Yeshiva World News

President Donald Trump said Friday that he was “being a little bit sarcastic” when he repeatedly claimed as a candidate that he would have the Russia-Ukraine war solved within 24 hours — and even before he even took office. Trump was asked about the vow he repeatedly made on the campaign trail during an interview for the “Full Measure” television program as his administration is still trying to broker a solution 54 days into his second term. “Well, I was being a little bit sarcastic when I said that,” Trump said in a clip released ahead of the episode airing Sunday. “What I really mean is I’d like to get it settled and, I’ll, I think, I think I’ll be successful.” It was a rare admission from Trump, who has a long record of making exaggerated claims. Trump said at a CNN town hall in May 2023, “They’re dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying. And I’ll have that done — I’ll have that done in 24 hours.” “That is a war that’s dying to be settled. I will get it settled before I even become president,” Trump said during his September debate with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. “If I win, when I’m president-elect, and what I’ll do is I’ll speak to one, I’ll speak to the other. I’ll get them together.” The Republican repeated the claim frequently on the campaign trail. His special envoy, Steve Witkoff, was in Moscow this week for talks on a U.S.-proposed ceasefire, which Ukraine has accepted. In the interview, Trump was also asked what the plan would be if Putin does not agree to a ceasefire to the war he started three years ago. “Bad news for this world because so many people are dying,” Trump said. But I think, I think he’s going to agree. I really do. I think I know him pretty well and I think he’s going to agree.” (AP)

A high-ranking IDF officer from the Southern Command is under investigation after losing highly classified documents in a parking lot outside an office tower in Ramat Gan. According to reports, the brigadier general was on his way to a civilian meeting when the sensitive documents fell from his possession. A civilian passerby discovered them and promptly handed them over to a security guard in the building, who then alerted both the police and the IDF. The IDF has confirmed that the documents should never have left the military base, raising concerns over protocol breaches and potential security risks. The officer is now the subject of an internal probe by the Information Security Department. Despite the severity of the incident, military sources said that the brigadier general has not been suspended at this stage. The IDF stated that a full investigation is underway, with officials vowing to take “appropriate steps” once the probe is concluded. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israeli forces uncovered a significant weapons cache during an anti-terrorism operation in the Nur Shams refugee camp near Tulkarem, the IDF announced. Among the recovered items were several bags of weapons, with one particularly alarming discovery—a vest labeled “UNRWA”, the United Nations agency responsible for Palestinian refugees. The find comes amid longstanding Israeli accusations that terrorist groups exploit UNRWA as cover for their activities. Following the discovery, the confiscated weapons were transferred to Israeli security forces for further analysis. The IDF did not specify the types of weapons found or which terror group they are believed to belong to. The military noted that it will continue its counterterrorism operations across the West Bank to prevent attacks and ensure the safety of Israeli citizens. The Nur Shams camp has been a frequent flashpoint for clashes between Palestinian militants and Israeli forces, with the IDF ramping up operations in response to recent terror threats. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A high-stakes diplomatic mission turned into a heated television showdown on Sunday, as CNN’s Jake Tapper confronted Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump’s U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, over his three-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the ongoing efforts to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine. Appearing on State of the Union, Witkoff defended his visit to Moscow on Friday, a meeting that reportedly came after Putin left him waiting for eight hours—a power move reminiscent of the Russian leader’s past diplomatic tactics. Trump himself vehemently denied the delay in a Truth Social post on Saturday, slamming the report as “fake news.” Despite the tense optics surrounding the meeting, Witkoff characterized the discussions as “positive” and “solution-based”, claiming that progress had been made. Tapper, however, was quick to challenge that optimism, pressing Witkoff on reports that Russia’s ceasefire conditions included “international recognition” of Ukrainian territory that Moscow has seized. “Jake, I would not call your description entirely accurate,” Witkoff responded, pushing back on the characterization of Russia’s demands. He acknowledged that the two sides had started the negotiation “miles apart” but insisted that “they are today a lot closer.” One of the most striking moments of the interview came when Tapper asked whether Putin himself was the primary obstacle to peace. The CNN host cited Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who recently stated that if Russia refuses to agree to the terms Ukraine has already accepted, then “we’ll unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here.” “So as Secretary Rubio puts it, is it now clear that Putin is the impediment to peace right now?” Tapper pressed. Witkoff sidestepped the question, refusing to directly blame the Russian leader. Instead, he emphasized that Putin, Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky all “want to see an end to this” and that negotiations remain ongoing. “I don’t want to put words in President Putin’s mouth,” Witkoff said carefully. “But I think he’s indicated that he accepts the philosophy of President Trump. President Trump wants to see an end to this. I think President Putin wants to see an end to this. I think President Zelensky wants to see an end to this … there are all details that have to get worked out at the table.” When asked for a timeline on a potential agreement, Witkoff echoed Trump’s belief that progress could be seen in “weeks.” Witkoff also underscored that Trump is deeply involved in the talks, revealing that the former president is likely to speak with Putin by phone later this week. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

In a powerful display of Israel’s advancing defense capabilities, Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a stark warning to Israel’s enemies, vowing that any aggression would be met with overwhelming force. During a visit to Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Katz confirmed that the Iron Beam laser interception system—hailed as a revolutionary leap in missile defense—will soon be operational. “Our enemies should know and understand clearly—we have many means to deliver a decisive blow. If they raise a hand against Israel again, that hand will be severed,” Katz declared, standing alongside military leaders and top defense officials. The Iron Beam, set to be deployed later this year, represents a game-changing breakthrough in modern warfare. Unlike the Iron Dome, which relies on expensive interceptor missiles, the Iron Beam uses high-powered lasers to neutralize incoming rockets and drones at a fraction of the cost. The system, developed by Rafael, is designed to complement Israel’s layered air defense network, working alongside the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow missile systems to protect Israeli cities from relentless aerial threats. “The laser system is the weapon of the future, capable of neutralizing an entire layer of threats… with outstanding and continuously improving results. Israeli citizens need this protection,” Katz asserted, underscoring the necessity of Iron Beam’s rapid deployment. Unlike traditional missile defense systems, the Iron Beam never runs out of ammunition—as long as there’s an energy source, the lasers can keep firing. This unlimited capability provides a critical advantage in sustained conflicts, reducing the financial and logistical burden of replenishing costly interceptor missiles. Since Hamas’s brutal October 7 attack, which saw the massacre of over 1,200 Israelis, Israel has faced a relentless bombardment from multiple fronts. In just over five months, more than 26,000 rockets, missiles, and drones have been fired at Israel from Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen. Israeli air defenses, particularly the Iron Dome, have intercepted thousands of incoming projectiles, saving untold lives. But with enemies adapting their tactics—using massive barrages, drones, and long-range precision strikes—the demand for a next-generation, cost-effective defense system has never been greater. Rafael, the defense firm behind the Iron Dome and David’s Sling, has worked tirelessly to refine the Iron Beam’s accuracy, range, and reliability. Once fully integrated into Israel’s air defense network, it will provide an unprecedented multi-layered shield, ensuring that threats—whether from Hamas, Hezbollah, or Iran—are met with instant, surgical elimination. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The Democratic Party is facing a deepening internal divide as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer comes under fire from within his own ranks for backing a Republican-led government funding bill. The decision, framed by critics as a capitulation to Donald Trump and the GOP, has sparked open rebellion among Democratic pundits, lawmakers, and party loyalists. Schumer’s support for the continuing resolution to fund the government drew immediate backlash. MSNBC host Symone Sanders-Townsend ripped into the New York senator over the weekend, accusing him of folding “like a paper napkin” to Republican demands. On The Weekend Saturday, Sanders-Townsend expressed outrage over the bill’s impact on funding for Washington, D.C., where she resides, and even suggested she was considering changing her party registration to independent in response. “There’s actually little that the Senate minority leader can say, and the ten Democrats that voted with the Republicans can say, to appease somebody like me,” she said, before sarcastically praising House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, whom she referred to as the “High King.” The backlash wasn’t limited to television commentators. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries notably refused to defend Schumer’s leadership when asked directly on Friday whether it was time for the Senate Democrats to find new leadership. His silence spoke volumes about the growing frustration among House Democrats, who largely opposed the bill. Meanwhile, CNN’s Van Jones slammed Schumer for what he called a “radical misreading of the room.” Jones argued that Democratic voters expected their leaders to stand firm against Republican priorities—particularly after campaigning in 2024 on the existential threat Trump poses to democracy—but instead, they watched as Schumer and Senate Democrats handed Republicans a major win. The controversy highlights a growing progressive insurgency within the Democratic Party, reminiscent of the GOP’s Tea Party revolt in the early 2010s. Disillusionment among left-leaning Democrats, who see their leaders as weak in the face of Trump’s resurgence, is reaching a boiling point. As Sanders-Townsend put it bluntly: “They blew it! The Democratic Tea Party was born the same day that Chuck Schumer took to that podium.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Recently released Israeli hostage Tal Shoham revealed that Hamas’s terror infrastructure in Gaza remains intact, with its underground tunnel network expanding daily—even after more than a year of war. In an interview with Fox News, Shoham detailed his harrowing 505-day ordeal in Hamas captivity, revealing new insights into the terror group’s relentless efforts to rebuild and strengthen its underground stronghold. Shoham, who was abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7 while visiting his wife’s parents, endured months of physical and psychological torment, starvation, and complete isolation. Despite Israel’s intensive military campaign to dismantle Hamas’s labyrinthine tunnel network, he confirmed that Hamas has never stopped digging—not even for a single day. Shoham’s nightmare began when he voluntarily surrendered to Hamas terrorists, believing it would spare the lives of his wife, Adi, and their two children, Yahel (3) and Naveh (8). His wife and children were later released in the November 2023 hostage truce, but Shoham was left behind, enduring nearly 17 months of captivity. He recalled the chilling moment he stepped outside and was met by 40 armed terrorists. Some filmed him like a trophy, others laughed in his face. Hauled into Gaza in a car trunk, he was dragged out and ordered to kneel. “I said, ‘I can’t control whether you kill me or not,’ and I raised my hands—but I refused to kneel,” Shoham recalled. “If you want to kill me, kill me, but you will not execute me like ISIS.” Hamas terrorists paraded him through the streets of Gaza, jeering crowds watching. “I just waved and smiled. I didn’t show fear,” he said. For 50 agonizing days, Shoham had no idea if his wife and children were alive. The isolation and uncertainty pushed him to the brink of despair. “Never in my life have I experienced suffering like this,” he admitted. To survive, he forced himself to accept that his family was dead. “I sat on the floor and imagined myself at their funeral. I stood in front of a grave—one large for my wife, two small for my children—and I eulogized each of them. I sobbed but didn’t let my captors see me cry. That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done—burying my family in my mind.” Then, on Day 50, a miracle—a letter from his wife. Adi and the children were alive. “That was the most important thing,” Shoham said. “I didn’t need to be a father and husband protecting them anymore. Now, I could focus on my war—the one I knew how to fight, the one for survival.” After months of isolation, Shoham was eventually transferred into Hamas’s vast underground tunnel network, a subterranean maze described as “a city beneath a city.” There, he lived alongside his captors—who, even amid Israel’s relentless attacks, continued digging tunnels every single day. “Hamas never stopped digging. Not for a single day,” Shoham revealed. His chilling testimony confirms Israeli intelligence reports that Hamas’s underground network remains a formidable, ever-growing fortress, despite direct military strikes. A January 2024 report estimated the tunnel network spans 350 to 450 miles, with over 5,700 tunnel shafts across Gaza. By July 2024, Israeli defense sources indicated that Hamas had repaired major sections, proving its ability to regenerate even in the midst of war. Like many other released hostages, Shoham described being deliberately starved by Hamas. […]

A gobsmacked planet is wondering what’s next from President Donald Trump on the tariff spree he’s set in zigzag motion. In recent weeks, Trump has announced punishing tariffs against allies and adversaries alike, selectively paused and imposed them, doubled and then halved some, and warned late in the week that he’ll tax European wine and spirits a stratospheric 200% if the European Union doesn’t drop a 50% tariff on U.S. whiskey. His ultimate stated goal is clear: to revive American manufacturing and win compromises along the way. But people and nations whose fortunes rise and fall on trade are trying to divine a method to his machinations. So far, he’s spurred fears about slower growth and higher inflation that are dragging down the stock market and consumer confidence. “His tariff policy is erratic, more erratic than April weather,” Robert Halver, head of capital markets analysis at Germany’s Baader Bank, said from the floor of the Frankfurt stock market. “So, there is no planning certainty at all.” The same goes for Exit 9 Wine & Liquor Warehouse in Clifton Park, New York, where owner Mark O’Callaghan is waiting to see if the prohibitive taxes on European wine — over a third of his business — really happen. He’s mindful of Trump’s seemingly whack-a-mole approach on which countries and goods to hit and how hard. “It changes by the hour now, right?” O’Callaghan said. “You know, it’s hard to navigate and manage, and everything changes so quickly.” In Canada, generations of political leaders took it as a point of pride that their country and the U.S. share the “world’s longest undefended border,” as they liked to say. No more. Trump unifies Canada Trump’s sweeping taxes on Canadian imports come in the context of his wanting the U.S. to absorb its neighbor, an ambition that has united Canadians of the left and right in seething anger. A recent Nanos poll found that the vast majority of Canadians say their opinion of the United States has sunk from a year ago. “The Americans want our resources, our water, our land, our country,” Prime Minister Mark Carney said days before his swearing-in Friday. “Think about it. If they succeed, they will destroy our way of life.” Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said: “If the U.S. can do this to us, their closest friend, then nobody is safe.” Trade wars sparked by retaliatory and escalating tariffs typically form in the grind of legislation, as happened with the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act nearly a century ago. This round comes from Trump’s executive actions, with Congress passive, and can change like the weather, or perhaps even his moods. That’s how March came in like a lion. Watch your manners Personal pique is part of it all, suggests Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. “If you make him unhappy, he responds unhappy,” he told Bloomberg TV, explaining that Trump didn’t like it when a variety of countries targeted with new U.S. tariffs retaliated with tariffs of their own. Nor was Trump content when Canada did not show “immeasurable respect” for his trade grievances, Lutnick told CBS News. “Say, ‘Thank you, I want to work it out with you,’” he added, as if advising Ottawa on how to be properly deferential. “’I want you to be happy.’” Trump himself said of Canada, “We don’t need anything that they have.” Canada […]

BORO PARK: FDNY firefighters and other emergency personnel are at the scene of a fire in a fifth-floor apartment at 1314 46th Street

NY-17: Catskills Hatzolah and other emergency personnel were on the scene of an MVA involving an overturned vehicle on Route 17 westbound, between exits 116 and 115. Two individuals sustained injuries and were transported to Orange Regional Medical Center for treatment. (Via Catskills Scoop)