Matzav

President-elect Donald Trump shared with The NY Post today that he and President Biden “both really enjoyed seeing each other” during a historic meeting in the Oval Office following the election.

“It’s been a long, it’s been a long slog,” said the 78-year-old in a phone interview while leaving Washington. “It’s been a lot of work on both sides and he did a very good job with respect to campaigning and everything else. We really had a really good meeting.”

The two most recent U.S. presidents talked about the power transition set for January 20, with Trump reassuring Biden and the global press that it would be “as smooth as can be,” despite the Republican’s earlier efforts to challenge the 2020 election outcome, which culminated in the January 6 Capitol insurrection.

“It’s going very smoothly,” Trump commented to The Post regarding the process of appointing officials for his upcoming second term. He also noted that both the Republican transition team and the Biden administration share a “very, very good relationship.”

The president-elect mentioned that he and Biden also touched on two topics where they have previously disagreed: the war in Ukraine, which Trump has vowed to end almost immediately after taking office, and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Trump has been critical of the Biden administration’s support for Israel.

“I wanted — I asked for his views and he gave them to me,” Trump said to The Post. “Also, we talked very much about the Middle East, likewise. I wanted to know his views on where we are and what he thinks. And he gave them to me, he was very gracious.”

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s financial institutions are on high alert as Iranian hackers have threatened to carry out a significant cyber attack on Friday.

In response, the Bank of Israel has convened a special preparedness meeting with representatives from banks, credit companies and other financial institutions, in cooperation with Israel’s National Cyber Directorate.

The threat comes from the Iranian Anonymous for Justice group, which has issued a 72-hour countdown. This warning follows two recent cyberattacks against credit institutions in Israel, SHVA and Credit Guard, which managed to disrupt credit transactions for a few hours each time.

During Tuesday’s situation assessment, various attack scenarios were discussed. While officials believe an attack will occur, its nature and scope remain unclear. There are particular concerns that the attack might disrupt credit card clearing operations, potentially leading to increased cash withdrawals by the Israeli public.

“We are taking all necessary precautions to ensure the continuity of financial services under any possible attack scenario. We urge financial institutions to remain vigilant and share any relevant information that could aid in our preparations,” said the BoI.

The National Cyber Directorate is expected to implement several measures in the coming days to attempt to disrupt the threatened attack. Israeli airlines have also been alerted to the potential threat.

This latest threat comes amid a series of cyber incidents targeting both Israeli and Iranian infrastructure.

In August, a major cyberattack reportedly caused significant disruptions at Iran’s central bank and other financial institutions. In October, it was reported that ongoing cyberattacks affected all three branches of the Iranian government, as well as nuclear facilities and energy networks.

Earlier in the year, Iranian hackers claimed to have penetrated Israel’s Dimona nuclear facility and stolen sensitive documents. JNS

{Matzav.com Israel}

In a video message on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu asked the Iranian people to imagine how much better life would be without the ayatollahs, warning also that the “tyrants of Iran” were putting their families in danger.

“I want you to imagine—just imagine—how your life could be different if Iran was free,” said the Israeli premier. “You could speak your mind without fear. You could make a joke without wondering if you’d be carted off to Evin prison.”
‎‏
He underscored how the fanatical Iranian regime spends vast amounts on attacking Israel instead of improving the lot of its own people.

‎Tehran’s Oct. 1 ballistic missile attack in Israel cost ‏$2.3 billion, said Netanyahu. “That’s how much of your precious money they wasted on futile attacks … They obsess about destroying Israel, rather than about building Iran,” he added.

Iran could have taken those billions and invested them in transportation or education, he noted.

“Imagine how your children’s lives would look if billions of dollars were invested in them instead of being wasted on wars that can’t be won,” he said.

“They would receive world class education. You would receive beautiful roads. Advanced hospitals. Clean water,” he continued, adding that Israel would gladly share its advanced desalination technology. (In July 2021, protests broke out in Iran over an ongoing water crisis.)

Netanyahu also warned that another attack on Israel would “cripple” Iran’s economy. “I know that you don’t want this war. I don’t want this war either. The people of Israel don’t want this war. There is one force putting your family in grave danger: the tyrants of Tehran,” he said.

He ended the message on an optimistic note, saying that the regime weakens day by day as Israel grows stronger.

“The world has seen but a fraction of our power,” he said. “Yet there’s one thing Khamenei’s regime fears more than Israel. You know what it is? It’s you—the people of Iran. That’s why they spend so much time and money trying to crush your hopes and curb your dreams,” he added.

“Don’t lose hope. And know that Israel and others in the free world stand with you … I have no doubt that one day in a free Iran, Israelis and Iranians will build together a future of prosperity and peace. ‎‏That is the future Israel deserves. That is the future Iran deserves. Together, let us turn this beautiful dream into a reality.”

This is the second time Netanyahu has addressed the people of Iran since the start of the war.

On Sept. 30, he told the “noble Persian people” that the Islamic regime would fall and Iranians would regain their freedom “a lot sooner than people think.”

“Our two ancient peoples, the Jewish people and the Persian people, will finally be at peace,” he said, adding that “when that day comes, the terror network that the regime built in five continents will be bankrupt, dismantled; Iran will thrive as never before.

“Don’t let a small group of fanatic theocrats crush your hopes and your dreams. You deserve better. Your children deserve better. The entire world deserves better.” JNS

{Matzav.com}

A U.S. government employee has been arrested and charged for leaking secret files related to Israel’s preparations to retaliate for Iran’s Oct. 1 missile attacks, according to court documents filed on Wednesday.

The suspect, identified as Asif William Rahman, was indicted last week on two counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information. FBI agents arrested Rahman in Cambodia on Tuesday.

Rahman, who according to The New York Times “worked abroad” for the CIA, is set to make his first court appearance in Guam later this week.

Court documents said Rahman held a top-secret security clearance with access to sensitive compartmentalized information, which the Times noted is typical for CIA employees who handle classified documents.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed on Oct. 22 that the agency was investigating the leak. “The FBI is investigating the alleged leak of classified documents and working closely with our partners in the Department of Defense and intelligence community,” it said.

The FBI is leading the probe, U.S. officials briefed on the matter told CNN. Investigators were said to have been working to authenticate the files and determine who could have had access to them, they said.

This is “one indication that, for now, the FBI and other investigators are working off the theory that the breach most likely came from a government insider and not from a cyber intrusion,” CNN reported.

At least one of the files appears to have been scanned from an officially printed briefing book, and the pool of people who printed these pages would be relatively small, sources familiar with U.S. intelligence said.

Then-Republican candidate for the White House Donald Trump on Oct. 22 slammed the Biden administration for the leak, calling it “bad thing.”

“They leaked all the information about the way that Israel’s going to fight and how they are going to fight and where they are going to go. And somebody—who did that? Can you imagine somebody doing that? That’s the enemy. I guess that maybe is the enemy from within, as I talked about,” Trump said during the campaign event in Doral, Fla.

“We have an enemy from within,” the Republican continued. “They hate to talk about it. Can you imagine? So we just can’t stand for this incompetence anymore.”

U.S. President Joe Biden is “deeply concerned” over the intelligence leak, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters a day earlier. “That is not supposed to happen, and it’s unacceptable when it does,” he said, adding that the president “will be actively monitoring the progress of the investigative effort to figure out how this happened.”

Kirby said that it is not yet known how the documents were leaked and that the Department of Defense continues to investigate the incident.

“We don’t have any indication at this point that there’s an expectation that there’ll be additional documents like this finding their way into the public domain,” he added in response to a question from reporters.

Axios noted on Oct. 19 that the leak may have been an attempt to “disrupt” Jerusalem’s plans to retaliate against Tehran and revealed close spying by the U.S. on the Jewish state, including with satellites.

On Oct. 1, Iran fired more than 180 ballistic missiles at the Jewish state, in the second-ever direct attack by Tehran against Israel. The Israel Defense Forces, with help from the U.S. and Jordanian militaries, downed most of the missiles, with the sole casualty of the attack being a Palestinian man from Gaza who was struck by falling missile debris near Jericho.

In response, on Oct. 26, Israeli jets hit 20 sites in Iran in multiple waves, reportedly knocking out its air defenses and significantly setting back its missile production industry. The Israeli strikes also destroyed radar systems required to guide the Islamic Republic’s ballistic missiles.

Initially, Tehran downplayed the Israeli attack, though Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reportedly told his associates later that the scope of Jerusalem’s retaliatory strikes was “too large to ignore.”

Unidentified Iranian sources told Sky News Arabia on Wednesday that Tehran’s leadership decided to “postpone” a renewed attack on Israel after the Nov. 5 election victory by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters in Tehran on Wednesday that communication channels with Washington “still exist.

“We have differences with the Americans, which are sometimes very fundamental and central and may not be resolved, but we must manage them to reduce their costs and decrease the tensions,” Araghchi said.

(JNS)

Senate Republicans have chosen John Thune of South Dakota to head the party for the upcoming two years, taking over from Mitch McConnell, who holds the record for the longest-serving leader in Senate history from either party.

Thune, who has held the position of Republican whip since 2019, narrowly defeated John Cornyn from Texas by a vote of 29-24 in the second round.

Florida Senator Rick Scott, who had gained strong support from the party’s hard-right wing, was eliminated after the first round, securing only 13 votes, compared to Cornyn’s 15 and Thune’s 23.

{Matzav.com}

The Harris campaign made headlines for raising over $1 billion, yet it ended up $20 million in debt, leaving many wondering where the funds went. Speculation is mounting big payouts to celebrities and financing appearances on popular podcasts may have drained donor money. DNC Finance Committee staffer Lindy Li claims to have insider knowledge of how the funds were spent. She joins NewsNation’s “CUOMO” to discuss the alleged mismanagement.

WATCH:

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee reacts to President-elect Trump selecting him as the U.S. ambassador to Israel on ‘Hannity.’

WATCH:

Donald Trump is making a victor’s return to Washington.

The president-elect’s plane landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday morning and staff rolled out a red doormat for him. Trump climbed in his motorcade without speaking to reporters.

President Joe Biden — both Trump’s successor and predecessor — will welcome him to the Oval Office. It’s a traditional part of the peaceful handoff of power, but also a ritual that Trump himself declined to participate in four years ago.

WATCH:

The Israeli Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, commented on the enforcement of the decision regarding the conscription of chareidi yeshiva students, stating that “the security establishment’s plan to send 7,000 draft orders to chareidim starting Sunday must be implemented immediately and continued throughout the coming months.”

Baharav-Miara emphasized that “the ruling must be implemented in order to comply with the law and the ruling of the High Court of Justice.”

This ruling was issued earlier in the year after the Supreme Court convened with a panel of nine judges to consider petitions calling for the conscription of yeshiva students, citing the lack of legislation on the issue and the potential for the revocation of funding from yeshivas that do not comply with the draft.

In its decision, the court declared, “At this time, there is no legal framework which allows differentiation between yeshiva students and others who are eligible for enlistment.”

{Matzav.com}

Dear Matzav Inbox,

I write with frustration over a glaring inconsistency within the frum media landscape, one that is far too blatant to ignore any longer. It is beyond time for us to face this uncomfortable truth: While print publications like Yated, Hamodia, Ami, and Mishpacha have consistently and commendably chosen to exercise sensitivity toward their readership by not publishing images of women, the leading frum online news outlets, such as Matzav and Yeshiva World, are doing the exact opposite.

This dichotomy is not only baffling but speaks volumes about the misplaced priorities that have seeped into our community’s media platforms. How is it that respected print publications adhere to the halachic guidelines of tznius and respect for our frum values, while their online counterparts, Matzav, YWN and others, blatantly disregard them, posting pictures of women without any thought for the sensitivities of their own audiences?

The hypocrisy is appalling. These same websites and social media platforms, which hold themselves out as paragons of frumkeit, have no problem crossing boundaries that their print counterparts have consciously drawn. The excuse that “times are changing” or “the digital space is different” is not only tired but insulting. If these outlets truly care about preserving the integrity of our hashkafos, they would follow the example set by the established print publications and not expose their readers to images that undermine the standards of modesty we hold dear.

These online platforms perpetuate these inconsistencies across their social media channels and WhatsApp groups too. While frum print publications are extremely vigilant about maintaining their readers’ sensitivities, these digital outlets do the exact opposite, as if the rules of modesty no longer apply in the digital world. It seems that online platforms, which are supposedly more accessible and reflective of our values, have chosen to ignore the profound responsibility they have in shaping the attitudes and practices of their audiences.

What kind of message are we sending when we allow the frum online platforms, which reach an even broader audience than print and WhatsApp, to disregard the very values that others are so careful to uphold? How is it that we can claim to be a community that values tznius, but we fail to ensure that our most far-reaching and accessible forms of media, our online outlets, uphold these ideals?

We cannot allow these platforms to continue their double standard without serious consequences. We must demand consistency across the board.

If print media can show the world that it is possible to respect our community’s values by choosing not to post images of women, then there is no reason why online platforms cannot and should not do the same. Our standards of tznius should not be so easily swept aside in favor of convenience or digital trends. It’s time for Matzav, Yeshiva World, and other online outlets to step up to the plate and hold themselves to the same standards as our print publications.

It’s time to call out the hypocrisy and demand consistency. Our community deserves better, and our values deserve to be protected.

Sincerely,
Disgusted

To submit a letter to appear on Matzav.com, email MatzavInbox@gmail.com

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The opinions expressed in letters on Matzav.com do not necessarily reflect the stance of the Matzav Media Network.

Was Oprah Winfrey paid off to support Kamala?

The renowned media figure and former talk-show host is addressing rumors suggesting she was compensated with $1 million for her involvement in Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. Winfrey played a key role by hosting a high-profile town hall event, known as the “Unite for America” rally, which took place in September.

In a statement issued by Winfrey’s production company, Harpo Productions, and provided to USA TODAY, a spokesperson clarified on Tuesday that Winfrey “at no point during the campaign paid a personal fee, nor did she receive a fee from Harpo,” explaining that Harris’ campaign covered the event’s production expenses.

Winfrey also took to social media to clarify the misinformation, commenting on an Instagram post that included paparazzi footage of her, where she firmly denied the rumor. The comment’s authenticity was confirmed by Winfrey’s publicist, Chelsea Hettrick.

“Usually I am reluctant to respond to rumors in general, but these days I realize that if you don’t stop a lie, it just gets bigger,” Winfrey wrote. “I was not paid a dime. My time and energy was my way of supporting the campaign.”

The former host of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” further stated that Harpo was asked to provide essential production resources, including “set design, lights, cameras, microphones, crew, producers, and every other item necessary (including the benches and chairs we sat on) to put on a live production.”

“I did not take any personal fee,” Winfrey concluded. “However the people who worked on that production needed to be paid. And were. End of story.”

{Matzav.com}

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Marco Rubio is already getting support from the other side of the aisle for a possible Secretary of State role in Trump’s Administration. Turns out, Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman is a big fan.

“Unsurprisingly, the other team’s pick will have political differences than my own,” Fetterman wrote in a post on X. “That being said, my colleague @SenMarcoRubio is a strong choice and I look forward to voting for his confirmation.”

Rubio is also seeing strong support for the Cabinet role from his own party.

Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., has called Rubio “an outstanding choice.”

“Senator Rubio has a proven record of promoting freedom, defending American interests on the global stage, and standing firm against threats from the CCP. His leadership will be invaluable in advancing our nation’s values and priorities abroad,” Steube said in a tweet.

Rep. Carlos Giménez, R-Fla., said in a statement that, “President Trump has made a truly historic and brilliant choice in selecting Senator Marco Rubio as our nation’s Secretary of State

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, addressed the Security Council on Tuesday, delivering a pointed message to the Palestinian Authority (PA) representative, Riyad Mansour. Danon criticized Mansour for claiming to represent the people of Gaza while not being able to enter the region without endangering his life. He noted that the citizens of Gaza have grown weary of the oppressive rule of Hamas, but those who speak out against the group face brutal punishment, a situation that has yet to be addressed by the Security Council.

Danon took the opportunity to directly challenge Mansour, saying, “I don’t know, Mr. Mansour, when was the last time you visited Gaza, or you slept in Gaza, or you met someone from Gaza, but we can show you footage [of] what the people of Gaza really think about Hamas.” He went on to present graphic footage, including “mothers screaming that Hamas took their sons, men crying out that it is Hamas who is to blame for their suffering. We have also released footage of Hamas torturing Gazan civilians, violating all concepts of human rights and morality.”

In his address, Danon emphasized that “the people of Gaza themselves are telling you what must be done to resolve the situation. They are crying out to you. Listen to them.” He also criticized the international community’s obsession with condemning Israel, stating, “This obsession with vilifying Israel is detached from reality. Let us only examine the facts at hand instead of political agendas.”

{Matzav.com}

The U.S. State Department will not withhold arms from Israel, according to State Department officials, a month after the White House sent a letter to Israel stating the Jewish state had 30 days to improve the humanitarian conditions for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip or be subject to an arms embargo.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken seemed to indicate that the requirements had been met. According to a readout of a meeting between Blinken and Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, the two “reviewed steps that Israel has taken to improve the dire humanitarian situation inside Gaza,” including a recent Gaza aid package approved by the Israeli cabinet.

The following day at a press briefing, Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson, was pressed for a concrete answer. He stated that Israel had taken “a number of steps to address the measures laid out in the letter,” and as such, “we at this time have not made an assessment that the Israelis are in violation of U.S. law.”

When asked if Israel would face any consequences, Patel responded: “I certainly don’t have a change in U.S. policy to announce today.”

He added that Israel still must take “additional steps” to improve the humanitarian conditions in the coastal enclave, echoing Blinken’s earlier conversation, which stated that Israel must ensure “those changes lead to an actual improvement in the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.”

Blinken also reaffirmed America’s “ironclad” commitment to Israel.

U.S. President Joe Biden said the same in a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the White House on Tuesday, saying his administration’s “commitment to Israel is ironclad, and we share a deep friendship.”

President-elect Donald Trump also spoke with Dermer at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The minister reportedly conveyed messages to Trump from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, discussing Israel’s plans in Gaza and Lebanon as it continues to battle Hamas and Hezbollah amid ongoing tensions with Iran.

Dermer also met with Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and former senior adviser. JNS

{Matzav.com}

According to a report from The Daily Mail, CNN is preparing to fire hundreds of staff members — including some of its top talent — in a round of post-election layoffs.

High-paid personalities like Jake Tapper and Wolf Blitzer were reportedly recently denied raises, signaling that cutbacks are incoming.

From The Daily Mail:

Insiders told Puck the new round of firings will likely see on-air talent like them affected, as the network’s new CEO looks to free up finances amid waning ratings.

“In the next few months, I’m told, CNN will implement another round of layoffs that will impact hundreds of employees across the organization,” reporter Dylan Byers wrote Friday, referencing CNN’s recent 100-person layoff seen over the summer.

The fresh round of firings, the insiders said, will be more geared toward the production side of things.

As a result, reporters and correspondents will be required to cover their slack, they said – describing how on-air workers will be ‘asked to assume more of the responsibilities once handled by teams of producers and production assistants.’

Byers wrote: “Redundant assignments will be nixed, and various divisions will be reduced or even eliminated.”

“Some of the on-air talent are also likely to be affected,” he went on to reveal.

Sources who spoke to the reporter, who worked at CNN for three years before founding Puck, added how the looming layoffs are part of an overarching plan – one that puts a premium on the station’s digital platforms.

President Biden lashed out at an Israeli journalist on Tuesday after the reporter inquired about the likelihood of securing a hostage deal before his term ends in January.

“Do you think we can get a hostage deal by the end of your term?” Neria Kraus from Israel Channel 13 asked the 81-year-old Biden ahead of his scheduled meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

With visible irritation, Biden responded sharply, “Do you think you can keep from getting hit in the head by a — a camera behind you?”

WATCH:

Kraus captured the moment on video, stifling a laugh as Biden swiftly shifted focus to his meeting with Herzog, whom he described as “a personal friend.”

The president, nearing the end of his tenure, has frequently clashed with reporters who ask questions that seem to unsettle him.

For example, in May, when asked by a reporter if he planned to complete his second term, Biden retorted, “Did you fall on your head or something?”

Biden’s re-election bid ended abruptly on July 21, just weeks later.

Throughout his presidency, Biden and his administration have aimed for a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, all while attempting to bring an end to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

They had hoped to reach an agreement before the November 5 presidential election, thinking it might help ease some of the internal rifts within the progressive camp over the Israel-Hamas war.

At various points, Biden has voiced optimism about securing a deal, while at others, he has publicly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for not doing enough to push for it.

The Biden administration has recently taken a more forceful stance, blaming Hamas for obstructing the chances of reaching a deal.

“Hamas has said no,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan stated during an appearance on CBS News’ Face the Nation this past Sunday.

“What we need to do is get the rest of the world to continue to increase pressure on Hamas to come to the table, to do a deal in Gaza, because the Israeli government has said it’s prepared to take a temporary step in that direction.”

Last month, Israeli forces targeted and killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in the southern Gazan city of Rafah, a stronghold for the terror group. Biden described the death of Sinwar as the removal of an “insurmountable obstacle to achieving all of those goals.”

In his Oval Office meeting, Herzog brought up the ongoing hostage situation.

“In Gaza, we have 101 hostages. Over 400 days, I know, Mr. President, that you are day-in, day-out, actively seeking their safe return home as they are going through hell in the dungeons of Gaza,” Herzog said.

“Clearly, you’re thinking and working about the day after as well, which perhaps should be a trajectory of hope to the people of the region and the ability to have our neighbors, as well as us, live in security and peace,” Herzog continued. “But first and foremost, we have to get the hostages back home.”

{Matzav.com}

The Biden administration is maintaining its push for a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, even though Qatar, a key mediator in the talks, recently halted its involvement, according to a statement from State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel on Tuesday.

“We’re continuing to pursue a number of initiatives to secure the release of hostages. That work is ongoing. We have not given up hope,” Patel stated.

“It’s critical to us to get a deal done as soon as possible, especially so that we can bring the remaining hostages home to their families,” he added.

However, efforts to finalize a hostage release deal encountered a major obstacle over the weekend when Qatar announced it would suspend its mediation role until both parties showed greater commitment.

On Shabbos, Qatar announced that it would stop mediating until both Israel and Hamas “show their willingness and determination.”

Reports this past weekend indicated that, in addition to suspending mediation, Qatar had asked Hamas’ leaders to leave the country, but Majed Al-Ansari, a spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry, dismissed these claims.

On the matter of Hamas operating from Qatar, Patel remarked, “We have, going back as far as we all can remember, been explicitly clear with countries around the world that certainly it can no longer be business as usual with Hamas.”

Together with Egypt and the U.S., Qatar has been central to recent mediation efforts aimed at securing a ceasefire and hostages’ release.

The U.S. has been advocating for a ceasefire and hostage release framework initially proposed by President Joe Biden in May, but Hamas has rejected this plan, along with all other proposals put forward.

Recently, Egypt proposed a two-day ceasefire agreement that would see the release of four Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israel, with further negotiations for a broader deal taking place over the following ten days.

Initially, Hamas opposed a proposal that would have seen the return of some hostages for a limited period, followed by the resumption of hostilities. However, sources within Hamas later told Asharq Al-Awsat that the group was willing to consider Egypt’s plan as well as other options.

On Sunday, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan clarified during an appearance on CBS News’ Face the Nation that Hamas was responsible for the failure of the negotiations, not Israel.

{Matzav.com}

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