A French destroyer rescued 29 sailors from an oil tanker that was attacked by the Houthis in the Red Sea on Wednesday. The Yemeni terror group also attacked a nearby bomb-carrying drone boat. The European Union decried the fact that the tanker, which is carrying 150,000 tons of crude oil, is an “environmental hazard” but did not mention the Houthis, who were responsible for the attack and who pose far more than an “environmental hazard.” The Houthis have attacked over 80 ships since October 7 and murdered four sailors. They attacked Israel, murdering one and wounding several others. They have caused significant damage to a major trade route which normally sees $1 trillion in cargo pass through each year. And prior to October 7, they caused the death of over a half a million Yemenis, and starved and displaced tens of millions more. After bemoaning the “environmental hazard” posed by the destroyed tanker, the EU’s Aspides Red Sea naval mission issued a statement similar to Biden’s DON’T!, saying that “it is essential that everyone in the area exercises caution and refrains from any actions that could lead to a deterioration of the current situation.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
By Rabbi Yair Hoffman True, if they did wear shoes, they did not resemble anything like the sneakers depicted in the picture above. From Rashi in this week’s parsha (Dvarim 8:4) it seemed that they walked barefoot. Your clothing did not wear out: The clouds of glory would rub their [Klal Yisroel’s] clothing and clean them so that they looked like freshly laundered clothes. And also their children, as they grew, their clothes grew along with them, like a snail’s shell, which grows along with it- [Pesikta d’Rav Kahana 92a] nor did [your foot] swell: This means: Neither [did your foot] swell like dough as [usually happens] with those who walk barefoot, that their feet swell. But from a later pasuk in Parshas Ki Savoh (Dvarim 29:4) – we see that they did have shoes! I led you through the desert for forty years [during which time] your garments did not wear out from upon you, nor did your shoes wear out from upon your feet. So how do we resolve this contradiction? Below, we present six possibilities: One possibility is that the earlier Rashi doesn’t really imply that they were barefooted. It just implies that notwithstanding the sheer amount of walking that they did in the desert – their feet did not swell up as generally happens when people walk barefooted. The Divrei Dovid gives a different answer. He writes that it is not pas for the Ananei HaKavod – the clouds of glory which are connected with the shechina to enwrap the soles of shoes. Therefore, this part of the shoe was no longer there, and yet, nonetheless, their feet did not swell on account of the Ananei HaKavod. The Sifsei Chachomim says that the Rashi in Parshas Aikev is referring to those Jews that were born in the Midbar, who did not own shoes. The pasuk later on refers to those who left Mitzrayim themselves and did have shoes. The Aidus B’Yoseph explains based on the Rambam that one who walks barefoot in the desert is likened to one who commits suicide. He writes that the tribe of Dan, who lived on the edge (of the clouds of glory) did require shoes – while the rest of Klal Yisroel didn’t since they had the protection of the Ananei HaKavod. Another resolution can be derived from the Tiferes Yisroel commentary at the end of Moed Kotton. The Gemorah in Moed Kotton (15b) explains that the entire time Klal Yisroel was in the desert they were treated as Menudah – excommunicated – under the ban. Someone under the ban is not permitted to wear shoes. The exception is the tribe of Levi – who were never under the ban. The pasuk in 29:4 refers to the tribe of Levi. (Even though the halacha is that when someone under the ban travels – he is permitted to where shoes. It could be that here they were not permitted because they would not have been damaged on account of the Ananei HaKavod). There is also the possibility (also mentioned in the Tiferes Yisroel for a different reason) that they wore shoes made of cork which is not forbidden to someone under the ban – which perhaps may have caused the swelling (edema). Cork shoes do not wrap around the foot like […]
Former member of the war cabinet MK Gadi Eisenkot called on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to replace Mossad chief Dedi Barnea, who is serving as the head of the negotiations team for a hostage release deal, and replace him with someone who understands the Arab mentality. In an interview with Ynet, Eisenkot said: “Dedi is an excellent person but he doesn’t understand the Arab mentality,” adding that after ten months of negotiations, Barnea “has not yet delivered the goods.” Eisenkot also feels that Barnea, as the head of the Mossad, must utilize all of his time to focus on the Iranian threat. “Barnea and Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar need to deal with their own challenges – and they are big enough,” he said. Eisenkot noted that he and the chairman of his party, Benny Gantz, already told Netanyahu these views six months ago, when they were members of the war cabinet – “more than once.” In an interview with Army Radio on Thursday morning, Eisenkot said that all IDF commanders who were responsible for the October 7 debacle should resign as soon as there is a lull in the war, without waiting for Netanyahu’s resignation. “These are excellent people who are committed to the State of Israel, but they are responsible for the greatest failure of the State since its establishment,” he said. “Therefore, everyone from the level of the division commander to the prime minister should resign.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Domagoj Patkovic, 31, was arrested in Portland, Oregon, on Tuesday and charged with making multiple bomb threats against Jewish hospitals in New York, dating back to May 2021. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, one of the threats in September 2021 led to a partial evacuation and lockdown of a hospital on Long Island. No explosive devices were found. The indictment, filed in August and recently unsealed, accuses Patkovic of threatening several Jewish hospitals in New York City and Long Island. On May 18, 2021, he allegedly called a hospital and claimed, “bombs are all over your facility,” and said that Jews “are gonna go skyrocket up into the sky for Allah.” Patkovic is also accused of live-streaming six calls to six different hospitals, prompting police bomb sweeps. Patkovic faces up to 155 years in prison if convicted. U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said Patkovic and his co-conspirators were “motivated by their hatred of Jewish people” and therefore “targeted Jewish hospitals and care centers in New York City and on Long Island with hoax bomb threats, needlessly endangering patients and staff by creating chaos and alarm.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Anti-Israel Ireland is considering purchasing Israeli drones for its army, the Irish Times reported on Wednesday. Ireland, which has always been hostile to Israel, increased its hostility to new heights since October 7th, joining South Africa’s absurd claim against Israel at the Hague, recognizing a Palestinian state as a reward for terrorism, and urging the EU to rescind its trade agreements with Israel. Its Prime Minister even referred to an Irish-Israeli hostage who was released from captivity in Gaza as a “child who was lost and was now found.” However, when it comes to its self-interests, all its supposed views are scattered to the winds. It has no qualms about using Israeli arms, purchasing over $9.45 million of Israeli-manufactured arms in the past ten years. And now despite Israel’s so-called “genocide” in Gaza, the Irish military is allowing Israeli companies to submit bids for a tender for a fleet of drones, the Times reported. According to the report, Israel, which is a “world leader in drone technology” is “well-positioned to secure the contract.” Ireland was joined by Spain and Norway when it recognized a Palestinian state in May. However, Spain also put its self-interests ahead of its so-called affinity for the Palestinians. Its plan to open an embassy in Ramallah failed because Spanish diplomats refused to relocate from Israel due to concerns about “quality of life and security.” “It’s absurd to recognize Palestine without opening an embassy to formalize it,” sources from the Spanish Foreign Ministry who spoke with the Spanish digital newspaper Ok Diario said at the time. Of course, the Spanish diplomats’ concerns are valid. In April, German Ambassador to the Palestinian Authority Oliver Owcza was attacked by a mob of enraged Palestinian students at Birzeit University over Germany’s support for Israel. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Agudath Israel of America expresses deep concern regarding the recent decision by Commissioner of Education Dr. Betty Rosa to significantly and unilaterally raise the tax levy upon the predominantly Orthodox Jewish district of East Ramapo, New York. The tax levy — the highest increase in memory — raises East Ramapo’s already high property taxes by a whopping 5.38% instead of 1%, the increase legitimately decided by the voters of East Ramapo and its elected school board. The state Commissioner interceded in the local matter at the behest of a taxpayer, supported by the NAACP, who was concerned that the suggested budget would be insufficient for public school needs. The Commissioner’s order conceded that her intervention here was “extraordinary” in response to the contention that the move would effectively “permit any taxpayer to challenge any action by any board… including whenever they do not agree with the budget.” The East Ramapo school board, which can be removed by the Commissioner, had little choice but to approve the Commissioner’s actions last week, but stated that it did so under protest. A particularly dangerous aspect of the Commissioner’s order is its framing of the events as neglectful or malicious actions taken by a white (Jewish), private school (yeshiva) attending majority against a Black and Hispanic, underprivileged, public-school attending minority. While assuredly not the intent, this rhetoric only inflames already dangerous racial tensions and antisemitism and does nothing to solve the issue. Agudath Israel has argued, publicly and recently, that the state’s formula to fund districts and public schools (Foundation Aid) is fundamentally flawed and at fault here. It does not account at all for nonpublic school students, even though the district is required to supply certain services to all children. Given the unique demographics of East Ramapo, where most children attend yeshiva, the district has, naturally, experienced budgetary shortfalls. “In effect,” said Rabbi Shragi Greenbaum, Agudah’s Rockland Regional Director, “instead of appreciating parents who, at great personal sacrifice, self-fund their children’s education, saving the state nearly a half a billion dollars annually in this district alone, the state has enacted punitive tax levies to compensate for a broken formula.” To be clear, Agudath Israel supports properly funding public schools. All children deserve the facilities and resources to succeed. But the funds to accomplish that ought to come from the state legislature, not through an unprecedented, unilateral tax levy imposed by the Commissioner of Education. Agudath Israel therefore urges the state to resolve the deficiency at its heart. The state must act in the best interest of public-school and nonpublic school children alike and fix the formula, instead of usurping the voice, and further taxing the pocketbooks of, East Ramapo’s Jewish residents.
Britain’s drug regulator authorized the Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi on Thursday, saying it’s the first medicine to show some impact in slowing the progression of the neurodegenerative disease. But the U.K. government likely won’t be paying for it after an independent agency separately issued draft guidance concluding that the benefits of Leqembi “cannot be considered good value for the taxpayer.” In addition to the cost of the drug, providing Leqembi requires that patients be hospitalized every two weeks to receive it and be closely monitored for side effects. Experts also noted the lack of data regarding the long-term effectiveness of Leqembi, made by Japanese drugmaker Eisai. “The reality is that the benefits this first treatment provides are just too small to justify the significant cost,” said Dr. Samantha Robers, chief executive of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, or NICE. The draft guidance issued by NICE will now be open for public consultation and all responses will be considered at a second meeting later this year before final advice is issued. The agency estimated about 70,000 people in Briton might benefit from Leqembi. The drug is still available to be prescribed if patients pay for it privately. In the U.S., it costs about $26,000 per patient per year. Some experts said that while they understood patients and their families might be disappointed by the news, there was hope better drugs might be developed soon. Hilary Evans-Newton, chief executive of Alzheimers Research UK, said Leqembi represented “the beginning of a sea-change in how diseases like Alzheimer’s will be treated in the future.” She said there were more than 160 trials underway testing over 125 experimental treatments for Alzheimer’s across the globe. “Despite today’s frustrating news, it really is a matter of when, not if, new treatments become available,” she said in a statement. Others worried the contrasting decisions by the British regulator and its health watchdog could produce further divisions in health care. “This will see greater inequities emerging in people with dementia, as only those who are able to access private healthcare will be able to receive the drug,” said Tara Spire Jones, director of the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized Leqembi in July last year, clearing the way for Medicare and other insurance plans to begin covering the treatment. Last month, the European Medicines Agency recommended that Leqembi not be authorized across the EU, saying that the drug’s impact on slowing cognitive decline did not outweigh its serious side effects, including swelling and potential bleeding in the brain. (AP)
Since the IDF began drafting Charedi men last month, only around 70 individuals have reported to military induction centers, significantly fewer than the number summoned following a High Court of Justice ruling. Only seven Charedim reported to the centers on Wednesday to complete pre-enlistment screenings, according to the IDF. The military has warned that those repeatedly ignoring the draft orders could face arrest. Adjustments have been made at the induction centers to accommodate Charedi recruits, including having only male soldiers and officers handle their processing and adapting psycho-technical tests and interviews to the Charedi community. The draft has sparked frequent protests by Charedi groups opposed to military service. On Wednesday, about 100 men demonstrated near the IDF’s recruitment office in Yerushalayim, leading to five arrests. The IDF began issuing draft orders to around 3,000 Charedim last month in response to a June High Court ruling, which nullified the legal framework allowing yeshiva students to avoid compulsory service. Many of the draft notices were sent to men who were not in yeshiva full-time. The conflict over Charedi enlistment remains one of the most divisive issues in Israel, with the government seeking a legislative solution to gradually increase Charedi participation in the military, though significant disagreements persist among political factions. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The Biden-Harris administration has renewed a sanctions waiver for Iran’s state-controlled broadcaster, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), allowing it to continue operations despite its history of publishing antisemitic and anti-Israel content. The decision, communicated to Congress on August 9, permits the IRIB to engage in financial transactions necessary to keep its TV, radio, and news services running. This marks the first renewal of the waiver since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7. The waiver last occurred in February 2023. Press TV, an arm of the IRIB, broadcasts in English and is described as having given “a platform to a wide array of neo-Nazis, white supremacists and Holocaust deniers.” Ever since October 7, it has been incessantly promoted antisemitic, anti-Israel and anti-US rhetoric, conspiracies, and propaganda. Senator Ted Cruz blasted the administration for easing sanctions while Iranian-backed groups attack U.S. troops and allies. “The Biden-Harris administration’s appeasement of the Iranian regime knows no bounds, even while the regime and its proxies are launching daily attacks against American troops and our allies,” Cruz said. “The administration has allowed over $100 billion to flow to the ayatollah, which he pours into nuclear development, terrorism, and propaganda, all of which is also supposed to be subject to sanctions—which the administration is also waiving or refusing to enforce,” he added. Secretary of State Antony Blinken approved the decision, claiming it is “vital to the national security of the United States.” Despite the waiver, IRIB and its leadership remain under U.S. sanctions for censorship and human rights abuses. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
A former babysitter pleaded guilty to manslaughter Wednesday for the 2019 death of a man she was accused of disabling as an infant 40 years ago. Terry McKirchy, 62, accepted a plea deal for the death of Benjamin Dowling, who died at 35 after a life of severe disabilities caused by a brain hemorrhage he suffered in 1984 when he was 5 months old while at McKirchy’s suburban Fort Lauderdale home. Investigators believed she caused the injury by shaking him. In a letter of apology read to Dowling’s parents by her attorney, assistant public defender David Fry, McKirchy said she was feeling overwhelmed and exhausted by taking care of numerous children and struck him, causing his injuries. McKirchy, who now lives in Sugar Land, Texas, was indicted with first-degree murder by a Broward County grand jury three years ago after an autopsy concluded Dowling died from his decades-old injuries. He never crawled, walked, talked or fed himself, his family has said. She voluntarily entered the Broward County Jail on May 29 after having been free on $100,000 bail since shortly after her indictment. This isn’t the first time McKirchy has taken a deal in connection with Dowling’s injuries, receiving an exceptionally light sentence after pleading no contest to attempted murder in 1985. Then six months pregnant with her third child and facing 12 to 17 years in prison, she was sentenced to weekends in jail until giving birth. She was then freed and put on probation for three years. At the time, she insisted she was innocent, telling reporters that her “conscience is clear.” She said then that she took the deal because wanted to put the case behind her and be with her children. Prosecutors called the sentence “therapeutic” but didn’t explain at the time. Ryal Gaudiosi, then McKirchy’s public defender, said the sentence was “fair under the circumstances.” He died in 2009. Rae and Joe Dowling had been married four years when Benjamin was born Jan. 13, 1984. Both Dowlings worked, so they hired McKirchy, then 22, to babysit him at her home. Rae Dowling told investigators that when she picked up Benjamin from McKirchy on July 3, 1984, his body was limp and his fists were clenched. She rushed him to the hospital, where doctors concluded he had suffered a brain hemorrhage from severe shaking. McKirchy was arrested within days. The Dowlings told reporters in 1985 they were stunned when prosecutors told them minutes before a court hearing of the plea deal McKirchy would receive. The Dowlings said in a 2021 statement that Benjamin endured several surgeries in his life, including having metal rods placed along his spine. He got nourishment through a feeding tube and attended rehab and special schools. The Dowlings had two more children and would take Benjamin to their games and performances. The family moved to Florida’s Gulf Coast in the late 1990s. He died at their home on Sept. 16, 2019. “Benjamin would never know how much he was loved and could never tell others of his love for them,” they said. “Benjamin did smile when he was around his family, although he could never verbalize anything, we believe he knew who we were and that we were working hard to help him.” Shaken baby syndrome first gained national attention in the […]
by Rabbi Yair Hoffman Tonight, the 19th of Av, is the 7th Yartzeit of one of the tzaddikim of the Five Towns /Far Rockaway community, Rav Aharon Brafman zatzal. and the Five Towns/ Far Rockaway community is now a different place now that he has passed away. It is a community that was visibly changed by his presence for close to five decades. Rabbi Brafman was one of those rare, rare individuals that combined profound erudition in his Torah knowledge, deep humility in his character and deportment, and a heart whose remarkable compassion for others knew no bounds. Rav Brafman, as the Menahel, worked very closely with Rabbi Perr zt”l, the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva of Far Rockaway, for close to fifty years. He attended the shiurim and the shmuessim of the Rosh Yeshiva as a talmid would attend. The manner in which they got along with each other was unprecedented. There was never a single machlokes. The parents, the Talmidim, the Baal HaBatim all witnessed this, and this was a reason for the Yeshiva’s tremendous success over the years. LOVING PARENT TO ALL Rabbi Brafman was an individual who, like a loving parent, would look out for people, and these people were aware of his constant love and concern for them. His ahavas yisroel was legendary. When a bochur in Yeshiva told him that he had difficulty waking up in the morning, Rav Brafman would call him at home in the morning. Now this bochur wakes up early and arrives very early to Shacharis each morning. Rabbi Brafman’s only brother, the well-known lawyer, Ben Brafman once told this author: “My brother never told anyone in need, ‘No.’ Somehow, he always knew the people who had the parnassah issues, the health issues, serious family issues. but he always wanted to maintain the privacy and dignity of the people involved. I once asked him, “How come these people always come to you with all this? He answered, “Because I just cannot say, ‘no.’ Sometimes he was up until 2 or 3 AM working with families trying to resolve matters. Others have off on Shabbos. He worked on Shabbos. He always knew what to do, who to call, how to solve the problem. HELPING AGUNOS It is remarkable that despite all he undertook for the community and his own great devotion to Torah, he never lost sight of the individual and always made time for others. This last sentence was actually written by Rav Brafman in his assessment of the Chazon Ish (See November 1970 Jewish Observer), but it very well applied to Rav Brafman as well. A few months before he passed away, he convened a meeting in his home as to what could be done to help a particular Agunah who lived in the community. He would be happy to know that finally, finally, she received her get, and finally – she is to remarry. This young woman relates: “As a terrified young mother in a difficult situation, we arrived in the community eight years ago… Rabbi Brafman took my son into his amazing camp right away, no questions asked, free of charge.. Rabbi Brafman was there by my baby’s upsherin giving brachos, cutting his first hairs, he was there by my eldest son’s Bar Mitzvah, dancing with him, gifting […]
Veteran PBS correspondent Judy Woodruff apologized on Wednesday for comments she had made on the air regarding former President Donald Trump and negotiations for a cease-fire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. Woodruff, during PBS’ Democratic national convention coverage on Monday, repeated a story she had read in Axios and Reuters that Trump had allegedly been encouraging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to put off peace talks until after the U.S. election in the belief that a deal could help Democrat Kamala Harris’ campaign. But Woodruff said in a post on X Wednesday that she had not seen later reporting that the story had been denied by the Trump campaign and Israel. She said her remarks had not been based on any original reporting on her part. “This was a mistake, and I apologize for it,” Woodruff said. Woodruff’s long career in journalism has included time at CNN and NBC News. She was host of PBS’ “NewsHour” between 2013 and 2022, before stepping down for a reporting project. (AP)
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Delta Air Lines announced on Wednesday that it has temporarily halted flights between John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Tel Aviv through October 31, a week after Sukkos concludes, due to the ongoing conflict in the region. Delta said that passengers can still book seats on partner airlines like Air France and El Al through their website. The airline said that it is “continuously monitoring the evolving security environment” and will update passengers as necessary. The airline also warned of potential additional cancellations on a rolling basis and issued a travel waiver for customers who booked trips to or from Tel Aviv before October 31. The waiver covers fare differences and must be used for travel starting by December 15. With Delta and United Airlines suspending flights, El Al remains the only airline offering direct service between the U.S. and Israel. American Airlines has not resumed flights to Tel Aviv since halting them after the October 7 Hamas attack, and announced on Wednesday that it will not resume them until at least March 29, 2025. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Hatzolah Air departed early Thursday morning on a plane loaded with search and rescue experts and equipment to Flagstaff, Arizona, where a frantic search is taking place for 8-year-old Tzion Maron, a Baltimore resident who went missing Wednesday evening and has not been heard from since. The aircraft landed in Flagstaff at around 10:15 AM Eastern Time.
According to a report by the Saudi newspaper Asharq al-Awsat, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terror group is still holding seven Israeli hostages, who were abducted on October 7. This follows an earlier statement from PIJ leader Ziyad Nakhaleh, who announced on October 8 that the group had taken more than 30 of the 251 hostages abducted during the Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel a day prior. Some of the hostages the PIJ held were released during a temporary truce in November, and it remains unclear whether any of those still in PIJ custody have died. The report also highlights growing cooperation between Hamas and PIJ, particularly after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last month. This strengthened alliance is evident not only in Gaza but also in the West Bank, as demonstrated by the failed suicide bombing by a Nablus resident in Tel Aviv on Sunday, which both terror groups jointly claimed responsibility for.
A U.S. government report expected to stir debate concluded that fluoride in drinking water at twice the recommended limit is linked with lower IQ in children. The report, based on an analysis of previously published research, marks the first time a federal agency has determined — “with moderate confidence” — that there is a link between higher levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQ in kids. While the report was not designed to evaluate the health effects of fluoride in drinking water alone, it is a striking acknowledgment of a potential neurological risk from high levels of fluoride. Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The addition of low levels of fluoride to drinking water has long been considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century.
Bullets have been found in the bodies of the hostages recovered by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from Gaza last week. This discovery has led the IDF to assess that the hostages were likely murdered by Hamas while in captivity. While the reports do not specify which hostages were shot, the mother of Yagev Buchshtav confirmed to Kan radio that her son was among those found with bullet wounds. The recovered hostages, whose bodies were brought back from Khan Younis, include Buchshtav, 35, Alex Dancyg, 75, Chaim Peri, 79, Yoram Metzger, 80, Nadav Popplewell, 51, and Avraham Munder, 78.
