Yeshiva World News

Trump Preparing to Host Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in First State Visit of Second Term

President Donald Trump’s administration is preparing for a visit to the United States by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman next month, in what could be the first state visit to the U.S. by a foreign leader in Trump’s second term, according to several people familiar with the planning. Work is underway to prepare a package of agreements that Trump and the crown prince could sign or witness during the visit, U.S. officials familiar with the plans for the trip said. The trip is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 17-19, but the timing and status of the visit could change, according to two people familiar with the planning. Those people and the officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the trip before it has been announced. The planned visit will be the first to the United States by the crown prince since the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul during Trump’s first term in office in 2018. U.S. intelligence agencies said Prince Mohammed likely directed the killing, resulting in U.S. sanctions against several Saudi officials. He denies his involvement. But in the years since, both the Trump and Biden administrations have tried to mend ties with Saudi Arabia. The opening major foreign trip of Trump’s second term was to Saudi Arabia. The first Trump administration unsuccessfully sought to have Saudi Arabia join the Abraham Accords, the agreements that normalized relations between Israel and Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Sudan. The Biden administration sought to negotiate a similar deal, but those attempts were derailed by the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in Israel that sparked the war in Gaza. A tenuous ceasefire in Gaza that Trump negotiated has given the administration new hope for the possibility that Saudi Arabia could be brought into the Abraham Accords. Details of the agreements to be signed during the planned visit were not immediately clear, but many are expected to be commercial and trade deals under the framework of a Strategic Economic Partnership that Trump signed with the crown prince during the Republican president’s visit to Saudi Arabia in May. A bilateral security deal, long sought by the Saudis, is also under discussion, according to the officials. Trump signed an executive order last month offering Saudi Arabia’s fellow Gulf state neighbor Qatar security assurances in the wake of Israel’s attack on Hamas leadership in Doha. The White House didn’t respond to a request for comment, and the Saudi Embassy declined to comment. Bloomberg first reported the expected visit. (AP)

“Abandoned” Jewish Baby In Monsey With Note Attached Sparks Speculation And Panic – But It’s A Hoax

Panic spread through Monsey and on social media Wednesday morning after messages claimed a newborn named “Malkie” was found with a handwritten Yiddish note begging someone to care for her. The note reads: “This child is named Malkie. She is Jewish! Please care for her! Us, her parents, didn’t have the ability to do so. Thanks!” However, Monsey Scoop confirmed the entire story is false. Law enforcement agencies across Rockland County and Hamaspik officials all stated they have no record or investigation of any such incident. Authorities say the viral post is a complete fabrication and urge the public to verify information before spreading unconfirmed rumors. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Practical Halacha: Staying Late at Work? Here’s When It Becomes a Yichud Concern

Rabbi Chaim Frances & Rabbi Yitzchak Elefant  Question: An employee regularly stays late at the office to meet project deadlines. Over time, he observed that he is often the only male present, with just a few female colleagues also remaining. At what point does this situation raise concerns of Yichud, and what practical steps should be taken to address it in accordance with halachic guidelines? Answer: To address the question, we first must determine whether this is a scenario of Yichud, we can then address some of the practical solutions. 1] If there is one man and only 1 or 2 women present this would constitute Yichud[1]. If there is one man and 3 women present, one should still act stringently, however, as long as they are all[2] not leeboi gas buh (see section 6 for a classification of when a relationship is considered leboi gas buh) in cases of necessity it would not constitute Yichud[3]. Generally, if two men are present, the situation is not considered yichud[4]. However, if the men are porutzim, the prohibition of yichud applies regardless of their number (see footnote[5]). 2] If the situation does constitute Yichud, it may be permissible if one of several halachic exemptions (heterim) applies. The heter of yotzei v’nichnas (intermittent entry)[6]. It is a scenario of Pesach Pesuach (an open or accessible door). The heter of baalah ba’ir (the woman’s husband being present in the same city). 3] The heter of yotzei v’nichnas applies when there is a reasonable likelihood that someone may enter the room or office at any time—such as another employee returning to retrieve materials or finish work. The fear of someone walking in creates a natural deterrent, thereby removing the Yichud concern (however, this only serves as a valid heter if the individual who may enter would resolve the Yichud problem—such as another male or a third female[7]) This heter applies even in a case where there is a libo gas bah relationship amongst the parties[8]. 4] If no one is expected to enter, the heter of pesach pasuach[9] may still be relevant. This principal —literally “an open door”—means that the concern of being seen can deter inappropriate behavior, even without an actual person entering.  However, there is significant debate among the Poskim about the parameters of this heter.  According to the strictest opinion [10] it only applies if the door is physically open and faces a public area where people can see inside. If the door is closed, or if the location is one where people generally do not pass by, the heter would not apply. Therefore, in our scenario, for the Heter to apply, there must be other individuals who regularly occupy the building and have a direct line of sight into the office .A more lenient opinion[11] that even a closed but unlocked door is sufficient[12]. The reasoning is that the fear of someone walking in serves as a sufficient deterrent. There is a debate on how to understand the more lenient opinion regarding how likely it must be for someone to walk in for this heter to apply. Some[13] maintain that it must be common for people to enter homes or offices without explicit permission; otherwise, the deterrent factor is minimal. Others are more lenient and rule that as long as an […]

Tucker Carlson Slammed for Airing Antisemitic COVID Conspiracy Theory

Tucker Carlson is facing widespread backlash after he gave airtime to a baseless and antisemitic conspiracy theory claiming Jewish people were genetically immune to COVID-19. “There was a finding in a scientific publication that two different populations … of people of Jewish ancestry — depending on which line they’re from — one was more heavily impacted than the others,” Huff said. Carlson replied, “You mean Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews.”

Tucker Carlson Slammed for Promoting Insane Antisemitic Claim That Jews Were Immune to COVID [VIDEO]

Tucker Carlson is facing widespread backlash after he gave airtime to a baseless and antisemitic conspiracy theory claiming Jewish people were genetically immune to COVID-19. During Monday’s episode of The Tucker Carlson Show, the former Fox News host echoed and expanded on an earlier claim by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that COVID-19 was “tailored” to harm certain ethnic groups more than others. Carlson’s guest, author and self-styled whistleblower Andrew Huff, told Carlson the claim was “scientifically true,” referencing a “finding” that people of Jewish ancestry were affected differently by the virus. “There was a finding in a scientific publication that two different populations … of people of Jewish ancestry — depending on which line they’re from — one was more heavily impacted than the others,” Huff said. Carlson replied, “You mean Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews.” The claim that Jewish people were immune to COVID-19 — a theory first spread by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in 2023 and discredited by scientists worldwide — has its roots in a long history of antisemitic myths that falsely cast Jews as both the cause and the cure for global calamities. Historians note that similar rumors fueled deadly pogroms in medieval Europe, where Jews were accused of poisoning wells during outbreaks of plague. Public health experts have repeatedly emphasized that no scientific evidence supports the idea of COVID-19 being genetically “targeted” toward or against any ethnic group. The exchange triggered immediate outrage across the political spectrum, with Jewish groups accusing Carlson of legitimizing age-old antisemitic tropes — and even conservative commentators blasting him for reviving conspiracy theories once used to justify persecution and violence against Jews. The Anti-Defamation League called Carlson’s remarks “dangerous and disgraceful,” warning that framing Jews as genetically distinct or biologically protected from disease “feeds directly into centuries-old antisemitic myths that fueled massacres and pogroms.” Arynne Wexler, a right-wing commentator, drew the historical parallel even more sharply. “Europeans blamed the Jews for the Black Death,” she wrote on X. “That led to massacres. We’re talking thousands of Jews slaughtered, burned alive, entire communities annihilated. Tucker isn’t creative — he’s recycling blood libel.” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) mocked the notion that “the Jews were running the Wuhan Institute for Virology,” calling it absurd. RedState columnist Bonchie dismissed Carlson’s segment as “clownish,” writing that “anyone still peddling the idea that COVID was engineered to spare Jews should be laughed out of public life.” The controversy marks the latest in a string of incidents in which Carlson has been accused of promoting antisemitic or extremist ideas. Just last month, Israeli outlets and U.S. Jewish groups condemned Carlson for promoting conspiracies surrounding the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

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