Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar excoriated Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday evening. This is not the first time that Sa’ar, who appointed Baharav-Miara as Attorney General during his term as Justice Minister in the previous government, has publicly criticized her. His latest accusations come after Baharav-Miara again flagrantly violated the authority of her position in recent days, including telling Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that it is “illegal” for him to even convene a meeting to discuss firing Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar. Her order was so outrageous that it was even criticized by Supreme Court justices who wrote in a ruling against petitions by left-wing organizations on the matter that any petitions “must wait for a final decision of the government, which is the authorized body, and only then can the path be opened for them to subject the decision to judicial review.” Baharav-Miara again issued an outrageous order on Tuesday, sending a letter to Netanyahu that it is “illegal” for him to re-appoint Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben-Gvir, who returned to the government on Tuesday, as the national security minister. The government ignored her order and unanimously voted on Tuesday to reappoint him to his position. Sa’ar stated: “I started working in the Attorney General’s Office 30 years ago and later, I worked in the State Attorney’s Office and since then, for many years, I worked as the Cabinet Secretary and as a minister with various legal advisors.” “I participated twice in the appointment of the Attorney General – once as the Knesset representative on the committee and a second time as the Justice Minister in the previous government. There was nothing like this. Not even close to this. In trying to find a suitable image for the Attorney General’s conduct in her eagerness to harm the government, I remembered the kamikaze pilots in World War II who committed suicide on enemy targets.” “What is happening before our eyes is the destruction of the government’s legal advice in an attempt to harm the government. What reason did the Attorney General find to prevent this appointment [Ben-Gvir]? After all, even the reason for not appointing him due to the filing of an indictment also expresses an activist approach in light of the explicit wording of the law. Now, there’s not even an indictment. There is probably a new reason: לבלט״ב – an acronym for לא בא לה טוב בעיניים – she doesn’t agree with it,” Sa’ar sardonically noted. Sa’ar then cited a previous case in which a Supreme Court justice ruled that the court cannot interfere in the election of a minister except under “exceptional and extreme circumstances.” “Where are those extreme circumstances here?” Sa’ar questioned. “Where do they exist?” Sa’ar also attacked Baharav-Miara’s interference in the decision to oust the Shin Bet chief: “The Supreme Court ruled that there is no place for granting interim orders for petitions on the matter. So if the court did not issue an interim order against the appointment – are you seeking to prevent the appointment? How is this possible? I hope the court will wisely refrain from sliding to the place you are trying to bring it.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
REPORTER: “Tim Walz says he frequently checks Tesla stock to, ‘give me a little boost during the day.'” LEAVITT: “I think that’s quite sad, but I think Governor Walz is unfortunately living a sad existence after his devastating defeat on November 5.”
According to the White House’s read-out of Trump’s conversation with Zelensky, Ukraine was informed that U.S. ownership of its nuclear power plants would offer the “best protection for that infrastructure”. This will also making it more difficult for Ukraine to pursue the development of nuclear weapons.
DEPORT THEM ALL!: Pro-Hamas students at UCLA have occupied a campus building and are chanting for “intifada revolution” because the university of California has rightfully refused to cut ties with Israel.
“Molotov cocktails and gunfire at a facility in Las Vegas — ‘RESIST’ was spray-painted on the side of the building…AG Pam Bondi says that this is clearly a case of domestic terrorism…”
Another storm system is affecting millions of people in the middle of the U.S., leaving parts of the Midwest and Great Plains under blizzard conditions and a broad swath of neighboring states at risk of high winds and wildfires. Roughly 72 million people were under a wind advisory or warning Wednesday, with winds gusting over 45 mph (72 kph), according to Bryan Jackson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center. At this time of year, cold air lingering in the north collides with warm air coming in from the south to produce strong, low pressure systems, Jackson said. But Wednesday’s weather is the third storm system to rapidly develop in recent weeks and bring high winds to a large swath of the U.S., a “very active pattern” since February, Jackson said. At least 42 people died over the weekend when dynamic storms unleashed tornadoes, blinding dust and wildfires — leaving behind uprooted trees and flattening hundreds of homes and businesses across eight U.S. states in the South and Midwest. Snow for some A band from southwestern Kansas up to central Wisconsin was expected to see as little as 2 inches (5 centimeters) of snow or as much as 1 foot (30 cm) Wednesday. Combined with high winds, forecasters warned of whiteout conditions. The Kansas Department of Transportation closed more than 250 miles (402 kilometers) of Interstate 70 from the Colorado border east to Salina, Kansas, because of winter weather. The first stretch to close — 39 miles (62 km) between Goodland and Colby in western Kansas — was also impacted by last week’s high winds. Eight people died after a dust storm resulted in a pileup of 71 cars and trucks. Blizzard conditions early Wednesday led to near-zero visibility in south central Nebraska, the state patrol said in a Facebook post urging people to stay off the roads. More than 160 miles (257 km) of Interstate 80 cutting east from Lincoln west to Lexington was closed. By midday Wednesday, nearly 70 miles (113 km) of Interstate 29 running along the border between eastern Nebraska and western Iowa had closed. Stalled cars, jackknifed semi-trailers, crashes and downed power lines contributed to road closures throughout the area. Power outages affected households and businesses as heavy snow and high winds knocked down tree branches and led schools to cancel classes. Roughly 50,000 customers in Nebraska were without power Wednesday, as were roughly 25,000 in western and northern Iowa. The sudden storm left many in the region with weather whiplash, following a springlike Tuesday with temperatures in some parts reaching beyond 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius). High winds and risk of fires Where it’s not snowing, there are still very strong winds. Gusts combined with dry conditions from Texas and Oklahoma up through Arkansas and central Missouri bring the potential for wildfires. “Before plants are growing,” Jackson said, “there’s a lot of dry fuel out there.” The fire threat ramped up Tuesday and persisted Wednesday in the region, with renewed risk in parts of Oklahoma still reeling from an outbreak of wildfires that started Friday. More than 400 homes were severely damaged or destroyed, and at least four people died due to the fires or high winds, including a person killed in a vehicle accident as a result of poor […]
A hachnosas sefer torah took place at Yeshiva Nachlas Dovid in Bensalem, PA, on Sunday afternoon. The sefer torah was written and donated by the Rokowsky family, who live in Jackson. Photos and videos: Hillel Engel Photography
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a Statement of Interest in support of Orthodox Jewish developers who claim the Town of Forestburgh, New York, engaged in a blatant, anti-Semitic campaign to block a large residential development project. The case, filed in the Southern District of New York, centers around the actions of Forestburgh’s municipal leaders, who allegedly used zoning laws as a tool to prevent the construction of 2,627 homes by Lost Lake Holdings, LLC—homes that the developers contend were meant to be sold to Chasidic families. The DOJ’s filing argues that Forestburgh’s conduct goes beyond land use issues and represents religious discrimination. The statement outlines a series of actions by town officials that appear to deliberately hinder the project. Among the alleged tactics were inflated tax assessments, rejections of building permits, and the reopening of a 14-year-old environmental review—actions that the DOJ decries as attempts to grind the project to a halt. At the heart of the controversy are troubling communications between Forestburgh officials, including emails in which town leaders expressed their intent to block the project due to the developers’ association with Orthodox Jews. One email from a Town Planning Board Chairman read: “Please don’t be scared about the [H]asidic threat—we’re energized and have the cash to fight and make their lives miserable.” The filing also references another email, forwarded by several town officials, that disparages the Orthodox Jewish community, calling them a “sect notorious for misogyny and child abuse,” while warning of the alleged “destruction” they would bring to the town. The DOJ’s intervention underscores the seriousness of the allegations, pointing to the deliberate efforts to undermine the project through discriminatory means. The DOJ asserts that the case is ripe for trial, rejecting Forestburgh’s attempts to dismiss it as a stalling tactic. The filing also emphasizes the severe harm caused to the developers, who claim to have lost millions of dollars in profits and suffered significant reputational damage as a result of the town’s actions. In the past, Agudath Israel representatives including Rabbis Avi Schnall, Yeruchim Silber, and Shragi Greenbaum, klal askan Chaskel Bennett, representatives of the Sullivan County JCC, along with elected representatives of the Village of Ateres, have all testified before the Town Board, appealing to them to change course and stop their discriminatory policies, but to no avail. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Hatzoloh of Rockland County is proud to announce a significant upgrade to our radio dispatch system, a change that will greatly enhance response efficiency and ensure that the nearest available members can respond swiftly to emergencies. This crucial update comes as part of our commitment to continuously improve our services and meet the evolving needs of our growing community. With Rockland County’s rapid expansion and Hatzoloh’s increasing coverage area, the need for more precise dispatching has become clear. Previously, our dispatch system used a broader tone structure, which sometimes resulted in calls being dispatched to a wider area than necessary. To address this, Hatzoloh has undertaken a comprehensive reprogramming of all member radios and dispatch equipment, a process that has been in the works for several months. This upgrade introduces distinct radio tones for each neighborhood within our coverage area. Now, when an emergency call is received, dispatch will activate the specific tone corresponding to the nearest geographical region. This targeted alerting system minimizes unnecessary call activations, streamlining the dispatch process and enabling a faster, more coordinated response. This major overhaul was executed seamlessly, ensuring that Hatzoloh’s ability to respond to emergencies in Monsey and the surrounding areas remained uninterrupted throughout the transition. More than 300 radios were successfully reprogrammed, a testament to the meticulous planning and dedication of those who worked tirelessly to bring this project to completion. We extend our deepest gratitude to all the individuals who played a role in making this upgrade a reality. Their hard work and commitment have ensured that Hatzoloh remains at the forefront of emergency response, always ready to adapt and improve for the benefit of the community. In coordination with the radio reprogramming, members were gifted a special carry-on luggage, generously donated by Care 365. We sincerely thank Care 365 for their thoughtful contribution and ongoing support. With this new dispatch system in place, Hatzoloh of Rockland remains steadfast in its mission to provide the fastest, most efficient emergency response possible. We will continue to monitor and refine our operations to ensure that our community receives the highest level of care and protection.
WH Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt: “It’s incredibly apparent that there is a concerted effort by the far left to judge shop — to pick judges who are clearly acting as partisan activists from the bench in an attempt to derail this president’s agenda.”
A man dressed in a Hamas uniform and threatening to “kill Zionists” in the heart of Manhattan’s Times Square exposed his own ignorance when confronted by a cameraman. The man, identified only as “Omar,” appeared confident in his rhetoric—until he was pressed on what exactly he meant. When asked directly if he wanted to kill Jews, Omar denied it, insisting that his target was “Zionists.” But when asked to define the term, his response revealed his confusion. “You’re the definition of a Zionist,” he muttered, seemingly unsure of what he was saying. The cameraman then challenged Omar’s reasoning, asking why he wanted to kill Zionists. Omar responded with another broad and dubious claim: “All they want to do is kill all the Arabs.” That’s when the conversation took a turn. The cameraman revealed that he himself is both Jewish and Arabic, leaving Omar visibly perplexed and unable to respond coherently. While Omar’s threats were serious, his inability to articulate his own ideology underscored a deeper issue—how pro-Palestinian rhetoric is often fueled by misinformation, ignorance – and little more than a hatred of Jews. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
KAROLINE LEAVITT: “Trump and Putin spoke about the need for peace and ceasefire in the Ukraine war. Both leaders agreed this conflict needs to end and also stressed the need for improved bilateral relations between the United States and Russia.”
In light of the recent article posted about suicides in the frum community, I want to address HOW you can actually help. You might be surprised to learn that helping someone who is actively suicidal is not as hard as you think. Better yet, learn the signs to help them before they reach that point. What makes me qualified to speak about this? Besides for my own lived experience as someone who struggles with suicidal ideation and has attempted suicide, I also volunteer as a crisis counselor for the crisis text line, am ASIST certified, and am the founder and director of an organization called A Drop of Light (preventfrumsuicide.org) aimed at bringing awareness around and lowering suicides in the frum community. Let’s start with warning signs. Any drastic change in behavior is a warning that something is up. Did you notice that your friend who used to be the life of the party is now silent and staying home? Is your son no longer sleeping at night? Did your usually quiet sister suddenly become the most active person on the family WhatsApp group? Any drastic and sudden change, whether it seems “positive” or “negative” tells you that something is going on. There are also life events which can trigger suicidal thoughts. We all talk about women experiencing postpartum depression. What about the father or siblings? What about someone who just moved, whether simply to a different house or to a different town? Losing a job or starting a new one. Any large life change can throw someone off balance and cause a crisis. Let’s move on to what to do once you are worried about someone. Contrary to popular belief, the safest thing you can do is straight out ask them if they are having thoughts of suicide. Yes, most people will answer truthfully if they know that you are asking from a sincere place. You always want to preface it with WHY you are asking. For example “I noticed that you haven’t been joining us on our weekly walk anymore. Sometimes when people retreat into themselves, it shows that there is something going on. Is everything okay? Have you been thinking of killing yourself?” Again, you want to clearly say the word “suicide” or “kill yourself.” Hurting yourself can mean self harm or suicide and we want to be sure that we are all on the same page. Same thing with saying “have you been having hard thoughts” or something similar. DO NOT ASK IN A JUDGEMENTAL OR CONDESCENDING WAY. It’s important to ask in a calm and open way. Saying “you’re not having thoughts of suicide, are you?” will not get you an honest response. If the person says no, you can still follow up with questions about what’s been going on that has caused the drastic change. Be there to listen and respond with compassion. And if time passes and you are still worried, you can always check in again. Either way, this person now knows that you are a safe person to speak with. If they say yes, they are having thoughts of suicide. Stay calm. Thank them for sharing. Acknowledge how hard it must have been to be so vulnerable and honest. You want to ask them more about what’s been going on that […]
