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Vice President JD Vance sharply rebuked Israel’s Knesset following its vote to extend sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, saying the move made little sense and served no real purpose.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force Two as he prepared to depart Israel, Vance described the decision as “weird” and admitted he found it confusing.

The Vice President said he had been told the measure was intended merely as a “symbolic” act and a “political stunt.” He didn’t hold back in his response: “If it was a political stunt, then it was a stupid political stunt, and I personally take some insult to it.”

Clarifying the administration’s stance, Vance emphasized that Washington’s approach remained firm: “The West Bank is not going to be annexed by Israel. The policy of the Trump administration is that the West Bank will not be annexed by Israel. That will continue to be our policy.”

{Matzav.com}

Four family members of a Republican running for governor in Illinois were killed in a Montana helicopter crash on Wednesday, his campaign said. Killed in crash were the son and daughter-in-law of former state Sen. Darren Bailey, a Republican who lost the 2022 gubernatorial election in Illinois and is seeking his party’s nomination again in next year’s race. Two of Bailey’s grandchildren also were killed, Bailey’s campaign said in a statement Thursday. “Darren and Cindy are heartbroken by this unimaginable loss. They are finding comfort in their faith, their family, and the prayers of so many who love and care for them,” the statement said. (AP)

PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU STATEMENT: The Knesset vote on annexation was a deliberate political provocation by the opposition to sow discord during Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Israel. The two bills were sponsored by opposition members of the Knesset. The Likud party and the religious parties (the principal coalition members) did not vote for these bills, except for one disgruntled Likud member who was recently fired from the chairmanship of a Knesset committee. Without Likud support these bills are unlikely to go anywhere.

Senator Marco Rubio warned Wednesday evening that the Knesset’s move to extend Israeli sovereignty in Yehudah and Shomron could jeopardize President Trump’s roadmap to end the fighting in Gaza.

The preliminary Knesset tally was razor-thin: the sovereignty measure cleared its first reading by a single vote. Twenty-five MKs supported the bill and 24 opposed it, while several Likud members stayed away or abstained — the lone Likud lawmaker to break with the party line and back the bill was MK Yuli Edelstein.

Alongside that measure, MK Avigdor Liberman’s proposal to annex Ma’ale Adumim won comfortable approval, passing 32–9.

From United Torah Judaism, MKs Yitzchak Goldknopf, Yisrael Eichler and Yaakov Tesler recorded yes votes. Members of Blue and White and Shas were similarly absent from the plenum when the sovereignty motion was taken.

Mr. Trump has previously voiced his objection to Israeli annexation moves, telling a reporter last month that he will “not allow” Israel to carry out such a move.

Rubio — who is scheduled to land in Israel on Thursday — said nations beyond the Middle East are ready to contribute troops to an international force for Gaza, a key element of President Trump’s peace proposal.

The State Department’s announcement of Rubio’s trip made clear his mission: the release said the secretary will be in Israel through Saturday and will then travel on to Malaysia, Japan and South Korea, adding that Rubio will be traveling to Israel “to support the successful implementation of President Trump’s Comprehensive Plan to End the Conflict in Gaza, which has garnered unprecedented international support.”

“During his visit, the secretary will reaffirm America’s unwavering commitment to Israel’s security and engage with partners to build on the historic momentum towards durable peace and integration in the Middle East,” the statement added.

Rubio’s arrival follows a flurry of U.S. diplomacy this week — Vice President J.D. Vance visited Israel earlier, arriving after envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Vance, pressing Hamas to honor the ceasefire, warned sharply: “If Hamas doesn’t cooperate, then as the President of the United States has said, Hamas is going to be obliterated,” though he declined to give a timetable for compliance.

{Matzav.com}

Elon Musk said that in about two years, phones will connect directly to Starlink satellites, allowing users to watch videos anywhere without relying on regional carriers or worrying about dead zones.

During his visit to the Kirya in Tel Aviv, Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife used a specialized VR system to observe events in the Gaza Strip. He then received a comprehensive intelligence briefing from the IDF, covering missing and fallen soldiers, the demilitarization of Gaza, and the disarmament of Hamas.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the decades-long deepening of economic ties with the United States is over, turning many of Canada’s former strengths—especially those linked to the U.S.—into vulnerabilities, and stressed that the country must now look after itself and one another, as “we are stronger together.”

In a new interview with TIME Magazine, President Trump warned that Israel would “lose all US support” if it annexes the West Bank

WATCH: Newly released footage shows the Louvre thieves calmly escaping with the stolen Crown Jewels, estimated to be worth $102 million, as they slowly wheeled the treasures out of the museum before vanishing into the streets of Paris.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to arrive in Israel tonight for talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, followed by a broader meeting with senior cabinet members, including the foreign minister.

A group of pro terrorist individuals stormed into the lecture hall of Jewish economics professor Michael Ben-Gad at the University of London, on Tuesday, interrupting his class in what appeared to be a targeted act of intimidation — shouting that he was not someone students should learn from and that he should be locked up.

IDF troops carried out an operation at the offices of the “Islamic Charity Association” in Hebron to disrupt terror financing and confiscate incitement materials. During the raid, soldiers discovered copies of Hitler’s Mein Kampf along with other propaganda equipment.

The IDF says it carried out airstrikes in Lebanon’s eastern Beqaa Valley a short time ago, targeting a Hezbollah training camp where terrorists had gathered, as well as a precision missile manufacturing site and other facilities. The military says the camp was used by Hezbollah to plan attacks against Israel.

During a meeting this afternoon with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Defense Minister Israel Katz reaffirmed that Israel remains “committed to bringing back all the fallen hostages, disarming Hamas, and ensuring a better future for the region,” his office said. Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and senior IDF officials also attended the meeting at the military’s Kirya headquarters in Tel Aviv, which focused primarily on the situation in the Gaza Strip.

JD Vance on the Judea and Samaria sovereignty vote in the Knesset yesterday: “It was a very stupid political stunt, and I personally take some insult to it… The West Bank is not gonna be annexed by Israel.”

FLATBUSH: A burglar was caught inside a home on East 13th Street between Avenues R and S and arrested by the NYPD with assistance from Flatbush Shomrim volunteers. Excellent teamwork and a job well done by Flatbush Shomrim!

FLATBUSH: Three Hispanic males approached three Jewish victims, two men and one woman, on Ocean Ave and Ave J, and demanded money before repeatedly punching them in the face and head. Flatbush Shomrim quickly located the suspects, one of whom was armed with a knife. The NYPD arrested all three near Avenue I and East 17th Street.