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Democratic mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani is campaigning on a radical vision to overhaul law enforcement in New York City—one rooted in the Democratic Socialists of America’s platform that seeks to eliminate the enforcement of all misdemeanor crimes. The DSA, which has endorsed Mamdani’s bid, denounces policing and detention as “instruments of class war” designed to maintain control over working-class communities. Its national platform, adopted in 2021, calls for dismantling the “carceral forces of the state”—from prisons and police to electronic monitoring and parole enforcement. Mamdani, a Queens assemblyman, has echoed those views on the trail, saying police should stop focusing on what he calls “non-serious crimes.” In a campaign video posted Wednesday, he argued: “Right now we’re relying on [police] to deal with the failures of our social safety net, which is preventing them from doing their actual jobs.” The misdemeanors that would be decriminalized or deprioritized under DSA’s vision are not trivial offenses. In New York State, they include theft or shoplifting up to $1,000, drug possession, assault without a weapon, and driving while intoxicated. Critics warn that Mamdani’s approach would open the door to chaos. “They’re driving the city into a hole that’s never going to recover,” the New York Post quoted Greenwich Village resident Susan Ginsburg, who described her neighborhood as a “lawless drug den” since bail reform and lenient prosecution policies took hold. Maria Danzilo, an Upper West Side Democrat and founder of One City Rising, called Mamdani’s agenda “exactly the opposite of what New Yorkers need right now.” Though once an outspoken proponent of “defund the police,” Mamdani has shifted his rhetoric following the Park Avenue massacre. He now promises to maintain NYPD headcount while narrowing its focus to violent crimes. But skeptics say the pivot is superficial. Mamdani has also questioned the very definition of violent crime, telling protesters in 2021 that “violence is an artificial construction” and promising to shut down Rikers Island—a pledge he continues to repeat. Misdemeanor law is set at the state level, but as mayor, Mamdani would wield enormous influence over how laws are enforced. He could direct the NYPD to deprioritize arrests or pressure district attorneys to dismiss cases—just as Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg drew fire for instructing staff to downgrade robbery and drug charges on his first day in office. Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa warned such policies would create “an EZ-Pass for criminals.” He added: “This will cause the quality of life to decline dramatically, leading to a breakdown of law and order.” Governor Kathy Hochul, who has yet to endorse Mamdani, has publicly rejected calls to defund police, setting up a potential confrontation between City Hall and Albany should Mamdani win. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The Kretchnif Siget community is calling for tefillos for the complete recovery of the Rebbe, Rav Baruch Zeida Eliezer Zev ben Shifra, who is hospitalized in extremely critical condition at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Yerushalayim after suffering a severe stroke.

The Rebbe was admitted shortly before Shabbos in grave condition and has since been sedated and placed on a respirator.

A special tefillah gathering and the recital of the entire Sefer Tehillim was held tonight at at the Kretchnif Siget Beis Medrash Nachalei Emunah on Rechov Rappaport in the Beis Yisroel neighborhood of Yerushalayim.

Doctors are saying that the situation is very serious and only tefillos can help.

On Motzoei Shabbos, hundreds of chassidim gathered at the kever of the Rebbe’s father, the previous Kretchnifer Rebbe, Rav Hershele zt”l, on Har HaZeisim, to daven.

In addition, following the instruction of Rav Yaakov Meir Schechter, the name Baruch was added as a zechus to the Rebbe’s name during a special minyan arranged by his son.

All are asked to daven for Rav Baruch Zeida Eliezer Zev ben Shifra.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Children in Iran’s rural and nomadic areas who suffer from malnourishment often take long routes to school without breakfast, causing some to collapse during the school days, the reformist Iranian Shargh newspaper reported last week. “These children in practice have no fuel for learning, and teachers and principals, because there is not even a single grocery store near the school, cannot provide them with food and often have no choice but to send students home after such incidents,” the report said. Ronak Rostami, a social activist, told Shargh that malnutrition has become a serious problem in schools. “Many children suffer from stomach aches, abdominal pain, and general weakness, which prevents them from making effective use of classroom time,” she said. According to Iran International, which quoted the report, this isn’t the first time that Iranian media has published alarming reports about children suffering from malnourishment. A recent study cited by Shargh earlier this month said that the Iranian people are suffering from increasing levels of malnutrition amid worsening economic conditions. The report said only 1.7% of households reported daily protein consumption, while 27% of all households said they do not consume any kind of protein. “Essentials like meat, chicken, milk, and cheese are gone. Some used to buy scraps or expired chicken, but now even those are unaffordable. Fruit and vegetables, too, are out of reach,” Shargh quoted Reyhaneh Shirazi, a social activist in Tehran’s Darvazeh Ghar district, as saying. “No one buys meat. If they can afford anything, it’s chicken. Maybe if someone donates meat. Fruit is a luxury except for watermelon, which grows locally,” said a teacher near Kerman. “Vegetables are rarely consumed. Food is mostly lentils and bread. Breakfast is nonexistent. Illnesses tied to nutrition are high, especially in children.” Parisa Ahmadi, a social worker in Shiraz, says iron and vitamin deficiencies are widespread. “Parents are street vendors, and kids also work. Doctors confirm they suffer from severe malnutrition and iron and vitamin deficiency, which affects physical and cognitive development,” she said. “Common meals are eggplant, beans, lentils, and pasta. Meat and eggs once a month. Rice is rare.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Israeli security forces arrested two Palestinians in Tel Aviv on Sunday after intelligence indicated they were planning a terror attack, police and Shin Bet officials announced. The suspects, who were in Israel illegally, were taken into custody near the Tel Aviv Port during a joint operation by police and the Shin Bet security agency. They have since been transferred for interrogation. According to Hebrew media reports, the Shin Bet issued an urgent warning earlier in the day about a potential terror plot in the city, prompting an hours-long manhunt. Security forces flooded central Tel Aviv and its waterfront area before cornering the suspects. Several additional Palestinians have also been arrested in the city on suspicion of ties to the planned attack, reports said. The arrests come amid heightened tensions and frequent security alerts in Israel’s urban centers. Authorities have warned repeatedly of attempts by Palestinian operatives to infiltrate Israeli cities and carry out attacks in crowded civilian areas. The investigation is ongoing. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

In Yerushalayim, on Motzoei Shabbos, crowds gathered to accompany the aron of the gaon and tzaddik Rav Shmuel Schwartz zt”l of Rechov Sorotzkin, a distinguished talmid of Hagaon Rav Meshulam Dovid Soloveitchik zt”l of Brisk, who was niftar after enduring prolonged and bitter yissurim, which he accepted with complete emunah. He was 72 years old.

Rav Shmuel was born on the 26th of Cheshvan, 5713 (1952), to his father Rav Aharon Chaim Schwartz, a descendant of the Megaleh Amukos.

From his earliest childhood, he turned away from the vanities of this world, dedicating his entire being to avodas Hashem with all his heart and soul. He immersed himself in Torah day and night, learning with purity and holiness, and it became the joy of his life. He was renowned for his profound yiras Shomayim, meticulous care in halacha, and constant awareness of aveiros.

His tefillos were filled with heartfelt pleas, pouring out his soul like a child before his father. He greeted every person warmly, carried himself with humility, and never sought honor for himself.

Rav Shmuel rejoiced in every mitzvah as though discovering a priceless treasure anew each day. The sanctity of Shabbos was ever-present in his heart, and he was exceptionally careful and meticulous in the halachos of STaM (sifrei Torah, tefillin, and mezuzos).

Even through years of intense suffering, he accepted the din Shamayim with serenity and unshakable emunah.

Rav Shmuel was a devoted maggid shiur, delivering shiurim in both nigleh and nistar. As a faithful talmid of Rav Meshulam Dovid Soloveitchik, he absorbed his rebbi’s teachings and passed them on, transmitting his pure yiras Shomayim and the rich traditions of his rabbeim to his own talmidim and descendants.

For many years, he served as a shaliach tzibbur during the Yamim Nora’im, his impassioned tefillos inspiring those present to awaken their hearts in teshuvah.

The levayah took place on Motzoei Shabbos beginning from his home on Rechov Sorotzkin in Yerushalayim. He was laid to rest on Har HaMenuchos.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Arab media outlets reported early Sunday afternoon that Israel carried out strikes targeting Houthi positions in Yemen.

According to these reports, the strikes were focused on areas close to a major port in the region.

At this stage, neither Israeli officials nor international authorities have issued any formal statements regarding the incident.

A regional security source confirmed the strikes, noting that the targets included power facilities, the presidential office, and a warehouse used to store fuel.

Residents of Sana’a told Reuters that the bombings took place near the presidential compound in the city as well as at missile launch sites operated by the Houthis. The strikes were reportedly carried out in response to the Houthis’ recent firing of missiles and UAVs at Israeli territory.

The IDF released an official statement: “A short while ago, the IDF struck military infrastructure of the Houthi terrorist regime in the Sanaa area, including a military site in which the presidency palace is located, the Asar and Hizaz power plants, and a site for storing fuel; all were used for the military activity of the Houthi terrorist regime.”

According to the statement, “The strikes were conducted in response to repeated attacks by the Houthi terrorist regime against the State of Israel and its civilians, including the launching of surface-to-surface missiles and UAVs toward Israeli territory in recent days. The presidential palace in the Sanaa area is located within a military site from which the military forces of the Houthi terrorist regime operate,” the IDF added. “In addition, the Hizaz and Asar power plants were struck, which served as a significant electricity supply facility for military activities.”

The IDF further explained: “The strike on the power plants damages the production and supply of electricity for military purposes. The use of these plants constitutes further proof of how the Houthi regime uses civilian infrastructure for military purposes.”

The statement continued: “The Houthi terrorist regime operates under the direction and funding of the Iranian regime, in order to harm the State of Israel and its allies. The terrorist regime exploits the maritime domain to project force and carry out terror activity against global shipping and trade routes. The IDF will operate against the ongoing and repeated attacks of the Houthi terrorist regime against the State of Israel, and remains determined to continue removing any threat posed to the civilians of the State of Israel, wherever it is required.”

In related developments, a preliminary review of the Houthi missile launched toward Israel on Friday night suggests that it was likely equipped with a cluster warhead.

This marks the first known instance of the Houthis firing this type of missile at Israeli territory.

The IDF noted that the unsuccessful interception attempt on Friday is currently under investigation, emphasizing that it is unrelated to the missile type. Officials added that Israel’s air defense systems, “particularly the upper-tier layer, are capable of dealing with and intercepting missiles of this type.”

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar issued a sharp response Sunday night to a social media post in which Hamas expressed support for outgoing Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp, who had pushed for sanctions against Israel.

In a message posted on X, Sa’ar wrote: “Hamas praises outgoing Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp, the initiator of sanctions against Israel in the European Union. Just as it praised Macron and his partners for recognizing a ‘Palestinian state’ – a move Hamas classified as ‘the fruits of October 7.’ Europe must choose: Israel or Hamas. Every action against Israel directly serves the jihadist axis in the Middle East.”

Veldkamp announced his resignation last week, stepping down along with the rest of his party after failing to secure broader measures targeting Israel. Speaking to a Dutch news outlet, he explained, “I see that I am not sufficiently able to take further meaningful steps to increase pressure on Israel.”

On Friday, Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans, who has taken over Veldkamp’s duties, stated that the Netherlands will not enforce a complete arms embargo on Israel due to national security concerns.

{Matzav.com}

Chaverim of Bergen County It’s What Friends Do. You don’t plan for a flat tire in the rain. You don’t schedule being locked out of your home at midnight. And you certainly don’t expect to carry your kids through floodwater to safety. But when it happens, Chaverim is there. Always. Because that’s what friends do. We’re not a company. We’re not a service you pay for. We’re a group of over 90 trained volunteers who answer the call – day or night, weekday or Yom Tov – with one goal: help first, ask nothing in return. No waitlist. No invoices. Just action. In the past three years alone, we’ve responded to over 10,000 calls. Car boosts. Basement floods. Missing persons. Fallen trees. We’ve shown up in the snow, and rain, heat and cold. But to keep going, we need you. This campaign fuels the gear, the vehicles, the tools, and the training. It powers the mission. And it gives every member of our community a chance to say: I’m part of this too. Because real support doesn’t always mean showing up to the scene. Sometimes, it just means making sure we can. Donate today. It’s what friends do.

The Israeli government announced on Sunday that it has allocated NIS 10 million to cover the costs of flights to Uman ahead of Rosh Hashanah.

This decision comes in response to Moldova’s demand for compensation for the use of its infrastructure by travelers passing through on their way to the gravesite in Ukraine. To handle this, a special committee of experts has been formed to negotiate with Moldovan officials on payment terms and logistical arrangements.

The allocation follows recent efforts led by Rav Shalom Arush, who has been actively involved in addressing the situation with the assistance of MK Eliyahu Revivo.

In the past few days, Rav Arush also met with Shas chairman Aryeh Deri and Transportation Minister Miri Regev. During the discussion, they explored the possibility of working with the IDF to allow draft-eligible chareidim to travel to Uman without being detained at Ben Gurion Airport.

At the meeting, Deri highlighted the urgent need to create a workable solution for the thousands of draft-eligible chareidim seeking to make the trip, emphasizing the importance of ensuring they can depart without facing legal complications or arrests at the airport.

{Matzav.com}

Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot sign a formal peace agreement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky because Moscow considers him “illegitimate,” Russia’s top diplomat stated on Sunday.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made the remarks during an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, indicating that Putin would not be able to finalize an accord with Zelensky under the current circumstances.

While the Kremlin has expressed similar views before, these comments carry added weight as President Trump is working to arrange a meeting between Putin and Zelensky — their first face-to-face encounter since the war began — aimed at securing a permanent peace agreement.

“Irrespective of when this meeting might take place, and that must be very well prepared, the issue of who is going to sign the deal on Ukrainian side is a very serious issue,” Lavrov said.

“We recognize him as the de-facto head of the regime, and in this capacity we are ready to meet with him. But when it comes to signing legal documents… we would need very clear understanding by everybody that the person who is signing is legitimate.”

Russia has insisted that Ukraine hold new elections, arguing that Zelensky’s term technically ended since he has not faced re-election since 2019. Moscow claims secure elections cannot be conducted while the conflict continues. Putin has remained in power since 2000, briefly stepping aside between 2008 and 2012 when his ally Dmitry Medvedev served as president.

Lavrov’s position clashes directly with comments from Vice President JD Vance, who also appeared on Meet the Press Sunday. Vance said the Russians had confirmed during their discussions with Trump in Alaska that Zelensky is recognized as Ukraine’s legitimate leader.

“They’ve recognized that they’re not going to be able to install a puppet regime in Kyiv, and importantly, they’ve acknowledged that there is going to be some security guarantee to the territorial integrity of Ukraine,” Vance said, describing the concessions the Russians agreed to during the Anchorage talks.

{Matzav.com}

The Daily Mirror, one of the UK’s largest newspapers, deliberately smeared Israel by publishing a report with a photo of a Gazan child with a rare genetic illness to accuse Israel of “starving Gaza’s kids”—making no mention of his illness. Even the state-controlled Turkish Anadolu news agency, which published the photo of the child, Kareem Muaamr, wrote in the report that he suffers from Fanconi syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects the intestines, liver, and kidneys, disrupting the absorption of essential nutrients. The Camera UK media watchdog group wrote, “What makes this libel so egregious is that the community note, noting the baby’s pre-existing disease, cites a report by Anadolu Agency, the Turkish state-run news agency. The fact that even THEY were more honest than the Daily Mirror is astonishing!” Israel’s Foreign Ministry wrote on X. “The Daily Mirror’s manipulation on Gaza is being backlashed by X users: a Community Note saying they concealed important context from their readers about a child from Gaza.” “Daily Mirror, stop spreading Hamas propaganda!”   (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

An Israeli Border Police officer has been found guilty by a police disciplinary tribunal for violently pulling a settler’s peyos during the evacuation of the Oz Zion outpost in the Binyamin region, an event that occurred around three years ago.

The altercation broke out when Border Police forces arrived at the site and delivered a military order declaring the area a restricted zone. In defiance, one of the settlers tore up the order in front of the officers. At that point, one officer rushed toward him, seizing the settler’s beard and peyos and yanking them forcefully.

Following the confrontation, the settler filed an official complaint with the Police Investigations Department, represented by Attorney Eladi Weizel of the Honenu legal aid organization. The complaint demanded that the officer be prosecuted and removed from his position.

In its ruling, the tribunal noted that the officer failed to disclose his use of force in his initial statement. It was only after video evidence of the incident became public and an official complaint was submitted that he drafted a memorandum about what happened — but he left the document in his office and never submitted it to the relevant authorities. Due to this misconduct, the tribunal convicted him.

Attorney Weizel expressed approval of the decision, saying: “We are satisfied with the ruling against the violent officer and call on the Israel Police to take immediate action to address the growing issue of police aggression toward settlers. The officer’s actions — humiliating and painful — reflected a troubling disregard for human dignity. Shockingly, on the same hill, three years later, another officer shot a minor in the back with live ammunition. That incident narrowly avoided becoming fatal but resulted in serious injury. It is time to stop this pattern of police brutality before it leads to further tragedies.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

The Admor of Kretchnif Siget was rushed to the hospital on Erev Shabbos after suffering a severe stroke in the middle of Mincha at his Beis Medrash in Beis Yisroel. Doctors report that the Rebbe remains in critical condition, sedated and on a respirator, and stress that only tefillos can help. Please daven for the Rebbe, Zaidah Eliezer Zev ben Shifra, for a refuah sheleimah. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Federal investigators say former Trump National Security Adviser John Bolton should be prosecuted for mishandling highly classified material, questioning why the Biden administration quietly shelved the case for years before Trump’s Justice Department revived it, the New York Post reported. On Friday, FBI agents raided Bolton’s Maryland home and Washington, D.C., office, seizing what sources described as “a lot” of sensitive evidence related to allegations he improperly transferred and emailed national security documents through a private server. The probe stems from intelligence first flagged in 2020 that allegedly showed Bolton transferring White House documents—including to his wife and daughter—before he was fired by Trump in September 2019. Senior FBI sources told The Post the intelligence came from a “very specific capacity” and was considered damning. Investigators opened a case separate from the earlier, well-publicized inquiry into Bolton’s 2020 memoir The Room Where It Happened, which the Trump administration had accused of revealing national security secrets. But that case, agents say, was blocked by the Biden-era FBI leadership and effectively buried for four years. “The [Biden administration] had probable cause to know that he had taken material that was detrimental to the national security of the United States, and they made no effort to retrieve it,” one senior FBI official said. The decision to freeze the probe, officials argue, was politically motivated. Bolton has become one of Trump’s most vocal critics, frequently appearing on cable news to blast his former boss. “That was a friendly administration to [Bolton]. They kept bashing Trump for ‘weaponizing law enforcement,’ but by stopping a righteous investigation, they’re the ones who weaponized it,” another official charged. FBI Director Kash Patel, confirmed in February, was reportedly unaware of the investigation until a briefing weeks later. Initially assuming agents were referencing the closed book dispute, Patel was told instead that a separate “airtight” case had been blocked at the highest levels. The raids last week were carried out to collect further proof of alleged mishandling. Agents reported uncovering substantial material at both locations. Sources said Bolton’s family members are not targets of the probe despite earlier intelligence pointing to transfers involving his wife and daughter. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai addressed the growing backlash Sunday afternoon over the city’s controversial requirement that Orthodox shuls sign an agreement containing a clause that contradicts their religious beliefs.

“In Tel Aviv-Jaffa there are hundreds of shuls operating in full and fruitful cooperation with the municipality,” he wrote. “There is no basis to the lies being spread online today about the city, as if we threatened shuls in the city. The clause in question was part of a standard municipal contract for the allocation of public buildings, and it has long since been revised and resolved in coordination with shul administrators throughout the city, with mutual understanding and acceptance.”

Huldai further stated, “What we are seeing now is wild incitement by ministers and Knesset members whose political strategy is to deepen hatred and division among the public; they have nothing else to offer. The truth no longer matters to them. They call us ‘cursed evildoers.’ I think it’s pretty clear who represents the face of evil in our society.”

According to a report published by Yediot Acharonot, the Tel Aviv Municipality recently sent letters to nonprofit organizations that manage roughly 130 shuls, informing them that they must sign updated contracts. These agreements include a requirement that the shuls “provide religious services to all neighborhood residents, regardless of age, gender, or belief.” Any shul that refuses to comply could face eviction proceedings.

Many of these shuls date back to before the founding of the State of Israel, having been built on municipal lands granted decades ago. While the city is now attempting to formalize their legal status under new agreements, worshippers argue that the conditions imposed by the municipality threaten the integrity of Jewish tradition.

“This clause is outrageous,” said attorney David Shub, who is representing the shuls voluntarily. “Signing such a commitment means opening prayers to other religious streams or even other faiths, while at the same time prohibiting a women’s section or gender separation. This is secular coercion disguised as equality.”

During a recent hearing at the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court, a representative of the municipality argued: “If a shul in a secular neighborhood does not serve the residents, it can be used for other purposes.” Another city lawyer clarified that any shul refusing to comply with the new terms would simply be replaced by a different operator willing to follow them.

Shul representatives have warned that signing these contracts could expose them to lawsuits claiming gender-based discrimination or exclusion. They further caution that, under such an agreement, courts could eventually intervene in determining the texts of tefillos based on the demographic composition of the surrounding neighborhood.

One ongoing legal battle involves the “L’zecher Kedoshei Antopol” shul, which refused to sign the city’s contract and is now facing eviction. In a separate case, the Rabbinical Court declared that the Tiferet Zvi shul functions as a religious endowment to prevent its closure, but the municipality has appealed to the High Court of Justice, where the case remains unresolved.

Responding to the criticism, the Tel Aviv Municipality said: “The agreement is intended to ensure that there is no discrimination or exclusion in a shul operating on public land. This is not an unusual measure, but a standard contractual arrangement.”

Shul leaders, however, continue to raise alarms about the broader implications of the city’s policy. “If this demand passes, it will mean one thing — the systematic silencing of Jewish tradition in the name of ‘equality’. Shuls will be forced to choose between faithfulness to halacha or basic survival.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

IDF Maj.-Gen. (res.) Poli Mordechai, 61, has been temporarily removed from his role in ongoing hostage and ceasefire negotiations related to Gaza for a period of two weeks. The decision, announced Sunday by Israel Police, follows an internal review connected to the broader “Qatargate” investigations.

Mordechai issued a statement Sunday emphasizing his adherence to the law, saying, “In all my years of service, I always followed the law to the letter and devoted myself to the State of Israel. So too, in this case – even though everything was transparent, I will aid authorities to reach the whole truth, which will prove my integrity.”

Last month, Mordechai was questioned in connection with allegations tied to the Qatargate probe, suspected of possible contact with a foreign agent and bribery. At the time, the military released an unusual public statement defending his role, clarifying that he “is beholden to the Hostages Management Unit, and does not engage in direct negotiations with the mediators. Nevertheless, his contributions are significant, sometimes even critical. Throughout the process, his professional stances have been brave and honest.”

Mordechai currently holds a senior position within the government’s Hostages Management Unit, which operates under IDF Maj.-Gen. Nitzan Alon. The unit was created to centralize all state efforts related to hostages, missing individuals, and returnees in a single coordinated framework.

The Qatargate investigations focus on the influence of Qatari interests and possible financial ties to associates close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The timing is particularly sensitive, given that Qatar has been one of the primary mediators between Israel and Hamas in negotiations for the release of 50 hostages still held in Gaza and in efforts to secure a ceasefire. Authorities are examining whether individuals acted under Qatari direction, raising concerns due to Qatar’s longstanding reputation as a regional supporter of terror organizations.

Netanyahu has maintained that Qatar is “not an enemy state.” The investigation began nearly a year ago following the arrest of Eli Feldstein, a former military spokesperson in the Prime Minister’s Office. Feldstein was accused of leaking classified documents to the German newspaper Bild after Israel’s military censor blocked their publication.

The leaked information eventually circulated back into Israeli media outlets, allegedly as part of a coordinated effort to influence public opinion surrounding hostage negotiations. The controversy came to a head around August 2024, when six hostages were tragically killed by Hamas captors in a tunnel: Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Almog Sarusi, Eden Yerushalmi, Ori Danino, Carmel Gat, and Alex Lobanov.

The investigation quickly expanded, pulling in additional figures. Among them are Netanyahu adviser Yonatan Urich, currently under restrictive detention, and senior aide Israel Einhorn, who resides in Serbia. Both are suspected of receiving significant financial compensation to shape narratives favorable to Qatar and weaken Egypt’s role in mediation efforts. Qatar has strongly denied any wrongdoing.

Authorities suspect that Mordechai transferred hundreds of thousands of shekels from his private business to Urich during 2024 as part of a pro-Qatar campaign. Mordechai’s background includes serving as the head of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the military body overseeing civilian affairs in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as leading the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.

After retiring from the IDF around seven years ago, Mordechai joined Novard, a company that positions itself as a bridge connecting global corporations to emerging markets across the Middle East, including Israel. Reports indicate that a former Mossad operative, also investigated in relation to Qatargate, was one of his partners at Novard.

Part of the suspicions involving Mordechai stem from activities linked to the 2022 FIFA World Cup hosted by Qatar. Authorities allege that Qatar funded a large-scale public relations initiative designed to improve its international image ahead of the tournament. Because Israel and Qatar lack official diplomatic relations, an intermediary company was allegedly used to facilitate these business dealings between Novard and Qatari representatives.

Investigators are also examining the role of the Third Circle, a firm led by pro-Qatar American lobbyist Jay Footlik. It is in this context that the alleged payments to Urich were reportedly made, alongside connections between Einhorn, his company Perception, and Qatari officials — links now central to the ongoing inquiry.

{Matzav.com}

Ukraine carried out a series of drone attacks on Russia on Sunday, leading to a fire at a nuclear power facility as the country marked its independence day amid growing doubts about the success of recent peace initiatives.

Following weeks of diplomatic activity and efforts by US President Donald Trump to organize a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, hopes for progress collapsed on Friday when Moscow dismissed the idea of an immediate summit.

The ongoing war, now stretching into its fourth year, has resulted in tens of thousands of casualties and remains largely at a standstill. Despite the stalemate, Russia has recently secured incremental gains, including the capture of two villages in eastern Donetsk on Saturday.

In response, Ukraine launched drone assaults deep into Russian territory on Sunday, including one that struck near the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant in western Russia. The facility confirmed that the drone was intercepted and exploded on impact, causing a fire.

The plant later reported that the blaze had been contained and emphasized that there were no injuries or heightened radiation levels following the incident.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly expressed concern over the dangers of combat near nuclear facilities since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.

Russian officials stated that several Ukrainian drones were also intercepted in areas far from the primary frontlines, including Saint Petersburg in the northwest.

Ten additional drones were destroyed over Ust-Luga on the Gulf of Finland, resulting in a fire at a fuel terminal owned by Russian energy giant Novatek, regional governor Aleksandr Drozdenko announced on Telegram.

With a smaller and less equipped military, Ukraine has increasingly turned to drone warfare to counter Russia’s invasion, focusing on strikes against oil and fuel infrastructure to disrupt one of Moscow’s main revenue sources supporting its war efforts.

These targeted attacks have contributed to a sharp rise in fuel prices across Russia.

Ukrainian officials also reported that Russia launched an overnight offensive using a ballistic missile and 72 Iranian-made Shahed drones, of which the Ukrainian air force successfully intercepted 48.

In a separate incident, a Russian drone strike killed a 47-year-old woman in the Dnipropetrovsk region, according to the local governor.

The latest round of attacks came as Ukraine commemorated its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, marking the anniversary with both celebration and defiance.

“This is how Ukraine strikes when its calls for peace are ignored,” Zelenskyy declared during his independence day speech.

“Today, both the US and Europe agree: Ukraine has not yet fully won, but it will certainly not lose. Ukraine has secured its independence. Ukraine is not a victim; it is a fighter.”

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney attended the ceremonies in Kyiv, calling for “a just and lasting peace for Ukraine.”

Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to numerous global leaders — including Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, King Charles, and the pope — for sending messages marking the occasion.

Currently, Russia controls roughly 20% of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, which it annexed in 2014.

The war has displaced millions and left widespread devastation across cities and towns in Ukraine’s eastern and southern regions.

Putin has consistently rejected demands from Ukraine and Western nations for an unconditional ceasefire to halt the fighting.

On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed that “no meeting” between Putin and Zelenskyy was on the schedule, as Trump’s mediation efforts stalled, while Zelenskyy accused Moscow of deliberately extending its offensive.

{Matzav.com}

Democratic mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) are pushing for a sweeping overhaul of New York City’s justice system that would effectively eliminate the enforcement of all misdemeanor offenses, The NY Post reports.

In the party’s most recent platform, the DSA denounces traditional policing and incarceration, labeling them “instruments of class war” meant to “guarantee the domination of the working class.” The document also calls for dismantling “the criminalization of working-class survival.”

“For all of the working class to achieve collective liberation we must constrain, diminish, and abolish the carceral forces of the state — from prisons and police themselves, to their manifestations in all forms throughout society,” the national organization declared in its 2021 platform.

Throughout his campaign, Mamdani has repeatedly advocated for limiting police involvement in what he refers to as “non serious crimes,” signaling a clear shift in priorities away from traditional enforcement practices.

“Police have a critical role to play but right now we’re relying on them to deal with the failures of our social safety net, which is preventing them from doing their actual jobs,” Mamdani said in a campaign video posted to X on Wednesday.

The DSA’s criminal justice agenda goes even further, pushing to reduce arrests across the board, slash prosecutorial budgets, abolish cash bail and all forms of pre-trial detention, end electronic monitoring, and eliminate imprisonment for parole violations.

Mamdani, who represents Queens in the state Assembly and is a member of the NYC chapter of the DSA, has consistently challenged the purpose of prisons. He has long championed scaling back penalties for what he calls “non-violent offenses” — a stance he’s maintained both in Albany and on the campaign trail for mayor.

This week, Mamdani doubled down on his longtime support for legalizing prostitution, underscoring his broader philosophy of decriminalization.

However, after the Park Avenue massacre reignited public outrage over rising violence, Mamdani softened some of his earlier positions, saying he no longer supports cutting the NYPD’s budget and would maintain its current size. Instead, he pledged to refocus officers’ efforts on “serious” crimes while minimizing enforcement of lesser offenses.

Despite these statements, critics remain skeptical that Mamdani has truly shifted his approach to policing.

“I don’t buy for a second that he is moderated on any of these policing questions because he has yet to really articulate in any deep way why he’s moderated or how he’s moderated,” said Rafael Mangual, a legal policy expert at the Manhattan Institute. “All he has really said is that he no longer wants to defund the police, even though police and prison and jail abolition are core tenets of the DSA party platform.”

Mamdani has also questioned the very definition of violent crime.

“What violent crime is – is defined by the state,” he declared at a 2021 protest outside the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, where he demanded the elimination of cash bail and the closure of Rikers Island — promises he continues to make. “Violence is an artificial construction,” he added at the time.

The misdemeanors the DSA wants decriminalized, however, are far from trivial. In New York State, these offenses include theft and shoplifting of up to $1,000, drug possession, assault without a weapon, and even driving under the influence.

“They’re driving the city into a hole that’s never going to recover,” said Susan Ginsburg, a Greenwich Village resident frustrated by what she described as her neighborhood’s transformation into a “lawless drug den” under soft-on-crime policies that have enabled a revolving-door justice system.

“People will break the law with impunity. There has to be deterrent for breaking the law,” Ginsburg said.

“It’s astonishing that we’re even having this conversation,” added Maria Danzilo, an Upper West Side resident, 2022 Democratic state Senate primary candidate, and founder of the public safety advocacy group One City Rising.

“Everybody is so sick and tired of this, and we just want to have a normal, functional, reasonable way of getting through our day without worrying about being hurt. This is exactly the opposite of what New Yorkers need right now.”

To eliminate misdemeanor arrests, the state legislature in Albany would need to pass legislation either decriminalizing these charges entirely or downgrading them to non-enforceable infractions.

Governor Kathy Hochul, who has yet to endorse Mamdani in the mayoral race, does not support defunding the police, signaling a potential conflict between state and city priorities.

While Mamdani wouldn’t have the power as mayor to change state laws, he could significantly influence how they’re applied. He could direct the NYPD to deprioritize specific arrests or pressure district attorneys to avoid prosecuting certain offenses — similar to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s controversial “day one” memo, which instructed prosecutors to ease up on cases involving armed robberies and drug-related charges.

“That will create an EZ-Pass for criminals, enabling them to repeatedly commit misdemeanor crimes,” warned Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa. “This will make the police even less effective at enforcement. Ultimately, this will cause the quality of life to decline dramatically, leading to a breakdown of law and order and resulting in chaos and disorder.”

For many New Yorkers, the proposals are alarming.

“It’s just difficult to imagine how adults in their right mind could come up with it. I’m not exaggerating, I’m completely serious,” said Chelsea resident Alexander Kaplan. “We’re already suffering from terrible crime. This is going to make it a thousand times worse. And perception matters – just the notion of this would embolden criminals.”

{Matzav.com}

The IDF has released footage of the Israel Air Force preparing for the strikes in Yemen.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said during a visit to Haifa Naval Base that the IDF has achieved the goals of its “Gideon’s Chariots” operation against Hamas in Gaza, creating the conditions for a potential hostage deal.