Prime Minister Mark Carney set a goal for Canada to double its non-U.S. exports in the next decade, saying American tariffs are causing a chill in investment. Carney, who will release his government’s budget on Nov. 4, said Wednesday many of Canada’s former strengths — based on close ties to America — have become vulnerabilities. “The jobs of workers in our industries most affected by U.S. tariffs — autos, steel, lumber — are under threat. Our businesses are holding back investments, restrained by the pall of uncertainty that is hanging over all of us,” Carney said. U.S. President Donald Trump has been threatening Canada’s economy and sovereignty with tariffs, most offensively by claiming Canada could be “the 51st state.” Carney reiterated in an evening address to Canadians that the decades-long process of an ever-closer economic relationship between the Canadian and U.S. economies is now over. “The U.S. has fundamentally changed its approach to trade, raising its tariffs to levels last seen during the Great Depression,” Carney said. “We have to take care of ourselves because we can’t rely on one foreign partner.” Tensions between the neighbors and longtime allies have eased slightly in recent months as Carney tries to get a trade deal with Trump, but tariffs are taking a toll, particularly in the aluminum, steel, auto and lumber sectors. More than 75% of Canada’s exports go to the U.S. “We are re-engaging with the global giants India and China,” he said. Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US$2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border daily. Canada’s free trade deal with the U.S. is up for review in 2026. Carney called Canada an “energy superpower” and said the country has third largest reserves of oil and the fourth largest reserves of natural gas in the world. About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports are from Canada. Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and investing in for national security. “I will always be straight about the challenges we have to face and the choices we must make,” Carney said. “To be clear, we won’t transform our economy easily or in a few months — it will take some sacrifices and some time.” (AP)
A violent robbery and a separate burglary kept Flatbush Shomrim and the NYPD busy overnight. At approximately 11:30 p.m., three Hispanic males approached three Jewish victims, two men and one woman, and demanded money before repeatedly punching them in the face and head. The incident occurred on Ocean Avs and Ave J in the Flatbush area. Flatbush Shomrim volunteers swiftly mobilized and located the suspects, one of whom was armed with a knife. The NYPD arrested all three individuals near Avenue I and East 17th Street. In a separate incident at approximately 12:30AM, a burglar was caught inside a home on East 13th Street between Avenues R and S. The suspect was arrested by the NYPD with assistance from Flatbush Shomrim volunteers who responded within moments. Excellent teamwork and coordination between Flatbush Shomrim and the NYPD led to the swift capture of all involved. THIS STORY WAS FIRST PUBLISHED ON THE FLATBUSH SCOOP STATUS CLICK HERE SIGN UP TO THE FLATBUSH SCOOP WHATSAPP STATUS TO BE INFORMED OF FLATBUSH NEWS IN LIVE TIME (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
HaGaon HaRav Moshe Shternbuch wept bitterly during his remarks to an atzeres at Ateres Shlomo Yeshiva on Wednesday evening following the arrests of one of its talmidim along with other yeshivah bochurim. Appearing visibly weak and distressed, and weeping periodically, HaRav Shternbuch said, “Bochurim in the middle of learning Torah are being dragged to prison. They’re making them suffer, and in turn, they’re making us suffer.” “This is a matzav that we never in the world imagined would happen, that it would come to such a matzav. Rishus and cruelty! And the ones who committed ‘crimes’? Their crime was simply learning Torah. Have you ever heard of such a thing?!” “It would be fitting for every one of us to cry day and night over this. The Shechina Hakedosha is surely in tremendous pain.” “But we will Bezras Hashem not give up,” Harav Shternbuch continued, crying bitterly. “Without Torah we are literally animals. We have no other reason to live. What is the point of life? Cursed reshaim. Arurim she’biarurim.” “But bezras Hashem, they will not succeed. We have a hidden koach—the heart of a Yid will never give up on Yahadus. The Torah Hakedosha is our lives. Ki Heim Chayeinu viorech yameinu…. “Oy Oy Oy! Find me a place that I can cry and shed tears,” HaRav Shternbuch wept. “We will not concede! We will publicize this throughout Israel and abroad. We’re calling out to our brothers abroad—do not be silent. You should know that this tzarah will reach you also. Don’t think that you’ll be exempt.” “They’ll act with mesirus nefesh and will succeed. I promise you that they’ll succeed. We’ll witness it very soon,” HaRav Shternbuch concluded. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
US President Donald Trump says that Israel would lose “all support” from the United States if it tried to move ahead with annexing the West Bank. In an October 15 Time magazine interview about the US-brokered ceasefire, published today, Trump is asked about those in the Israeli coalition pushing to annex all or parts of the West Bank. “It won’t happen. It won’t happen. It won’t happen because I gave my word to the Arab countries,” Trump says. “And you can’t do that now. We’ve had great Arab support. It won’t happen because I gave my word to the Arab countries. It will not happen. Israel would lose all of its support from the United States if that happened.”
Shas announced Thursday that it will withdraw from all coalition positions in the Knesset, in a protest against Prime Minister Netanyahu’s failure to advance legislation regulating military exemptions for yeshivaleit. The move — ordered by the Moetzes Chachmei Hatorah — will see Shas lawmakers relinquish their committee chairmanships and senior posts but stop short of leaving the coalition entirely, a signal that the party intends to escalate pressure without toppling the government. “In accordance with the directive of the Moetzes… the government must bring to a vote the law to regulate the status of yeshiva students no later than the opening of the winter session,” the party said in a statement. “Since this has not been implemented, Shas announces its withdrawal from its coalition roles in the Knesset.” Shas MKs Yossi Taib and Yoni Meshriki will vacate their positions on the Education and Health Committees, while MK Michael Malkieli will resign as chair of the Special Committee for Bridging Social Gaps in the Periphery. While the move is largely symbolic, it represents a sharp rebuke to Netanyahu’s handling of one of his most volatile political crises — balancing coalition unity with growing demands from Israel’s military and judiciary to end decades of blanket exemptions for Chareidim. “For the time being, Shas will act in full coordination with the Chareidi factions and will continuously consult with the Moetzes Chachmei Hatorah regarding its position on votes in the Knesset plenum,” the party said, hinting that it may continue its ongoing boycott of coalition legislation. Shas leaders said they would “continue to lead the struggle against the political and cruel persecution campaign directed against students of the yeshivas, who study Torah day and night for the sake of all Israel and for the success of the soldiers.” “When the status of yeshiva students is resolved,” the statement added, “Shas will return to its positions in the government and the Knesset.” The dispute stems from the High Court’s 2023 ruling that the government must end long-standing blanket exemptions for full-time yeshiva students, calling the policy unconstitutional. Around 80,000 Chareidi men aged 18 to 24 are currently eligible for service but have not enlisted. The IDF, stretched thin by the war against Hamas in Gaza and ongoing security operations elsewhere, says it urgently needs an additional 12,000 recruits to sustain the force. For over a year, Chareidi parties have pressed Netanyahu to pass a new draft law enshrining exemptions in legislation. But repeated delays and infighting within the coalition have left the measure stalled and risked alienating Shas’s rabbinic leadership. The current proposal, drafted by Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Boaz Bismuth (Likud), would gradually increase Chareidi enlistment over five years to 50 percent of the annual draft cohort, while maintaining an exemption age of 26. Funding for yeshivas would be reduced only if institutions fail to meet quotas for two consecutive years, and individual sanctions would be delayed and limited — far short of the stricter penalties pushed by secular lawmakers. Shas’s decision comes just days after Bismuth delayed committee deliberations on the draft bill, citing the need for additional legal review. He has pledged to present a revised draft next week and bring it to the Knesset for final readings in December. In a sign of political maneuvering, Netanyahu’s Likud Party […]
Vice President JD Vance wrapped up a two-day visit to Israel on Thursday with unusually blunt remarks about the Knesset’s preliminary vote to annex the West Bank, calling the move “very stupid” and personally “insulting.” Speaking to reporters before boarding his flight, Vance said he was “confused” by the vote, which passed narrowly on Wednesday despite opposition from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and most of Likud. “I was told it was a political stunt — purely symbolic — but it was a very stupid political stunt,” he said. “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.” Vance’s comments marked a sharp rebuke of Israel’s right-wing lawmakers and underscored growing unease in Washington over moves that could derail President Donald Trump’s cease-fire and reconstruction plan for Gaza. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed that concern, warning that the Knesset’s actions “might be counterproductive” to the administration’s efforts to lock in a lasting peace. “The president has made clear that’s not something we’d be supportive of right now,” Rubio told reporters before departing for Israel. “We think there’s potential for it to threaten the peace deal.” Vance, who spent two days meeting with Israeli officials and members of the new International Security Force, said the Gaza cease-fire “is actually holding,” adding that both Israel and Hamas have largely respected the terms of the U.S.-brokered agreement. “There are exceptions — little flare-ups here and there — but that’s to be expected when these parties have been at war for two years,” he said. “The peace is actually holding, and now we’re trying to figure out how to make it stick over the long term.” The vice president said the newly formed multinational security force “will take the lead in disarming Hamas,” but cautioned that the effort “will take some time” and depend heavily on “the composition of that force.” “There are certain countries that I expect will be quite good at it,” he said, naming Gulf partners including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar as key players in coordinating the next phase of Trump’s peace framework. Asked about contacts with Hamas, Vance said communication occurs “through intermediaries,” but that most discussions have been with regional allies about shaping the force and advancing “phase two” of the plan. The Knesset’s vote — which advanced both a broad proposal to apply sovereignty to all West Bank settlements and a narrower one covering a single major bloc — immediately drew international condemnation. Saudi Arabia called it an attempt to “legitimize Israeli sovereignty over illegal colonial settlement,” while the UAE warned last month that annexation would be a “red line” ending Israel’s regional integration. Even Netanyahu’s Likud dismissed the bills as “opposition trolling” aimed at harming Israel’s diplomatic standing. “We strengthen settlement every day with actions, budgets, and construction — not with words,” the party said. Still, hard-line ministers in Netanyahu’s coalition, including Bezalel Smotrich and Yariv Levin, have pressed for sweeping annexation since several Western countries recognized a Palestinian state last month. Smotrich has called for Israel to annex “82 percent of the West Bank.” Trump himself has repeatedly ruled out annexation, telling reporters last month, […]
The most widely used COVID-19 vaccines may offer a surprise benefit for some cancer patients – revving up their immune systems to help fight tumors. People with advanced lung or skin cancer who were taking certain immunotherapy drugs lived substantially longer if they also got a Pfizer or Moderna shot within 100 days of starting treatment, according to preliminary research being reported Wednesday in the journal Nature. And it had nothing to do with virus infections. Instead, the molecule that powers those specific vaccines, mRNA, appears to help the immune system respond better to the cutting-edge cancer treatment, concluded researchers from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and the University of Florida. The vaccine “acts like a siren to activate immune cells throughout the body,” said lead researcher Dr. Adam Grippin of MD Anderson. “We’re sensitizing immune-resistant tumors to immune therapy.” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has raised skepticism about mRNA vaccines, cutting $500 million in funding for some uses of the technology. But this research team found its results so promising that it is preparing a more rigorous study to see if mRNA coronavirus vaccines should be paired with cancer drugs called checkpoint inhibitors — an interim step while it designs new mRNA vaccines for use in cancer. A healthy immune system often kills cancer cells before they become a threat. But some tumors evolve to hide from immune attack. Checkpoint inhibitors remove that cloak. It’s a powerful treatment – when it works. Some people’s immune cells still don’t recognize the tumor. Messenger RNA, or mRNA, is naturally found in every cell and it contains genetic instructions for our bodies to make proteins. While best known as the Nobel Prize-winning technology behind COVID-19 vaccines, scientists have long been trying to create personalized mRNA “treatment vaccines” that train immune cells to spot unique features of a patient’s tumor. The new research offers “a very good clue” that maybe an off-the-shelf approach could work, said Dr. Jeff Coller, an mRNA specialist at Johns Hopkins University who wasn’t involved with the work. “What it shows is that mRNA medicines are continuing to surprise us in how beneficial they can be to human health.” Grippin and his Florida colleagues had been developing personalized mRNA cancer vaccines when they realized that even one created without a specific target appeared to spur similar immune activity against cancer. Grippin wondered if the already widely available mRNA coronavirus shots might also have some effect, too. So the team analyzed records of nearly 1,000 advanced cancer patients undergoing checkpoint inhibitor treatment at MD Anderson – comparing those who happened to get a Pfizer or Moderna shot with those who didn’t. Vaccinated lung cancer patients were nearly twice as likely to be alive three years after beginning cancer treatment as the unvaccinated patients. Among melanoma patients, median survival was significantly longer for vaccinated patients – but exactly how much isn’t clear, as some of that group were still alive when the data was analyzed. Non-mRNA vaccines such as flu shots didn’t make a difference, he said. (AP)
North Korean hackers have pilfered billions of dollars by breaking into cryptocurrency exchanges and creating fake identities to get remote tech jobs at foreign companies, according to an international report on North Korea’s cyber capabilities. Officials in Pyongyang orchestrated the clandestine work to finance research and development of nuclear arms, the authors of the 138-page report found. The review was published by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, a group that includes the U.S. and 10 allies and was set up last year to observe North Korea’s compliance with U.N. sanctions. North Korea also has used cryptocurrency to launder money and make military purchases to evade international sanctions tied to its nuclear program, the report said. It detailed how hackers working for North Korea have targeted foreign businesses and organizations with malware designed to disrupt networks and steal sensitive data. Despite its small size and isolation, North Korea has heavily invested in offensive cyber capabilities and now rivals China and Russia when it comes to the sophistication and capabilities of its hackers, posing a significant threat to foreign governments, businesses and individuals, the investigators concluded. Unlike China, Russia and Iran, North Korea has focused much of its cyber capabilities to fund its government, using cyberattacks and fake workers to steal and defraud companies and organizations elsewhere in the world. Aided in part by allies in Russia and China, North Korea’s cyber actions have “been directly linked to the destruction of physical computer equipment, endangerment of human lives, private citizens’ loss of assets and property, and funding for the DPRK’s unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs,” the report said, using the acronym for North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The monitoring group is made up of the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea and the United Kingdom. It was created last year after Russia vetoed a resolution directing a U.N. Security Council panel of experts to monitor Pyongyang’s activities. The team’s first report, issued in May, looked at North Korea’s military support for Russia. Earlier this year, hackers linked to North Korea carried out one of the largest crypto heists ever, stealing $1.5 billion worth of ethereum from Bybit. The FBI later linked the theft to a group of hackers working for the North Korean intelligence service. Federal authorities also have alleged that thousands of IT workers employed by U.S. companies were actually North Koreans using assumed identities to land remote work. The workers gained access to internal systems and funneled their salaries back to North Korea’s government. In some cases, the workers held several remote jobs at the same time. A message left with North Korea’s mission to the U.N. was not immediately returned on Wednesday. (AP)
In the midst of a federal government shutdown, the U.S. government’s gross national debt surpassed $38 trillion Wednesday, a record number that highlights the accelerating accumulation of debt on America’s balance sheet. It’s also the fastest accumulation of a trillion dollars in debt outside of the COVID-19 pandemic — the U.S. hit $37 trillion in gross national debt in August this year. The $38 trillion update is found in the latest Treasury Department report, which logs the nation’s daily finances. Kent Smetters of the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Wharton Budget Model, who served in President George W. Bush’s Treasury Department, told The Associated Press that a growing debt load over time leads ultimately to higher inflation, eroding Americans’ purchasing power. The Government Accountability Office outlines some of the impacts of rising government debt on Americans — including higher borrowing costs for things like mortgages and cars, lower wages from businesses having less money available to invest, and more expensive goods and services. “I think a lot of people want to know that their kids and grandkids are going to be in good, decent shape in the future — that they will be able to afford a house,” Smetters said. “That additional inflation compounds” and erodes consumers’ purchasing power, he said, making it less possible for future generations to achieve home ownership goals. The Trump administration says its policies are helping to slow government spending and will shrink the nation’s massive deficit. A new analysis by Treasury Department officials states that from April to September, the cumulative deficit totaled $468 billion. In a post on X Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that’s the lowest reading since 2019. “During his first eight months in office, President Trump has reduced the deficit by $350 billion compared to the same period in 2024 by cutting spending and boosting revenue,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement, adding that the administration would pursue robust economic growth, lower inflation, tariff revenue, lower borrowing costs and cuts to waste, fraud and abuse. The Joint Economic Committee estimates that the total national debt has grown by $69,713.82 per second for the past year. Michael Peterson, chair and CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, said in a statement that “reaching $38 trillion in debt during a government shutdown is the latest troubling sign that lawmakers are not meeting their basic fiscal duties.” “Along with increasing debt, you get higher interest costs, which are now the fastest growing part of the budget,” Peterson added. “We spent $4 trillion on interest over the last decade, but will spend $14 trillion in the next ten years. Interest costs crowd out important public and private investments in our future, harming the economy for every American.” The U.S. hit $34 trillion in debt in January 2024, $35 trillion in July 2024 and $36 trillion in November 2024. (AP)
SHOCK VIDEO: Moment truck driver slammed into traffic on the 10 freeway in California Tuesday, killing 3. The driver, a 21-year-old male, was arrested for driving under the influence of drugs.
General Motors announced Wednesday that it will integrate Google’s Gemini AI into its vehicles and debut a Cadillac Escalade capable of “eyes-off” driving by 2028. At the “GM Forward” event, the automaker said Gemini will let drivers “talk to your car as naturally as a passenger,” while the Escalade will build on GM’s 600,000 miles of hands-free “Super Cruise” roads, which have had no crash reports. The electric SUV will also feature a computing platform updating all major systems, from propulsion to infotainment. GM shares rose 0.5% Wednesday, after a nearly 15% jump Tuesday following strong third-quarter results.
Hagaon HaRav Dov Landau dancing with philanthropist Reb Shlomo Yehuda Rechnitz at the Chasunah of his daughter tonight in Los Angeles. Dozens of Roshei Yeshiva and Rabbonim from around the globe are in attendance.
North Korea said Thursday that its latest missile tests involved a new hypersonic system aimed at strengthening its nuclear war deterrent, as leader Kim Jong Un continues to build up weapons designed to overwhelm South Korea defenses. The report by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency came a day after South Korea’s military said it detected the North firing multiple missiles from an area south of the capital, Pyongyang, and said they flew about 350 kilometers (217 miles) northeast before falling on land. The tests came days before world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, are expected to gather in rival South Korea for the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings. The U.S. Forces Korea said in a statement that it was “fully aware” of North Korea’s ballistic launches and also its “relentless pursuit of long-range missile capabilities.” It urged the North to refrain from “unlawful and destabilizing actions” in violation of U.N. Security Council sanctions, adding that the U.S. commitment to its alliance with Seoul remains “ironclad.” KCNA said the launches involved two hypersonic projectiles that accurately struck a land target in the country’s northern region. It described the system as strategic, implying that the missiles were designed to be armed with nuclear warheads. KCNA didn’t specify the name of the missile system it tested. At a military parade earlier this month, Kim unveiled some of his military’s newest weapons, including what appeared to be a short-range ballistic system fitted with hypersonic glide vehicles. North Korea in recent years has been testing various missile systems tipped with hypersonic weapons, which are designed to fly at more than five times the speed of sound. The speed and maneuverability of such weapons are meant to help them evade regional missile defense systems, but experts have questioned whether they have consistently flown at the speeds the North claimed during tests. Pak Jong Chon, one of Kim’s top military officials who attended Wednesday’s tests, lauded the performance of the “new cutting-edge weapon system” and said the North would continue efforts to bolster its war deterrent and defense capabilities. During the Oct. 10 parade, Kim also unveiled a new intercontinental ballistic missile that state media described as the country’s most powerful nuclear asset, adding to his growing collection of weapons with potential range to reach the U.S. mainland. Experts say the North could be preparing to test the missile in the coming weeks, ahead of a major ruling party conference in early 2026, when Kim is expected to announce key policy directions, potentially including his approach toward the United States. Kim has been sharply accelerating the pace of weapons tests since his high-stakes nuclear diplomacy with Trump fell apart in 2019 due to wrangling over the U.S.-led economic sanctions. Wednesday’s launches were North Korea’s first ballistic missile tests since liberal South Korean President Lee Jae Myung took office in June, pledging to restore peace on the Korean Peninsula. But Kim has so far rejected Lee’s offer for talks and has said he won’t resume diplomacy with the United States unless Washington abandons its goal of denuclearizing the North. (AP)
Tesla is recalling 13,000 vehicles in the U.S. due to a battery pack defect that could cause a sudden loss of drive power, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Wednesday. The issue affects certain 2025 Model 3 and 2026 Model Y cars and could prevent drivers from accelerating, raising the risk of a crash. Tesla will reportedly replace the faulty battery pack contactor free of charge.
New York City’s mayoral candidates clashed bitterly during their final debate Wednesday evening, as Democrat Zohran Mamdani tried to maintain his lead and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa cast him as out of his league. While Mamdani began the debate accusing his rivals of being too consumed by fighting — suggesting he would instead focus on his vision for New Yorkers — the state assemblyman repeatedly ended up in the mud with his rivals. Mamdani’s opponents have spent much of the race criticizing the 34-year-old democratic socialist for his relatively thin political resume, his pro-Palestinian advocacy, and President Donald Trump’s threats to take over the city — and even arrest him — if he wins. Cuomo, who is now running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani, has spent recent days urging Sliwa to drop his bid, and has been courting conservatives and moderates, casting himself as a more viable candidate than Sliwa. But Sliwa, the swaggering creator of the Guardian Angels crime patrol group, has forcefully maintained he will not exit the race and has in turn ramped up his criticism of the former governor. Here are some key takeaways from the debate: Barbs all around Mamdani entered the debate saying he would try to stay above the fray and keep his focus on voters and issues — like affordability — that have defined his campaign. But the Democratic nominee landed plenty of digs against his rivals, whom he accused of spending more time calling on each other to drop out “than actually proposing their own policies.” Cuomo and Sliwa, he said, “speak only in the past because that is all they know.” “I am the sole candidate running with a vision for the future of this city,” he went on, calling Cuomo “a desperate man, lashing out because he knows that the one thing he cares about, power, is slipping away from him.” Cuomo, meanwhile, touted his experience, and portrayed Mamdani as out of his league. “It’s Bill de Blasio rehash and we know how that turned out,” he said. “I did things. You have never had a job. You’ve never accomplished anything,” he said, insisting Mamdani lacks the merit and qualifications to run the nation’s biggest city or handle an emergency. “Shame on you!” Sliwa accused both men of “fighting like kids in a school yard,” but piled on as well. “Zorhan, your resume could fit on a cocktail napkin. And, Andrew, your failures could fill a public school library in New York City,” he quipped. He also made frequent references to Cuomo’s decision to resign as governor amid a barrage of sexual harassment allegations, which Cuomo denies. Canal Street raid Candidates were asked within minutes about an immigration enforcement sweep targeting vendors on Manhattan’s famed Canal Street that led to 14 arrests. Cuomo responded by touting his squabbles with Trump during the Republican’s first term. Cuomo said the city does not need Immigration and Customs Enforcement to handle quality-of-life crimes like dealing in counterfeit bags. Mamdani similarly pledged to oppose federal interventions in the city, saying “ICE is a reckless entity that cares little for the law and even less for the people that they’re supposed to serve.” The Trump factor Trump again took center stage, as each of the candidates insisted that they would […]
In an interview with YWN following the shocking arrest of a Ateres Shlomo talmid on Wednesday morning, Harav Shalom Ber Sorotzkin shlit”a decried the ongoing persecution of bnei Torah in Eretz Yisroel, comparing the situation to the dark days of Soviet oppression. “I came to America to do a job that isn’t easy — to take care of bochurim,” Rav Sorotzkin said. “We have 13,500 talmidim across our mosdos, and every one of them is precious. When I heard this morning that they arrested a choshuve bochur in the yeshiva — an emesdike masmid, whose only ‘crime’ was sitting and learning Torah — I was shaken. We heard such stories from our fathers and grandfathers in Russia, when people were arrested for learning. Now it’s happening again, in Eretz Yisroel.” The bochur, named Ariel Shammai, was sentenced to 20 days in military prison. “He was handed a 20-day prison sentence for one thing,” Rav Sorotzkin said sharply. “For being an oved Hashem and learning Torah.” Following the arrest, a massive atzeres tefillah was held outside the prison Wednesday afternoon. Over 1,200 bnei Torah gathered to show support and solidarity with the imprisoned talmid. The gathering doubled as a psichas zman for the yeshiva, led by Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch shlit”a. “It was a big maamad of kiddush sheim shamayim in a mechubadike way,” said Rav Sorotzkin. “We began Chezkas Habatim there. It gave the bochur chizuk — he saw that Klal Yisroel is with him.” Rav Sorotzkin said that he will be cutting short his trip to America – he had come to fundraise for his massive network of yeshivos – and returning immediately to Eretz Yisroel to take responsibility for the bochur and advocate on his behalf. “I have no breirah,” he said. “I am going straight back to Eretz Yisroel. We have an achrayus for this bochur.” Rav Sorotzkin urged Jews worldwide to be marbitz in tefillah. “We must daven to Hashem: Kra ro’ah gzar dineinu. Klal Yisroel areivim zeh lazeh — we all have an achrayus for one another. The tzarah in Eretz Yisroel is a tzarah for every ben Torah around the world.” He added that fear is spreading among bnei yeshiva. “Many don’t understand that every bochur nowadays is afraid that he could be arrested at any moment. This cannot continue.” The arrest of Ariel Shammai followed a series of shocking overnight raids by military police targeting yeshiva bochurim who have refused army enlistment on religious grounds. In one case, police stormed a home in Ramat Gan at 1:30 a.m. and dragged away a bochur who was in the midst of sitting shiva for his father. The young man’s mother — a disabled almanah — and six orphaned siblings cried out helplessly as he was taken away. After widespread outrage, he was released hours later through the intervention of attorney Shlomo Haddad. Two other bnei yeshiva were arrested the same night — both now facing prison time. Military police also raided homes in Adam, overturning furniture in a failed attempt to arrest two more talmidim, and attempted an arrest in Neve Yaakov, which was thwarted after hundreds of protesters gathered and forced the police to retreat. In response to the arrests, Degel HaTorah convened an emergency meeting of its Knesset members, while Peleg Yerushalmi leaders […]
Several conservative news outlets said Wednesday they had agreed to a new press policy rejected by virtually all legacy media organizations and will take their place in the Pentagon to cover Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the U.S. military. The new Pentagon press corps will include the Gateway Pundit, the National Pulse, Human Events, podcaster Tim Pool, the Just the News website founded by journalist John Solomon, Frontlines by Turning Point USA and LindellTV, run by “MyPillow” CEO Mike Lindell. The Pentagon’s announcement came less than a week after dozens of reporters from outlets like The New York Times, The Associated Press, CNN and the Washington Post turned in their access badges rather than agree to a policy the journalists say will restrict them to covering news approved by Hegseth. Hegseth’s spokesman, Sean Parnell, announced the “next generation” of the Pentagon press corps with more than 60 journalists who had agreed to the new policy. He said 26 journalists who had previously been part of the press corps were among the signees. The department wouldn’t say who any of them were, but several outlets reposted his message on X saying they had signed on. There isn’t even unanimity among organizations that appeal to conservative consumers. Fox News Channel, by far the most popular news source for fans of President Donald Trump, was among the walkouts, as was Newsmax. Accusations of ‘self-righteous media’ In a post on X, Parnell denounced the “self-righteous media who chose to self-deport from the Pentagon.” “Americans have largely abandoned digesting their news through the lens of activists who masquerade as journalists in the mainstream media,” Parnell wrote. “We look forward to beginning a fresh relationship with members of the new Pentagon press corps.” The journalists who left the Pentagon haven’t stopped working covering the U.S. military. Many have been reporting aggressively, for example, on stories about strikes against boats in central America alleged to be part of the drug trade. By not being in the Pentagon, “reporters will have to work harder, there’s no question about it,” said Barbara Starr, a longtime Pentagon reporter retired from CNN. “But the real price is paid by the American people and the American military families,” Starr said. “Military families who have their sons and daughters serving, they want to know everything and they want to know it fast.” Starr wondered about Hegseth: “What is he so afraid of?” New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd wrote a biting piece about the defense secretary over the weekend titled “Fraidy-Cat at the Pentagon.” But Hegseth’s boss, President Trump, has expressed support for the new media policy and Hegseth’s aggressive moves mirror some of those made by the administration. The president has sued outlets like The New York Times and Wall Street Journal for their coverage of him. New outlets must add staff Some of the outlets that accepted Hegseth’s rules will have to staff up for their new roles: Just the News, for example, posted an ad online seeking a Pentagon reporter. The Gateway Pundit’s White House correspondent, Jordan Conradson, posted on Wednesday that he was excited to join the Pentagon press corps “and help restore honest journalism after agreeing to follow basic rules … something the legacy media refuses to do!” Lindell, whose My Pillow ads once blanketed Fox News before he joined the political media, posted a statement that LindellTV was “proud to be part […]
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) delivered a grim warning Tuesday night about what he called a “growing cancer” of antisemitism emerging on the American right — a rare public rebuke from one of the GOP’s most prominent conservatives. Speaking at Hagee Ministries’ 45th annual Night to Honor Israel in San Antonio, Cruz said that while antisemitism had long taken root on the political left, he now sees an alarming rise among conservatives. “In the last six months, I have seen antisemitism rising on the right in a way I have never seen in my entire life,” Cruz said to a packed audience. “This poison of antisemitism on the right — it is spreading with young people. It is gaining traction.” The Texas senator, a longtime ally of Israel, said that when he met recently with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he warned that online hate was no longer just “AstroTurf” from foreign governments but “organic — real people, real voices.” Cruz cited examples of right-wing figures who have downplayed Adolf Hitler’s crimes, calling them “the embodiment of evil,” and denounced the spread of “replacement theology” among some young Christians — the belief that the Christian church has replaced the Jewish people. “They are being taught lies — theological lies,” Cruz said. “The promises God made to Israel are still good. They are still valid.” Cruz’s comments come amid intensifying debates within the Republican Party over support for Israel and rising antisemitic rhetoric online. In recent months, he has clashed with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, both of whom have been criticized for remarks sympathetic to anti-Israel sentiment. “The church is asleep right now,” Cruz told the audience, urging faith leaders to confront the issue directly. “If we don’t root this out, it will rot the moral core of the right — and of America itself.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
