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HILLARY HACK: Clinton: Trump’s ‘Politics of Hate and Division’ Puts America’s Security in Danger
On Monday, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared on MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show,” where she expressed concerns that former President Donald Trump’s rhetoric of “hate and division” poses a threat to national security.
Clinton remarked, “I’m very hopeful, and even optimistic that Americans who do not want to see a continuation of this politics of hate and division will reject Trump.”
She elaborated, “The focus here is Donald Trump, his demagoguery, and his threat to both our country and the global community. You know, they were relentless in their criticism of President Biden’s perceived shortcomings during the debate and even called for his resignation. I believe Donald Trump has repeatedly proven himself unfit to be a presidential candidate, much less a president.”
Clinton went on to say, “I think an increasing number of Americans are turning away from the kind of disorder that he embodies. We cannot go back. That’s the message from the Harris campaign: we’re not going back. We’re not returning to the failures in protecting American lives during COVID. We’re not going back to the troubling alliances with dictators that jeopardize innocent lives and compromise America’s security. We cannot afford to give this dangerous individual another opportunity to harm our nation and the world.”
{Matzav.com}
Election Officials Prepare For Threats With Panic Buttons, Bulletproof Glass
Israeli Air Force Carries Out Bombings In Lebanon
Hezbollah Statement On Pager Explosions
Matzav Inbox: Who’s Approving What’s Going Into Our Neshamos?
Dear Matzav Inbox,
Thanks for this platform. The letters you share and the topics addressed here seem to be ones that are issues that really lie at the core of our frum community. Thank you.
It’s high time someone spoke up about something that’s been bothering me for a while. Just as we are super careful about what we eat, making sure it’s all under proper hashgacha, we’re sorely lacking when it comes to what’s coming into our minds and hearts through the screens in our homes and in our hands.
Every day, we see more and more podcasts, videos, and other media being shoved into our frum world, spreading all sorts of wrong hashkafos and even kefirah. Usually, it’s just plain ameratzus and ignorance, with zero halachic and hashkafic knowledge.
These things are slipping into our lives under the radar, and it’s clear that we’re not paying enough attention. Where’s the supervision? Where’s the vigilance to make sure that what’s out there aligns with our Torah values?
It’s about time we had some kind of hashgacha for all the content we’re exposed to, just like we have for our food. And by the way, I include this very website. I hope you’ll print that. Everything should have to pass some level of scrutiny.
We wouldn’t think of eating something without checking if it’s kosher—so why are we so careless about what’s coming into our minds through our phones and computers?
Chazal tell us that what we see and hear affects us deeply. We need to be careful and make sure that our neshamos are protected from harmful influences. Let’s get some proper oversight in place and make sure that our community isn’t being led astray by things that have no place in our lives. I hope we haven’t already gone too far.
Sincerely,
C. D.
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Hezbollah Blames Israel, Vows To Retaliate
US Retail Sales Ticked Up Last Month In Sign Of Ongoing Consumer Resilience
Report – Iranian Ambassador Mojtaba Amani Wounded in Hezbollah Pager Explosion
On Tuesday, Iran’s Mehr news agency reported that Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was injured in the scores of Hezbollah pager explosions.
The report did not specify if Amani had been carrying his own pager which exploded, or if he was in the vicinity of someone else when their pager exploded.
Al Jazeera later reported that Amani’s injuries were ‘superficial,’ citing Arab media sources.
Possibly over 1,000 members of Hezbollah were injured when the pagers exploded, causing panic in the streets. Videos of the explosions occurring in shops and on the street are going viral on social media. The explosions occurred in locations across Lebanon, including Hezbollah strongholds in the Beirut area.
The explosions occurred only hours after it was reported that Hezbollah attempted to assassinate a former top Israeli Defense official in Tel Aviv.
{Matzav.com}
Head of Islamic Jihad’s Rafah Rocket Unit Killed In Israeli Strike
An Israeli aerial strike on Monday killed the head of Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s rocket and missile unit in the Rafah area of southern Gaza.
Ahmed Aish Salame al-Hashash was embedded and operating inside the humanitarian zone in Khan Yunis when he was eliminated in the precision attack, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
“Al-Hashash was responsible for the Islamic Jihad’s rocket attacks in the Rafah Brigade and was an important source of knowledge […] within the Islamic Jihad terror organization in Gaza,” the IDF said.
“During the war, al-Hashash was responsible for firing rockets from inside the Humanitarian Zone toward Israeli civilians.”
The military emphasized that before conducting the strike, many steps were taken to minimize the threat to noncombatants, including the choice of munitions, aerial surveillance and the collection of additional intelligence.
“The terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip continue to systematically abuse civilian and humanitarian infrastructure to carry out terrorist activities and attacks on Israeli civilians,” the IDF statement concluded.
“The IDF will continue to operate against the terrorist organizations in defense of the State of Israel.”
Soldier seriously wounded
A reserve soldier in the IDF’s 846th Battalion, Givati Brigade, was seriously wounded during combat operations in the southern Gaza Strip, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said on Tuesday morning.
He was evacuated to a hospital for treatment and his family was notified.
IDF’s 5th Brigade deployed to Gaza’s Netzarim Corridor
The Israel Defense Forces’ 5th Infantry Brigade has been stationed in the Netzarim Corridor that splits the Gaza Strip between north and south, the army announced on Monday.
It is the second time the brigade has operated in the coastal enclave since Israeli forces entered the territory on Oct. 27.
The brigade’s first tour of duty entailed protecting Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip in the first days of the war and ridding them of terrorists, before months of combat in the areas of Beit Hanun, Kherbat Ahzaa and the central corridor.
The brigade falls under the command of the 252nd Division, which in recent months has been operating against Hamas and working to expand the axis dividing the northern and southern Strip.
“In the last few days, the brigade’s fighters completed a series of training and exercises at the Ground Forces Training Center (GTC). The forces carried out training and exercises in warfare in open and built-up areas and raised their operational competence in preparation for their mission in the center of the Gaza Strip,” the IDF said.
“In addition, the forces completed logistical preparation and held mobility, supplies and immediate medical response training in preparation for the fighting.” JNS
{Matzav.com Israel}
Senior Hezbollah Leaders Reportedly Injured & Killed In Pager Explosions
Senate To Vote Again On IVF Fertility Protections In Election-Year Push
WSJ: Malware Likely Behind Exploding Pagers in Hezbollah Shipment, Leaving 1,500 Terrorists Dead or Wounded
1,000+ Hezbollah Terrorists Hurt as Communication Devices Explode
Hundreds of Hezbollah terrorists were wounded across Lebanon on Tuesday when their communication devices exploded, according to Lebanese reports, which cited “security sources” and eyewitnesses.
A Reuters journalist saw 10 terrorists bleeding from wounds in the southern suburb, which is the primary stronghold of Hezbollah. A security source told Qatar’s Al Jazeera that explosions occurred across Lebanon, not only in Beirut but also in the Beqaa Valley and the south.
Lebanese media affiliated with Hezbollah attributed the incident to the Israel Defense Forces, claiming the mysterious explosions were caused by a hack of the terrorist group’s internal communications networks.
A Hezbollah terrorist official in Lebanon cited by Reuters called the alleged computer hack by Israel the “biggest security breach so far.”
The IDF declined to comment to JNS on the incident, which came just hours after the Israeli Cabinet added the return of citizens displaced from their homes in the north to the country’s war goals, bringing a potential major confrontation with Hezbollah closer to reality.
Iran-backed Hezbollah has attacked Israel nearly daily since Oct. 8, firing thousands of rockets, missiles and drones. The attacks have so far killed more than 40 people and caused widespread damage. Tens of thousands of civilians remain internally displaced due to the violence.
According to Israeli media reports, the heads of the country’s security agencies, including Mossad chief David Barnea, convened on Tuesday afternoon for “frantic” talks regarding the threat posed by Hezbollah.
(JNS)
Iranian Ambassador To Lebanon Among Injured When Hezbollah Pagers Exploded
HE DOESN’T STOP: UN Chief Condemns Israel Over ‘Collective Punishment’ In Gaza
On Monday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres once again voiced criticism toward Israel, accusing the country of enforcing “collective punishment” on the residents of Gaza in the ongoing military operations there.
“The level of suffering in Gaza is unimaginable; the scale of death and destruction is unlike anything I’ve witnessed since becoming Secretary-General,” Guterres stated in an interview with AFP.
He made it clear that the terror attacks perpetrated by Hamas, including the taking of hostages, are universally condemned. “We all condemn the terror attacks made by Hamas, as well as the taking of the hostages, that is an absolute violation of international humanitarian law,” Guterres said.
However, he asserted that nothing could justify the current treatment of the Palestinian population, emphasizing, “But the truth is that nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian people, and that is what we are witnessing in a dramatic way in Gaza.”
Guterres stressed the need for accountability for all civilian deaths, declaring to AFP that “Accountability should be a must” and noting that both Israel and Hamas had committed “serious violations.”
Commenting on the stalled negotiations concerning a ceasefire and the release of hostages, Guterres remarked, “They are endless” and acknowledged that reaching a resolution would be “very difficult,” but maintained a sense of optimism.
Throughout the Gaza conflict, Guterres has frequently criticized Israel. In late October, he implied that Israel bore some responsibility for the October 7 Hamas attack, remarking that the assault “did not happen in a vacuum.”
Following a wave of backlash, Guterres insisted his comments were misconstrued, affirming that he had, in fact, condemned Hamas.
In a later statement, he drew attention to sexual violence, simultaneously mentioning Hamas’ sexual crimes during the October 7 attack on Israel alongside “reports of sexual violence against Palestinian detainees.”
Just last week, Guterres publicly censured Israel for an airstrike in Gaza that resulted in the deaths of UNRWA personnel. On X, he posted, “What’s happening in Gaza is totally unacceptable. A school turned shelter for around 12,000 people was hit by Israeli airstrikes again today. Six of our UNRWA colleagues are among those killed.”
“These dramatic violations of international humanitarian law need to stop now,” Guterres added in his post.
In response, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, sharply criticized Guterres, declaring, “What is ‘unacceptable,’ Antonio Guterres, is the fact you refuse to recognize reality and continue to distort it.”
Danon went on to assert that terrorists using civilian structures formerly operated by UNRWA cannot be considered “innocent,” and accused the UN of unfairly condemning Israel while overlooking Hamas’ use of human shields. “Terrorists operating out of civilian buildings previously used by UNRWA are not ‘innocent.’ It is unconscionable that the UN continues to condemn Israel in its just war against terrorists, while Hamas continues to use women and children as human shields,” Danon stated.
He urged Guterres to thoroughly investigate the individuals targeted in these strikes, stating, “I suggest you carefully investigate who these terrorists were, what they were doing in the past and what atrocities they were committing when they were eliminated before making statements.” Danon concluded firmly, “Israel will continue its just war against terrorism. The solution is not a ceasefire, but the release of all hostages still held in Gaza and the elimination of Hamas.”
{Matzav.com}
How Small Businesses Can Recover From Break-Ins And Theft
HAND OF HEAVEN: Trump After 2nd Assassination Attempt: ‘There’s Something Going on, Perhaps It’s God’
Former President Donald Trump remarked, “There’s something going on, perhaps it’s God,” just one day after surviving his second assassination attempt within a two-month period.
In a Monday night post on X Space, Trump mused, “There’s something going on, perhaps it’s God wanting me to be president to save this country.” He added, “Nobody knows.”
Reflecting on the first attempt on his life, Trump recounted, “When I made the right turn, it’s very unusual because the people weren’t on the right, the people who were standing out in front of me. When I turned my head at an exact 90 degree angle, the bullet came zooming by and clipped my ear.”
He continued, “And then yesterday, you had another one [assassination attempt] with a different result, actually, a much better result because we lost Corey [Comperatore],” adding that rally attendees David Dutch and James Copenhaver were gravely injured.
On July 13, Trump narrowly escaped an assassination attempt when Thomas Matthew Crooks fired shots during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Two months later, on September 15, Trump faced a second assassination attempt when Ryan Wesley Routh, a suspected assailant, was discovered hiding in the bushes near Trump International Golf Course, waiting for Trump to come into view while he was golfing.
Routh was reportedly equipped with a rifle, backpacks, and a Go-Pro, as noted by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s office.
Secret Service agents, who typically secure the area a few holes ahead of Trump during his golf outings, reportedly intercepted Routh before he could fire at the former president.
Trump explained in his Monday night X Space, “A Secret Service agent had seen a barrel of an AK-47. He started shooting at the barrel. He started shooting in the bushes. He could only see the barrel — based on that, he started shooting.”
The agent “ran toward the target and was shooting,” Trump detailed.
Trump further described, “Those were the shots we heard. The other one [Routh] never got a shot off. And [Routh] ran across the street and hopped into his truck or car.”
He added that a woman who witnessed the scene trailed Routh in her vehicle, took photos of his license plate, and submitted them to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
“Amazingly, a civilian in that area saw something that looked very suspicious and drove their car to the back of his truck and took pictures of the license plate, gave them to the sheriff’s office,” Trump said.
“And within a fairly short period of time, they tracked him down on the highway — and they got him,” former President Trump concluded.
{Matzav.com}
MYSTERIOUS BLASTS: Close To 1,000 Hezbollah Terrorists Are BLOWN UP In Israeli-Attributed Op
DEADLY ACCESS: Routh Exploited Security Hole Known to Photographers, Secret Service – Report
The gunman who reportedly targeted former President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course with an SKS rifle took advantage of a well-known security vulnerability that the Secret Service has been aware of for years.
Photographers covering Trump’s activities have repeatedly managed to secure positions around the course’s perimeter, easily capturing photos of the former president either playing golf or riding in a golf cart.
Some photographers, using telephoto lenses, have been able to snap images of Trump from the bushes without being detected. On several occasions, they’ve gotten as close as 75 yards away, without drawing any significant attention from Secret Service agents.
“They’re always amazed how close they can get to Trump and his entourage — it’s easy for them,” one source from a photo agency told The Post.
Photographers generally inform the Secret Service of their presence to avoid being mistaken for a threat, but the source mentioned that agents are easy to bypass.
According to sources cited by the Washington Post, the Secret Service was fully aware of this security gap and even attempted to alert Trump, though he remained confident that his golf clubs were adequately secured.
Authorities should drop their territorial dispute over handling the Florida Trump-assassination case The alarming attempt on Trump’s life came just two months after Thomas Matthew Crooks climbed onto a roof and fired eight shots at Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, grazing the former president’s ear.
Officials say Ryan Wesley Routh managed to position himself between 300 and 500 yards away from Trump after spending 12 hours in a makeshift sniper’s nest just outside the fence near Summit Boulevard, a busy road by Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.
The golf course, which Trump visits frequently when staying at Mar-a-Lago, spans hundreds of acres and is covered in dense tropical vegetation, providing ample concealment.
The source mentioned that photographers can take photos of Trump with surprising ease at the West Palm Beach course, pointing out “dozens” of hidden gaps in the thick foliage surrounding the property.
Even in areas where the tree line appears unbroken, persistent photographers can find a view of the course. Some of the lighter vegetation can be pulled apart by hand, creating new openings where anyone can watch the golfers without being noticed, the source explained.
On the rare occasions when Secret Service agents do spot a photographer near the course, they seldom ask many questions, the source said.
The security team is also easy to spot as they approach on golf carts, allowing photographers to monitor their movements and stay out of sight until Trump arrives.
“If they do approach the photographers, sometimes they quickly check their credentials but that’s about it,” the source claims.
“No Trespassing” signs are posted around the outside of the course, but photographers easily take pictures from behind these signs, which pose no real obstacle to anyone with malicious intent.
Trump was on the fifth hole when Secret Service snipers noticed Routh’s gun barrel protruding through a chain-link fence between the sixth and seventh holes, prompting them to open fire on the suspect.
However, the spot Routh chose wasn’t ideal for photographers, as the angles were tricky and the distances long.
“Routh could easily have picked a better spot, but maybe he was worried about being seen by a photographer,” the source speculated.
The source added that taking photos at Trump’s other Florida golf venue, Trump National Doral, located about 77 miles from West Palm Beach, is even easier.
Doral’s four courses, including the famous “Blue Monster,” are far more open, making it simple for photographers to capture images.
On the other hand, Trump’s golf course in Bedminster, NJ, is much more secure. State police often close surrounding roads when Trump is on the course, and even seasoned photographers admit that getting pictures there is next to impossible.
Regarding the security breach in West Palm Beach on Sunday, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw noted that Trump’s protective detail was reduced because he is currently a presidential candidate rather than the sitting president.
“At this level that he is at right now, he’s not the sitting president,” Bradshaw told reporters during a Sunday evening press conference. “If he was, we would have had this entire golf course surrounded.”
Routh, 58, fled the scene after Secret Service agents fired at him but was apprehended on I-95 in Palm City, approximately 40 miles north of the golf course, thanks to a witness who saw the suspect get into a black Nissan to escape and shared a photo with law enforcement.
Routh appeared in shackles and smiled during his Monday morning appearance in a Florida federal court, where he faced felony firearm charges.
{Matzav.com}