Matzav

A deeply emotional Shabbos unfolded this past weekend at the Toldos Avraham Yitzchak court, as thousands of chassidim converged on the central Toldos Avraham Yitzchak beis medrash in Yerushalayim’s Meah Shearim neighborhood to mark a historic anniversary in the life of the chassidus.

The Shabbos commemorated 29 years since the momentous day of 18 Teves 5757, when the Toldos Avraham Yitzchak Rebbe was formally crowned to lead Toldos Avraham Yitzchak, laying the foundations of what would become one of the most vibrant chassidic communities in the world.

Veteran chassidim could not help but be carried back nearly three decades, to the period following the passing of the Rebbe’s illustrious father, the author of Divrei Emunah of Toldos Aharon. After the conclusion of the shivah and shloshim, the eldest son assumed the mantle of leadership, guiding a newly formed community that, at the time, faced skepticism and uncertainty.

Few believed then that a fledgling chassidus, housed in a simple and temporary structure in Meah Shearim, could endure the challenges ahead. This Shabbos told a very different story. Thousands packed the magnificent beis medrash, bearing witness to the remarkable growth of Toldos Avraham Yitzchak into a global chassidus with vast institutions and thriving communities across major chareidi centers.

Throughout Shabbos, the Rebbe led the tefillos and tishen with extraordinary intensity, despite ongoing concerns for his health. During Friday night davening, the familiar Yom Tov melody of Lecha Dodi filled the hall, but the most electrifying moment came during Bo’i B’Shalom. To the astonishment and emotion of those present, the Rebbe rose and began a passionate dance, an act that sent visible waves of excitement and relief through the assembled chassidim.

The Friday night tish, which extended for nearly five uninterrupted hours, was marked by elevated song and gratitude. The Rebbe sang Eishes Chayil to a festival melody, while the chassidim joined him in extended niggunim.

The emotional peak of the Shabbos arrived during Rava Deravin, סעודה שלישית. For the first time since Elul, the Rebbe delivered words of Torah in public. Before speaking, he sang with deep feeling the verse, “When I call, answer me, O G-d of my righteousness; in distress You have given me הרחבה”—a line that would echo throughout his remarks.

As the Rebbe spoke, his words were accompanied by overwhelming tears. In the quiet darkness of Meah Shearim, his voice rose in heartfelt pleas for the salvation of both the ציבור and the individual, expressing gratitude for the spiritual “expansion” the chassidus merited even amid times of constraint.

{Matzav.com}

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio sharply criticized Kamala Harris and other Democrats over their condemnation of the arrest of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro, arguing that their outrage ignores years of inaction by prior administrations.

Rubio and other supporters of the operation noted that the Biden administration itself had publicly placed a multimillion-dollar bounty on Maduro, yet never moved to apprehend him. According to Rubio, the reward amounted to little more than symbolism, with no serious enforcement effort to back it up.

Maduro had been under indictment since 2020 on charges that included narco-terrorism and drug trafficking. Despite the severity of those allegations, Rubio said the United States stopped short of taking decisive action, opting instead to advertise a cash reward without following through.

“In the Biden administration, they had a $25 million reward for [Maduro’s] capture,” Rubio told NBC News’ Kristen Welker on Sunday.

“So, we have a reward for his capture, but we’re not going to enforce it?” the secretary asked, incredulously.

“That’s the difference between President Trump and everybody else … President Trump did something about it.”

The comments came after a dramatic overnight U.S. military operation, known as Operation Absolute Reserve, which resulted in the capture of the Venezuelan leader and his wife, Cilia Flores, 69. The pair were seized near the heavily guarded Fuerte Tiuna military complex, a key stronghold in Caracas.

President Trump said American forces penetrated the compound’s defenses “in a matter of seconds,” underscoring the speed and precision of the mission.

As news of the arrest spread, Kamala Harris, the failed 2024 presidential candidate, posted a swift rebuke on social media.

“That Maduro is a brutal, illegitimate dictator does not change the fact that this action was both unlawful and unwise,” she wrote on X.

“We’ve seen this movie before. Wars for regime change or oil that are sold as strength but turn into chaos, and American families pay the price.”

Harris went on to claim the operation was not truly about removing Maduro from power, but instead driven by “oil” and “Donald Trump’s desire to play the regional strongman.”

Appearing across multiple Sunday news shows, Rubio rejected the oil argument outright, saying the United States has no need for Venezuelan crude. He said the real concern is preventing the country’s vast energy reserves from falling into the hands of hostile powers aligned against the U.S.

The arrest also revived old statements from Joe Biden that resurfaced online in the aftermath of the operation. In a 2020 post on X, then-Twitter, Biden accused President Trump of sympathizing with the Venezuelan ruler.

“Trump talks tough on Venezuela, but admires thugs and dictators like Nicolas Maduro. As President, I will stand with the Venezuelan people and for democracy,” Biden wrote at the time — a message critics now described as having aged poorly.

Democratic divisions over Venezuela were also on display in Congress.

Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union,” where he denounced what he called an “invasion” of Venezuela and accused President Trump of launching an “illegal war.”

“Listen, Venezuela is not a security threat to the United States. They’re not threatening to invade us. There is no terrorist group like al Qaeda operating there that has plans to attack the United States,” Murphy told host Dana Bash.

Bash then confronted the senator with his own words from a 2019 Washington Post op-ed, in which he wrote, “Let’s get one thing straight: There should no longer be any debate about Maduro’s lack of democratic legitimacy … The Trump administration is right to put restoring Venezuelan democracy at the center of our approach to this crisis.”

Murphy responded with a chuckle, saying the remainder of his article criticized President Trump’s “early moves to saber-rattle about regime change.”

According to U.S. officials, roughly 150 aircraft were involved in the operation, which included precision strikes around Caracas. Targets reportedly included Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base, Port La Guaira, Higuerote Airport, and Fuerte Tiuna itself.

The entire mission lasted just under two and a half hours. President Trump said no American troops were killed. Venezuelan officials, however, claimed at least 40 people — including both soldiers and civilians — died during the operation, according to the New York Times.

Several U.S. personnel were wounded, though officials said all are expected to recover.

Maduro, 63, and Flores were flown to the United States and are now being held at the Brooklyn Detention Center, where they await federal narco-terrorism charges.

Maduro first assumed power in 2013 following the death of Hugo Chavez and later declared victory in the country’s 2018 presidential election. In 2019, Venezuela’s National Assembly declared that he had seized the presidency illegitimately and was not the lawful leader of the nation.

He again claimed victory in a fiercely disputed presidential election in July 2024. That outcome was rejected by the United States and numerous other countries, which refused to recognize him as Venezuela’s legitimate ruler.

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President Donald Trump said Sunday that Washington has not ruled out another military strike against Venezuela, stressing that the option remains available if the country’s leadership fails to comply with U.S. demands.

Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump underscored that American forces are still on standby. “We were prepared to do a second strike if we needed. We’re still prepared,” he said. When pressed on whether that possibility had been taken off the table, he responded bluntly, “No it’s not. If they don’t behave, we will do a second strike.”

Earlier in the day, Trump delivered a pointed warning aimed directly at Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s interim leader, during an interview with The Atlantic. “If she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro,” Trump said.

Rodríguez, who previously served as vice president under Nicolás Maduro, was named acting president by Venezuela’s supreme court late Saturday, following the capture of Maduro by U.S. forces and his transfer to the United States.

In the same Atlantic interview, Trump spoke broadly about the future of the country, suggesting that any alternative to the current situation would represent an improvement. “You know, rebuilding there and regime change, anything you want to call it, is better than what you have right now. Can’t get any worse,” he said.

Those comments contrasted sharply with Trump’s tone a day earlier, when he described a call between Rodríguez and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in notably warmer terms. “She had a long conversation with Marco, and she said, ‘We’ll do whatever you need,’” Trump said Saturday. “I think she was quite gracious, but she really doesn’t have a choice. We’re going to have this done right.”

Despite that account, Rodríguez later issued a public statement rejecting any transition arrangement, insisting that Maduro remained in power. She described him as “the only president of Venezuela” and demanded his “immediate liberation.”

{Matzav.com}

Iran’s top diplomat fired back sharply after President Donald Trump renewed public threats over the regime’s handling of nationwide demonstrations, accusing Washington of dangerous interference as unrest continues to spread.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned Trump’s remarks in a social media post, calling them irresponsible and provocative. “Trump’s message today, likely influenced by those who fear diplomacy or mistakenly believe it is unnecessary, is reckless and dangerous,” Araghchi wrote. He went on to declare, “As in the past, the Great People of Iran will forcefully reject any interference in their internal affairs. Similarly, our Powerful Armed Forces are on standby and know exactly where to aim in the event of any infringement of Iranian sovereignty.”

Araghchi also argued that most of the demonstrations have remained nonviolent and drew a comparison to Trump’s own use of domestic security forces, pointing to the deployment of the National Guard in American cities.

Trump’s comments came Sunday night as he spoke with reporters aboard Air Force One, where he issued a stark warning to Tehran over the treatment of demonstrators. “We are watching the protests in Iran very closely. If they kill protesters like they have in the past, I think they will be hit very hard by the US,” he said.

The warning followed an even more forceful statement Trump issued late Friday on his Truth Social platform, marking the second such message in two days. “If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” Trump wrote.

Protests that began over soaring prices and prolonged economic hardship have since broadened into challenges to Iran’s political leadership. Demonstrations have been reported in at least 30 cities, with varying intensity across the country.

As of Saturday, clashes between protesters and security forces had left at least 12 people dead, including members of Iran’s security services, underscoring the volatility of the situation as international rhetoric continues to escalate.

Iran’s supreme leader has quietly authorized contingency measures to get out of the capital if the security apparatus falters amid the widening unrest, according to a Western intelligence assessment shared with The Sunday Times.

The profile portrays Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, now 86, as increasingly brittle following last year’s 12-day war with Israel, describing him as “weaker, both mentally and physically.” Analysts say that period deepened what they characterize as an overriding fixation on staying alive.

During the conflict, the assessment says, Khamenei largely stayed inside a fortified bunker, reinforcing what it calls his “obsession with survival.” The same document depicts him as a “paranoid” figure who mixes rigid ideology with tactical flexibility when circumstances demand it.

Officials familiar with the assessment say a fallback plan has been mapped out in case there are signs of defection or disobedience among forces tasked with suppressing demonstrations. In that scenario, Khamenei would leave Tehran with a tight group of relatives and trusted aides.

“The ‘plan B’ is for Khamenei and his very close circle of associates and family, including his son and nominated heir apparent, Mojtaba,” an intelligence source told The Times.

The preparations are said to echo the events of 2024, when Bashar Al-Assad departed Syria for Moscow ahead of opposition advances into Damascus. According to the intelligence source, Khamenei’s inner circle has “plotted an exit route out of Tehran” and has been “gathering assets, properties abroad and cash to facilitate their safe passage.”

Former Israeli intelligence officer Beni Sabti said the most likely destination would be Moscow, Russia. He argued there are few alternatives, adding that “there is no other place for him,” and explaining that the Iranian leader “admires Putin, while the Iranian culture is more similar to the Russian culture”.

Financially, the supreme leader presides over an immense web of holdings. A 2013 Reuters investigation estimated that assets controlled through Setad, a sprawling network of foundations, totaled about $95 billion. The assessment also notes that numerous senior regime figures already have family members living overseas, including in the United States, Canada, and Dubai.

The intelligence briefing arrives as demonstrations fueled by economic distress continue in cities across Iran. Protesters accuse the Revolutionary Guard, the Basij, police, and the army of responding with live ammunition, tear gas, and water cannons—forces that ultimately answer to Khamenei.

Over the weekend, the supreme leader addressed the unrest publicly. Speaking in Tehran during a Shiite holiday, he acknowledged the economic pressure facing ordinary Iranians, saying the grievances were “just.” He added, “The shopkeepers have protested against this situation and that is completely fair.”

At the same time, he drew a sharp line between protest and disorder, warning there would be no tolerance for what he labeled violence. While saying “authorities must have dialogue with protesters,” he insisted that “it is useless to have dialogue with rioters. Those must be put in their place.”

{Matzav.com}

Thousands of people packed the main beis medrash of the Nadvorna chassidus complex in Kiryat Nadvorna, Bnei Brak, on Sunday night for a mass reception welcoming yeshiva bochurim who had been detained for not enrolling in the army.

The event was organized by the Chayei Olam and Ezram U’Maginam organizations and drew leading gedolei Torah from across the chareidi world.

Gedolei Yisrael and senior roshei yeshiva arrived to personally greet the detainees and to publicly reinforce the Torah community amid growing concern over arrests of bnei yeshiva accused of evading military service.

Rav Chaim Feinstein addressed the crowd with sharp remarks, openly criticizing government authorities and institutions that, he said, act without the guidance of Torah leadership. “We are not afraid of arrests,” he declared.

The central address was delivered by Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, who framed the event as both a celebration and a painful moment for Klal Yisrael.

“Today is, in a sense, a day of joy,” Rav Hirsch said. “Young men were arrested because they learned Torah, and that itself is a merit. But at the same time, prison is difficult, and therefore when two of them were released, that is a reason for happiness.”

Rav Hirsch said, however, that the arrests also revealed a deep misunderstanding within Israeli society regarding the meaning and value of spiritual life.

“At the same time, this is a day of sorrow,” he continued. “Our fellow Jews do not understand a very simple truth: it is audacious to ask someone to enter an environment where, God forbid, his spiritual level will decline. And it will not merely decline, it will certainly fall. It is forbidden for anyone to enter such a place, and it is audacious to even make such a request. There is no such thing as asking a person to lower his spiritual level.”

Addressing claims often heard from the broader public, Rav Hirsch rejected the argument that spiritual sacrifice should be demanded in the same way physical sacrifice is demanded.

“I have heard people say, ‘Why not lower it? We also sacrifice.’ To say that someone should sacrifice his spirituality shows a total lack of understanding of what spirituality is, what the purpose of creation is, and who the Master of the World is. It is the greatest foolishness imaginable.”

He warned that demanding spiritual compromise from the Torah world places the entire country at risk.

“To demand that the world of yeshivos lower its spiritual standard is unthinkable,” Rav Hirsch said. “Eretz Yisroel cannot endure those who undermine its holiness.”

Rav Hirsch then posed what he described as the fundamental question facing the State of Israel.

“So the question must be asked: Why is there a state at all?” he said. “There is only one answer—because of those who learn Torah. Talmidei chachomim sustain the entire state. To deny this is both audacious and absurd. All Torah leaders of the past and present have ruled unequivocally that entering the army is forbidden for bnei yeshiva.”

Turning to Israel’s secular population, Rav Hirsch urged reflection on Jewish history and continuity.

“The secular world must ask itself why, in 1948, the nations were willing to give the Land of Israel to the Jewish people,” he said. “There is one reason: Jews were always here, in every generation.”

He traced that continuity through centuries of devastation.

“After the great destruction of Yerushalayim, when foreign powers conquered the land and the yeshivos were destroyed, who remained here for over a thousand years? Only people of Torah. They came to mourn the destruction and to learn Torah. They left everything behind in exile and came to the Land of Israel to learn Torah. That is why Jews were always here. For hundreds of years—more than a thousand years—it was only us.”

Rav Hirsch concluded with a passionate call for recognition of Torah as the foundation of Jewish sovereignty.

“The Torah is the reason there is a state at all,” he said. “It is because of Torah that the nations gave the land. To refuse to recognize the greatness of Torah is another act of audacity. May God grant that people understand this, recognize the centrality of Torah study, and know that any place where spirituality declines is forbidden to enter—for every yeshiva student and every chareidi Jew. May this bring honor to Heaven and merit us compassion and a complete redemption, speedily in our days.”

Additional remarks were delivered by Rav Dov Landau, who praised the detainees for their resolve while warning of the broader danger posed by continued arrests.

“Fortunate are you for being arrested because of Torah,” Rav Landau said. “We are deeply concerned, especially about the severe spiritual consequences that could result if arrests of yeshiva students continue. We are making every effort, through representatives and other means, to ensure that yeshiva students are not prevented from learning Torah under any circumstances.”

Rav Landau expressed admiration for the students’ strength in the face of pressure.

“Those who were arrested for Torah deserve our deepest appreciation,” he said. “They stood firm against both temptation and hardship, declaring that ‘many waters cannot extinguish the love we have for Torah.’”

He recalled a historical episode involving the Chazon Ish to underscore the gravity of imprisoning Torah learners.

“When Rav Amram Blau was imprisoned, the Chazon Ish came to visit him and said: ‘It is not Rav Amram who is in prison. The Shabbos is in prison.’”

Rav Landau concluded with a stark warning.

“When a yeshiva student is imprisoned simply because he wants to learn Torah, it is not the student who is in prison,” he said. “The Torah itself is in prison. Let everyone who takes part in this know: You are not fighting flesh and blood. You are fighting the Torah and the One who gave it.”

{Matzav.com}

Nicolas Maduro was transported to New York over the weekend and placed into federal custody following a U.S. military operation that forcibly removed him from Venezuela, according to reporting by the Associated Press. He is expected to appear in Manhattan federal court on Monday to face criminal charges tied to an alleged decades-long criminal enterprise.

Court proceedings are scheduled to begin at noon before Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who will preside over the arraignment at the federal courthouse in Manhattan. Prosecutors have brought a four-count indictment accusing Maduro of directing a 25-year narco-terrorism conspiracy.

Video footage released after his arrival showed Maduro being transferred by helicopter from a Manhattan helipad and taken for processing at the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Division headquarters. He was later moved to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where he remains held.

Federal authorities said Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were detained at their residence located on a military installation in Venezuela. The pair were taken aboard a U.S. warship before Maduro was flown to the United States. A plane carrying him touched down Saturday evening, and agents were seen escorting a detainee from the aircraft.

The capture followed an overnight operation carried out by U.S. forces, which resulted in Maduro being removed from power and extracted from the country. Hours later, President Donald Trump announced that the United States would administer Venezuela “at least temporarily” while overseeing its resources.

Addressing reporters after the operation, Trump said the U.S. would move quickly to “fix” Venezuela’s oil infrastructure and export “large amounts” of oil to foreign markets, pointing to the country’s vast energy reserves as a key focus of the interim plan.

{Matzav.com}

Joe Biden’s decades-long run in public office has positioned him to receive what analysts say is the largest taxpayer-funded retirement package ever collected by a U.S. president, with projected annual payments totaling about $417,000 — a figure that exceeds the presidential salary itself, the NY Post reports.

According to an analysis by Demian Brady, vice president of the National Taxpayer Union Foundation, Biden, now 83, qualifies for retirement income from multiple government programs during his first year out of office, a combination that sets him apart from every prior occupant of the White House.

“It’s pretty unusual, historically unusual, to have such a large pension amount,” Brady told The Post.

“I would have to say that it’s the largest,” the taxpayer advocate added when asked to compare Biden’s retirement benefits with those of past presidents.

The projected payout is roughly twice the amount received by Barack Obama after leaving office and about $17,000 more than the $400,000 annual salary Biden earned while serving as president.

Brady said the size of the pension reflects Biden’s “unique situation,” noting that his career path — which included lengthy service as a senator, vice president, and president — allows him to draw from more than one taxpayer-backed retirement system under current law.

Biden, who once described himself as “one of the poorest members” of Congress, is eligible to receive benefits under both the Former Presidents Act of 1958 and the Civil Service Retirement System that applies to former senators.

The CSRS benefit is calculated based on a formula that factors in Biden’s 44 years of combined service in the Senate and as vice president, along with his three highest-earning years during that period.

“Biden’s starting pension could be as much as $166,374, including an $18,186 set aside in the program for the spousal portion of benefit,” Brady said, emphasizing that the estimate assumes Biden opted to maximize his Senate pension.

Absent a statutory cap, Biden’s CSRS payments could have exceeded $254,000 annually. However, the system limits benefits to 80 percent of a retiree’s highest salary, which in Biden’s case was $230,700 during his tenure as vice president and president of the Senate.

Biden entered the Senate in 1972, before changes were made to reduce the generosity of the retirement plan for newer lawmakers.

In addition to his Senate and vice presidential benefits, Biden is also entitled to a presidential pension of roughly $250,000 per year. Under the 1958 law, that pension is pegged to the salary of a Cabinet secretary, currently $250,600.

The Former Presidents Act was passed amid public concern that Harry Truman faced financial hardship after leaving office. Historians have since argued that Truman was in fact a multimillionaire and not at risk of financial distress.

Beyond pensions, the law provides former presidents with a range of other taxpayer-funded benefits, including office space, staff, and equipment.

For fiscal year 2026, the General Services Administration allocated more than $1.5 million for Biden’s post-presidency expenses, including $727,000 for office space alone — a higher total than for any other former president.

“There’s no cap on the rent for that,” Brady said. “So it could be in a high-density area with high rent, and there is no limit on the amount of square footage that’s being rented and funded by taxpayers.

“It’s also provided for life.”

A representative for Biden did not respond to a request for comment.

Brady questioned whether relatively younger former presidents should be able to bill taxpayers indefinitely for office space that is often used to write memoirs or arrange lucrative speaking engagements.

He also urged lawmakers to revisit the structure of presidential retirement benefits to prevent similar payouts in the future.

“Biden is making more in retirement than the current president gets,” he said. “It’s a very unique situation, but even though it is unique, it is one that’s ripe for reform going forward.

“Congress ought to look at that to prevent such an extravagant pension amount in the future.”

Last year, Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa introduced the Presidential Allowance Modernization Act, which would cap presidential pensions at $200,000 and scale back benefits such as office space, staff, and travel.

A similar bill cleared Congress in 2016 but was vetoed by Obama just months before he left office, at a time when he stood to benefit from the provisions it sought to eliminate.

Concerns about taxpayer-funded retirement benefits extend beyond former presidents.

Under federal law, members of Congress become eligible for a pension after completing five years of service, a system that costs taxpayers an estimated $38 million annually.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia drew attention last year when she said her final day in Congress would be Jan. 5 — just two days after the start of the new session — allowing her to meet the five-year threshold and qualify for an annual pension of $8,717.

While that amount pales in comparison to the estimated $107,860 per year that longtime Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California is expected to receive when she leaves Congress in 2027, Greene could still collect more than $265,000 over her lifetime through the taxpayer-funded benefit.

With the Senate set to consider a bipartisan war powers resolution next week, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer sharply criticized the Trump administration’s military actions in Venezuela, accusing the White House of acting without authorization and misleading both lawmakers and the public.

Schumer argued that the administration’s moves contradict repeated assurances he says were delivered in private briefings over recent months. “The administration has assured me three separate times that it was not pursuing regime change or taking military action in Venezuela. Clearly, they are not being straight with Americans,” he said.

The New York Democrat also took aim at President Trump’s comments earlier in the day suggesting the United States would “run” Venezuela until a “safe” transition could be arranged. Reacting to that idea, Schumer warned, “The idea that Trump plans to now run Venezuela should strike fear in the hearts of all Americans. The American people have seen this before and paid the devastating price.”

In an initial statement responding to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Schumer acknowledged Maduro’s lack of legitimacy but condemned the manner in which the operation was carried out. “Let me be clear: Nicolás Maduro is an illegitimate dictator,” he said. “But launching military action without congressional authorization and without a credible plan for what comes next is reckless.”

The criticism comes as the Senate prepares to vote on a privileged war powers resolution that would seek to halt U.S. military activity in Venezuela, including the overnight bombing of Caracas. Because of its procedural status, the measure cannot be blocked from reaching the floor and would require only a simple majority to pass.

The resolution is sponsored by Sens. Tim Kaine, Rand Paul, and Adam Schiff. Kaine framed the effort as a necessary constitutional check on executive power. “It is long past time for Congress to reassert its critical constitutional role in matters of war, peace, diplomacy and trade,” he said in a statement. “My bipartisan resolution stipulating that we should not be at war with Venezuela absent a clear congressional authorization will come up for a vote next week.”

Kaine added a broader warning about democratic norms, saying, “We’ve entered the 250th year of American democracy and cannot allow it to devolve into the tyranny that our founders fought to escape.”

Beyond questions of war powers, Schumer portrayed the administration’s actions as a political diversion from domestic problems. “To distract from skyrocketing costs Americans face and the historic cover up of the Epstein files, Donald Trump is attempting to the throw Americans into more international chaos and uncertainty,” he said.

Taken together, the remarks underscore growing resistance on Capitol Hill to the administration’s Venezuela strategy, setting the stage for a high-stakes Senate vote that could redefine Congress’s role in the unfolding crisis.

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{Matzav.com}

Reaction to the dramatic U.S.-led operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro has reverberated far beyond Latin America, reaching Kyiv and Moscow alike and injecting new tension into already fraught global diplomacy.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded approvingly to the downfall of the Venezuelan leader, who had ruled since 2013, suggesting that similar decisive action could be applied elsewhere. Speaking after a meeting of European national security advisers, Zelensky commented on the U.S. operation, saying, per Ukrinform: “Well, what can I say? If dictators can be dealt with like this, then the United States of America knows what it should do next.”

The remarks were widely interpreted as a reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin, as Russia’s war against Ukraine approaches its fourth year. Zelensky’s comments came as the Trump administration continues efforts to broker a long-term peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv, adding an additional layer of sensitivity to an already volatile diplomatic environment.

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized in a series of early-morning strikes carried out by a U.S. Special Forces–led operation. Both are now facing criminal charges in the Southern District of New York connected to alleged narco-terrorism activities.

In Moscow, the response was swift and sharply critical. Russian officials denounced the U.S. action, urging Washington to “reconsider their position and release the legitimately elected president of a sovereign country and his spouse.” The Kremlin further insisted that “any existing issues between the United States and Venezuela” should be resolved “through dialogue,” despite Russia’s own reliance on military force in Ukraine.

The situation has also fueled speculation about possible escalations elsewhere. Former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis suggested that the Maduro operation might embolden similar thinking in Moscow, remarking that Putin could be asking himself: “Maybe I should arrest Zelensky too and hand him over to Russian justice?”

Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have already been heightened following claims by the Kremlin that Ukraine carried out a drone strike targeting Putin’s presidential residence in Russia’s Novgorod region. While Moscow has asserted it possesses proof, U.S. intelligence assessments reportedly concluded that the strikes were not intended to hit the Russian leader’s residence.

Before his capture, Maduro had been a vocal ally of Putin and an outspoken critic of Zelensky. During an episode of his weekly television show, With Maduro, in March of last year, the Venezuelan leader derided the Ukrainian president as a “clown.”

Maduro also predicted a grim end for Zelensky, claiming he would ultimately be abandoned by Washington. He said it was Zelensky’s “fate” for having sold his “soul to the devil” of America.

{Matzav.com}

In a sweeping briefing, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan “Raizin” Caine laid out new details of the U.S. military operation that culminated in the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia. The mission, carried out without a single American casualty, was described as one of the most complex and tightly coordinated actions undertaken by the U.S. armed forces in recent memory.

President Trump later confirmed that the operation concluded with no loss of U.S. personnel or equipment, despite reports of explosions across Caracas in the hours leading up to the raid, including activity near Fuerte Tiuna, a major military installation believed to include Maduro’s bunker.

Caine emphasized that the effort relied on exhaustive intelligence preparation and interagency cooperation. “We leveraged our unmatched intelligence capabilities and our years of experience in hunting terrorists. We watched, we waited, we prepared.” He noted that analysts from the Central Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, and National Geospatial Intelligence Agency compiled an unusually detailed profile of Maduro, down to his daily habits, wardrobe, meals, and even the whereabouts of his pets.

According to Caine, the military had been on alert for weeks as conditions aligned. “In early December, our force was set pending a series of aligned events… through Christmas and New Year’s, the men and women of the United States military sat ready, patiently waiting for the right triggers to be met and the president to order us into action.” Timing was selected carefully to limit risk to civilians and detainees alike. As Caine explained, “choosing the right day to minimize the potential for civilian harm and maximize the element of surprise and minimize the harm to the indicted personnel, so, as the President said, they could be brought to justice.”

When the order finally came, it was decisive. “At 10:46 pm Eastern time… the President ordered the United States military to move forward with this mission. He said to us, and we appreciate it, Mr. President, ‘Good luck and Godspeed.’”

The scope of the deployment spanned much of the hemisphere. More than 150 aircraft took off from over 20 bases, involving an array of platforms and personnel. “Bombers, fighters, intelligence, reconnaissance, surveillance, rotary wing were in the air. Our youngest crew member was 20, and our oldest was 49.”

As helicopters carrying the apprehension teams advanced toward Caracas at low altitude, they were shielded by an extensive aerial escort that included F-22s, F-35s, F-18s, B-1 bombers, EA-18s, and remotely piloted drones. The air campaign neutralized Venezuelan air defense systems ahead of the ground insertion to protect the force.

The helicopters reached Maduro’s compound at 2:01 a.m. local time. Upon arrival, the team came under fire and responded. “One of our aircraft was hit, but remained flyable,” Caine confirmed.

Describing the overall effort, Caine said it reflected years of accumulated experience. “This mission was meticulously planned, drawing lessons from decades of missions over the last many years.” He added, “Those in the air over Caracas last night were willing to give their lives for those on the ground and in the helicopters.”

Earlier in his remarks, Caine characterized the operation itself in stark terms. Addressing Operation Absolute Resolve, he said it was “an audacious operation that only the United States could do.” He formally outlined its legal basis at the outset of the briefing: “Last night, on the order of the President of the United States and in support of a request from the Department of Justice… the United States military conducted an apprehension mission in Caracas, Venezuela, to bring to justice [to] two indicted persons, Nicholas and Cilia Maduro.”

The operation was tied directly to federal indictments filed in the Southern District of New York. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced charges against Maduro and his wife that include narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and possession of machineguns and destructive devices.

Caine said the action demonstrated the full integration of U.S. military capabilities across domains. “This particular mission required every component of our joint force with soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and guardians, working in unison with our intelligence agency partners and law enforcement teammates.”

Summing up the broader significance, Caine underscored the message sent by the operation. “This was a powerful demonstration of America’s Joint Force. Our jobs are to integrate combat power so when the order comes, we can deliver overwhelming force… against any foe anywhere in the world.”

He concluded with praise for those who carried out the mission and their families. “I am immensely proud today of our joint force and filled with gratitude to represent them here today. There is simply no mission too difficult for these incredible professionals and the families that stand by them. Their courage and tireless commitment to our nation are what makes us strong.”

{Matzav.com}

Immigration attorneys across the country say federal officials are no longer treating marriages to U.S. citizens as a reliable path to legal status, warning that applications tied to spousal relationships are now being examined with far greater suspicion.

Lawyers say the shift accelerated after President Donald Trump directed his administration to confront what it views as widespread abuse of marriage-based visas, particularly arrangements in which migrants allegedly pay Americans to enter short-term or sham marriages.

For years, a wedding to a U.S. citizen often gave migrants a major advantage when seeking permanent residency, even though it was never an automatic guarantee of approval. Attorneys now report that those cases are being treated far more cautiously, with officials at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services probing details that previously drew little attention.

Brad Bernstein, an immigration lawyer with Spar & Bernstein, told clients that marriage to an American citizen can no longer be viewed as a near-certain route to a green card, according to reporting by NDTV.

One of the biggest changes, Bernstein says, is a new focus on whether couples actually live together. Under current enforcement priorities, the Trump administration is emphasizing a shared residence between spouses, an issue that had often been secondary in the past.

“Immigration officers do not care why you live apart, and they do not care if it’s for work, school, money, or convenience,” Bernstein said.

“So, if you’re not living in the same house every day, immigration is going to start questioning the marriage. And once they question it, they’re investigating, and once they come knocking on your door, they’re looking to deny you. So, if you want a marriage green card, you live together. Period,” he explained.

Federal officials have also issued broader warnings making clear that marriages must be genuine. USCIS has said it will deny applications where officials conclude the relationship involved “no good faith, intent to live together as spouses and intended to circumvent immigration laws.”

Beyond new applications, the administration has indicated that even existing green card holders could face renewed scrutiny. In November, officials suggested that previously granted statuses may be reopened and reassessed.

That message was made explicit in a Thanksgiving Day announcement by USCIS Director Joseph Edlow, who wrote, “At the direction of @POTUS, I have directed a full scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern.”

“The protection of this country and of the American people remains paramount, and the American people will not bear the cost of the prior administration’s reckless resettlement policies. American safety is non-negotiable,” he continued.

The administration has paired the tougher review of marriage-based cases with other sweeping immigration moves. It ended the diversity visa lottery, which had allowed as many as 55,000 migrants a year to obtain legal entry, following the arrest of Portuguese national Claudio Manuel Neves Valente on charges connected to fatal shootings at Brown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Valente had received his legal status through the 2017 diversity lottery program.

{Matzav.com}

Federal court records and recent reporting have shed new light on how participants in Minnesota’s sprawling Feeding Our Future fraud case allegedly used stolen pandemic relief funds to bankroll extravagant personal lifestyles instead of feeding low-income children, even as the state faces mounting scrutiny over broader welfare fraud.

According to a report by the New York Post, individuals convicted in the scheme diverted hundreds of millions of dollars from federal COVID-19 nutrition programs into luxury purchases, including high-end real estate, expensive vehicles, and overseas investments.

Court documents cited by the outlet describe purchases ranging from upscale condominiums and exotic rental cars to properties in Kenya. One defendant, 43-year-old Liban Yasin Alishire, pleaded guilty in 2023 to wire fraud and money laundering after prosecutors said he spent approximately $350,000 of the stolen funds on a Kenyan resort where visitors are offered services such as personal chefs.

Prosecutors have said the fraud operation was orchestrated by Aimee Bock, who allegedly used the nonprofit Feeding Our Future as a vehicle to submit false claims for meals that were never served. Authorities also claim Bock financially supported her former boyfriend, Empress Malcolm Watson Jr., through what they described as a sham contract that paid him a $1 million salary.

The New York Post reported that the pair frequently rented Lamborghinis, Rolls-Royces, and other exotic vehicles for roughly $2,000 per day while traveling. Court filings further state that the couple took repeated luxury trips to destinations such as Las Vegas and Graceland, with Watson Jr. posting displays of wealth on social media.

In June 2024, federal prosecutors announced charges against nearly 50 Somali Muslim immigrants in Minnesota, accusing them of stealing approximately $250 million through the Feeding Our Future umbrella of organizations.

More recently, Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson warned that fraud in Minnesota extends far beyond a single case. Speaking publicly, Thompson said an estimated half of $18 billion in welfare spending in the state has been lost to fraudulent activity.

“Minnesota has become a magnet for fraud, so much so that we have developed a fraud tourism industry — people coming to our state purely to exploit and defraud its programs,” Thompson said. “This is a deeply unsettling reality that all Minnesotans should understand.”

Thompson contrasted the alleged conduct with more typical benefit fraud schemes, explaining that “traditional Medicare and Medicaid fraud is that people overbill,” but that the Minnesota cases often involve no services at all. Instead, he said, perpetrators create shell organizations and submit entirely fabricated claims for reimbursement.

The renewed attention to the Feeding Our Future case comes amid additional allegations raised by independent journalists, including Nick Shirley, whose reporting has focused on suspected fraud tied to daycare and healthcare operations linked to Minnesota’s Somali community.

{Matzav.com}

Secretary of State Marco Rubio argued Sunday that the administration was unable to brief lawmakers in advance of the Venezuela mission, citing the risk of leaks and the unpredictable conditions surrounding the operation. He said the circumstances were too fluid to permit prior notification, stressing that secrecy was essential.

“You can’t congressionally notify something like this for two reasons. Number one, it will leak. It’s as simple as that. And number two, it’s an exigent circumstance. It’s an emergent thing. You don’t even know if you’re going to be able to do it,” Rubio said, adding, “We didn’t know if all of the things that had to line up were going to line up at the same time in the right conditions.”

“It had to be at the right place at the right time with the right weather, and all things like that. So those are very difficult to notify, but the number one reason is operational security.”

Rubio made the remarks during an appearance on ABC News’s This Week, where he rejected claims that the United States violated the law by acting without congressional authorization.

“It wasn’t necessary because this is not an invasion. We didn’t occupy a country,” Rubio said in response to questions from host George Stephanopoulos.

He emphasized that the mission should be viewed as a criminal arrest rather than a military campaign. “This was an arrest operation. This was a law enforcement operation. He was arrested on the ground in Venezuela by FBI agents, read his rights and removed from the country,” Rubio said.

U.S. forces carried out a covert overnight action into Saturday to seize Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, transporting them to New York to face charges tied to drug trafficking, terrorism, and firearms offenses. Maduro is now being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center.

According to Rubio, the planning for the mission began months ago, following a series of threats and maritime strikes aimed at what U.S. officials described as “narco-terrorists.” He said the arrest could not have been carried out without military support.

“Obviously, this was not a friendly territory,” Rubio said, explaining why the Pentagon was involved.

“So in order to arrest him we had to ask the Department of War to become involved in the operation. The Department of War went in. They hit anything that was a threat to the agents that were going in to arrest him, and they hit anything that was a threat on the way out,” he said.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

[Video below.] House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the administration must face limits on its actions in Venezuela, calling on lawmakers to reassert their authority once Congress reconvenes. He argued that any additional steps involving the South American nation should not move forward without lawmakers’ clear consent.

Speaking Sunday, Jeffries contended that the White House has failed to demonstrate that the dramatic operation against Venezuela was necessary to protect Americans. Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press, he said, “There’s been no evidence that the administration has presented to justify the actions that were taken in terms of there being an imminent threat to the health, the safety, the well-being, the national security of the American people.”

The Democratic leader also criticized the decision-making behind the raid that resulted in Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, being taken into custody and flown to a federal detention facility in Brooklyn. Jeffries described the move as “an act of war.”

President Donald Trump defended the operation a day earlier, telling reporters that detaining Maduro was required to curb the flow of narcotics and criminal networks into the United States and to halt shipments of Venezuelan oil sold in violation of sanctions. He also said Maduro had undermined regional stability through ties with China, Russia, and Iran.

Trump further stated that Washington would temporarily take charge of Venezuela, saying the United States would “run [Venezuela] until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.” He added that American energy firms would “fix” the country’s oil sector, pointing to Venezuela’s vast petroleum reserves.

Jeffries questioned whether that approach would actually improve conditions for Venezuelans, arguing that Trump’s leadership record suggests otherwise. “It remains to be seen whether the people of Venezuela are going to be better off,” he said.

“He’s done a terrible job running the United States of America,” Jeffries added. “Life hasn’t gotten better for the American people over the last year; life has gotten worse.”

The capture of Maduro drew applause from Republican lawmakers, while many Democrats objected to the lack of advance notice to Congress. Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio countered that alerting lawmakers beforehand would have risked the success of the mission.

{Matzav.com}

As debate over Chareidi conscription intensifies, Shas has made clear it will not back the 2026 state budget unless the coalition first advances legislation formalizing exemptions and regulation for Chareidi enlistment. Party spokesman Asher Medina issued the warning on Sunday, signaling a move that could topple Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s government if carried through.

With the March 31 deadline for passing the budget looming, the 11 Knesset seats held by Shas are pivotal. Failure to approve the budget on time would automatically dissolve the Knesset and send the country to early elections, giving the party significant leverage in coalition negotiations.

Speaking to Radio Kol Barama, Medina framed the proposed law as a defining issue for the Chareidi public. “From the perspective of the Chareidi public, the draft law is as far-reaching as one could possibly imagine. With God’s help, we will support the law because it is the only thing that will save the world of Torah,” he said. He added pointedly that “the only thing that will stop the arrests is not demonstrations, but legislation.”

For roughly a year and a half, Chareidi leaders have pressed for a statutory arrangement keeping full-time yeshiva students out of the Israel Defense Forces, following a High Court ruling that invalidated the longstanding blanket exemptions granted to them. The ruling upended decades of policy and placed immediate pressure on both the government and the Chareidi community.

Estimates suggest that around 80,000 Chareidi men between the ages of 18 and 24 are currently eligible for military service but have not enlisted. At the same time, the IDF has stated that it needs some 12,000 additional recruits urgently, citing the heavy burden on standing and reserve forces amid the war with Hamas in Gaza and other security demands.

Shas lawmakers have consistently backed the proposed legislation, which would preserve exemptions for full-time yeshiva students while ostensibly encouraging greater enlistment among graduates of Chareidi educational frameworks. In recent weeks, they have even voiced support for the bill during visits to Chareidi draft evaders held in military prison.

In a separate Kol Barama interview on Sunday, Shas MK Michael Malkieli stressed that his party is acting in full coordination with United Torah Judaism, despite a very public dispute between the two factions over control of Yerushalayim’s religious council.

Medina’s remarks followed closely on comments from a senior Degel HaTorah figure, part of the UTJ alliance, who told Ynet that “if there is no progress” on the enlistment bill, “we will not vote in favor of the budget…and if that means the government falls, then let the government fall.”

Both Shas and UTJ have previously rejected claims that they were explicitly threatening to bring down the government over the issue. Nonetheless, the pressure campaign appears to have resonated at the top of the coalition.

Addressing a meeting focused on funding for Chareidi education on Sunday, Netanyahu urged lawmakers to move far more quickly on the contentious bill. “We need to accelerate the completion of the conscription law legislation — everything depends on it,” Ynet quoted him as saying.

Under the proposed framework, yeshiva students who ignored draft orders over the past year would effectively have their status reset. Yeshivos would also immediately regain half of the funding that was cut following the High Court’s 2024 decision, a step meant to ease both financial strain and legal exposure within the community.

Those granted deferments would face travel-related sanctions, though critics argue these measures are largely symbolic and would expire once individuals reach age 26. More substantial penalties affecting subsidies would only be imposed if enlistment targets are missed.

The legislation has drawn sharp criticism from the Attorney General’s Office, the IDF, and the Finance Ministry, all of which contend that it is unlikely to produce a meaningful rise in Chareidi enlistment.

In a legal opinion circulated to lawmakers over the weekend, Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee legal adviser Miri Frenkel Shor faulted the bill’s gradual, multi-year approach to sanctions and urged a reconsideration of the clause that ends penalties at age 26, when repeated deferments become a permanent exemption.

Echoing that concern, a Finance Ministry representative told the committee on Sunday that “setting an expiration date for the sanctions empties most of them of their substance.”

Opposition lawmakers also assailed the sanctions structure, questioning why the bill calls for an exceptions committee that would include a representative from the Yeshiva Committee — an organization that a Times of Israel investigation found actively advises yeshiva students on how to evade the draft.

Also on Sunday, UTJ chairman Yitzhak Goldknopf took an uncompromising stance, arguing that instead of penalizing those who choose Torah study over military service, “all sanctions should be abolished.” He told the committee, “I implore the committee: If there are those who study Torah, exempt them from everything. They should not be tied to quotas or targets,” and accused supporters of sanctions of promoting a “yellow star” for Torah scholars.

That remark drew immediate and fierce backlash. Opposition Leader Yair Lapid responded by invoking his own family history, saying, “My father wore a yellow star in the Budapest ghetto simply because there was no Jewish army to protect his life. My grandfather wore a yellow star when he was murdered in a concentration camp,” and labeling Goldknopf’s comparison “the dream of every antisemite.”

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also condemned Goldknopf, saying there was “no place in our coalition” for individuals “who don’t stop harming the people of Israel, IDF fighters and Torah scholars.” In a post on X, he added, “Our heroic fighters are the ones battling the Nazis of every generation and preventing them from carrying out the Final Solution conceived by the one who devised the yellow star.”

Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Boaz Bismuth sought to strike a measured tone, saying, “The members of the committee know the immense respect I have for Torah scholars and, in general, for the Chareidi world, but a yellow patch is not here — we need to set a limit.”

UTJ MK Meir Porush went even further than Goldknopf, warning that cutting daycare subsidies to families of draft evaders would lead to “starvation” among Chareidim and could violate Israel’s obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Unlike Degel HaTorah and Shas, the Agudas Yisrael faction led by Goldknopf and Porush has openly opposed the bill, with Goldknopf saying he cannot support any legislation that includes sanctions at all.

Defending the draft, Bismuth, a Likud MK and the author of the revised version, dismissed the criticism as detached from reality. Addressing Yisrael Beytenu MK Sharon Nir, he argued that following her approach would mean “there will be not be 17,000 [Chareidi] soldiers, there will be 17,000 prisoners and 5,000 soldiers forced to guard them.”

As the political battle played out in the Knesset, tensions spilled into the streets. Chareidi protesters attempted to block recruits at the Yerushalayim enlistment office and at the Bakum induction base in central Israel, prompting clashes with police who used water cannons to disperse the crowds.

Deputy Attorney General Gil Limon also weighed in on Sunday, accusing the government of defying a High Court directive by failing to implement tougher sanctions against draft evaders, a lapse he described as a “constitutional crisis.” “The High Court required the formulation of the policy by today. This constitutes a violation of the ruling,” Ynet quoted him as telling a weekly cabinet meeting after a court-imposed deadline expired.

In mid-November, the High Court had granted the government 45 days to craft effective enforcement tools, including criminal proceedings, against Chareidi yeshiva students who refused to comply with conscription orders.

In a unanimous ruling, the justices charged that the government and state authorities had almost “totally shirked” their duty to enforce the law against Chareidi draft dodgers, calling it a case of selective enforcement and a breach of the state’s obligation to uphold its own laws.

The court instructed the government to promptly initiate criminal proceedings against those already deemed draft evaders and to present, by January 4, civil and economic enforcement measures with a strong likelihood of success against all who ignore enlistment orders.

According to reports, Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs responded to Limon by saying that “the government’s policy is to approve the conscription law.”

{Matzav.com}

Speaking before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, a senior IDF officer reported that a significant number of Chareidi men had entered military service earlier today, marking what could become the largest enlistment of its kind in recent years. Brig. Gen. Shay Tayeb, who heads the Planning and Personnel Management Division within the IDF Personnel Directorate, told lawmakers that by the afternoon hours, “there were over 210 fighters and over 140 combat support troops and it is likely that in 10 days this will end with the largest enlistment in recent times.”

The recruits, most of whom were slated for combat or combat-support roles, were assigned to frameworks geared toward the Chareidi public, including the Netzach Yehuda battalion, the Chashmonaim brigade, and additional tracks designed to accommodate a Chareidi lifestyle within the army.

The enlistment took place despite efforts by Chareidi demonstrators to block the process. Protests were reported both at the Yerushalayim enlistment office and at the Bakum induction base in central Israel, where clashes erupted between demonstrators and police. Law enforcement ultimately used water cannons to disperse the crowds.

According to Ynet, protesters shouted warnings that the recruits would abandon their religious way of life in the army and hurled harsh accusations at them, calling the enlistees “sinners” and “murderers.”

{Matzav.com}