Matzav

According to a report published by the Saudi daily Asharq Al-Awsat, Hamas is grappling with a deepening financial crisis as its war with Israel continues to rage throughout Gaza.

Insiders within the organization disclosed that Hamas is finding it increasingly difficult to meet payroll obligations—not just for its civilian government employees, but also for operatives in its armed forces and personnel in various affiliated branches.

The sources further noted that the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the group’s military arm, have gone nearly three months without paying their fighters. In addition to unpaid wages, they are also struggling to obtain vital equipment needed for ongoing combat operations.

{Matzav.com Israel}

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Kanye West, known as Ye, made headlines by announcing a sudden reversal in his stance on antisemitism, following years of incendiary behavior. The declaration came just hours after the tragic shooting in Washington, D.C., where Yaron Lischnisky and Sarah Milgram lost their lives.

Ye, who has long courted controversy through his antisemitic statements and actions—including the recent release of a track provocatively titled “Heil Hitler”—used the social media platform X to issue a string of remorseful posts. This change in tone stands in stark contrast to his February proclamation: “IM NEVER APOLOGIZING FOR MY JEWISH COMMENTS.”

Though he refrained from directly addressing the D.C. murders, between approximately 6:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Ye posted eleven messages that conveyed regret and advocated for peace. Among the statements were: “God forgive me for the pain I’ve caused” and “GOD CALLS FOR PEACE.”

In addition to his reflective posts, Ye shared a snippet of a new song titled “Alive,” which features rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again.

Ye’s past behavior on social media includes multiple episodes of antisemitic rhetoric. In one infamous 2022 post on X, then known as Twitter, he wrote that he was going to go “death con 3 on the Jews.” He later followed up that outburst by asserting he couldn’t be antisemitic because “black people are actually Jew.”

His conduct sparked a wave of backlash from the business world. A number of high-profile companies—including Adidas, the Creative Artists Agency, Foot Locker, and Apple Music—cut ties with him in response to his repeated antisemitic comments.

This week’s apparent pivot is not the first time Ye has claimed a shift in perspective. In 2023, he wrote on Instagram that watching the film 21 Jump Street, which stars Jewish actor Jonah Hill, had made him “like Jewish people again.”

Later that year, he posted an apology in Hebrew on Instagram, directed at the Jewish community, attempting to walk back some of his prior statements.

At the height of his controversy, Ye’s X account was suspended by platform owner Elon Musk. The account has since been reinstated.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli residents have begun receiving unsettling anonymous phone calls featuring audio clips of hostages pleading for help, layered with background noises of explosions and chaos.

One of the calls includes a soundbite taken from a widely circulated video, in which hostage Yosef Chaim Ohana is heard shouting next to Elkana Bohbot: “What will happen in a moment when I can no longer be with him and he’s left alone?”

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum issued a statement distancing itself from the disturbing calls. “These calls and recordings are not from us. The people of Israel support the return of all hostages and an end to the war. It’s time the government acted on the people’s will and brought everyone home in one deal. The hostages have been crying out for 596 days.”

The Israel National Cyber Directorate acknowledged that the incident is being investigated and described the phone campaign as “an attempt to spread panic among the public.”

Officials stressed that receiving such a call does not compromise the security of one’s device. They urged anyone targeted by these calls to immediately hang up and block the number. Several of the originating numbers reported include: 079-9444, 074-7375, and 072-2604.

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of habochur Refoel Faham z”l, who was critically injured in the horrific car crash that occurred early Friday morning on the Lakewood-Jackson border and tragically claimed the lives of two other bochurim.

Refoel was a son of R’ Yaakov and Mrs. Sarah Faham of the Pine Street neighborhood in Lakewood.

Known for his refined middos, warm smile, and gentle demeanor, Refoel brought pride and nachas to his family and those who knew him.

The devastating accident occurred when a Toyota Sienna carrying five bochurim struck a deer on Hope Chapel Road. The impact caused the driver to lose control, leading the vehicle to crash into a tree and burst into flames. Two of the bochurim, Chaim Zelig Berl z”l and Dovid Yitzchok Handler z”l, were tragically killed on the scene. The surviving passengers, including Refoel, sustained serious injuries and were rushed to Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune, NJ.

Despite extensive medical efforts, Refoel succumbed to his injuries and was niftar shortly before Shabbos, leaving his family and community shattered.

Details regarding the levayah will be announced once finalized.

Umacha Hashem dimah me’al kol ponim.

All are asked to continue davening for the refuah sheleimah of Meir Moshe Aharon ben Devorah Naomi.

{Matzav.com}

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All are asked to daven for Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva of Philadelphia, zekan roshei yeshivos of the United States, and senior member of the Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah of Agudas Yisroel of America, whose condition has taken a turn for the worse.

After being hospitalized Wednesday night, he has now been placed in the ICU at the hospital shortly before the inset of Shabbos.

All are asked to daven for Shmuel ben Itta Ettil.

{Matzav.com}

In a new update, the Orthodox Union has officially ended its kosher certification of all Beech-Nut baby food items, effective immediately.

According to a public kashrus notice issued today, the OU clarified that although some jars and packages currently in stores may still display the OU symbol—indicating they were produced while certification was in place—any Beech-Nut baby food lacking the symbol should no longer be considered under their kosher oversight.

The presence of both certified and uncertified products on shelves is expected for a limited time due to existing stock.

The OU strongly advises shoppers to examine each label individually to confirm the OU symbol before making a purchase or feeding the product to a child.

{Matzav.com}

Russia and Ukraine carried out a massive prisoner exchange on Friday, marking the most significant swap since the war between the two nations began more than three years ago. President Trump remarked that the exchange “could lead to something big.”

A total of 390 individuals from each country were returned home, including both military personnel and civilians, with officials indicating that additional transfers are anticipated in the coming days.

This exchange followed a rare direct dialogue between Russian and Ukrainian representatives last week, during which both sides agreed to release 1,000 prisoners each—marking their first face-to-face peace discussion since the early phase of Russia’s invasion in 2022.

“It’s very important to bring everyone home,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, acknowledging the importance of the swap.

President Trump, who has played a central role in trying to bring the conflict to an end, was the first to publicly announce the prisoner exchange early Friday morning.

“A major prisoners swap was just completed between Russia and Ukraine,” he posted on Truth Social before sunrise.

“Congratulations to both sides on this negotiation. This could lead to something big???” Trump added, raising the possibility of broader progress in the peace process.

The prisoner swap was the most concrete achievement to emerge from a strained two-hour meeting in Istanbul last week. However, the meeting failed to produce a breakthrough on a broader cease-fire initiative advanced by Trump.

Despite Friday’s release of prisoners, combat operations between the two nations did not pause.

Russian forces targeted the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa with a pair of ballistic missiles, striking infrastructure. One person was killed in the attack, while eight others were wounded, including four who are in critical condition. It marked the first strike on the port since March 11.

Clashes along the more than 600-mile frontline persisted, as both militaries continued to engage without signs of de-escalation, and the death toll from ongoing battles continues to rise.

Although Trump expressed optimism that this development might prompt Russia to consider winding down the war, Moscow remains opposed to a 30-day cease-fire supported by the United States—a proposal Kyiv has signaled it would accept without hesitation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected Zelensky’s suggestion to meet face to face in Turkey last week. Instead, the Kremlin sent a junior delegation to represent its interests.

At the Istanbul meeting, Russian negotiators insisted that Ukraine cede control of four key cities—Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, and Luhansk—all territories that Russia has aimed to annex since launching its invasion. Ukraine refused to concede, maintaining its position firmly.

While Trump initially warned that Russia could face stronger sanctions if it blocked the peace process, he held off after speaking directly with Putin on Monday, choosing for now not to take additional punitive steps.

{Matzav.com}

Elon Musk is pushing back hard against Bill Gates, following sharp criticism from the Microsoft co-founder that accused Musk of putting the lives of poor children around the globe at risk by undermining America’s foreign aid programs.

“Who does Bill Gates think he is to make comments about the welfare of children?” Musk said during a conversation at the Bloomberg Qatar Economic Forum. He was directly addressing Gates’ claims that Musk’s influence has negatively impacted vulnerable communities around the world.

Musk, who reaffirmed his commitment to remain at the helm of Tesla for at least another half-decade, was adamant in rejecting Gates’ allegations. “Show us any evidence whatsoever that that is true. It’s false,” he declared.

This war of words erupted after Gates launched a scathing critique in the Financial Times, in which he blasted Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for aggressively cutting US foreign aid budgets under President Trump’s leadership.

“The picture of the world’s richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one,” Gates stated, citing reductions in aid to the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which had supported HIV prevention efforts for mothers in places like Mozambique. “I’d love for him to go in and meet the children that have now been infected with HIV because he cut that money.”

According to Gates, these funding cuts were rooted in bizarre theories circulating among Musk’s associates — one being the claim that American aid funds were being used to supply Hamas with condoms in Gaza.

Earlier this year, Musk’s agency dramatically proclaimed the end of USAID’s relevance, announcing, “time for [USAID] to die,” and proceeded to shut down various initiatives. Musk even made a dramatic appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference, wielding a chainsaw beside Argentine President Javier Milei to symbolize the slashing of government expenditures.

Responding to the backlash, the White House defended Musk’s moves, describing him as “a patriot working to fulfill President Trump’s mission to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse.”

Still, Gates countered that these policy changes had devastating effects on the ground, pointing out that essential vaccines were going unused because there was no money to support their distribution.

The latest exchange is another chapter in a long and contentious history between Musk and Gates, two of the most prominent names in tech. Their rivalry has spanned multiple areas — from global health to clean energy and financial disputes.

One notable episode occurred in 2022, when Musk ridiculed Gates after discovering that he had taken a short position against Tesla shares.

Their bad blood can be traced back at least to 2020, when Gates publicly doubted the practicality of electric semi-trucks, prompting Musk to fire back on social media — then still known as Twitter — with biting remarks and unflattering memes of Gates.

When it came to climate change, Musk called out Gates for contradicting himself. “He had a big short position against Tesla, which is the company doing the most to solve climate change,” Musk tweeted in 2022. “This is not cool.”

Musk has not shied away from making his disdain for Gates public. He once labeled him “a knucklehead” during a Clubhouse discussion and openly questioned Gates’ understanding of electric cars. Meanwhile, Gates has taken Musk to task for spreading misinformation about COVID-19 and publicly downplaying its severity.

In one especially pointed comment, Gates remarked, “He’s not much involved in vaccines,” cautioning Musk to avoid weighing in on public health topics outside his expertise.

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Avrohom Meir Lichtenstein z”l, the devoted gabbai of both the Vizhnitzer Beis Medrash in Yerushalayim and the Magdanos Eliyahu shul in the Tenuva neighborhood. He was just 47 years old.

Rav Avrohom Meir was a son of Rav Chaim Yaakov Lichtenstein zt”l, the Gaavad of Batehlan and son of Rav Yehuda zt”l, Av Beis Din of Batehlan, and his mother, Mrs. Yocheved Perl.

After losing his father at a young age, he was taken under the wing of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe—who at the time served as the Av Beis Din—and was raised by him as if he were his own child.

In his youth, Rav Avrohom Meir learned in Yeshivas Vizhnitz and later married the daughter of Rav Zerach Zoldan, a respected member of the Yerushalayim community. He made his home in Yerushalayim and was very close to the Yeshuos Moshe of Vizhnitz zt”l and his son, the current Vizhnitzer Rebbe. He held a place of honor within the chassidus.

For years, Rav Avrohom Meir faithfully served as the gabbai of the Vizhnitzer shul in Yerushalayim, as well as at the Magdanos Eliyahu Shul in the Tnuva neighborhood, led by the mara d’asra, Rav Dovid Halevi Rubinstein.

Those who knew him recall a man of exceptional warmth, chesed, and yashrus. He was known for his dedication to limud haTorah, a commitment he upheld until illness prevented him in recent years.

Approximately a year and a half ago, he traveled to New York for a liver transplant, which sadly was unsuccessful. He later underwent a successful kidney transplant, but early this morning, his condition deteriorated suddenly and he was niftar.

He leaves behind three young orphans—two sons and a daughter—as well as his siblings, a brother and sister.

Yehi zichro baruch.

{Matzav.com}

In an early-morning session Thursday, the House of Representatives passed President Donald Trump’s landmark tax reform package, which includes the creation of special savings accounts for children that will receive an initial $1,000 federal contribution.

Dubbed “Trump Accounts,” these savings vehicles were previously introduced under the name “Money Accounts for Growth and Advancement” — also referred to as “MAGA Accounts.” The funds in these accounts can later be used toward educational pursuits, purchasing a first home, or starting a small business.

While the House has now given the green light to the legislation, it still awaits potential amendments or resistance in the Senate before becoming law.

Under the plan, families will be allowed to contribute up to $5,000 annually per account. Contributions will be invested in a portfolio that mirrors the performance of a major U.S. stock market index.

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, a leading advocate for the policy, emphasized its long-term benefits. “The miracle of the compound growth, the ability to accumulate wealth, which is transformational,” he said, explaining the power of the accounts to provide financial opportunity from a young age.

The Trump Account shares similarities with the existing 529 college savings plan, offering tax-deferred growth and a favorable capital gains tax rate on qualifying withdrawals.

Sam Taube, lead investing writer at NerdWallet, explained that the taxation structure is comparable to other investment tools. “This isn’t all that different from the tax treatment you would get from a typical brokerage account,” he said.

There are already savings tools available for children, such as UTMA and UGMA custodial brokerage accounts, which allow families to gift financial assets to minors. However, those accounts may subject investment income to the “kiddie tax,” which applies the parents’ tax rate to the child’s earnings.

Unlike those custodial accounts, 529 plans offer tax-free withdrawals when the funds are used for educational purposes like tuition, housing, and books, making them especially attractive for families focused on college costs.

Chris McGee, chair of the College Savings Foundation, highlighted the advantages of sticking with established options. “We continue to believe that 529 plans provide tremendous benefits as a tax-advantaged savings vehicle for American families, with a proven nearly 30-year track record,” he said.

Though Trump Accounts can be used more broadly than 529s, recent changes to 529 rules have expanded their utility as well — now covering apprenticeship programs, certain continuing education classes, and even student loan payments.

Another key distinction lies in contribution limits. For 2024, a single donor can gift up to $19,000 — or $38,000 for a married couple — into a 529 plan per child without affecting lifetime gift tax exemptions.

Financial advisor Winnie Sun believes the 529 plan remains the superior option for college-bound children. “For most parents, like myself with teens, the 529 college savings plan is superior if you’re focused on paying for higher education because of the federal tax-free growth,” she said.

Sun also praised a new rule allowing families to roll over unused 529 funds into a Roth IRA, an option that took effect in 2024. “Also, now, the 529 is becoming more flexible with its’ ability to have unused funds rolled into a Roth IRA in the future for retirement,” she said.

One of the most compelling features of the Trump Account is the one-time $1,000 contribution for every U.S. child born between January 1, 2025, and January 1, 2029. These funds will be distributed by the Treasury Department and are available to all citizens whose parents both hold Social Security numbers.

While a few states such as Connecticut and Colorado have introduced their own “baby bonds” initiatives, the Trump Account, along with the proposed expansion of the child tax credit, “could certainly help a lot of families at a lot of different income levels,” said Taube of NerdWallet.

He also noted that these accounts don’t conflict with other tax-advantaged savings tools like 529 plans. “So parents could take advantage of both,” he added.

Still, for families looking to save for college specifically, Sun advised that a more traditional approach might be best. “My recommendation would be, if you’re focused on college savings, talk to an advisor and start with the 529 plan first,” she said.

{Matzav.com}

IDF Maj. Gen. David Zini, recently named by Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu as the next head of the Shin Bet, is said to have expressed firm opposition to negotiating hostage exchanges with Hamas.

According to Channel 12, Zini made his stance clear during a recent internal security briefing, reportedly stating, “I’m against hostage deals. This is an eternal war.”

Despite his qualifications, Zini – who is affiliated with the national religious community – was passed over last year for the role of military secretary. Haaretz reported at the time that Netanyahu declined to appoint him due to concerns that Zini was “too messianic,” a sentiment the prime minister allegedly shared with close associates.

{Matzav.com Israel}

The Auschwitz museum has issued a serious warning about the use of artificial intelligence to generate fabricated images and biographical details of Holocaust victims, calling the trend a dangerous distortion of historical truth.

Officials at the memorial site for the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp, which has long relied on social media to share real photos and stories of those murdered by the Nazis, say they’ve recently come across Facebook pages publishing altered or entirely fictional profiles.

According to deputy spokesman Pawel Sawicki, these online posts often mimic legitimate tributes but include photos clearly created using AI. “People have started to notice that there are pages, including one called ’90’s History,’ where there are short bios of the victims as well as photos that were clearly made by artificial intelligence,” he said.

Sawicki expressed deep concern about the implications of these falsified portrayals. “Producing artificial images of real people, or what is even more troubling, producing false identities of victims, is certainly troubling and also very harmful for the memory of those who died at Auschwitz,” he told AFP.

He emphasized that inserting made-up surnames and fabricated details into Holocaust records is a form of historical manipulation. “Producing artificial information, last names, is falsifying history,” Sawicki said.

The museum fears that the spread of such disinformation could fuel dangerous conspiracy theories and even embolden Holocaust denial. “There is, of course, a danger that if we have these fake people, then perhaps someone could claim that the whole thing is made up,” he added.

To address the issue, the museum has contacted Meta, Facebook’s parent company, in hopes the platform will take action to curb the spread of this harmful content.

{Matzav.com}

The Department of Justice has filed lawsuits against four municipalities in New Jersey—Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, and Hoboken—accusing them of obstructing federal immigration enforcement through their sanctuary city policies, The NY Post reports.

Federal prosecutors allege that these cities have been actively preventing cooperation between local and federal authorities, thereby making it harder to apprehend and deport individuals residing in the country illegally.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth, in the official complaint, denounced these policies as a direct challenge to national immigration law. “The express purpose and clear effect of these policies … is to thwart federal immigration enforcement,” Roth said. “[E]ven where local law enforcement wants to help the United States deal with the nation’s immigration crisis, the Challenged Policies impede them from doing so.”

Roth further warned that such local policies not only put federal agents in danger but also jeopardize public safety. He contends that these actions violate the supremacy clause of the Constitution. “This not only puts the safety of officers at risk, but also endangers the broader communities they are sworn to protect,” he said.

This legal action follows a highly publicized confrontation that occurred on May 9 at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) center in Newark. The incident ended in the arrest of Mayor Ras Baraka and sparked federal charges against Representative LaMonica McIver (D-NJ).

Attorney General Pam Bondi blasted state officials in a public statement. “Recent events have proven that these New Jersey officials care more about political showmanship than the safety of their communities,” she said. “As I have made clear, this Justice Department does not tolerate local officials in sanctuary cities obstructing immigration enforcement: there is more litigation to come.”

Baraka, along with Newark Councilmember Kenyatta Stewart and Representatives McIver, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Rob Menendez, had gathered to protest the reopening of the Delaney Hall ICE facility when the confrontation occurred.

Although Baraka was arrested during the protest, Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba decided not to pursue trespassing charges. However, she did proceed with legal action against McIver. “I have persistently made efforts to address these issues without bringing criminal charges and have given Representative McIver every opportunity to come to a resolution, but she unfortunately declined,” Habba said. “No one is above the law — politicians or otherwise.”

A federal judge voiced concern over the handling of Baraka’s arrest, describing it earlier this week as a “worrisome misstep.”

Baraka denounced the Justice Department’s lawsuit, dismissing it as political theater. “We are not standing in the way of public safety,” he said. “We are upholding the Constitution, providing oversight, and following the laws and guidelines of the State of New Jersey. Nothing in our policies prevents law enforcement from doing their jobs. What we refuse to do is turn our city into an arm of federal immigration enforcement, which the courts have already ruled is not our role.”

The mayor, who is currently running for governor, went further in defending his position. “The comments about safety are not only offensive, they are lies meant to create political scapegoats. Immigrants are far more likely to be victims of crimes than perpetrators, and there is no evidence whatsoever that sanctuary policies make communities less safe … When people are not living in fear, they are more likely to report crimes, access healthcare, and engage with the institutions meant to protect them. That makes all of us safer.

“We will continue to do what we have always done, protect the rights of all our residents, stand on constitutional ground, and reject fear-based politics that divide communities rather than strengthen them.”

Hoboken Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla also issued a defiant statement, expressing his city’s unwavering support for inclusion and justice. “Hoboken is a community that prides itself on its vibrancy, its cultural diversity, and its inclusivity, and we will continue to stand together as a community for what is fair and just,” he said. ”The City of Hoboken will vigorously work to defend our rights, have our day in court, and defeat the Trump Administration’s lawlessness. To be clear: we will not back down.”

This is not the first legal challenge mounted by the DOJ this year. Similar lawsuits were filed against state and local governments in New York, Illinois, and Colorado over their sanctuary policies.

Opponents of sanctuary city laws frequently point to alarming cases in which undocumented individuals, released by local jurisdictions without notifying ICE, went on to commit violent crimes.

One notable case led to proposed legislation in New York State that would have required law enforcement agencies to provide ICE with arrest records and fingerprints of non-citizens. The bill was blocked by the Democratic-majority legislature.

That measure was named in memory of Laken Riley, a nursing student from Georgia who was murdered by Jose Ibarra, a Venezuelan national affiliated with a gang. Ibarra had previously been arrested in New York on charges of child endangerment but was released and disappeared from the system.

Democratic leaders in New York, including Governor Kathy Hochul, continue to argue that cooperation with ICE is possible—provided that agents present valid judicial warrants.

One of the DOJ’s ongoing lawsuits in New York challenges a 2019 statute that prevents inquiries into a person’s immigration status and restricts the Department of Motor Vehicles from sharing personal data with federal agencies without a court order.

President Trump has also taken executive action targeting sanctuary policies. His orders aim to cut off federal funds to cities and states that limit cooperation with immigration authorities and to prohibit public benefits for undocumented immigrants.

{Matzav.com}

Adi Alexander, the father of Edan Alexander—one of the hostages recently released from captivity in Gaza—has revealed disturbing details about what his son endured while being held by Hamas.

Speaking to Channel 12 News, Adi recounted that Edan had to conceal his identity during his time in a Hamas-run holding site where multiple hostages were being detained. “They put a ski mask with a green ribbon on him, and he walked between the cells, serving and clearing plates,” Adi said. “The other hostages didn’t even know who he was.”

According to Adi, the compound where Edan was kept quickly morphed into an operational hub for Hamas. Among the detainees were residents from Nir Oz and a group of Thai laborers. With so many people in need of essentials, Edan took on a caretaking role. “He volunteered to look after the Thai crew,” Adi explained, “partly because they struggled to communicate with Hamas.”

On April 14, an Israeli Air Force operation targeted a Hamas facility guarding the tunnel where Edan was being kept, as reported by Ynet. The airstrike triggered a partial collapse of the underground area. Edan was hurt in the process, sustaining injuries to his shoulder and hands while attempting to extract himself from the debris.

During subsequent conversations with relatives and security personnel, Edan described the harrowing moments during the assault. He said it felt like a seismic event had hit. “Suddenly, I felt like someone had detonated C-4 explosives near one of the pressure doors,” he recalled. The second detonation caused the roof to collapse, sending heavy fragments crashing down and injuring his shoulder—an injury he is still in the process of healing from.

With the tunnel caved in, Edan resorted to digging through the rubble by hand in an attempt to survive. “The wounds on his hands,” Adi noted, “came from clawing his way out. He told us, ‘We dug ourselves out before everything fell in on us.’”

{Matzav.com Israel}

The tragic suicide of a 26-year-old police officer from Pennsylvania, believed to be linked to complications following LASIK surgery, is not an isolated case, according to patients and physicians interviewed by The New York Post. Others have reported similar outcomes — debilitating symptoms that have altered their lives and, in some cases, led to suicidal thoughts.

While LASIK clinics often claim the procedure carries a success rate of 95% to 99%, one woman who underwent the operation in 2000 described her experience as devastating. She said it took her two years to recover from the emotional fallout and contended that many others didn’t survive the aftermath.

She alleged that more than 40 individuals have taken their own lives due to constant pain and vision issues that emerged post-surgery.

“I really didn’t want to stick around at times, but I decided I would to get the word out about how dangerous this surgery can be,” Paula Cofer, 66, of Tampa, Florida, told The Post on Wednesday.

“The LASIK lobby and the surgeons will tell you only one percent of patients have issues afterward. That’s not true. There are multiple studies that indicate otherwise.

“The percentage of those with poor outcomes are in the double digits, not one percent. And they know it,” she claimed.

LASIK, approved by the FDA in 1999, has been performed on more than 10 million individuals across the U.S., with an estimated 700,000 to 800,000 people opting for the surgery each year, according to Clinical Ophthalmology.

Cofer runs an online community called the Lasik Complications Support Group, part of a growing network of digital spaces where people share their experiences with negative outcomes from the surgery.

“If you understand Lasik and what it does to the eyes and cornea, you realize you can’t do it on a healthy eye and not expect complications,” Cofer said.

LASIK, or Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis, alters the shape of the cornea to correct vision.

“Not everyone has severe complications but a lot more people are suffering than you know. I got floaters, severe dry eyes, induced astigmatism and severe night vision problems,” said Cofer.

Ryan Kingerski, the young officer from Penn Hills Police Department who died by suicide after taking leave to undergo LASIK, reportedly struggled with a similar set of complications.

His parents, Tim and Stefanie Kingerski, described to CBS News the suffering their son endured after the procedure.

According to them, Ryan began experiencing unrelenting headaches, persistent double vision, and visual disturbances such as floaters — visual artifacts that resemble strands or cobwebs.

Their account mirrors the experience of Dan Rose, whose wife, Detroit meteorologist Jessica Starr, died by suicide in 2018 following LASIK complications.

Starr, a 35-year-old mother, took her own life just two months after the surgery, leaving behind detailed written and recorded notes.

“Prior to the procedure, Jessica was completely normal, very healthy,” Rose told WJBK in 2019. “There was no depression … no underlying issue.”

Rose explained that his wife’s suicide notes clearly indicated that the procedure and the subsequent pain were the driving factors behind her decision to end her life.

Morris Waxler, who served as an FDA advisor and led the LASIK review panel during its approval phase from 1996 to 2000, now strongly regrets the role he played in greenlighting the procedure.

“It didn’t matter what questions and concerns I had, because the surgeons were very powerful and still are,” he claimed.

Waxler told CBS in 2019 that his independent review of the available data revealed complication rates between 10% and 30%. In 2011, he petitioned the FDA to initiate a voluntary recall of the procedure.

“People come in with healthy eyes and all they need is eyeglasses. But when surgeons cut the cornea they are removing nerves and leaving the corneas with odd shapes and some patients will have intractable pain,” he added.

The FDA’s own website includes warnings about potential side effects from LASIK, such as vision loss, glare, halos, double vision, and other persistent visual problems.

The American Refractive Surgery Council, however, maintains a different view. “LASIK is safe and is one of the most studied elective surgical procedures available today … the rate of sight-threatening complications from LASIK eye surgery is estimated to be well below one percent,” it states on its website.

For Abraham Rutner, a 43-year-old electrician from Brooklyn, his post-LASIK struggles seemed hopeless — until he found a specialist who could help.

“It’s like you have a layer of oil on top of your eye — it was so hazy and terrible,” Rutner told The Post. “I couldn’t work. I couldn’t drive. I felt like I was still a young man and I lost my life.”

His turning point came when he learned about Dr. Edward Boshnick, an 84-year-old Miami optometrist who specializes in vision rehabilitation for patients suffering from complications due to LASIK and other eye trauma.

Dr. Boshnick’s practice, featured on his site Eyefreedom, fitted Rutner with scleral lenses designed to protect and restore corneas damaged by the surgery. Cofer also said the same lenses brought her some relief.

“Everyone has different problems when it comes to LASIK,” Boshnick told The Post, describing the surgery as a “BS procedure.”

“It’s the biggest scam ever put on the American public,” he said. “And it’s a multi-billion dollar business.”

{Matzav.com}

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