Matzav

In a moment that caught Kamala Harris and her team completely by surprise, Donald Trump—known for his combative political style—responded with unexpected grace when Harris phoned to concede the 2024 presidential race. He commended her on running a “great” campaign and called her a “tough cookie,” according to revelations in a new book.

On the call, which took place the day after the election, Harris reportedly said, “I’m calling to concede. It was a fair election. The peaceful transfer of power is important. It’s important to the country,” as detailed in Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History by author Chris Whipple.

She didn’t hang up without getting in a subtle remark about Trump’s often polarizing style, adding, “I hope you’re president for all Americans.”

Rather than reacting defensively, Trump took the high road and expressed admiration for Harris’ campaign effort, even though she had entered the race late. Whipple writes that the president-elect was in a celebratory mood following his unprecedented win.

“You’re a tough cookie. You were really great. And that Doug — what a character! I love that guy,” Trump told her, referring fondly to her husband, Doug Emhoff.

Despite Trump’s cordial tone, one of Harris’ staffers didn’t buy it and viewed his demeanor as suspicious given his usual rhetoric during the campaign.

“I was like, what?” the aide reportedly exclaimed. “Honestly, I felt like, what is this? It’s so manipulative. He’s a sociopath.”

The now-routine concession call almost didn’t happen at all, as technical glitches made the process unexpectedly clumsy, according to Whipple’s account.

Harris’ campaign chief of staff Sheila Nix and her White House chief of staff Lorraine Voles tried to initiate the call from the vice president’s residence at the Naval Observatory in Washington, DC. But when Harris attempted to dial Trump, the phones wouldn’t connect properly.

Ultimately, Voles used her own phone to call Trump and then passed it to Harris while she and Nix physically pressed their devices together to complete the conversation, Whipple reports.

As Trump’s voice came through the line, Harris reportedly “felt the weight of the crushing defeat,” capturing the emotional toll of the moment, Whipple writes.

The book, Uncharted, is set to be released on Tuesday.

{Matzav.com}

Eight decades after the liberation of Auschwitz from Nazi control, Jewish visitors now have access to kosher food at the site. Just a short distance from the former concentration camp, travelers will for the first time be able to purchase ready-to-eat kosher meals at the Auschwitz Jewish Center. This center, now functioning as a museum, is also home to the only synagogue that still stands in Oświęcim, the town the Nazis once renamed Auschwitz.

The kosher food service is launching in conjunction with Yom HaShoah, Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on the evening of April 23. In Poland, the solemn day is marked by the March of the Living, an annual event where thousands walk from Auschwitz to Birkenau. The Auschwitz Jewish Center plans to enhance its programming for the event by offering prayer services.

Eighty survivors of the Holocaust are expected to take part in this year’s march, making it one of the most significant survivor gatherings at Auschwitz in recent memory. They’ll be joined by Jewish teenagers from various parts of the globe.

Prior to the Holocaust, the Jewish community made up more than half of Oświęcim’s population. The town boasted over 30 synagogues, as well as kosher bakeries, restaurants, and butchers. Today, only one Jew is known to live there — a woman employed by the Auschwitz Jewish Center. Hila Weisz-Gut relocated in 2023 to live with her Polish partner. Her grandmother survived Auschwitz, though many of her relatives were among the one million Jews who perished there.

Since reopening in 2000, the Auschwitz Jewish Center has welcomed around 800,000 guests. Although that figure represents only a fraction of the over one million annual visitors to Auschwitz itself, the foundation’s leadership believes it’s important to accommodate religious Jewish travelers.

“Opening the city’s first post-war kosher concession was a natural step, ensuring that Kosher-observant visitors could pray or reflect in our synagogue while also enjoying a kosher meal,” said Simon Bergson.

Until now, observant Jews visiting the site had to bring food with them or coordinate catered meals in advance. But the new kosher option at the center is about more than convenience, says Jack Simony, the foundation’s director general.

“This concession is more than just a place to eat – it symbolizes continuity, resilience, and hope for future generations,” he said in a statement.

{Matzav.com}

Azerbaijan’s intelligence agency disclosed today that it had prevented an assassination attempt targeting the country’s chief rabbi, Rabbi Shneur Segal.

Authorities reported that Agil Aslanov, a known drug dealer, was recruited by the Iranian Quds Force to carry out the mission. Aslanov allegedly met with a commander from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps last autumn, who gave him “precise instructions” on how to execute the killing.

Azerbaijani officials stated that Aslanov had accepted a $200,000 payment offer in return for carrying out the murder of Rabbi Segal.

The plot was reportedly stopped in January by Azerbaijani security personnel, who also prevented an attack that had been planned on an educational center within the country.

Aslanov, a Georgian national, has since been apprehended and faces charges related to terrorism and attempted murder.

Rabbi Segal shared with the Washington Post that he became aware of the assassination plot targeting a “religious figure” through media coverage. Despite the threat, he emphasized that, “Jews live in tranquility and without fear” in Azerbaijan.

{Matzav.com}

Tosay, the Hamas terrorist organization released the first footage indicating that hostages Maxim Herkin and Bar Kupershtein, abducted during the October 7 attack, are still alive and in captivity.

Out of sensitivity to the families, the video—or any part of it—will only be released publicly with their explicit consent.

Currently, 59 individuals remain imprisoned in Gaza, with 24 believed to be alive. Since the conclusion of the second negotiated exchange, indications of life have emerged regarding 19 of them.

The Herkin family identified Maxim’s voice in the brief video clip issued by Hamas. Maxim is a Russian citizen, and in the past, Russia has made efforts to secure his freedom.

Two months ago, senior Hamas leader Moussa Abu Marzouk, who led a delegation to Moscow, commented that any discussion regarding Herkin’s release would only occur during the second phase of the negotiated deal.

Kupershtein, who turned 23 on Sunday, remains captive. He had been working as a security guard at the Nova music festival and was actively involved in helping the wounded during the attack. In a separate video, he is seen restrained and being taken by Hamas operatives.

Bar’s family has obtained information about his current conditions from individuals who were freed in the previous hostage deal.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters issued a statement: “The families of Bar Kupershtein and Maksym Harkin do not authorize the publication of the video released by Hamas earlier this evening, nor any parts or images from it. The families have requested that their privacy be respected during this time.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rabbi Nochum Frankel zt”l.

Rabbi Frankel was a longtime resident of Monsey, NY, a beloved member of the College Road neighborhood. In Monsey, he was mechanech generations of Yiddishe kinder, teaching in various mosdos for decades.

His passion for chinuch was matched only by the deep care he had for each and every student. He did not merely teach. He inspired. With his ever-present warmth, gentle demeanor, and heartfelt sincerity, Rabbi Frankel instilled in his students a love for Torah, yiras Shomayim, and middos tovos that stayed with them long after they left his classroom.

What stood out most about Rabbi Frankel was not just his dedication to his teaching, but the kindness and humanity that radiated from him in all areas of life. Whether offering a listening ear, a word of encouragement, or a gut vort, he had a way of making others feel seen and valued. His quiet humility and unwavering integrity left an indelible mark on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.

During recent years, even after relocating with his wife to The Enclave in Lakewood, the Frankels would spend the week in Monsey, where Rabbi Frankel continued to teach, including at Bais Yaakov, where he taught for many years.

He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Henny Frankel, and a wonderful family of prominent bnei and bnos Torah making their mark on their respective communities.

The levayah will be held on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. at the Congregation Sons of Israel Holocaust Memorial Chapel, located at 613 Ramsey Avenue, off of East 7th Street, in Lakewood, NJ.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}

London Mayor Sadiq Khan is being accused by Israel’s ambassador and embassy in the UK of spreading “Hamas propaganda” in his message for Ramadan, according to a statement released Thursday.

In a video posted this week, Khan said that “more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza as a result of Israel’s ongoing military campaign, including more than 15,000 children.” His figures appear to come from casualty reports issued by the Gaza health ministry, which is under Hamas control and whose numbers have been questioned.

Earlier this week, Hamas itself revealed updated information that contradicts earlier reports. According to the nonprofit Honest Reporting, which shared its analysis with The Telegraph, roughly 60% of those killed in the conflict have been adult males of combat age. Hamas’s official statistics do not separate fighters from civilians.

“These betrayals of humanity should weigh heavily on our collective conscience. But I’m proud that, while the international community has chosen to avert its gaze, Londoners have not,” the mayor said in his message.

The Israeli ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely, responded harshly to the remarks on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, saying: “I was extremely disturbed listening to @SadiqKhan’s remarks in a video he released at the start of Eid celebrations. His comments on the casualties from the ongoing war in Israel as ‘betrayals of humanity’ seem a shocking misrepresentation.

“His further comments that ‘the international community has chosen to avert its gaze’ were also absurd. If that were the case, then perhaps it should look towards Hamas and the atrocities they have committed.”

In a statement to The Times, the Israeli embassy reinforced that the war was triggered by Hamas’s violent assault on Israel on October 7, 2023. “The war is a result of the brutal and horrific attack by Hamas, a proscribed terror organization in the UK, which was imposed on Israel on October 7, 2023,” the embassy said.

The statement also expressed concern over Khan’s failure to mention the terror group or its actions. “It is alarming that throughout the message, there is no mention of Hamas or any condemnation of terrorism and a call for the release of 59 hostages that are being held in horrific and inhumane conditions.”

The embassy further criticized Khan for overlooking Hamas’s violent treatment of Palestinians and pointed out that the group murdered people of multiple faiths on October 7. “Hamas terrorists murdered people of all faiths and none, with impunity,” the embassy said, adding that over 20 Muslim Israelis were killed and six others kidnapped during the attack.

“The values that Mr Khan speaks of must not be applied selectively,” an embassy spokesman added.

Responding to the controversy, a spokesperson for the mayor said, “The mayor has repeatedly conveyed his outrage at attacks by Hamas on Israel and has strongly condemned these acts of terrorism. He is deeply saddened by the loss of all lives and continues to support calls for a permanent ceasefire.”

This is not the first time Khan has faced backlash over his public comments about the Gaza conflict. He previously apologized to UK Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis after suggesting that the rabbi’s criticism of calls for a ceasefire was Islamophobic.

{Matzav.com}

A federal judge in Maryland has ordered the Trump administration to take immediate action to bring back a man who was wrongfully deported to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador, intensifying ongoing legal tensions between the judiciary and the White House.

“This was an illegal act,” U.S. Federal District Judge Paula Xinis told lawyers from the Justice Department during a hearing in Greenbelt, Maryland. The case involves Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident with legal status and a valid work permit, who was detained and sent to El Salvador last month—even though he was granted protection from deportation by an immigration judge back in 2019.

Judge Xinis instructed the federal government to ensure that Abrego Garcia is returned to the United States no later than 11:59 p.m. on Monday, April 7, emphasizing that his continued presence in El Salvador amounts to serious and irreversible harm.

“From the moment he was seized, it was unconstitutional,” Judge Xinis said from the bench. “If there isn’t a document, a warrant, a statement of probable cause, then there is no basis to have seized him in the first place. That’s how I’m looking at it,” the judge said.

The Department of Justice acknowledged that an administrative blunder led to Abrego Garcia’s removal. Still, government attorneys claimed in legal filings that he is affiliated with MS-13 and argued that the judge no longer has the power to order his return since he is not currently on U.S. soil.

Attorneys for Abrego Garcia strongly disputed that reasoning, insisting that Homeland Security must act without delay to bring him back from El Salvador.

“They’re coming before this court and saying we’ve tried nothing, and we’re all out of options,” said Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, one of Abrego Garcia’s lawyers.

Erez Reuveni, representing the Justice Department, urged the judge to give the Trump administration more time to work out the issue internally.

“I would ask the court to give us the defendants one more chance to do this” without an order from the court, Reuveni asked at the end of the hearing. Judge Xinis rejected that request.

When pressed by the judge about why Abrego Garcia had been apprehended last month, Reuveni admitted he could not provide an answer.

At the time of his arrest, Abrego Garcia had been living in Maryland with his wife and children, all of whom are American citizens.

“In a blink of an eye, our three children lost their father, and I lost the love of my life, his mother lost his son, his siblings lost their brother,” said Jennifer Vasquez, Abrego Garcia’s wife, during a press conference held earlier Friday in Maryland.

“Our entire family is broken” by ICE’s “error,” she said, calling her husband a devoted father and exceptional spouse who “pushes everyone around to find their happiness, even in tough times.”

Despite the family’s description of Abrego Garcia as a loving and peaceful man, the White House painted a very different picture.

“You would think this individual was Father of the Year, living in Maryland, living a peaceful life, when that couldn’t be further from the truth,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters earlier this week.

However, Abrego Garcia’s legal team insists that the government has not presented any credible proof linking him to MS-13. They argue the accusation stems solely from a 2019 tip by a confidential informant who claimed he was in the gang while living in New York—a state where Garcia has never resided—and the fact that he wore a Chicago Bulls hat and hoodie. His lawyers maintain that he has no criminal history in the U.S. or anywhere else.

During Friday’s proceedings, Judge Xinis expressed doubt over the government’s allegations.

“That’s just chatter in my view. I haven’t been given any evidence,” Xinis said. “In a court of law when someone is accused of membership in such a violent and predatory organization, it comes in the form of an indictment, a complaint, a criminal proceeding that then has robust process, so we can assess facts.”

Abrego Garcia’s lawyers explained that he had been taken into custody by police in Prince George’s County, Maryland in 2019, while waiting for day labor work outside a Home Depot. They said he was never again interrogated about MS-13 or formally accused of gang involvement after that incident.

An immigration judge later granted Abrego Garcia a legal protection known as “withholding of removal,” concluding that he was more likely than not to face danger if sent back to El Salvador. Both his lawyers and government attorneys agree that this status should have prevented his deportation.

Nevertheless, on March 15th, Abrego Garcia was placed on a plane with hundreds of others alleged to be gang members and flown to El Salvador, where he remains confined in a high-security facility.

Officials in the Trump administration maintain that the deported individuals were connected to MS-13 or Tren de Aragua, two gangs classified by the U.S. as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Yet, many of the deportees reportedly have no criminal backgrounds, and advocates say they were expelled without the opportunity to challenge the accusations.

Attorneys and family members for a growing number of those deported insist that they were mistakenly targeted, largely based on their tattoos rather than any evidence of criminal behavior.

At Friday’s rally in Maryland, Vasquez voiced support for others affected by similar actions under the Trump administration.

“The only thing we have at the end of the day is our faith and our strength to fight back,” Vasquez said. “We must fight for our husbands, our children, our neighbors, our loved ones — fight for Kilmar and fight for all the immigrant families lighting a candle for the loved ones that disappeared.”

{Matzav.com}

The American stock market has plunged sharply following President Donald Trump’s recent announcement of sweeping tariffs, and a video shared by Trump himself on social media today suggests that the downturn is part of his deliberate strategy.

On Friday morning, Trump shared a link via his Truth Social account to a one-minute video that begins with the claim: “Trump is crashing the stock market…this month, but he’s doing it on purpose.”

WATCH:

The brief clip attempts to explain Trump’s reasoning behind the newly announced tariffs. These tariffs have been widely criticized by economists and Wall Street analysts alike, triggering a severe market collapse. On Thursday, the S&P 500 plummeted by 4.8%—its steepest drop in almost five years—and the index continued its descent THIS morning, falling an additional 4.2%.

The video, which originated from a March 15 TikTok post with under 18,000 followers, argues that Trump is executing a “wild chess move” and engaging in a “secret game” designed to “force” the Federal Reserve to slash interest rates. According to the theory, this would allow the federal government to refinance a substantial portion of its $36 trillion debt “very inexpensively.”

While that idea may seem far-fetched, there has been a notable decline in U.S. Treasury yields this week. The 10-year Treasury note, often used as a benchmark for various types of loans, dropped more than 10 basis points to a six-month low of 3.9%. Lower yields could theoretically make borrowing cheaper. However, if these changes come at the cost of triggering a recession, marked by rising inflation, reduced consumer spending, and lower corporate profits due to tariffs, it’s a pyrrhic victory at best.

There are also less destructive ways to bring yields down, such as boosting investor trust through responsible government spending. This was a theme during the early part of Trump’s second term, when Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency helped bolster belief in efforts to curb the growing national debt.

It’s also worth noting that the current 10-year yield is not historically low. As recently as last September, it was below 3.6%, and from 2012 to 2021, it stayed under 3.5% for long stretches.

Trump took to social media again today to publicly urge the Federal Reserve to lower rates, writing: “This would be a PERFECT time for Fed Chairman Jerome Powell to cut Interest Rates.” Trump has a history of pressuring the Fed—an independent body—to follow his preferences on monetary policy, dating back to his initial term. Powell appeared unmoved by the calls in his prepared statement Friday, where he said: “While uncertainty remains elevated, it is now becoming clear that the tariff increases will be significantly larger than expected. The same is likely to be true of the economic effects, which will include higher inflation and slower growth.”

The video Trump shared also declared that he’s “taking from the rich short-term and handing it to the middle class through lower prices,” noting that “94% of all stocks are owned only by 8% of Americans.”

Most economists agree the tariffs will raise, not lower, prices for consumers. The stock ownership statistic seems to reference a 2023 Federal Reserve report indicating that 93% of market value is held by the top 10% of earners. But that doesn’t mean market downturns don’t affect the broader public. Gallup reports that roughly 61% of Americans own stocks, and Census data shows most Americans hold retirement accounts like IRAs or 401(k)s.

The video also attributes praise to billionaire investor Warren Buffett, claiming he believes Trump is making the “best economic moves” in fifty years. However, Buffett never said that. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, denied the statement in a release Friday, stating the “comments allegedly made by Warren E. Buffett…false.” In fact, Buffett recently criticized tariffs in a CBS News interview, referring to them as “an act of war” and calling them “a tax on goods” ultimately borne by consumers.

Trump’s apparent embrace of a stock market downturn marks a stark departure from his past reliance on market performance as a benchmark for presidential success. “If we lost this election, I think the market would go down the tubes,” he said in October. He also boasted that the “market has gone through the roof” and often touted gains during his presidency as an “amazing achievement.” Since the November election, however, the S&P has dropped by approximately 13%.

{Matzav.com}

Israel is prepared to bring the conflict in Gaza to a close immediately—on the condition that all hostages are freed and Hamas is no longer present in the territory, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said during a meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot in Paris.

“The way is very simple,” Sa’ar said, “hostages back, Hamas out.”

He noted that efforts are still underway to reach an agreement that would extend the current pause in fighting and secure the return of captives. “We are still giving a chance to negotiations to extend the ceasefire and release our hostages on the basis of [US special envoy Steve] Witkoff’s proposal, but it is not open-ended,” he warned, referencing a plan aimed at freeing five Israeli hostages.

Militant factions in Gaza are still holding 59 hostages, including 58 of the 251 taken during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led invasion of Israel. Among those held are at least 35 individuals whose deaths have been verified by the IDF.

On March 18, Israel resumed heavy airstrikes in Gaza, followed by the launch of a fresh ground campaign, officially breaking the nearly two-month-long truce with Hamas.

The ceasefire brokered on January 19 was intended to lead to negotiations on a second phase after a few weeks. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined to proceed, reiterating his position that the war will not conclude until Hamas’s command structure and military strength are fully dismantled. Hamas, for its part, turned down several proposals to prolong the initial ceasefire while continuing the hostage release process.

France has called for a revival of the January agreement and a complete cessation of hostilities in Gaza.

In additional comments Thursday, Sa’ar said that both Israel and France share concerns about Lebanon, emphasizing a mutual interest in preserving the current calm and ending Iran’s influence in the country through Hezbollah. “We are interested in the stability of Lebanon, the continuation of the ceasefire, and the release of Lebanon from Iranian occupation,” he stated.

Sa’ar referred to France as a “friendly country,” and said he had extended an invitation to Barrot to visit Israel.

{Matzav.com}

The Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet security agency revealed on Friday that they successfully targeted and killed Mohammed Hassan Mohammed Awad earlier in the day. Awad was a top figure within the Military Intelligence structure in Gaza and maintained close ties with senior leaders of the Palestinian Mujahideen terror group.

According to the statement, Awad played a leading role in the October 7 attacks, infiltrating Nir Oz multiple times during the massacre. He is believed to have had direct involvement in the kidnapping and brutal murder of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas. He was also implicated in the abduction and burial of Gad and Judi Lynn Weinstein, as well as the capture of several Thai nationals.

“As part of his role in the terrorist organization, Mohammad Awad was actively involved until his death in recruiting terror operatives in Judea and Samaria and within Israel, through whom he used to plan and carry out attacks against Israelis,” the statement said.

“During the war, the Palestinian Mujahideen terrorist organization and Mohammed Awad in particular were involved in the execution of terrorist attacks against the State of Israel and IDF troops operating in the Gaza Strip,” it continued.

“The IDF and ISA will continue to operate to locate and eliminate all of the terrorists from different terrorist organizations who took part in the murderous October 7th massacre,” the joint statement concluded.

The Bibas family—Yarden Bibas, his wife Shiri, and their young sons Ariel, 4, and Kfir, just 9 months old—were abducted from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on the morning of October 7, 2023.

Yarden was separated from his family after he reportedly left the safe room in a desperate effort to defend them. Videos shared online showed him, visibly wounded and bleeding, being taken away on a motorcycle. Other footage captured a terrified Shiri holding her two redheaded sons close as they were surrounded by armed militants.

After spending 484 days in captivity, Yarden was released on February 1 as part of a truce and hostage exchange with Hamas. Later that same month, the remains of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir were returned to Israel. Following forensic analysis, Israeli authorities confirmed that the three had been murdered by their captors, contradicting Hamas’s claim that they died during an Israeli airstrike.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu said he is suing Yair Golan—who leads The Democrats Party—for defamation, demanding 320,000 shekels ($86,500) in compensation.

The suit filed by Netanyahu’s lawyers, which also demands that Golan refrain from spreading further slander, came in response to March 31 remarks in which the left-wing leader had said that the premier should “be investigated on the suspicion that he sold Israel’s security for profit.

“He should be probed for the fact that the money that funded Hamas and the October [7, 2023] massacre reached the top levels of his office—and possibly even him,” Golan added, in reference to the recent arrest of two of Netanyahu’s aides on suspicion of illegal dealings with Qatar.

Netanyahu’s attorneys noted that The Democrats used Golan’s speech in an online fundraising appeal, accusing the party of promoting “fake news, wild incitement and slander with the intention of causing harm, while doing so for the sake of money.”

The Israel Police’s Lahav 433 National Unit for International Crimes and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) arrested Yonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein, a current and former aide to Netanyahu, respectively, earlier this week.

Urich and Feldstein are reportedly suspected of contact with a foreign agent, money laundering, bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

The Qatar probe was launched in response to allegations that Feldstein, while employed as a spokesman on military affairs for the prime minister, also worked for a firm seeking to boost Doha’s image.

Netanyahu, who testified to police in the affair on Monday, has denounced the Qatar probe as aimed at bringing down his government by targeting staff of the Prime Minister’s Office.

“This is a political witch-hunt aimed solely at one thing—preventing the dismissal of the head of the Shin Bet and bringing about the downfall of a right-wing prime minister,” stated the premier on Monday evening.

In an additional video statement on Wednesday, Netanyahu described Qatar as “a complex country, not a simple country,” while emphasizing that Doha is not designated as an enemy country, “and many praise it.

“Do you know who really praised Qatar? First of all, the opposition leader, Yair Lapid,” charged Netanyahu. In January, Lapid met with senior Qatari officials and said Doha wanted to broker an agreement with the Hamas terrorist group in the Gaza Strip “as soon as possible.”

Qatar, which has hosted Hamas’s leadership and has provided the organization with hundreds of millions of dollars, played a role in mediating the freedom of hostages held by the terrorist group.

Doha has rejected accusations of playing a double game, saying that the United States requested that it open the mediation channel with Hamas. JNS

{Matzav.com Israel}

President Trump announced this afternoon that he is extending the deadline for the sale of the Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok by 75 more days.

The move came shortly after China responded to Trump’s sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs with its own set of retaliatory duties, pushing back against the administration’s offer of reduced rates if Beijing agreed to divest from the app.

“My Administration has been working very hard on a Deal to SAVE TIKTOK, and we have made tremendous progress. The Deal requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed, which is why I am signing an Executive Order to keep TikTok up and running for an additional 75 days,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The president emphasized the desire to continue working constructively with Beijing while defending his aggressive trade policies as essential to maintaining national interests.

“We hope to continue working in Good Faith with China, who I understand are not very happy about our Reciprocal Tariffs (Necessary for Fair and Balanced Trade between China and the U.S.A.!). This proves that Tariffs are the most powerful Economic tool, and very important to our National Security! We do not want TikTok to “go dark.” We look forward to working with TikTok and China to close the Deal. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

{Matzav.com}

Danny Danon, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, went to the tape on Friday, accusing the U.N. Security Council of “political theater” for calling another emergency meeting on the humanitarian plight in Gaza without addressing the anti-Hamas protests occurring in the Strip.

The envoy played a recording of the protests on his cell phone, with anti-Hamas chants fully audible. “The Gazans have the courage you don’t have,” Danon told the council.

Backed by China, Pakistan, Russia and Somalia, Algeria called the session, ostensibly to discuss developments since the mid-March breakdown of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, including the humanitarian situation and risks to aid workers in Gaza.

United Nations officials had expressed outrage earlier this week about an incident on March 23, in which the bodies of 15 emergency response personnel from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society and the United Nations were buried in a bulldozed grave in Gaza.

The United Nations claimed Israeli forces killed a team of personnel, struck additional units who followed and buried the personnel and their ambulances together. The Israel Defense Forces said the emergency vehicles in question approached Israeli military positions in a suspicious manner and without prior coordination.

Danon decried the global body’s rush to judgment, stating that nine Hamas terrorists, including Mohammad Amin Ibrahim Shubaki, who took part in the Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, were eliminated in that operation.

“How did nine Hamas terrorists find themselves traveling inside Red Crescent ambulances? The presence of those terrorists puts everyone’s lives at risk,” Danon said. “If we truly want to protect civilians and humanitarian workers, the vetting system of such organizations must improve immediately.”

Volker Türk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, told the council that “there must be an independent, prompt and thorough investigation into the killings, and those responsible for any violation of international law must be held to account.”

Younes Al-Khatib, president of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, said that “it’s worth noting also that during the communication with the team, the dispatch could hear a conversation in Hebrew between the Israeli forces and the team, meaning some were still alive when they were under the control of the Israeli forces.” Al-Khatib did not describe any of the contents of the conversation.

“Every death, including those of U.N. and humanitarian workers that many have discussed today, would have been avoided had Hamas accepted the bridge proposal on the table last month,” Dorothy Shea, interim U.S. envoy to the United Nations, told the council.

Other vehicles passing safely along the same route on March 23 had coordinated their movements with the IDF, Shea noted.

“Hamas’s reckless decisions have caused enough bloodshed,” she said. “They have no right to represent Palestinians anywhere and must leave Gaza.”

Several ambassadors criticized recent comments by Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Israel Katz, about the potential for Israel to occupy portions of Gaza. Many expressed concern over food insecurity in Gaza as Israel has prevented the entry of aid and commercial supplies since March 2 to pressure Hamas to release the remaining hostages.

The U.N. World Food Programme, which has repeatedly declined requests from JNS to verify its claims that a famine occurred in Gaza, warned that hundreds of thousands of Gazans were at risk of extreme hunger and malnutrition.

Earlier this week, the agency claimed that 25 Gazan bakeries it had supported were forced to shutter due to dwindling flour and cooking-gas provisions. Video emerged of Gazans looting hundreds of packages of flour from an UNRWA warehouse in Gaza City. JNS

{Matzav.com}

Former NBA star Amar’e Yehoshafat Stoudemire, who completed his geirus several years ago, celebrated his wedding last night.

The simcha was attended by close friends and family, marking a significant milestone in Stoudemire’s personal journey.

Stoudemire, known for his illustrious basketball career with the Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks, long expressed a deep connection to Yiddishkeit. He began exploring his roots in 2010 after learning about his family’s heritage from his mother. This exploration led him to visit Eretz Yisroel and eventually undergo a formal conversion process. In 2020, he completed his geirus, adopting the Hebrew name Yehoshafat Ben Avraham.

In an Instagram Q&A, Stoudemire expressed his desire to remarry to someone Jewish who shares his commitment to Torah values. He emphasized the importance of building a righteous family and raising children according to traditional Jewish teachings.

Stoudemire’s journey from professional basketball to embracing Yiddishkeit has been well-documented, his story serving as an inspiration and chizuk to many.

Below is a clip from Stoudemire’s chupah, courtesy of Sparks of a Nation:

Wall Street braced for another punishing session Friday as stocks took a nosedive following China’s announcement of steep counter-tariffs, intensifying fears of an all-out global trade war in response to President Trump’s recently announced “Liberation Day” levies.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled nearly 1,000 points within minutes of the market opening, coming on the heels of Thursday’s staggering 1,679-point plunge—the worst single-day performance since the early days of the COVID-19 crisis in 2020.

Technology stocks also faced a massive selloff, with the Nasdaq slumping roughly 500 points, or 2.3%, at the open. The S&P 500 wasn’t far behind, shedding about 130 points, a 2.4% decline.

Markets around the world mirrored the sharp downturn, as traders grew increasingly concerned that Trump’s retaliatory tariff plan—which includes a 10% general import tax and steeper rates for specific nations—could fuel inflationary pressures and drag the global economy into a recession.

Despite mounting anxiety, the White House continued to push a message of confidence in the president’s approach to trade.

“To anyone on Wall Street this morning, I would say trust in President Trump,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an interview on CNN.

“This is a president who is doubling down on his proven economic formula from his first term… this is indeed a national emergency… and it’s about time we have a president who actually does something about it.”

Even a better-than-expected jobs report failed to offset market panic. Before trading began, new data showed U.S. employers added 228,000 jobs in March—well above forecasts, which ranged between 50,000 and 185,000.

Still, investor optimism was short-lived after China’s finance ministry declared it would introduce a 34% tariff on all American imports beginning April 10—just one day after Trump’s sweeping 54% reciprocal tariffs are set to kick in.

Earlier this year, the U.S. slapped a 20% tariff on Chinese goods, and Trump escalated the situation further on Wednesday by announcing that rate would jump by an additional 34%.

The across-the-board 10% tariff is scheduled to begin shortly after midnight on Saturday. Meanwhile, even harsher rates—20% on EU products, 24% on goods from Japan, and 17% on Israeli imports—are expected to take effect on April 9. Trump has indicated that this window provides an opportunity for negotiation.

However, the hope for diplomatic talks did little to ease investor nerves.

The CBOE Volatility Index, widely regarded as Wall Street’s primary fear barometer, surged to its highest reading since August 2024.

“We’re beginning to see the inevitable retaliation from the global trade partners of the United States. The risk is that this tips a recession scare into a full-blown recession,” said Ben Laidler, head of equity strategy at Bradesco BBI.

With the specter of rising prices and a slowdown in global growth looming, the tariffs have sparked fears of a broader economic slump in the world’s largest consumer economy.

U.S. banking stocks were hit hard as the trading day continued. Globally, financial institutions also suffered losses amid predictions of further interest rate cuts by central banks and declining economic momentum due to the tariff battle.

Shares of major U.S. banks, including Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Citigroup, each dropped around 5%. The yield on 10-year Treasury notes fell to 3.95%, marking its lowest point in six months.

Attention is now shifting to a scheduled speech by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell at 11:25 a.m. ET, with investors eager for any signals about the future direction of monetary policy.

Markets appear to be betting on a looser approach from the Fed. Futures suggest that traders now expect interest rates to be cut by a full 100 basis points before the year’s end—up from 75 basis points just one week ago.

“Looking at cross-asset reactions, the market is actually pricing in the real risk of a recession here,” Laidler said.

{Matzav.com}

China declared on Friday that it will be introducing a new set of tariffs and restrictions targeting American products, in direct retaliation to the broad tariffs recently levied by U.S. President Donald Trump.

According to the Chinese Finance Ministry, starting April 10, all imports from the United States will be subject to an additional 34% tariff.

In another move escalating trade tensions, China revealed it will restrict the export of several medium and heavy rare-earth elements to the U.S., with the new regulations going into effect on April 4. These include samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium, and yttrium.

“The purpose of the Chinese government’s implementation of export controls on relevant items in accordance with the law is to better safeguard national security and interests, and to fulfill international obligations such as non-proliferation,” the Commerce Ministry stated.

China also expanded its so-called “unreliable entity” list by naming 11 more organizations, a move that empowers authorities to impose penalties on foreign firms that are deemed to harm Chinese interests.

{Matzav.com}