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More than one in five Britons harbors or agrees with antisemitic views, a survey found. The numbers are the highest since similar studies began 10 years ago, The Telegraph reported on Sunday.

The findings come just before a national march by Jewish groups and their supporters in London on Sunday to protest “bigots and extremists” targeting Britain’s Jews.

The survey, conducted among a representative sample of British adults, found that 21% of the public supports four or more antisemitic statements, up from 16% last year. In 2021, that figure was 11%.

The number of British people holding antisemitic views has doubled in less than five years, to more than a fifth of the population.

The YouGov survey, commissioned by the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA), revealed that almost half of the population (45%) says that Israel treats Palestinian Arabs similar to the way Nazis treated Jews.

This surpasses last year’s record number of 33% who agreed with that statement.

The CAA said comparing Israel’s actions to those of the Nazis is “one of the most common antisemitic tropes that we see,” the Telegraph reported.

“It both trivializes the Holocaust, in which six million Jews were industrially slaughtered, and insultingly accuses victims of the crime committed against them of perpetrating it,” the CAA said.

Similar to a Harvard-Harris poll in the United States, the YouGov survey found that antisemitic attitudes were higher among younger people. Some 60% of young people accepted the view equating Israel with Nazis.

The study also found that of 18- to 24-year-olds, nearly half (49%) said they did not feel comfortable spending time around people who openly support Israel. Only 18% said they did feel comfortable doing so.

Of young voters, 31% said that Israel has a right to exist as a homeland for the Jewish people. Twenty percent said it did not.

Fifty-eight percent of young people said Israel and those who support it are a bad influence on British democracy. Among the general population, 29% agreed with that statement.

Twenty-six percent of the British public said that Israel can get away with whatever it wants because its supporters “control the media.” That figure was 18% last year. Among young people, 42% said Israel can get away with anything.

“Bearing in mind that the overwhelming majority of British Jews identify as Zionists and with the Jewish state, these attitudes among young Britons have enormous implications for young Jews on campus, on social media and starting out in the workplace,” the CAA said.

Ten percent of young Britons have a “favorable view” of Hamas, with 14% saying it is wrong to classify Hamas as a terrorist group, the survey also found.

Nineteen percent of young people said that the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which 1,219 people, mostly civilians, were murdered according to an AFP tally based on official figures, and 251 were kidnapped, was justified.

{Matzav.com}

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Roughly 100,000 residents of Gaza have departed the enclave as Israeli forces push deeper into Gaza City, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday during the start of his cabinet meeting.

“Hamas is trying to do everything to prevent them from leaving and to remain there to serve as a human shield for it. It does not shy away from any means.

“We have recently seen that it shoots women and children in the legs and, if necessary, shoots to kill.”

Netanyahu acknowledged that Israel is paying a steep price when it comes to international perception, but said the most effective way to address this is “to establish entirely new mechanisms, as we have discussed, and to finish the war as quickly as possible, to finish it with the victory we have defined. That means: eliminating Hamas, returning all the hostages, and ensuring that Gaza does not pose a threat to Israel.”

{Matzav.com}

New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) criticized President Trump following widespread reports that the White House is seeking to take control of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.

“The @Sept11Memorial belongs to the families, survivors, and first responders who’ve carried its legacy for more than two decades,” Hochul wrote on X, including a screenshot of a New York Times article.

“Instead of politicizing this sacred site, the President should restore 9/11 health care funding and support victims’ families,” she added.

Neither the White House nor the museum responded immediately to inquiries from The Hill for comment.

The reports of Trump looking to oversee the 9/11 Memorial & Museum follow an earlier controversy in which his administration sought to strip funding from the World Trade Center Health Program.

That program provides research, medical care, and ongoing health monitoring to more than 100,000 responders and survivors who became ill as a result of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Funding was ultimately reinstated after Republican lawmakers urged the president not to eliminate it.

The head of the museum expressed confusion about why the federal government would want to assume operational responsibility.

“At a time when the federal government is working to cut costs, assuming the full operating expenses for the site makes no sense,” Beth Hillman, president and CEO of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, said in a statement provided to CBS.

{Matzav.com}

France’s foreign ministry pushed back against Secretary of State Marco Rubio after he argued that Paris derailed Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks by formally recognizing Palestinian statehood in late July.

In a statement posted on X, the ministry rejected Rubio’s claim outright, saying, “No, @SecRubio, the recognition of the State of Palestine did not cause the breakdown of hostage negotiations.”

The response was followed by a thread of additional posts, including screenshots meant to challenge Rubio’s timeline. One showed a July 24 post at 3:54 p.m. local time from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussing failed Gaza ceasefire negotiations. Another displayed French President Emmanuel Macron’s message from later that evening at 9:16 p.m., in which he addressed France’s recognition of Palestinian statehood.

“The negotiations had already collapsed before France’s announcement,” the French Response account emphasized. “This narrative blaming France is diverting attention from the real responsibility of Hamas in the deadlock.”

This latest exchange highlights the diplomatic friction that has followed France’s move. Rubio has repeatedly denounced the recognition of a Palestinian state, calling it “reckless.”

“The United States strongly rejects @EmmanuelMacron’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the @UN general assembly,” Rubio wrote on X at the time. “This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th.”

Rubio continued to stand by his criticism this week, again insisting France’s action caused a breakdown in negotiations.

“The minute − the day − that the French announced the thing they did, that day, Hamas walked away from the negotiating table,” Rubio said.

“They immediately increased their demands and walked away and stopped negotiating,” he added.

{Matzav.com}

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For the full video click here
It’s not just remarkable -it’s incredible! On his website, there are hundreds of documented cases where Rav Hool has told people- he has never met- or even seen-exactly what physical ailments they have, just by doing the procedure! There are also -as of this writing- 272 (!) documented cases- (almost all cases where people have sent him emails) confirming the yeshuoh they had after the procedure! Some of these yeshuos are literally staggering, like a woman who couldn’t lift her arm for two years, or a man who found parnossoh 72 hours after the procedure after 10 years of unemployment!

 

For years Rav Doniel Hool has been helping Yeiden around the world in matters like shidduchim, parnossoh, medical issues and so on-by doing the pouring of the lead procedure or Blei Gissen, to remove ayin horah.

 

Rav Hool only agrees to do the procedure if the client accepts upon himself to strengthen in a certain very small mitzvah of their choice.

 

Rav Hool says: “They don’t need to tell me what their kabolloh is, and it is not a verbal promise- just a 100% intention to carry on this mitzvah. Preferably, it is something they should be doing anyway, and it is easy to do. For example, many people have undertaken to be makpid to say modeh ani before getting out of bed in the morning. I feel I need this mitzvah so we can have Siyyatah Dishmayoh for the procedure to be effective, and also for my own protection!”

 

Rav Hool’s clients include Roshey Yeshivah and dayyonim from all over the world. One Rosh Yeshivah had trouble in finding a mitzvah he could take on, as he thought he was already doing everything. Rav Hool suggested he says Mizmor LeDavid at every meal as brought in the Mishna Brurah, and the Rosh Yeshiva said “That’s a great idea- I will take that on!”

So in the last year alone, there are thousands of mitzvos being done! Rav Hool says, “As the mitzvos keep on building up, we have a more and more powerful zechus for the next procedure to bring a yeshuoh!

It is no small matter that a prominent rav has given his full endorsement! Here is the written endorsement he has from Hagaon Rav Mattisyahu Doitch Shlita Dayan of the Badatz eidah Chareides and Moreh D’asrah of Ramat Shlomo.

Rav Hool relates: “In order to obtain Hagaon Rav Mattissyahu Doitch’s written haskomoh- he tested me out! He gave me the name of a female and her mother’s name and asked if I could identify her problem. Without knowing anything at all about her, Boruch Hashem I told him where her problem was and the rav confirmed that he was told by her family about it and that this problem was preventing her getting a shidduch. B’Chasdey Hashem-two months later I was dancing at her chasunah!”

 

A talmid of Yeshivas Ponevez (12 years) and Mir (16 years), it is intriguing Rav Hool has gotten into such a thing. But he says “I saw the procedure works, and I know Hagaon Rav Yisroel Yaakov Fisher ztz’l sent hundreds of people to do the procedure. The Tzemach Tzeddek ztz’l even has a teshuvoh allowing the lead to be heated up on shabbos to try and save someone’s life! I was also told by a prominent Rosh Yeshiva’s wife that she knows for a fact Rav Elyashiv ztz’l had the procedure done for himself numerous times”.

 

Rav Hool says, “I am not promising miracles chas vesholom, I am just doing the procedure that Boruch Hashem seems to be very affective at helping people, and the zechus of the mitzvah they undertake will stand for them lenetzach netzochim!”

Whilst recently in London, where he was doing procedures, Rav Hool gave four amazing shiurim on Torah Way. Here is one of them- where you can see how Rav Hool explains that ultimately, even ayin horah is actually sent by Hashem! But you should see them all! https://www2.kolhalashon.com/#/regularSite/playShiur/41921023/-1/0/false

Also on his website is an audio lectures page where Rav Hool has some very interesting shiurim.

The service fee for the procedure is $300.

To order a procedure, go to his website www.shevatiheyenoh.com – or WhatsApp 00972-525829124, but be patient, there is a high demand for his services!

Finally Rav Hool has written a book called ‘Why?’ with haskomos from Hagaon Rav Zev Leff shlita and Hagaon Rav Tzvi Kushelevsky shlita. A member of the Belgian society of psychologists calls the book “an extraordinary literary masterpiece.’ The book is available here:   https://mosaicapress.com/product/why/?srsltid=AfmBOophKz94UOZJIQef15yN9YJynuYKKMuUkPO68GjoOWYSLVhntpCO

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker tore into President Trump last night over remarks he made about immigration enforcement, particularly references to targeting Chicago, denouncing him as a “wannabe dictator.”

“The President of the United States is threatening to go to war with an American city,” Pritzker posted on X, reacting to a meme Trump shared online. “This is not a joke. This is not normal.”

“Donald Trump isn’t a strongman, he’s a scared man,” the governor continued. “Illinois won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator.”

Trump had earlier uploaded to Truth Social an AI-generated picture showing him dressed as a law enforcement officer with the caption, “I love the smell of deportations in the morning… Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR.” The image featured helicopters, flames consuming Chicago, and the phrase “Chipocalypse Now,” a reference to the 1979 film Apocalypse Now.

The post came just one day after Trump signed an executive order that changed the Defense Department’s name to the Department of War.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) also blasted the message in a statement on X, calling it “beneath the honor of our nation.”

“But the reality is that he wants to occupy our city and break our Constitution,” Johnson added. “We must defend our democracy from this authoritarianism by protecting each other and protecting Chicago from Donald Trump.”

Trump had previously indicated that Chicago could be the next focus of his administration’s crackdown on crime and illegal immigration. Reports have confirmed the White House is considering using a Navy installation near the city as part of its migrant detention plans.

He has also suggested that National Guard forces might be deployed to Chicago, citing what he described as success with federal intervention in Washington, D.C. Unlike the capital, however, Illinois is a state, meaning Trump would face significant legal hurdles if he attempted such a move without the governor’s consent. A similar dispute erupted in Los Angeles in the past over federal deportation raids.

Leaders across Illinois have voiced opposition to the idea, arguing the president is trying to exceed his powers. In response, Mayor Johnson signed an order last month intended to counter any potential military deployment.

Chicago’s Office of Immigrant, Migrant and Refugee Rights this week also introduced an updated online guide to help immigrants understand how to protect themselves if targeted.

Pritzker has repeatedly slammed Trump’s suggestion that cities should rely on federal law enforcement aid, pointing to a decline in crime figures and labeling the proposal “an insult.”

Trump has also mentioned New Orleans and Baltimore as cities his administration could target next.

{Matzav.com}

During an interview on My View with Lara Trump last night, Vice President JD Vance did not explicitly commit to seeking the presidency in 2028 but admitted that it remains a possibility. He explained that his main focus is doing his job effectively now, remarking that if he succeeds, “the politics will figure itself out.”

Vance, who captured national attention for his perseverance through a difficult childhood filled with family struggles and financial instability, said he prefers not to dwell on a potential campaign for the White House at this stage, insisting that his concentration is on his current responsibilities.

“If we do a good job in 2025 and 2026, then we can talk about the politics in 2027,” Vance said. “I really think the American people are so fed up with folks who are already running for the next job, seven months into the current one.”

He added that should he decide to pursue a run, he is under no illusion that it would come easily.

“There are a lot of great people,” Vance said. “If I do end up running, it’s not going to be given to me—either on the Republican side or on the national side. I’m just going to keep on working hard. … [This] may be the most important job I ever had, outside of being a father to those three beautiful kids. So I’m going to try to do my best job, and I think if I do that, the politics will figure itself out.”

Pressed about potential Democratic contenders in 2028, Vance dismissed them, saying most of them “obviously have very bad records.”

Much of his discussion turned to his partnership with President Donald Trump, whom he praised for an unrelenting drive and a willingness to trust those around him. Vance described Trump as someone who “doesn’t have an off switch.”

“Sometimes, the president will call you at 12:30 or 2 a.m., and then call you at 6 a.m. about a totally different topic,” Vance said. “It’s like, ‘Mr. president, did you go to sleep last night.’ … What’s made this so much fun is the president, all the time, just saying, ‘JD you go and do this,’ or ‘JD you go and talk to these leaders about this particular issue.’ That ability to delegate and trust his people has been really amazing.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump on Saturday amplified his promises to send National Guard troops and immigration agents to Chicago by posting a parody image from “Apocalypse Now” featuring a ball of flames as helicopters zoom over the nation’s third-largest city. “’I love the smell of deportations in the morning,’” Trump wrote on his social media site. “Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR.” The president offered no details beyond the label “Chipocalypse Now,” a play on the title of Francis Ford Coppola’s dystopian 1979 film set in the Vietnam war, in which a character says: “I love the smell of napalm in the morning.” In response to the post, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, called Trump a “wannabe dictator.” Trump on Friday signed an executive order seeking to rename the Defense Department the Department of War, after months of campaigning to be considered for the Nobel Peace Prize. The renaming requires congressional approval. The illustration in Trump’s post shows him against a backdrop of the Chicago skyline, wearing a hat matching that of the movie’s war-loving and amoral Lt. Col. Kilgore, played by Robert Duvall. Trump’s weekend post follows his repeated threats to add Chicago to the list of other Democratic-led cities he’s targeted for expanded federal enforcement. His administration is set to step up immigration enforcement in Chicago, as it did in Los Angeles, and deploy National Guard troops. In addition to sending troops to Los Angeles in June, Trump has deployed them since last month in Washington, as part of his unprecedented law enforcement takeover of the nation’s capital. He’s also suggested that Baltimore and New Orleans could get the same treatment, and on Friday even mentioned federal authorities possibly heading for Portland, Oregon, to “wipe ’em out,” meaning protesters. He could have been mistakenly describing video from demonstrations in that city years ago. Details about Trump’s promised Chicago operation have been sparse, but there’s already widespread opposition. City and state leaders have said they plan to sue the Trump administration. Pritzker, a possible 2028 presidential candidate, is also fiercely opposed to it. The president “is threatening to go to war with an American city,” Pritzker wrote on X over an image of Trump’s post. “This is not a joke. This is not normal.” He added: “Donald Trump isn’t a strongman, he’s a scared man. Illinois won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator.” Trump has suggested that he has nearly limitless powers when it comes to deploying the National Guard. At times he’s even touched on questions about his being a dictator. “Most people are saying, ‘If you call him a dictator, if he stops crime, he can be whatever he wants’ — I am not a dictator, by the way,” Trump said last month. He added, “Not that I don’t have — I would — the right to do anything I want to do.” “I’m the president of the United States,” Trump said then. “If I think our country is in danger — and it is in danger in these cities — I can do it.” (AP)

An Israeli military helicopter seen pulverizing a separate Houthi drone, which explodes in a fireball. Two people were reportedly hurt in the attack on Ramon Airport.

Kan Reshet Bet reported Sunday that the United States has relayed to Hamas a set of guiding principles for a potential broad agreement meant to move forward discussions on releasing hostages and bringing an end to the conflict in Gaza.

The framework was conveyed via an Israeli go-between who has previously played a role in facilitating communications with Hamas during earlier rounds of talks. The report added that this could explain why Hamas publicly declared last night that it was prepared to accept the Qatar-Egypt plan first presented in mid-August.

At the same time, Ron Dermer, who heads Israel’s negotiating team and is a trusted adviser to Prime Minister Netanyahu, is scheduled to fly to Washington in the coming days for meetings with senior members of the Trump administration.

Over the weekend, President Donald Trump commented on the state of the discussions between Israel and Hamas over both the hostages and a potential ceasefire.

“We are in deep negotiations with Hamas. It’s Israel’s choice. If we don’t get them all out now, it will be very bad. There are 32 dead. There are 20 hostages alive, but I think some of them have recently died, as I’ve heard,” the US president said.

{Matzav.com}

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Zohran Mamdani rallied supporters at a town hall in Brooklyn on Saturday, slamming President Donald Trump and boosting their shared progressive message as Mamdani works to energize his base in the final weeks of the New York City mayor’s race. The crowd was friendly, and the reception was almost entirely warm. The idea of health care as a human right? Cheers. The mere mention of Trump? Heavy boos. The notion of an oligarchy? Even more boos. At one point, the crowd chanted the campaign slogans that helped Mamdani win the Democratic nomination in the race. “We will freeze the?” Mamdani asked. The booming response: “Rent!” “Make buses fast and?,” he continued. “Free!,” the audience yelled. The town hall — part of Sanders’ “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, which has drawn massive crowds in red and blue states alike — packed an auditorium in Brooklyn as Mamdani’s campaign barrels toward the November election. He is facing off against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who are both running as independents, along with Republican Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels crime patrol group. Sanders, an independent who represents Vermont, dubbed Mamdani “the future of the Democratic Party,” while criticizing the state’s top Democratic leaders for not endorsing him. “I find it hard to understand how the major Democratic leaders in New York state are not supporting the Democratic candidate,” Sanders said. The event, which felt more rah-rah lovefest than the usual caustic questioning of most political town halls, came near the end of a chaotic week in the race. Adams has spent the last few days fending off reports that Trump intermediaries have been assessing his willingness to drop out of the contest to take a job with the federal government. At the same time, Trump has told reporters he doesn’t want Mamdani, a democratic socialist, to be the city’s next mayor but believes he will win unless two of the three other major candidates exit the race. Trump has also said he thinks Cuomo might be able to win in a one-on-one race, adding, “If you have more than one candidate running against (Mamdani), it can’t be won.” Edward Donlon, a 75-year-old Mamdani supporter who trekked from Staten Island to Brooklyn on a rainy day for the town hall, said it would be “outrageous” for the president to get involved in the race. “I want to have an honest politician,” said Donlon, a retired attorney. “I’d like to have someone who you can believe what they’re saying.” Through the town hall, Mamdani and Sanders, an independent who represents Vermont, fielded mostly friendly questions, though there was one raucous moment where a man was removed by security. Just a few minutes into Mamdani’s opening remarks, a man with a shirt that read Cuba and had a Cuban flag approached the stage and began to yell, saying you are a Communist. “You know that something has changed when it’s not enough to call us democratic socialists anymore,” Mamdani said as the man was removed by security. (AP)

Initial reports suggest multiple people have been injured after an explosives-laden drone launched by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen impacted Ramon Airport in the Negev. At least one other drone was downed by defense systems.

More than 300 South Korean workers detained following a massive immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia will be released and brought home, the South Korean government announced Sunday. Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said that South Korea and the U.S. had finalized negotiations on the workers’ release. He said South Korea plans to send a charter plane to bring the workers home as soon as remaining administrative steps are completed. U.S. immigration authorities said Friday they detained 475 people, most of them South Korean nationals, when hundreds of federal agents raided Hyundai’s sprawling manufacturing site in Georgia where the Korean automaker Hyundai makes electric vehicles. South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun later said that more than 300 South Koreans were among the detained. The operation was the latest a long line of workplace raids conducted as part of the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda. But the one on Thursday is especially distinct because of its large size and the fact that it targeted a manufacturing site state officials have long called Georgia’s largest economic development project. Video released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Saturday showed a caravan of vehicles driving up to the site and then federal agents directing workers to line up outside. Some detainees were ordered to put their hands up against a bus as they were frisked and then shackled around their hands, ankles and waist. Agents focused their operation on a plant that is still under construction at which Hyundai has partnered with LG Energy Solution to produce batteries that power EVs. Most of the people detained were taken to an immigration detention center in Folkston, Georgia, near the Florida state line. None has been charged with any crimes yet, Steven Schrank, the lead Georgia agent of Homeland Security Investigations, said during a news conference Friday, adding that the investigation is ongoing. The South Korean government, a close U.S. ally, expressed “concern and regret” over the raid targeting its citizens and sent diplomats to the site. (AP)

A planned anti-Israel flotilla that had intended to set sail from Tunisia in an effort to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza has once again been delayed.

The Mahgreb Sumud Flotilla, originally slated to leave Tunis on Sunday, will now begin its journey on Wednesday, September 10, according to organizers.

Those behind the effort explained that “technical and logistical reasons beyond management’s control” forced them to push back the launch.

This flotilla is connected to the larger Global Sumud movement and is supposed to join ships that already set sail from Spain and Italy. The Tunisian launch has now faced two delays—the first attributed to poor weather conditions.

Organizers say their mission is to bring assistance into Gaza and to challenge Israel’s naval restrictions, which are maintained to block arms smuggling and defend Israeli citizens from Hamas attacks.

The larger Global Sumud flotilla departed from Barcelona last week, after an earlier attempt was canceled because of severe weather.

Passengers include Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau, who during her time in office cut municipal ties with Israel. Support has also come from well-known actors such as Susan Sarandon and Liam Cunningham, famous for his role on HBO’s “Game of Thrones.”

Thunberg was deported from Israel in June following her involvement in a separate flotilla, the Madleen, which was stopped by the Israeli navy.

At that time, the activists on board were provided with food and water, even though some had prerecorded statements accusing Israel of having “kidnapped” them.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry noted afterward that the so-called humanitarian cargo on the Madleen amounted to less than one truckload, and it was rerouted to Gaza using proper aid channels.

{Matzav.com}

Former President Joe Biden has decided to build his presidential library in Delaware and has tapped a group of former aides, friends and political allies to begin the heavy lift of fundraising and finding a site for the museum and archive. The Joe and Jill Biden Foundation this past week approved a 13-person governance board that is charged with steering the project. The board includes former Secretary of State Antony Blinken, longtime adviser Steve Ricchetti, prolific Democratic fundraiser Rufus Gifford and others with deep ties to the one-term president and his wife. Biden’s library team has the daunting task of raising money for the 46th president’s legacy project at a moment when his party has become fragmented about the way ahead and many big Democratic donors have stopped writing checks. It also remains to be seen whether corporations and institutional donors that have historically donated to presidential library projects — regardless of the party of the former president — will be more hesitant to contribute, with President Donald Trumpmaligning Biden on a daily basis and savaging groups he deems left-leaning. The political climate has changed “There’s certainly folks — folks who may have been not thinking about those kinds of issues who are starting to think about them,” Gifford, who was named chairman of the library board, told The Associated Press. “That being said … we’re not going to create a budget, we’re not going to set a goal for ourselves that we don’t believe we can hit.” The cost of presidential libraries has soared over the decades. The George H.W. Bush library’s construction cost came in at about $43 million when it opened in 1997. Bill Clinton’s cost about $165 million. George W. Bush’s team met its $500 million fundraising goal before the library was dedicated. The Obama Foundation has set a whopping $1.6 billion fundraising goal for construction, sustaining global programming and seeding an endowment for the Chicago presidential center that is slated to open next year. Biden’s library team is still in the early stages of planning, but Gifford predicted that the cost of the project would probably “end up somewhere in the middle” of the Obama Presidential Center and the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. Biden advisers have met with officials operating 12 of the 13 presidential libraries with a bricks and mortar presence that the National Archives and Records Administration manages. (They skipped the Herbert Hoover library in Iowa, which is closed for renovations.) They’ve also met Obama library officials to discuss programming and location considerations and have begun talks with Delaware leaders to assess potential partnerships. Private money builds them Construction and support for programming for the libraries are paid for with private funds donated to the nonprofit organizations established by the former president. The initial vision is for the Biden library to include an immersive museum detailing Biden’s four years in office. The Bidens also want it to be a hub for leadership, service and civic engagement that will include educational and event space to host policy gatherings. Biden, who ended his bid for a second White House term 107 days before last year’s election, has been relatively slow to move on presidential library planning compared with most of his recent predecessors. Clinton announced Little Rock, Arkansas, would host his library […]

British police scuffled with protesters outside Parliament on Saturday as they arrested more than 400 demonstrators who gathered to defy a ban on the group Palestine Action, which has been deemed a terrorist organization by the government. Defend Our Juries, the campaign group organizing the protest, said 1,500 people took part in the London demonstration, sitting down and holding signs reading “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.” Within minutes, police began arresting the demonstrators, as bystanders chanted “Shame on you” and “Met Police, pick a side, justice or genocide.” There were some scuffles and angry exchanges as officers dragged away demonstrators who went limp as they were removed from the crowd. Eight hours after the protest started, police said they had arrested more than 425 people, more than 25 of them for assaulting officers or public order offenses and the rest under the Terrorism Act. “In carrying out their duties today, our officers have been punched, kicked, spat on and had objects thrown at them by protesters,” said Deputy Assistant Commissioner Claire Smart, who called the abuse directed at police “intolerable.” Defend Our Juries said aggression had come from police officers and dismissed claims that protesters had been violent as “frankly laughable.” More than 700 people were arrested at earlier protests, and 138 have been charged under the Terrorism Act. Mike Higgins, 62, who is blind and uses a wheelchair, was arrested last month but returned to demonstrate on Saturday. “And I’m a terrorist? That’s the joke of it,” he said. “I’ve already been arrested under the Terrorism Act and I suspect I will be today. “Of course I’ll keep coming back. What choice do I have?” Direct action protests The government proscribed Palestine Action in July after activists broke into a Royal Air Force base and vandalized planes to protest against what they called Britain’s support for Israel’s offensive against Hamas in Gaza. The activists sprayed red paint into the engines of two tanker planes and caused further damage with crowbars. Proscription made it a crime to publicly support the organization. Membership of, or support for, the group is punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Palestine Action has carried out direct action protests in the U.K. since it formed in 2020, including breaking into facilities owned by Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems UK, and has targeted other sites in Britain that participants believe have links with the Israeli military. The group has targeted defense companies and national infrastructure, and officials say their actions have caused millions of pounds in damage that affect national security. Banning the group, then-Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said, “The assessments are very clear, this is not a nonviolent organization.” Palestine Action has won approval from the High Court to challenge the ban, a ruling the government is seeking to overturn. The case is ongoing, with a hearing scheduled for Sept. 25. Supporters say the ban stifles free speech The U.N. human rights chief has criticized the British government’s stance, saying the new law “misuses the gravity and impact of terrorism.” The decision to designate Palestine Action as a terrorist group “raises serious concerns that counterterrorism laws are being applied to conduct that is not terrorist in nature, and risks hindering the legitimate exercise of fundamental freedoms across the UK,” Volker Türk warned. […]

Explosions were heard early Sunday when air raid sirens went off in the Netivot region at about 7:50 a.m., triggered by a rocket barrage launched by the Hamas terrorist group. Military officials assessed that the rockets originated from the Khan Yunis sector.

The IDF later confirmed that radar picked up two incoming rockets. One was shot down by the missile defense system, while the second landed harmlessly in an open field. According to Magen David Adom, no injuries were reported from the incident.

In the days leading up to this attack, the IDF has stepped up its campaign, conducting multiple airstrikes on Hamas positions in Gaza City. These strikes come in advance of a ground incursion authorized by the security cabinet. Military officials explained that the bombing serves as a warning of the coming ground offensive and is intended to push civilians to leave the city before it begins.

Once preparations are complete, the IDF plans to surround Gaza City and launch the full-scale ground maneuver.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Powerball players in Missouri and Texas won the estimated $1.8 billion jackpot on Saturday, overcoming astronomical odds to end the lottery game’s three-month drought without a big winner. The winning numbers were 11, 23, 44, 61, and 62, with the Powerball number being 17. The winning ticket in Texas was sold at a gas station-convenience store in Fredericksburg, according to the Texas Lottery. The prize, which was the second-largest U.S. lottery jackpot in history, followed 41 consecutive drawings in which no one matched all six numbers. The last drawing with a jackpot winner happened May 31. Powerball’s terrible odds of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to generate big jackpots, with prizes growing as they roll over when no one wins. Lottery officials note that the odds are far better for the game’s many smaller prizes. There are three drawings each week. The estimated $1.8 billion jackpot would go to a winner who opts to receive 30 payments over 29 years through an annuity. Winners almost always choose the game’s cash option, which for Saturday night’s drawing would be an estimated $826.4 million. Powerball tickets cost $2, and the game is offered in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. (AP)

Russia hit Ukraine’s capital with drone and missiles Sunday in the largest aerial attack on the country since the war began, killing at least two people and leaving smoke rising from the roof of a key government building. Russia attacked Ukraine with 810 drones and decoys, Ukraine’s Air Force said. Yuriy Ihnat, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Air Force, confirmed to The Associated Press that Sunday’s attack was the largest Russian drone strike since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. Russia also launched 13 missiles of various types. Ukraine shot down and neutralized 747 drones and 4 missiles, according to a statement from the Air Force. Hits from nine missiles and 54 drones were recorded at 33 locations across Ukraine, and the debris of shot down targets fell at eight locations, the Air Force said. Associated Press reporters saw a plume of smoke rising from the roof of Kyiv’s cabinet of ministers building, but it was not immediately clear if the smoke was the result of a direct hit or debris, which would mark an escalation in Russia’s air campaign, which has so far spared government buildings in the city center. The building is the home of Ukraine’s Cabinet, housing the offices of its ministers. Police blocked access to the building as fire trucks and ambulances arrived. Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said two people were killed and 20 were injured in the attack. “For the first time, the government building was damaged by an enemy attack, including the roof and upper floors,” said Ukraine’s Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. “We will restore the buildings, but lost lives cannot be returned.” “The world must respond to this destruction not only with words, but with actions. There is a need to strengthen sanctions pressure — primarily against Russian oil and gas,” she said. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy echoed her sentiment in an online statement. “Such killings now, when real diplomacy could have started long ago, are a deliberate crime and a prolongation of the war,” he said. He called for sanctions on Russia and for strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses. “Every additional (air defense) system saves civilians from these vile strikes. The world can force the Kremlin criminals to stop killing; only political will is needed,” Zelenskyy said. The two people killed were a mother and her 3-month-old child, whose bodies were dug out of the rubble by rescuers, said Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv’s city administration. Initially Tkachenko said the child was 1 year old. At least 10 locations in Kyiv were damaged in the attack, he added. Russian drones struck a nine-story residential building in Kyiv’s Sviatoshynskyi district and a four-story residential building in Darnytskyi district, according to Klitschko. Tkachenko said these were direct hits. The Russian military said Sunday that it used aviation, drones, missiles and artillery to strike military-industrial targets in Ukraine, including drone assembly and storage sites, military airfields, two air defense radar stations and troop positions. Sunday’s attack is the second mass Russian drone and missile attack to target Kyiv in the span of two weeks, as hopes for peace talks wane. The attack comes after European leaders pressed Russian leader Vladimir Putin to work to end the war after 26 of Ukraine’s allies pledged to deploy troops as a “reassurance force” for the war-torn country once the […]