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The Biden administration is examining the four largest U.S. airline frequent-flyer programs and how they devalue points that consumers have earned and frequently change the number of points or miles needed to book flights. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg wrote to the CEOs of American, Delta, Southwest and United on Thursday, asking each for a report on policies, fees and other features of their loyalty program. Consumers often complain that airlines raise the number of points needed to earn a free flight and limit the number of seats that can be purchased with points. Buttigieg said loyalty programs bring value to consumers, and people count on them to pay for vacations and trips to visit family. “But unlike a traditional savings account, these rewards are controlled by a company that can unilaterally change their value,” he said in a statement issued by the Transportation Department. “Our goal is to ensure consumers are getting the value that was promised to them, which means validating that these programs are transparent and fair.” Delta said loyalty of members in its frequent-flyer program “means everything to us, and providing a meaningful rewards experience is the top priority within Delta’s SkyMiles Program.” Southwest highlighted that its points never expire, and said it books more seats with points than other airlines. Airlines for America, a trade group that represents all four carriers targeted by Buttigieg, said millions of people enjoy participating in the loyalty programs. “U.S. carriers are transparent about these programs, and policymakers should ensure that consumers can continue to be offered these important benefits,” a spokesperson for the group said. Frequent-flyer programs were once based on the number of flights taken or miles flown. In recent years, however, they have been fueled by spending that consumers conduct using airline-branded credit cards. Income from the credit-card issuers has become an important source of airline revenue. The Transportation Department and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau held a hearing in May on the airline programs, at which they raised many of the issued covered in Buttigieg’s letter to airline CEOs. Witnesses included consumer advocates and officials from three smaller airlines, but no representatives of the big four airlines that are covered by the new inquiry. One of the advocates who testified, Erin Witte of the Consumer Federation of America, said frequent-flyer programs started as a reward for consumers who were loyal to one airline. “It’s ironic that many of them have morphed into programs that are anything but loyal to their customers and instead make people feel like they need an insurance policy to keep the points they have earned,” Witte said Thursday. She said she was glad the Transportation Department is examining the programs. The consumer-protection board said in a report for the hearing that it received more than 1,200 complaints about credit card rewards last year, an increase of more than 70% from pre-pandemic levels. Many hotels, retailers and other businesses also offer loyalty programs with credit cards. Buttigieg ordered the airlines to report within 90 days on matters including how point values are determined, any fees that consumers must pay, and details of deals with banks that buy miles from airlines and use them to encourage people to shop with their credit cards. The order asks airlines to list any changes in their programs since […]

Rav Avraham Binyamin Zilberberg, Rosh Yeshiva of Gur in Hatzor and a member of the chassidus’s chinuch committee, whose name was mentioned recently in reports that he was in negotiations with the IDF to reach an agreement on the drafting issue, whereby 250 would join the police force, and the rest would receive exemptions, clarified in a dramatic letter that this never happened and that he does not have the authority to deal with this matter.

In the letter sent this morning to the chairman of United Torah Judaism and Minister of Housing Yitzchak Goldknopf, Rav Zilberberg wrote: “To the honorable emissary of the rabbonim, Rav Yitzchak Goldknopf, I was astonished to hear that there are reports that I supposedly held talks with someone from Gur regarding enlistment in the police in exchange for military service,” Rav Zilberberg writes, making it clear that these are “nonsense and futile talk.”

Rabbi Zilberberg elaborated: “This information has no basis in reality. Someone made up these things for an unknown purpose. There were no such discussions, and certainly there is no agreement to enlist in the police or any other arrangements.” The rosh yeshiva reiterated: “There was no such thing.”

Rav Zilberberg added: “The only matter at hand is to restore the arrangement that has been in place for years, where anyone whose Torah is their primary occupation is exempt from military service, without conditions and without deals.”

He further clarified in his letter that he is not in charge of the draft issue. “This issue,” he writes, “belongs to those appointed by the Gedolei Yisrael, and they are working with great dedication to remove this terrible decree and restore the previous arrangement.

“May your hands and the hands of all those involved in this sacred work be strengthened, and may the mouths of those who speak falsehood be sealed,” he concluded.

It should be noted that this morning, it was reported on Galei Tzahal about a dramatic agreement being formed between Gur chassidus and the Ministry of Defense, according to which about 250 young men from the chassidus would join the police force in exchange for the rest of the chassidim being exempt from military service.

According to the report, talks had been held over the past month with senior officials in the Ministry of Defense by Rav Zilberberg, a close associate of the Gerer Rebbe, who, as mentioned, denies any such discussions took place.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Dear Sarah Schneirer,

I can’t believe I’m doing this, but I need your help.

Sarah, I need you to look at me. I was a frum chassidishe girl who grew up in the system. I did everything right. I put my kids into a frum chassidishe system, and look at the pain I carry with me.

My daughter was all of twelve and a half years old when she was already rejected from school. I’m not going to go into detail about that—just the dry facts.

Fast forward four years, and my next child, at sixteen, was also rejected from her school. It’s one year later, and now my fifteen-year-old is without a school one week before the new year is supposed to start.

Yay, there’s a school willing to take her, but it comes with a big price tag…

Sarah, did you know that one day, sending our girls to frum schools would become a luxury for the rich?

Did you ever imagine that the introduction to our interviews wouldn’t be as you envisioned, with “We are so happy to have you here! It’s a z’chus to have you with us!” Instead, what we hear is, “These are the rules you need to follow in order for us to even glance in your direction.”

But these rules are made up by some twisted regime to quash our individuality. It’s not halacha. It’s control! Who can outdo the other with rules and chumras to suck out any bit of joy from these girls? “How long is your ponytail?” or “Which shoes are you allowed to wear?”

Is this what you fought all the great Torah giants of your time to achieve? That I have to cry bitter tears year after year for someone to have pity on my innocent girls and allow them to attend and learn in a school—a frum school, no less? And then they say their goal is to instill a true happiness in being a religious Jew and how beautiful Yiddishkeit is? Where is this beauty? You’ve sucked it all out! Where’s the happiness you promised? You’ve ripped it away from these well-meaning parents and girls!

Sarah, do you see the anguish of so many girls going off the derech because of the school system?

Do you see fathers and mothers having heart attacks because they can’t afford the exorbitant tuition fees, and their complete devastation of going from school to school, being rejected and sent away? Children as young as four and five are being turned away!

Tell me, how can an innocent child of five already taste such harsh realities and still believe that Yiddishkeit is beautiful and happy? These schools tear them away. They rip off their cloak of innocence and young joy.

Sarah, do you see the suicide rates of our girls in pain because they’re made to feel useless and unworthy?

Do you also see the cruelty of the school administrations when the money isn’t delivered in a timely manner? The lengths they’ll go to shame and harass the children! Making them leave the room to call home for money, or handing out admission cards to everyone except for one child, leaving them mortified in public.

Is this what you wanted when you trudged through the frigid streets of Krakow, trying to find the young women of your time to give them a true Jewish education? Is this the cornerstone you set for our generation?

Did you ever imagine that this would be the reality for the future mothers of Klal Yisroel?

I have news for you. We are headed for the complete annihilation of our nation—not through Nazis or Communists, not through the Crusades or Bolsheviks, but through our very own educators and school administrations.

Sarah, you used to knock on doors to get girls to come to your school. You knew that otherwise our nation was lost, our heritage gone. Now we are the ones banging on doors. But we only think they’re doors. In essence, they’re thick, heavy brick walls with no compassionate mother to open them and welcome the girls with a warm embrace. There are only cold people who crave power and control. They savor the image of mothers and fathers prostrating themselves at their feet, begging for mercy like slaves in chains: “Please, please take my child into your holy mosad.”

You would pay us to come to your school.

And look where we are now.

Sarah, you need to intervene. I’ve surrendered!

I may have a few girls home this year for lack of the finances needed to send them to school. I will not take responsibility for the trauma this may cause them. I have no means to support them or pay these fees. I cannot beg anymore! I cannot fight for a culture and community that has failed me and my family—as I’m sure it has failed many others.

Sarah, you are my last hope. Take this information and do with it whatever you see fit. I am bowing my head, but don’t say I didn’t try every avenue out there for us. Now, I surrender it to the universe.

A Mother in Pain

[The letter writer can be reached through Matzav.com at MatzavInbox@gmail.com]

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Staten Island Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) is accusing the NYPD and Mayor Eric Adams of “stonewalling” her request for data on crimes committed by migrants in or around taxpayer-funded shelters, the NY Post reported in an exclusive interview with the Congresswoman. Malliotakis sought the statistics under the Freedom of Information Law in January, requesting data on crimes committed within a five-block radius of City-run migrant shelters and the top charges against arrestees who listed a shelter as their home address. However, the NYPD has periodically responded, saying the information is not yet available and won’t be until November 15 – 10 days after the election, according to the report. “I believe the administration is stonewalling. The public has a right to know,” Malliotakis told the Post. “Either they’re stonewalling or there are many more crimes being committed by migrants than they can tabulate in a year. That’s ridiculous.” The NYPD claims to be working on the request, but the city’s sanctuary law limits officers from asking about immigration status, making it difficult to track migrant-related crimes. A recent Post report found migrants are flooding the criminal-justice system, with one Manhattan cop estimating 75% of Midtown arrests involve migrants. Deputy Mayor Anne Williams-Isom acknowledged arrests don’t bar migrants from taxpayer-funded shelters, saying, “Getting arrested in New York City doesn’t mean you can’t get services.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A Palestinian terror squad based in Jenin planned to infiltrate Israeli communities in Samaria and carry out an Oct. 7-style massacre, according to an indictment published by Channel 14 on Wednesday.

The charges filed against Osama Bani Fadl, who stands accused of murdering Israelis Shay Silas Nigrekar and his son Aviad Nir on Aug. 19, 2023, in Huwara, reveal that he fled to Jenin after the shooting, joining a terror cell there, Channel 14 News reported.

Fadl was arrested in November during an Israeli counterterrorism raid in the Jenin camp. Israeli security forces said at the time that the armed suspect was located in a hideout used by local terrorist operatives.

The indictment accuses Fadl and other members of the terrorist squad of making preparations for a mass slaughter targeting Jewish residents of Samaria, including by infiltrating Israeli towns using vehicles.

The terror cell reportedly also planned attacks inside the town of Ma’ale Efraim in the Jordan Valley, and a drive-by shooting and car bombing at the gas station outside Eli in the Binyamin region of Samaria, a location that was targeted twice by Palestinian terrorists over the past 14 months.

In response to the news, attorney Haim Blecher of the Honenu legal aid group, who represents the Nigrekar family, told Channel 14 News that his clients demand prosecutors seek the death penalty against Fadl.

The Israel Defense Forces has reportedly classified Judea and Samaria as a “combat zone” in light of the recent uptick in Palestinian terror attacks.

The report came shortly after Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged the government and army to order a large-scale counterterrorism campaign throughout Judea and Samaria in the wake of the murder of three police officers in a drive-by shooting near Hebron on Sunday.

“We are one step away from Oct. 7 in Judea and Samaria,” Smotrich warned, speaking from the site where Chief Inspector Arik Ben Eliyahu, Command Sgt. Maj. Hadas Branch and 1st Sgt. Roni Shakuri were killed.

Israeli security agencies on Aug. 28 launched a large-scale counterterror operation targeting the Jenin and Tulkarem areas, involving hundreds of troops and air support. So far, at least 30 terrorists have been killed in the operation, which is still ongoing, according to recent IDF figures.

“The rise of terror in Judea and Samaria is an issue that we need to be focused on at every moment. The process is an attack to prevent terror. We are mowing the lawn; the moment will also come when we will pull out the roots, that must be done,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said following a situational assessment with IDF officers on Wednesday.

“The rise [in terror] that comes in the form of car bombs and shootings everywhere, these are things that need to be put to an end,” he added.

On Tuesday night, hundreds of Israeli residents of Judea and Samaria gathered in protest at intersections throughout the territory, demanding that the military launch a broader operation against Palestinian terror.

In the first six months of 2024, Judea and Samaria saw more than 500 Arab terrorist attacks each month on average, according to figures published by Rescuers Without Borders (Hatzalah Judea and Samaria).

During that period, first responders recorded 3,272 acts of terrorism in the region, including 1,868 cases of rock-throwing, 456 attacks with Molotov cocktails, 299 explosive charges and 109 shootings.

Terrorists have killed 14 people and wounded more than 155 others in Judea and Samaria between January and July, the rescue group said. JNS

{Matzav.com Israel}

Former President Donald Trump said Thursday he would create a government efficiency commission to audit the entire federal government, an idea suggested by billionaire Elon Musk, who would lead it. The commission is the latest attention-grabbing alliance between Trump and Musk, who leads companies including Tesla and SpaceX and has become an increasingly vocal supporter of Trump’s bid to return to the White House. The Republican presidential nominee claimed that in 2022, “fraud and improper payments alone cost taxpayers an estimated hundreds of billions of dollars.” He said the commission would recommend “drastic reforms” and develop a plan to eliminate fraud and improper payments within six months, which he said would save trillions of dollars. “We need to do it,” Trump said. “Can’t go on the way we are now.” Trump also promised to cut 10 government regulations for every new regulation implemented if he’s elected in November. He announced the plans in a speech to the Economic Club of New York, a group of executives and industry leaders, where he also unveiled proposals to slash regulations and boost energy production, embrace cryptocurrencies and drastically cut government spending as well as corporate taxes for companies that produce in the U.S. “I look forward to serving America if the opportunity arises,” Musk wrote on X, the social media platform he owns. “No pay, no title, no recognition is needed.” The former president and Musk discussed a role for the entrepreneur in a second Trump administration during a streamed conversation on X last month. “You’re the greatest cutter,” Trump told Musk then. “I need an Elon Musk — I need somebody that has a lot of strength and courage and smarts. I want to close up the Department of Education, move education back to the states.” Trump and Musk, two of the world’s most powerful men, have shifted from being bitter rivals to unlikely allies over the span of one election season. Musk, who described himself as a “moderate Democrat” until recently, suggested in 2022 that Trump was too old to be president again. Still, Musk formally endorsed Trump two days after his assassination attempt last month. Presidents have made various efforts to reform government over the years, including the National Partnership for Reinventing Government created during Bill Clinton’s presidency, which was headed by then-Vice President Al Gore. It aimed to simplify the federal bureaucracy, cut costs and make agencies more responsive to the public. (AP)

[COMMUNICATED]

 
Women of Valor, Who Can Find Them?

Their husbands r”l fell in battle in battle defending Israel. Now they struggle with basic needs for their children. How will they survive without? _We know who they are. We know where they are. We know what they need._

Can we leave them alone with their children to fend for themselves?

An official campaign has been launched to support the families of our brave soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice to protect what is most precious to us all. We have boots on the ground working with the utmost sensitivity by the families side. We research what is lacking, aquire and distribute what basics are needed most, and even procure special items that each family specifically requests based upon their unique situations. For some that is a bar or bas mitzvah celebration, for others it is a fan or air conditioner, a handyman to fix up a broken door or a leak, provide missing household items, or even a musical instrument for that special child.

Your donation today assures that these Women of Valor can lead a house with some normalcy and stability, without the scourge of poverty and debt troubling their already heavy hearts hearts. Your help will ensure their children get any additional help they need, learn healthy hobbies from after school programs (chugim), and can keep their heads high. Perhaps most importantly, your participation will let these almanos, mothers of new yesomim know they are not forgotten, they are not alone, and that they are duly acknowledged as the true Women of Valor they are. 

It’s what their husbands HYD would have wanted most.

Let us join together, as Am Yisroel, the _Am Kadosh_ . We must not let these families collapse. They gave everything.

Please donate generously.

 

“Telling your wife your needs and wants” is a complete waste of time for married men who want to get the passion and I’ll tell you why. So many marriage experts claim they have the secret to a happy marriage and that it all comes down to communication, boundaries and bringing in more money. They tell you to help out more at home, talk about the past, go together to a marriage professional but never stop to take inventory of whether ANY of these methods are actually WORKING in creating happiness and joy! I am not saying those strategies don’t work at all, but they are the long… slow… painful way of having a happy home. And for the few that make it with these strategies, they’ve done it while he doesn’t get what he needs, and she doesn’t get what she needs.  Meanwhile, we’re helping our clients connect with their wives on the highest level, living lives full of passion and excitement and it gets more and more joyful by the day where both husband and wife feel happiness and passion… … all without needing their wife to meet them halfway! To check out how they do this, click below to watch my free presentation where I share all the details … you’re going to thank me for it! 5 Steps Married Men Use to Get Rid of Friction and Create Passion and Intimacy… Without Needing Their Wife to Meet Them Halfway!

Hunter Biden is pleading ‘Guilty’ to tax evasion…

According to a Fox News report, Hunter Biden will plead ‘Guilty’ in his federal tax evasion case brought by special counsel David Weiss.

 

In the indictment, Weiss alleged that Biden “engaged in a four-year scheme to not pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes he owed for tax years 2016 through 2019, from in or about January 2017 through in or about October 15, 2020, and to evade the assessment of taxes for tax year 2018 when he filed false returns in or about February 2020.”

Weiss said that, in “furtherance of that scheme,” Biden “subverted the payroll and tax withholding process of his own company, Owasco, PC by withdrawing millions” from the company “outside of the payroll and tax withholding process that it was designed to perform.”

The special counsel alleged that Biden “spent millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle rather than paying his tax bills,” and that in 2018, he “stopped paying his outstanding and overdue taxes for tax year 2015.”

The trial began Thursday with jury selection in Los Angeles.

“Mr. Biden intends to change his plea this morning,” Hunter’s lawyer Abbe Lowell told the judge in a Los Angeles federal courtroom.

Fox News columnist Tammy Bruce says a pardon may be in the cards for Hunter Biden, despite President Biden saying he would not pardon his son.

“This looks like someone’s getting a pardon!” Bruce said on X.

 

{Matzav.com}

Jonathan Dekel-Chen, the father of U.S.-Israeli captive Sagui Dekel-Chen, is denying a report in NBC News on Wednesday that families of Americans held hostage by Hamas in Gaza are urging the White House to cut a unilateral deal with the terrorist group.

Sagui Dekel-Chen was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Oct. 7 Hamas-led assault in southern Israel. His father told Channel 12 that the report is false.

“I am in continuous contact with the other American families and all levels of the U.S. government. There is nothing behind this report,” Jonathan Dekel-Chen said.

“The report that the American families are demanding a separate U.S.-Hamas is not correct. I do not know where this report has come from. I am inside the room [for these meetings] and anything else is speculation,” he continued.

Citing five people familiar with the discussions, NBC News reported that the relatives urged the administration to consider options for an agreement that do not include Israel, speaking during a meeting with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan shortly after the IDF recovered the bodies of six hostages in a tunnel in Rafah, including American dual citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

Administration officials reportedly told them they would explore “every option” but that they believe that a deal with Hamas that includes Israel is the best approach.

The U.S. believes that there are four American hostages held by Hamas who are still alive. They are Edan Alexander, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Omer Neutra and Keith Siegel.

Three other U.S. hostages are believed to have been killed that day, with their remains being held by Hamas. America wants to recover their bodies as well.

NBC News reported in June that the Biden administration had talked about negotiating a unilateral deal for the release of American hostages.

The talks would take place via Qatari mediators, two current senior U.S. officials and two former ones told NBC at the time.

According to Wednesday’s NBC report, an administration official said that a unilateral deal with Hamas is unrealistic because Israel has the terrorists in prison that Hamas wants to be released, among other things that the U.S. cannot provide.

“We have considered all possible options to free the hostages and bring them home to their families. Because of Hamas’s demands, there has not been a formal offer for a side deal made, because no such deal is possible,” the official said.

“Hamas wants two things that only Israel can deliver: a ceasefire and nearly 1,000 Palestinian prisoners currently in Israeli jails. Every other proposal has gone nowhere because that is what Hamas demands for the hostages,” the official added.

“President Biden and the rest of the U.S. government remain fully committed to returning the hostages, including Americans, to their families. And we continue to work, day and night, to complete the ceasefire and hostage release deal that is under discussion.”

(JNS)

FBI agents early Wednesday raided the homes of two of the highest ranking members of Mayor Eric Adams’ administration, First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks Wright is the fiancé of David Banks, who is Phil Banks’ brother and was appointed schools chancellor by Adams. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Russian commentators on Thursday mocked allegations that Moscow was meddling again in the U.S. presidential election, and President Vladimir Putin appeared to bolster the teasing tone by wryly claiming he supported Vice President Kamala Harris. On Wednesday, the U.S. Justice Department said the Russian state-owned broadcaster RT is carrying out a covert campaign to influence the American public ahead of the election. Two state media employees were charged, and 10 people and two entities were sanctioned, with Kremlin-run websites seized. The Justice Department did not identify which candidate the propaganda campaign was meant to boost. But internal strategy notes from participants in the effort released by the Justice Department make clear that former President Donald Trump was the intended beneficiary, even though the candidates’ names were blacked out. The Kremlin has dismissed previous allegations of interference in U.S. elections, from 2016 and onward, as nonsense. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson vowed to retaliate against U.S. media in Russia. Margarita Simonyan, head of the state-run broadcaster RT who was sanctioned by the U.S. in the latest allegations, shared a social media post Thursday in which the outlet hit back by saying, “They called from 2016 and want all their tired cliches back.” The Treasury Department described Simonyan as a “central figure in Russian government malign influence efforts.” Putin, who was in the Russian Far East port of Vladivostok for an economic forum, did not address the latest U.S. allegations, but he did comment on the election, in which Harris is the Democratic Party’s nominee after President Joe Biden dropped his bid for reelection. “We had the current president, Mr. Biden, as our favorite but he was taken out of the race. He recommended all his supporters back Mrs. Harris, so we will too,” Putin said with a wry smile and an arched eyebrow. Harris, he said, has an “expressive and infectious laugh,” which shows “she’s doing well.” If Harris is doing well, then “perhaps she will refrain” from imposing more sanctions on Russia, Putin said. Some members of the audience were pictured laughing at his remarks. Putin authorized influence operations to help Trump in the 2020 election, while his 2016 campaign benefited from hacking by Russian intelligence officers and a covert social media effort, according to U.S. law enforcement and intelligence officials. Before winning in 2016, Putin praised Trump as “outstanding” and “talented.” Earlier this year, Putin suggested that Biden’s reelection would be better for Russia as he is “more experienced” and “predictable.” U.S. intelligence officials maintain that Moscow still has a preference for Trump, who has praised Putin and has suggested cutting aid to Ukraine. Although RT’s Simonyan shared posts disparaging the U.S. allegations, earlier this year she appeared on a Russian talk show and discussed how RT was involved in “info wars,” pumping out pro-Kremlin narratives in the U.S. “We create many sources of information that are not tied to us,” Simonyan said, suggesting to the host that she shouldn’t publicly discuss RT’s covert work. “While the CIA tries to figure out that they’re tied to us, they already have an enormous audience. Sometimes they find them and close them down. … While they’re shutting them down we’ve already created new ones,” she said. RT and the CIA “chase each other” in a game of cat and mouse, she said. […]

The European Parliament gave preliminary approval on Wednesday to the freezing of 20 million euros ($22 million) allocated to the Palestinian Authority over antisemitic textbooks in its educational curriculum.

The move in the parliament’s prestigious Foreign Affairs Committee, which requires two additional parliamentary votes in order to become law, is seen as a bellwether of change in the European Parliament following the summer elections, after years of merely declarative moves on the issue.

“Erasing all antisemitic content from education materials is among the first of many steps needed to establish civil society, professional education and proper economic structures in the Palestinian territories,” said Austrian MEP Lukas Mandl, who tabled the amendment, in a statement sent to JNS. “These steps, accompanied by disarmament and demilitarization of the Palestinian territories, will help to establish structures that will lead to zero tolerance for terrorism and proper conditions for sustaining peace, democracy, rule of law and ultimately a security guarantee for the State of Israel.”

Following the 36-30 parliamentary committee vote, the proposal will now head to the budget committee next month for what is expected to be another close vote, and then, if approved, voted on in the plenary later in October.

“Finally, the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee has voted by a majority to put money in the reserves to pressure the Palestinian Authority to clean up antisemitic schoolbooks,” Dutch MEP Bert-Jan Ruissen told JNS. “This is a good first step, which failed in the past, and hopefully will be included in the 2025 E.U. budget that will be adopted later this autumn.”

Leo van Doesburg, Europe director of the Israel Allies Foundation called the committee vote “a commendable first step.” He added: “Achieving peace is impossible in the presence of radicalization.”

Marcus Sheff, CEO of IMPACT-se, an international research organization that analyzes schoolbooks and curricula for compliance with UNESCO standards, expressed frustration at the E.U.’s failure to date to deal with the issue.

“Despite years of promises made by the P.A. to its single biggest funding partner, the European Union, we see that essentially zero changes have been made to the Palestinian textbooks, which are rife with antisemitic incitement to violence,” he said. “Given what happened on Oct. 7—where an educational curriculum was used to incite to hate and murder—this is a disgrace.”

However, Sheff told JNS that the fact the new parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee was now throwing its weight behind the issue of Palestinian incitement, after years of reports on the topic, was an “encouraging step” that bodes well for the future.

In sharp contrast to Palestinian textbooks, a study by the organization this spring found that Saudi Arabia has removed practically all antisemitic and anti-Israel material from its schoolbooks. JNS

{Matzav.com}

Hatzalah South Florida (HSF) has introduced its first high-water rescue vehicle, designed to improve the organization’s ability to operate in areas impacted by flooding or other high-water conditions. These specialized vehicles will enhance HSF’s response capabilities, allowing its members to continue providing critical services to the community, even during severe weather and challenging environmental conditions. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Talks with Hamas on a renewed hostages-for-ceasefire-and-terrorists-release deal are faltering due to the Islamist group’s rejectionism, Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu reiterated in an interview on Thursday morning.

Commenting in an interview with Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” on reported claims by a senior U.S. official that an agreement with Hamas is close, Netanyahu said that these claims were “exactly inaccurate.

“There’s a story, a narrative out there that there’s a deal out there,” he said. “In fact, while we agreed in May, in July and in August to a deal, an American proposal, Hamas has consistently said no to every one of them.

“They don’t agree to anything. Not to the Philadelphi Corridor [on Gaza’s border with Egypt], not to the keys of exchanging hostages for jailed terrorists, not to anything,” he said.

Netanyahu also denied accusations that he is prolonging the war against Hamas for political gain, telling Fox, “I am not interested in my political future, I’m interested in my country’s future

“This war would be over yesterday if Hamas laid down its arms, released all the hostages,” the premier stated. “The obstacle to the end of this war is Hamas; the obstacle to the release of hostages is Hamas.”

One hundred and one hostages—alive and dead—are still held captive in Gaza after more than 300 days. Off-and-on talks have continued for months with the United States, Egypt and Qatar acting as mediators.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has confirmed that Yerushalayim accepted President Joe Biden’s May 31 ceasefire-for-hostages outline, as well as last month’s so-called “bridging proposal” presented by the United States.

“In a very constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu today, he confirmed to me that Israel accepts the bridging proposal, that he supports it,” the diplomat told reporters after meetings in Yerushalayim on Aug. 19, adding that “it’s now incumbent on Hamas to do the same.”

Hamas formally rejected the bridging proposal on Aug. 18, accusing Netanyahu of “setting new conditions and demands with the aim of thwarting the mediators’ efforts and prolonging the war.

U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday that a new draft deal is in the works, but that Hamas was still the least willing to say yes.

Negotiators confirmed to the newspaper that the agreement that is currently being offered gives Hamas most of what it wanted, with the Israeli government making many concessions to reach a bargain.

(JNS)

Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro broke the law by publicly endorsing the reelection of President Joe Biden and criticizing former President Donald Trump in several statements he made while on official duty overseas, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel said Thursday. In a report to the White House, the watchdog agency said Del Toro’s comments about the presidential election came in a BBC interview and when he was responding to questions after a speech in London. While he later reported the remarks, his unwillingness to take responsibility for them is troubling, the special counsel said. The agency said Del Toro’s comments, which were made before Biden dropped out of the presidential race, violate the Hatch Act, which prohibits U.S. officials from engaging in political activity while they are on duty and from “using their official authority or influence to interfere with or affect the result of an election.” “The United States and the world need the mature leadership of President Biden,” Del Toro said in response to a question after giving a speech at the Royal United Services Institute in late January. He added, “We cannot afford to have a president who aligns himself with autocratic dictators and rulers whose interpretation of democratic principles is suspicious (at) best.” Later, during an interview on “BBC News Sunday,” Del Toro was asked about his comments on Trump’s democratic principles. Del Toro responded that in the past, Republican and Democratic presidents abided by core American values and protected democracy. “When you have someone who doesn’t align to those core principles, it makes you wonder, you know, should you be supporting that individual?” he said. Del Toro was asked, “You said he had a suspicious attitude to democracy?” And the Navy secretary responded, “Absolutely so.” Several days later, Del Toro self-reported the blunder to the special counsel, saying his intention was to focus on the importance of strong international alliances. But, he added, “In retrospect, I believe my response should have been delivered more broadly without reference to specific candidates.” In a separate written response to the watchdog’s findings, the secretary’s lawyer, Michael Bromwich, said Del Toro’s remarks were “spontaneous and unpremeditated” and did not constitute a violation of the Hatch Act. Bromwich said Del Toro was responding to questions and did not directly speak Trump’s name. Special counsel Hampton Dellinger said in his report that Del Toro “crossed a legal line.” And he said the secretary’s “unwillingness to acknowledge a mistake is striking” and troubling. Dellinger said he appreciates that Del Toro reported the comments, “but this fact alone should not absolve him.” Del Toro has also issued his own directive for his Navy force, Dellinger said, noting that “it is more important than ever for us to remember that the DON (Department of the Navy) is an apolitical body. …. Public trust and confidence depend on this.” The findings come after two Democratic members of Congress sent a letter to the Pentagon’s top two leaders in August, pressing them to ensure the military is not swept up in politics during the presidential election. Career government officials found to have violated the Hatch Act can be fired, suspended or demoted and fined up to $1,000, though few penalties are ever levied against federal employees. The Navy and White House did not immediately respond […]

According to the most recent survey from the Democracy Institute, former President Donald Trump now holds a three-point national advantage over Vice President Kamala Harris and leads by five points in ten critical swing states that are expected to determine the outcome of the upcoming presidential election.

“Donald Trump appears to be gaining serious momentum in 10 key battleground states,” states the Daily Express US, which commissioned the poll. “Data from the Democracy Institute shows the Republican Presidential hopeful is favored by [a] five percentage point lead over Kamala Harris – at 50 percent to 45 percent.”

The survey of the battleground states was conducted on August 28 and 29, polling 1,000 likely voters in states such as Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

At the same time, a national poll was conducted with 1,200 likely voters.

However, the timing of this poll provides limited insight. Only part of it was conducted following Kamala Harris’s problematic interview on CNN. Additionally, her ill-advised and malicious remarks targeting 13 Gold Star families over the weekend are not factored into the results.

Though this poll slightly deviates from others, it’s not drastically different. Rasmussen has Trump ahead by two points nationally, and a recent Fox News poll shows Trump with a one-point lead. According to the RealClearPolitics average of national polls, Harris holds a 1.9-point lead—significantly lower than where Hillary Clinton stood at the same time in 2016 (+3.9) and far below Biden’s standing on the same date in 2020 (+7).

In the RealClearPolitics average of battleground state polls, Harris is ahead by a slim margin of +0.2 percent. The Democracy Institute’s poll indicates a five-point lead for Trump, presenting a noticeable contrast. An intriguing aspect is that the Democracy Institute survey includes three states not reflected in RealClear’s average—Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Virginia. You’d expect that including these states, where Harris generally performs better, would widen her lead in comparison to the RealClear average.

Yet, with approximately 60 days remaining until the election, Harris is making a campaign stop in New Hampshire today, and the locations the candidates prioritize during this final stretch will reveal more about their internal polling than any public survey. In addition, Kamala’s running mate, the repeatedly discredited Tim “Stolen Valor” Walz, is campaigning in Minnesota today.

New Hampshire and Minnesota are typically considered safe for Harris.

Seeing Harris and Walz campaign in New Hampshire and Minnesota is akin to Trump and his running mate JD Vance making stops in Ohio and Florida.

{Matzav.com}

A video posted by the Australian Jewish Association shows a disturbing scene at Monash University in Melbourne, one of Australia’s most “prestigious” universities. Students were asked to stand to honor the murdered hostages and the remaining hostages in Gaza “out of respect for our common humanity.” Only a small group of students, apparently Jewish students, arose and the majority of the students remained sitting. When those who stood began filming them, they screamed: “Stop filming!” [Do they have a guilty conscience?] Some of them began chanting “Free, free Palestine!” as seen in the second video below. Sadly, in the post-October 7 world, it cannot be taken for granted that the non-Jewish world has any “common humanity” regarding Jews, even those murdered by a sadistic terror group. Ironically, the university is named after Sir John Monash, a Jewish Australian born to German-born parents who commanded the Australian Corps and fought the Germans during World War I. He was considered one of the war’s outstanding commanders and many historians consider him to be the foremost Allied military commander of the First World War. He was also a successful businessman and was one of Australia’s foremost experts in reinforced concrete for bridges, and railways, and served as the chairman of Victoria’s State Electricity Commission.  He died of heart disease at age 66 in 1931 and over 250,000 people attended his state funeral. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Five Palestinians were detained earlier this week attempting to illegally enter Yerushalayim from the Judean Desert disguised as Jewish commuters, the Israel Police said on Wednesday.

The driver of the suspects’ vehicle, which had a yellow ribbon on its mirror to signify solidarity with the hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7, and an air freshener with an Israeli flag, was stopped for inspection by Border Police officers at the az-Za’ayyem crossing near Ma’ale Adumim.

During questioning, it became evident that the driver and three passengers were Judea and Samaria residents without permits to enter Yerushalayim. They were carrying Israeli flags, a yarmulke and a wig.

In the trunk, the officers discovered a fifth Palestinian, along with Palestinian Authority license plates.

“It became clear that the vehicle’s original Palestinian license plates were replaced with stolen Israeli license plates from a car that was taken off the road,” police said.

An indictment was filed against four of the suspects for attempting to illegally cross or reside over the Green Line. In addition, the driver was arrested, and a court extended her detention until Aug. 8.

Last month, Israeli security forces arrested three illegal infiltrators from the Gaza Strip near the Jewish community of Ofra in the Binyamin region of central Samaria, only to release two of them shortly after.

The army did not explain how the men, reportedly residents of Jabalia in north Gaza, had entered Israeli territory or why two of them were released.

The Israel Border Police alone has detained more than 8,000 illegal Arab infiltrators since the start of 2024, according to data published in June.

“My policy regarding illegals, who are a platform for terrorism, is very clear—zero tolerance!” Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said on June 3, after undercover officers arrested 17 Palestinian infiltrators as they attempted to enter Jerusalem through a Samaria checkpoint.

In November, Jerusalem police arrested 11 Palestinians from Gaza, including the sister of a Hamas terrorist, during a raid of Al-Makassed Islamic Charitable Society Hospital on Har Hazeisim. JNS

{Matzav.com}

A 13-foot (4-meter) Burmese python was confiscated from an upstate New York man who was keeping the still-growing snake in a small tank, authorities said. The state Department of Environmental Conservation said it got a complaint about an illegally owned snake in New Hartford on Aug. 28. Environment Conservation Police Officer Jeff Hull responded and found the snake in a 4-to-5-foot (1.2-to-1.5-meter) tank. The snake weighed 80 pounds (36 kilos) and measured 13 feet 2 inches (4 meters) in length. It appeared to be in good health and was still growing, the Department of Environmental Conservation said in a news release. The snake was relocated to the Fort Rickey Discovery Zoo in Rome, which has the state-required permits for such an animal, the agency said. The snake’s owner said he had not been prepared for how fast the snake would grow, the department said. He was ticketed for possessing wildlife as a pet and for possessing dangerous wildlife without a permit. Burmese pythons are native to southeast Asia and have become popular pets in the United States. They are an invasive species in Florida, where they prey on native wildlife. Burmese pythons can grow to be 16 feet (5 meters) long. The animal seized in New York, an albino Burmese python, was yellow with an arrowhead-like design on its head. (AP)