to-face meeting with the Ukrainian leader. Asked whether Putin has promised Trump that he’ll meet directly with the Ukrainian leader, Leavitt responded affirmatively. “He has,” Leavitt said of Putin. Trump early on Monday during talks with Zelenskyy and European leaders said that he was pressing for three-way talks among Zelenskyy, Putin and himself. But after speaking to Putin later in the day, Trump said that he was arranging first for a face-to-face between Zelenskyy and Putin and that three-way talks would follow if necessary. “It was an idea that evolved in the course of the president’s conversations with both President Putin, President Zelensky and the European leaders yesterday,” Leavitt explained. Trump said he believed Putin’s course of action would become clear in the coming weeks. “I think Putin is tired of it,” Trump said. “I think they’re all tired of it. But you never know. We’re going to find out about President Putin in the next couple of weeks. That I can tell you.” (AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu launched an unusually harsh attack on Tuesday against Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, calling him a “weak” leader who “betrayed Israel” and “abandoned” Australia’s Jewish community. The comments come amid a growing diplomatic standoff between the two countries.

In an English-language statement posted on his official X account, Netanyahu declared: “History will remember Albanese for what he is: A weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews.”

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid criticized Netanyahu for the outburst, arguing that such confrontations only bolster foreign leaders politically. Lapid claimed that Albanese gained from the exchange, writing that Netanyahu had handed him a “gift.”

“The thing that most strengthens a leader in today’s democratic world is a confrontation with Netanyahu, the most politically toxic leader in the Western world,” Lapid wrote on X. “It’s unclear why Bibi is rushing to give the Australian prime minister this gift.”

Netanyahu’s statement followed Australia’s decision to block far-right Religious Zionism MK Simcha Rothman from entering the country. In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced that Israel was revoking the residency visas of Australia’s representatives to the Palestinian Authority.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong condemned Israel’s retaliatory move, calling it “an unjustified reaction.”

“At a time when dialogue and diplomacy are needed more than ever, the Netanyahu Government is isolating Israel and undermining international efforts towards peace and a two-state solution,” Wong said in a statement.

Tensions between the two nations have escalated in recent months, particularly after Canberra declared its intention to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September.

On Monday, the Australian government cancelled Rothman’s visa just hours before his scheduled departure. Rothman, a coalition member, had been expected to speak at events organized by the Australian Jewish Association.

Shortly after the cancellation, Sa’ar announced that Australia’s representatives to the Palestinian Authority would have their visas revoked.

“I also instructed the Israeli Embassy in Canberra to carefully examine any official Australian visa application for entry to Israel,” Sa’ar said. “This follows Australia’s decisions to recognize a ‘Palestinian state’ and against the backdrop of Australia’s unjustified refusal to grant visas to a number of Israeli figures.”

In an interview with Australian journalist Erin Molan on Monday, Sa’ar sharply criticized Canberra’s decision, calling the government’s actions “shameful” and “unacceptable.”

“Instead of battling against antisemitism in Australia as they should, they are doing the opposite. They are fueling antisemitism by this mad decision to ban the entrance to Australia of Israeli politicians and other figures with no justification,” he said.

Sa’ar also dismissed Australia’s claim that Rothman’s ban was based on concerns about public order and Muslim community sensitivities, saying it was “totally false and totally disconnected from anything rational. The Australian government is on a very, very wrong path.”

Israel’s ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, spoke with Israel’s Kan public broadcaster on Tuesday, saying Australia’s actions were illegitimate since the visa had already been approved before its cancellation. He added that the move had sparked concern among Australian Jews and noted broader tensions in bilateral relations.

“The Jewish community is worried,” Maimon said, explaining the state of affairs between the two countries. “My predecessors told me that the relations were based on friendly foundations, but since Labour won [the last election], there’s been an erosion, and since October 7, there’s been a dramatic rise in antisemitism.”

{Matzav.com}

New York City Council Member Crystal Hudson issued a joint statement Monday with State Senator Zellnor Myrie and Assembly Member Brian Cunningham condemning today’s planned antisemitic gathering in Crown Heights. Organizers are calling for “justice” for the 1991 accidental death of a Black child struck by a vehicle in the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s motorcade. That incident triggered days of violent unrest in Crown Heights, during which Yankel Rosenbaum, hy”d, was murdered.

Israel’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) accused the United Nations of presenting “severe reporting discrepancies” regarding the amount of humanitarian aid reaching Gaza, claiming that nearly 6,000 aid trucks that entered the area since May were excluded from UN records.

According to COGAT, the actual figures show that Israel enabled the transfer of nearly 9,200 trucks carrying supplies into Gaza — more than two and a half times the amount reflected in the UN’s official reporting.

“UN data on the volume of aid, along with repeated statements and reports by senior members of the international community, are often presented as an indisputable absolute truth,” COGAT said in a statement. “However, the UN’s documentation and monitoring mechanisms are deficient and present a misleading, partial, and at times inaccurate picture of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.”

The UN publishes its numbers through an online dashboard intended to display a complete account of humanitarian deliveries. In reality, COGAT explained, the dashboard only tracks trucks coordinated directly by UN agencies and a limited number of aid organizations affiliated with them.

COGAT further noted that the system fails to include a significant volume of assistance provided through other channels, including contributions from foreign governments, additional international relief organizations, private sector efforts, airdropped supplies, and goods distributed by the American-based Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

{Matzav.com}