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Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed renewed his criticism of Vice President JD Vance and brought Vance’s wife into the dispute over the weekend after the vice president accused El-Sayed of defending Sharia law and portraying its critics as white supremacists.

Vance raised the issue during a recent address to American workers, invoking his grandfather while arguing that El-Sayed’s views were far removed from the Democratic Party his grandfather knew.

“El-Sayed, this guy running for senate in Michigan, he once argued not too long ago that criticisms of Sharia law were rooted in white supremacy. I’d love to go back in time and tell my Papaw that there’s a man who claims to stand for working people who says not only should we have Sharia law, but if you criticize it you’re a white supremacist. That’s not my Papaw’s Democrat Party, my friends,” Vance said.

Vance on El-Sayed: I would love to go back in time and tell my papaw, that there is a man who claims to stand for working people, who says not only should we have sharia law, but if you criticize it, you are a white supremacist. pic.twitter.com/t7RqCCJt5Y

— Acyn (@Acyn) August 21, 2026

El-Sayed responded on social media by turning the reference to Vance’s grandfather toward the vice president’s wife, Usha.

“So do we think JD is taking Usha with him back in time to meet Papaw, or no…” El-Sayed wrote.

Usha Vance and her family are Hindu and do not adhere to Islamic Sharia law.

The latest remark follows previous criticism from El-Sayed involving Vance’s wife and family. El-Sayed declined earlier this year to apologize for controversial comments he made about them.

The controversy also comes amid scrutiny of El-Sayed’s own relationship with Sharia law. His campaign has confirmed that he follows Sharia in his personal life, after comments from 2009 resurfaced in which he characterized doing so as a lifelong “obligation.”

El-Sayed subsequently addressed Vance’s remarks during an interview, arguing that the vice president’s comments were intended to portray him as somehow less American because of his background and religious beliefs.

“He’s painting this picture of going back in time to talk to his Papaw, about me. Now why is he pointing to me? Why is Donald Trump pointing to me? They’re pointing to me to try and say somehow I’m less of an American than they are. What does that have to do with? I don’t know, the color of my skin, how I pray? But the confusing thing about it is that he thinks there are some people who are more American than others because they can point to their Papaw who was here earlier.”

El-Sayed: Well, I’ll tell you this. Every time J.D. Vance opens his mouth, the first two things I can think are, man, that guy is boring. And second, Peter Thiel had to spend a ton of money to get that man elected, barely in the state of Ohio. 

But the confusing thing about it… pic.twitter.com/nfpbPRgoN2

— Acyn (@Acyn) August 23, 2026

El-Sayed then again invoked Vance’s family, questioning how the vice president could reconcile that alleged implication with the immigrant background of his in-laws.

“And my question to him is simply why is it… how do you look your parents-in-law in the eye and say that somehow they’re less American than you are. Because that’s what he’s implying there,” he added.

The increasingly heated exchange comes as El-Sayed faces Republican nominee Mike Rogers in what polling indicates could be a highly competitive Michigan Senate contest. A recent AARP survey found Rogers and El-Sayed virtually tied in the general election race.

{Matzav.com}

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a controversial measure dubbed the “Stop Nick Shirley Act” into law yesterday, despite warnings from critics that the legislation could chill investigative reporting by imposing significant penalties for publishing certain information about workers at immigration-related nonprofit organizations.

Newsom, however, will be out of office by the time Assembly Bill 2624 takes effect. The new law is scheduled to become effective on October 1, 2027, nearly 10 months after Newsom leaves the governor’s office because of term limits, meaning any First Amendment challenges arising from its implementation will come under his successor.

The legislation broadens California’s existing “Safe at Home” program to include employees of nonprofit organizations that provide assistance to individuals navigating the U.S. immigration system.

Opponents contend that the expansion could have significant consequences for journalists investigating potential wrongdoing at such organizations, potentially preventing reporters from seeking out and questioning employees of nonprofits suspected of fraud.

Assemblywoman Mia Bonta, the Alameda Democrat who introduced the legislation in February, has disputed that characterization. She maintains that the measure distinguishes legitimate journalism from the type of doxxing and harassment that the Safe at Home program is designed to prevent.

“Our immigrant service providers are living in fear because of extremists looking to demonize the work that they do and the populations they serve,” the assemblywoman said Saturday. “That is an intolerable consequence of the anti-immigrant rhetoric that exists right now.”

Under the new law, individuals who distribute or publish information or “images” involving covered immigration workers in a manner the law says “incites violence or threats” could face substantial criminal and financial penalties. Those punishments range from fines of $10,000 to $50,000 and from one year in jail to possible imprisonment in state prison.

Republican Assemblyman Carl DeMaio of San Diego is among those who have strongly opposed the measure, arguing that its real effect will be to frighten people away from investigating suspected misconduct. DeMaio said the legislation targets those “trying to shine light on bad behavior.”

It was DeMaio who gave the legislation the politically charged nickname “Stop Nick Shirley Act,” a reference to independent journalist and YouTuber Nick Shirley.

California’s Safe at Home program already extends protections to several categories of people considered vulnerable, including survivors of domestic violence, victims of elder abuse, and workers providing reproductive and gender-affirming health care. The program protects participants in part by “providing substitute mailing addresses for people considered particularly vulnerable to targeted attacks and violent threat,” according to the California Post.

Shirley has attracted millions of views for videos in which he follows and questions immigrant-service workers while alleging fraudulent activity, including investigations involving nonprofit organizations in the Somali community in the Minneapolis metropolitan area.

The young independent journalist has emerged as a vocal opponent of AB 2624, claiming lawmakers pursued the legislation only after he “exposed widespread fraud in immigrant communities” in both California and Minnesota.

Shirley traveled to San Diego after videos he produced about alleged fraud in Minnesota went viral earlier this year, bringing his investigative approach to California.

Newsom responded to Shirley’s presence in February by saying that Somali daycare providers in the area were “under siege.”

Shirley himself became the target of a highly unusual confrontation Wednesday while he was conducting an interview outside the California State Capitol in Sacramento.

During the encounter, Terry Schanz, chief of staff to Democratic Assemblywoman Tina McKinnor, approached while holding a printed flyer and asked: “Did you guys hear that Nick Shirley has a small penis allegedly?”

The incident created an uncomfortable contrast with the stated rationale behind the legislation. “The episode is an awkward backdrop” for the Stop Nick Shirley bill “whose supporters say is designed to combat harassment and doxxing,” the California Post wrote. The outlet also reported that Schanz receives $17,319 per month in taxpayer-funded compensation.

Multiple complaints against Schanz have since been filed with the California Legislature’s human resources department over the incident.

Negotiations with Hamas in Cairo have reached a pivotal stage, with U.S. envoy Jared Kushner reportedly delivering an unusually stark warning to the terror group’s leadership: Any attempt to secretly retain weapons or evade its disarmament commitments will end the diplomatic process and clear the way for Israeli military action.

According to an exclusive Channel 12 News report, Kushner met directly with senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya in Cairo, where he laid out the consequences Hamas would face if it failed to abide by the emerging agreement.

The meeting reportedly came after intelligence provided to the United States and regional mediators indicated that some elements within Hamas were preparing to circumvent their commitments rather than fully surrender their weapons and dismantle the organization’s military infrastructure.

Two sources who were present during the discussions said Kushner issued the warning to Hamas in front of all the mediators participating in the talks. “The real test will be implementation. If you try to deceive us, the process will stop, and no one will stand in Israel’s way.”

Kushner also reportedly underscored the profound lack of trust between Israel and Hamas. He told the participants that if Israel carries out its responsibilities under the agreement, Hamas will likewise be required to fulfill all of its obligations. Those commitments include complete disarmament, an end to efforts to rebuild its military capabilities, and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.

Channel 12 further reported that officials involved in the negotiations described Kushner as determined to prevent a return to the previous reality in Gaza, in which Hamas was permitted to remain both armed and in control of the territory for years.

Those officials said that should Hamas ultimately renege on the commitments it makes as part of the agreement, Israel would have broad international legitimacy to resume military operations against the terror organization.

Despite the warnings and suspicions surrounding Hamas’ intentions, the terror group’s leaders have reportedly told mediators that they intend to abide by all 20 provisions contained in the proposed framework, including the clauses requiring Hamas to disarm and the Gaza Strip to be demilitarized.

{Matzav.com}

MK Yitzchok Goldknopf is expected to continue serving as the Gerer chassidus’ representative in the next Knesset, according to details emerging from a recent conversation between the Gerer Rebbe and prominent American philanthropist Shlomo Werdiger, although no final, official decision has yet been announced.

Werdiger, a close confidant of the Gerer Rebbe, visited the Rebbe’s residence in recent days and discussed the future of Ger’s representation in Israeli politics.

Sources familiar with the conversation said that the Rebbe indicated to Werdiger that Goldknopf is expected to remain Ger’s representative in the next Knesset. According to those sources, one of the primary considerations cited in Goldknopf’s favor was that he is “obedient” and consistently follows the directives of the chassidus’ leadership.

At the same time, individuals familiar with the matter cautioned that the comments made to Werdiger do not yet constitute a formal or binding decision. They stressed that the question of Ger’s representation has not been definitively settled.

Werdiger, who is currently visiting Eretz Yisroel, also met with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Friday. That meeting came amid ongoing tensions between Netanyahu and the Gerer chassidus.

As matters currently stand, barring an unexpected change, Goldknopf appears positioned to remain Ger’s representative in the political arena during the next Knesset as well.

Nevertheless, given the sensitivity surrounding the decision and the absence of a formal announcement from the Gerer leadership, the matter continues to be treated cautiously within the chassidus.

{Matzav.com}

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries quietly met with Jared Kushner in recent weeks for a private discussion about areas where Democrats and the Trump administration could potentially find common ground, even as Jeffries and President Donald Trump publicly wage an increasingly bitter political battle ahead of November’s midterm elections.

The meeting between Jeffries, who could become House speaker if Democrats capture the chamber, and Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and an informal presidential adviser, included discussions about housing, immigration and the high cost of living, according to The New York Times, which cited five people familiar with the conversation.

Neither Jeffries’ office nor a representative for Kushner had publicly confirmed the meeting as of Sunday. The revelation comes against the backdrop of increasingly personal attacks between Trump and the Democratic leader as both parties fight for control of the House.

According to one person familiar with the gathering, the two met at a private location in New York City that was made available by a mutual friend. The discussion was described as a wide-ranging exchange of ideas rather than an attempt to negotiate a specific agreement.

Jeffries and Kushner have maintained a relationship dating back to Trump’s first term, when they worked together on criminal justice legislation. During their recent conversation, Kushner reportedly suggested that Jeffries also sit down with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.

The behind-the-scenes contact presents a striking contrast with the highly confrontational rhetoric being exchanged publicly by Trump and Jeffries.

Trump has repeatedly gone after the Democratic leader, calling Jeffries a “low-IQ thug” and declaring in a May Truth Social post that he is “a danger to our Country.”

Jeffries has leveled his own attacks against Trump, accusing the president of corruption and promising voters that a Democratic House majority will “hold the crooks accountable.” The Washington Post first reported the remark following a Jeffries campaign appearance in Pennsylvania in July.

Despite the private outreach, substantial political and policy differences remain that could make bipartisan cooperation difficult.

Earlier this summer, Trump refused to sign bipartisan housing legislation because the Senate had failed to approve the SAVE America Act. The housing legislation ultimately became law without the president’s signature.

Immigration represents another possible area for negotiations, though previous attempts at bipartisan agreements have repeatedly broken down. Trump has on several occasions indicated that he would consider reaching an immigration deal with Democrats, but no agreement has materialized. During the 2024 campaign, Trump also urged congressional Republicans to walk away from a bipartisan Senate border security proposal.

At other moments, however, Trump has suggested that he could have a productive relationship with Jeffries despite their public clashes.

Asked by Punchbowl News earlier this month about the possibility of Jeffries becoming speaker, Trump said, “I’d probably get along with him very well.” The president pointed to their only face-to-face meeting of his second term, an Oval Office discussion last fall during the government shutdown.

Jeffries, in comments provided to the Times, did not acknowledge that the Kushner meeting had occurred. He instead accused Republicans of governing with a take-it-or-leave-it attitude and said Democrats were seeking sweeping changes aimed at addressing Americans’ cost-of-living concerns.

The Democratic leader has similarly avoided committing himself to another effort to impeach Trump. Asked about the possibility last month, Jeffries told the Times that Democrats have “not ruled anything in and not ruled anything out in terms of accountability.”

Should Democrats win control of the House in November and elevate Jeffries to the speakership, he would face competing pressures: finding ways to work with the Trump administration on government funding and other essential legislation while simultaneously facing demands from Democratic voters and lawmakers for aggressive investigations and confrontation with the president.

A festive pidyon haben was held on Motzoei Shabbos in the Belzer chassidus for Moshe Yehoshua Rokeach, a great-grandson of the Belzer Rebbe and the son of Rav Yisroel Menachem Nochum Rokeach.

Three Kohanim participated in the pidyon haben: the child’s great-uncle, Badatz member Rav Shammai Kehos Gross; his uncle, Rav Shmuel Mordechai Zelfreind of Ashdod, who serves as a dayan; and a relative, Rav Yisroel Dovid Ullman of Ashdod, a dayan and mashpia in the bais medrash where the child’s father davens.

During the maamad, the Belzer Rebbe bestowed a bracha upon his great-grandson, Moshe Yehoshua.

Thousands of Belzer chassidim who participated in the celebration received garlic and sugar, distributed as a segulah in connection with the pidyon haben.

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פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר

פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר

פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר

פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר

פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר

פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר

פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר

פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר

פדיון הבן בבעלזאצילום: שוקי לרר

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{Matzav.com}

[Video and photos below.] There was tremendous excitement Sunday at Bais Medrash Govoah in Lakewood, NJ as Rav Yosef Chaim Shneur Kotler, the only son of the rosh yeshiva, delivered his first shiur in the yeshiva, marking another chapter in the continuation of the Kotler family’s leadership of the Lakewood yeshiva.

Rav Shneur delivered the shiur in BMG’s Bais Medrash Hayoshon, the Bendheim Bais Medrash, the same room where his grandfather and namesake, Rav Yosef Chaim Shneur Kotler zt”l, delivered shiurim decades ago.

Rav Yosef Chaim Shneur is a great-grandson of the yeshiva‘s founder, Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l.

Rav Yosef Chaim Shneur, the only son of his parents alongside three sisters, was regarded from childhood as a unique figure within the Lakewood family. In addition to his exceptional hasmadah and yiras Shomayim, he is known for a refined and gentle demeanor that was evident from a young age.

During his yeshiva years, Rav Yosef Chaim Shneur learned at Yeshiva Gedolah Zichron Moshe of South Fallsburg. He later traveled to Eretz Yisroel, where he learned under Rav Yonason David, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Pachad Yitzchok, whom he regards as his rebbi muvhak.

Rav Yosef Chaim Shneur married the daughter of Rav Shmuel Baddoush, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Lev Eliyahu of the Aram Soba community in Mexico City.

His new role follows a series of appointments in recent years involving sons and sons-in-law of BMG’s roshei yeshiva: Rav Dovid Schustal’s son, Rav Aharon Schustal; Rav Yeruchem Olshin’s son, Rav Aharon Olshin; and Rav Yisroel Neuman’ son-in-law, Rav Yehoshua Abba Budel.

On Sunday, Rav Shneur entered the bais medrash accompanied by the roshei yeshiva before delivering his inaugural shiur.

The shiur was given on the masechta currently being learned in the yeshiva, Maseches Bava Kamma, focusing on the sugya of “Toldoseihen kayotzei bahem.”

{Matzav.com}

A 7-year-old boy was critically injured Sunday after being struck by a bus while riding his bicycle in Bnei Brak and becoming trapped beneath the vehicle.

The serious accident occurred on Ezra Street, near the intersection with Rav Kahaneman Street. Emergency responders arriving at the scene found the child unconscious underneath the bus.

Magen David Adom, United Hatzalah and Hatzalah personnel worked to extricate the boy before providing emergency medical treatment. According to MDA, he suffered severe injuries to his abdomen and limbs.

After being freed, the child was rushed to the trauma unit at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer in serious condition.

MDA EMTs Yishai Citron and Yehuda Nordman described the difficult scene.

“This was a serious incident. When we arrived at the scene, we saw the child trapped under the bus, unconscious and suffering from severe injuries to his abdomen and limbs. Together with additional EMTs and paramedics, we extricated the child, placed him in the ambulance, and urgently evacuated him to the hospital’s trauma room.”

United Hatzalah said that according to information provided at the scene, the boy had been riding his bicycle when he was struck by the bus and became pinned underneath it. Its volunteers treated him immediately after he was extricated before he was transported to Sheba Medical Center.

United Hatzalah EMTs Akiva Kaufman, Yisrael Slav and Nachman Aharoni said the boy sustained injuries to his head and limbs.

“We were told at the scene that he was struck by the bus while riding and became trapped underneath it. Immediately after he was extricated, we provided him with medical treatment at the scene, and he was evacuated to Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer suffering from injuries to his head and limbs, with his condition defined as serious.”

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu issued a direct warning to Hamas on Sunday, saying Israel will sharply escalate military action in Gaza if drones, incendiary balloons, and kites continue to be launched toward Israeli territory, including by targeting those responsible and areas being used for the launches.

Netanyahu convened a security assessment Sunday evening with Defense Minister Israel Katz to examine the renewed threat posed by drones, balloons, and kites originating in the Gaza Strip and being sent toward Israel.

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, the head of the National Security Council, and other senior military officials took part in the high-level discussion.

Following the assessment, Netanyahu and Katz delivered an ultimatum to Hamas, making clear that continued launches would bring an Israeli military response. “Israel is warning Hamas that if launches toward Israel are not stopped immediately, the IDF will act to intensify interdiction against those responsible for the launches and will move populations out of areas from which kites, drones, and balloons are set to be launched,” they said.

Netanyahu stressed that Israel would not tolerate a return to the security conditions that preceded the October 7 attack. “We will not return to the reality that existed before October 7,” Netanyahu said. “Israel will not allow the Hamas terror organization, or any other factor in the Gaza Strip, to return and threaten our settlements and undermine the sense of security of our citizens.”

The warning came after Netanyahu earlier Sunday released a video focusing on the expanding danger posed by drones and the possibility that the weapon could once again be deployed from Gaza. Netanyahu described even commercially available drones as potentially deadly weapons, particularly when modified, armed, and deployed in large numbers.

“Do you have a drone at home? It can be lethal. If it comes in swarms, and you arm it, it is very accurate and hard to see. For several years, we have been working on a solution to the drone problem. We are the most advanced in the world, but this is a global problem. We saw it in Ukraine, we saw it in Lebanon, we saw it in Iran, and now they are trying to renew it and bring it into Gaza.”

Netanyahu said he has ordered Israel’s defense establishment and the IDF to respond forcefully to any attempt to establish a renewed drone threat along Israel’s southern border, including striking those operating the drones and the locations from which they are launched.

“My directive to the security establishment and the IDF is to do everything against this lethal tool. To strike it, to strike its operators, to strike from the place where it was launched, to do everything to protect our citizens.”

{Matzav.com}

Shlomi Ziv, who was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on October 7 and rescued 246 days later in the daring Operation Arnon, has opened up about the horrors of his eight months in captivity, the dramatic moments of his rescue, and the renewed faith that he says emerged from the darkest period of his life.

Speaking with Eliyahu Liebman on the “Growing Along the Way” podcast, Ziv described how his ordeal in Gaza transformed his relationship with Hashem and ultimately brought him back to putting on tefillin, something he had stopped doing years earlier.

Ziv and Liebman have known each other since a battle in Chevron 21 years ago. Ziv said that following that episode, his faith had been shaken and he eventually stopped putting on tefillin. His experience in Hamas captivity, however, sent him in the opposite direction.

“I’m not angry at Hashem,” Ziv said. “I simply say: Okay, I believe. I believe. There is just anger if this is the way… Show me that You are there.”

Every morning in captivity, Ziv said, he thanked Hashem simply for having survived another night.

“I thanked Hashem that I woke up and they hadn’t murdered me, or that some missile hadn’t fallen on us,” he recalled.

Along with that gratitude came one request that he repeated day after day.

“Give me the privilege of returning to put on tefillin. That is what I asked Him.”

Since his rescue, Ziv said, that request has been fulfilled.

“Every single morning, boruch Hashem, I have been given that privilege, and every morning I put on tefillin.”

Ziv also went back to the terrifying first moments of October 7, describing how he fled after terrorists opened fire toward the command post near Nahal Gerar. He ran into the area and hid inside a bush as gunfire continued around him.

“They were shooting anyone who ran… and then I told myself: Okay, stay here,” Ziv recalled.

Eventually, a terrorist spotted him.

“There was a point when I closed my eyes. I said: This is the moment. Either he shoots… You think that in another moment you are going to leave this world.”

When the terrorist ordered him out of hiding, Ziv pleaded in Arabic, “Don’t shoot.”

The terrorist responded, “I’m not going to kill you.”

Ziv was subsequently taken to a pickup truck together with Andrey Kozlov, who would remain alongside him in captivity and ultimately be rescued in the same operation.

At one point, Ziv considered trying to overpower or surprise the terrorist. But Kozlov, who had not yet realized that the armed man was a terrorist, spoke to him in English and asked for a weapon so that he could help.

“That’s when I realized there was no one to work with in that situation,” Ziv recalled.

Looking back, Ziv believes the misunderstanding may actually have saved their lives. Even if they had somehow managed to overpower their captor, he said, dozens of Gazans were waiting farther along their route.

Once in captivity, Ziv was subjected to searches, restraints and violent interrogations as his captors sought to determine whether he was an Israeli soldier.

“They tie you up, bind you, cover your eyes… They search to see whether you have a chip. During the first three days, there were interrogations accompanied by violence, because they wanted to know whether you were a soldier or not. If you’re a soldier, you’re worth more.”

The first two months were particularly devastating emotionally, Ziv said, and he found himself reduced to a state of near-total despair.

“There were two months of crisis… two months of being like a baby, crying, really the lowest of the low.”

Only afterward did something begin to change. Ziv described experiencing “an uplifting feeling of acceptance… trusting in Hashem, faith, hope.”

During conversations with his Hamas captors, Ziv said he sometimes tried to understand what future they envisioned and what they ultimately wanted from Israelis. Their responses, he said, left little room for ambiguity.

“Either you leave here and go back to where you came from, or you convert to Islam, or you die,” he recalled being told.

One captor went even further, warning him directly.

“On the next October 7, Shlomi, we’re going to reach the Galil… and next time we won’t kidnap you. Next time, you die.”

Then came the morning of June 8, 2024.

It initially appeared to be an ordinary Shabbos morning in captivity. Without warning, however, an explosion shook the area. Gunfire quickly followed from inside the building, and Ziv realized that something extraordinary was happening.

“It was a regular morning, a Shabbos morning, until suddenly there was an explosion. A moment later, there was already shooting inside the house, and then you understand that these are our security forces.”

Within moments, he heard something he had not heard in eight months: Hebrew.

“Hebrew! Hebrew! There! There!”

The battle inside the building continued for several tense minutes. During the rescue, Israeli officer Arnon Zamora was mortally wounded after leading the force into the building.

“That is where we lost a hero of Israel, our personal hero, Arnon Zamora, may Hashem avenge his blood, who fell as he was the first to break in,” Ziv said.

Ziv said he subsequently struggled with feelings of guilt over Zamora’s death, but Zamora’s family helped him understand that the officer would have acted exactly the same way regardless of which hostage was inside.

“You understand that it didn’t matter whether it was Shlomi Ziv or any other hostage — Arnon would not have hesitated for a moment.”

Even after Ziv and the other hostages were removed from the building, the rescue was far from over. Their vehicle became stuck after traveling only about 600 meters, leaving them exposed during what Ziv described as “15 minutes of fear.”

Then Israeli armored forces appeared around them.

“Armored personnel carriers, tanks surrounding us… and they rescued us from that stuck truck.”

Returning to Israel did not mean leaving Gaza entirely behind. Ziv said seemingly ordinary smells can suddenly transport him back to captivity. He asked his wife to throw away hand soap she had purchased because its scent reminded him of wipes his captors had distributed in Gaza. Even the smell of pita with olive oil and za’atar can trigger memories.

“There are flashbacks. There are smells,” he said.

But Ziv says he has chosen to move forward with a message he calls “Forward, Home” — words with a painful double meaning for him, having been used both when people were told to leave on October 7 and again during his rescue.

His experience has also left him with a message about Jewish identity that he now shares openly.

“Don’t be afraid to be Jewish,” Ziv said. “Don’t be afraid to be proud of where you came from and where you are going.”

{Matzav.com}