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Israeli President Isaac Herzog sharply condemned nationalist violence in Yehuda and Shomron on Sunday, while also taking aim at controversial footage recently circulated by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Speaking at the Yerushalayim Unity Prize ceremony, Herzog warned of what he described as a dangerous wave of lawlessness and extremism.

“We are witnessing a terrible wave of violence carried out by an anarchistic mob — acts that defile and violate every basic moral, legal, and Jewish norm,” Herzog declared.

The president continued with an unusually forceful rebuke, saying, “We must not accept the brutality emerging from the fringes of society that threatens all of us. Our nation is a magnificent people with tremendous strengths, but we must establish red lines. I stand here and say clearly: unity begins with humanity.”

Herzog also revealed details of recent conversations he held with senior IDF commanders serving in Yehuda and Shomron.

“I heard from a group of senior commanders in Yehuda and Shomron — who are thwarting terror in the region with tremendous success — that there are days when they are forced to spend most of their time dealing with criminal anarchists,” he said.

Later in his remarks, Herzog appeared to reference the public uproar surrounding footage distributed by Ben-Gvir concerning the treatment of activists from the Gaza flotilla.

“We are being exposed to barbaric actions by a handful of people who think that detainees, suspects, or those under investigation have no human rights whatsoever. Our sources teach us: beloved is man, for he was created in the image of God,” Herzog stated.

Ben-Gvir quickly fired back at the president’s comments.

“A president who calls hundreds of thousands of citizens of the State of Israel beasts is not worthy of being president. Period,” the minister responded.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu said Sunday that he held a conversation the previous night with President Donald Trump regarding the developing memorandum of understanding aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, as well as the broader negotiations surrounding a permanent agreement on Iran’s nuclear program.

Netanyahu said the discussion focused on the emerging diplomatic framework with Iran and ongoing coordination between Washington and Israel.

According to the prime minister, he conveyed his “deep appreciation to President Trump for his unwavering commitment to Israel’s security, including during Operation Roaring Lion and Epic Fury, when American and Israeli forces fought shoulder to shoulder against the Iranian threat.”

Netanyahu said he and Trump were in full agreement regarding the core objective of any future arrangement with Tehran.

“President Trump and I agreed that any final agreement with Iran must eliminate the nuclear danger. That means dismantling Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites and removing its enriched nuclear material from its territory.”

The Israeli premier added that Trump also reiterated support for Israel’s freedom of military action throughout the region.

“President Trump also reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself against threats on every front, including Lebanon.”

Netanyahu emphasized what he described as the growing strategic alliance between Israel and the United States.

“the partnership between us and our two countries has been proven on the battlefield and has never been stronger.”

He concluded with a blunt declaration mirroring Trump’s longstanding position on Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

“My policy, like President Trump’s, remains unchanged: Iran will not have nuclear weapons.”

Netanyahu’s remarks came only minutes after Trump published a forceful statement defending the negotiations currently underway with Iran and contrasting them sharply with the Obama-era nuclear agreement.

“One of the worst deals ever made by our Country was the Iran Nuclear Deal, put forth and signed into existence by Barack Hussein Obama and the rank amateurs of the Obama Administration. It was a direct path to Iran developing a Nuclear Weapon. Not so with the transaction currently being negotiated with Iran by the Trump Administration – THE EXACT OPPOSITE, in fact!” Trump wrote.

Trump said negotiations with Tehran were advancing steadily and insisted there was no need for the United States to rush into a final agreement.

“The negotiations are proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner, and I have informed my representatives not to rush into a deal in that time is on our side.”

The president also stressed that U.S. pressure on Iran would remain firmly in place until a final agreement is completed and formally approved.

He noted that the blockade of Iran will remain in full force and effect until an agreement is “reached, certified, and signed.”

Trump further warned that both Washington and Tehran must proceed cautiously in order to avoid strategic mistakes.

“both sides must take their time and get it right. There can be no mistakes! Our relationship with Iran is becoming a much more professional and productive one. They must understand, however, that they cannot develop or procure a Nuclear Weapon or Bomb.”

{Matzav.com}

Senior figures close to Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu are reportedly working behind the scenes on a dramatic political and legal effort aimed at preventing the United Arab List (Ra’am) from participating in Israel’s next election, according to a report aired Sunday by Channel 13.

The reported initiative centers on attempts to have Ra’am’s parent body — the Southern Faction of the Islamic Movement in Israel — officially designated as a terrorist organization.

According to the report, the proposed justification for such a designation would be allegations that the movement transferred donations and aid into the Gaza Strip during the ongoing war.

The effort is reportedly still in its early stages but comes as Israel’s political system faces growing uncertainty over the timing of the next national elections.

Sources close to Netanyahu reportedly argue that aid and financial transfers made to Gaza during wartime effectively constituted support for terrorist-linked entities operating inside the enclave.

Turning the proposal into reality, however, would require overcoming major legal and security obstacles.

Any move to classify the Southern Faction as a terrorist organization would reportedly necessitate changes to Israeli legislation, including amendments in the Knesset and revisions to definitions contained within Israel’s Counterterrorism Law.

The process would also require formal recommendations and legal opinions from Israeli security agencies, particularly the Shin Bet.

{Matzav.com}

Veteran Shas lawmaker Yaakov Margi has informed party chairman Aryeh Deri that he does not intend to run in the next Knesset election, bringing an end to a lengthy political career that included more than two decades in the Knesset and senior government positions.

Margi has long been considered one of the most experienced and influential figures within the Shas movement, having served in a variety of key parliamentary and ministerial roles over the years.

In a statement issued following reports about his departure, Margi stressed that he is not severing ties with the party.

“The reports about my leaving the Shas movement are not correct. In recent days I spoke with the movement’s chairman, Rabbi Aryeh Deri, and expressed my desire not to be placed on the list for the next Knesset, after 23 years in which I served as a member of Knesset, director-general of the movement and Minister of Religious Affairs and Welfare. The movement chairman asked me to wait on the decision. I wish to clarify: I am not leaving the Shas movement. The Shas movement is my home. Any position assigned to me by the Council of Torah Sages and the movement chairman, I will fulfill with dedication and a sense of mission.”

Margi becomes the second Shas MK in recent days to announce plans to leave political life.

Just one week earlier, Moshe Arbel submitted his resignation from the Knesset.

In his resignation letter, Arbel explained that his decision was tied to the approaching end of the current Knesset term. He said he hopes to dedicate more time to his family, continue Torah learning, and complete a doctorate in law at Reichman University.

Shortly afterward, Arbel was appointed chairman of the Mehadrin company.

{Matzav.com}

Lieutenant Colonel (Res.) Yuval Inbar, a former Israeli Air Force fighter pilot and squadron commander, was identified as one of the two people killed in Sunday’s deadly light aircraft crash in the Jezreel Valley. He was 50 years old.

Inbar, a resident of Hagor, leaves behind his wife and three children and was still actively serving in the reserves at the time of his death. Authorities have not yet released the identity of the second victim.

The Southern Sharon Regional Council paid tribute to Inbar, stating: “Yuval, married to Lou, and father of Liah, Shalev, and Nevo, worked for years with dedication, responsibility, and a sense of mission for the security of the State of Israel and its citizens.”

Southern Sharon Regional Council head Oshrat Gani Gonen also mourned his passing, saying: “My heart is with the Inbar family and with the Hagor community at this difficult time. Yuval was a man of values, a true citizen, a beloved and dedicated family man who, for many years, dedicated himself to significant and extraordinary work for the security of the State of Israel. This is a huge loss to his family, friends, and the entire community.”

The fatal crash took place Sunday morning when the light aircraft went down in an open area near Tel Adashim in the Afula region.

Emergency teams evacuated both victims from the wreckage in critical condition to Emek Hospital, where doctors later pronounced them dead.

MDA paramedic Maor Atedagi described the scene upon arrival.

“This is a serious incident. We arrived at the scene with ambulances, intensive care vehicles and immediate response motorcycles. They led us through the field to the plane that crashed. The plane had severe damage to the fuselage and two men were lying nearby.”

Atedagi said medics immediately discovered the victims were in critical condition.

“They were unconscious, without a pulse and not breathing. We immediately began performing advanced CPR and evacuated them in MDA intensive care units to the hospital in critical condition.”

{Matzav.com}

The United States and Iran are reportedly moving closer to a broad interim agreement that could dramatically lower tensions in the Middle East, reopen the Strait of Hormuz to global shipping, and restart negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, according to details emerging from ongoing diplomatic talks.

Sources familiar with the negotiations said the developing memorandum of understanding would create a 60-day cease-fire arrangement aimed at freezing military escalation while both sides work toward a longer-term deal. The proposal would also pave the way for Iran to resume oil exports and broader international trade in exchange for nuclear-related concessions and regional de-escalation.

The negotiations gained urgency amid reports that the United States had recently been preparing possible military strike options against Iran before diplomatic momentum accelerated over the weekend.

President Donald Trump had reportedly been weighing a military response against a negotiated settlement but shifted toward diplomacy by last night, according to officials cited in the report.

Another significant element emerging from the talks is Trump’s reported effort to persuade Arab states involved in the mediation process to join the Abraham Accords as part of a broader regional realignment.

Sources indicated that Saudi Arabia and Qatar were among the nations encouraged to participate in a wider normalization framework connected to the negotiations. It remains uncertain whether any governments have formally accepted those conditions.

Officials familiar with the discussions stressed that the proposed arrangement is intended as a temporary framework rather than a final peace agreement.

Under the current proposal, Iran would receive meaningful economic relief, but American officials emphasized that the strategy remains based on what they described as “relief for performance,” meaning sanctions relief would continue only if Tehran complies with its obligations.

One of the central provisions of the draft agreement is a 60-day cease-fire period that could later be extended if both sides agree. During that time, military operations and direct escalation would reportedly pause while negotiations continue.

The framework also calls for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to unrestricted international shipping. Iran would reportedly agree to remove naval mines believed to have been deployed in the waterway and permit free commercial passage without tolls or interference.

In exchange, the United States would reportedly loosen restrictions on Iranian ports and issue sanctions waivers allowing Tehran to resume oil exports on a broader scale.

The agreement would also restart negotiations surrounding Iran’s nuclear program. Iran would reportedly pledge not to pursue nuclear weapons and would enter discussions regarding limits on uranium enrichment and reductions to its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

According to U.S. officials, Iranian representatives have already delivered verbal assurances through mediators regarding possible concessions.

Despite the cease-fire arrangement, the United States would reportedly maintain its current military posture in the region throughout the negotiation period. Any major reduction of American forces would occur only if a permanent agreement is ultimately finalized.

Another complicated issue in the negotiations involves the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Sources said the proposed framework contains language aimed at ending the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah along the northern border.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly expressed concerns about parts of the developing agreement during a recent conversation with Trump.

Officials said representatives from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Turkey, and Pakistan participated in discussions supporting the framework.

Despite growing optimism surrounding the talks, negotiators acknowledged that major disagreements remain unresolved.

Iran reportedly pushed for immediate access to frozen assets and permanent sanctions relief, but the United States rejected those demands, insisting broader economic relief would depend on verified Iranian compliance.

There were also indications that Iranian officials may not yet fully support every provision outlined by American negotiators.

Questions additionally remain over whether Tehran would ultimately uphold commitments related to the Strait of Hormuz and whether it would agree to meaningful nuclear limitations.

The White House is reportedly hoping to announce the framework as early as Sunday, though officials cautioned that negotiations remain fragile and the deal could still unravel before any agreement is formally implemented.

{Matzav.com}

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing mounting criticism over his repeated meetings with a controversial anti-Israel cleric in Queens who publicly praised Hamas after the Oct. 7 massacre and has a documented history of Holocaust denial.

According to reports, Mamdani has met several times since January 2025 with Sheikh Fadhel Al-Sahlani, the imam of the Al-Khoei Islamic Center in Queens. The meetings reportedly included multiple visits to the mosque as well as appearances together at community events across New York.

The scrutiny intensified after resurfaced remarks showed Al-Sahlani celebrating Hamas in the weeks following the Oct. 7, 2023 terror attack in Israel, in which terrorists murdered civilians and abducted hostages.

“One movement can make a great change,” the Iraqi-born cleric declared during a Nov. 3, 2023 sermon, where he portrayed Hamas’ assault as resistance against “injustice.”

“What we are witnessing is the one movement, Hamas, has made a big difference not only for the Arab Muslim world, but the whole world. According to anybody who has a sense, who has a spirit of freedom of the people, whoever has that, will learn that Palestinians are the ones who suffer injustice.”

During the same address, Al-Sahlani blasted Congress for approving billions in aid to Israel following the attack, accusing the Jewish state of carrying out “genocide” and “war crimes” in Gaza.

The cleric later argued that Muslims must increase their political influence in America in order to create long-term change.

“When we have been dealt an injustice, we’re giving permission to fight back,” he said, fuming that Arabs and Palestinians have lived in an “open prison” in Israel for over 70 years.

“Now we have to stand with those who have suffered injustice. We cannot make that change unless we’re involved heavily in the political system in the United States, then maybe we can make a little bit of change.”

Mamdani, who became New York City’s first Muslim mayor, reportedly met with Al-Sahlani at least three times during 2025 before winning election to City Hall. Video footage reportedly showed the mayor attending events at the sheikh’s mosque in both January and July.

The two were also said to have appeared together at a Long Island fundraiser later that summer.

In February, shortly after taking office, Mamdani attended a Ramadan gathering at the Queens mosque and addressed the crowd from the same podium where Al-Sahlani had delivered his controversial remarks months earlier.

“It feels like returning home to be here,” Hizzoner told the crowd.

Images from the event showed the mayor smiling and shaking hands with the cleric.

Other New York City mayors, including Eric Adams and Michael Bloomberg, have previously appeared at events involving Al-Sahlani. Critics, however, argue that Mamdani’s outreach to the sheikh carries added significance because it occurred after the Oct. 7 massacre and amid ongoing tensions between the mayor and many Jewish community leaders.

Mamdani has repeatedly faced backlash over his rhetoric regarding Israel. Opponents have accused him of failing to forcefully denounce the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which critics view as a call for violence against Jews.

In response to the controversy, Mamdani spokesman Sam Raskin said the mayor strongly rejects the imam’s views concerning Hamas and the Holocaust.

“Sheikh Fadhel Al-Sahlani’s Holocaust denial and comments about Hamas are diametrically opposed to the mayor’s values and everything he has said and stood for,” he said .

“Like many elected officials, the mayor has visited many houses of worship and religious institutions across New York City. No visit should ever be construed as an endorsement of every statement made by every individual affiliated with those institutions.”

City Hall reportedly declined to elaborate further on the nature of the relationship between Mamdani and the sheikh.

The controversy comes as scrutiny has also intensified around Mamdani’s wife, First Lady Rama Duwaji, over past social media activity that critics say included praise for Palestinian terrorists and harsh attacks against Israel. Reports also claimed she had previously liked posts celebrating the Oct. 7 massacre.

Mamdani publicly defended his wife, while Duwaji later issued an apology in April for the “hurt” caused by the posts, though she stopped short of specifically apologizing for anti-Israel content.

The mayor also drew fierce criticism last week after commemorating “Nakba Day,” the annual Palestinian observance marking what they describe as the “catastrophe” surrounding Israel’s founding on May 14, 1948.

{Matzav.com}

Israel has reportedly assembled a sweeping intelligence database identifying every Palestinian believed to have participated in the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led massacre and is systematically working to hunt down each suspect for arrest or elimination, according to a new Wall Street Journal report citing Israeli officials familiar with the operation.

The report says the classified list includes Hamas commanders who planned the assault, as well as Gazans who physically crossed into Israel during the invasion, when approximately 1,200 people — mostly civilians — were murdered and 251 others kidnapped in what became the deadliest slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust.

According to the report, Israeli intelligence agencies built the list by combing through massive amounts of visual evidence uploaded online by terrorists during and after the attack. Analysts reportedly used facial recognition technology to identify suspects appearing in videos and photographs, while also reviewing intercepted phone calls made by those who infiltrated Israel that day.

Israeli officials told the newspaper that names are only added once intelligence services gather at least two separate pieces of evidence tying a person to atrocities committed during the October 7 assault.

The effort has reportedly continued even after the ceasefire that took effect in Gaza in October. The report pointed to last week’s Israeli strike that killed Hamas Gaza chief Izz al-Din al-Haddad as one example of the ongoing campaign.

According to the report, the operation began immediately after the massacre and has already resulted in “hundreds” of names being removed from the list. Israeli officials reportedly said that even individuals with no formal terror affiliation who independently joined the attack remain targets for Israeli intelligence.

One example described in the report involved a Gazan man who was filmed driving a tractor through the border fence during the initial breach into Israel. Israeli forces reportedly located and killed him nearly two years later. The report did not say whether the man personally carried out violence during the massacre.

The report also detailed operations targeting senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives years after their involvement in the attack.

Among those mentioned was Ali Sami Muhammad Shakra, identified as a platoon commander in Hamas’s elite Nukhba Force who allegedly participated in the kidnapping of hostages Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alon Ohel, Eliya Cohen, and Or Levy from a roadside shelter near Re’im.

After Shakra was killed alongside several Hamas operatives last month, the IDF released images purportedly showing him leaning out of a vehicle window while entering Israel during the October 7 assault. The military attached a one-word caption to the images: “Eliminated.”

Another figure highlighted in the report was Abd al-Rahman Ammar Hassan Khudari, a Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative allegedly involved in the massacre at Kibbutz Nir Oz during the October 7 attack. Israel reportedly killed him in April.

The report noted that while international law permits combatants involved in attacks to be targeted, legal standards generally require the existence of an imminent threat when strikes occur long after the original assault. Without such a threat, critics argue the killings could constitute extrajudicial executions carried out in retaliation for past acts.

Israeli military officials have maintained that operatives targeted in Gaza — including those connected to October 7 — either posed an “imminent threat to troops” operating nearby, were actively planning future attacks, or had crossed what Israel refers to as the “Yellow Line,” marking current IDF-controlled zones inside Gaza.

Rachel VanLandingham, a former judge advocate in the U.S. Air Force and an expert in military law, told the newspaper that although Israel’s campaign “feels retributive,” there is “nothing inherently wrong with prioritizing people on a target list as long as they’re belligerents.”

Israeli officials have reportedly compared the campaign to Israel’s long-running operation following the murder of Israeli athletes during the Munich massacre at the 1972 Olympics in Germany, when Mossad agents spent years tracking down those responsible.

“It will take time, just as it did after Munich,” Mossad director David Barnea said in 2024. “But our hands will reach them, wherever they are.”

Responding to the report, a Hamas official claimed Israel’s actions are “nothing but an extension of the policy of extrajudicial executions and systematic killing that Israel has practiced against the Palestinian people for decades.” Hamas itself has long been accused of carrying out executions of dissidents in Gaza and engaging in violent clashes with rival Palestinian factions.

Some analysts defended Israel’s approach, arguing that the realities of Middle Eastern conflict and the nature of the enemy Israel faces have shaped the country’s response.

“In the Middle East, revenge is an important part of the discourse. It is about how serious anyone in your environment sees you,” said Michael Milstein.

“Unfortunately, this is the language of this neighborhood,” he told the newspaper.

{Matzav.com}

A major push to end America’s twice-a-year clock changes moved forward Thursday after a House committee overwhelmingly approved legislation that would keep daylight saving time in place throughout the entire year.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted 48-1 to advance the Sunshine Protection Act, a proposal aimed at eliminating the long-criticized ritual of changing clocks every spring and fall. The measure is expected to be folded into a broader five-year transportation package.

Backers of the legislation argue that switching the clocks disrupts sleep, contributes to more traffic accidents, and leads to an increase in workplace injuries. Advocates also say extended evening daylight during the winter months would encourage shopping, recreation, and other economic activity.

President Trump applauded the committee’s action in a social media post, writing that it’s “time that people can stop worrying about the ‘Clock,’ not to mention all of the work and money that is spent on this ridiculous, twice yearly production.”

Despite the strong committee vote, the proposal still faces several hurdles. It must first clear the full House before heading to the Senate, where opposition remains from Sen. Tom Cotton and other lawmakers.

Cotton has argued that permanent daylight saving time would create unreasonably dark winter mornings, with many children forced to travel to school before sunrise across large portions of the country. Under the proposal, states would still have the ability to opt out of the system.

Rep. Vern Buchanan, who has introduced versions of the legislation every year since 2018, once again spearheaded the effort this year. The concept has drawn strong support in Florida, where supporters say extra evening daylight would benefit golf courses, youth sports, and outdoor activities.

The Senate previously approved the proposal unanimously in March 2022, but the legislation ultimately stalled when the House never brought it up for a vote.

Rep. Frank Pallone said permanent daylight saving time is “better for safety and will boost New Jersey’s tourism industry. Let’s stop ⁠changing the clocks twice a year.”

Daylight saving time, which moves clocks ahead by one hour during the warmer months, has been observed across nearly all of the United States since the 1960s.

The country previously experimented with year-round daylight saving time during World War II and again in 1974 during an effort to conserve energy. That later attempt, however, quickly became unpopular and was repealed within the same year.

{Matzav.com}