Matzav

According to security sources, the IDF has only managed to destroy about 25% of Hamas’s tunnels in Gaza, N12 reports today.

The sources also revealed that a large portion of the smuggling tunnels from Egypt to Gaza remains undestroyed. The Egypt-Gaza border continues to be a contentious issue, with ongoing concerns about weapons smuggling, which is one reason Israel has refused to withdraw from the Philadelphia Corridor.

“I saw with my own eyes quite a few tunnels crossing into Egypt; some were closed, and several were open,” Defense Minister Israel Katz stated at a February conference, as reported by N12. “We had information that Hamas was planning to attack soldiers and settlements during the ceasefire.”

Despite efforts to control the corridor as a buffer zone, many experts believe that maintaining control over the border may not be sufficient to prevent weapons from flowing into Gaza.

This information comes after the resumption of military operations in Gaza and a military order issued in late March instructing residents of Rafah, located in southern Gaza, to evacuate. The IDF had previously pulled troops from Rafah following a ceasefire agreement in January, though that ceasefire has since ended.

Just under two weeks ago, the IDF announced that its Yahalom Unit had dismantled a Hamas tunnel that stretched over one kilometer. The 143rd, 252nd, and 36th IDF divisions are currently active in the area.

The IDF also informed N12 that it has identified a significant number of Hamas terrorists fleeing combat zones. These terrorists are reportedly hiding among civilians and in tunnels, likely trying to evade direct confrontation with soldiers.

The military has indicated that its operations in Gaza have become increasingly decentralized, with limited face-to-face combat. However, the IDF anticipates that this will be a temporary phase, believing that Hamas will eventually be forced to engage in direct confrontation again.

“IDF troops, under the leadership of the Southern Command, are deepening the operation, and this will continue at a deliberate and determined pace,” stated Chief of the General Staff, Lt.-Gen Eyal Zamir.

“The only thing that can halt our advance is the release of our hostages. Their return would allow our forces to reposition and enable the continuation of negotiation.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump stated that the U.S. is collecting $2 billion every day through tariffs.

“We’re taking in almost $2 billion a day in tariffs,” Trump remarked during a signing event at the White House in Washington, D.C., where he also announced changes to coal regulations. “And we’re doing very well in making I call them tailored deals; not off the rack. These are tailored, highly tailored deals.”

Trump continued, “Right now, Japan is flying here to make a deal. South Korea is flying here to make a deal. … We have a lot of countries coming in. They want to make deals. If I told them about making those deals two years ago or three years ago or five years ago, they’d be laughing at us. Now, they’re all signing up.”

Earlier in the day, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent mentioned that nearly 70 nations have approached the U.S. administration to renegotiate trade agreements.

Trump’s statement was made without elaborating on specifics. Since he took office in January, the president has enforced a wide range of tariffs on various countries.

According to the U.S. Treasury Department’s daily report on deposits and withdrawals from its general account, which handles the federal government’s finances, deposits under “Customs and Certain Excise Taxes” have averaged around $200 million daily for the month.

For the full month of February, the Treasury collected approximately $7.25 billion in customs duties. The Treasury’s budget statement for March, which will be released Thursday, will provide the latest monthly figures.

{Matzav.com}

[COMMUNICATED]

Today, President Trump declared that his aggressive “reciprocal” tariff policy would be put on hold for 90 days in response to offers from multiple nations. However, tariffs on goods from China would increase to 125% due to what he called a “lack of respect” from Beijing.

“Based on the fact that more than 75 Countries have called Representatives of the United States, including the Departments of Commerce, Treasury, and the [US Trade Representative], to negotiate a solution to the subjects being discussed relative to Trade, Trade Barriers, Tariffs, Currency Manipulation, and Non Monetary Tariffs, and that these Countries have not, at my strong suggestion, retaliated in any way, shape, or form against the United States, I have authorized a 90 day PAUSE, and a substantially lowered Reciprocal Tariff during this period, of 10%, also effective immediately,” Trump stated on Truth Social, causing a surge in Wall Street’s performance.

“Based on the lack of respect that China has shown to the World’s Markets, I am hereby raising the Tariff charged to China by the United States of America to 125%, effective immediately,” Trump continued in his post. “At some point, hopefully in the near future, China will realize that the days of ripping off the U.S.A., and other Countries, is no longer sustainable or acceptable.”

{Matzav.com}

During an appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box on Tuesday, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) strongly challenged the idea that America is being taken advantage of in international trade deals simply because it runs a trade deficit. He argued that the entire premise is flawed and reflects a misunderstanding of how trade works.

“I mean, the whole debate is so fundamentally backwards and upside down. It’s based on a fallacy, and the fallacy is this, that somehow, in a trade, someone must lose. That somehow, when you trade with someone, there’s a loser and someone’s taking advantage of you, and China is ripping you off, or Japan is ripping you off. It’s absolutely a fallacy. Every trade that occurs in the marketplace is mutually beneficial,” Paul said.

Explaining his position further, Paul offered a simple analogy to illustrate how voluntary exchange is inherently beneficial to both parties involved.
“If you have a free society and I trade with you, if you want to sell me your coat and I give you $200 for it, we both agree to it and we’re both happy with the trade. No American consumer trades with China. They trade with Wal-Mart or they may buy something from China, but they individually buy something they want and they make a decision. The trade is always a win-win. Now you can artificially do this accounting between countries and say, ‘Oh, trade deficit, look at this trade deficit,’ but I have a trade deficit with my grocery store.”

He continued by pointing out that the concept of a “trade deficit” often distorts the actual value of the transactions taking place, especially when applied to individuals or businesses.
“The people who employ me, if I work for Corvette and they employ me, they have a trade deficit with my labor. They buy my labor and I never buy their cars. So you can have this artificial accounting and it makes it look like a bad thing, but you have to ask yourself, is trade good or bad? And if you look at the trade deficit, in times of a recession the trade deficit goes down. So if the tariffs push us into a recession, we could reduce the trade deficit because we’re all buying less stuff. We have to get back to the fundamentals of, is trade good or is trade bad?”

{Matzav.com}

By John Nolte, Breitbart

A troubling new study backs up what has become obvious since the November presidential election: the political left is seeking to normalize and use violence to achieve its fascist political goals.

This is also known as terrorism.

The Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) recently issued a new report which “found that a growing number of people are willing to justify and even applaud killing in the name of politics and a warped sense of social justice,” per Fox News. “The chilling change appears to have accelerated in recent months.”

Joel Finkelstein, one of the lead authors of the report, told Fox: “What was formerly taboo culturally has become acceptable [on the left]. We are seeing a clear shift – glorification, increased attempts and changing norms – all converging into what we define as ‘assassination culture.’”

That is the study’s term for it: “assassination culture.”

According to the study, the left’s embrace of violence to achieve a political end began with the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last December. After Luigi Mangione was arrested and charged with the assassination, the left immediately turned him into a folk hero. There is even a ballot measure in California called the Luigi Mangione Access to Health Care Act.

Finkelstein explained that the Luigi fanboying merely opened the door to this frightening acceptability. The left’s assassination culture has spread ever since.

“It’s not just Luigi anymore,” Finkelstein told Fox. “We’re seeing an expansion: Trump, Musk and others are now being openly discussed as legitimate targets, often cloaked in meme culture and gamified online dialogue.”

This culture can be found primarily in Democrat safe spaces like the X alternative BlueSky.

The most chilling information is found in the NCRI poll of 1,200 adults. A disturbing 48.6 percent of those who self-identify as “left of center” said the murder of Elon Musk is justifiable. That number increased to 55.2 percent for President Trump. When asked if “destroying Tesla dealerships is partially acceptable,” 57.6 percent of leftists said yes.

“BlueSky was modeled as a safe alternative to Twitter for the left, but what it’s become is an extremist platform,” Finkelstein explained.

He clarified: “We are not an anti-free speech organization, but we know what a threat is. And what’s happening online on platforms like BlueSky represents a significant threat to American democratic values.”

Rather than censor this assassination culture, Finkelstein said: “If leaders on the left explicitly condemn these trends and reassert moral norms, they can dismantle this culture quickly.”

And therein lies the problem.

Leading Democrats will never condemn political violence because they approve of political violence that furthers their cause. The corporate media will never pressure Democrats to condemn this violence because the corporate media approve of (and encourage) political violence that furthers the leftist cause.

Between public schooling, a celebrity culture that promotes narcissism as a virtue, not to mention the everybody-gets-a-trophy mindset of entitlement, what we have among us are millions of leftists who cannot psychologically deal with not getting their way.

Donald Trump’s triumphant reelection sent them spinning. To begin with, after railing against anyone who questioned the 2020 presidential election results, the left could not purge their anger by questioning Trump’s victory—something they’ve done to cope with Republican presidential victories for 25 years. There was no Russia Collusion Hoax this time, either.

Add to Trump’s victory how he hit the ground running with executive orders dismantling the corrupt Deep State infrastructure, like USAID, combined with DOGE, and the left now sees (correctly — tee hee) an existential threat to their national power. They also see in Trump someone who has assembled a loyal and capable team immune to the corporate media’s tired emotional blackmail and other tricks.

The result is a leftist meltdown driven by fear and helplessness. But rather than use next year’s midterm elections as a release valve by organizing and making a case for why the public should trust them again with power, the left is seething with rationalizations for violence against their political enemies.

Get out of the blue cities.

Buy guns.

Have nothing to do with affluent white women who vote Democrat.

That’s the only advice you need.

{Matzav.com}

During Tuesday night’s episode of CNN’s The Source, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) addressed growing concerns over President Donald Trump’s sweeping new tariffs. When asked whether Democrats missed their chance to reassert congressional control over tariff authority while they held the majority under President Biden, Schumer argued that Congress has always possessed that power and should now act to reclaim it.

“Congress has always had the power to deal with tariffs, and we’ve always had these fights in the past on some of the tariff issues as well. But now that Trump is going so overboard, Congress can, has every legal authority to take those powers back, and that’s what we aim to do,” Schumer said.

Host Brianna Keilar pressed the senator, pointing out how long Congress has historically deferred tariff-setting power to the executive branch. “On the tariff issue, you’ve been in the Senate for more than a quarter-century, and, in that time, Congress has been really willing to delegate tariff power to the president. Should Democrats have reclaimed that power when they had last — the majority? You saw what Trump did in his first term with tariffs,” she asked.

Schumer pushed back, suggesting that although Trump took bold actions during his first term, Democrats were able to limit the impact of those moves. He argued that what’s happening now under Trump’s new plan is far more extreme.

“Well, yeah, but we were able to beat back a lot of what Trump did on tariffs. And nothing is as extensive as this is, over 180 countries affected. Hey, this has been so carelessly done that they’re even taxing — they’re putting tariffs on penguins. There are two islands near Australia –.”

Before he could continue, Keilar interrupted with a follow-up: “I hear what you’re saying, the tariffs are extraordinary now compared to what they were in his first term. But what he did in his first term was also pretty extraordinary. Should Democrats have protected against this?”

Schumer reiterated that legislative authority over tariffs has always rested with Congress and insisted that now is the time to reassert it. He also called on Republicans to break their silence and join Democrats in taking action.

“Congress has always had the power to deal with tariffs, and we’ve always had these fights in the past on some of the tariff issues as well. But now that Trump is going so overboard, Congress can, has every legal authority to take those powers back, and that’s what we aim to do. And we hope our colleagues in the Republican Party, knowing how bad this is, instead of just trembling in their boots because they’re afraid of Trump, join with us and side with the American people.”

{Matzav.com}

The Trump administration is floating a new policy that would impose a $998 daily fine on migrants residing in the U.S. illegally who decline to voluntarily leave the country.

Under the proposed rule, migrants who fail to pay the fines could also have their property seized. The initiative mirrors a similar effort from 2018, during President Trump’s first term, and is reportedly grounded in a 1996 immigration statute, according to a Reuters report.

Back in 2018, the enforcement of the law was far more targeted. That year, the Trump administration issued fines to nine undocumented migrants who had taken refuge in churches. In those cases, each individual faced penalties amounting to $60,000.

When Joe Biden entered the White House in 2021, his administration quickly scrapped the policy.

Reuters reports that Trump adviser Stephen Miller has advocated for reviving the measure, suggesting that fines and property seizures could be used as leverage to encourage illegal migrants to leave the country on their own.

However, the memo cited by Reuters from Customs and Border Protection indicates that a mechanism for managing, processing, and collecting the fines doesn’t currently exist. Implementing the plan would likely require the hiring of hundreds of additional paralegals to handle the administrative burden.

So far, there has been no official timeline announced for when the proposal might be put into action, signaling that the plan is still in the development stage.

If enacted, the policy could accelerate a trend that’s already underway: voluntary departures by undocumented migrants. Some are reportedly seeking the assistance of the same smugglers who originally brought them into the country to now guide them out.

Texas-based reporter Alfredo Corchado shared during a recent event at the Council on Foreign Relations that smugglers, or “coyotes,” have started marketing “return trips” for migrants. He said, “They’re offering these packages where you can just go back home. Not all of them are taking it; I mean, many [are].”

This development is happening alongside the broader national enforcement efforts led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which has already detained and deported more than 100,000 individuals in recent months. In tandem, the president has dismantled Joe Biden’s controversial CHNV program, which allowed nationals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to enter the U.S. with minimal screening.

Communities across America are beginning to see signs of shrinking undocumented populations. Charleroi, Pennsylvania — once overwhelmed by a large influx of Haitian migrants — is reportedly seeing a gradual reduction in its illegal immigrant population, WESA radio reported.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has started notifying migrants who were granted temporary protections under Biden’s CHNV program that their status has expired and they are now expected to return to their home countries.

Those who cannot adjust their status to lawful residency are being informed they face swift deportation. According to a letter obtained by the Louisville Courier Journal, the notice reads, “Any decision to revoke your employment authorization is final and no appeal should lie from the decision to revoke your employment authorization.”

{Matzav.com}

In an interview broadcast by Sky News Arabia, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar placed full responsibility for the ongoing conflict in Gaza on Hamas, emphasizing that the group’s actions have directly led to the continuation of hostilities.

“It’s Hamas’s fault that the war is going on. Who opened the war? Hamas. Who attacked on October 7? Hamas. Who is pushing now for war? Hamas,” said Sa’ar.

The Foreign Minister went on to say that Hamas’s refusal to release hostages and give up its weapons is what’s fueling the conflict.

“Hamas is pushing the war because it refused to release 59 of our hostages. Hamas is pushing for war because it’s not ready to disarm.”

Sa’ar also pointed to sentiment from within Palestinian communities as evidence that people in the region are turning against Hamas.

“And this is not what I say. It’s the people in Gaza, in Jabalia, and in Deir al Balah, and in Bais Lechem, who say ‘Hamas out, stop the war’. They totally understand the connection between Hamas and the war,” the Foreign Minister stated.

{Matzav.com Israel}

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed firm opposition on Tuesday to a newly introduced Israeli plan for overseeing humanitarian aid to Gaza, warning that it could drastically reduce the flow of life-saving supplies to civilians.

“This proposal risks further controlling and callously limiting aid down to the last calorie and grain of flour,” Guterres said during a press conference, according to Reuters. “Let me be clear: We will not participate in any arrangement that does not fully respect the humanitarian principles: humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality.”

Humanitarian assistance into Gaza has been halted since March 2. Israel has made it clear that full aid access will not resume until Hamas releases the remaining hostages captured during its October 7, 2023, attack.

The IDF’s unit responsible for coordinating activities in the territories, known as COGAT, stated that it had shared a new aid oversight plan with international partners, including the United Nations. According to COGAT, the proposal is meant to improve transparency and ensure aid reaches the intended recipients.

“The mechanism is designed to support aid organizations, enhance oversight and accountability, and ensure that assistance reaches the civilian population in need, rather than being diverted and stolen by Hamas,” COGAT posted on X.

Despite this assertion, Jonathan Whittall, a senior United Nations humanitarian official in the region, publicly said there is no verifiable proof that humanitarian supplies have been misused or diverted to militant groups.

The Israeli military resumed its offensive against Hamas in Gaza last month after a temporary ceasefire collapsed when Hamas refused to release additional captives.

Guterres painted a bleak picture of the crisis, stating, “Gaza is a killing field – and civilians are in an endless death loop.”

He reiterated his demands for the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages,” a sustainable truce, and open access for humanitarian operations.

Speaking forcefully against Israeli policy, Guterres denounced the continued sealing of Gaza’s border crossings and the blockade on humanitarian goods. “With crossing points into Gaza shut and aid blockaded, security is in shambles and our capacity to deliver has been strangled,” he said.

The Secretary-General also emphasized what he called Israel’s obligations under international law.

“As the occupying power, Israel has unequivocal obligations under international law – including international humanitarian law and international human rights law,” he said, asserting that Israel must ensure the population’s access to essential services like food and healthcare. “None of that is happening today,” he asserted.

Since the Hamas-led massacre on October 7, Guterres has been repeatedly critical of Israel’s military actions and policy decisions.

In the weeks following the attack, he stirred controversy by stating that Hamas’ brutal assault “did not happen in a vacuum,” which many perceived as shifting blame toward Israel.

After facing sharp backlash, Guterres insisted his comments had been misunderstood and reaffirmed his condemnation of Hamas’s actions.

Later, he mentioned Hamas’s use of sexual violence during the October 7 massacre in the same statement as reports of abuse against Palestinian detainees — a comparison that sparked additional outrage.

He would go on to imply an equivalency between the October 7 terror attack and the humanitarian situation unfolding in Gaza.

More recently, Guterres condemned Israel’s renewed military campaign in the Strip, saying he was “outraged” by the continuation of airstrikes.

That remark triggered a harsh response from Israeli officials. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein fired back, writing, “We are outraged that you, Antonio Guterres, are the Secretary-General of the UN.”

“Not a word about the fact that Hamas rejected two American proposals to extend the ceasefire and release more hostages—two proposals that Israel accepted,” Marmorstein continued.

He also slammed the Secretary-General for failing to address how Hamas has used aid shipments to rebuild its military infrastructure.
“Not a word about the fact that Hamas exploits the transfer of goods to Gaza to rebuild its war machine in order to further attack Israel.”

Marmorstein concluded with a scathing indictment of the UN’s own agencies, saying, “Not a word about UNRWA, which, under your leadership, employs Hamas terrorists, and its facilities were used by Hamas to hold hostages. Indeed, we are outraged by your moral bankruptcy.”

{Matzav.com}

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized on Tuesday that the Trump administration’s hardline approach has seriously weakened Iran’s ability to finance terrorism across the globe.

Her remarks came in the lead-up to nuclear negotiations set to take place in Oman on Saturday, where U.S. and Iranian representatives are expected to discuss Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Leavitt suggested that Iran would be entering the discussions under significant pressure.

“The president has reimposed crippling sanctions on the Iranian regime, and he’s made it very clear to Iran they have a choice to make. You can strike a deal with the president. You can negotiate, or there will be hell to pay,” stated Leavitt.

Leavitt pointed to comments made by President Trump just the day before, reinforcing that there would be dire repercussions if Iran walked away from diplomacy.

“As the president said yesterday, if they don’t choose to move forward with diplomacy and a deal, which is the direction we do see them headed in, there will be grave consequences.”

On Monday, during a meeting at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Trump revealed that the United States would engage in nuclear talks with Iran over the coming weekend.

While Trump described the upcoming dialogue as direct negotiations, Iranian officials later indicated that their involvement would be more limited, signaling that communication would be conducted through intermediaries rather than face-to-face.

Iran had already dismissed an earlier overture from Trump, who had sent a letter to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei proposing a direct path to talks — an offer that was promptly declined.

In response, Trump issued a sharp warning to Tehran, cautioning that consequences would follow if a deal wasn’t reached.

“Bad things” would happen, he said, if Iran refused to agree to terms on its nuclear activities.

The president went further with his rhetoric in a later statement, making it clear that military action was not off the table.

“If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing — and it will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before.”

{Matzav.com}

China fired back at President Trump’s aggressive tariff strategy on Wednesday, unveiling its own dramatic response: an increase in import taxes on American goods, now totaling an eye-popping 84%.

The Chinese government revealed that its earlier tariff rate of 34% would be raised to mirror the rate implemented by Trump.

This retaliatory measure, which takes effect Thursday, follows closely on the heels of the U.S. president’s unprecedented 104% import tax aimed at China that was enacted just hours earlier.

The timing of China’s move also aligned with a stern warning from its Ministry of Commerce, which pledged an unyielding stance in the growing trade conflict with Washington.

“If the US insists on further escalating its economic and trade restrictions, China has the firm will and abundant means to take necessary countermeasures and fight to the end,” the Ministry of Commerce said in a lengthy policy statement.

In tandem with its tariff announcement, China disclosed that it had designated a dozen U.S. firms for tighter export controls, while blacklisting six others under its so-called “unreliable entities” list.

Among the companies facing export restrictions are American Photonics and Novotech, both of which will be barred from receiving goods that have both civilian and military applications.

As for the entities now deemed unreliable — including Shield AI and the Sierra Nevada Corporation — they will be prohibited from engaging in import and export transactions tied to China and from making investments within the country.

In Washington, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent dismissed Beijing’s counterattack, arguing on Fox Business Network that it would ultimately harm China more than the U.S.

“I think it’s unfortunate that the Chinese actually don’t want to come and negotiate, because they are the worst offenders in the international trading system,” Bessent said.

“They have the most imbalanced economy in the history of the modern world, and I can tell you that this escalation is a loser for them.”

President Trump, for his part, appeared emboldened. On Tuesday night, just before his tariffs were activated, he claimed international leaders were scrambling to stay on his good side.

“I’m telling you, these countries are calling us up, kissing my ass,” Trump told the National Republican Congressional Committee Dinner late Tuesday — just hours before the tariffs went into effect.

“They are. They are dying to make a deal. ‘Please, please, Sir, make a deal. I’ll do anything. I’ll do anything, sir!’” he said mockingly.

The 104% tariffs imposed on Chinese goods by Trump came in direct response to Beijing’s earlier retaliatory move: a 34% tax on American imports prompted by Trump’s own initial 34% levy the week before.

“It was a mistake for China to retaliate,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday.

“The president, when America is punched, he punches back harder. That’s why there will be 104% tariffs going into effect on China tonight at midnight.”

Trump’s dramatic escalation includes a new 50% penalty on Chinese imports, which stacks on top of the existing 34% reciprocal tariff and a prior 20% charge — together reaching a total tariff burden of 104%.

The White House has not yet responded publicly to China’s latest countermeasures.

{Matzav.com}

During a high-profile fundraising event hosted by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) on Tuesday evening, three former hostages — Keith Siegel, his wife Aviva, and Iair Horn — took the stage to publicly express their gratitude to President Donald Trump for his efforts in securing their release from Hamas captivity.

Keith Siegel and Iair Horn were released as part of the most recent hostage deal, while Aviva Siegel had been freed earlier, in November 2023. Together, they used the opportunity to thank the former president personally and to urge him to continue working to free those still held in Gaza.

“They went through unimaginable suffering,” Trump said as he introduced Siegel and Horn. “Come on up.”

Keith Siegel began his remarks with deep emotion, speaking directly to Trump with a message of appreciation.

“President Trump, I’m here, and I’m alive,” he said. “President Trump, you saved my life. You saved the life of 33 hostages.”

Highlighting the importance of Trump’s actions, Siegel elaborated on what his intervention meant.

“Because of your efforts and your setting the hostage crisis as a high priority — among all of the enormous issues and things that you’re dealing with since you came into your position as president of the United States — you got 33 of us home alive. We all owe our lives to you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”

He concluded with a plea for continued involvement.

“Please continue your tremendous efforts and your tremendous actions and your tremendous accomplishments. And we will get, with your help, all of the remaining 59 hostages still in Gaza back home. Thank you.”

Aviva Siegel, who was previously released and reunited with her husband in the latest deal, expressed her overwhelming joy and appreciation.

“Thank you, President Trump, for bringing my Keith home. Keith’s grandchildren are the happiest, Keith’s children are the happiest, Keith’s family is the happiest, but I am the most happiest. Thank you so much.”

She also urged action for the remaining captives, speaking with urgency and emotion.

“We need you. We need you to bring all the hostages home. There’s 24 that are alive and 59 to come home to their families. We have Iair standing here with us and Eitan, his brother, is underneath the ground now begging to get out. So I’m begging you all to help us. We need your help. Thank you.”

Iair Horn, whose brother remains in captivity, shared a chilling description of what he endured during his time as a hostage.

“My name is Iair. I’ve been in hell for 498 days,” he said. “Have been held in hell with Hamas terrorists. We didn’t see the light.”

Horn recalled a turning point in their hope, when news reached them about Trump’s election victory.

“But we feel — when we heard President Trump get elected — we knew, we knew. That is now someone who makes things happen. Thank you.”

Following their emotional testimonies, Trump addressed the crowd once more, commenting on the horrors faced by those still in captivity.

“This is a terrible thing that’s going on with Hamas. The hatred is so incredible. It’s unbelievable. And the way they were made to live was not even understandable, I think, by anybody in this audience, and you have great people in this audience that love you, and they’re going to fight for you. And I just want to thank you very much. Thank you.”

He ended with a vow of continued dedication to the cause.

“We’ll not rest until your loved ones have been returned home, and hopefully we can do it the right way. We want to get those 24 out really fast, and we’re working on it very hard.”

{Matzav.com}

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri has drawn a red line regarding the controversial draft law, warning that his party will boycott all Knesset votes if no agreement is reached by the start of the summer session.

Speaking in an interview with HaDerech, the official Shas newspaper, Deri made his position unequivocally clear: “By the opening of the Knesset’s summer session, we must reach an internal agreement on all the core issues of the draft law — or we will refrain from participating in votes.”

Deri issued a stark warning about the potential consequences of any attempt to enforce the draft on bnei yeshiva: “The moment, G-d forbid, there is a single incident in which the military police enters a yeshiva or a home and arrests even one yeshiva bochur, Shas will no longer be able to remain in the government.”

The Shas leader also addressed the internal coalition tensions, particularly the possibility of removing MK Yuli Edelstein as head of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. “The moment we make such a move,” said Deri, “you lose the cooperation of the committee’s legal advisor. She’ll immediately declare that it’s a political maneuver and refuse to cooperate. After that, the Knesset’s legal advisor will also say it’s legally problematic. Then what will you do?”

Deri emphasized that key principles regarding the draft law have already been agreed upon. “The most important one,” he said, “is that there will be no quotas. We will not agree to any kind of quota system.”

In response to Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and others in the right-wing bloc who have criticized the “deep state” and bureaucratic dominance, Deri remarked, “I don’t like the term ‘deep state,’ but I can tell you this — there are things happening that are deeply concerning.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

A call for rachamei Shamayim has gone out across the Torah world following a significant deterioration in the condition of HaGaon HaRav Meir Mazuz, Rosh Yeshivas Kisei Rachamim.

Rav Mazuz, 80, was hospitalized earlier this week at Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikvah due to ongoing weakness. His condition worsened overnight.

All are asked to daven for Rav Meir Nissim ben Kamasna.

{Matzav.com Israel}

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Yosef Atik z”l, from the Shmuel Hanavi neighborhood of Yerushalayim, just one month before his bar mitzvah.

Yosef battled a difficult illness for close to two years with great strength and emunah. Despite his suffering, he remained devoted to his learning and davening.

A child of noble lineage, Yosef was the son of Rav Shimon Hillel Atik and a grandson of the renowned gaon Rav Yitzchok Zev Atik zt”l and Rav Yaakov Yehuda Salant. He was also a great-grandson of Gedolei Yerushalayim — Rav Mendel Atik zt”l, Rav Moshe Salant zt”l, and Rav Chaim Uri Freund, a member of the Badatz of the Eidah Hachareidis.

He has been described as a “yeled sha’ashu’im,” a sweet and precious neshomah, a refined and gentle child whose presence lit up his home and kehillah. Yosef was beloved by all who knew him.

Yosef’s levayah will take place this evening, departing from Shamgar Funeral Home in Yerushalayim and proceeding to Har HaMenuchos for kevurah.

The family will be sitting shivah at the home of his parents at 25 Rechov Shmuel Hanavi until Shabbos.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}

The United States officially began enforcing a wide array of new tariffs early this morning, fulfilling President Trump’s sweeping trade policy that now affects close to 90 countries — most notably China, which has been hit with a staggering 104% tariff rate.

These newly implemented tariffs follow an earlier 10% baseline rate that went into effect on April 5. The latest round applies both to longstanding U.S. allies and rival nations, part of what the administration calls a broader strategy to reset global trade relationships.

China received the highest duties after retaliating with a 34% tariff on American exports — itself a response to the 34% levy Trump had previously imposed. That tit-for-tat prompted Trump to up the ante with an even harsher penalty.

“It was a mistake for China to retaliate,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday. “The president, when America is punched, he punches back harder. That’s why there will be 104% tariffs going into effect on China tonight at midnight.”

The full tariff on Chinese imports now stands at 104%, a combination of a 50% retaliatory duty, a 34% reciprocal tariff, and a previously established 20% charge. These layers of penalties reflect what Trump has framed as a firm response to unfair trade practices.

To the president, this aggressive tariff schedule isn’t just economic policy — it’s a cornerstone of his vision for reclaiming America’s financial independence. Trump sees these moves as a way to tear down foreign protectionism and revive American industry.

Other nations have not been spared. Countries such as Israel, Japan, South Korea, and the European Union are also facing tariffs ranging from 17% to 25%. These rates were crafted by the Council of Economic Advisers, based on each country’s trade imbalance with the United States, in addition to the standard base rate.

Inside the Trump administration, officials report a frenzy of diplomatic activity since the announcement. Foreign governments, alarmed by the steep levies, have been reaching out in an attempt to negotiate better terms.

“The president met with his trade team this morning, and he directed them to have tailor-made trade deals with each and every country that calls up this administration to strike a deal,” Leavitt said, noting, however, that Trump “expects that these tariffs are going to go into effect.”

During a public appearance at the White House on Tuesday, Trump proudly declared the economic impact of his tariff policy, boasting about its immediate fiscal returns.
“We’re already taking in almost $2 billion a day in tariffs,” he said.

Still, Trump emphasized a willingness to negotiate on a country-by-country basis.
“Not off-the-rack, these are tailored, highly tailored deals,” he said.

At home, the sweeping tariff campaign has had a chilling effect on financial markets. Wall Street reacted swiftly and negatively, with sharp declines across major indices stoking fears of both inflation and a looming economic downturn.

Following last week’s announcement, the S&P 500 suffered a historic drop of 10.5% over two days — its steepest decline since the early days of the pandemic in March 2020. On Tuesday, it slid another 1.5%.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average also took a hit, falling 320 points on the eve of the new tariffs. It now sits more than 10% below its peak from December.

The Nasdaq Composite didn’t fare much better. It tumbled more than 2% on Tuesday, officially entering bear market territory — a drop of 20% or more from its recent high — according to Reuters.

Unless new agreements are made with affected countries, Trump intends to keep the tariffs in place indefinitely. According to his executive order, the tariffs will remain until the administration determines that “the threat posed by the trade deficit and underlying nonreciprocal treatment is satisfied, resolved, or mitigated.”

{Matzav.com}

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Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu warned on Tuesday about the potential perils of a nuclear deal with Iran, ahead of taking off for Israel following his meeting the previous day with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.

“We agree that Iran will not have nuclear weapons. This can be done by agreement, but only if this agreement is Libyan-style: They go in, blow up the installations, dismantle all of the equipment under American supervision and carried out by America—this would be good,” he said.

“The second possibility—that will not be—is that they drag out the talks, and then there is the military option. Everyone understands this. We spoke about this at length,” he added.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed on Tuesday that his government had decided to start negotiations with Washington.

“Iran and the United States will meet in Oman on Saturday for indirect high-level talks,” he wrote on X, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump announced the discussions set to take place in Muscat, which he called direct.

Speaking in the Oval Office after meeting Netanyahu on Monday, Trump announced: “We’re having direct talks with Iran, and they’ve started. … Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” he stressed. “If it can be done diplomatically in a full way, the way it was done in Libya, I think that would be a good thing.”

Netanyahu on Tuesday said he and Trump also discussed the ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.

“We are determined to eliminate Hamas, and at the same time, we are determined to return all of our hostages. The president looked at me and told the journalists who were present: ‘This man is working constantly to free the hostages.’ I hope that this shatters the lie that is being circulated to the effect that I am not working for them, that I don’t care. I do care, and I am doing it, and we will be successful,” said the Israeli premier.

Netanyahu noted that he raised Trump’s vision to relocate civilians in the Gaza Strip, insisting that Jerusalem was currently in contact with several countries talking about the possibility of absorbing Palestinians.

“This is important because in the end, this is what needs to happen,” he said.

“The third issue: Turkey. Turkey wants to establish military bases in Syria, and this endangers Israel. We oppose this and are working against it. I told President Trump, who is my friend and also a friend of [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan: ‘If we are in need of your help, we will discuss it with you,’” stated the prime minister.

“The fourth and last issue: the tariffs. President Trump has asked countries to reduce their trade deficits with the U.S. to zero. I told him: ‘This is not so difficult for us. We will do it.’ This is the little that we can do for the U.S. and its president, who does so much for us,” said Netanyahu.

The prime minister concluded by stressing that it was a “very warm visit,” his second in two months since Trump assumed office, adding that “there were additional things that you will hear about later.” JNS

{Matzav.com}