Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas claims that in the Quran, the “Jewish Temple” is described as being in Yemen.
“In the Noble Quran—and I believe that also in other divine books—it says that the [First and Second] Temples were in Yemen,” said Abbas in a televised speech during the 32nd PLO Central Council meeting in Ramallah.
He made the remarks in the context of his claim that Israeli authorities were targeting the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is built on the Har Habayis.
“The Jews say, ‘This is ours, that was ours….’ No. That’s not what the Quran says,” said Abbas, according to a translation of his Arabic-language speech by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI.)
Scholars, including Nadav Shragai in his 2020 book “Al-Aqsa Terror: From Libel to Blood,” have identified false claims about the Quran’s localization of the Bais Hamikdosh as a trend in a recent attempt at historical revision by Palestinian nationalists to deny Jewish ties to the place and strengthen Muslim or Arab ones.
“The attempts by Palestinian leaders like Yasser Arafat or Saeb Erekat to cast doubt on the Temple’s existence on the Mount or to distance it from that location by claiming that there was indeed a Temple, but in Nablus or Yemen, stem from one sole motive,” wrote Shragai: “The desire to expunge from the Temple Mount a competing Jewish historical narrative and a competing historical and religious awareness, since these could becloud their own historical and religious narrative on the Mount.”
Abbas’s predecessor, Yasser Arafat, also repeated this theory. On Sept. 25, 2003, Arafat told Arab leaders from northern Israel that no Bais Hamikdosh existed in the Land of Israel, but rather in Yemen. Arafat told his listeners that he had visited Yemen and seen with his own eyes the site upon which Shlomo Hamelech’s Bais Hamikdosh once stood.
The previous year, another top PLO figure, Haj Zaki al-Ghul, stated that Shlomo had ruled over the Arabian Peninsula, and that it was there, not in Yerushalayim, that he built the Bais Hamikdosh .
Professor Yitzchok Reiter of the Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research, in a 2011 essay in The American Interest, traces the Yemen canard to Kamal Salibi, professor emeritus at the American University of Beirut and subsequently director of the Royal Institute for Interfaith Studies in Amman. In a 1985 book, Salibi claimed that biblical Yerushalayim was located in the Arabian Nimas highlands, halfway from Mecca to Yemen.
The Quran does not name Yerushalayim, but for centuries, Muslim scholars have acknowledged that the Bais Hamikdosh stood there, including in the writings of Abu Jafar Muhammad bin Jarir al-Tabari, Muhammad al-Idrisi, who visited Jerusalem in the 12th century, theologian Taki ad-Din Ahmad ibn Taymiyyah (1263-1328) and 14th-century historian Abd al-Rahman ibn Khaldun, according to Shragai.
The current Muslim denial of this history, particularly since 1967, is a relatively recent political fabrication aimed at delegitimizing Jewish claims and justifying incitement and violence under the false claim that “Al-Aqsa is in danger,” he wrote.
In the same speech, Abbas also used sharp-worded language against Hamas, urging it to free the Israeli hostages it is holding.
“[Hamas says:] ‘We won’t release the American hostage.’ You sons of dogs, release the [hostages] and spare us this! Strip the [Israelis] of their excuses,” he exclaimed.
That part of his speech grabbed headlines worldwide, with some commentators presenting the statement as evidence that Abbas is a pragmatist working to de-escalate the war in Gaza. Others interpreted Abbas’s criticism of Hamas as posturing for Western audiences, meant to serve the Palestinian Authority’s agenda of taking over Gaza from its arch-rival Hamas under Israeli and Western auspices. JNS
{Matzav.com Israel}
Elon Musk is no longer maintaining a consistent physical presence at the White House as he begins to wind down his formal involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a role based just steps away from the Oval Office. Though his shift to remote advising hadn’t been previously disclosed, the change marks a transition rather than an exit.
“Instead of meeting with him in person, I’m talking to him on the phone, but it’s the same net effect,” White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles told The New York Post during a detailed interview in recognition of President Trump’s first 100 days in office.
Wiles explained that Musk’s absence from the White House in recent weeks hasn’t diminished his influence. “He hasn’t been here physically, but it really doesn’t matter much,” she said.
She also emphasized that Musk’s team is still actively engaged in their work, continuing their operations from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which sits adjacent to the West Wing.
It remains uncertain how frequently Musk intends to return to the White House complex before the end of May, when his term as an unpaid special government employee is set to conclude. After that point, he is expected to continue contributing in an informal advisory capacity.
Earlier in Trump’s return to office, Musk was a prominent figure in day-to-day administration activities. He regularly delivered in-person briefings to the president, participated in cabinet discussions, and accompanied Trump on several trips aboard Air Force One. His young son, X, was often in tow during these travels. Musk frequently spoke about a plan to cut $1 trillion from the federal deficit — a goal he aimed to achieve by halving the current figure.
The exact dollar amount that DOGE has managed to save remains unclear.
“He’s not out of it altogether. He’s just not physically present as much as he was,” Wiles said.
“The people that are doing this work are here doing good things and paying attention to the details. He’ll be stepping back a little, but he’s certainly not abandoning it. And his people are definitely not.”
During the early weeks of the administration, Musk made waves throughout Washington as he spearheaded major cost-cutting initiatives. Among his targets was the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and its 10,000-strong workforce. He also supported the Office of Management and Budget in its push to dismantle the 1,700-person Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
Musk’s influence extended across a broad swath of government departments — from education to defense — as well as numerous smaller agencies scattered across the federal bureaucracy.
His aggressive agenda drew sharp criticism from Democrats and led to acts of vandalism against Tesla vehicles and charging infrastructure. In response, Trump staged a high-profile show of solidarity by purchasing a Tesla on the White House lawn on March 11 and called on the Justice Department to crack down on those responsible, labeling them “domestic terrorists.”
During a recent Tesla earnings call, Musk signaled a shift in his priorities. “Starting next month, I will be allocating far more of my time to Tesla,” he said.
The billionaire entrepreneur, who was born in South Africa, noted that “the major work of establishing” DOGE is now complete. Still, he expressed interest in remaining involved in public service on a limited basis, stating he would continue to dedicate “a day or two a week on government matters, as long as it is useful.”
{Matzav.com}
President Trump and ABC News anchor Terry Moran went toe-to-toe in a tense one-on-one interview Tuesday evening, marking the milestone of Trump’s first 100 days back in the Oval Office.
Throughout the nearly hour-long broadcast, Trump and Moran clashed on a range of hot-button topics, including international trade, border enforcement, and foreign policy, with the conversation often turning combative as the ABC journalist challenged the president on his record and rhetoric.
The first flashpoint came when Moran brought up Trump’s recently imposed 145% tariffs on Chinese goods, questioning whether such high duties would inevitably lead to a spike in consumer prices in the U.S. Trump pushed back hard.
“You don’t know that, you don’t know whether or not China’s going to eat it,” Trump interrupted.
“That’s mathematics,” Moran retorted.
“China probably will eat those tariffs,” Trump replied.
The president doubled down: “But at 145%, they basically can’t do much business with the United States.”
“And, they were making from us a trillion dollars a year, they were ripping us off like nobody’s ever ripped us off.”
“Everything’s going to be just fine. It wouldn’t have been if I didn’t do this.”
When the conversation turned to immigration — long considered one of Trump’s signature issues — he declared that his aggressive enforcement approach marked the most “significant” achievement of his early days in office.
Moran countered by citing existing legal protections for those facing deportation, stating that, “under our law, every single person who gets deported gets a hearing first.” Trump pushed back and refused to concede the point.
“When Biden allowed 21 million people to flow into a country … did we give them a hearing when they came in?” he asked, while Moran stood firm, repeating that “the law requires” a hearing for each deportee.
Trump said he would “ask the lawyers about that,” but noted that conducting “trials” for “21 million” individuals would grind the system to a halt.
“The law is the law,” Moran emphasized. But Trump insisted that due process was being observed.
“They get whatever my lawyers say,” Trump said, describing the standards being used to handle deportations under his administration.
The interview grew even more pointed when Moran referenced the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an accused MS-13 member who was deported under Trump’s directive based on the 1798 Alien Enemies Act.
Responding to a Justice Department official who had criticized the deportation as erroneous, Trump replied, “The lawyer that said it was a mistake — was here a long time, was not appointed by us — should not have said that.”
Moran clarified, “not saying [Garcia] is a good guy,” but pressed the principle at stake.
“It’s about the rule of law,” Moran said, citing the unanimous ruling from the Supreme Court ordering that the administration “facilitate” Garcia’s return.
“You could get him back,” Moran challenged. “There’s a phone on this desk. You could pick it up and call up the president of El Salvador and say, ‘Send him back now.’”
Trump remained unmoved.
“If he were the gentleman that you say he is, I would do that.”
They also debated the authenticity of Garcia’s tattoos, which Trump claimed were unmistakable signs of gang affiliation.
“He had MS-13 on his knuckles,” Trump said.
“That was Photoshop,” Moran replied dismissively.
“That was Photoshop? … Terry, you’re not being very nice,” Trump snapped.
The anchor sought to steer the discussion forward as Trump reiterated, with conviction, that the markings were plainly visible.
“Alright,” Moran said, exhaling. “We’ll take a look ….”
In another sharp exchange, Moran asked Trump whether he trusted Russian President Vladimir Putin. The question triggered a curt reply.
“I don’t trust you,” Trump responded, adding, “I don’t trust a lot of people.”
Trump argued that while the war between Russia and Ukraine continues, his influence had thwarted Putin’s broader ambitions.
“I don’t trust a lot of people. But I do think this. I think that [Putin] – let’s say he respects me. And I believe because of me he’s not gonna take over the whole — but his decision, his choice would be to take over all of Ukraine.”
When pressed about whether the U.S. would halt military aid to Ukraine if peace talks break down, Trump declined to commit either way.
“I want to leave that as a big, fat secret, because I don’t want to ruin a negotiation.”
{Matzav.com}
The Trump administration on Tuesday removed Doug Emhoff from his role on the governing board of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., as part of a broader effort by the president to reshape the institution with appointees who more firmly back Israel.
Emhoff, the spouse of Kamala Harris, who served as vice president under the previous administration, was one of several individuals named by the Biden administration who were dismissed from the board by President Trump.
“Today, I was informed of my removal from the United States Holocaust Memorial Council,” Emhoff announced in a post on X. “Let me be clear: Holocaust remembrance and education should never be politicized. To turn one of the worst atrocities in history into a wedge issue is dangerous — and it dishonors the memory of six million Jews murdered by Nazis that this museum was created to preserve.”
Emhoff, who is Jewish, had previously worked on the White House task force against antisemitism during the Biden administration, especially in the wake of rising antisemitic incidents following the October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel. He was appointed to the council in January and was scheduled to hold the seat for five years.
Other individuals recently removed from the museum board include several high-profile figures from the Biden and Obama administrations: Ron Klain, who had been Biden’s chief of staff; Tom Perez, who served as an adviser in the Biden White House; Anthony Bernal, a close aide to Jill Biden; and Susan Rice, who was national security adviser under Barack Obama. Their dismissals were confirmed by a White House official.
The New York Times was the first to break the story of the terminations.
“On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as a member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council is terminated, effective immediately,” read a message from the White House Presidential Personnel Office, according to the Times. The message concluded, “Thank you for your service.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told The New York Post that the president plans to name replacements who show greater alignment with his administration’s pro-Israel stance.
“President Trump looks forward to appointing new individuals who will not only continue to honor the memory of those who perished in the Holocaust, but who are also steadfast supporters of the State of Israel,” she said.
{Matzav.com}
Imports arriving from China into the U.S. West Coast are expected to fall sharply—potentially by over a third—after President Donald Trump’s newly enacted tariffs prompted major retail chains in America to dramatically reduce their purchases, according to the head of the Port of Los Angeles.
Gene Seroka, who oversees operations at the busiest container port in the United States, shared during an appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” Tuesday that a significant decline in cargo is projected for next week. Current estimates indicate the port will see more than a 35% decrease in shipments compared to the same time last year.
“According to our own port optimizer, which measures the loadings in Asia, we’ll be down just a little bit over 35% next week compared to last year. And it’s a precipitous drop in volume with a number of major American retailers stopping all shipments from China based on the tariffs,” Seroka said.
Currently, goods imported from China represent nearly 45% of the total activity at the Port of Los Angeles, underscoring how significant the impact of the slowdown could be.
Despite the sharp reduction, Seroka pointed out that some freight companies are attempting to recover losses by redirecting their sourcing efforts to other nations in Southeast Asia.
“Realistically speaking, until some accord or framework can be reached with China, the volume coming out of there — save a couple of different commodities — will be very light at best,” he added.
The broader shipping sector is also bracing for a serious slowdown, with Seroka revealing that a large number of vessel arrivals are being canceled for the coming month.
According to Seroka, roughly 25% of the ships originally scheduled to arrive at the port in May will no longer be coming, as companies reassess shipping plans amid the intensifying trade standoff.
This slump follows the most recent developments in the growing trade dispute between Washington and Beijing.
Trump’s sweeping tariff increases on Chinese exports were announced on April 2, sparking an immediate tit-for-tat response from China’s leadership.
With both sides now having levied tariffs that exceed 100% on numerous goods, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the current climate as “unsustainable.”
At this point, there is no indication that either government is preparing for serious talks aimed at resolving the tensions.
Even before the latest tariffs were enacted, trade flow data had begun to show early signs of weakening. The slowdown has already prompted concerns from leading economists.
Torsten Slok, chief economist at Apollo Global Management, recently warned that shrinking imports could lead to job cuts in both the retail and logistics industries, create product shortages, and potentially contribute to an economic downturn later in the summer.
Retailers in the U.S. have temporarily been able to cushion the impact by building up extra stock before Trump’s tariff hike was made official.
Seroka noted that current inventory levels remain healthy, but that buffer will not last long.
“I don’t see a complete emptiness on store shelves or online when we’re buying. But if you’re out looking for a blue shirt, you might find 11 purple ones and one blue in a size that’s not yours,” Seroka said.
“So we’ll start seeing less choice on those shelves simply because we’re not getting the variety of goods coming in here based on the additional costs in place. And for that one blue shirt that’s still left, you’ll see a price hike.”
With the future of international trade in flux, financial markets are paying close attention to the unfolding scenario.
Economists are increasingly cautioning that extended disruption to global supply chains could further aggravate economic headwinds in the coming months.
{Matzav.com}
A Queens woman who has avoided paying her $100 monthly rent for over ten years is back in court as she continues to fight for the right to remain in a rent-controlled apartment that she obtained through a highly disputed deathbed adoption, The New York Post reports.
Seventy-four-year-old Maria DeTommaso has resided in the two-bedroom apartment on the first floor of a Long Island City townhouse since at least 2002. According to longtime residents, her presence in the building has been far from peaceful.
“I think she’s a demon in human skin because of what she puts people through,” said Anjanie Narine, who has lived next to DeTommaso for over two decades. “Every interaction with her is negative. She terrorizes everyone, and acts as if she owns the building.”
Maria originally moved into the apartment with Nicholas “Nicky” DeTommaso, an aging former dock worker who held the lease. Just days before his passing in 2009, the then-58-year-old Maria persuaded the 85-year-old man to legally adopt her.
Nearly a decade later, New York’s Division of Housing and Community Renewal officially recognized her as the successor tenant, which locked in the extremely low rent of $100 and granted her permanent tenancy. Meanwhile, other similar apartments in the same row house are being rented for close to $2,000 per month.
Residents claim that since moving in, Maria has made life miserable for others in the building. She reportedly listed the unit on Airbnb, renting out parts of it to international tourists for $55 per night. City records and online listings confirm a steady stream of visitors during that time.
One tenant in the six-unit building alleged that Maria—who also goes by the names Pamela Becker and Prema Deodhar—has repeatedly changed the building’s front door locks and brought in a group of veterans from a nearby shelter, some of whom created disturbances within the property.
The building’s elderly owners, Sugrim and Kowsila Outar, have spent years in legal battles trying to evict her, as previously documented by The Post. They are scheduled to return to Queens Housing Court for the next hearing on May 6.
“Her case has already gone through five of the judges here in Queens, and benefited from every change in the housing laws since COVID,” said Elan Layliev, the lawyer representing the Outars in their attempt to reclaim the apartment.
“[It’s been] a wild ride. Ms. DeTommaso has utilized every loophole in the court system to prolong and delay this trial.”
DeTommaso, for her part, insists the accusations are distorted and being used as ammunition to push her out unlawfully.
“I won the succession,” she said. “This is sick. I’m the legal tenant. I have every right to be here and I don’t know how people can lie so much. They are trying to evict me, but my lawyer says I don’t have to worry.”
Court records identify her legal representative as Zara Feingold, an attorney with the New York Legal Assistance Group. Since Feingold works in legal aid, DeTommaso does not pay for her defense.
Under current New York law, tenants involved in an unresolved legal dispute with landlords are not required to pay rent until the matter is resolved. Though this case has dragged on for over ten years, DeTommaso has previously stated that she deposits the rent into an escrow account until a final decision is reached.
She shares the apartment with two dogs—a dachshund and a miniature greyhound—and claims she recently fractured her hip due to unresolved maintenance issues. She also alleges her oven is broken and that she’s living among roaches and rodents.
But according to Layliev, DeTommaso refuses to grant entry to workers hired by the building’s owners. Instead, she has allowed homeless veterans to perform the repairs and later instructed them to bill the landlords.
Born as Pamela Rose Becker on March 1, 1951, DeTommaso spent her childhood in Washington, DC, attending prestigious private institutions. Her father held the position of U.S. ambassador to Honduras during the Gerald Ford administration, and her brother, Ralph Becker, once served as the mayor of Salt Lake City.
Her introduction to the Long Island City building began in the late 1990s when she arrived to care for a friend’s cat. After the friend returned, DeTommaso claimed to have nowhere else to live and asked Nicky if she could stay temporarily, according to Narine.
But she never left. Nicky, affectionately known to neighbors as “Uncle Nicky,” first moved into the apartment in 1924 as an infant. He shared the home with his mother and six siblings and lived there for the rest of his life, passing away on July 15, 2009.
Nicky spent his youth playing stickball and, in later years, chain-smoked on the stoop while helping neighbors secure street parking. His life is chronicled in “Nicky D from LIC: A Narrative Portrait,” a biography by writer and artist Warren Lehrer.
DeTommaso was granted power of attorney in 2007, two years before Nicky’s death. During his final years, she drove him to appointments and errands in cars he purchased for her, she told The Post in a 2018 interview.
“He loved me, and his whole family still calls me,” said DeTommaso last week.
But Narine remembers things differently, claiming Nicky seemed eager for Maria to leave almost immediately after she arrived. “He woke up early, and every morning I would hear him curse at her to get … out,” she said. “I’m next door and the walls are pretty thin.”
{Matzav.com}
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President Trump marked the milestone of his second term’s first 100 days with an energetic rally in Michigan on Tuesday evening, asserting that his administration had achieved more in that short span than others manage in an entire presidency.
“We’ve accomplished more in three months than most administrations accomplish in four years or even eight years,” Trump, 78, declared. “And we’re just getting started.
“Believe me, we’re just getting started.”
Throughout his hour-and-a-half address, Trump highlighted his aggressive immigration stance, economic measures, and strategies to reduce government spending as examples of what he described as a highly effective agenda.
“Under President Trump, America is a dumping ground for criminals no longer,” Trump proclaimed.
“They’re not even trying to come in,” Trump boasted of illegal border-crossers, crediting his sweeping initiatives to seal up the US-Mexico boundary and swiftly deport criminal aliens.
He also revealed a striking video during his remarks, showing deported gang members, alleged affiliates of MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, arriving at a massive, infamous prison facility in El Salvador. The segment mirrored the theatrical tone of his campaign-style address at the Macomb Sports and Expo Center in Warren.
The footage drew loud applause from the audience gathered at the venue just outside Detroit.
Despite recent polling challenges, Trump has maintained relatively strong approval on immigration issues, with approximately half of respondents backing his handling of the topic — his highest-rated area in most surveys.
“I banned all welfare to illegals and I signed an order that will end automatic citizenship for the children of illegal aliens — no citizenship,” he said, continuing on the immigration theme.
“For years, Joe Biden and the media told us that stopping the flood of illegal immigration was absolutely impossible,” Trump continued. “He said it was impossible. He didn’t know what the hell he was talking about.”
“It turned out that all we needed was a new president.”
Large banners adorned the interior of the 4,000-seat arena, with slogans such as “JOBS! JOBS! JOBS!”, “THE GOLDEN AGE,” “BUY AMERICAN HIRE AMERICAN,” “INVESTING IN AMERICA,” and “THE AMERICAN DREAM IS BACK” displayed prominently on the walls.
“We’re here tonight in the heartland of our nation to celebrate the most successful first 100 days of any administration in the history of our country,” Trump said.
“And you haven’t even seen anything yet,” he added.
“A lot of auto jobs are coming,” he promised his raucous supporters.
“They all want to come back to Michigan to build cars again because of our tax and tariff policy,” the president said of American auto companies.
He criticized earlier administrations for abandoning Michigan’s manufacturing base, arguing that they sacrificed domestic industry for China’s benefit.
“After decades of politicians who destroyed Detroit to build up Beijing, you finally have a champion for workers in the White House,” Trump said. “And instead of putting China first, I’m putting Michigan first and putting America first.”
Trump also praised his efforts to curb what he views as overreach by unelected officials entrenched in Washington’s bureaucracy.
“After a lifetime of unelected bureaucrats stealing your paychecks, attacking your values and trampling your freedoms, we are stopping their gravy train, ending their power trip, and telling thousands of corrupt, incompetent and unnecessary deep state bureaucrats.
“You’re fired!” he boomed.
A brief disruption by a protester during the rally prompted a quick remark from Trump: “Is that a radical left lunatic?”
The president also welcomed several key members of his administration to the stage during the event, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, and senior adviser Margo Martin.
“Trump 2028, anybody?” Martin told the crowd, drawing cheers.
{Matzav.com}
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Tuesday that the moment has arrived for Moscow and Kyiv to present actual plans to bring the Ukraine war to an end, warning that if tangible steps aren’t taken, the United States would pull back from its role as a mediator, according to State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce.
“We are now at a time where concrete proposals need to be delivered by the two parties on how to end this conflict,” Bruce said, reading from Rubio’s remarks.
Bruce went on to explain that, “How we proceed from here is a decision that belongs now to the President. If there is not progress, we will step back as mediators in this process,” referencing President Donald Trump’s ongoing effort to broker an agreement between the two nations.
At a press conference, Bruce clarified that America’s goal is to achieve a “complete, durable ceasefire and an end to the conflict,” and not simply “a three-day moment so you can celebrate something else.”
On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a limited three-day ceasefire set for May, tied to commemorating the Soviet Union’s and its allies’ victory in World War II 80 years ago, a gesture seemingly aimed at demonstrating Russia’s continued willingness to pursue peace.
Ukraine, however, expressed skepticism, questioning why Russia would not agree to its proposal for a ceasefire of at least 30 days to take effect immediately.
Both Ukrainian and Russian officials have been eager to show President Trump that they are moving closer to achieving his goal of a swift peace agreement, particularly after the United States signaled frustration and warned it might step away from its diplomatic efforts.
Since assuming office in January, Trump has dramatically reshaped Washington’s stance on the conflict, pushing Ukraine to accept a ceasefire deal while simultaneously reducing the pressure campaign against Russia, which had launched its full invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
{Matzav.com}
Israeli security officials were reportedly caught off guard when Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu publicly disclosed highly sensitive details regarding a covert Israeli operation targeting Hezbollah’s communications infrastructure during a recent address, according to a report broadcast Monday night.
Back on September 17, Hezbollah operatives throughout Lebanon experienced a wave of explosions triggered by thousands of pagers, injuring many and killing over two dozen individuals. The following day, similar attacks targeted hundreds of walkie-talkies, resulting in additional casualties. These devices had been covertly outfitted with miniature explosives by Israel before being covertly supplied to Hezbollah operatives.
The operation marked a dramatic escalation in Israel’s ongoing confrontation with Hezbollah, part of a broader regional conflict that intensified following the brutal October 7, 2023, Hamas-led assault on Israel.
During his remarks at a Jewish News Syndicate event on Sunday night, Netanyahu revealed that Israel had launched a strike on a device scanner shipped by Iran to Lebanon once Hezbollah grew suspicious that its pagers had been tampered with. The individual operating the machine was also eliminated in the same strike.
“We learned that Hezbollah had sent three beepers to be scanned in Iran; we had previously bombed the scanner they were going to bring in, so we got rid of that, and the guy who operates it,” he said.
These revelations had been deliberately withheld from public disclosure until now, due to concerns that revealing them could expose classified intelligence methods and compromise national security, Channel 12 reported.
Netanyahu indicated that the circumstances pushed Israel to detonate the compromised devices immediately, rather than risk losing the opportunity.
He further noted that the timeline for an Israeli ground operation in Lebanon was significantly accelerated—by about three weeks—because the pager sabotage operation was executed earlier than originally scheduled.
Although Israeli law permits the prime minister to declassify sensitive material, this is typically coordinated with defense officials to avoid unintended fallout. Channel 12 said no such coordination was done in this case.
Speaking at the same event, Netanyahu explained that he deliberately withheld information about the pager mission from the United States, citing concerns over potential leaks.
“I don’t read The New York Times that often, but why give them the advance? It would be on the net,” he said.
The fallout over Netanyahu’s candid comments comes at a time when his office is already facing scrutiny due to the unauthorized release of classified documents.
Eli Feldstein, a spokesperson for Netanyahu, was indicted in November for endangering Israel’s national security by allegedly passing classified IDF material to the German newspaper Bild, in what investigators say was an effort to boost Netanyahu’s public image.
Feldstein has also been implicated in the ongoing Qatargate investigation, along with two other senior Netanyahu associates. Authorities believe the trio carried out illicit activities on behalf of a Qatar-linked lobbying outfit, including unauthorized contact with foreign agents and a range of corruption-related offenses.
{Matzav.com}
