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President Donald Trump paid tribute today to the 18 American military personnel killed in the war against Iran, telling a campaign rally in Tennessee that their sacrifice helped prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons and declaring that the United States had achieved a critical national security objective despite the loss of American lives.

Speaking ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, Trump reflected on his meetings with the families of fallen servicemembers, describing those encounters as among the most painful duties he has faced as president.

“We lost 18 great people [in the Iran war]. I got to know their families. I met most of them, the families. And always the hardest thing that I have to do is go and meet the families of heroes. I call them heroes. But we lost 18. We have wounded, but we’ve stopped them from having a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.

Trump: We lost 18. We have wounded, but we've stopped them from having a nuclear weapon. You want to see people wounded and killed, let these lunatics have a nuclear weapon. You'll see. You'll see what would happen. We achieved something that was incredible. You can’t let a total… pic.twitter.com/LWfuFlJqaC

— Acyn (@Acyn) October 10, 2026

The president defended the military campaign by arguing that allowing Iran to acquire nuclear weapons would have exposed Americans and American allies to a far greater threat. He portrayed the operation as a necessary step to prevent a potentially devastating future confrontation.

“You want to see wounded? You want to see people wounded and killed? Let these lunatics have a nuclear weapon. You’ll see, you’ll see what would happen. What we did, we achieved something that was incredible.”

Trump acknowledged the human cost of the conflict while insisting that the deaths of the American servicemembers had not been meaningless. He expressed confidence that the campaign had permanently prevented Iran from becoming a nuclear-armed power, although the ultimate condition of Tehran’s nuclear capabilities remains a central issue in ongoing negotiations.

“Now, 18 is too many. I don’t want to lose any. But we have stopped them from having a nuclear weapon, I believe, for all time. And we lost 18. Those young people did not die in vain. That was a big thing, because you can’t let lunatics have nuclear weapons. You just can’t let a total lunatic or a group of lunatics have nuclear weapons,” Trump stated.

The president also warned that Tehran might take additional provocative steps as the American elections approach. He suggested that Iranian leaders could attempt to exploit the political calendar but maintained that Washington possessed the military capability to bring the confrontation to a swift conclusion.

He predicted that Iran will “probably do a little bit extra before the election thinking it’s going to hurt us, but we could end it really quick. They don’t know how nice I’ve been to them.”

The remarks came two days after Trump announced that the United States would refrain from launching additional attacks against Iran before the November 3 congressional elections, even as the administration continued diplomatic contacts aimed at ending the war.

“We are having productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Trump wrote Thursday on Truth Social.

The announcement represented a temporary restraint on further American military action rather than a broader agreement to end hostilities. Washington has continued to press Tehran over its nuclear program, while Iran has resisted American demands concerning uranium enrichment.

Trump has described Iran as suffering severe economic and military pressure from the conflict and has maintained that the United States is negotiating from a position of strength.

At a White House event Friday, the president predicted that the confrontation would be resolved in the near future, whether through diplomacy or additional military operations. He also linked a potential conclusion of the war to relief from elevated gasoline prices.

“We stopped Iran from having a nuclear weapon – and the [gas] prices will come tumbling [down] and it’s gonna be over soon, one way or the other,” Trump stated.

He added, “We can do it either way, but it’s very simple – one way or another it’s gonna be over soon.”

Meanwhile, reports of additional American military preparations have continued despite Trump’s announcement that no new strikes would take place before the elections.

Military planners have reportedly examined options for attacks against Iranian missile installations, drone production sites and other strategic facilities. Some proposals envision a concentrated offensive lasting approximately three days, although no final decision to launch such an operation has been announced.

Vice President JD Vance, in an interview with Reuters earlier this week, made clear that the administration would require substantial concessions on Iran’s nuclear program before accepting an agreement to end the conflict.

Vance specifically challenged Tehran’s continued production of uranium enriched to 60%, a level far beyond what is generally required for civilian nuclear power generation.

“If you don’t want a nuclear weapon, then why do you need 60% enriched fuel? And if you want to show commitment to not building a nuclear ⁠weapon, don’t build highly enriched fuel. That’s a very basic threshold issue,” Vance said.

“I think if they want to show a commitment to not building a nuclear weapon, they would do something meaningful on their enrichment capacity.”

The vice president emphasized that Washington would judge Iran’s intentions by verifiable changes to its nuclear activities rather than diplomatic assurances.

“We’re not going to trade words for actions,” Vance told Reuters.

{Matzav.com}

Agudath Israel of America applauds Governor Kathy Hochul for announcing on Friday afternoon that, after reviewing the new regulations, New York State will opt in to the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit.

This decision will, in the governor’s words, “bring millions of additional dollars to New York students and families without taking a single dollar from public schools or our state or local budgets.”

Governor Hochul’s announcement follows her promise to a group of Jewish leaders back in May that New York would participate in the tax credit if it benefited all students, including those attending public schools. Since that meeting, which took place in the office of Agudah chairman Sol Werdiger, Governor Hochul has only reiterated her view that she would not leave money on the table that can help New York students, despite political pressure from opponents.

“Opting in is good for all New Yorkers. We thank Governor Hochul for putting students before politics.” said Agudath Israel’s chairman of the board, Mr. Sol Werdiger. “We now urge the remaining governors to follow her lead.”

“Agudah was at the forefront of the successful advocacy effort that led to the passage of the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit and worked with allies in New York to make it a reality for families in our state.” said Rabbi Yeruchim Silber, Agudah’s Director of NY Government Relations. “Agudah extends its sincere appreciation to the NYS Catholic Conference, Teach NYS, Invest in Education, and the tens of thousands of parents and supporters who spoke out in support of this game-changing policy.

The Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC) allows taxpayers to contribute up to $1,700 ($3,400 for a married couple filing jointly) to a scholarship granting organization and receive a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit. Scholarships can be used for tutoring, special needs services, and tuition, among many allowable uses. To learn more, go to agudah.org/FSTC.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, delivered a forceful response to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani today, declaring that federal immigration agents will continue operating throughout New York City and New York State regardless of the mayor’s demands to halt immigration enforcement following a controversial ICE shooting.

Homan’s remarks came after Mamdani called for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be removed from the city following Thursday’s shooting of a 28-year-old Dominican immigrant during a federal enforcement operation in the Marble Hill neighborhood, near the Bronx.

“He can scream and yell ALL HE WANTS. He’s NOT gonna stop us from doing this job,” Homan declared.

“I don’t know what color the SKY is in Mamdani’s world, but ICE ISN’T GOING ANYWHERE!” he continued.

“We’re gonna be in New York City, we’re gonna be in New York State, we’re gonna KEEP enforcing the law — that’s why President Trump is in the OVAL OFFICE.”

The response underscored the escalating confrontation between the Trump administration and Mamdani over the federal government’s immigration enforcement operations in New York, where the mayor has repeatedly condemned ICE tactics and demanded an end to the agency’s activities.

The latest dispute began Thursday afternoon when ICE agents attempted to apprehend a man in Marble Hill. During the confrontation, a federal agent opened fire on the man’s vehicle, striking him in the neck while his five-year-old son was seated inside.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at least one federal agent fired seven rounds during the encounter. The child was not physically injured and was subsequently placed in the care of a family member.

The wounded man was transported to NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital for treatment before being taken back into federal custody.

Federal authorities identified the man as Oscar Belgal, a Dominican national with a criminal record who was wanted for immigration enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security alleged that he had ties to the Trinitarios gang, although that allegation has not been independently verified.

According to federal officials, Belgal attempted to escape arrest and struck two ICE vehicles during the encounter. The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation, including what prompted the agent to discharge his weapon.

Mamdani responded with an unusually sharp denunciation of federal immigration authorities, accusing ICE of endangering residents and demanding that its agents leave the city.

“This is an unconscionable and incredibly serious situation,” the mayor said in a statement issued Thursday.

“I have called the President; when we speak I will demand that he ends all ICE enforcement actions in our city. I will not stand by while ICE agents terrorize our communities.”

He concluded the statement with a series of demands:

“Get ICE out of our neighborhoods. Get ICE out of our hospitals. Get ICE off our streets. Get ICE away from our children.”

“Abolish ICE.”

At a subsequent news conference near the scene of the shooting, Mamdani intensified his criticism, describing the federal agency as fundamentally flawed.

“We know that ICE is rotten to its core,” the mayor declared.

Mamdani also questioned the tactics used by agents during the operation, including their reported use of masks, plainclothes and construction-style vests. He argued that such methods made it difficult for residents to identify the individuals approaching them as federal law enforcement officers.

The mayor said he had spoken directly with Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin in an effort to secure Belgal’s release from federal custody.

Those discussions were unsuccessful.

Mamdani subsequently told reporters that federal authorities had removed the wounded man from the hospital in an unmarked vehicle, despite his administration’s objections.

The Department of Homeland Security defended the operation and pointed to Belgal’s previous encounters with law enforcement.

Federal officials said he had been arrested by the NYPD in December 2023 and subsequently released. DHS cited the case in criticizing New York’s sanctuary policies, although its public statement did not establish that those policies had caused his release.

The agency acknowledged that an ICE officer fired his weapon and that Belgal was injured. It said officers provided medical assistance and that the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations were involved in examining the incident.

DHS did not initially provide a detailed public explanation of the precise circumstances that prompted the officer to fire.

The shooting also triggered protests in New York, with demonstrators demanding accountability from federal immigration authorities and an end to ICE operations in residential neighborhoods.

Several prominent Democratic officials, including Governor Kathy Hochul and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, criticized the federal operation.

The controversy has also intensified divisions within Mamdani’s political coalition, with socialist activists demanding that NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch take stronger action against federal immigration enforcement.

Some of those activists have called for Tisch’s removal, accusing the NYPD of assisting federal agents during the aftermath of the shooting. Tisch has said city police did not participate in the ICE operation and responded only after the gunfire.

Homan’s response made clear that the administration has no intention of allowing the mayor’s opposition to determine where federal immigration officers can operate.

While New York City’s sanctuary policies restrict certain forms of cooperation between local authorities and federal immigration officials, they do not give the mayor the authority to prohibit ICE from enforcing federal immigration law within city limits.

Homan said the administration would continue its enforcement activities in both New York City and the rest of the state, regardless of Mamdani’s objections.

Phil Gordon, who served as Vice President Kamala Harris’s national security adviser during the Biden administration, has accused Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of delaying a hostage-release agreement with Hamas by six months in 2024, alleging that the Israeli leader introduced new demands that prevented an earlier deal and left Israeli captives in Gaza, where several were subsequently murdered.

In a lengthy statement published today, Gordon claimed that Hamas had accepted the basic framework of an American-backed agreement in July 2024, only for Netanyahu to insist on additional conditions that made an agreement impossible until January 2025.

Gordon’s allegations follow explosive claims made earlier this week by Netanyahu’s former military secretary, Avi Gil, who accused the prime minister of passing up opportunities to secure the release of hostages because of political considerations.

The former American official argued that an agreement could have been reached months earlier if Netanyahu had accepted the framework being negotiated at the time, and suggested that the delay contributed to the deaths of Israeli hostages who might otherwise have returned home alive.

Gordon’s intervention also exposed disagreements among senior officials who served in the Biden administration over responsibility for the prolonged negotiations and whether Washington should have applied greater pressure on Israel to end the fighting.

The immediate trigger for Gordon’s comments was the publication of a new book by Brett McGurk, a senior Biden administration Middle East adviser who played a central role in negotiating the eventual hostage agreement.

Gordon accused Netanyahu’s supporters of selectively using McGurk’s account to defend the prime minister’s wartime decisions.

“Netanyahu supporters seem to be taking advantage of Brett McGurk’s book and interviews to claim vindication for Netanyahu’s conduct of the war in Gaza,” Gordon wrote on X.

“But while Brett’s front-row account is valuable, that doesn’t mean it is definitive or its perspectives widely shared — including among former members of the Biden administration,” he continued.

Gordon pointed specifically to a July 4, 2024, telephone conversation between President Joe Biden and Netanyahu, which he said represented a critical moment in the negotiations.

According to Gordon, Hamas had finally agreed to the central framework of a proposed exchange, abandoning its previous insistence that Israel commit to a permanent ceasefire before any hostages were released.

“Brett tells the story of the Biden phone call after [Israel’s accidental strike on a convoy for World Central Kitchen], but not the story of how Biden called Netanyahu on July 4, 2024, to press him to conclude the hostage deal after Hamas had finally accepted the basic framework, dropping its demand that Israel commit to a permanent ceasefire before any hostages were released,” Gordon wrote.

He alleged that Netanyahu responded by introducing additional Israeli conditions, despite objections from senior Israeli security officials.

“Netanyahu instead added so many of his own conditions — against the advice of his own security chiefs — that the deal became impossible for another six months, during which nearly 9,000 more Palestinians were killed and more Israeli hostages died, including the six that Hamas executed in August,” Gordon stated.

The six hostages Gordon referenced were Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Almog Sarusi, Ori Danino and Alexander Lobanov, whose bodies were recovered from a tunnel in Rafah in late August 2024 after they were murdered by Hamas terrorists.

Gordon’s claim that an earlier agreement could have saved their lives is an assessment of what might have happened had negotiations succeeded in July, rather than an established finding about the outcome of a proposed agreement.

Gordon identified two specific Israeli demands that he said were responsible for preventing an agreement during the summer of 2024.

The first involved Netanyahu’s insistence that Israeli forces remain along the Philadelphi Corridor, the narrow strip of territory running along Gaza’s border with Egypt. Israel had taken control of the corridor during its military offensive in Rafah, after the original hostage agreement framework had been presented.

Netanyahu argued at the time that maintaining control of the corridor was essential to preventing Hamas from rebuilding its military capabilities through weapons smuggling from Egypt.

The second demand concerned the Netzarim Corridor, an Israeli-controlled route dividing northern and southern Gaza. Netanyahu wanted a mechanism to screen Palestinians returning to northern Gaza to prevent armed Hamas terrorists from moving back into areas cleared by the IDF.

Gordon maintained that both requirements complicated the negotiations and were eventually abandoned when Israel agreed to the January 2025 arrangement.

“The Israeli changes included a demand that Israel retain forces along Gaza’s entire border with Egypt, which the IDF had seized only after the original proposal, and a new enforcement mechanism to screen Gazans who were returning home to the north which would have required Israeli troops to remain in central Gaza. Both of those new conditions were dropped in the deal ultimately concluded in January 2025,” Gordon wrote.

His account differs in important respects from the version presented by McGurk, who has emphasized Hamas’s refusal to agree to key provisions during the negotiations.

In an October 4 interview with CBS News, McGurk described the fundamental disagreement between Israel and Hamas as one of the central obstacles to reaching a ceasefire.

He explained that Hamas wanted to retain control of Gaza and secure the release of Palestinian prisoners, while Israel insisted that the terrorist organization could no longer govern the territory following the October 7 massacre.

McGurk said Netanyahu believed sustained military pressure would ultimately force Hamas to accept an agreement favorable to Israel, while Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar calculated that prolonging the conflict would increase international pressure on Israel.

According to McGurk, negotiations continued to encounter major obstacles in December 2024, including Hamas’s refusal to provide an acceptable list of living hostages who would be released under the proposed agreement.

McGurk described a meeting with Netanyahu in December in which the prime minister agreed to a central provision of the deal, contingent on Hamas accepting the proposed list of 33 hostages.

Hamas subsequently indicated that only 12 of those hostages would be released alive, according to McGurk, creating another major obstacle.

The negotiations ultimately produced an agreement in January 2025, shortly before Trump returned to the White House. Representatives of both the outgoing Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration participated in the final diplomatic effort.

McGurk has credited the involvement of Trump’s incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, with helping overcome remaining disagreements.

Gordon, however, argued that McGurk’s account should not be treated as the definitive interpretation of the negotiations or of the Biden administration’s handling of the war.

He said many former Biden administration officials believed Washington should have adopted a tougher approach toward Israel and pressed for an earlier conclusion to the fighting.

“I would say most of my former colleagues think that President Biden should have put more pressure on Israel to conduct the war differently and end it sooner,” Gordon wrote.

He added that few of his former colleagues believed Biden’s principal mistake had been publicly disagreeing with Netanyahu.

The accusations emerged just two days after Avi Gil, who served as Netanyahu’s military secretary from July 2021 until May 2024, made a series of allegations concerning the prime minister’s conduct before and after the October 7 massacre.

In an interview broadcast Thursday on Israel’s Channel 12, Gil alleged that Netanyahu had prioritized political considerations when making decisions about hostage negotiations.

Asked whether some hostages who died in captivity could have been brought home alive, and whether surviving hostages could have been released earlier, Gil responded, “We could have.”

Gil suggested that Netanyahu had been influenced by pressure from coalition partners who opposed ceasefire agreements and favored continuing the military campaign against Hamas.

His interview also included allegations concerning warnings Netanyahu received before October 7 and purported attempts by members of the Prime Minister’s Office to alter records relating to the morning of the attack.

Netanyahu’s Likud party strongly rejected Gil’s accusations, describing the interview as “part of the false and politically motivated propaganda campaign against Prime Minister Netanyahu and Likud.”

The prime minister has consistently maintained that Israel’s military operations were necessary to dismantle Hamas’s military and governing capabilities and to increase pressure on the terrorist organization to release the hostages.

He has also argued that agreements must prevent Hamas from rearming and returning to power, warning that concessions without adequate security guarantees could leave Israel vulnerable to another October 7-style attack.

Israel has sharply condemned the decision to award the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize to Navi Pillay, the South African jurist who headed a United Nations investigation accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza, with the Foreign Ministry denouncing the selection as a disgraceful misuse of the prestigious award and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu accusing the Nobel Committee of abandoning its moral principles.

The fierce Israeli reaction followed Friday’s announcement that Pillay, a former judge at the International Criminal Court and longtime United Nations human rights official, had been selected for the honor. Her role in advancing allegations of genocide against Israel immediately became the focus of criticism from Israeli officials, who accused the Norwegian Nobel Committee of rewarding an individual responsible for spreading false and inflammatory claims about the Jewish state.

In a blistering statement published on X, Israel’s Foreign Ministry accused Pillay of participating in a sustained campaign to vilify Israel and questioned how someone with her record could receive an award intended to recognize contributions to peace.

“If there were an award for lies, hatred, and blood libels, Navi Pillay wouldn’t just be a contender. She’d be a frontrunner,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry wrote.

“Her role in the relentless, politically motivated demonization of Israel and promotion of the genoLIE speaks volumes.”

The ministry maintained that the decision represented a fundamental betrayal of the purpose of the Nobel Peace Prize, arguing that the committee had used the award to lend legitimacy to accusations against Israel that the Israeli government categorically rejects.

“Awarding Pillay the Nobel Peace Prize isn’t a recognition of justice. It’s the grotesque weaponization of an award to legitimize anti-Israel hatred and prejudice,” the statement continued.

Israeli officials went even further in their condemnation, drawing a comparison to the propaganda machinery of Nazi Germany and invoking Joseph Goebbels, Adolf Hitler’s propaganda minister.

“Now that the Nobel commission has rewarded the biggest lie of the 21st century, Joseph Goebbels is certainly applauding from hell.”

Netanyahu separately issued a strongly worded response, accusing the Nobel Committee of rewarding an individual whose work he said had been characterized by hostility toward Israel.

The committee “has lost its moral compass,” Netanyahu declared.

“It has awarded its highest honor to a bigot who built her career around inventing and propagating blood libels against the one and only Jewish state,” Netanyahu said on X.

Pillay served as chairwoman of the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel. In September 2025, the commission released findings accusing Israeli authorities and security forces of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

Israel has consistently denied the genocide allegations, maintaining that its military campaign was launched in response to Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks and was directed at dismantling the terrorist organization’s military capabilities. Israeli officials have also accused the UN investigative commission of pursuing a politically motivated campaign against the Jewish state.

President Donald Trump joined the criticism on Friday, sharing a statement from attorney David Schoen’s law firm that sharply attacked the Nobel Committee’s selection.

“Today the Nobel Committee shamed itself beyond repair and demeaned the once great Nobel Peace Prize by giving it to the UN’s Navi Pillay,” the statement said.

The statement also highlighted Trump’s diplomatic record, including his role in negotiating the Abraham Accords and his administration’s efforts to resolve international conflicts.

The award came amid an intensifying confrontation between Washington and the International Criminal Court, where Pillay previously served as a judge. Just hours after the Nobel announcement, the Trump administration unveiled sweeping new sanctions against the Hague-based tribunal, targeting its financial operations and access to American services.

The administration has accused the ICC of overstepping its authority by pursuing cases involving American and Israeli officials, despite neither country being a party to the treaty establishing the court. The tribunal previously issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over allegations connected to the war in Gaza, charges Israel has rejected.

The new American measures are designed to restrict the court’s ability to conduct transactions through the U.S. financial system, escalating earlier sanctions imposed against individual ICC officials.

ICC President Tomoko Akane welcomed the recognition of Pillay, describing the Nobel decision as an affirmation of the role of international legal institutions.

“This is an important recognition of the vital role that international justice plays as a cornerstone of lasting peace,” Akane told Politico.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee defended its selection by emphasizing Pillay’s decades of work in international criminal law and human rights. The 85-year-old South African jurist previously served as president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Her legal career began under South Africa’s apartheid system, where she represented individuals facing racial discrimination and defended anti-apartheid activists. She later became involved in major international prosecutions concerning genocide and crimes against humanity.

In announcing the 2026 award, the Nobel Committee said Pillay had made significant contributions to strengthening international legal institutions and holding perpetrators of serious crimes accountable.

“Peace requires justice,” the committee said in its announcement.

The committee also warned that international law and the institutions responsible for enforcing it were facing mounting pressure, arguing that accountability for serious violations remained essential to lasting peace.

Pillay, who was attending an international legal conference in Nuremberg, Germany, when the award was announced, dedicated the recognition to victims of international crimes and those working to secure justice.

The Nobel Peace Prize carries a monetary award of approximately $1.2 million and is scheduled to be formally presented in Oslo on December 10.

{Matzav.com}

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing a growing rebellion from within his own socialist political coalition, with the Democratic Socialists of America and several elected officials demanding the removal of NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch following a federal immigration enforcement shooting in the Bronx.

The confrontation intensified Friday after the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, the organization Mamdani has described as his political home, issued an ultimatum demanding that Tisch end what it characterized as NYPD cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement or lose her job.

The demand marks a significant escalation in tensions between Mamdani and the left-wing activists who helped propel him into City Hall, many of whom have opposed his decision to retain Tisch, a Jewish police commissioner who has been regarded as a moderating influence on his administration.

The socialist organization declared that Tisch “must get ICE out of New York and end NYPD complicity with these terrorists.”

“If the Commissioner can’t put a stop to these injustices, she must be fired,” the organization said.

The ultimatum followed Thursday’s shooting of a 28-year-old Dominican man during an ICE enforcement operation in the Marble Hill section of the Bronx. An immigration agent fired seven shots at the man’s vehicle, wounding him while a five-year-old child was seated in the back.

The child escaped physical injury, while the wounded man was transported to a hospital. The incident triggered demonstrations against federal immigration authorities and renewed criticism of the NYPD’s handling of protests.

Tisch said the NYPD had not participated in the federal operation and was not present when the shooting occurred. City police officers responded afterward, provided assistance and transported the wounded man for medical treatment.

Nevertheless, socialist activists accused the NYPD of protecting federal agents from demonstrators and facilitating their departure from the scene.

Among those demanding Tisch’s resignation was Darializa Avila Chevalier, a Democratic socialist who won a congressional primary with Mamdani’s endorsement and is expected to represent parts of Upper Manhattan and the Bronx.

“The NYPD’s Strategic Response Group must be disbanded as quickly as possible, and Commissioner Tisch must step down,” Avila Chevalier declared.

The Strategic Response Group, commonly known as the SRG, is a specialized NYPD unit frequently deployed during large demonstrations and other major public safety operations. It has long been a target of criticism from left-wing activists who accuse it of using excessive force against protesters.

Avila Chevalier, who participated in demonstrations following the shooting, accused police of prioritizing the protection of federal immigration personnel over the safety of city residents.

She alleged that unmarked law enforcement vehicles struck protesters as NYPD officers cleared a path for them, an accusation that has not been independently established.

Another 17 democratic socialist elected officials and political nominees, including congressional nominee Claire Valdez, signed a letter demanding that Tisch halt police assistance to ICE operations and dismantle the Strategic Response Group.

The letter stated that Tisch “must end police assistance for ICE operations and disband NYPD’s Strategic Response Group — and if she won’t, she must be fired.”

Illapa Sairitupac, a Democratic socialist and State Assembly nominee who also received Mamdani’s endorsement, issued an even more direct demand.

“Abolish ICE. Disband the SRG. Fire Tisch,” Sairitupac wrote.

The calls place Mamdani in a politically difficult position because his decision to retain Tisch was among his most consequential moves following his election.

Tisch, who comes from a prominent New York Jewish family and has publicly identified herself as a Zionist, was originally appointed police commissioner under Mayor Eric Adams.

Mamdani’s decision to keep her in charge of the NYPD was welcomed by moderate political figures and Jewish communal organizations, including UJA-Federation of New York and the Jewish Community Relations Council.

Those organizations viewed the decision as an encouraging indication that Mamdani, who had previously made strongly critical statements about the NYPD, intended to maintain continuity in the leadership of the nation’s largest police department.

For more radical elements of his political coalition, however, the appointment represented an unacceptable compromise.

Some activists had already demanded Tisch’s removal before Mamdani took office, citing her positions on policing, demonstrations and the department’s response to anti-Israel protests.

The dispute deepened in June when the New York City DSA criticized Mamdani’s proposal to increase the NYPD’s headcount by approximately 580 officers, a move the organization said contradicted his earlier commitment to maintain existing staffing levels.

The socialist organization and several allied groups argued that the additional funding should instead be directed toward community-based public safety initiatives.

Friday’s demand to remove Tisch represents a further escalation, with the organization’s citywide leadership now directly challenging one of Mamdani’s most important personnel decisions.

The controversy comes just days after Mamdani faced another confrontation with anti-Israel activists over his participation in an October 7 memorial gathering.

On Wednesday, the third anniversary of the Hamas massacre in Israel, Mamdani attended a vigil in Union Square organized by Israelis for Peace NYC to remember Israelis and Palestinians killed during the conflict.

Hundreds of anti-Zionist demonstrators gathered nearby, denouncing the mayor for attending the event and accusing him of abandoning the positions that had helped attract support from pro-Palestinian activists.

“Traitor, traitor, come on out, you sold all your people out,” protesters chanted.

Others shouted, “Mayor Mamdani you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide.”

Some demonstrators displayed signs attacking Mamdani’s relationship with Tisch, while others criticized his administration’s approach to antisemitism and his failure to carry out certain campaign positions concerning Israel.

One protest sign portrayed Mamdani as the head of the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group and included a Star of David alongside a derogatory alteration of his name.

The demonstration included participants affiliated with organizations such as Within Our Lifetime and Pal-Awda, as well as student activists associated with the Young Democratic Socialists of America.

The protest also exposed divisions within the socialist movement itself.

Several campus DSA chapters subsequently accused the organization’s citywide leadership of pressuring youth activists to remove online advertisements promoting the demonstration.

Some protesters had demanded Tisch’s removal, linking their criticism of Mamdani’s policing decisions with their opposition to his attendance at the October 7 vigil.

However, other left-wing activists questioned whether the demonstrators genuinely represented Mamdani’s electoral supporters.

Abby Stein, a DSA member associated with Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, criticized aspects of the demonstration while acknowledging that concerns about Tisch’s continued leadership were shared by some members of the mayor’s political base.

“There are things that people are upset over that I think are legit — like keeping Jessica Tisch on, for example,” Stein said. “A lot of us were not very happy about it.”

The dispute over Tisch has also raised questions about what authority New York City officials actually possess over federal immigration operations.

Although the NYPD can establish policies governing its own officers’ participation in immigration enforcement, the city’s police commissioner does not have the legal authority to expel federal ICE agents from New York or prevent them from carrying out federal operations.

Mamdani himself strongly condemned Thursday’s shooting and demanded that federal immigration authorities cease their enforcement activities in the city.

“What happened today was an outrage,” the mayor said Thursday night.

“When ICE agents opened fire, a five-year-old child – a five-year-old child! – was in the back seat of that car. Thank God that child is physically unharmed.”

Mamdani also contacted President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin in an effort to secure the release of the wounded man from federal custody.

Those discussions did not immediately produce the release sought by the mayor.

The Department of Homeland Security defended its immigration enforcement operation, while federal officials criticized New York’s sanctuary policies and the political response to the shooting.

The Trump administration is offering migrant children as young as five years old $3,000 to voluntarily leave the United States, expanding a controversial immigration initiative that previously targeted unaccompanied teenagers and extending the financial incentives to younger children involved in deportation proceedings.

The new offers are being presented to minors appearing before immigration courts, according to immigration attorneys and advocacy organizations familiar with the practice. In some cases, lawyers representing Immigration and Customs Enforcement have raised the possibility of receiving the payment, while immigration judges have also informed children about the option.

The expanded initiative represents a significant change from a program introduced in October 2025, when the Department of Homeland Security began offering $2,500 payments to unaccompanied migrant children aged 14 and older who agreed to return to their home countries.

Under the latest arrangement, the amount has increased to $3,000, and the offers are reportedly being extended to children younger than 14, including some who are only five years old.

The development was reported by Bloomberg Law, which interviewed immigration attorneys and organizations working with migrant children. The report has raised questions about whether young children, particularly those appearing in court without legal representation, can fully understand the consequences of accepting money in exchange for abandoning their immigration cases.

The administration has made voluntary departure a central component of President Trump’s broader immigration enforcement strategy, arguing that encouraging people to leave on their own can reduce the substantial costs associated with arresting, detaining and deporting individuals who lack legal authorization to remain in the country.

Immigration advocates, however, contend that offering cash payments to children facing the possibility of deportation creates pressure on vulnerable minors who may have legitimate claims for asylum or other forms of legal protection.

Shaina Aber, executive director of the Acacia Center for Justice, said her organization had received reports over the past month from attorneys and court observers across the country describing offers made to children, including some who did not have lawyers.

“We’re seeing this as part of a larger pattern of really trying to coerce children, bully children, intensify pressure on children so that they abandon their cases,” Aber told Bloomberg Law. “And it’s part of this deport-at-all-costs policy that seems to be in particular targeting children.”

Aber said some immigration judges had presented the payment as a one-time opportunity, leaving children with little time to consider the consequences or consult with an attorney.

“They’re basically asking children to make a decision on the spot about something incredibly consequential, like waiving your right to seek asylum or to have other kinds of humanitarian relief in exchange for $3,000,” Aber said. “They might not understand what the longer term consequences are down the line.”

Michael Lukens, executive director of the Washington-based Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, said his organization and other legal assistance groups had received emails from ICE attorneys offering the $3,000 payment to children who agreed to voluntary departure.

Lukens said one such offer was made this week to an 11-year-old child represented by his organization.

“I don’t think anybody should be comfortable with this situation where a child is being denied a fair day in court because they’re being told that they should take voluntary departure and that they should get paid for it,” Lukens said.

The Department of Homeland Security did not directly confirm that the payments were being offered to children as young as five. A department spokesperson instead emphasized the administration’s efforts to reunite unaccompanied migrant children with their families.

“Many of the children who came across the border unaccompanied were allowed to be placed with sponsors who were smugglers and sex traffickers,” the spokesperson said.

The Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review, which oversees the nation’s immigration courts, did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the reported offers.

The latest development follows a series of administration initiatives designed to encourage unauthorized immigrants to depart without undergoing the traditional deportation process.

In October 2025, federal officials introduced a one-time $2,500 resettlement payment for unaccompanied migrant teenagers aged 14 and older who agreed to voluntarily return to their countries of origin.

The earlier program was administered through the Department of Homeland Security in coordination with federal agencies responsible for the care of unaccompanied migrant children.

The administration subsequently expanded financial incentives for other unauthorized immigrants through its Project Homecoming initiative, which offers government-arranged transportation and cash assistance to eligible individuals who agree to leave the United States.

The program uses the CBP Home mobile application, through which migrants can register their intention to depart and receive assistance arranging their travel.

In December 2025, DHS temporarily increased its voluntary departure incentive to $3,000 for eligible migrants who registered and left the country before the end of the year.

The government has promoted the initiative as a less expensive alternative to traditional deportation. Federal officials have estimated that apprehending, detaining and removing an unauthorized immigrant can cost approximately $18,000, substantially more than arranging voluntary travel and providing a financial incentive.

According to internal government figures reported in July, approximately 132,000 immigrants had departed through Project Homecoming by the middle of that month, with roughly 70,000 additional individuals registered to leave.

Those figures were separate from broader administration claims concerning the total number of unauthorized immigrants who had departed the United States.

The new offers to young children are being reported as the administration accelerates immigration court proceedings involving unaccompanied minors.

More than 16,500 cases involving unaccompanied children remained pending in immigration courts as of July, according to Justice Department figures.

At the same time, immigration judges have been directed to limit certain postponements in cases involving children who entered the country without a parent or guardian. Bloomberg Law previously reported that supervisors had instructed judges to generally restrict those delays, known as continuances, to 21 days.

Such postponements can be important for children seeking legal representation, gathering evidence or preparing asylum applications.

The availability of legal assistance has also become an issue following the expiration of federal funding in July for organizations providing representation to unaccompanied minors, including groups working with the Acacia Center for Justice.

Immigration attorneys argue that the combination of accelerated proceedings, reduced access to lawyers and financial incentives to depart could affect children’s ability to pursue claims for humanitarian protection.

Under federal immigration law, voluntary departure can allow certain individuals to leave the United States without receiving a formal removal order. However, accepting that option can require abandoning pending applications for asylum or other immigration relief, and the consequences for future eligibility to return depend on the individual’s circumstances.

The administration has defended voluntary departure programs as a way to enforce immigration laws while reducing detention costs and facilitating the return of migrants to their home countries.

For the expanded offers involving children under 14, federal officials have not publicly disclosed how many minors have been approached, how many have accepted the payments, or whether additional safeguards are being applied when young children are asked to make decisions about leaving the United States.

{Matzav.com}

Lockheed Martin has unveiled a new generation of Patriot missile interceptor designed to shoot down hypersonic weapons and other advanced aerial threats at greater distances and higher altitudes, as the defense giant competes for a major U.S. Army contract to strengthen America’s missile defense capabilities.

The new weapon, called PAC-3 Edge, was introduced Friday as part of the Army’s Future Interceptor program, an initiative aimed at developing more powerful defenses against increasingly sophisticated missiles being deployed by American adversaries.

The interceptor builds on Lockheed Martin’s existing Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement, known as PAC-3 MSE, which is already used by the United States and allied militaries to defend against ballistic missiles and other aerial threats.

According to the company, PAC-3 Edge is intended to extend the reach of the Patriot system, allowing American forces to engage incoming threats farther away and at greater altitudes than existing interceptors.

Lockheed Martin plans to begin testing the new interceptor in 2027, with an anticipated deployment date of 2031, provided development and procurement proceed as planned.

The unveiling comes amid mounting concerns at the Pentagon about the growing capabilities of hypersonic missiles, which travel at exceptionally high speeds and can maneuver during flight, making them more difficult to detect, track and intercept than conventional ballistic missiles.

Such weapons present a particular challenge for existing air defense systems because their speed and flight characteristics can significantly reduce the time available for radar systems to identify an incoming threat and for defensive missiles to respond.

The Army’s Future Interceptor program is intended to address those challenges by developing a missile capable of defeating advanced threats before they reach their intended targets.

Lockheed Martin has advanced to the next stage of the Army’s development process, positioning PAC-3 Edge as a contender for the program as military officials evaluate competing technologies.

A central feature of the new missile is its upgraded guidance technology, developed at Lockheed Martin’s Strigo Product Center. The advanced seeker is designed to improve the missile’s ability to identify, track and strike fast-moving targets, including those that change direction during flight.

Lockheed Martin has invested approximately $250 million in the Strigo facility to support the development of more sophisticated missile seekers.

The company is also incorporating a new propulsion system developed by Northrop Grumman. Unlike conventional rocket motors that deliver their thrust in a single sustained phase, the new multi-pulse solid rocket motor is designed to provide additional bursts of thrust during flight.

That capability could allow the interceptor to preserve energy and maneuver more effectively as it closes in on incoming missiles, particularly at extended ranges or higher altitudes.

The new propulsion system will be combined with upgraded flight controls and guidance equipment intended to improve the interceptor’s speed, agility and ability to respond to rapidly changing threats.

Tim Cahill, president of Lockheed Martin’s Missiles and Fire Control division, said the PAC-3 Edge represents a substantial advance over the company’s existing interceptor technology, with improvements in maneuverability, power and velocity.

Another important element of the program is the missile’s planned compatibility with existing American air defense infrastructure.

Lockheed Martin is designing PAC-3 Edge to operate with the Army’s M903 Patriot launchers and Integrated Battle Command System, which connects sensors, weapons and command centers across the military’s air defense network.

The company is also exploring integration with containerized launch systems and HIMARS Flex, potentially allowing the interceptor to be deployed from a wider variety of platforms.

The ability to use existing launchers and command systems could reduce the need for entirely new supporting infrastructure, although the Army would still have to evaluate the technical and financial requirements of integrating the missile.

The announcement comes as the United States is investing heavily in replenishing and expanding its missile defense inventories following extensive use of interceptors in conflicts involving Iran and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

In August, the Pentagon announced an agreement worth more than $3 billion with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to expand production of critical components for Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, missile interceptors.

That agreement followed the announcement of a contract worth up to $58.6 billion for Lockheed Martin to manufacture Patriot interceptors, reflecting the Pentagon’s effort to secure a substantially larger supply of defensive missiles.

American officials have said the production expansion is intended to support a tripling of Patriot interceptor output and a fourfold increase in THAAD production.

The demand for Patriot missiles has grown as the United States and its allies seek to protect military installations, population centers and critical infrastructure against increasingly frequent missile attacks.

Ukraine has relied heavily on Patriot batteries to defend against Russian ballistic missiles, while American and allied forces in the Middle East have used missile defense systems against Iranian attacks.

These operations have underscored both the effectiveness of modern interceptors and the logistical challenge of maintaining sufficient missile inventories during prolonged conflicts.

PAC-3 Edge, however, is intended to address a different requirement from the immediate effort to replenish existing stockpiles. Its development focuses on improving the Army’s ability to defeat future threats that may exceed the capabilities of current missile defense systems.

The Pentagon has increasingly emphasized the need for layered air and missile defenses, combining different interceptors, radar systems and command networks to engage threats at multiple stages of their flight.

Under that approach, shorter-range air defenses, Patriot batteries and higher-altitude systems such as THAAD perform complementary roles rather than relying on a single weapon to defeat every type of incoming missile.

The new Lockheed Martin interceptor would expand the options available within that architecture, particularly against advanced ballistic and hypersonic weapons.

Despite Friday’s unveiling, PAC-3 Edge remains a developmental system and has not yet demonstrated its full capabilities through the testing process.

Lockheed Martin’s schedule calls for initial testing next year, followed by further evaluation and development before a potential introduction into Army service in 2031.

The Army has not yet selected the winning interceptor for its Future Interceptor program, and Lockheed Martin must still demonstrate that PAC-3 Edge meets the military’s performance and operational requirements before it can secure a production commitment.

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A 28-year-old Dominican migrant shot by federal immigration agents in the Bronx had previously been convicted in connection with an armed robbery, faced pending drug charges, and was under investigation for possible ties to a violent street gang, according to court records and federal law enforcement officials.

The shooting of Oscar Belgal during an attempted arrest Thursday has ignited a confrontation between federal immigration authorities and New York City officials, with Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemning the operation and some neighborhood residents questioning why Belgal remained free despite his criminal history.

Belgal, who federal authorities believe entered the United States illegally in approximately 2022, was wounded in the neck when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents attempted to take him into custody in Marble Hill. Officials said he tried to escape in his Honda SUV and struck two agents with the vehicle, prompting one of them to open fire.

His five-year-old son was in the backseat during the confrontation but was not physically injured.

Federal officials maintain that Belgal posed a public safety threat and that New York’s restrictions on cooperation with immigration enforcement had frustrated previous attempts to detain him. City officials and critics of ICE have raised questions about the agents’ tactics and the decision to fire at a vehicle containing a child.

The controversy intensified after Mamdani described Belgal as a New Yorker while criticizing the federal operation, drawing an angry response from some Bronx residents familiar with the consequences of violent crime.

Migdalia Martinez, whose 12-year-old son, Jacob Freytas, was killed by a stray bullet while riding his bicycle in July, rejected the mayor’s characterization.

“I don’t consider him a New Yorker,” Martinez told the New York Post.

“The only thing I do consider him as is trash, nothing else but trash. And I don’t consider New York, my home, as trash,” she said.

Asked whether Mamdani had been wrong to refer to Belgal as a New Yorker, Martinez responded, “The mayor is wrong in many ways — that’s definitely one.”

Martinez’s son was fatally struck by gunfire in the Mount Eden neighborhood, an area where the Trinitarios gang has maintained a presence. Authorities have said they suspect gang involvement in the shooting that killed the boy.

The same gang has been linked by federal officials to a separate July 2025 shooting involving an off-duty Customs and Border Protection officer at Fort Washington Park in Upper Manhattan.

Department of Homeland Security officials said investigators were examining Belgal’s possible connections to that incident when agents approached him Thursday.

Authorities have not established publicly that Belgal participated in the officer’s shooting, and the allegations concerning his possible gang connections remain under investigation.

Security camera footage from the Marble Hill incident showed plainclothes immigration agents approaching Belgal’s parked vehicle shortly before 4 p.m., with weapons drawn.

The recording captured the agents converging on the SUV before Belgal drove away and disappeared from the camera’s view.

Marcos Charles, who heads ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division, said Belgal “accelerated” toward the officers, “smashing” into two of them.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin confirmed that the agents involved were equipped with body cameras, although federal authorities had not immediately made those recordings public.

The available surveillance footage does not show every moment of the confrontation, leaving questions about the precise circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Federal law enforcement sources said Belgal was believed to have crossed into the United States with a migrant caravan in 2022, during the Biden administration, without being encountered by Border Patrol agents.

His criminal history in New York began attracting law enforcement attention the following year.

According to court records, Belgal was arrested in December 2023 in connection with an armed robbery that allegedly occurred the previous month in the Fordham Heights section of the Bronx.

Investigators alleged that Belgal was driving along Morris Avenue with two passengers in the backseat when he turned toward them, displayed a firearm, and demanded their valuables.

“give me your jewelry or I will shoot you,” he allegedly told the victims, according to the criminal complaint.

The victims surrendered jewelry and approximately $500 in cash.

Although Belgal was subsequently arrested, court records indicate that he was released without bail while the criminal case proceeded.

In April 2025, he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of fourth-degree grand larceny.

When he was sentenced in January 2026, he received a one-month jail term and five years of probation.

His legal troubles continued even before that sentence was imposed.

In August 2025, several months after entering his guilty plea in the robbery case, Belgal was arrested again, this time on allegations involving the sale of fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin.

That prosecution remained pending at the time of Thursday’s shooting, and the drug allegations had not resulted in a conviction.

Under New York’s bail laws, the charges in that case did not qualify for monetary bail. Prosecutors instead requested the most restrictive available level of supervised release, which the court approved.

Federal sources said ICE had issued an immigration detainer following Belgal’s arrest, requesting that local authorities transfer him to federal custody.

The request was not honored, according to those sources.

An ICE detainer asks a local law enforcement agency to notify federal immigration authorities before releasing an individual and, in certain circumstances, to hold that person briefly so federal agents can assume custody.

New York City’s sanctuary policies generally restrict cooperation with federal civil immigration enforcement, although the rules include exceptions.

Mullin argued that those restrictions had made it more difficult for federal authorities to apprehend Belgal and had exposed the public to unnecessary danger.

“Sanctuary politicians create an environment for criminal activity to thrive, not for American citizens to be safe,” Mullin said. “When you have sanctuary cities and politicians, you endanger the safety of the public.”

The administration’s criticism of New York’s policies has become a central element of the dispute, although the precise legal circumstances surrounding the unfulfilled detainer request have not been fully detailed publicly.

Federal officials also disclosed that Thursday’s operation was not their first attempt to arrest Belgal.

ICE agents reportedly tried to apprehend him in September, but authorities said he managed to flee.

After the shooting, New York City police officers arrived to find Belgal wounded and restrained, with federal agents nearby. NYPD body-camera footage captured the emergency response, including the frightened child crying in the background as officers assisted the injured man.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said an ICE agent had fired seven rounds at the vehicle. Bullets struck several windows, and Belgal suffered a neck wound.

The child was placed in the care of relatives.

Belgal was initially taken to NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, where protesters gathered as news of the shooting spread.

Demonstrators condemned the operation, demanding accountability from federal immigration authorities and questioning the decision to open fire while a young child was inside the vehicle.

Mamdani sharply criticized the shooting and the conduct of the agents involved.

“A New Yorker was shot by ICE agents in Marble Hill,” the mayor told reporters. “ICE agents surrounded the man’s vehicle before opening fire. They wore construction vests and masks that concealed their faces. There was no reasonable way to identify them as ICE agents.”

The mayor said the incident had intensified fears among immigrant communities throughout the city.

“You are hearing from New Yorkers right now — anguish, pain, anger — at the fact that here in this city, the world’s city, immigrants have to wake up every morning and not know if they can live the lives that they should be able to live,” Mamdani said.

Other residents rejected the mayor’s characterization and argued that Belgal’s criminal history should have resulted in his removal from the streets long before Thursday’s confrontation.

Mora Rodriguez, an elderly longtime resident of Belgal’s former apartment building in Inwood, responded with a firm “No” when asked whether she considered him a New Yorker.

“Absolutely not. That’s one of the reasons I think we should vote blue out,” Rodriguez told the Post.

“What’s going on with the legal system, the jail, letting these people go after they have a whole list of convictions. This is a criminal. Why would you let this person out?” she said.

Rodriguez also criticized the judges and elected officials responsible for New York’s criminal justice policies.

“These judges are very radical. We gotta vote red. That’s what I can say to you.”

Belgal’s attorneys, meanwhile, challenged his detention in federal court and raised concerns about his medical condition following the shooting.

During a Friday court proceeding, his lawyers said he remained in pain and still had a bullet lodged in his body. A federal judge temporarily prohibited immigration authorities from deporting him while his legal challenge was being considered.

Following his discharge from the hospital, Belgal was transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where he remained in federal custody.

Court and law enforcement documents have also identified him under several variations of his surname, including Belgal, Bengal, and Bergal.

Federal authorities said their interest in Belgal extended beyond his robbery conviction and pending drug prosecution.

Mullin disclosed that investigators believed Belgal might possess information about the July 2025 shooting of an off-duty Customs and Border Protection officer at Fort Washington Park.

The secretary said investigators were examining whether Belgal had “direct or indirect knowledge” of the attack.

Two Dominican nationals who were in the United States illegally were identified as the perpetrators of that shooting, and one received a 15-year prison sentence on Monday.

Law enforcement sources said investigators found Belgal’s name and contact information in the cellphone of one of the suspects, contributing to the decision to pursue him.

That discovery, however, does not establish that Belgal participated in the shooting or was involved in planning it.

The circumstances surrounding Thursday’s confrontation are now being examined by federal investigators, including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.

Authorities have not publicly released the complete ICE body-camera recordings, and accounts of whether Belgal deliberately drove toward agents remain disputed. Surveillance footage shows portions of the encounter but does not conclusively resolve the conflicting descriptions.

The case has also prompted renewed criticism of New York’s sanctuary policies from the White House, which argues that restrictions on cooperation with ICE force federal agents to carry out more dangerous street-level arrests.

The Justice Department has launched a federal antitrust investigation into five of America’s largest television news networks, examining whether ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, and Fox News violated federal law by collectively suspending their coverage of President Donald Trump following a dispute over White House press access.

The investigation, confirmed today by the Justice Department, centers on the networks’ decision last month to temporarily halt their participation in the White House television press pool after the Trump administration barred journalists from CNN, Politico, and MS NOW from entering the White House.

Federal investigators are seeking communications and other records related to the networks’ coordinated response, raising the possibility that their collective refusal to provide coverage could constitute an unlawful group boycott under the Sherman Antitrust Act.

The New York Times first reported the investigation, citing six people familiar with the matter. Justice Department officials reportedly contacted representatives of the networks on Friday to request documents and communications concerning the White House television pool.

Justice Department spokesperson Emily Covington confirmed the inquiry, explaining that federal antitrust laws can apply when competing businesses coordinate their activities in ways that unlawfully restrict competition.

“Members of the television press pool have proudly boycotted covering White House events. Group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act, a core antitrust law,” Covington said.

“The Antitrust Division is simply investigating to determine whether these news organizations have violated the antitrust laws,” she added.

The investigation follows weeks of escalating tensions between the Trump administration and major news organizations over access to presidential events, the composition of the White House press pool, and the administration’s authority to determine which journalists may cover the president.

The controversy began in September when the White House revoked access for journalists representing CNN, Politico, and MS NOW, formerly MSNBC.

The administration defended the restrictions by arguing that access to the White House and presidential events is a privilege rather than an unconditional right.

The affected news organizations challenged the decision in federal court, alleging that the administration had singled them out in retaliation for their reporting and violated their constitutional protections under the First Amendment.

The dispute quickly spread beyond the three organizations directly affected.

CNN is one of five major television news operations that participate in the longstanding White House broadcast pool, alongside ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox News.

Under the arrangement, the networks rotate responsibility for covering presidential appearances and activities, sharing the costs of gathering footage and distributing the resulting material to other news organizations nationwide.

The system allows television outlets that cannot independently maintain camera crews at every presidential event to obtain footage through a common pool arrangement.

When the White House excluded CNN, the other television networks declined to provide replacement coverage, effectively suspending the pool’s normal operations for several days.

The collective decision was intended as a demonstration of solidarity with the excluded organizations, but it is now the central subject of the Justice Department’s investigation.

Federal antitrust law generally prohibits certain agreements among competing businesses that improperly restrain trade or restrict competition.

The Sherman Act, enacted in 1890, has been used to challenge arrangements in which competitors coordinate their commercial behavior, including some forms of group boycotts.

Investigators will now examine whether the networks’ coordinated suspension of coverage amounted to unlawful cooperation among commercial competitors or whether their actions were permissible under federal law.

The existence of the investigation does not establish that any network committed a violation, and no charges or civil enforcement action had been announced as of Saturday.

The inquiry also raises complicated questions because the networks’ decision concerned their newsgathering activities and their response to government restrictions on press access, rather than a conventional commercial dispute involving prices or customers.

The networks had argued through their conduct that they should not be required to replace a fellow news organization excluded from the press pool by the administration.

The White House, meanwhile, has maintained that it possesses authority over access to presidential facilities and events, particularly when journalists are seeking to accompany the president aboard Air Force One.

The original restrictions prompted swift legal action from CNN, Politico, and MS NOW.

On September 24, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly ordered the administration to restore the journalists’ White House access after finding that the restrictions were likely unconstitutional.

The ruling allowed the affected organizations to return to the White House, and the television networks subsequently resumed their regular pool coverage.

However, the judicial intervention did not fully resolve the dispute over access to presidential travel and other events outside the White House grounds.

In a subsequent confrontation, the administration prevented CNN from fulfilling a scheduled television pool assignment aboard Air Force One.

The other four major networks again declined to replace CNN, leaving the administration without the usual television pool coverage for that assignment.

A similar dispute unfolded on October 5, when the White House barred Politico from accompanying Trump on a trip to Nebraska aboard Air Force One.

Politico had been scheduled to serve as the primary print pool reporter for the trip, a role that ordinarily involves documenting the president’s activities and distributing updates to other news organizations.

After the administration excluded Politico, White House officials reportedly contacted other outlets seeking a replacement.

Those organizations declined to assume the assignment.

As a result, the trip proceeded without a primary print pool reporter, an unusual departure from the customary arrangements for presidential travel.

The Washington Post, which had already been designated as the secondary print pool representative, provided occasional updates, while CBS News, serving as the television pool representative, also agreed to share information with other reporters.

The White House defended its position, maintaining that journalists do not possess an automatic right to travel with the president.

“Many outlets including Politico are granted access to attend and cover presidential events unilaterally, but traveling with the President of the United States aboard Air Force One is a privilege not a right,” the administration said in a statement concerning the dispute.

The administration has also emphasized Trump’s frequent interactions with reporters, arguing that the president provides extensive opportunities for journalists to question him directly.

News organizations challenging the restrictions maintain that the government cannot selectively deny access to journalists because of disagreement with their coverage.

The Justice Department’s investigation introduces a separate legal battle from the constitutional lawsuits already underway.

While the press organizations are contesting the administration’s restrictions on access, federal antitrust investigators are examining whether the networks themselves crossed a legal line by acting collectively in response.

The inclusion of Fox News among the networks under investigation is particularly notable, given that the network is generally viewed as more sympathetic to Trump than several of its competitors.

Its participation in the collective suspension demonstrated that the dispute over White House press access extended across competing television organizations with substantially different editorial perspectives.

The Justice Department has not disclosed how long the inquiry is expected to last or whether investigators intend to pursue enforcement proceedings.

Kamala Harris is encountering resistance to another presidential campaign from some of the people closest to her, including her husband, Doug Emhoff, who has privately expressed a preference that she stay out of the 2028 race, according to a new report.

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Emhoff has told several people he would rather his wife not undertake another campaign for the White House following her defeat to President Donald Trump in 2024.

“Kamala Harris’s husband, Doug Emhoff, has privately told some people he would prefer she doesn’t run for president again,” the newspaper reported.

The reported opposition from Emhoff comes as Harris weighs another presidential bid while receiving mixed signals from Democratic donors and political insiders. Some major financial supporters have reportedly warned that a second campaign would be a “long shot, according to people familiar with the conversations,” the Journal stated.

Harris, who served as vice president under Joe Biden and became the Democratic presidential nominee in 2024, has not publicly committed to seeking the party’s nomination again.

Speaking at a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People event in Michigan last month, Harris acknowledged that she was still considering her political future while emphasizing the importance of the upcoming congressional elections.

“I have not decided if I’m going to run again,” Harris said. “I do sincerely believe ’28 won’t matter if we don’t get through ’26.”

Despite her stated uncertainty, Harris has continued engaging in activities commonly associated with laying the groundwork for a national campaign. She has reportedly held conversations with influential donors, recruited staff, and traveled to politically competitive states to support Democratic candidates ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Those efforts have fueled speculation that she is attempting to preserve her national political network and maintain relationships that could prove valuable if she decides to enter the 2028 Democratic presidential primary.

Harris also continues to register substantial support in some early surveys of potential Democratic presidential candidates. Several national polls have placed her ahead of other prominent figures being discussed as possible contenders, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

At the same time, political prediction markets have reflected considerably more skepticism about her prospects. The article cited Polymarket figures assigning Harris a 6 percent chance, compared with 18 percent for Ocasio-Cortez and 15 percent for Newsom. Those figures reflect betting-market expectations rather than voter polling and are subject to change.

Harris’s previous presidential campaign ended in a decisive defeat despite an enormous fundraising operation that reportedly brought in approximately $1.5 billion.

Trump carried all seven major battleground states in the 2024 election and defeated Harris in the national popular vote by approximately 2.3 million votes. The Electoral College result was 312 votes for Trump and 226 for Harris, comfortably exceeding the 270 votes required to win the presidency.

The scale of that defeat remains a significant consideration for Democratic strategists evaluating whether Harris should receive another opportunity to lead the party’s presidential ticket.

Since leaving Washington, Emhoff has resumed his legal career as a partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, a major law firm with an office in Los Angeles. He had previously stepped away from his legal work when Harris became vice president.

The couple has also made a significant change in their personal lives, purchasing a residence in the exclusive Point Dume neighborhood of Malibu last December for a reported $8.15 million.

The approximately 4,000-square-foot property is larger than their previous 3,500-square-foot home in Brentwood and has been described in media reports as a luxury mansion.

Their return to California, however, has not meant that Harris has withdrawn from political activity.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Harris has participated in approximately half a dozen private Democratic fundraising events in California in recent weeks, including a Santa Monica gathering supporting Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, the Democratic nominee for governor of Wisconsin.

She has also attended a fundraiser for Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, who is seeking that state’s governorship as the Democratic candidate.

Those appearances have reportedly caused uneasiness among some donors who question whether Harris is using the midterm campaign season to position herself for another presidential run.

Harris has also remained involved in the Democratic Party’s nationwide organizing efforts. During a recent call with the Democratic National Committee, she addressed more than 2,000 volunteers and encouraged them to participate in door-to-door campaigning and voter outreach across approximately a dozen states.

Her continued involvement has allowed her to maintain relationships with party activists, donors, and candidates whose support could become important in a future presidential primary.

Additional reporting indicates that some former Harris aides are uncertain whether she will ultimately seek the nomination again, while other Democrats believe the party should consider a new generation of presidential candidates.

Harris has nevertheless kept the possibility alive. At a National Action Network event earlier this year, she acknowledged that she was considering another campaign, saying, “Listen, I might, I might. I’m thinking about it.”

Newsom, meanwhile, has publicly indicated that he would not challenge Harris for the Democratic nomination if she decided to run, underscoring the influence her decision could have on the eventual primary field.

Despite Emhoff’s reported private reservations, the Wall Street Journal emphasized that people close to him expect he would fully support his wife if she ultimately chooses to enter the 2028 race.

President Donald Trump expressed frustration today over his failure to receive the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, pointing to what he described as his administration’s extraordinary record of ending wars, securing the release of hostages, confronting Iran, and removing Venezuela’s longtime ruler from power.

In a lengthy Truth Social post, Trump questioned why neither he nor the United States had been recognized with the prestigious international award, arguing that his diplomatic and military accomplishments far exceeded what would ordinarily be expected of a Nobel Peace Prize recipient.

His remarks followed the announcement that the 2026 prize had been awarded to Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, the South African jurist and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights who has drawn fierce criticism from Israeli officials over her accusations against Israel regarding the war in Gaza.

Trump’s complaint centered on his assertion that he has already resolved eight wars and is approaching agreements that could bring two additional conflicts to an end.

The president also cited his administration’s role in obtaining the release of Israeli hostages, securing the return of other captives from countries around the world, confronting the Iranian nuclear threat, and carrying out the operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuela’s ruler.

“I settled 8 WARS, am close to ending or settling 2 more, got all of the Israeli hostages back, including the final 28, both living and dead, had hundreds of hostages, from countries all over the World, released and sent back home, won a war in Venezuela, and captured the violent dictator who so viciously ran that country, and stopped the number one state sponsor of terror, the Islamic Republic of Iran, from obtaining a Nuclear Weapon — AND MUCH MORE! Yet, with all of that I, or the United States of America, did not get the Noble Peace Prize. WOW!” Trump wrote.

The president’s statement presented his administration’s achievements as evidence that the Nobel Committee had overlooked what he considers an exceptional record of international peacemaking.

The decision to honor Pillay has also triggered sharp criticism in Israel, where government officials have accused the South African judge of advancing unfounded allegations against the Jewish state while failing to adequately address the atrocities committed by Hamas.

Pillay, 85, was selected by the Norwegian Nobel Committee on Friday for her decades of work in international law and human rights. The committee highlighted her involvement in prosecuting war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, as well as her work challenging apartheid in South Africa.

Her legal career has included serving as a judge on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Court, in addition to heading the United Nations human rights office. She currently serves as an ad hoc judge at the International Court of Justice.

More recently, Pillay chaired a United Nations commission of inquiry that concluded Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, an accusation strongly rejected by the Israeli government.

The Nobel Committee defended its selection by emphasizing the importance of international legal institutions at a time of growing armed conflict and challenges to the international legal order.

Israeli officials, however, condemned the decision, arguing that Pillay’s record regarding Israel made her an inappropriate recipient of an award intended to recognize contributions to peace.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry issued a blistering statement following the announcement.

“If there were an award for lies, hatred, and blood libels, Navi Pillay wouldn’t just be a contender,” the ministry said, adding that she would “be a frontrunner.”

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s office also criticized the selection, referring to Pillay’s role in international legal proceedings involving Israel.

“Navi Pillay’s proudest achievement was to legitimize a corrupt prosecutor who turned to her fabrications against Israel hoping that by joining her bigoted lynch mob, he would beat a rape charge,” the statement from Netanyahu’s office said.

The controversy intensified as Trump expanded his criticism of the Nobel decision in additional public remarks. In another Truth Social post, he identified the eight conflicts he claims to have resolved, including disputes involving India and Pakistan, Armenia and Azerbaijan, Cambodia and Thailand, and Israel and Hamas.

He also referred to conflicts involving Kosovo and Serbia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Israel and Iran.

Several of Trump’s claims about having ended these conflicts remain disputed, with critics noting that some of the underlying tensions and hostilities have continued despite diplomatic agreements or ceasefires.

Trump nevertheless argued that his administration’s diplomatic record justified the award and accused the Nobel Committee of allowing political considerations to influence its decision.

He further identified the conflicts involving Russia and Ukraine and the confrontation with Iran as two additional situations in which he believes his administration is approaching a resolution.

The president’s criticism comes against the backdrop of his longstanding interest in receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, an honor previously awarded to several American presidents.

In 2025, the prize went to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who subsequently praised Trump for supporting her country’s opposition movement.

Following her selection, Machado publicly dedicated her recognition to the Venezuelan people and to the American president.

“We are on the threshold of victory and today, more than ever, we count on President Trump, the people of the United States, the peoples of Latin America, and the democratic nations of the world,” Machado said at the time.

“I dedicate this prize to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause!” she added.

Machado later presented Trump with her Nobel medal in a symbolic gesture of appreciation, although the Nobel Committee has made clear that the designation of a laureate cannot be transferred to another individual.

Pillay, meanwhile, reacted to her own selection by dedicating the honor to survivors of international crimes and those working to uphold international justice. She received the news while visiting the historic Nuremberg courtroom in Germany, where Nazi leaders were prosecuted following World War II.

The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize carries a monetary award of approximately $1.2 million and is scheduled to be formally presented in Oslo on December 10.

Singer Lipa Schmeltzer has revealed that he is seriously contemplating the possibility of leaving the United States and making his home in Eretz Yisroel, saying that his longing to live in the Holy Land has intensified with each passing year.

Schmeltzer, who currently resides in America, shared his feelings following a visit to Eretz Yisroel for Sukkos, explaining that every trip strengthens his desire to eventually settle there permanently.

Speaking to Israeli media, the singer acknowledged that relocating his life and family across the ocean would be a major undertaking, but said the idea has occupied his thoughts for years.

“Every time I come here, I feel more and more of a longing and a desire to come here much more often, and perhaps even to live here one day. I’ve been talking about it for years,” Schmeltzer said.

He added that the practical challenges of such a move have not diminished his feelings about Eretz Yisroel.

“Obviously, making such a change in the middle of life is not simple, but from year to year, that feeling only grows stronger,” he said.

Schmeltzer has long been one of the most recognizable personalities in the chassidishe music world, known for his distinctive performances and his ability to blend traditional Jewish musical themes with contemporary styles.

His music has attracted audiences across the spectrum of Orthodox Jewish communities, and he remains an active figure in the chareidi entertainment industry.

Recently, Schmeltzer released a new single titled “ShabTrump,” marking President Donald Trump’s declaration of a National Shabbos.

Beyond discussing his possible move to Eretz Yisroel, Schmeltzer also shared a remarkable personal encounter that illustrated the unexpected influence Jewish music can have on someone’s life.

Following davening on Hoshana Rabbah, the singer recounted an emotional meeting with a woman who had chased after him in the street because she wanted him to know how profoundly one of his songs had affected her.

According to Schmeltzer, the woman explained that she had grown up listening to his music and had been familiar with his songs since childhood.

As she grew older, however, she drifted away from Yiddishkeit and eventually abandoned religious observance altogether.

At one point, she had even made plans to marry a non-Jewish man.

Then, shortly before the planned marriage, she unexpectedly came across one of Schmeltzer’s songs while listening to Spotify.

Hearing the familiar music stirred something deep within her, reconnecting her with memories and feelings from the Jewish upbringing she had left behind.

The song became the first step in a personal journey that ultimately brought her back to Yiddishkeit.

Today, Schmeltzer related, the woman is married to a Jewish man.

The encounter left the singer deeply moved, offering him a firsthand glimpse of how a song recorded years earlier could reach someone at a critical moment and help change the direction of her life.

{Matzav.com}

Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz has announced that he will remain in Israel’s Knesset election race until the end, rejecting calls for him to withdraw and accusing political rivals of deliberately misleading voters by claiming that supporting his party would amount to throwing away their votes.

In a video statement released ahead of the upcoming elections, the former IDF chief of staff and defense minister delivered a sharp attack on both of Israel’s major political blocs, accusing their leaders of placing partisan interests ahead of the country’s need for a broad unity government.

“We are on the road to disaster. We must stop and save the country,” Gantz warned.

His declaration comes amid mounting political pressure over Blue and White’s continued participation in the election, with critics arguing that votes cast for smaller parties could be wasted if those parties fail to cross the electoral threshold required to enter the Knesset.

Gantz rejected that argument and insisted that his party represents voters who are dissatisfied with both political camps and want a government based on national unity rather than narrow coalition agreements.

“The politicians from both blocs oppose the unity that I am promoting with all my heart. They want a decisive victory. The division serves them politically,” Gantz said.

He warned that the continued political confrontation could lead to another round of elections or the establishment of a narrow government that would deepen divisions within Israeli society.

“They are leading Israel toward more elections, toward narrow governments that will tear us apart from within and cause our enemies to attack us again,” he declared.

Gantz portrayed his decision to remain in the race as part of a broader effort to prevent further internal divisions, arguing that national unity is essential to confronting Israel’s security challenges.

“I have decided not to surrender to our enemies. In order to fight our enemies, I must fight for unity among us, and therefore I am running until the end,” he said.

Addressing accusations that Blue and White could draw votes away from larger parties without securing enough support to enter the Knesset, Gantz insisted that his candidacy should not be viewed through the traditional division between the Netanyahu-aligned bloc and its opponents.

“I do not belong to either bloc. Anyone who claims that I am wasting votes is lying and is afraid. Whoever votes for me is voting for unity, not for the blocs,” he said.

Gantz also claimed that a substantial number of voters are interested in supporting his party, arguing that Blue and White has the potential to secure meaningful parliamentary representation.

“There are at least six Knesset seats’ worth of voters who want to vote for us. To you I say: You are not alone. Vote, and we will save the country,” he declared.

The assertion regarding six seats reflects Gantz’s own assessment of potential support and was not accompanied in the report by independent polling data establishing that level of backing.

Following his announcement, Blue and White said it would launch an extensive election campaign beginning Saturday night and continuing through Election Day.

The campaign will operate under the Hebrew slogan “Bocharim Achdut, Matzilim Et Hamedinah,” meaning “Choose Unity, Save the Country.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has sent a personal letter of appreciation to Captain Smith Machhar, the Indian pilot who was seriously wounded while fighting off an attempted hijacking of a Flydubai passenger aircraft, informing him that he will receive Israel’s Presidential Medal for Civilian Heroism and inviting him to visit Yerushalayim once he recovers.

The letter, delivered to Machhar at a hospital in the United Arab Emirates, expressed Israel’s gratitude for his extraordinary courage during the attempted terrorist attack on the flight from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport.

Machhar remains hospitalized after suffering serious injuries when his Omani copilot allegedly attacked him with an emergency axe in an attempt to seize control of the aircraft and crash it.

Despite his injuries, the captain reportedly continued struggling against the attacker and managed to open the cockpit door, allowing Israeli passengers to intervene and overpower the alleged hijacker.

In his letter, Herzog praised the captain’s ability to remain composed and take decisive action despite the immediate danger to his life.

“Your ability to find the strength to rise above the pain, confront the immediate threat to your life, and exercise sound judgment is a testament to the strength of your character and the tremendous courage of spirit with which you are blessed,” Herzog wrote.

The president also placed Machhar’s actions in the broader historical context of the longstanding relationship between India and Israel, drawing a connection between the captain’s heroism and the contributions of Indian soldiers who fought in the Holy Land more than a century ago.

“Your act of heroism places you in the honored ranks of the Indian soldiers who, more than a century ago, risked their lives to liberate cities in the Holy Land, thereby becoming an inseparable part of Israel’s history. You too, Captain Machhar, will now become a cherished part of our people’s history, and another link strengthening the bond between the Republic of India and the State of Israel,” Herzog wrote.

The historical reference alluded to Indian troops who served in the British-led military campaign in the region during World War I, including the Indian cavalry forces that participated in the capture of Haifa in 1918.

Herzog concluded his letter with a personal message of encouragement, expressing confidence in the medical care the captain is receiving in the UAE and extending an invitation to visit Israel after his recovery.

“As you slowly begin your journey of recovery, I know that you are in the best hands of our dear friends and partners in the United Arab Emirates. All of us offer heartfelt prayers for your complete and speedy recovery, and I look forward, once you have regained your strength, to welcoming you in Jerusalem and expressing to you the appreciation and love of our grateful nation,” the president wrote.

The letter was accompanied by the announcement that Machhar will be awarded the Presidential Medal for Civilian Heroism, an honor recognizing extraordinary acts of courage undertaken to protect human life.

Herzog announced the decision during a ceremony held this week honoring the civilian heroes who helped prevent the Flydubai hijacking from ending in disaster.

“I wish to express our appreciation and gratitude to the Indian pilot, Captain Smith Machhar, who fought the attacker despite his serious injuries and, with his remaining strength, managed to open the cockpit door,” Herzog said.

The president then announced that the captain would receive the same recognition being bestowed upon the other individuals who helped save the aircraft.

“From here, on behalf of all of us, I send him wishes for a complete and speedy recovery. I intend to honor him as well, as the committee has recommended, with the Presidential Medal for Civilian Heroism,” Herzog added.

Machhar’s actions were instrumental in allowing Israeli passengers to reach the cockpit and subdue the attacker before he could carry out his alleged plan.

Among those who intervened were Israeli passengers Yaniv Hayoun, Dr. Shota Musayev, Tzvika Mans, and Assaf Rajwan, whose efforts helped bring the aircraft under control.

One of the Israeli passengers who helped overpower the terrorist attempting to crash a Flydubai passenger jet has revealed a series of disturbing incidents involving members of the cabin crew, including an allegation that a flight attendant began loosening the restraints holding the hijacker after passengers had subdued him.

Assaf Rajwan, who was traveling aboard the Dubai-to-Israel flight with his wife, Lior, and their two daughters, ages 12 and 13, described the terrifying ordeal during an interview on Israel’s Channel 12 program Ulpan Shishi. His account raised serious questions about the conduct of several flight attendants during the attempted hijacking, although their alleged actions have not been independently established as evidence of involvement in the attack.

More than a week after the incident, Rajwan recounted how he rushed toward the front of the aircraft when screams erupted and passengers realized that a violent struggle was taking place inside the cockpit.

Rajwan was among the passengers who helped restrain the alleged hijacker, preventing what authorities believe could have been a catastrophic attack. A video recorded after the aircraft landed showed him announcing to fellow passengers, “We won.”

During his television interview, however, Rajwan said the behavior of certain flight attendants had caused him considerable concern even as passengers were fighting to regain control of the aircraft.

“I saw two very large, very strong men. Let’s just say they weren’t exactly the ideal typecast for flight attendants,” Rajwan recalled.

He said the men appeared unusually tense and repeatedly exchanged glances and spoke to one another in their own language, behavior that he and other passengers interpreted as suspicious under the circumstances.

“You realize you’re in a situation with people who are constantly exchanging nervous looks. One looks at the other, signals with his eyes, and starts speaking in his own language. That’s why people don’t know this, but the real battle was with them,” Rajwan said.

According to Rajwan, one of the flight attendants also approached him in a confrontational manner after passengers in business class attempted to record what was happening aboard the aircraft.

“He asked me, ‘You are police, you are police,’ not in a positive way, but almost as an accusation,” Rajwan recalled.

Another detail that troubled Rajwan involved the flight attendants’ apparent ability to enter and leave the cockpit.

“They had the code. I saw them going in, coming out, opening it. I don’t know whether that’s possible. I told security officials that this needs to be investigated,” he said.

Rajwan described another particularly alarming episode involving the injured Indian captain, who had reportedly been attacked with an emergency axe during the attempted hijacking.

As the captain lay seriously wounded, Dr. Shota Musayev, one of the Israeli passengers, was attempting to provide emergency medical assistance and help him breathe.

At that moment, Rajwan said, a flight attendant approached the injured pilot and attempted to place an unidentified pill into his mouth.

“When the Indian pilot was lying there, gasping for breath, and Shota, the doctor, was helping him and ventilating him, there was a certain point when one of the flight attendants came to give him some kind of pill. We told him, ‘What are you doing? What pill? The man isn’t breathing. What are you trying to put into him?’ I have no idea what he was trying to give him,” Rajwan recounted.

Rajwan said he found the attempted administration of medication particularly troubling given the pilot’s condition and the fact that a physician was already providing emergency treatment.

He also described another incident in which flight attendants repeatedly instructed passengers to fasten their seat belts while the struggle to secure the aircraft was still underway.

“While we’re dealing with them, they start telling passengers in the air, ‘Put on your seat belts, put on your seat belts.’ We told him, ‘We’re going to die. There’s a terrorist here. What are you talking to me about seat belts for?'” Rajwan recalled.

The most alarming allegation in Rajwan’s account concerned what happened after the Israeli passengers managed to restrain the alleged hijacker.

According to Rajwan, the passengers had secured the suspect using plastic cable ties and wires from earphones, attempting to ensure that he could not resume his attack.

They then noticed one of the flight attendants approaching the restrained man and apparently beginning to loosen the ties.

“Suddenly, we notice that he starts releasing the cable ties. He starts gently loosening them. We told him, ‘What are you doing? What are you doing?’ We were absolutely frantic. Another second and we would have jumped on him,” Rajwan said.

Rajwan acknowledged that the conduct he witnessed left him genuinely frightened of certain members of the cabin crew, even after the immediate threat from the hijacker had apparently been contained.

“I was afraid. They were beasts. You touch one of them and it feels like you’re touching a rock. One of my fears was that one of them would pull out a weapon, pull out a knife, pull out something,” he said.

He also described a statement allegedly made by one of the flight attendants that left him stunned.

“He grabbed my hand, looked me in the eyes, and told me, ‘If he will be dead, we will land safe’ — if the Indian pilot dies, we will land safely. He told me something like that, and I went into a bit of shock,” Rajwan recalled.

Rajwan said he had brought his concerns to the attention of Israeli security authorities, who are expected to examine the passengers’ accounts and the circumstances surrounding the crew’s conduct.

Among the additional questions raised in the report was the whereabouts of replacement pilots who were reportedly aboard the aircraft but, according to the account, had not been seen since the plane landed.

The allegations concerning the flight attendants remain unverified, and the report did not establish that any cabin crew members knowingly assisted the alleged hijacker. The conduct Rajwan described is expected to be examined as part of the broader investigation.

The incident occurred on a Flydubai flight traveling from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport, when Omani copilot Hammam al-Hamami allegedly attacked the Indian captain with an emergency axe and attempted to seize control of the aircraft.

According to reports of the incident, the copilot intended to crash the aircraft at Ben Gurion Airport, potentially killing everyone aboard and causing mass casualties on the ground.

Four Israeli passengers — Yaniv Hayoun, Dr. Shota Musayev, Tzvika Mans, and Assaf Rajwan — rushed into the cockpit and managed to overpower the attacker.

Their intervention prevented the alleged hijacker from carrying out his plan and enabled the aircraft to land safely in Israel.

With just two and a half weeks remaining until Israel’s Knesset elections, Hagaon Rav Tzemach Mazuz, Rosh Yeshivas Kisei Rachamim, has issued a public appeal to Hagaon Rav Yosef Chaim Abergil, leader of the newly established Achi party, urging him to withdraw from the election and join forces with Shas.

The unexpected appeal came as Rav Mazuz was recording an official video expressing his support for Shas. During the recording, he turned his attention to Rav Abergil, a longtime friend, and called upon him to dissolve his independent political party in the interest of unity.

Rav Abergil’s decision to establish Achi has introduced another political option for voters ahead of the upcoming election, raising concerns among Shas supporters about a possible division of the Sephardic chareidi vote.

Rather than limiting his remarks to an endorsement of Shas, Rav Mazuz chose to address Rav Abergil personally, invoking their longstanding relationship and expressing his desire to see the two political camps united.

“I heard that my dear and beloved friend, the great and distinguished Rav, a descendant of holy ancestors, Rav Chida Abergil, is establishing a party,” Rav Mazuz said.

He then made his request directly, calling for the new party to be dissolved and for its supporters to unite with Shas.

“I earnestly request from this platform that he close the party and that we join together, and that we all be as one man with one heart, with Hashem’s help, and we will surely see great salvation,” Rav Mazuz declared.

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The Torah world is mourning the petirah of Rav Moshe Mordechai Hadaya zt”l, the longtime Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Eilat and its surrounding district, who was niftar on Shabbos at the age of 91, after approximately seven decades devoted to strengthening Yiddishkeit in Israel’s southernmost city.

Rav Hadaya, who was regarded as the senior municipal rabbi in Israel in terms of years of service, assumed his position when Eilat was still a remote and developing community. Over the ensuing 70 years, he helped establish the city’s religious infrastructure, founded Torah institutions, and became a beloved spiritual figure for generations of residents.

His levayah was held on Motzoei Shabbos Parshas Bereishis at the Pachad Yitzchak Shul in Eilat, to be followed by a second levayah in Yerushalayim on Sunday.

Rav Hadaya was born in Syria in 1935 (5695) into a distinguished family of rabbonim and Torah scholars whose roots extended through the great Sephardic communities of Aleppo and Yerushalayim.

He was a grandson of the renowned Sephardic mekubal Rav Shalom Hadaya zt”l, who served as Rosh Yeshiva of the Beis El Yeshiva of Mekubalim and as av beis din in Yerushalayim.

His family also included Rav Ovadia Hadaya zt”l, the celebrated posek and author of Yaskil Avdi, whose writings became an important part of Sephardic halachic literature.

After arriving in Eretz Yisroel as a young man, Rav Hadaya immersed himself in Torah study under prominent gedolei Torah and poskim of the generation.

Among his principal rebbeim were Rav Eliezer Yehuda Waldenberg zt”l, the author of Tzitz Eliezer and a member of Israel’s Great Rabbinical Court; Rav Yaakov Kalav zt”l; and Rav Shimon Efrati zt”l.

His years of learning under these distinguished rabbonim provided the foundation for a lifetime of psak halacha and communal leadership.

In 1955 (5715), while still a young man, Rav Hadaya was called upon to serve as the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Eilat, which at the time was a small development town far removed from the established Torah centers of the country.

He accepted the position and devoted himself to building the religious life of the community, undertaking responsibilities that would occupy him for the next seven decades.

During his lengthy tenure, Rav Hadaya established the city’s kashrus supervision system, oversaw the construction of mikvaos, helped found shuls, and developed programs of Torah learning for local residents.

He was also deeply involved in protecting the observance of Shabbos and maintaining proper halachic standards throughout the city.

His efforts were especially significant because Eilat’s geographical isolation and its development as a major tourist destination presented challenges that differed from those facing rabbonim in Israel’s more established religious communities.

Rav Hadaya worked tirelessly to ensure that residents had access to the religious services and institutions necessary for a Torah-observant life, while maintaining close relationships with people from across the city’s diverse population.

Those who knew him described a rov whose home was open to anyone seeking assistance, guidance, or encouragement. Religious and secular residents alike viewed him as a fatherly figure who combined unwavering commitment to halacha with warmth and genuine concern for every individual.

His decades of service made him an inseparable part of Eilat’s history, and his influence extended well beyond the city’s religious institutions.

Approximately four months ago, in Sivan 5786, Eilat held formal elections for the position of Sephardic Chief Rabbi, resulting in the selection of Rav Hadaya’s son, Hagaon Rav Yair Hadaya, to succeed him.

Rav Yair was elected by an overwhelming majority of the electoral body, ensuring that the rabbinic leadership of the city would remain in the family that had guided its religious life for generations.

The younger Rav Hadaya is a distinguished talmid of Rav Avraham Shapira zt”l and Rav Ben Tzion Abba Shaul zt”l.

For many years, he headed a kollel in Eilat dedicated to preparing avreichim for positions in the rabbinate. He has also served voluntarily as the rabbinic representative of United Hatzalah in the city.

Like his father, Rav Yair has been actively involved in bringing Yidden closer to Torah and mitzvos, emphasizing personal relationships, accessibility, and a welcoming approach to those seeking to strengthen their connection to Yiddishkeit.

During a special gathering held this past summer in recognition of Rav Moshe Hadaya’s 70 years of service, the veteran rov publicly blessed his son upon his appointment as the city’s new Sephardic Chief Rabbi.

The emotional occasion brought together members of the community to honor Rav Hadaya’s extraordinary lifetime of dedication and to celebrate the continuation of his family’s rabbinic legacy.

At the gathering, Rav Hadaya expressed his heartfelt wishes that his son merit to lead Eilat’s Jewish community successfully and continue the distinguished tradition of Torah leadership established by their family.

With his petirah, Eilat has lost a towering figure who accompanied the city through nearly its entire modern history, transforming a distant development town into a community with an established network of shuls, mikvaos, Torah learning, and religious services.

Yehi zichro baruch.

{Matzav.com}