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A Melbourne Islamic preacher has triggered outrage across Australia after telling followers during a sermon that Muslims should not take Jews and Christians as friends and speaking of an obligation to “take up arms” against the enemies of Islam, prompting condemnation from Jewish leaders, Muslim leaders and politicians and renewed demands for tougher action against extremist preaching.
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The preacher, who goes by Abu Ahmad, is associated with the Al Bayyinah Islamic Centre in Melbourne’s southeast. His comments were delivered during a sermon in July and subsequently circulated through the center’s social-media channels.
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During the address, Ahmad told his audience not to “take the Jews and the Christians for friends” and discussed the Islamic theological concept of loyalty and disavowal.
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“For the sake of Allah, it includes the obligation to declare enmity for his sake, opposition for the sake of Allah. It is to declare opposition: indeed, to take up arms against his enemies, to shun them and to stay far from them both in word and deed,” Ahmad said.
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“This proves that simple opposition of the spirit is not enough and that it must be complete by honouring of your commitment.”
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Ahmad went on to identify a broad range of groups he described as enemies of Islam.
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“If the aim of the enemies of Islam whether they are atheists or Jews or Christians or modernists or Zionists or communists is the emasculation of … Muslims, and the erosion of their unique character in order to make them the ass of the chosen people … then the urgency of this issue should become clear to every Muslim,” he said.
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The remarks have attracted particular scrutiny because of Ahmad’s connections to controversial Sydney preacher Wissam Haddad and the network surrounding Haddad’s Al Madina Dawah Centre in Bankstown.
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The Al Bayyinah Islamic Centre was established in Melbourne’s southeast in 2024 and has received support from Haddad, whose Sydney center was shut earlier this year.
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Ahmad has previously traveled to Haddad’s Sydney center, where he delivered a sermon attacking what he described as “infidel” Western powers.
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The Melbourne center has also shared material online with an account known as Station of the Seekers, which has featured individuals identified as Islamic State sympathizers.
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Haddad has publicly encouraged his Melbourne followers to support Ahmad and his activities.
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The connections have received intensified scrutiny since the December 2025 terrorist attack on a Chanukah celebration at Bondi Beach, in which 15 people were murdered and dozens wounded.
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One of the two alleged attackers, Naveed Akram, had reportedly attended Haddad’s Al Madina Dawah Centre. There is no evidence that either Haddad or Ahmad participated in the Bondi attack, and Ahmad has not been charged with a terrorism offense in connection with his sermon.
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Ahmad has now pushed back against the characterization of his remarks as an instruction to attack Jews or Christians.
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He says the excerpts came from a religious lesson in which he was reading and explaining passages from an Islamic scholarly text dealing with the doctrine of al-Wala’ wal-Bara’, or loyalty and disavowal.
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Ahmad maintains that his remarks were presented without the surrounding context and says the teaching does not permit Muslims to harm peaceful non-Muslims.
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He has accused media outlets of portraying theological material as a personal call for violence.
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The Australian National Imams Council has nevertheless responded to the controversy by strongly condemning any rhetoric encouraging violence.
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ANIC president Imam Shadi Alsuleiman said Islam upholds the sanctity of human life and that Muslims living in Australia have an obligation to contribute positively to the country and live peacefully alongside their neighbors.
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The council stressed that incitement to violence against Jews, Christians or any other community is unacceptable while cautioning against using the conduct of individual preachers to condemn Australia’s broader Muslim population.
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The controversy has also triggered calls for law-enforcement authorities to examine Ahmad’s complete sermon and determine whether Australian criminal laws were violated.
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One Nation leader Pauline Hanson demanded that the federal government provide security agencies with stronger powers to close religious institutions that promote violence and dismantle networks involved in extremist recruitment.
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“Fifteen people were murdered in a terrorist act at Bondi,” Hanson said. “Now Australians are reading reports of an Islamic preacher urging followers to take up arms against Australian Christians and Jews. How much more do Albanese and Burke need to hear?”
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“We need stronger federal powers to shut down the extremist and fundamentalist mosques and Islamic prayer centers,” Hanson said. “Give ASIO and the AFP the resources and targeted powers to dismantle these networks. If current laws are inadequate, change them.”
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Independent MP Allegra Spender, whose Sydney electorate includes Bondi Beach, said the episode demonstrates the need for stronger and more consistent national hate-speech legislation.
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Spender said Ahmad’s comments showed “why we needed stronger and nationally consistent hate speech legislation”.
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“I hope the royal commission will make recommendations relating to this, but regardless, I will continue the push and urge all politicians who express sincere concern about hate preachers to back stronger protections,” Spender said.
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Robert Gregory, president of the Australian Jewish Association, said the case demonstrated what he described as a continuing failure by authorities to adequately confront radical Islamic preaching following the Bondi massacre.
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“It is hard to believe that this long after the Bondi terrorist attack, Australia has still not seen a major crackdown on radical Islamic preachers and extremist religious centers,” Gregory said.
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“Australians are rightly alarmed by reports of a preacher speaking about an obligation to ‘take up arms’ against enemies and telling followers not to take Jews and Christians as friends.”
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Family First National Director Lyle Shelton separately called on the Australian Federal Police to examine Ahmad’s remarks and determine whether they constitute a criminal offense.
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“This is chilling language which demands an urgent response from law enforcement,” Shelton said.
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“Australians should not have to tolerate preachers using places of worship or social media platforms to promote hostility towards Christians, Jews or anyone else, let alone language about taking up arms.”
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“The AFP should examine the full, unedited sermon and all relevant material and determine whether Commonwealth criminal laws have been breached. If the evidence establishes an offence, Abu Ahmad should be charged.”
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“Australia has religious freedom, but religious freedom is not a licence to incite violence.”
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The uproar has reopened a bitter political debate over Australia’s hate-speech laws, just eight months after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government attempted to dramatically expand federal legislation following the Bondi massacre.
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The original proposal would have created a federal criminal offense for publicly promoting or inciting racial hatred, alongside tougher penalties for hate crimes and new powers aimed at extremist organizations.
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The proposal ran into opposition from both sides of Australian politics.
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The Coalition objected to elements of the legislation on free-speech and drafting grounds, while the Greens argued that the protections were too narrow and could interfere with legitimate political expression.
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Albanese ultimately abandoned the proposed racial-vilification offense after acknowledging that it lacked the votes needed to pass Parliament.
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A narrower package of hate-crime measures did pass in January. Those laws strengthened penalties for hate offenses, expanded the government’s ability to cancel visas and deport foreign nationals associated with designated hate groups, established a mechanism for banning organizations that promote hatred, and imposed tougher penalties on religious and other leaders who advocate violence.
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The specific racial-vilification provision sought by Australia’s special envoy to combat antisemitism, Jillian Segal, was left out.
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Australian security officials have meanwhile repeatedly warned that the country’s extremist threat is growing.
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ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess has said the underlying terrorism environment is more dangerous than the formal national threat level alone might suggest, with authorities increasingly concerned about rapidly radicalized individuals, online extremist material and young people moving toward violence.
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Those concerns have been reinforced by a series of recent terrorism investigations in Victoria.
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Just last week, Australian authorities charged a 65-year-old Melbourne man with terrorism offenses after alleging that he had pledged allegiance to Islamic State and distributed approximately 10,000 files of extremist propaganda online.
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Investigators allege that the material included videos of executions and torture, Islamic State propaganda and instructions relating to mass-casualty attacks and avoiding law enforcement.
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Authorities have said that case is separate from the controversy involving Ahmad, and there has been no allegation that Ahmad is an Islamic State member or was involved in the alleged propaganda network.

[Video below.] New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani says the explanation for his unexpectedly cordial relationship with President Donald Trump is surprisingly simple: despite their deep political disagreements, the two share an attachment to New York City and have found concrete issues on which they can work together — particularly Mamdani’s ambitious plan to build 12,000 homes over Sunnyside Yard in Queens.
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Appearing Monday night on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” during the program’s special week of broadcasts from Brooklyn, Mamdani opened up about a relationship that has drawn considerable attention since Trump and the democratic socialist mayor began meeting following Mamdani’s election last year.
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“The president and I have many disagreements, but one thing we do agree on is this city and how much we love this city,” Mamdani told Kimmel, a frequent and outspoken critic of Trump.
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Mamdani said he decided from his first meeting with Trump that their conversations should focus less on their political differences and more on areas in which cooperation between Washington and City Hall could produce tangible results for New Yorkers.
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“And so from that first meeting in November of last year, I was just thinking of how can we make this meeting not about us, but about New Yorkers. How can we spend that time talking about the things that could make life in this city a little bit easier. That’s what it’s been, whether we met at the White House or at Gracie Mansion,” the mayor said.
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The unusual relationship has evolved substantially since last year’s mayoral campaign, when Trump repeatedly attacked Mamdani and Mamdani sharply criticized the president and his policies.
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Since Mamdani took office, however, the two have maintained direct communication, including telephone calls, text messages and multiple face-to-face meetings.
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Mamdani revealed to Kimmel that he and Trump text “from time to time,” with much of their recent communication centering on Sunnyside Yard and other issues involving New York City.
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The Queens project has emerged as perhaps the clearest explanation for why the two politicians have maintained an open line despite their ideological differences.
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Mamdani wants to construct a massive platform over Sunnyside Yard, the sprawling active rail facility in Queens, and develop an entirely new neighborhood containing approximately 12,000 homes.
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The project would also create an estimated 30,000 jobs, according to City Hall, but it cannot proceed without substantial federal involvement. Building above the rail yard would require complicated federal approvals and potentially billions of dollars in federal assistance.
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Trump has shown particular interest in the proposal, drawing on his decades of experience in New York real estate and his familiarity with Sunnyside.
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During Trump’s visit to Gracie Mansion earlier this month, the president said he had watched developers attempt to figure out Sunnyside Yard for decades.
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“Well, I can tell you that Sunnyside is a big job. I’ve been watching that for 35 years. Everybody has wanted to do something with Sunnyside Yard. We met at the White House a couple of times. But we met at the White House. The mayor brought that up, the possibility of doing Sunnyside Yard,” Trump said.
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“It’s a very — I would say that was a very federal-oriented job. You’re going to need a lot of federal approvals and probably some federal money to do it. But it’s always been a great location. I owned a building in Sunnyside. It was a great building. I know it very well. So, when he mentioned Sunnyside Yard, they’ve been talking about developing that for 50 years. So maybe they have a shot at doing it.”
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The September 21 Gracie Mansion meeting moved the proposal another step forward, with Mamdani and Trump agreeing that technical discussions would begin between City Hall’s housing and operations officials and their counterparts in the White House.
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No federal funding commitment has been made, and the massive project remains a long way from construction.
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Mamdani said Monday night that his communications with Trump continue to focus on how the federal and city governments can “deliver for the city.”
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Kimmel, intrigued by the idea that Mamdani and Trump actually exchange text messages, asked whether Trump’s private texts resemble his social-media posts, which frequently feature capital letters and emphatic punctuation.
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Mamdani said Trump’s private messages are far more conventional, describing their punctuation and capitalization as normal.
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Kimmel then suggested that he and Mamdani take a selfie together and send it to Trump.
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Mamdani declined.
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“Jimmy, I love you, but I love housing more,” Mamdani quipped.
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Mamdani also addressed one of the more widely circulated moments from Trump’s recent Gracie Mansion visit: video showing the mayor standing alongside the president and blinking slowly as Trump spoke to reporters.
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The mayor joked that viewers may have interpreted his expression as a reaction to Trump, but said his mind was actually on the Sunnyside Yard project.
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The Gracie Mansion meeting was itself unusual. Trump became the first sitting president in decades to visit the mayoral residence, and the two spent roughly an hour privately discussing housing, immigration and other city issues before appearing together before reporters.
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Mamdani also raised the status of Haitian New Yorkers who face the loss of Temporary Protected Status, an issue on which the mayor has pressed Trump directly.
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The relationship between the two men has been especially striking because of the rhetoric that preceded it.
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During the 2025 campaign, Trump repeatedly denounced Mamdani’s democratic socialist politics and warned about the direction New York would take under his leadership.
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Mamdani, meanwhile, campaigned as a sharp critic of Trump and continues to oppose major elements of the president’s immigration and domestic agenda.
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Their tone changed dramatically following Mamdani’s election.
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After meeting with Mamdani, Trump publicly praised him and expressed hope that he would succeed as mayor, while Mamdani emphasized that his willingness to work with the president did not mean abandoning their disagreements.
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That unexpected détente has continued through multiple meetings.
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At Gracie Mansion last week, Trump again offered strikingly warm words about the mayor.
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“I certainly hope he will be a great mayor. You have to understand I want what’s good for New York. I want what’s good for the country. So if I had a choice of having him be a bad mayor or horrible mayor, I don’t want that. I want him to be a great mayor, and he certainly got potential, a great potential,” Trump said.
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Monday’s interview took place at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Howard Gilman Opera House, where “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” is spending the week broadcasting from New York rather than its regular Hollywood studio.
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When Kimmel jokingly asked whether Mamdani might consider becoming mayor of Los Angeles once his time running New York was finished, Mamdani turned him down, making clear where his loyalties remained.
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“It’s New York City,” Mamdani said.
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{Matzav.com}

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says a foreign power was involved in the suspected terror incident near RAF Fairford, the British airbase used by American bombers during the war with Iran, calling what unfolded over the weekend “a very serious situation” even as five British suspects have been released on bail and investigators continue trying to determine exactly what they were planning. Reuters
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British counterterrorism police arrested the five men early Sunday near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire after a local farmer spotted three suspicious white vans and a group of masked men close to the strategically important military installation.
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The suspects, all British nationals in their early 20s from London, were initially detained on suspicion of explosives offenses and were subsequently arrested on suspicion of preparing an act of terrorism.
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Rubio said Monday night that American officials believe a foreign player was involved, although he stopped short of publicly identifying the country or disclosing the intelligence behind his assertion.
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“What happened, what almost happened, what could have happened ⁠in the UK over the weekend is a very serious situation. It’s one that clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor. I won’t get into great detail about that yet,” Rubio told Fox News.
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British authorities have been more cautious, saying investigators are examining numerous possibilities, including whether the men were acting as proxies for a foreign government, either knowingly or unknowingly. Iran and Russia are among the potential foreign-state angles being examined, alongside possible involvement by non-state extremist groups. euronews
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Iran has emerged as a particular focus because of RAF Fairford’s role in American military operations against Tehran.
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The sprawling base, roughly 100 miles west of London, has an unusually long and heavily reinforced runway capable of handling American B-1 and B-52 strategic bombers. U.S. aircraft operating from Fairford have participated in missions connected to the war with Iran.
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Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps specifically referenced RAF Fairford in July, warning Britain that “any base used for aggression against Iranian territory constitutes a legitimate target for our forces.” The Guardian
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President Donald Trump said Monday that the incident “might be” connected to Iran, while stressing that he was not prepared to publicly confirm such a link.
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Trump also expressed surprise that British authorities had released the five suspects on bail.
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“I wouldn’t have done that,” he said.
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The decision to release the men does not mean they have been cleared. British counterterrorism chief Laurence Taylor said they remain subject to stringent bail conditions and “absolutely remain under investigation.”
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Police are continuing to examine whether any of the suspected offenses were carried out by “proxies or individuals, either knowingly or unknowingly, working on behalf of a foreign state.”
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Iran’s embassy in London has categorically rejected any suggestion that Tehran was involved, calling the allegations “unfounded and malicious speculations.”
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One potentially significant development is that investigators reportedly determined that the materials discovered in the three vans did not constitute viable explosives.
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A source familiar with the investigation said the vehicles did not contain functioning explosive devices, despite the massive emergency response initially triggered by their discovery. British media similarly reported that no viable explosives were found. Reuters
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That finding leaves major questions about what the men intended to do and whether the incident represented an operational terror plot, preparations for some other hostile act, or something else entirely.
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The arrests appear to have begun with an alert from an ordinary resident rather than an intelligence operation.
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A local farmer said she returned home at approximately 1 a.m. Sunday and encountered three large white vans parked suspiciously near the base. One reportedly carried the name of a legitimate fuel company but displayed an incorrect telephone number.
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The farmer said she saw a group of men wearing hoods or masks who ran when they noticed her.
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She called police, triggering a huge armed response.
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Counterterrorism officers descended on the area, army bomb-disposal specialists were deployed, and remotely controlled robots were used to examine the vans.
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Residents of 85 nearby homes in the village of Whelford were evacuated as authorities established a roughly 400-meter security cordon around the vehicles.
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The suspects were arrested approximately 25 minutes after the farmer’s emergency call.
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The fuel company whose name appeared on at least one of the vans denied any connection to the vehicles.
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“We are extremely concerned that our company’s name has been used without our knowledge or permission,” the company said.
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It said it was cooperating fully with investigators.
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The circumstances have also produced conflicting accounts about whether authorities knew of a threat before the farmer made her call.
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Trump said the suspects had been “under view” for some time and praised cooperation between American and British authorities.
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“It was fantastic. Working with Britain, it was an amazing job,” Trump said.
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British reporting, however, indicates that the police operation was not intelligence-led, suggesting the five men were not under direct surveillance before the farmer called authorities. The Guardian
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At the same time, residents reported a noticeable increase in security around RAF Fairford in the days before the incident.
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Heavy vehicles had reportedly been positioned near some entrances, police patrols were more visible than usual, and one resident driving past the installation Saturday night said American security personnel ordered the driver to stop and place their hands outside the vehicle.
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That heightened posture has fueled questions about whether security officials possessed broader intelligence indicating that the base itself faced an increased threat, even if they were unaware of the five men or their vehicles.
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British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting praised the farmer for alerting authorities, saying she “did exactly the right thing,” while cautioning that she possessed only “a partial view” of the wider security operation.
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The British government treated the episode seriously enough to convene an emergency COBRA meeting as investigators worked to determine whether the incident was connected to a hostile foreign government.
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Security was also tightened at American military installations elsewhere in Britain.
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The Fairford investigation comes amid growing British concern over foreign governments using intermediaries to conduct hostile operations on British soil.
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British intelligence officials have repeatedly warned about activity linked to both Iran and Russia, including allegations that foreign governments are increasingly recruiting criminals or other proxies to carry out surveillance, sabotage, arson and other operations while providing their sponsors with a degree of plausible deniability.
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British officials said earlier this year that national-security investigations involving hostile-state activity had increased by approximately 50% during a six-month period ending in December 2025.
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Iran has been of particular concern to British security agencies, which have accused Tehran of involvement in numerous plots against individuals and organizations in Britain.
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The tensions escalated further following the outbreak of the U.S.-Iran war in February.
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Britain initially declined to allow its territory to be used for American attacks on Iran, but later permitted U.S. forces to use British bases for what London described as defensive operations against Iranian missiles and launch sites following Iranian attacks on British interests and allies in the Gulf.
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American B-1 and B-52 bombers subsequently operated from RAF Fairford during the conflict.
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Iran has repeatedly denied orchestrating attacks or terror plots in Britain and again rejected any connection to the Fairford incident.
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The episode occurred with Britain already maintaining its terrorism threat level at “severe,” the second-highest designation, meaning authorities consider an attack highly likely.
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A large police cordon remained around RAF Fairford Tuesday morning, although residents evacuated from nearby homes were being permitted to return as the examination of the scene continued.

Russia is offering Americans and other foreigners signing bonuses of roughly $26,000 and monthly pay of about $2,000 to enlist in its military and fight in Ukraine, part of an expanding international recruitment operation aimed at replenishing Moscow’s forces after years of heavy battlefield losses.
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Ukrainian officials say they have identified at least 18 Americans who have enlisted with the Russian military, while the overall number of foreign nationals known to have joined Russian forces has climbed to more than 28,000 people from over 130 countries. Officials believe the actual total is substantially higher.
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The effort stretches far beyond the United States. Russia has recruited fighters from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and elsewhere, using a combination of lucrative financial offers, promises of Russian citizenship and, in some documented cases, misleading offers of civilian employment.
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A major Amnesty International investigation released earlier this month found that foreign recruits have sometimes been promised work in fields such as construction, security, logistics and information technology, only to discover after arriving in Russia that they were expected to sign military contracts and deploy to Ukraine. Amnesty said some of the practices amount to human trafficking.
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For Americans willing to enlist voluntarily, the financial incentive can be substantial. The reported $26,000 signing payment is accompanied by approximately $2,000 in monthly wages, an especially significant sum for recruits coming from poorer countries.
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Russia’s need for manpower has intensified as the war grinds through its fifth year. Ukrainian officials claim Russia is suffering between 30,000 and 40,000 casualties each month, although battlefield casualty figures from either side cannot be independently confirmed.
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Vitaliy Matvienko, who heads a Ukrainian government program aimed at persuading Russian soldiers to surrender, said foreign recruitment has developed into a lucrative international business.
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“It has become an entire industry and is very profitable,” Matvienko told the Post.
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According to Matvienko, Moscow can send foreigners into dangerous combat roles without producing the same domestic political repercussions that accompany the deaths of large numbers of Russian citizens.
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Families of foreign recruits who are killed may also have difficulty collecting the compensation promised under their contracts, he said.
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The recruitment apparatus increasingly operates online. Recruiters and intermediaries reportedly use Facebook, TikTok, Telegram and other platforms to identify potential recruits, with particular attention paid to people facing financial hardship, personal difficulties or those attracted to Russia for ideological reasons.
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Some recruiters can reportedly receive as much as $24,000 for successfully bringing in a foreign fighter, in addition to collecting a portion of the recruit’s military pay.
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Ukrainian authorities said earlier this year that they had positively identified 28,391 foreign nationals from 136 countries who had joined Russian forces. That count was based on individuals for whom Ukrainian authorities said they possessed identifying information and did not include regular North Korean troops deployed in support of Russia.
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Ukrainian officials estimate that the real foreign-fighter total could be another 25% to 30% higher.
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More than 5,000 of the identified foreign fighters were known to have died, according to Ukrainian figures released earlier this year. Another 3,080 reportedly remained in Russian service even after the terms of their contracts had expired.
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One of the Americans drawn into Russia’s military was Seth William Baker, a 23-year-old from Gilbert, Arizona, who previously served in the U.S. Marine Corps.
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Marine Corps records showed that Baker enlisted in 2019, served as a bulk fuel specialist and reached the rank of lance corporal. He was assigned to the 4th Marine Logistics Group and received the National Defense Service Medal.
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Baker later said that he had left the Marines after refusing the COVID-19 vaccine when vaccination was mandatory for U.S. service members.
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After leaving the military, Baker eventually traveled to Russia and joined its armed forces. Video subsequently emerged showing him in a Russian military setting discussing why he had chosen to fight.
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“There’s all this talk about freedom in America, but not for some of us, I suppose,” Baker said.
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Baker was ultimately killed while serving with Russian forces, according to Ukrainian officials tracking Americans who joined Moscow’s military.
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Matvienko said Baker represented the type of recruit Russian operatives frequently seek: someone with military experience who had become alienated from institutions in his home country and was struggling to determine his next step.
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Baker had left the Marines and later failed to gain admission to a police academy, according to the account provided by Ukrainian officials.
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Another American who joined Moscow’s forces was Wilmer Puello-Mota, a onetime Massachusetts city councilor and U.S. military veteran.
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Puello-Mota served in the Air Force and Massachusetts Air National Guard and had been deployed to Afghanistan. He eventually reached the rank of technical sergeant.
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His circumstances were considerably different from Baker’s. Puello-Mota fled the United States in January 2024 shortly before he was scheduled to plead guilty in Rhode Island to charges involving child pornography and obstruction of justice.
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He subsequently surfaced in Russia and joined Russian forces, later appearing in Russian military propaganda and reportedly operating drones in Ukraine.
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Perhaps the most extraordinary American case involved Michael Gloss, the 21-year-old son of Juliane Gallina, a senior CIA official who served as the agency’s deputy director for digital innovation, and Larry Gloss, a U.S. Navy veteran.
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Gloss traveled extensively before arriving in Russia in 2023 and eventually signed a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry. He was assigned to a Russian airborne unit and deployed to the front.
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His family has said that he had struggled with mental-health issues before disappearing from regular contact with them.
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Gloss was killed in Ukraine’s Donetsk region in April 2024 while serving with Russian forces. His father later said that his son suffered catastrophic blood loss while attempting to assist an injured Russian soldier.
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The episode took another remarkable turn in 2025 when Russian President Vladimir Putin posthumously awarded Gloss Russia’s Order of Courage.
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Putin handed the medal to President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff during a visit to Moscow, asking that it be delivered to Gloss’ parents. Witkoff subsequently presented the decoration to Gallina and her husband.
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Russian state media and propaganda outlets have given particular attention to Americans and other Westerners who join Moscow’s forces, portraying their enlistment as evidence that Western citizens sympathize with Russia’s position in the war.
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Ukrainian officials say that propaganda value is one reason American recruits receive attention disproportionate to their relatively small numbers.
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The treatment foreign soldiers receive after enlisting can be markedly different from the image presented during recruitment.
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Foreign fighters have reported being subjected to physical abuse, racial mistreatment and threats from Russian personnel. Some have described being sent into extremely dangerous infantry attacks with limited preparation.
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Other recruits have said they were forced to continue fighting despite injuries or were prevented from leaving after deciding they no longer wanted to serve.
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Foreign troops have also reportedly been pressured to contribute portions of their military salaries toward unit expenses, including drones, vehicles, fuel and other battlefield supplies. According to accounts collected by Ukrainian officials and human-rights investigators, those who resisted demands from commanders sometimes faced violence or threats.
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A Russian decree issued after the invasion also complicates attempts by soldiers to simply complete their contracts and leave. Military service agreements can effectively remain in force while Russia’s mobilization period continues, leaving some foreign recruits unable to depart when they expected.
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The recruiting operation has increasingly focused on economically vulnerable populations. Foreigners have been offered money, residency papers and expedited Russian citizenship, while some have been approached through intermediaries promising jobs unrelated to military service.
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Amnesty International documented cases involving recruits from Brazil, Colombia, Sri Lanka and South Africa who said they were misled about what awaited them in Russia.
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Ukrainian intelligence separately disclosed this month that Russian military structures were arranging immigration paperwork for at least 27 Yemeni nationals so they could be brought legally into Russia and then signed to military contracts.
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Russia has also recruited citizens of countries including Kenya, Ghana, Nepal, Somalia, India and Cuba.
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The financial incentives come as Moscow continues trying to avoid the domestic upheaval that could accompany another broad compulsory mobilization. Ukrainian intelligence said this summer that Russia was falling behind its 2026 contract-recruitment goals and had begun relaxing medical and other eligibility requirements to enlarge the available pool of soldiers.
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Russia’s military contracts remain attractive enough to draw recruits from thousands of miles away, including a small but striking contingent from the United States — Americans being offered tens of thousands of dollars up front to put on a Russian uniform and enter one of the world’s deadliest battlefields.

Passengers aboard an El Al flight from Tel Aviv to Miami faced an extraordinary journey Tuesday after their plane developed an unexpected technical malfunction several hours into the transatlantic flight, forcing the aircraft to reverse course and head all the way back to Israel.
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Flight LY017 had departed Ben Gurion Airport for Miami before the problem was discovered while the aircraft was already well into its journey. Rather than continuing across the Atlantic, the crew made the decision to turn around and return to Ben Gurion Airport.
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The reversal meant that, assuming the aircraft returned directly to Tel Aviv without making an intermediate landing, passengers would spend more than 10 consecutive hours aboard the plane — only to end up back at the airport from which they had departed.
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Flight information indicated that LY017 was being operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, the long-haul aircraft El Al commonly uses on the Tel Aviv-Miami route.
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Reports indicated that the flight had already spent approximately four-and-a-half hours in the air when the decision was made to abandon the trip to Miami. The flight itself had also departed later than originally scheduled.
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El Al did not publicly disclose the precise nature of the technical problem, describing it only as an unexpected malfunction. There was no indication that passengers or crew members were in immediate danger.
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The airline said that once the passengers arrived back in Israel, they would be allowed to choose whether to continue their journey on another flight or cancel their travel plans and receive their money back.
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“We apologize to passengers for the inconvenience and emphasize that El Al places the safety and security of its passengers and crew at the top of its priorities,” the airline said.
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The disruption came just one day after another Israeli carrier experienced an in-flight technical problem. An Israir charter flight was forced to return to Ben Gurion Airport after a malfunction was discovered shortly after departure.
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In that incident, the aircraft had been airborne for only about 40 minutes before turning around and returning safely to Israel.

A private aircraft regularly used by Saddam Haftar, the powerful son and deputy of eastern Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar, landed in Abu Dhabi within minutes of Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s arrival this week, fueling reports that the two men secretly met as Haftar seeks international backing for his political ambitions.
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The alleged meeting has not been confirmed by Israel, Libya or the United Arab Emirates. The report originated with the Italian newspaper Il Foglio, while flight-tracking data independently drew attention to the unusual concentration of government and government-linked aircraft arriving in Abu Dhabi around Netanyahu’s visit.
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Netanyahu traveled to the UAE for talks with Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed. Iran was reportedly a central subject of their discussions, while the two leaders also addressed regional security and bilateral relations.
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The visit also came amid controversy over a Haaretz report alleging that Emirati intelligence had warned Israel ahead of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack and that Netanyahu failed to act on the information. Netanyahu has vehemently denied the allegation.
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Separate attention, however, quickly focused on the aircraft arriving at Abu Dhabi’s Al Bateen airport around the time of Netanyahu’s arrival.
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Among them was an Airbus A319 bearing registration P4-KH5I9 that flew in from Benghazi. The aircraft has been regularly associated with Saddam Haftar and reportedly touched down approximately 15 to 20 minutes after Netanyahu’s aircraft.
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Other aircraft linked to Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were also tracked arriving in Abu Dhabi around the same period, prompting speculation about whether Netanyahu’s visit involved additional undisclosed contacts.
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Mohamed Buisier, a former political adviser to Khalifa Haftar, claimed that the timing of the Libyan aircraft’s arrival was no coincidence and alleged that Saddam Haftar met Netanyahu in an effort to secure Israeli political support for his ambitions to become Libya’s president.
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No official evidence has emerged confirming that Haftar himself was aboard the aircraft or establishing that a face-to-face meeting with Netanyahu actually took place.
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Such a meeting, however, would fit into a longer history of reported contacts between the Haftar family and Israel.
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In 2021, an aircraft associated with Saddam Haftar was tracked to Ben Gurion Airport, where he was reportedly involved in contacts with Mossad representatives. Later that year, reports emerged that the Haftar family had retained an Israeli lobbying and communications firm, with the arrangement reportedly facilitated through the UAE.
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Saddam Haftar has increasingly emerged as one of the most powerful figures in eastern Libya and is widely viewed as the political and military heir to his father, Khalifa Haftar, whose forces control much of the eastern portion of the deeply divided country.
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The younger Haftar has simultaneously been working to strengthen his relationships in Washington. Earlier this year, Ballard Partners signed a $2 million agreement to provide government-relations and strategic advisory services to the Libyan Arab Armed Forces led by the Haftar family.
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The agreement covers both Khalifa and Saddam Haftar and gives their forces access to one of Washington’s most influential lobbying operations. Ballard Partners has extensive ties to figures in President Donald Trump’s administration.
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Il Foglio reported that Saddam Haftar is also pursuing high-level meetings with American officials as part of his effort to establish himself internationally as a central player in Libya’s future. The newspaper reported that he is seeking a meeting with Vice President JD Vance after previously holding talks in the United States with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
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The diplomatic push comes at a sensitive moment for Haftar following serious allegations emerging from western Libya.
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Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dabaiba has reportedly accused Saddam Haftar of directing a covert cell responsible for attacks against oil infrastructure, military positions and political figures in western Libya. Il Foglio reported that Dabaiba made the accusations during a closed meeting with prominent figures in Misrata earlier this month.
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The allegations include claims that Spanish contractors and Libyan operatives were involved in attacks around Zawiya and Tripoli. Individuals allegedly linked to the cell have reportedly been arrested, while evidence said to have been recovered from a computer is claimed to connect the operation to Haftar.
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Those allegations remain contested, and some individuals and organizations named in reporting surrounding the affair have denied involvement.
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Against that backdrop, Haftar has reportedly been seeking to broaden his relationships with influential Western officials, including U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle.
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One potential intermediary is Refaat al-Abbar, a Haftar associate who has wielded influence within Libya’s National Oil Corporation and is involved in an ongoing struggle over control and influence surrounding Waha Oil and Gas.
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That battle has unfolded as Mohamed Dabaiba, the son of the Tripoli-based prime minister, has increased his influence over the oil company, while western Libyan energy facilities have faced a series of sabotage incidents.
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The Haftar camp is reportedly interested in using its international relationships to regain influence over Waha and other strategically important parts of Libya’s enormous energy industry.
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At the same time, Haftar has been navigating Washington’s broader efforts to bridge Libya’s longstanding east-west divide. Massad Boulos, President Trump’s senior adviser for Africa and a relative by marriage, has been deeply involved in American efforts aimed at bringing Libya’s rival power centers together.
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For now, however, the most intriguing question surrounding Netanyahu’s Abu Dhabi visit remains unanswered: whether Saddam Haftar was aboard the aircraft that arrived from Benghazi and, if so, whether his arrival minutes after the Israeli prime minister was merely a coincidence.

In a dramatic eleventh-hour development in the decades-long Ponevezh Yeshiva dispute, Israel’s Supreme Court on Tuesday temporarily halted the impending eviction of the faction led by Rav Shmuel Markowitz from the famed yeshiva campus in Bnei Brak, allowing approximately 1,300 talmidim to remain on the hill through Simchas Torah.

Justice Ofer Grosskopf issued the stay Tuesday afternoon in response to an appeal filed by the Masores HaTorah nonprofit organization and Rav Markowitz, freezing implementation of the lower-court ruling that had ordered the group to vacate the premises.

The practical effect is that no eviction will take place during Chol Hamoed, as had been planned. The Supreme Court’s order will remain in effect pending further consideration of the appeal.

The opposing faction has been directed to submit its response to the appeal by October 8.

News of the decision spread rapidly through the yeshiva Tuesday afternoon and was greeted with tremendous emotion by the talmidim, who had spent recent days preparing for the possibility that they would be forced from the historic campus in the middle of Sukkos.

The immediate consequence of the ruling is that Rav Markowitz and his talmidim will be able to conduct the yeshiva’s Simchas Torah celebrations in the bais medrash on the Ponevezh hill.

For weeks, the possibility of an eviction had hung over the yeshiva as the legal deadline approached. The talmidim had followed the court proceedings closely, uncertain where the yeshiva would relocate if authorities enforced the order during Chol Hamoed.

The dispute stems from the bitter and extraordinarily protracted conflict over control of Ponevezh Yeshiva, which for decades has divided the institution into two camps occupying the same historic campus.

The faction led by Rav Markowitz is commonly referred to in Israeli chareidi parlance as the mechablim, while the opposing camp is known as the sonim. The labels emerged during the long-running internal battle and are generally used as identifiers rather than in their literal meanings.

The current legal confrontation followed a ruling by retired Judge David Cheshin ordering Rav Markowitz’s faction to leave the yeshiva property. Implementation of that decision was scheduled for the middle of Chol Hamoed Sukkos, raising the prospect of a highly charged forced evacuation of hundreds of bochurim from one of the most famous yeshiva campuses in the world.

The Masores HaTorah organization and Rav Markowitz appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court and asked that enforcement be suspended while the appeal is considered.

Justice Grosskopf’s decision Tuesday granted that immediate request. It does not overturn the underlying ruling or determine which side will ultimately prevail in the property dispute; rather, it preserves the existing situation while the Supreme Court considers the matter.

Inside the yeshiva, talmidim attributed the development to an extraordinary campaign of tefillah and increased limud haTorah undertaken in recent months as the eviction date drew closer.

During Elul, the bochurim collectively accepted additional commitments in continuous Torah learning and taanis dibbur, while also undertaking to learn additional masechtos outside the yeshiva’s regular sedorim.

The concern reached an emotional peak during the Yomim Noraim.

On Rosh Hashanah, immediately before tekias shofar, Rav Michoel Kaufman, one of the yeshiva’s roshei yeshiva, approached the amud and began reciting chapters of Tehillim.

Thousands of current and former talmidim joined the tefillos before the open Aron Kodesh, pleading that the yeshiva be permitted to continue operating on the Ponevezh hill.

A similarly unusual scene unfolded shortly before Neilah on Yom Kippur.

Rav Shmuel Markowitz went to the Aron Kodesh and addressed the bnei hayeshiva, asking them to daven over what he described through the words of “galinu mei’artzeinu” — the sense that they were facing the very real possibility of being displaced from their longtime home.

Despite the looming eviction order, Rav Markowitz reportedly instructed the yeshiva’s administrators after the Yomim Noraim to proceed normally with all preparations and orders for Simchas Torah on the hill.

When administrators questioned the decision given the court-ordered evacuation expected during Chol Hamoed, Rav Markowitz reportedly told them that after the elevated tefillos of the Yomim Noraim, all that remained was to wait for a miracle.

Tuesday afternoon’s court order immediately transformed the atmosphere in the yeshiva.

Preparations are now moving ahead for Simchas Torah in the bais medrash, with hundreds of bochurim expected to participate in the traditional hakafos and festivities on the campus.

A special seudas hodaah is also expected to be held following Yom Tov in gratitude for the reprieve.

The Association of Ponevezh Yeshiva Students welcomed the Supreme Court intervention while stressing that the legal battle itself remains unresolved.

“We welcome the Supreme Court’s decision to halt the reckless and unprecedented eviction of approximately 1,300 yeshiva students, including minors, who would have found themselves on the street without being given the minimum amount of time to find an alternative location. We hope that as the proceedings continue, the court will take into consideration a community numbering thousands of households and overturn the outrageous ruling, in accordance with previous rulings of this court regarding other sectors of Israeli society,” the organization said.

For now, the stay means that the eviction feared throughout Elul and the Yomim Noraim will not take place during Sukkos, and the sounds of Simchas Torah will once again fill the Ponevezh bais medrash on the hill.

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu warned Tuesday that Israel has indications its enemies may attempt an attack in the run-up to next month’s Knesset elections, prompting Opposition Leader Yair Lapid to demand an urgent security briefing and leading Netanyahu to schedule a late-night meeting with him.
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The unusual warning came during Netanyahu’s visit to the Tel Nof Air Force Base, just weeks before Israelis are scheduled to go to the polls on October 27. Netanyahu did not identify which enemy or enemies Israel believes may be preparing an attack, nor did he publicly disclose the intelligence underlying his warning.
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“We have indications that, ahead of the elections, our enemies will try to attack us,” Netanyahu said. “So from here, from the Air Force base, from the long arm of the State of Israel, I send you a message: Don’t mess with us, not now and not ever. Our long arm will reach you anywhere and at any time.”
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The statement immediately drew demands from opposition leaders for more information about the nature and seriousness of the threat.
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Lapid contacted the Prime Minister’s Office and requested an urgent security briefing, seeking additional information about the intelligence behind Netanyahu’s public warning and the steps being taken to protect the election process.
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“Lapid is seeking to understand whether the threats are real, and if so, how the Prime Minister is preparing this time to ensure that the elections are held without disruption,” a statement on his behalf said.
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Lapid also sought briefings involving senior security and election officials, arguing that a publicly disclosed threat capable of affecting the elections required those responsible for safeguarding the democratic process to be fully informed.
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Netanyahu was scheduled to convene a security assessment with senior defense officials Tuesday evening, followed by a meeting with Lapid at 11:30 p.m.
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The Yashar party, headed by Gadi Eisenkot, also demanded that Lapid be given the relevant intelligence, while raising questions about Netanyahu’s decision to announce the threat publicly in the midst of an election campaign.
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“If Netanyahu’s statements regarding the security threats are accurate, this requires the immediate briefing of opposition leader Yair Lapid, in order to ensure that this is indeed a genuine threat and not a political move intended to affect the election campaign,” the party stated.
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“It is absolutely forbidden to mix Israel’s security with the election campaign – even in appearance,” the party added.
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The Prime Minister’s Office rejected the suggestion that Lapid was being denied security information, noting that Netanyahu routinely provides the opposition leader with classified security briefings as required under Israeli law. The two most recently met for such an update on September 14, approximately two weeks ago.
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As the controversy over Tuesday’s warning intensified, the Prime Minister’s Office announced that another update would be provided.
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“The Prime Minister instructed his military secretary to brief the opposition leader today on the latest developments.”
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The decision was subsequently made for Netanyahu himself to meet Lapid later Tuesday night following the prime minister’s security consultation.
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Netanyahu’s warning came amid continued Israeli military activity on multiple fronts and an ongoing confrontation with Iran and its regional allies. Speaking from Tel Nof, he stressed that the Israeli Air Force remained engaged across the region.
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“I am here at the Air Force base with our heroic pilots and our wonderful ground crews. We are operating constantly on all fronts,” he said.
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Netanyahu also said Israel was facing international pressure to relinquish gains achieved during the fighting, something he vowed he would resist.
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“There are tremendous achievements, but there are also tremendous pressures, and the pressures are to withdraw, to give up the great achievements attained through the heroism of our soldiers. I am not allowing that to happen, and I will not allow it to happen.”

​The Breslover community and the broader world of chesed are mourning the petirah of R’ Dovid Yehuda “Duki” Greenwald z”l, one of the early pioneers of chareidi emergency medical services in Eretz Yisroel and a well-known Breslover askan, who was niftar at the age of 57 following years of illness and suffering.
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R’ Duki was niftar at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Yerushalayim after a prolonged battle with serious illness.
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He was born on 4 Elul 5729 to R’ Avigdor Mordechai Greenwald z”l, a distinguished Breslover chossid, and Mrs. Leah Rochel Greenwald. Raised and educated in Breslov institutions, he went on to become a familiar and beloved figure among Breslover chassidim in Eretz Yisroel and around the world.
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For decades, R’ Duki devoted himself to saving lives and helping others. During the formative years of the chareidi volunteer emergency-response organizations in Eretz Yisroel, he was among those who helped establish and develop the infrastructure that would ultimately become an indispensable part of the community.
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He was known for responding whenever help was needed, regardless of the hour, and his involvement in emergency medicine was accompanied by a much broader life of chesed. His home was open to guests and people in need, and he regularly became involved when individuals or families required assistance.
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In recent years, after moving from Ramat Shlomo to Yerushalayim’s Givat Moshe neighborhood, R’ Duki established a shul in his own home so that despite his declining health, he could continue being meticulous about tefillah b’tzibbur.
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His physical condition became increasingly difficult in his later years, including serious problems affecting his legs, but those close to him recalled that he refused to surrender the characteristic simchas hachaim for which he was known.
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R’ Duki also maintained an especially deep connection to the annual Breslover pilgrimage in Uman for Rosh Hashanah. For many years, he made the journey with tremendous dedication, and a well-known minyan for Krias HaTorah there became associated with him. Following davening, he would host a large kiddush for the many participants.
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Several years ago, R’ Duki endured a devastating personal loss with the petirah of his wife, Mrs. China Rochel Greenwald a”h, daughter of noted Breslover mashpia R’ Chaim Menachem Kramer. She was just 47 when she was niftar following a difficult illness, leaving behind seven yesomim.
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Following her petirah, R’ Duki devoted himself to raising their children. Approximately a year ago, he and his son had the zechus of dedicating a beautiful Sefer Torah to the central Breslov bais medrash in Ramat Beit Shemesh Daled in her memory.
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His petirah came just approximately one month before the scheduled wedding of one of his sons, adding another painful dimension to the loss for his family and friends.
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The levayah was held at Shamgar in Yerushalayim, continuing to the Breslover shul in Meah Shearim before proceeding to Har Hazeisim for kevurah.
​
Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday unveiled what his administration is calling the first-ever municipal Strategy to Combat Antisemitism in the United States, announcing a sweeping initiative that includes a $26 million increase in hate-crime prevention funding, additional security assistance for shuls and other houses of worship, expanded Holocaust education, and millions of dollars for Jewish cultural institutions.
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The plan comes amid a continued surge in antisemitic incidents across New York City. According to figures cited by the administration, Jews comprise approximately 10% to 12% of the city’s population but have been the targets of more than half of all confirmed hate crimes.
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The NYPD recorded 229 antisemitic incidents between January and August of this year, approximately 8% more than during the same period in 2025.
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“Over the last year, I’ve met with Jewish New Yorkers across the five boroughs,” Mamdani said. “Time and again, I’ve heard the same thing: antisemitism is real, and it is growing.”
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“Antisemitism has no place in New York City. Jewish New Yorkers have helped build this city, shaped its culture and strengthened our communities for generations, and they deserve to be safe, celebrated and protected by a city government that stands with them. Our administration’s Strategy to Combat Antisemitism makes historic investments in securing Jewish cultural institutions and synagogues, increasing educational opportunities for young New Yorkers, and improving public awareness of Jewish history,” Mamdani said.
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The strategy lays out seven major goals: preventing antisemitic violence; combating antisemitism in its physical, verbal and online forms; expanding education about Jewish history and the Holocaust; assisting victims of antisemitism; protecting Jewish institutions and Jewish life; maintaining direct engagement between City Hall and Jewish communities; and celebrating Jewish culture and traditions.
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At the center of the administration’s broader anti-hate effort is an additional $26 million for the city’s Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes. Mamdani said the increase represents a more than 800% jump in funding compared to last year.
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The strategy also doubles funding for the city’s Partners Against the Hate grant program to $6.4 million. The money will be distributed to community organizations involved in preventing hate-motivated violence and providing assistance to victims.
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Another $1 million is being allocated to physical security improvements at shuls and other houses of worship throughout the five boroughs.
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Those funds can be used for measures including surveillance cameras, improved lighting, stronger locks and other security equipment, as well as professional security assessments and training.
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The city will also revive its Security Infrastructure Working Group, an interagency body that was discontinued in 2024. The group will bring together agencies including the NYPD and Department of Transportation to identify potential security threats and help vulnerable Jewish institutions strengthen their defenses.
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Education is another major component of Mamdani’s plan.
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The Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism will work with New York City Public Schools to address discrimination involving Jewish students and increase opportunities for students to learn about Jewish history, the Holocaust and the contributions of Jewish New Yorkers.
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The administration also wants significantly more students to visit the Museum of Jewish Heritage. Although free museum visits are already available to eighth-grade students through existing funding, the city says only approximately 14% of eligible students have taken advantage of the program.
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City Hall will additionally launch a public-awareness campaign informing New Yorkers about protections under the city’s Human Rights Law and explaining how antisemitic discrimination and hate incidents can be reported.
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The campaign is expected to appear on LinkNYC kiosks and other public displays throughout the city.
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The plan also directs $4.5 million toward two Jewish cultural projects.
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Of that amount, $2 million will go toward the Queens Holocaust Memorial Garden at Queens Borough Hall, while $2.5 million will support the Center for New Jewish Culture in Central Brooklyn.
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The Queens Holocaust Memorial Garden was first announced under Mayor Eric Adams and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and is intended to serve as a permanent memorial to the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust and to Holocaust survivors who rebuilt their lives in New York.
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Mamdani’s new $2 million commitment is intended to help bring the project to completion.
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The initiative will be overseen by the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, headed by Executive Director Phylisa Wisdom, who said the program was developed following extensive meetings and listening sessions with Jewish New Yorkers representing different religious, cultural and political backgrounds.
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“Antisemitism is a complex and persistent form of hate, and it cannot be addressed through a single program or agency. This Strategy brings the full power of City government to the work of preventing hate, supporting survivors, protecting Jewish institutions, educating New Yorkers and celebrating Jewish life,” Wisdom said.
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The rollout comes against the backdrop of considerable controversy surrounding Mamdani’s relationship with segments of New York’s Jewish community and his positions regarding Israel.
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Mamdani has been an outspoken critic of the Israeli government and has repeatedly accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, an accusation Israel strongly rejects. He has also said that Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu should be arrested if he enters New York pursuant to the International Criminal Court’s warrant against him.
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The issue erupted again just days ago when Netanyahu used his address at the United Nations General Assembly to sharply criticize Mamdani over his positions on Israel.
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Mamdani’s record on antisemitism policy has also been the subject of criticism from several major Jewish organizations.
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On his first day in office, Mamdani revoked a series of executive orders issued late in the Adams administration, including an order formally adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism.
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The IHRA definition includes examples addressing certain forms of anti-Zionist rhetoric, including denying the Jewish people the right to self-determination.
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Mamdani also rescinded an Adams order restricting city agencies from participating in boycotts or divestment efforts targeting Israel, as well as a directive concerning regulations governing protests outside houses of worship.
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Several prominent Jewish organizations criticized those moves at the time. Mamdani defended his decision, saying there was disagreement even within the Jewish community over the IHRA definition and maintaining that his administration would combat antisemitism through existing hate-crime and anti-discrimination laws.
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The strategy unveiled Tuesday does not adopt the IHRA definition or any alternative formal definition of antisemitism.
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Mamdani did, however, retain the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism established during the Adams administration and has since expanded its role. The office now coordinates with the NYPD, the Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, the Commission on Human Rights and other city agencies.
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The office is also tasked with maintaining direct communication between City Hall and Jewish communities, improving the reporting and tracking of antisemitic incidents and helping Jewish institutions obtain protection and security assistance.
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“Jewish New Yorkers should feel cherished and celebrated in the most Jewish city in America,” Mamdani said.
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“Our safety is bound up together,” he added. “That is the work we are undertaking at City Hall, and I am asking every New Yorker to join us.”

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz issued an explicit warning Tuesday to senior Hamas leaders living outside Gaza, declaring that Israel intends to pursue those involved in the October 7 massacre and warning that previous failed attempts to eliminate them will not prevent Israel from trying again.
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Katz made the comments following the overnight elimination of Izz al-Din al-Bikh, commander of Hamas’ Northern Gaza Brigade, as Israel continues a campaign aimed at dismantling the terror group’s remaining senior military leadership.
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“Last night, the IDF eliminated the commander of the Northern Gaza Brigade of the Hamas terrorist organization, as part of the ongoing series of targeted eliminations against the leaders of terrorism in Gaza,” the Defense Minister stated.
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Al-Bikh had risen in importance within Hamas’ military structure as Israel systematically eliminated many of the organization’s senior commanders. He had previously been targeted in an Israeli strike in Gaza City in May, but survived the attempt, according to reports at the time.
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The May strike came during a period in which Hamas suffered a series of losses among its senior military leadership. The rapid elimination of commanders complicated the terror organization’s efforts to rebuild its command structure, with al-Bikh emerging as one of the figures holding a significant position in its remaining military hierarchy.
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Katz said the continuing targeted eliminations are intended to prevent Hamas from organizing attacks against Israeli forces, destroy the group’s remaining military capabilities as Israel seeks its disarmament, and pursue those Israel holds responsible for the October 7, 2023 massacre.
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He made clear that Israel does not view geography as providing protection for Hamas officials who remain outside Gaza.
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“Hamas leaders abroad are also in our sights. None of these despicable murderers, who played a central role in the October 7 massacre, should be allowed to die peacefully in their beds. This is our duty as a people and as a country.”
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A number of prominent Hamas officials continue to operate outside Gaza, including senior figures who have held positions in the organization’s political leadership and have operated from countries across the Middle East.
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Katz concluded with an apparent reference to an earlier Israeli operation targeting senior Hamas officials abroad that failed to eliminate its intended targets.
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“Once, they escaped because of a malfunction – but the next time will come, and they too will be sent to the depths of hell.”

A Breslover chossid from Beitar Illit who was detained at the Ukrainian border and drafted into the country’s military will be transferred from a planned posting in the Kharkiv region to a medical position at a military hospital in Odessa, following intensive intervention by the city’s chief rabbi.
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Yonatan Karlinsky had faced weeks of uncertainty after being detained by Ukrainian authorities and conscripted into the military, with plans initially made to send him to Kharkiv, an area that has repeatedly come under Russian attack during the war.
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A breakthrough was reached Monday following behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts aimed at securing a safer assignment that would also allow Karlinsky to maintain his religious observance.
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Rav Avraham Wolff, Chief Rabbi of Odessa and Southern Ukraine and the longtime Chabad shaliach in the city, held discussions with senior Ukrainian military officials in an effort to have Karlinsky reassigned.
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Those efforts ultimately resulted in an agreement under which Karlinsky, who has medical training, will serve as a military doctor at a hospital in Odessa rather than being sent to the Kharkiv area.
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The new posting will place him close to Odessa’s established Jewish community, which has remained active throughout the war and will be able to assist him throughout his military service.
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Under the arrangement, Karlinsky will receive regular mehadrin kosher meals supplied by the Jewish community and will have access to a shul, mikvah and the community’s other religious facilities.
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The development brought considerable relief to Karlinsky’s family and associates, who had been deeply concerned about the possibility that he would be stationed near the front.
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“We thank the rabbi and the community from the bottom of our hearts for never giving up for a moment. The feeling is one of tremendous relief. Knowing that he will serve in a safe place, surrounded by a warm community that will take care of everything he needs, is everything we could have prayed for.”
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Karlinsky’s transfer to the hospital in Odessa is expected to take place in the coming days.

{Matzav.com}

A two-year-old boy suffered a horrific injury in Bnei Brak on Tuesday after placing his fingers into a running fan while his family was eating a Yom Tov meal in their sukkah, causing several of his fingers to be partially severed.

Family members immediately summoned emergency responders, and United Hatzalah volunteers rushed to the scene and began treating the child.

The medical team worked to control the bleeding and carefully bandaged the toddler’s badly injured hand before transporting him by ambulance to Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer.

United Hatzalah ambulance driver Chaim Yisroel Katz and medic Shmulik Lustig described what they were told had occurred.

“We were told that during the holiday meal in the family’s sukkah, the toddler put his fingers into a fan, causing them to be partially severed. We provided him with medical treatment that included stopping the bleeding and bandaging, and evacuated him to Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, where doctors will attempt to reattach his fingers.”

At the hospital, doctors began extensive treatment in an effort to repair the damaged fingers, preserve their function and minimize long-term damage.

United Hatzalah urged parents to take particular precautions with fans and other operating electrical appliances around young children, especially in crowded sukkahs where equipment may be positioned closer than usual to areas accessible to children.

A 15-year-old boy who was seriously wounded when a powerful explosive device detonated outside a home in Holon on Monday morning appears to have been an innocent bystander who happened to be sitting in a nearby sukkah, as police launched an intensive manhunt for a suspect with alleged ties to a major organized crime group.
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The blast rocked the Jessie Cohen neighborhood in the early morning hours, prompting a major response by Tel Aviv District Police and the district’s central investigative unit. Investigators believe the explosive device was connected to an underworld dispute and was intended for a criminal target who was not injured.
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Police are searching for a suspect who is known to authorities and is reportedly close to reputed crime boss Yossi Mosli. Investigators are attempting to determine his role in the incident and exactly what happened in the moments leading up to the explosion.
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According to a report by Ynet, investigators believe the explosion was caused by a pipe bomb placed or handled near the home of a relative of the intended target.
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The force of the explosion was so powerful that residents initially compared the sound to a missile impact.
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Witnesses reported unusual activity immediately afterward. According to their accounts, a person riding an electric scooter quickly arrived at the scene, picked up another individual known to police, and the two fled amid the confusion following the blast.
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Police have been searching for the suspect since the morning, while investigators examine the possibility that the explosion was a criminal “work accident” — an explosive device that detonated prematurely while those involved were preparing it for use against the intended target.
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The 15-year-old boy had no apparent connection to the criminal dispute. He was reportedly inside a sukkah near the site of the explosion when he was struck by the blast and flying shrapnel.
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The teenager suffered numerous penetrating injuries and was initially evacuated from the scene in serious condition. His condition was subsequently described as moderate as he continued receiving treatment at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon.
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Magen David Adom medic Noam Barazani described the teenager’s condition when emergency personnel reached him.
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“We saw the teenager conscious and suffering from serious injuries to his body. We provided him with lifesaving medical treatment and evacuated him in an MDA intensive care ambulance to the hospital in serious condition.”
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Residents said the explosion could easily have resulted in considerably more casualties. According to local accounts, a woman accompanied by three young children had passed through the area only minutes before the bomb exploded.
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Tel Aviv District Police Commander Maj. Gen. Haim Sargarof held continuing situation assessments as investigators searched for those involved and worked to determine whether the blast resulted from a prematurely detonated device.
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The Holon explosion came amid growing concern in Israel over increasingly powerful weapons being used in organized-crime disputes in residential areas, including fragmentation grenades and, in several recent cases, military-grade weapons such as LAW anti-tank rockets.

{Matzav.com}

Egypt repeatedly warned Israel in the months leading up to the October 7 massacre that the situation in Gaza was becoming dangerously unstable and that Hamas could be preparing for a major attack, according to a bombshell new Wall Street Journal report. Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has categorically denied receiving such a warning and has announced plans for legal action over the allegations.
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The report says Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel became increasingly concerned after earlier warnings failed to produce a significant change in Israel’s posture toward Gaza. According to officials familiar with the matter, Kamel ultimately contacted Netanyahu’s office in early October 2023 with a third warning, just days before Hamas launched its massive invasion of southern Israel.
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The first reported warning came in June 2023, when Egyptian officials cautioned their Israeli counterparts that conditions inside Gaza were deteriorating. Egypt urged Israel to reengage with Hamas over outstanding issues, including a possible prisoner arrangement.
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That warning was broad and did not contain intelligence about a specific planned Hamas operation.
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Egypt reportedly became considerably more concerned by September. Kamel traveled secretly to Israel late that month and warned senior officials that the situation in Gaza was approaching a dangerous point and could erupt.
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Flight records reportedly show an aircraft associated with Egyptian intelligence arriving at Ben Gurion Airport on September 26 and remaining in Israel for slightly more than an hour.
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One former Israeli official familiar with the Egyptian message characterized it this way: “If you don’t change course, Gaza is going to explode in your face.”
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The Egyptian warning reportedly did not include a date for an attack, identify specific targets or describe anything resembling the enormous scale of the assault Hamas ultimately carried out on October 7.
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Instead, Egypt was reportedly warning that Hamas and Gaza were moving toward a serious escalation and that Israel’s assessment of the situation was dangerously complacent.
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According to the Journal, after the September warning failed to alter Israel’s approach, Kamel grew increasingly alarmed and contacted Netanyahu’s office directly in early October. Egyptian officials reportedly continued raising concerns until approximately 48 hours before the massacre.
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That allegation is now at the center of a fierce dispute.
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Netanyahu says it simply did not happen.
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“In the months leading up to October 7, Prime Minister Netanyahu did not meet or speak with Abbas Kamel, who was then head of Egypt’s General Intelligence Service, and no Israeli intelligence official conveyed an Egyptian warning to the prime minister,” Netanyahu said.
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Netanyahu has instructed his attorneys to pursue a libel lawsuit over the allegations. His office has also maintained that meetings or conversations with foreign intelligence chiefs would ordinarily involve the appropriate Israeli intelligence officials and that no such contact with Kamel occurred.
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The Egyptian account has attracted additional attention because separate reports say officials in the United Arab Emirates were also becoming concerned about Hamas during the months preceding October 7.
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Arab intelligence services had reportedly noticed changes in the rhetoric of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, as well as an increase in meetings between Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
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According to the Journal, Emirati officials shared their concerns with Egypt and the United States, while UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed personally raised the issue with Netanyahu in September 2023.
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People familiar with that conversation reportedly said Netanyahu did not appear persuaded by the warning. As with the Egyptian intelligence, however, the purported Emirati warning reportedly contained no date, specific targets or details indicating that Hamas was about to launch an invasion on the scale of October 7.
​
Netanyahu has denied receiving an advance warning from the UAE as well.
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The controversy took another turn when Netanyahu traveled unexpectedly to Abu Dhabi this week for talks with bin Zayed. Reports subsequently claimed that Netanyahu wanted the Emirati leader to publicly deny that he had warned Israel about Hamas before October 7. Netanyahu’s office disputed that characterization of the visit.
​
Claims that Egypt warned Israel before the massacre first surfaced almost immediately after October 7.
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Just days after the attack, then-House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul said publicly that Egyptian officials had alerted Israel shortly before Hamas struck.
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“We know that Egypt had warned the Israelis three days prior that an event like this could happen,” McCaul said at the time.
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The latest reporting goes significantly further, describing a series of warnings stretching across several months and alleging direct involvement by Kamel at the highest levels.
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Netanyahu, meanwhile, has pointed to the actions of Israel’s own security chiefs during the critical hours immediately before the massacre.
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The prime minister maintains that then-Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Military Intelligence chief Aharon Haliva were aware of troubling indications during the night of October 6 and the early morning of October 7 but failed to adequately alert him or take the necessary steps on the ground.
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“Despite this, Ronen Bar decided not to call and update the prime minister, not to alert the civilian security squads and IDF forces in the field, not to evacuate the Nova festival—and instead only to send a small [elite counterterrorist] Tequila team (which proves that he knew there was a real danger),” Netanyahu said.
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Bar has strongly rejected Netanyahu’s version of events and announced that he intends to sue the prime minister for defamation.
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“After refusing for three years to acknowledge his responsibility and preventing, by every possible means, the establishment of a state commission of inquiry to which the public and bereaved families are entitled, he has begun selectively publishing documents in a manipulative manner and out of their proper context,” Bar said.
​
“Now, as testimony concerning warnings he received before the massacre is beginning to emerge,” he continued, “he is attempting to divert the blame away from himself by leveling accusations at those who warned him in real time.”
​
Bar has asserted that he warned Netanyahu of “impending disaster in an unprecedented manner, and that the prime minister ignored these warnings, as well as the recommendations to restore deterrence and strengthen the border.”
​
The new controversy comes after investigations into October 7 established a series of serious failures within Israel’s military and intelligence establishment before the massacre.
​
Israeli intelligence had obtained a Hamas document laying out a scenario for a massive cross-border assault but concluded that Hamas lacked the capability or intention to carry out such an operation at the time.
​
Female surveillance soldiers stationed along the Gaza border also repeatedly reported increasingly troubling Hamas training exercises and activity. Those warnings failed to overturn the prevailing assessment within the security establishment that Hamas was deterred and primarily interested in maintaining control of Gaza and securing economic improvements.

Dear Matzav Inbox, Every generation has its flex. You know, that thing you buy, drive, wear, attend or somehow manage to casually mention that lets everyone around you know: “I’ve made it.” It’s the unofficial status symbol of the moment. At this moment, my social media feed would suggest that the current flex is spending Yom Tov in Israel. There are the private apartments. The spectacular views. The Chol Hamoed gatherings. The sukkahs filled with the right people. Exclusive kumzitz gatherings. Name-brand singers. But above all, of course, the videos. Because if a famous singer sings in your sukkah and nobody posts it to WhatsApp status, did he actually sing? Predictably, people are complaining. Why does everyone have to post everything? What about families who couldn’t afford Israel? Or people struggling just to make Yom Tov? Why shove it in everyone else’s face? And technically, they have a point. But here’s the problem: there has always been a flex. A few years ago, it was the twelve-piece orchestra at the wedding. Before that, the leased Lexus. Then the Tesla. Custom suits. Exotic vacations. Summer homes. And please don’t tell me the older generation didn’t do this. When my parents were growing up, they had their flexes too. Having a videographer at your wedding was a flex. Having a hot Kiddush in shul was a flex (if you put kishka in the cholent, that was an instant double flex). And if you could play The Rabbis’ Sons in your living room on a Sony cassette player with stereo sound speakers? Congratulations. You had arrived. The technology changes. The income levels change. The toys get more expensive. The flex remains. Social media has certainly made it worse. Once upon a time, if your neighbor went somewhere magnificent for Yom Tov, you had to wait until after Yom Tov and actually speak to him before becoming jealous. Now you can become jealous in real time. From your couch. As you scroll the feed. While eating leftover kishka. But getting angry at people for flexing probably isn’t going to accomplish much. People like status. People like recognition. Every society, including frum society, develops its own way of saying, “Baruch Hashem, I’ve arrived.” So perhaps instead of constantly asking, “Why are they posting this?” we need to occasionally ask, “Why is their posting it bothering me so much?” Because there will always be somebody with more. A nicer house. A bigger wedding. A better vacation. A famous singer in the sukkah on a luxurious marble porch overlooking Jerusalem. The craziest part of all? In ten years from now, the Israel apartment may not even impress anybody. Maybe the next flex will be spending Sukkos on the moon with Elon Musk, complete with a private sukkah, a triple-decker meat board, and a name-brand singer flown in by SpaceX. And somebody back on Earth will complain that posting it is insensitive to families who couldn’t afford the lunar package. The flex will change. Human nature probably won’t. Our job isn’t to stop everyone else from having or showing what they have. Maybe it’s simply to teach ourselves, and our kids, to look at what we have and be genuinely happy with it. Sincerely, L.A.B.

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Somewhere this morning, a mother watched a bus turn the corner and has been thinking about her child ever since…

At a quarter past eight, a mother stands on her front step in her slippers and watches the bus turn the corner at the end of the street. She waves until the little hand in the back window disappears, and then she goes inside and gets on with her day, or at least she tries to. She answers emails, pays a bill, folds a load, puts a pot on for supper, and every so often, without quite meaning to, she glances at her phone. Hoping, wondering, praying that her child arrived safely. 

Because nobody sends off a child and simply stops thinking about them.

Across town, you are doing the same thing for every child on every bus at once. That is the part of this job that nobody sees, and it is why we built Tendi.

We know that feeling because we have run daycares ourselves. We stood at the door with a clipboard as the buses pulled in, counting small heads under winter hats. We have picked up the phone to a father who just wanted to hear that his son ate his lunch, and we have sat up past midnight with the CACFP claim and a pile of crumpled meal sheets. Since July, thirty-two more daycares have joined us, because it turns out almost every owner remembers those nights too.

So Tendi begins where your worry begins, with the bus. The moment a child climbs those tall steps, Tendi knows, and if she doesn’t make it from the bus into her classroom, you know within minutes, while there is every chance to act. Nobody has to pin anything to her coat or tuck anything into her knapsack, because there is nothing for a child to wear, carry, or lose. And when someone comes through your door, a single tap tells you exactly who is in the building, so the picture in your head matches the one in front of you.

Then the day unfolds, and the mother on her front step hears about it without having to ask. She gets a message or a call when her daughter arrives, another when she is on her way home, and if there was a scraped knee at recess, it is already written down, calmly and properly, for whenever she wants to read it. And while all of this is happening, the CACFP claim builds itself, one lunch and snack at a time.

The whole day on one screen. Every family who trusts you with a child gets to stay close to their day, and you get to be the one who keeps them there,making sure everyone and everything is safe. 

Book a walkthrough at mytendi.com and see what it feels like to have the whole day on one screen.

​
Iran’s mysterious Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen or heard publicly since taking power more than six months ago, issued another written statement Monday praising Iranian women for their role in defending the Islamic Republic and claiming that more than 30 million Iranians are prepared to sacrifice their lives for the regime.
​
The message, released by Iranian state media to mark Sacred Defense Week commemorating the Iran-Iraq War, again provided no video, photograph or audio recording of Khamenei. Since succeeding his father, Ali Khamenei, in March, the younger Khamenei has yet to make a single confirmed public appearance or deliver a recorded address.
​
His extraordinary absence has fueled persistent speculation inside and outside Iran about his health, whereabouts and the extent to which he is personally exercising power. Iranian officials have maintained that Khamenei is alive, healthy and carrying out his duties, with his absence from public view attributed to security concerns amid the ongoing war with the United States and Israel.
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Khamenei succeeded his father after Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening American and Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28. Yet even after being elevated to the most powerful position in the Islamic Republic, Mojtaba Khamenei has remained entirely out of sight.
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He has communicated with the Iranian public almost exclusively through written statements attributed to him by state media, including messages thanking Iranians for supporting the regime, threatening Iran’s enemies and vowing continued resistance against President Donald Trump and Israel.
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Monday’s statement followed that pattern, although it included unusually extensive praise for Iranian women and portrayed them as crucial participants in the Islamic Republic’s struggle against its enemies.
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Referring to public demonstrations of support for Iran during the war, Khamenei claimed that “our compatriots have adorned the public squares and streets throughout the country with their enthusiastic, responsible presence, warming the hearts of those fighting for Islam while striking fear into the enemy.”
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“Over 30 million Iranians have declared their willingness to sacrifice their lives,” he claimed. “Today, there are various declarations of readiness throughout Islamic Iran, particularly for armed participation, creating an arena in which our people will gain honor and their enemy disgrace.”
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Khamenei then specifically singled out Iranian women, asserting that their support for the Islamic Republic has in some respects eclipsed that of men.
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“There were days when the heroic spirit of the people of this land was recognized through its men. But today, we live in times where women surpass men in several arenas with their courageous presence,” his statement continued.
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The comments came after years in which Iranian women have frequently been at the forefront of demonstrations against the Islamic Republic, particularly over the regime’s mandatory hijab laws and restrictions on women.
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The most prominent uprising before the massive protests that erupted late last year was the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement that followed the September 2022 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. The Kurdish-Iranian woman died after being detained by Iran’s morality police for allegedly violating the country’s mandatory hijab rules.
​
Her death triggered months of nationwide demonstrations, with women publicly removing and burning their head coverings and protesters directly challenging the authority of the Islamic Republic.
​
Iranian security forces responded with a deadly crackdown. Hundreds of people were killed during the 2022 uprising, thousands were arrested, and several protesters were subsequently executed.
​
The regime later continued its efforts to enforce mandatory hijab requirements. In 2024, Iranian officials announced plans for a “hijab removal treatment clinic” offering “psychological treatment” to women who resisted the head-covering requirement, prompting alarm from human-rights advocates who pointed to Iran’s history of using psychiatric institutions and psychological abuse against dissidents.
​
Far larger protests erupted again beginning in late December 2025 as Iran’s currency collapsed and inflation and economic hardship intensified.
​
The demonstrations rapidly expanded beyond economic grievances into widespread opposition to the government. Security forces responded with what international human-rights organizations described as an unprecedented campaign of lethal repression, including the use of rifles and shotguns against protesters and bystanders.
​
The precise death toll remains heavily disputed because Iranian authorities imposed severe internet restrictions and prevented independent scrutiny of the crackdown. Human Rights Watch said thousands were believed to have been killed, while Amnesty International described January 2026 as the deadliest period of Iranian state repression it had documented in decades.
​
A U.S.-based Iranian human-rights organization independently verified nearly 4,000 deaths during the unrest, while other opposition-linked reporting has placed the toll dramatically higher, including estimates exceeding 35,000. Those higher figures have not been independently confirmed.
​
Against that backdrop, Khamenei’s declaration that Iranian women are demonstrating exceptional devotion to the Islamic Republic presented a sharply different picture from the anti-government activism in which Iranian women have played a prominent role.
​
The broader statement looked back at the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War, which Iran officially calls the First Imposed War. Khamenei blamed outside powers for attempting to weaken the Islamic Republic and portrayed Iran’s survival of that conflict as evidence that the regime emerges stronger from military confrontation.
​
“The Islamic system rose like a phoenix, more vigorous and stronger than before, and with a more resounding voice and loftier flight,” he said of that war.
​
“I, as a servant of the dear people of Iran, declare that those bygone days to which our enemy longs to return have passed and will never be repeated,” Khamenei continued. “For the phoenix that arose from the ashes of the First Imposed War has now, under the pressure of enemy hostilities and particularly the two recent Imposed Wars, grown so majestic that the shadow of its flight now extends over the lands of the enemy as well.”
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Khamenei also used the message to threaten continued Iranian action against American and allied forces around the Strait of Hormuz and Arabian Sea.
​
Iranian accounts of the statement said Khamenei claimed hostile naval forces once operated freely in waters south of Iran but now feared approaching because of attacks by Iranian forces. He predicted that Western forces would ultimately be pushed out of the Arabian Sea entirely.
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The message was also timed to coincide with the second anniversary of the death of longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on September 27, 2024. Khamenei praised Nasrallah and the Iran-backed regional alliance that Tehran calls the “Axis of Resistance.”
​
Khamenei’s own continued disappearance, meanwhile, has become increasingly conspicuous as the war drags on.
​
He did not attend his father’s funeral even though other members of the Khamenei family appeared publicly. He has also remained unseen during major religious, political and military events at which an Iranian supreme leader would traditionally play a highly visible role.
​
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other officials have insisted that Khamenei continues to hold private meetings and direct the government. No independently verifiable image or recording from those purported meetings has been made public.

​
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s administration is facing criticism over a city-run program that provides immigrant residents with $575 scholarships to complete a 10-week course in civic engagement, community organizing and advocacy, while U.S.-born Bostonians are not eligible to participate.
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The program, Immigrants Lead Boston, is administered by the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement and is intended to develop what the city describes as emerging leaders within Boston’s immigrant communities.
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Under the eligibility requirements for the current program, applicants must be Boston residents, at least 18 years old and immigrants. They must also be proficient in English, Spanish or Haitian Creole and commit approximately four hours per week to the program.
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Because participants must be immigrants, U.S.-born residents of Boston are excluded from applying for the program, regardless of how long they have lived in the city or whether they otherwise meet the requirements.
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The city explicitly states that applicants do not need to have a particular legal immigration status to qualify.
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“Interested applicants are encouraged to apply regardless of their immigration status.”
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That means undocumented immigrants are eligible to apply alongside legal permanent residents, refugees and other immigrants, although applicants are not automatically admitted and must be selected for the program.
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Those chosen for the fall 2026 class are participating in a course running from September 21 through December 5. Participants who complete the required sessions, projects and activities receive a $575 scholarship at the conclusion of the program.
​
The city describes the payment as compensation recognizing the time participants devote to the course and says the money is intended to ensure that residents who might otherwise be unable to make the commitment can participate.
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“The scholarship rewards participants for their time and commitment to learn, lead, and advocate for their communities. Because not every resident can make this commitment without support, this scholarship ensures equitable access to government for all residents.”
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The curriculum includes instruction on civic engagement and community organizing, interacting with Boston government officials, developing leadership teams, public speaking and using personal stories to advance community goals.
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“Classes cover organizing, public narrative, city government, immigration history, racism, and equity,” according to the New Bedford Guide.
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Participants are also expected to engage in civic activities during the course and use the skills and relationships they develop to advocate on issues affecting immigrant communities.
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The program’s stated goal is to teach participants how Boston’s government works, help them establish relationships with city officials and develop their ability to organize and advocate on behalf of their communities.
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Immigrants Lead Boston is not a new initiative created specifically for 2026. It began in 2020 under then-Mayor Marty Walsh and has continued under Wu, with successive classes of immigrant residents completing the program.
​
The 2025 class consisted of 28 participants representing 16 countries and 16 Boston neighborhoods and speaking 15 languages. The 2024 cohort included 27 participants from 14 countries and nine Boston neighborhoods.
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For the 2026 program, the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement partnered with the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, known as MIRA, one of New England’s largest immigrant advocacy organizations.
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MIRA has advocated for numerous immigration-related policies in Massachusetts, including limits on cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and government support for legal representation for immigrants facing deportation.
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The organization’s participation has contributed to criticism from opponents who argue that Immigrants Lead Boston goes beyond ordinary educational programming and amounts to taxpayer-supported training for political and community activism.
​
Past graduates have used skills developed through the program to advocate on public-policy issues. Alumni have described involvement in campaigns involving Massachusetts driver’s licenses for people regardless of immigration status, housing issues and rent-control efforts.
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The program itself, however, is structured around civic engagement and advocacy rather than partisan electoral activity. Its publicly stated curriculum does not direct participants to support a particular political party or candidate.
​
Boston’s own descriptions of previous classes emphasize advocacy and community organizing. Participants have been encouraged to learn how local government operates, communicate with city officials and become active on issues affecting their communities.
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The city has also highlighted alumni who went on to become more deeply involved in Boston civic life. Information published about an earlier class noted that at least one participant subsequently joined a board and two others became interested in potentially running for City Council.
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The financial support connected with Immigrants Lead Boston has also expanded beyond the individual $575 scholarships.
​
In 2025, the city introduced Community Action Project grants allowing participants to work with community-based organizations on projects serving Boston’s immigrant communities.
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Organizations participating in those projects could seek grants of up to $10,000, with the projects required to fall within categories including civic engagement, economic development, education, access to services, community leadership and public safety.
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The $10,000 grants were not individual cash awards to every Immigrants Lead Boston participant. They were project grants involving participants and community organizations, a distinction that has sometimes been blurred in criticism of the program.
​
Boston has also substantially increased broader spending aimed at immigrant residents. Earlier this year, the Wu administration announced approximately $4.5 million in combined public and private funding for immigrant services, including legal assistance, citizenship services, workforce programs and other initiatives.

{Matzav.com}

​House Speaker Mike Johnson said Monday that China is helping fuel the growing American backlash against artificial intelligence data centers, describing the campaign against the massive facilities as a “Chinese psyop” as the issue becomes increasingly prominent ahead of the midterm elections.
​
Johnson made the remarks during an appearance on Fox Business after host Cheryl Casone said she had heard from technology executives and lawmakers who believe China is encouraging American opposition to data centers.
​
“This is what Democrats do. Every election cycle they find something to glom onto and say that this is doom and gloom and everyone will die if we don’t win,” Johnson said. “Don’t buy it. This is a Chinese psyop. I really believe that. That’s not a conspiracy theory.”
​
The controversy comes as artificial intelligence data centers have emerged as a significant political and local issue across the United States. The enormous facilities require vast amounts of electricity, considerable amounts of water for cooling in some configurations, and large tracts of land, prompting opposition in communities considering proposed projects.
​
There is evidence that China-linked actors have sought to amplify American concerns about data centers and artificial intelligence. Researchers and technology companies have identified foreign influence efforts involving online messaging about the environmental, economic and energy consequences of America’s AI expansion.
​
President Trump has also raised the possibility of Chinese involvement in the backlash, saying earlier this month that he had heard claims that Beijing was attempting to encourage American resistance to data center construction.
​
Other administration officials and Republican lawmakers have raised similar concerns, arguing that China has a strategic interest in slowing the expansion of American artificial intelligence infrastructure while aggressively developing its own AI capabilities.
​
At the same time, researchers who have studied foreign influence operations say the evidence does not establish that China created the opposition to data centers. Instead, they say foreign actors appear to be attempting to exploit and magnify concerns that already exist among Americans.
​
Jessica Brandt, who previously served in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and is now a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, has drawn that distinction.
​
“Foreign actors aren’t manufacturing American debates over the future of A.I., they are exploiting them,” said Brandt, adding that the goal was to “deepen our divisions in order to dent our appeal and weaken us from within.”
​
Brandt has also cautioned against assuming that the existence of a foreign influence operation proves that it has successfully shaped American public opinion.
​
“That’s what they do — work to amplify splits that already exist in our society. Evidence of an attempt is not evidence of success,” she said. “Their goal is to divide us, distract us, and prevent us from playing a forward-leaning role in the world that might constrain their interests.”
​
Polling has shown substantial domestic opposition to having data centers constructed in local communities.
​
A Gallup survey conducted earlier this year found that 71 percent of Americans somewhat or strongly opposed construction of an AI data center in their area, including 48 percent who were strongly opposed. By comparison, 53 percent opposed construction of a nuclear power plant nearby.
​
“A Gallup poll in May found that 71 percent of Americans were somewhat or strongly opposed to having a data center built near them, almost 20 percentage points higher than those who opposed construction of a nearby nuclear power plant,” reported the Times.
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“Many have broad concerns about the effects of A.I. on jobs and the climate, while people who live near data centers complain they are eyesores and emit annoying sounds. Some cities and counties have enacted temporary or permanent moratoriums on new construction,” it added.
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More recent polling has found similarly widespread resistance. An August survey from the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center found that 61 percent of Americans opposed construction of new data centers in their area, an increase of 12 percentage points from earlier in the year.
​
That opposition crossed party lines, with 69 percent of Democrats, 54 percent of Republicans and 53 percent of independents saying they opposed new data centers in their communities.
​
A separate Economist/YouGov survey found nearly two-thirds of Americans opposed construction of data centers in their own communities.
​
The reasons cited by opponents extend well beyond broader concerns about artificial intelligence itself. Gallup found that Americans worried about water and electricity consumption, environmental consequences, noise, increased utility bills, traffic, land use and changes to local quality of life.
​
The opposition has already affected proposed projects around the country. Data Center Watch reported that nearly 120 data center developments were blocked or delayed across the United States during a six-month period.
​
Local governments in numerous communities have imposed moratoriums or additional restrictions while officials consider the impact that enormous data centers could have on electrical grids, water supplies, property values and infrastructure.
​
The controversy is particularly consequential because the United States and China are locked in an intensifying competition over artificial intelligence.
​
Supporters of rapid data center construction argue that the facilities are essential infrastructure for training and operating increasingly powerful AI systems, and that restricting their development could weaken America’s ability to compete technologically with Beijing.
​
Opponents counter that the strategic importance of artificial intelligence does not eliminate legitimate concerns about what enormous computing facilities could mean for communities required to host them.
​
Darren Linvill, a Clemson University professor and co-director of its media forensics hub, has said China maintains an extensive propaganda apparatus but that researchers have not found evidence of an unusual concentration of Chinese state-media activity specifically targeting American data centers.
​
“China has an extensive state media apparatus that they use for a range of propaganda and influence operations, but we don’t see a particular focus on this issue from Chinese state media,” Linvill said. “Chinese state media mostly wants to talk about how great Chinese AI technology is, which is typical of their purpose.”

{Matzav.com}