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NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte extended a warm and colorful welcome to President Donald Trump during Wednesday’s alliance summit in The Hague, lauding him as “a man of strength,” “a man of peace,” and even “the daddy” who managed to broker a truce between Iran and Israel.

According to SkyNews, Trump likened the recent conflict to a schoolyard brawl, saying, “They fight like hell. You can’t stop them. Let them fight for about two, three minutes. Then it’s easier to stop them.”

Rutte picked up on the analogy, replying with a grin, “Then, daddy has to sometimes use strong language,” in reference to Trump’s colorful remarks during his efforts to enforce the ceasefire, as reported by SkyNews.

Trump’s direct language didn’t go unnoticed. At a press briefing the previous day, he had vented frustration over the ongoing hostilities, saying, “We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f**k they’re doing.”

Though Trump’s use of profanity sparked some initial criticism, the blunt approach ultimately seemed to resonate—leading to a renewed ceasefire agreement that held. His unfiltered comment became one of the more unexpected moments of the 12-Day War between Iran and Israel.

On Wednesday, Trump defended Israel’s actions, saying the country had been “technically” correct in its assessment that Iran was the first to breach the truce. He commended the Israeli government for showing restraint in the aftermath, saying he was “proud” of how they responded.

Rutte also commended Trump for accomplishing what previous presidents could not: securing a NATO pledge to boost defense expenditures to five percent of each member nation’s GDP by the year 2035. The breakdown includes 3.5 percent earmarked strictly for military purposes and another 1.5 percent for broader security needs like intelligence and cyber capabilities. Among NATO countries, only the U.S. currently comes close to meeting that target.

“This would not have happened if you would not have been elected in 2016 and re-elected last year… so I want to thank you,” Rutte said at a joint news conference with Trump, voicing strong support for the ambitious new spending benchmark.

Historically, most NATO members have fallen short of even the previously agreed-upon 2 percent threshold. Trump, who has long argued that the U.S. shoulders a disproportionate share of NATO’s burden, has repeatedly pressed for higher contributions. On Tuesday, he continued to apply pressure, calling out Canada for its minimal defense outlays and signaling frustration with another NATO partner.

“Spain is not agreeing, which is very unfair to the rest of them, frankly,” Trump remarked.

To underscore the positive momentum, Trump shared a congratulatory message he received from Rutte on his Truth Social platform. The text praised Trump’s actions during the conflict, saying: “Decisive action in Iran,” which Rutte described as “truly extraordinary, and something no one else dared to do,” had “made us all safer.”

Rutte’s message continued enthusiastically: “You are flying into another big success in The Hague this evening. It was not easy, but we’ve got them all signed on to five percent!”

He added, “Donald, you have driven us to a really, really important moment for America and Europe, and the world. You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done. Europe is going to pay in a BIG way, as they should, and it will be your win.”

In response, Trump expressed satisfaction that NATO leaders had embraced the increased funding demands.

“I’ve been asking to go up to 5% for a number of years and they’re going up to 5%, from 2%, and a lot of people didn’t even pay the 2%. I think that’s going to be very big news. NATO’s going to become very strong with us,” he said at the summit.

Rutte again emphasized Trump’s role in the breakthrough, asserting, “without President Trump, this would not have happened,” and forecasting that the outcomes of the meeting would make a “big splash.”

Trump, in turn, acknowledged Rutte’s endorsement and took the opportunity to contrast his success with the lack of progress under the previous administration.

“When Biden was here it just died, it just died, like everything else died,” Trump said.

{Matzav.com}

The United Kingdom will buy 12 U.S.-made F-35A fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear bombs and will join NATO’s shared airborne nuclear mission, in a major expansion of its nuclear deterrent, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Wednesday. The government called it “the biggest strengthening of the U.K.’s nuclear posture in a generation.” Starmer made the announcement while attending a NATO summit in the Netherlands. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte welcomed the decision, calling it “yet another robust British contribution to NATO.” The U.K. phased out air-dropped atomic weapons in the 1990s after the end of the Cold War. Its nuclear arsenal now consists of submarine-based missiles. Only three NATO members – the U.S., Britain and France – are nuclear powers, while seven nations contribute to the alliance’s nuclear mission by contributing jets that can carry either conventional or weapons or American B61 bombs stockpiled in Europe. The use of nuclear weapons by the U.K. as part of the mission would require the authorization of NATO’s nuclear planning group as well as the U.S. president and British prime minister. Marion Messmer, from the international security program at the Chatham House think tank, said the government had avoided saying whether U.S. nuclear weapons would be based on British soil, a move that would likely be controversial. “The U.K. doesn’t have any nuclear weapons itself that could be deployed via this aircraft,” Messmer said. “Other states in NATO that participate in this mission also host U.S. nuclear weapons on their territory – these weapons remain entirely under U.S. control.” Starmer also announced that the U.K. will provide 350 air defense missiles to Ukraine, funded by 70 million pounds ($95 million) raised from interest on seized Russian assets. The announcements come as the U.K. and other NATO members pledge to increase spending on security to 5% of gross domestic product by 2035. The total includes 3.5% on defense and another 1.5% on broader security and resilience efforts. The U.K. currently spends 2.3% of national income on defense and says that will rise to 2.6% by 2027. (AP)

Despite ongoing turbulence in Israel and Jewish communities worldwide, thousands of Jews from across the globe are expected to converge on Krakow, Poland, this Friday, Rosh Chodesh Tammuz, for the yahrtzeit of the Maor V’Shemesh, Rav Kalonymus Kalman Epstein ztz”l, one of the early leaders of the Chassidic movement. His kever, located in Krakow’s historic Jewish cemetery, has long been revered as a place of salvation—especially in matters of parnassah.

Each year, large groups travel from Europe, the United States, and even Israel to be at the tziyun of the Maor V’Shemesh on the day of his hilulah. This year, due to widespread flight cancellations from Israel—including a canceled charter—many Israelis have been forced to cancel their plans. In response, organizers have established a free “kvittel service,” allowing people to submit names for prayer remotely.

The Maor V’Shemesh left behind a powerful promise: “Anyone who davens with the tzibbur is guaranteed to have their livelihood provided generously every single day.” This incredible assurance has drawn countless Jews to strengthen their commitment to tefillah b’tzibbur, particularly on the hilulah, when many travel to Krakow to renew their dedication and daven fervently for personal and communal salvation.

Travel agencies have reported a dramatic spike in interest from Jewish communities across Europe and North America. The surge in participation is especially notable this year, given the global challenges facing Klal Yisroel.

To accommodate those unable to travel, a dedicated system was set up both in Israel and abroad to accept kvitlach. These will be placed at the tziyun and mentioned during the special minyan that will be held there. Many participants are including a written commitment to strengthen their tefillah b’tzibbur, in keeping with the Maor V’Shemesh’s legacy.

Names can be submitted via email to: maorvshemesh@gmail.com. All names received will be printed and read at the kever on the day of the yahrtzeit.

Organizers also confirmed that the central hilulah seudah, attended by rabbanim and chassidim near the tziyun, will take place as usual in a large tent erected at the site.

{Matzav.com Israel}

President Donald Trump urged Israeli authorities to put an end to the legal proceedings against Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, calling the charges a politically driven attack.

“I was shocked to hear that the State of Israel, which has just had one of its Greatest Moments in History, and is strongly led by Bibi Netanyahu, is continuing its ridiculous Witch Hunt against their Great War Time Prime Minister!” Trump declared in a detailed message posted on Truth Social.

He criticized the ongoing corruption trial as a baseless pursuit with political motives.

“Bibi Netanyahu’s trial should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero, who has done so much for the State,” he wrote, describing Netanyahu as a pivotal leader undeserving of such treatment.

Trump insisted that American support had been instrumental in aiding Israel during its most critical moments, and now it was time for the U.S. to help Netanyahu personally. “It was the United States of America that saved Israel, and now it is going to be the United States of America that saves Bibi Netanyahu. THIS TRAVESTY OF ‘JUSTICE’ CAN NOT BE ALLOWED!” he exclaimed.

He also claimed to have recently found out about Netanyahu being required to appear in court early next week. “Just learned that Bibi has been summoned to Court on Monday,” Trump wrote, although it wasn’t clear which specific legal session he meant. Netanyahu’s cross-examination had already begun earlier in the month but was paused due to the wartime state of emergency declared by the Israeli judiciary, which has limited court activity to essential matters only.

{Matzav.com}

MK Moshe Gafni, who leads the Degel HaTorah faction within United Torah Judaism, stirred outrage from right-wing politicians on Wednesday morning after questioning the rationale behind Israel’s continued military campaign in Gaza.

As he opened a session of the Knesset Finance Committee, which he chairs, Gafni thanked both Hashem and President Donald Trump for bringing an end to the conflict with Iran. He also expressed sorrow over the loss of seven IDF soldiers the previous day. But he then voiced sharp skepticism over the war in Gaza. “But I don’t understand, even to this very moment, what we are fighting for there,” he added. “I don’t understand what the need is. What are we going to do there when soldiers are being killed all the time?… We need a Trump to come here and say, We are returning the hostages, stopping all these things, and returning to normal. But apparently we haven’t merited this yet.”

Backing Gafni’s concerns, Shas MK Yinon Azulai said the time had come to wrap up the operation. “We must do everything to end this war now when we are strong, not weak, and bring back the hostages,” he said.

Gafni’s remarks also found support outside the political arena. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum issued a statement praising his candor, posting on social media that he was “telling the truth as it is, without embellishment or spin.”

“The war in Gaza has exhausted itself, and is being waged without a clear purpose or real plan. It is time to show courage and say in a clear voice: Return the hostages, stop the fighting. This is the correct solution, this is the only way to complete an Israeli victory,” the organization declared.

Still, his comments triggered fierce backlash from the political right. The Otzma Yehudit party, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, accused Gafni of undermining the nation’s security by publicly casting doubt on the necessity of the war.

The party issued a statement denouncing Gafni, saying his remarks “recall similar statements by the extreme leftist Moshe Ya’alon, harms Israel’s security and the families of the fallen heroes,” referring to the former defense minister’s controversial claim that Israel was engaged in “ethnic cleansing” in northern Gaza.

The statement emphasized that Israeli forces were currently engaged in a critical battle against “the Nazi terrorist organization Hamas” and that their mission was to “restore security to the residents of the south in particular and to the residents of Israel in general, and to return all of our hostages, living and dead.” The party also asserted that the sacrifices made by Israeli soldiers obligate the country to continue fighting until Hamas is defeated.

Ben Gvir personally slammed Gafni’s words as a disgrace. “What are they fighting for there?” he asked rhetorically. “They are fighting a war of survival, so that there will be no more October 7s, no more rape, massacre and murder,” he told Army Radio, noting that his own son is currently serving in the IDF.

Yehuda Wald, who serves as the director general of the Religious Zionism party, also lashed out at Gafni, arguing that someone who doesn’t send his own children into combat has no place making such comments. The chareidi community, of which Gafni is a part, almost entirely avoids military service.

Likud MK Dan Illouz added his voice to the condemnation, pointing to the horrors of Hamas’s October 7 rampage. He said soldiers were in Gaza “so that babies will never again be burned alive inside their homes, as happened in Kfar Aza.”

He continued by referencing recent coalition threats: “It is not surprising that those who don’t understand this threatened only two weeks ago, when Israel was on the verge of attacking Iran, to overthrow a right-wing government in the middle of a war of survival only so as to not take part in that war,” he posted on X.

Gafni’s Degel HaTorah faction is one half of the United Torah Judaism bloc, which has recently threatened to break up the Knesset if efforts to draft chareidim into the army proceed.

Within both coalition and opposition ranks, there has been a renewed push for legislation that would close the decades-old exemption allowing full-time yeshiva students to avoid IDF service. The shortage of troops during wartime has only added urgency to the debate.

Gafni was also targeted by members of the center and left, although their criticisms focused more on his role in the coalition than the substance of his remarks.

Yesh Atid MK Merav Ben-Ari addressed the Knesset and pushed back on Gafni’s call for Trump to intervene. She argued that what was really needed was a prime minister who would “ignore messianic, delusional and mandate-less elements” and instead respond to the will of the Israeli public, which she said favors ending the war and retrieving the hostages.

MK Gilad Kariv of The Democrats party echoed that critique, highlighting Gafni’s own power in the ruling coalition. “You bear personal and direct responsibility for everything happening in the Strip. If you don’t understand why the war in Gaza is continuing, what the hell are you doing in the coalition?” he wrote on social media.

{Matzav.com Israel}

In a remarkable demonstration of kavod haTorah, leading roshei yeshiva from across Eretz Yisroel gathered on Wednesday to warmly welcome the Slabodka Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, upon his return from a successful fundraising mission abroad on behalf of Keren Olam HaTorah.

The event, held at the Fattal lounge at Ben Gurion Airport, was attended by many gedolei Torah. Among the rabbonim present were Rav Kook (Rosh Yeshivas Maor HaTalmud), Rav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel (Rosh Yeshivas Mir), Rav Avraham Salim (Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah of Shas), Rav Chaim Peretz Berman (Rosh Yeshivas Ponovezh), Rav Dovid Yitzchok Shapiro (Rosh Yeshivas Be’er Yaakov), Rav Levi (Rosh Yeshivas Be’er HaTorah), Rav Ehrenfeld (Rosh Yeshivas Mishnas Akiva), Rav Ettinger (Rosh Yeshivas Knesses Yechezkel), Rav Yaakovzon (Rosh Yeshivas Maor Yitzchok Chemed), and Rav Ziskind (Rosh Yeshivas Keser Torah), among others.

The Rosh Yeshiva was received at the airport by MK Yitzchok Pindrus and his chief of staff, Moshe Reber, who coordinated the logistics with airport and police authorities. A large police presence secured the event, ensuring the safe arrival of gedolei Yisroel and gabbaim into the Fattal complex.

As Rav Hirsch entered the Fattal conference hall, the gedolim rose in his honor, greeting him with baruch haba and shalom aleichem. The Rosh Yeshiva then delivered heartfelt words of gratitude to Hashem for the overwhelming success of his trip on behalf of Keren Olam HaTorah. He shared that contrary to fears that donors might hesitate since the previous campaign was presented as a one-time effort, the opposite occurred.

“There was concern people would say, ‘You promised it was only once.’ But in reality, it was the exact opposite—it was simply extraordinary. People gave twice as much as they did last year. That was the mindset this year—that they should give more,” Rav Hirsch said. “R’ Shimon Glick even jokingly asked, ‘What happened to the yetzer hara? Did it go to sleep?’ Truly, it was something exceptional—the public gave wholeheartedly to Keren Olam HaTorah.”

Following his remarks, members of the Moetzes delivered brief divrei brachah and hakaras hatov, including Rav Kook, Rav Avraham Salim, Rav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel, and Rav Chaim Peretz Berman. They expressed gratitude on behalf of the Torah world to Rav Hirsch, acknowledging his selfless dedication to sustaining Torah learning both in Eretz Yisroel and abroad.

After the event, Rav Hirsch returned to his home near the Slabdoka yeshiva, where he resumed his learning schedule and continued receiving people for hadracha and brachah.

קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן

קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן

קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן קבלת פנים לרה”י הגרמ”ה הירש בנתב”גצילום: שלומי כהן {Matzav.com}

Fourteen years after the passing of the great rosh yeshiva, Rav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz zt”l, author of Minchas Yehuda and one of the gedolei Torah of the Torah world, large crowds gathered at his kever in the Ponovezh Cemetery to mark his yahrtzeit with tefillos and cries for rachamei Shamayim.

As the sun began to set, a special tefillah gathering was held at the kever, led by the Rosh Yeshiva’s sons. His son, the mashgiach, Rav Moshe Dovid Lefkowitz—mashgiach of Yeshivos Be’er Yaakov and Mishkenos HaTorah, and rav of the Heichal Moshe community in Bnei Brak—led the gathering. As the day came to a close, and in light of the difficult times, the crowd joined together in an emotional recitation of the Yud Gimmel Middos, weeping as they beseeched Hashem for salvation and compassion for Klal Yisroel.

Rav Moshe Dovid also offered words of chizuk, urging the participants to not only daven, but also to recognize and express gratitude for the many open miracles and chassadim that have been evident in recent days. He quoted timeless teachings from his father, Rav Michel Yehuda, emphasizing their continued relevance for every generation.

Following the stirring Kel Malei Rachamim, kaddish was recited by his son, Rav Avrohom Yitzchok Lefkowitz, Rosh Yeshiva of Beis Medrash Elyon.

Among those who joined the gathering were Rav Aharon Shapira, Rosh Yeshiva of Rabbeinu Moshe Shmuel, and the Rosh Yeshiva’s grandson, Rav Yitzchok Shaul Kanievsky.

יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה יום היארצייט של רבי מיכל יהודה ליפקוביץ זצ”לצילום: ש.פ.ה

{Matzav.com}

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas sent a letter to President Donald Trump praising his successful efforts in brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Iran and expressing renewed commitment to pursuing a full peace agreement with Israel.

In his message, Abbas emphasized that the truce between Iran and Israel marks a key moment in efforts to ease broader tensions in the region.

The Palestinian leader also extended his appreciation to Trump for what he described as the president’s “courageous” recent appeals to bring an end to the fighting in Gaza.

“This constitutes an additional step in [your] important efforts to achieve a just and comprehensive peace between us, the Israelis, and the entire world,” Abbas writes.

According to the letter, Abbas confirmed his administration’s eagerness to resume serious negotiations with Trump and regional partners to reach a peace accord under a defined schedule aimed at resolving the conflict and creating long-term security for both sides.

The letter states Abbas “reiterated our full readiness to work closely with [Trump] and relevant Arab and international parties to immediately negotiate and implement a comprehensive peace agreement within a clear and binding timeframe that ends the occupation and achieves security and stability for all, a just and lasting peace.”

He went on to convey optimism that with Trump’s involvement, long-standing obstacles could be overcome.

“With you, we can achieve what seemed impossible: a recognized, free, sovereign and secure Palestine, a recognized and secure Israel, and a region that enjoys peace, prosperity and integration,” Abbas tells Trump.

In recent months, Abbas has made a concerted effort to build rapport with the Trump administration. He issued a decree ending a deeply criticized policy that had provided payments to the families of Palestinian prisoners and those killed in attacks, with benefits tied to the length of their sentences.

Abbas has also denounced Hamas repeatedly and has been calling for the hostages to be freed. Earlier this month, he issued his first public condemnation of Hamas’s October 7 assault.

Despite these gestures, U.S. engagement with the Palestinian leadership has been minimal. Contacts between Washington and Ramallah have remained limited, with U.S. hostage envoy Adam Boehler instead focusing on direct talks with Hamas earlier this year to help free American captives. Trump has not spoken with Abbas since their phone call in November, when the PA leader congratulated him on winning the election.

{Matzav.com}

Legislation introduced Wednesday in Congress would block Chinese artificial intelligence systems from federal agencies as a bipartisan group of lawmakers pledged to ensure that the United States would prevail against China in the global competition over AI. “We are in a new Cold War, and AI is the strategic technology at the center,” said Republican Rep. John Moolenaar of Michigan, chairman of the House Select Committee on China, as he opened a hearing on the matter. “The future balance of power may very well be determined by who leads in AI.” About five months ago, a Chinese technology startup called DeepSeek introduced an AI model that rivaled platforms from OpenAI and Google in performance, but cost only a fraction to build. This raised concerns that China was catching up to U.S. despite restrictions on chips and other key technologies used to develop AI. That race is now a central part of the U.S.-China rivalry, and so much is at stake that the U.S. must win, witnesses told the committee. The two countries are “in a long-term techno-security competition that will determine the shape of the global political order for the coming years,” said Thomas Mahnken, president and CEO of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. Jack Clark, co-founder and head of policy at Anthropic, said AI has built-in values. “I know that AI systems are a reflection of the societies that are built from. AI built in democracies will lead to better technology for all of humanity. AI built in authoritarian nations will … be inescapably intertwined and imbued with authoritarianism,” Clark said. “We must take decisive action to ensure America prevails.” Earlier this year, Chris Lehane, OpenAI’s head of global affairs, told reporters that the U.S. and China were the only two countries in the world that could build AI at scale. The competition, which he described as one between democratic AI and autocratic AI, is “very real and very serious,” and the stakes are “enormous,” he said, for “the global rails of AI will be built by one of those two countries.” The 2025 AI Index Report by Stanford University’s Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence center has the U.S. in the lead in producing top AI models. But the report noted China is rapidly closing the performance gap, reaching near parity in 2024 on several major benchmarks. It also showed that China leads in AI publications and patents. At the hearing, Clark urged the lawmakers to maintain and strengthen export controls of advanced chips to China. “This competition fundamentally runs on compute,” he said. The U.S. must control the flow of powerful chips to China, Clark said, “or else you’re giving them the tools they will need to build powerful AI to harm American interests.” Mark Beall, Jr., president of government affairs at The AI Policy Network, said there are “a number of very glaring gaps” in the U.S. export controls that have allowed China to obtain controlled chips. Lawmakers earlier this year introduced a bill to track such chips to ensure they would not be diverted to the wrong hands. The bill announced Wednesday would ban Chinese AI systems in the federal government. Sponsors are Reps. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., and Darin LaHood, R-Ill., and Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Gary Peters, D-Mich. “The U.S. must draw a hard […]

Trump administration moves to count crypto as a federal mortgage asset The Federal Housing Finance Agency is working to let borrowers use crypto as part of their federal mortgage applications without converting it to cash. Only digital assets held on U.S.-regulated, centralized exchanges will qualify under the new guidance. Fannie and Freddie must design safeguards to account for crypto’s volatility and submit their plans to the FHFA.

Border Czar Tom Homan issues a warning to Zohran Mamdani for vowing to block ICE from deporting criminal aliens if he becomes mayor of NYC: “Good luck. Federal law trumps him every day, hour, and minute. We’re going to be tripling down in NYC.”

Leftists STORM THE CAPITOL to protest Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Several people were detained.

Following footage from today showing Hamas militants seizing food trucks that entered the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz instructed the IDF to present plans to prevent Hamas from taking control of the aid, PMO says.

NEW: Sen Chuck Schumer was taken to the hospital Wednesday, his office says. “Leader Schumer was at the Senate gym this morning and got lightheaded. Out of an abundance of caution, he went to the hospital to be treated for dehydration & is now back at work in the Capitol.” His name for Tehillim was not available.

The United States and Qatar announced Wednesday that the fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel has opened a potential window to reignite stalled negotiations between Israel and Hamas over a possible truce and hostage exchange deal in Gaza.

Majed Al Ansari, spokesman for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, told CNN that Doha has maintained active communication with “all sides” involved in the hostage discussions. He said they hoped to use the momentum generated by the Iran-Israel ceasefire to advance the talks—remarks that closely mirrored those made by President Trump.

“This is the time now for President Trump to push for it and we believe he is sincere about it,” said Ansari. “We are willing to help on that.”

Ansari acknowledged that the truce had given the talks a boost, but warned against premature optimism.

“There was momentum created by the ceasefire in Iran and Israel,” he continued, “but we’re not out of the woods yet. There are a lot of details that I can’t discuss right now about the deal in place, but I can tell you it’s the same parameters that keep going in and out of the talks.”

He also addressed the tensions following Iran’s retaliatory strike on a U.S. base in Qatar, calling it a serious blow to Doha’s ties with Tehran.

Ansari’s remarks came on the heels of Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani’s statement a day earlier that “discussions are ongoing” with both Israel and Hamas, referring to a proposal reportedly put forward by the United States.

Speaking from the NATO summit in The Hague, President Trump said that Sunday’s U.S. military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities had produced “great progress” in the efforts to reach a Gaza ceasefire.

“I think that because of this attack that we made… we’re going to have some very good news,” he said. “Gaza is very close.”

Meanwhile, Hamas spokesman Taher al-Nunu confirmed to AFP on Wednesday that efforts to reach a deal had intensified.

“Our communications with the brother mediators in Egypt and Qatar have not stopped and have intensified in recent hours,” said al-Nunu.

Still, he warned that Hamas had “not yet received any new proposals” aimed at ending the conflict.

The Israeli government did not comment on the state of negotiations, offering only a general statement that it was continuing to pursue the release of hostages “on the battlefield and via negotiations.”

Since late May, the talks have been largely frozen. That was when Hamas reportedly rejected a U.S.-backed plan submitted by White House envoy Steve Witkoff, a response that Washington deemed “unacceptable.”

That plan had included a 60-day pause in fighting, a partial pullback of Israeli troops, and expanded humanitarian access, all in return for the release of 10 live hostages and 18 bodies of deceased hostages.

Hamas’s reply reportedly sought to restrict Israel’s ability to resume military action if no permanent truce was finalized by the end of the 60-day period.

In addition, Hamas opposed the U.S. proposal to release the 10 living captives in two waves—one on the first day of the truce and the second on the seventh—preferring instead to stagger the releases throughout the ceasefire window.

An earlier deal to exchange hostages for a ceasefire collapsed on March 2 after its initial 42-day phase concluded. Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu had refused to negotiate the second stage, which would have entailed a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza—something his far-right coalition partners adamantly oppose.

Israel resumed military operations in Gaza on March 18, and Netanyahu has since pledged to continue the campaign until Hamas is destroyed.

Although Netanyahu claimed just days before the June 13 Israeli strike on Iran that hostage talks were making “significant progress,” an Arab source familiar with the negotiations told The Times of Israel that no such progress had actually been made.

As it stands, Gaza-based terror groups are holding 50 hostages, 49 of whom were seized on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led terrorists slaughtered around 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped 251 more, igniting the current war. Hamas also possesses the body of an Israeli soldier killed in the 2014 Gaza conflict.

According to the IDF, 28 of the hostages still in captivity have been confirmed dead. Twenty are believed to be alive, while Israeli officials have expressed deep concern for the condition of two others.

{Matzav.com Israel}

CIA Director John Ratcliffe: “CIA can confirm that a body of credible intelligence indicates Iran’s Nuclear Program has been severely damaged by the recent, targeted strikes.”    

CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed Wednesday that recent U.S. and Israeli strikes caused severe damage to Iran’s nuclear program. In a statement posted to X, Ratcliffe said the CIA has credible intelligence—including from a trusted source—that key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and will take years to rebuild. “CIA can confirm that a body of credible intelligence indicates Iran’s Nuclear Program has been severely damaged by the recent, targeted strikes,” he wrote. Ratcliffe added that the agency is still gathering intelligence and will keep officials and, when possible, the public informed. The statement directly contradicts leaked reports that suggested the strikes had limited impact. Ratcliffe said those reports were based on illegally sourced information and do not reflect the CIA’s current assessment. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

JACKSON, NJ – A frum entrepreneur from Jackson has launched a groundbreaking new invention that’s already transforming lives: a system that allows people with low vision—including elderly Gedolim—to read and learn again with clarity and ease. The device, called OrahVision, lets users simply place down any sefer, paper, or document. The system instantly adjusts lighting, corrects curvature, sharpens the text, and displays a large, clear, high-contrast image on screen. Users can turn pages, zoom in and out, and even ask questions about the text—all with a single tap. “It’s so intuitive that people in their 90s who’ve never used technology are now using it daily to learn,” says Yisroel Wahl, the creator of OrahVision. Wahl explains that the project began as a personal mission. “A close family member’s vision was deteriorating. He spends his life learning, and the existing magnifiers made it nearly impossible to get through more than a few words. I put my life on hold to build a real solution,” he says. “With tremendous Siyata Dishmaya, here we are.” Once Wahl posted a video of the system in action, the response was immediate. “Calls came in from all over the world. People are desperate for something like this—and until now, it didn’t exist.” The stories have been deeply moving. “There are people who had basically given up,” he says. “One man immediately got emotional. He said he’d be able to learn the Parsha for the first time in four years. An elderly woman who had all but given up on life found her spirit again. The stories don’t stop.” OrahVision is now available to the public in early adopter release. To order or learn more, email yisroel@orahvision.com, call or WhatsApp 732‑637‑9674, or visit OrahVision.com.

President Trump unleashed a fiery response on Wednesday following Zohran Mamdani’s unexpected win in New York’s Democratic mayoral primary, slamming both his ideology and personal presentation.

“Democrats have crossed the line” by elevating “100% Communist Lunatic,” Trump railed in a Truth Social post.

He remarked that while radical figures have emerged in the party before, this instance went beyond what he viewed as acceptable boundaries. “We’ve had Radical Lefties before, but this is getting a little ridiculous,” he added.

Trump then turned his criticism toward Mamdani’s physical appearance and demeanor, pulling no punches.

“He looks TERRIBLE, his voice is grating, he’s not very smart, he’s got AOC+3, Dummies ALL, backing him, and even our Great Palestinian Senator, Cryin’ Chuck Schumer, is groveling over him.”

{Matzav.com}

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday that President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs will likely push up inflation in the coming months, even as some Republican senators suggested the chair was biased against the duties. On the second day of his twice-yearly testimony before the House and Senate, Powell said that consumers will likely have to shoulder some of the cost of the import taxes. Most Fed officials support cutting rates this year, Powell added, but the central bank wants to take time to see how inflation changes in the months ahead. “There will be some inflation from tariffs coming,” Powell said under questioning from members of the Senate Banking Committee. “Not yet, but over the course of the coming months.” Powell noted that the duties would likely cost hundreds of billions of dollars annually, and “some of that is going to fall on the consumer. We’re just kind of waiting to see more data on that.” Some GOP senators criticized Powell, however, for characterizing tariffs as a potential driver of inflation. Sen. Pete Ricketts, a Republican from Nebraska, argued that the duties could simply act as a one-time increase in prices that wouldn’t fuel inflation. And Sen. Bernie Moreno, a Republican from Ohio, echoed some of Trump’s complaints about Powell’s reluctance to cut rates and accused Powell of political bias. “You should consider whether you are looking at this through a fiscal lens or a political lens because you just don’t like tariffs,” Moreno said. Powell didn’t respond. But the Fed chair reiterated that most central bank officials do support cutting the Fed’s key rate this year. And Powell added that it is possible that tariffs won’t increase inflation by very much. Trump has sharply criticized Powell for not reducing borrowing costs, calling him a “numbskull” and a “fool.” Trump has pushed for rate cuts in order to reduce the interest costs the federal government pays on its debt. Yet some Fed officials have pushed back against that view, saying that it’s not their job to lower the government’s borrowing costs. Also Wednesday, at a post-NATO summit press conference, Trump said he had candidates in mind to replace Powell, presumably for when Powell’s term as chair ends in May 2026. Trump has previously threatened to fire Powell, but the Supreme Court has signaled that a president probably doesn’t have the legal authority to remove the Fed chair. “I know, within three or four people, who I’m going to pick,” Trump said, calling Powell a “very stupid person.” So far, inflation has steadily cooled this year despite widespread concerns among economists about the impact of tariffs. The consumer price index ticked up just 0.1% from April to May, the government said last week, a sign that price pressures are muted. Compared with a year ago, consumer prices rose 2.4% in May, up from a yearly increase of 2.3% in April. Yet most economists on Wall Street expect that Trump’s tariffs will lift inflation this year, to about 3% to 3.5% by the end of this year. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the senior Democrat on the banking committee, told reporters before the hearing that the Fed would likely be cutting rates if it wasn’t for the threat of higher prices posed by tariffs. When the Fed reduces its key rate, it […]