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Zohran Mamdani, a leading contender in the New York City mayoral race, repeatedly accused Israel of “genocide” during a tense debate Thursday night with rivals Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa.

At one point, Cuomo criticized Mamdani for what he called a betrayal of Democratic values, noting that Mamdani had supported the “leave it blank” movement during the Democratic presidential primaries. The campaign urged voters not to select any candidate in protest of U.S. support for Israel during the Gaza war.

“I said leave it blank in the presidential primary because primaries are a place to air dissent and like many Americans I was horrified by the Israeli genocide of Palestinians,” Mamdani said.

The exchange then turned to Mamdani’s hesitation, in a recent interview, to explicitly call on Hamas to give up its weapons. Pressed on the issue, Mamdani attempted to clarify his position. “Of course I believe that they should lay down their arms,” he said.

He went on to explain his reasoning, saying, “Calling for a ceasefire means ceasing fire, that means all parties have to cease fire and put down their weapons, and the reason that we call for that is not only for the end to the genocide but also unimpeded access of humanitarian aid.”

Mamdani continued by insisting that any agreement must deal with the underlying causes of the conflict. “We also have to ensure that it addresses the conditions that preceded this, conditions like the occupation, the siege and apartheid and that is what I’m hopeful for,” he said.

During the debate, Mamdani also took aim at Cuomo, accusing him of aligning himself with Israel’s prime minister. He claimed that Cuomo had volunteered to join Benjamin Netanyahu’s legal defense team in international court “during the course of this genocide.”

{Matzav.com}

MODERATOR: “But the question is how you’ll make [buses] free.” MAMDANI: I’m going to raise taxes by $9 billion.

Zohran Mamdani says Andrew Cuomo is not qualified to be mayor of New York City because Cuomo has not visited a mosque.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers worker writes “For Charlie” on new section of border wall in Arizona.

President Donald Trump is redoubling his efforts to end the war in Ukraine, announcing a second meeting with Russia’s Vladimir Putin one day before sitting down with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. Trump’s announcement came shortly after finishing a call with Putin on Thursday. A date has not been set, but Trump said the meeting would take place in Budapest, Hungary, and suggested that it could happen in about two weeks. “I believe great progress was made with today’s telephone conversation,” Trump wrote on social media. The two leaders previously met in Alaska in August, which did not produce a diplomatic breakthrough, a source of frustration for the U.S. leader who had expected that his longstanding relationship with Putin could pave the way to resolving a conflict that began nearly four years ago. Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, said the Russian president initiated the call, which he described as “very frank and trusting.” He said Putin emphasized to Trump that selling long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, something the U.S. president has publicly discussed, would “inflict significant damage to the relations between our countries.” Trump was already scheduled to meet Friday with Zelenskyy, who has been seeking weapons that would allow Ukrainian forces to strike deeper into Russian territory. Zelenskyy has argued such strikes would help compel Putin to take Trump’s calls for direct negotiations to end the war more seriously. Trump previously said that the U.S. has “a lot of Tomahawks,” but on Thursday he said stockpiles were limited and may not have missiles to spare. “We have a lot of them, but we need them” he said. “I mean, we can’t deplete for our country.” Trump tries to turn campaign promises into reality Trump’s renewed focus on the war in Ukraine comes after forging a ceasefire that could end the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, a diplomatic accomplishment that he celebrated with a whirlwind trip to Israel and Egypt on Monday. Ending the wars in Ukraine and Gaza was central to Trump’s campaign pitch last year, when he persistently pilloried President Joe Biden for his handling of the conflicts. Although there has been fragile progress in Gaza, Trump has been stymied by Putin, unable to persuade the Russian leader to hold direct talks with Zelenskyy. Earlier this week in Jerusalem, in a speech to the Knesset, Trump predicted the truce in Gaza would lay the groundwork for the U.S. to help Israel and many of its Middle East neighbors normalize relations. Trump also made clear his top foreign policy priority now is ending the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II. “First we have to get Russia done,” Trump said, turning to his special envoy Steve Witkoff, who has also served as his administration’s chief interlocutor with Putin. “We gotta get that one done. If you don’t mind, Steve, let’s focus on Russia first. All right?” Trump weighs Tomahawks for Ukraine Friday’s meeting with Trump and Zelenskyy will be their fourth face-to-face encounter this year. After their initial Oval Office conversation devolved into recriminations, they’ve forged a more amicable relationship. Trump has said he’s considering selling long-range Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv, something Putin has said could further damage relations between Moscow and Washington. Although such a sale would be a splashy move, […]

The first New York City mayoral general election debate is taking place at 30 Rock.

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New York City mayoral hopefuls Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo, and Curtis Sliwa faced off Thursday night at Rockefeller Center in a heated debate that quickly turned toward the Israel–Hamas conflict.

When the topic came up, Mamdani was pressed on his stance toward Hamas and whether he believes the terror group should surrender its weapons.
“Of course I believe they should lay down their arms… a ceasefire means ceasing fire,” Mamdani said.

He continued by saying that such an action was crucial for ending what he described as the “genocide” in Gaza and for allowing more humanitarian relief to reach civilians there.

Cuomo immediately fired back, accusing Mamdani of refusing to clearly denounce Hamas.
“The assemblyman just said in his response, ‘Well, it depends on occupation,'” Cuomo said.
“That is cold, meaning that Israel does not have a right to exist as a Jewish state, which he has never acknowledged. That is, from the river to the sea. That’s why he won’t denounce globalize the intifada, which means to kill all Jews,” added the former New York Governor.

Mamdani countered by attacking Cuomo personally, claiming the ex-governor had volunteered to join Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s legal defense team at the International Court “during the course of this genocide.”

The confrontation came just a day after Mamdani had sidestepped similar questions in an interview with Martha MacCallum on Fox News, where he avoided directly saying whether Hamas should disarm or leave power in Gaza.
“I believe that any future here in New York City is one that we have to make sure that’s affordable for all, and as it pertains to Israel and Palestine, that we have to ensure that there is peace. And that is the future that we have to fight for,” Mamdani said.

When asked again if he thought Hamas should surrender its weapons and relinquish control, he responded, “I don’t really have opinions about the future of Hamas and Israel beyond the question of justice and safety and the fact that anything has to abide by international law. And that applies to Hamas, that applies to the Israeli military, applies to anyone you could ask me about.”

In that same interview, Mamdani repeated a controversial statement he’s made before — promising that if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu enters New York City, he would “exhaust every legal option” to arrest him.
“I’ve said that this is a city that believes [in] international law, and this is a city that wants to uplift and uphold those beliefs,” he said.

When challenged on the fact that the United States is not a party to the International Criminal Court, which issued the warrant for Netanyahu, Mamdani replied, “The Criminal Court, however, has issued a warrant for the arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu, as it has for Vladimir Putin. I’ve said that I believe that we should uphold arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court and that we would… do so only in abiding with all of the laws in front of us.”

Mamdani’s stance on Israel has drawn heavy criticism from across the political spectrum. He has refused to condemn the slogan “globalize the intifada” and was outspoken against Israel just one day after the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre in southern Israel.

He also announced recently that he would no longer use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, a move that angered many Jewish leaders.

Throughout his campaign, Mamdani has repeatedly accused Israel of committing war crimes in Gaza — a position that has only fueled more controversy as the mayoral race continues.

{Matzav.com}

Dear Editor, As an Orthodox Jewish Woman, a mother of 8, a grandmother of 4 and a professional, who shops, cooks, serves and cleans up on and for Yom Tov, I take extreme offense at the excessive amount of Simchas Bais Hashoevas with full videos that are featured on YWN. I, and my fellow frum women, am not invited to any of these events with their pseudo famous singers and lavish buffets. I am not even remotely represented at any of the pre or mid Yom Tov festivities, nor is any thought given to the women and our integral role in bringing in the Yom Tov and running the whole operation. Tznius is not only (if at all) about elbows and knees. Showing off events that are exclusive and not at all inclusive all day, every day, without end is insulting – to say the least. We’re at home feeding the family, putting the kids to bed and planning the next 55 meals! Be respectful and thank us, include us, show us and the next generation that the beauty of Yiddishkeit is for all to enjoy! Esther Miller. The views expressed in this letter are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of YWN. Have an opinion you would like to share? Send it to us for review. 

Recently, there has been discussion among some Jews that since Zohran Mamdani is a frontrunner for the mayoral election, perhaps we should work with him. Some feel that he won’t be so bad and that his extreme views and rhetoric against Israel will not impact New York Jews. Is there a historical precedent that can predict where Mamdani’s election may lead? The answer is yes – in the city of Vienna. Vienna of 1900 and New York City in 2025 share several similarities. Both Vienna’s population then and New York’s now is approximately 10% Jewish, both with thriving frum populations. In 1900, Jews had lived in Vienna for generations, just as they do in New York City today. In Vienna, Jews had achieved significant roles in finance and politics, as they do in New York today. Yet, all it took was one mayor to change things completely for Vienna’s Jews. Karl Lueger, a vicious antisemite, was elected mayor of Vienna five times, serving from 1897 to 1910. His antisemitic views were so extreme that the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph refused to support him. Ultimately, after Lueger’s fifth reelection, the Emperor conceded and offered his support. With Lueger in power, it became socially acceptable to be an antisemite. He would give speeches, blaming the Jews for Vienna’s financial problems, rousing crowds with his antisemitic fervor. He normalized antisemitism and successfully poisoned the minds of Vienna’s population against the Jews, which explains why Austria has one of the lowest rates of gentiles protecting Jews during the Holocaust. Adolf Hitler, y” sh, credited Lueger as someone who helped shape his views on Jews, and he wrote in Mein Kampf that he became an antisemite in Vienna. Lueger was not Hitler. But he created an environment in Vienna where antisemitism was socially acceptable, and violence against Jews was the inevitable outcome. What does this have to do with Mamdani? Zohran Mamdani is heading in the same direction. His anti-Israel statements will affect New York Jews by poisoning the well of public opinion against Jews through his criticism of Israel and its supporters. He openly supports Within Our Lifetime (WOL), a radical New York-based pro-Palestinian organization, which openly equates Jews in New York and Jews in Israel. On WOL’s website, they recommend chants at protests like “Occupation is a crime, From New York to Palestine!” Or “From New York to Gaza, Globalize the Intifada!” These statements can reasonably be interpreted as a call to violence against Jews in New York. WOL also posted maps online revealing locations of Jewish organizations in New York, stating “they have blood on their hands,” by their natural association with the “genocidal” Israel. This is a direct threat to New York Jews. Yet Mamdani continues to support them. During his college years, Mamdani co-founded a chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). This organization is infamous for its intimidation of Jewish students, and it is so damaging that it faces bans on multiple campuses. Yet Mamdani continues to support them. Antisemites don’t differentiate between anti-Zionist and Zionist Jews, chareidi or secular. We have already seen this in Manchester, Melbourne, Montreal, and London. Once antisemites are attacking, all Jews are the same to them. Ultimately, our yeshua comes from Hashem. Yet, recognizing the danger that Mamdani and his views pose […]

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of the renowned gaon Rav Menachem Aryeh Schlesinger zt”l, author of Ayil HaMeshulash series of seforim.

Rav Schlesinger, who served as the rov of the Chanichei HaYeshivos kehillah in Kiryas Yismach Moshe in Ganei Tikvah, passed away on the morning of Simchas Torah following a brief illness. He was 78.

The levayah took place on Motzaei Simchas Torah beginning on Rechov HaTavor in Ganei Tikvah near Talmud Torah Meshivas Nefesh, proceeding to the Segulah Cemetery in Petach Tikvah for kevurah.

Rav Schlesinger was born on 27 Nissan 5707 (1947) to Rav Chaim Yosef Schlesinger and his wife, Sarah. Over the decades, he became well-known in the Torah world for his clarity and depth in halacha and his seforim, which are studied widely across batei medrash.

His Ayil HaMeshulash series—covering topics such as the laws of borer and other areas of Shabbos—draws heavily on the rulings of the Mishnah Berurah, the Chazon Ish, and other leading poskim. The seforim are valued for their precise analysis, lucid presentation, and extensive sourcing from gedolei hadoros, both past and present. For many talmidei chachamim, these works have become standard reference volumes for clear, reasoned psak halacha.

Among his most well-known contributions is his comprehensive treatment of the halachic issues surrounding opening cans, bottles, bags, and similar items on Shabbos. Rav Schlesinger meticulously examined each product type and the various melachos involved, clarifying when opening is permitted or forbidden, where poskim disagree, and how one should conduct oneself lechatchilah or in extenuating circumstances.

Yehi zichro baruch.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Senate Democrats rejected for the 10th time Thursday a stopgap spending bill that would reopen the government, insisting they won’t back away from demands that Congress take up health care benefits. The vote failed on a 51-45 tally, well short of the 60 needed to advance with the Senate’s filibuster rules. The repetition of votes on the funding bill has become a daily drumbeat in Congress, underscoring how intractable the situation has become. It has been at times the only item on the agenda for the Senate floor, while House Republicans have left Washington altogether. The standoff has lasted over two weeks, leaving hundreds of thousands of federal workers furloughed, even more without a guaranteed payday and Congress essentially paralyzed. “As we are positioning as two sides that are seemingly dug in on this 16th day of a shutdown, real people are wondering is their government going to be there for them?” said GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. The shutdown is on track to surpass the 16-day closure in 2013, which was also a debate over the Affordable Care Act. The longest shutdown ended in 2019, after 35 days. While the military was paid this week, it’s unclear how long that will last. The White House budget office told Congress that it cost $6.5 billion to cover this one pay period. The next one is two weeks. Senate Majority Leader John Thune again and again has tried to pressure Democrats to break from their strategy of voting against the stopgap funding bill. It hasn’t worked. And while some bipartisan talks have been ongoing about potential compromises on health care, they haven’t produced any meaningful progress toward reopening the government. “The Democratic Party is the party that will not take yes for an answer,” Thune, a South Dakota Republican, said in an angry speech on the Senate floor. He had also offered to hold a later vote on extending subsidies for health plans offered under Affordable Care Act marketplaces, but said he would not “guarantee a result or an outcome.” Democrats say they won’t budge until they get a guarantee on extending the tax credits for the health plans. They warn that millions of Americans who buy their own health insurance — such as small business owners, farmers and contractors — will see large increases when premium prices go out in the coming weeks. Looking ahead to a Nov. 1 deadline in most states, they think voters will demand that Republicans enter into serious negotiations. “The ACA crisis is looming over everyone’s head, and yet Republicans seem ready to let people’s premiums spike,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer in a floor speech. Meanwhile, Thune tried a different tack Thursday with a vote to proceed to appropriations bills — daring Democrats to vote against funding legislation for the Department of Defense. They also voted that down. A deadline for subsidies on health plans Democrats have rallied around their priorities on health care as they hold out against voting for a Republican bill that would reopen the government. Yet they also warn that the time to strike a deal to prevent large increases for many health plans is drawing short. When they controlled Congress during the pandemic, Democrats boosted subsidies for Affordable Care Act health plans. It pushed enrollment under President […]

Israel is holding firm on its decision to bar a Turkish team of 81 rescue workers and their heavy machinery from entering Gaza until Hamas returns all the bodies of deceased hostages it is able to, a senior Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.

“There is a group of hostages’ bodies that Hamas can return right now. Another group they know the location of, but they need equipment and assistance to retrieve them. And there are some bodies they genuinely do not know where they are,” another source explained.

“We know for certain that Hamas can easily release a significant number of hostages in accordance with the agreement. What they are doing now is a fundamental violation of that agreement,” Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Thursday.

Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu convened his top security team to evaluate Hamas’s ongoing refusal to hand over the remains of Israeli soldiers and to discuss how to proceed with the next stage of the Trump peace framework.

“I know exactly how many killed soldiers Hamas is holding, and if we do not receive them, Israel will know how to act accordingly,” Netanyahu declared.

Following that meeting, Netanyahu held a phone conversation with President Trump.

Israeli officials are reportedly giving the U.S. administration additional time to pressure international mediators, who in turn are expected to press Hamas to fulfill its commitments before Jerusalem escalates its response.

Mediators have argued that specialized equipment and rescue experts are needed to recover some of the bodies. “Some bodies are buried deep underground; others are near unexploded bombs, Hamas cannot retrieve those remains from such places,” said one individual involved in the negotiations.

“We agree with Israel that Hamas knows where some of the buried hostages are, but it simply cannot reach them without assistance,” another mediation source added.

Despite Israel’s insistence that discussions about Phase Two of the Trump plan will not move forward until every hostage is returned, Washington and other foreign governments are continuing talks on the matter.

According to two sources familiar with the situation, senior officials from the United States, Europe, and the Arab world are slated to convene in Egypt in the coming days to deliberate on the next steps.

“There must not be a vacuum that allows Hamas to grow stronger,” Western diplomats told The Jerusalem Post.

{Matzav.com}

The chairman of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Boaz Bismuth of Likud, announced Thursday that he has presented an updated outline regarding the chareidi draft issue to the committee’s legal advisor.

“Based on this document, a draft law will be formulated in the coming days to guide the committee in continuing the legislative process to regulate the issue of military conscription,” Bismuth’s office stated.

According to a report by KAN News, the proposal outlines a framework under which half of the chareidi draft-age population would be enlisted within five years. The age of exemption would be set at 26, and reductions to yeshiva budgets would only take effect after one year.

The plan also includes a gradual implementation of personal sanctions for those who fail to enlist, to be introduced over a two-year period — and only if the draft goals are not achieved.

Bismuth expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu “for his full support throughout the process.”

He also extended thanks to former MK Ariel Atias of Shas “for his cooperation and significant involvement” in shaping the proposal.

Both chareidi parties — Shas and United Torah Judaism — withdrew from the coalition in July following a breakdown in negotiations over the draft law.

Sources close to Shas leader Arye Deri told KAN News that even presenting the principles of the new proposal could be sufficient grounds for the party to return to the coalition when the Knesset reconvenes for its winter session.

The Knesset is set to return next week after its summer recess. While no legislation is passed during the break, committees continue to meet to prepare bills for future discussion.

Following the departure of the chareidi factions from the coalition, Yuli Edelstein was removed from his position as committee chair and replaced by Bismuth, who has since been leading deliberations on advancing the legislation.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid harshly criticized the proposed outline, accusing Bismuth and Netanyahu of putting politics above principle. He said the plan sends a message to IDF soldiers that “all that matters to Bismuth and Netanyahu is politics and appeasing the draft dodgers.”

Lapid added, “on this very day, the national memorial day for October 7, they’re trying in the shadows to push through a draft-dodging law, stitched together between the ultra-Orthodox MKs and Likud.”

Israel Hofsheet CEO Uri Keidar likewise condemned the move, claiming that “Bismuth is trying to fast-track the evasion legislation for which he was appointed.”

{Matzav.com}

Some of the Hamas operatives who guarded Israeli hostages in Gaza were not hardened militants but teachers, doctors, and university professors who had been radicalized, according to a former captive who spent nearly 500 days underground in Hamas tunnels. In a chilling account following this week’s latest hostage release, Tal Shoham, one of the Israelis freed in February, said his experience exposed how deeply Hamas’ ideology had penetrated Gaza’s civilian society. “One of the guards was a first-grade teacher, another was a lecturer at a university, and another was a doctor,” Shoham told The Times of Israel. “These are normal people becoming terrorists.” Shoham described a chaotic and fractured command structure within Hamas, where guards alternated between fanatical cruelty and flashes of compassion. “There was no real order,” he said. “Some wanted to hurt everyone. Others tried to treat us well. It depended on who was on duty.” He recalled one horrific incident in which a Hamas operative shot a Palestinian man in the knees because he “looked suspicious.” When medics arrived, the man was executed on the spot. “They decided he should die,” Shoham said. Moments of decency were rare. Once, a guard smuggled him extra food and a note from his wife. “That was the only human act I saw in 500 days,” Shoham said. While Hamas presents itself as an Islamist resistance movement, Shoham said many of its members appeared motivated by power and survival rather than religion. “Most weren’t religious,” he said. “They joined because it was the popular thing to do.” Israeli officials estimate that more than 20,000 Hamas fighters have been killed since the war began, yet the group continues to replenish its ranks — a fact U.S. analysts attribute to the desperation and devastation in Gaza. Hamas, they warn, has been recruiting civilians with promises of food, money, and revenge. Shoham said he personally witnessed Hamas operatives looting humanitarian aid shipments meant for civilians. “I saw with my own eyes that they stole boxes and boxes and boxes of aid from Egypt, Turkey, the Emirates,” he said. “But they didn’t give us any food in the tunnels. They celebrated it like a victory.” His account paints a stark picture of a society where Hamas’ reach extends beyond its military wing — turning classrooms, hospitals, and universities into potential breeding grounds for extremism. “Hamas isn’t just an army,” Shoham said. “It’s an idea that’s infected a generation.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)