Matzav

Congress members, led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), sent a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Attorney General Merrick Garland calling for an independent investigation into an attack in the Gaza Strip by the Israel Defense Forces on Oct. 13, 2023, six days after the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks in southern Israel.

Sanders alleged that the strike was directed at working journalists.

Dylan Collins, a Vermont resident writing for the Agence France-Press, suffered shrapnel wounds to his face, arms and back. Five others were reported as being injured, and Issam Abdallah of Lebanon, who was reporting for Reuters, was killed.

“To date, Mr. Collins has received no explanation for the attack, and there have been no steps toward accountability. Given the inaction of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, the United States must open an independent investigation into this incident,” the letter stated.

Co-signers included Sens. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.); and Reps. Becca Balint (D-Vt.), Cori Bush (D-Mo.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.). JNS

{Matzav.com}

Speaking alongside Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) on Martha MacCallum’s Fox News program on Monday, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said of leaked U.S. intelligence documents about an impending Israeli attack on Iran that it is “both a federal crime to leak that information, and it’s also an act of treason.”

“It’s aiding an enemy of the United States—a government in Iran that basically says ‘death to America,’ ‘death to Israel’ every week,” Rubio said.

The Biden administration has said that the FBI is investigating the leak.

“We need to know who did this, and they need to be punished,” Rubio said.

Cotton told MacCallum that “without confirming or denying the information that was in this leak, we shouldn’t be surprised that we’ve seen from this administration more than a year’s worth of leaks hostile to Israel.”

“From the very top to the very bottom, they’re packed with people who are hostile to Israel and sympathetic to Iran and its terror networks,” he said.

“From Kamala Harris, who puts more pressure on Israel than she does on Iran, or her own national security advisor, who associates with known Iranian influence agents in the administration at the State Department, at the Pentagon,” Cotton added. “So we’ve seen this pattern for a year. After this election, though, it’s going to stop.”

Scott said of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that “we have to respect what he’s done, and we’ve got to do everything we can to help him.”

“I agree with my colleagues,” he added. “Whoever did this has to be held accountable.”

Yaniv Gola, 51, of Philadelphia, was sentenced on Tuesday to 16 months in prison, and then three years of supervised release, for threatening to kill Jews and Muslims, the U.S. Justice Department stated.

From Aug. 2, 2022 to Nov. 5, 2023, Gola used voice-over-Internet protocol to mask his phone number while calling Jews and Muslims and threatening to murder, rape and hurt eight people. He faced up to 40 years in prison for the threats.

He pleaded guilty to all eight counts on Feb. 14.

In one of the calls, Gola used an expletive to refer to a Jew and said, “Now I know where you are. I’m going to kill all you Jews.”

“You all should be shoved back into ovens,” he added, stating that he intended to go to the person’s work “to kill you.”

“You’re Jewish. I’m from Hamas. You’re animals and pigs,” he told another person. “If you don’t leave that place, we’re going to blow you up.”

“Yaniv Gola made hundreds of these calls and texts, terrorizing his victims with incredibly vile, violent threats,” stated Jacqueline Romero, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

“He learned where they lived and worked, deploying those details just to heighten their fear,” Romero added. “My office and the FBI will continue to hold accountable anyone making such cruel and criminal threats.” JNS

{Matzav.com}

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry urged the global community, especially the UN Security Council, to hold Israel accountable for what it referred to as violations of Islamic holy sites on the Har Habayis in a post shared on X.

“The Kingdom calls on the international community, particularly the permanent members of the Security Council, to hold the occupation accountable for its serious and ongoing violations against Islamic holy sites and innocent civilians in the State of Palestine and calls for an immediate ceasefire,” the statement declared.

“The Kingdom also condemns the settlers’ storming of the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, reiterating its denunciation of the ongoing blatant violations of international law and international humanitarian law by the occupation forces and authorities,” the statement from the Saudi Foreign Ministry continued.

The ministry further condemned Israeli airstrikes in Beit Lahia, a neighborhood in northern Gaza, and once again called upon the UN Security Council to enforce a ceasefire in Gaza.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s strongest condemnation of the Israeli occupation forces’ shelling of homes in the town of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip,” the statement added.

On Sunday, it was reported that National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir had arrived at the entrance of Har Habayis. However, his entourage clarified that the minister did not ascend the Mount.

{Matzav.com Israel}

The campaign of former President Donald Trump is urging Vice President Kamala Harris to publicly “condemn” the “lock him up” comments made by President Joe Biden.

In a statement released to the media, Karoline Leavitt, the Trump campaign’s national press secretary, addressed remarks made by President Biden at an event in New Hampshire on Tuesday.

“Joe Biden just admitted the truth,” Leavitt stated in her release. “He and Kamala’s plan all along has been to politically persecute their opponent President Trump because they can’t beat him fair and square. The Harris-Biden Admin is the real threat to democracy. We call on Kamala Harris to condemn Joe Biden’s disgraceful remark.”

During his visit to a Democratic campaign office in New Hampshire, Biden told the audience, “This is a guy who wants to replace every civil servant, every single one — thinks he has a right under the Supreme Court ruling on immunity to be able if need be, if it was the case, to actually eliminate, physically eliminate, shoot, kill someone who is — who he believes to be a threat to him. I know this sounds bizarre. It sounds like if I said this five years ago, you’d lock me up. We gotta lock him up.”

Biden further added, “Politically, lock him up.”

A source close to Biden clarified to the New York Post that the president’s comments were not intended as a call for Trump to be imprisoned.

{Matzav.com}

As we navigate the days of Chol Hamoed Sukkos, a time of joy and reflection, many are grappling with how to properly mark the first year since the devastating tragedy that unfolded on Simchas Torah last year. The massacre that claimed the lives of so many Jews left an indelible mark on Klal Yisroel, and the pain is still deeply felt.

To provide clarity and direction during this challenging time, we turned to Hagaon Rav Elya Brudny, chaver, Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, and rosh yeshiva of Mirrer Yeshiva, and Hagaon Rav Yitzchok Sorotzkin, chaver, Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, and rosh yeshiva of Mesivta of Lakewood.

We are privileged to share with you their words of Torah wisdom, which provide insight and guidance as we strive to process last year’s tzarah and the ensuing challenging year, while developing the proper approach to the remaining days of Yom Tov.

WATCH:

Barack Obama has joined the ranks of over 18 million Americans who have already cast their ballots in the 2024 presidential election. At a rally held for Kamala Harris in Madison, Wisconsin, the former president was met with applause when he revealed: “I voted yesterday.”

Encouraging the crowd to follow his example, Obama shared that he completed his mail-in ballot in Chicago, his home city. “Then I decided to walk, which I don’t get to do often, and Secret Service got a bit anxious, but I told them, ‘No, let’s walk to a mailbox.’”

During the pandemic of 2020, mail-in voting was used more heavily by Democrats compared to Republicans, although historically, this voting option hasn’t consistently favored any particular political party. On Tuesday, Obama humorously remarked that members of Generation Z might need some guidance in recognizing the mail-in voting process. “My younger staff was like, ‘What’s that blue thing?’” he joked. “And I said, ‘That’s a mailbox.’”

{Matzav.com}

Former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar may have ordered that all remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza be killed if he were to be assassinated, according to a report by The Telegraph on Tuesday, which quoted prominent Israeli hostage negotiator Gershon Baskin.

Baskin, who was instrumental in the 2011 negotiations that led to the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, including Sinwar, described the situation as “a moment of either opportunity or doom.” He explained that if these reports are accurate, the fate of the 101 remaining hostages in Gaza, at least 60 of whom are believed to be alive, could be catastrophic.

“A moment of doom because there are rumors that Sinwar instructed people holding hostages that, should he be killed, they should kill their hostages,” Baskin told The Telegraph. He added that, while these reports have yet to be confirmed, they must be “taken seriously” considering recent instances where hostages were murdered. In August, six Israeli hostages were executed by Hamas in Rafah after the IDF moved toward the Gaza tunnel where they were being held.

On the day of Sinwar’s reported death, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu offered financial rewards and safe passage to any individuals in Gaza who assist in the release of the hostages.

Baskin, who has years of experience engaging with Hamas, believes that Sinwar’s death could potentially create an opening for a ceasefire and new hostage negotiations, but only if the U.S. applies its full diplomatic and military pressure on Israel.

“It’s a moment of opportunity where Israel should be issuing a very clear call that anyone who’s holding a hostage that releases them will be given free passage for themselves and their family out of Gaza to another country, as well as a lot of money,” Baskin told The Telegraph.

Baskin emphasized that the United States has sufficient “leverage” to push for a ceasefire, but it’s uncertain whether the U.S. administration would be willing to exercise it. He pointed to historical precedents, such as former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker’s decision to limit diplomatic ties with Israel, which had a significant impact on Israeli society, and Henry Kissinger’s use of the term “reassessment,” which brought about considerable political shifts in Israel.

As Hamas prepares to appoint Sinwar’s successor, Baskin noted that President Biden might face political pressure to secure a ceasefire before the upcoming U.S. elections, aiming to leave behind a positive legacy. He suggested that the timing could be crucial for both parties involved.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Fifteen additional Israeli soldiers have added their names to a letter stating their refusal to continue serving unless a hostage agreement is reached, Walla reports. With these new signatures, the total now stands at 138, which includes two current active members, one of whom is a woman.

While some soldiers have signed to indicate the conclusion of their service, others have expressed that they are nearing their limits.

The correspondence, directed to Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, and other officials, calls for an end to the conflict: “We, the reservists and active-duty soldiers, officers, and soldiers, hereby declare that we cannot continue like this. The war in Gaza sentences our brothers and sisters, the hostages, to death,” the letter reads.

“On that cursed day, October 7, we woke up to a horrific and indiscriminate massacre, where more than a thousand were murdered and hundreds were taken hostage. We immediately enlisted to fight, defend our country, and rescue the hostages held captive in Gaza. Today, it is clear that the continuation of the war in Gaza not only delays the return of the hostages from captivity but also endangers their lives: many hostages were killed by IDF bombings, many more than those saved in military operations to rescue them,” they added.

The letter does not mention a specific deadline for when they would cease their service, but they cautioned that such a moment is fast approaching. “We, who serve and have served with dedication, risking our lives, hereby declare that if the government does not change direction immediately and work to promote a deal to bring the hostages home, we will no longer be able to serve. For some of us, the red line has already been crossed; for others, it is approaching: the day is near when, with broken hearts, we will stop showing up for duty. We call on the government: sign now on a deal to save the lives of the hostages.”

Among the signers is a female lieutenant combat officer who has been actively engaged in recent combat. From the tragic events of October 7 to operations deep within Gaza, she felt her role was crucial. However, she now admits that her confidence has been shaken.

“At the start of the war, I rushed to the south, to the border towns with my battalion. We were part of all the horrors. I maneuvered in Gaza,” said the 23-year-old officer. “Where we are today as a country is not where we were a year ago. When I was in Gaza, I felt like we were going to bring the hostages back, eliminate Hamas, and do the most morally righteous thing possible. There was no doubt about it. I felt lucky to be doing my job and being part of the search for clues about the hostages.”

As negotiations repeatedly stalled, she began to question her environment. “There was a deal, there were supposed to be more deals—and all of those options were abandoned at the political level. When I heard over the radio the names of the hostages returning, we wrote their names on the walls of the houses, and that became our source of strength. No matter how little we slept or how many explosions and raids there were, that was the mission we gathered for. The thought that, as a commander, the government isn’t doing everything to bring them back raises doubts,” she admits. “I feel a crisis in my relationship with the state and the army.”

The officer is uncertain about the implications of her difficult decision. “I don’t have a set date after which I’ll say, ‘That’s it, I’m refusing.’ I’m not just a soldier; I’m an officer, a Zionist. It’s a tough dilemma. I command a unit of soldiers. It’s not like if I’m gone, everything will collapse, but I know that active-duty soldiers leaving the army over this issue could destabilize solid ground. Still, I stand behind this choice. I signed the letter, and I’ve decided that, no matter what, I will not extend my service,” she says.

The officer elaborated that the letter was meant to express a challenging position. “I love reading books about the founding of the state. Many times, I’ve asked myself, if I had lived back then, which organization would I have joined? The answer was always the one that had the most impact. If, at the moment of truth, when history is being written, we don’t take the big, unpopular step—who are we?” she reflects.

Despite her strong beliefs, she recognizes the potential consequences. “It’s possible that if I go through with this, I’ll be penalized—whether it’s through my salary or the service itself. It’s on my mind. Taking this path is not comfortable. But there’s nothing more important than following what you believe in. If my brother were a hostage—I’d want everyone to stop their lives for him.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

This is the inspiring journey of Matan Levy, an IDF soldier who lost his vision but refused to surrender to his circumstances. Today, he is pursuing his dream of serving his country as a legal intern at the Tel Aviv District Attorney’s Office.

On October 7, Levy, a resident of Oranit in central Israel, received an urgent call from his reserve unit, the 5th Brigade’s 8111st Battalion, directing him to report to the Gaza border immediately. At the time, he was in the midst of an internship at a private law firm, having just completed his law degree. His life took a dramatic turn in the Gaza border area.

“We were tasked with clearing the area of terrorists,” Levy said. “There were intense confrontations and difficult events. After a few days, we shifted to securing the artillery and tank units preparing for the ground assault.”

On October 14, while positioned near Kibbutz Nirim, a mortar attack launched from Jabaliya and Beit Hanoun struck his unit. “I was critically injured, and my friend, Israeli hero Omer Bitan, was killed by the mortar,” Levy recounted.

Levy spent two weeks in the ICU at Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva, fighting for his life. “After being in a coma for two weeks, I woke up and quickly realized I was blind,” he explained. “But the pain was so overwhelming that I couldn’t focus on the blindness. The pain was indescribable—it was terrifying.”

Levy underwent a lengthy rehabilitation process at Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv, where he remained for nine months. As the physical pain gradually eased, he began coming to terms with his new reality of blindness. “I had to relearn everything—walking, navigating a world without sight. What once were routine tasks became monumental obstacles. It’s something most people can’t fully grasp unless they’ve lived through it.”

Despite all he had endured, Levy was steadfast in his goal of becoming a lawyer. “During my recovery, I made the decision that I would continue fighting for the country, and I set my sights on doing my legal internship at the State Attorney’s Office.”

His determination reached the attention of the state attorney, who requested that the Tel Aviv District Attorney’s Office (Criminal Division) evaluate Levy for an internship. He was invited for an interview, which he prepared for while still in rehabilitation. “It was my first time working with legal documents without being able to read them visually, and I owe it to my incredible brother who continues to help me.”

“While others can read through the material multiple times, I rely on my memory. My assistants read the material to me once or twice, and I memorize it.”

Levy’s family—his parents and brother—struggled with his blindness, but his mother, who had moved to Israel from Argentina with a strong sense of Zionism, was a source of resilience. “My family was shattered, but my mother, a true lioness, reminded us that nothing is stronger than life. The fact that I survived is a miracle, and that message stuck with me,” Levy shared.

Levy’s hard work paid off when he was accepted into the office. He now works on cases involving serious crimes, under the guidance of Attorney Assaf Shavit and his mentor, Attorney Simi Yafit Deri. He is the first blind legal intern at the State Attorney’s Office, which has equipped him with specialized software and provided two National Service assistants to support him.

Daphna Vaknish, head of interns at the Tel Aviv District Attorney’s Office, made it clear that Levy earned his place. “He is treated like any other intern, with the same expectations, and he meets those expectations successfully.”

“Judges are consistently impressed when Matan represents the state and shows complete mastery of the material,” said Attorney Deri. “For instance, we participated in 23 hearings before the parole board, and Matan managed it all from memory, performing seamlessly despite the challenges of working without printed documents. He’s an inspiration to everyone in the office.”

Levy’s role requires a deep understanding of intricate legal cases, which he handles by listening rather than reading. “While others can revisit documents multiple times, I depend on my memory. My assistants, Yair and Ben, read the material aloud to me once or twice, and I memorize it. I write legal opinions, argue in court, and appear before parole boards—performing just like any other prosecutor,” he said.

“Most of my cases are in district courts. I truly feel that I’m living my dream. I may not be able to fight on the front lines in Gaza or the north, but I’m fighting against serious crime for the country in the courtroom. No terrorist can take away my motivation or erase my smile.”

October 14 marks the day Levy was injured, but to him, it signifies something more profound. “For me, it’s not the day I was wounded—it’s the day I survived. As long as I’m alive, I hold my head high. I’ve made a choice to live a full and meaningful life despite my blindness. During my recovery, I met my partner, who is now both my eyes and my heart. Life is a blessing, and every moment is a gift.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

Federal car safety regulators are investigating reports of four crashes involving Tesla’s Full Self-Driving technology that happened on roads where visibility was limited by conditions like fog and dust, the latest probe to raise questions about the safety of the electric-car maker’s signature technology.

The most serious incident led to the death of a 71-year-old woman who had gotten out of her vehicle to help at a crash scene in November 2023, according to federal and state authorities.

The investigation marks another step in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s long-running effort to scrutinize Tesla’s driver-assistance systems, which have been linked to numerous crashes and multiple deaths. It highlights ongoing questions about safety even as the company is promising to put fully autonomous vehicles on the road as early as next year, a far more complicated technological feat than assisting a human driver.

The new probe’s focus on bad visibility could also test Tesla chief executive Elon Musk’s assertion that cameras are enough to guide its vehicles without the aid of other kinds of sensors, such as radar or lasers.

Most of the federal agency’s previous work on Tesla’s software has focused on the less-sophisticated Autopilot system. The new examination targets Full Self-Driving software, which the automaker advertises as allowing vehicles to drive themselves “almost anywhere with minimal driver intervention.”

NHTSA said in a statement that the investigation would scrutinize “the system’s potential failure to detect and disengage in specific situations where it cannot adequately operate, and the extent to which it can act to reduce risk.” Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.

The fatal crash happened on Interstate 17 in Arizona, about an hour and a half north of Phoenix, according to NHTSA records and the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Two vehicles had crashed into one another, and the driver of a third vehicle stopped to provide aid. A Tesla Model Y ran into the 71-year-old woman, who had exited the third vehicle to help direct traffic. The Department of Public Safety said the sun was in the Tesla driver’s eyes. The driver did not get a ticket.

Full Self-Driving is available in most Teslas in the United States, about 2.4 million vehicles, according to regulators, though not all of their owners have opted to buy the FSD package. About half of Tesla owners were using the FSD system in the first quarter of this year, and that figure was still increasing, Musk said in April. The package costs $8,000, or $99 a month.

Neither Autopilot nor Full Self-Driving is designed to make a vehicle fully automated. Both require human drivers to remain ready to intervene. Autopilot, which comes standard on most Tesla vehicles, provides an advanced form of cruise control and can steer on well-marked roads. Full Self-Driving allows the vehicle to navigate itself, change lanes on highways and steer on city streets, and can handle stop lights.

The four reported crashes involved Tesla vehicles that entered areas where visibility on the roadway was poor, because of glare, fog or airborne dust, and Full Self-Driving was found to be active, NHTSA said. In addition to the pedestrian’s death, two of the other crashes involved an injury, according to NHTSA and the Virginia State Police. The investigation covers Tesla Models S and X from 2016 to 2024, Model 3s from 2017 through 2024, Model Y vehicles from 2020 through 2024, and Cybertruck vehicles from 2023 or 2024.

Matthew Wansley, a professor at Yeshiva University’s Cardozo School of Law in New York who specializes in emerging automotive technologies, said the new investigation could be linked to Tesla’s decision to prioritize cameras in its automated systems. Other kinds of sensors like radar and the laser-based lidar can help detect obstacles even when visibility is poor. Musk has previously said that lidar was unnecessary and that automakers who relied on it were “doomed.”

“Tesla made this decision when lidar was really expensive, and for whatever reason they seem to be sticking with it,” Wansley said. “Tesla’s position on sensors has always been a bit of an outlier, so it’s definitely worth investigation.”

Musk has said that roads are designed to be navigated by vision, relying on drivers’ eyes and brains. But Steven Shladover, a research engineer at the University of California at Berkeley, said cameras can struggle in the same kinds of fog and dust that make it hard for a human driver to see.

“If it doesn’t recognize that there’s a problem up ahead, it’s not necessarily going to do anything other than continue to drive,” Shladover said.

NHTSA has little power to review technology on vehicles before they are sold to the public, relying instead on its authority to investigate safety problems and order automakers to make fixes. The agency gathered information about the four Tesla crashes under a 2021 order that requires automakers to submit details about incidents involving advanced driver-assistance technology.

The Virginia State Police said it responded to a crash involving a Tesla Model 3 on Interstate 81 in March. The Tesla rear-ended a Ford Fusion that was having mechanical issues, driving slower than the Tesla and smoking, police said. The Tesla driver suffered minor injuries and was cited for following too closely, police said.

While Tesla tries to set out the systems’ limitations, Musk also has a record of overpromising about his vehicles’ autonomous driving capabilities.

Musk’s statements on self-driving and the company’s marketing of Autopilot and Full Self-Driving have led to multiple probes – including by the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission – into whether he and Tesla have overstated their capabilities.

In a January regulatory filing, Tesla said it “regularly” receives requests from regulators and governmental authorities. The company has said that it is cooperating with the requests and that “to our knowledge no government agency in any ongoing investigation has concluded that any wrongdoing occurred.”

Experts said the Arizona and Virginia crashes raise questions about drivers’ ability to respond when the system encounters an unusual scenario and needs them to take over, an issue that has long been a concern of safety advocates who worry that drivers are lulled into putting too much faith in the technology.

Brad Templeton, a consultant who has worked on autonomous vehicles, said Tesla’s branding doesn’t help. It refers to the system as Full Self-Driving (Supervised).

“This name definitely does confuse people,” Templeton said.

In April, a Tesla Model S using Full Self-Driving hit and killed a motorcyclist outside Seattle. Tesla has issued recalls for Full Self-Driving at least twice in the past. In one case in 2023, it issued an update to the system to address cases of vehicles speeding and behaving unpredictably or illegally at intersections. NHTSA said Friday that the recall was linked to an earlier federal investigation into Tesla’s systems.

Several reports from The Washington Post have detailed flaws in the Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems beginning last year. The issues included Tesla’s decision to eliminate radar, leading to an uptick in crashes and near misses involving its driver-assistance systems, along with the ability of drivers to activate Autopilot outside the conditions for which it was designed.

In one crash involving Autopilot, driver Jeremy Banner was killed when his Tesla struck a semi-truck trailer at nearly 70 mph after the truck pulled into cross-traffic on a highway where Autopilot was not intended to be used. In all, The Post identified eight fatal or serious crashes that took place in areas where Autopilot was not intended to be activated. Last December, Tesla issued a recall of nearly every vehicle it had built to address what were called “insufficient” safeguards against misuse.

But in April, NHTSA said it had opened a new probe into whether the recall worked. NHTSA said Friday that it was “working as quickly as possible to bring this investigation to a conclusion.”

While regulators continue to examine Tesla’s driver-assistance systems, Musk is betting on fully autonomous vehicles. He unveiled a new vehicle dubbed the Cybercab at a splashy event at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, Calif., this month. The vehicle would not have pedals or a steering wheel, and Musk suggested it could be in production by 2026. In the meantime, he said he planned to have existing Tesla models drive fully autonomously in California and Texas next year.

But the step up from driver assistance to a fully autonomous vehicle is a big one, with the vehicle no longer able to rely on a human at the wheel as a backup.

“It’s a radically different level of complexity,” Shladover said.

(c) Washington Post

A disturbing image reveals just how narrowly Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu could have been killed, with an explosive drone shattering his bedroom window.

On Tuesday, the Israeli military permitted local news outlets to publish this alarming photo, which illustrates the damage inflicted on Netanyahu’s residence in Caesarea. The explosion caused a bedroom window on the upper floor to shatter and affected the surrounding wall.

The blast also uprooted and scorched the trees adjacent to the window due to the UAV’s explosion; however, the impact was confined to the exterior because the window was made of reinforced glass, as reported by the Times of Israel.

Netanyahu, 74, and his spouse were not present during the attack that occurred on Saturday, and no additional injuries were reported.

The Israel Defense Forces authorized the release of the image after Hezbollah took responsibility for the strike.

The Iran-backed militant group indicated that it intends to persist with such efforts to eliminate Netanyahu.

On Tuesday, Hezbollah declared its opposition to any cease-fire talks with Israel, which is currently deliberating a new Egyptian-brokered initiative advocating for a two-week pause in the conflict in Gaza.

Israel’s security cabinet is assessing the Egyptian proposal, which aims to secure the release of just six hostages in Gaza, hoping that a brief cease-fire might facilitate the liberation of all captives and conclude the ongoing war, as an Israeli official conveyed to NBC News.

“The thinking is that efforts at a big deal kept meeting challenges, so the idea is to get the momentum going with a smaller deal,” the Israeli official stated.

This plan was reportedly introduced by Hassan Mahmoud Rashad, the newly appointed head of Egyptian intelligence, who met with his Israeli counterpart earlier this week to discuss hostage negotiations.

Mediators are working to revive the long-stalled hostage talks following the death of Hamas leader and architect of the October 7 attacks, Yahya Sinwar, who was killed in a routine airstrike in Rafah last Thursday.

To facilitate this, Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Tuesday to assist in revitalizing discussions with Hamas.

It is still uncertain whether the terrorist group will agree to a new arrangement, especially after previously rejecting proposals, with Hamas displaying no new indications that it is receptive to further negotiations.

{Matzav.com}

A judge in Manhattan ruled on Tuesday that Rudy Giuliani must relinquish control of his Upper East Side condominium and valuable Yankees collectibles to two Georgia election officials whom he defamed by inaccurately alleging that they attempted to defraud former President Donald Trump during the 2020 election.

As part of the $148 million defamation lawsuit, the former mayor of New York City is required to surrender his three-bedroom apartment on East 66th Street, along with a Mercedes-Benz SL500 and various other assets, to Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, according to the court’s decision.

Giuliani, who is 80 years old, has been given seven days to transfer his stake in the cooperative apartment — which he recently reduced by $1 million in a desperate attempt to sell — into a receivership managed by Freeman and Moss, as stated by Manhattan federal judge Lewis Liman in his order.

The condo features three bedrooms and three bathrooms and is listed at $5.175 million as of earlier this month. Real estate listings indicate it includes a wood-paneled library, a wood-burning fireplace, and views overlooking Central Park.

Additionally, Giuliani is required to turn over a signed photo of legendary Yankees player Reggie Jackson, a replica jersey signed by the iconic Joe DiMaggio, over 20 luxury timepieces, a diamond, cash, and furniture, according to the ruling.

“The Court also does not doubt that certain of the items may have sentimental value to Defendant,” Liman wrote in his 24-page ruling.

“But that does not entitle Defendant to continued enjoyment of the assets to the detriment of the Plaintiffs to whom he owes approximately $150 million.”

Last year, a federal jury awarded the two Georgia election workers a staggering judgment.

The judge has yet to decide whether Giuliani will also be required to forfeit his valuable Yankees World Series rings, which his son Andrew asserts were gifted to him.

The judge also postponed his decision on whether Giuliani must surrender his multimillion-dollar condo in Palm Beach, Florida.

The Fulton County officials initiated the lawsuit against the man once celebrated as “America’s mayor” in 2021, claiming his false statements that they had handled fraudulent ballots during the 2020 presidential election resulted in them facing threats and racist abuse.

Giuliani was found liable for defaming Moss and Freeman by default in August 2023 after he failed to provide electronic communications and financial documents that the women’s legal team was entitled to during the proceedings.

At the conclusion of a trial to determine the amount of damages Giuliani should be required to pay, a federal jury in Washington, D.C., awarded $75 million in punitive damages to both Moss and Freeman in December 2023, in addition to $20 million to each woman for emotional distress.

Giuliani’s attorneys, Kenneth Caruso and David Labkowski, announced on Tuesday their intention to appeal the ruling made by the Manhattan judge.

“Stay tuned,” the lawyers stated in a joint release. “When the judgment is reversed in the Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., these plaintiffs will be required to return all this property to Mr. Giuliani. We repeat, stay tuned.”

{Matzav.com}

Ariane Tabatabai, a high-ranking Pentagon official, is under suspicion of allegedly leaking sensitive documents that included details of Israel’s plans for a retaliatory strike on Iran, according to a report by Sky News Arabia on Tuesday, which cited a Pentagon source.

The suspect, an Iranian-American who has not yet been formally charged, currently serves as the director of the office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict.

Initially brought into the Biden administration’s team as part of the U.S. delegation in nuclear negotiations with Iran, the staffer later exited the team due to differences with its leader. After her departure from the negotiations, she continued her role in the Department of Defense as a senior policy advisor. In the past, some Jewish media outlets have accused her of acting as an agent for Iran.

In an August article posted by Arutz Sheva, Melanie Phillips wrote: “Shortly before the Oct. 7 pogrom, Tabatabei was named as an agent of influence for Iran—at the heart of the U.S. government and with the highest level of security clearance—as part of an Iran Experts Initiative created by Iranian officials to bolster Tehran’s position on global security issues within the Beltway.”

“She had been infiltrated into the U.S. State Department by Robert Malley, who was the point man on Iran under both the Obama and Biden administrations until he was removed in June 2023 following a still unexplained ‘mishandling of classified materials,’” Phillips continued.

The Pentagon official who spoke about the case noted that the Intelligence and Armed Services Committees in Congress were briefed on the individual’s identity because of her “top security clearance that gives her the right to view highly classified information.”

On Tuesday, the FBI confirmed it has launched an investigation into the leak involving Israel’s planned response to the October 1st missile attack from Iran.

“The FBI is investigating the alleged leak of classified documents and working closely with our partners in the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community,” the agency said in a statement. “As this is an ongoing investigation, we have no further comment.”

When asked whether any officials have had their security clearances restricted because of the investigation, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said, “This investigation is in its first few days and it’s important to let the investigation run its course. To my knowledge, this official is not a subject of interest and the department remains fully committed to supporting the investigation.”

{Matzav.com}

Monday night, the vibrant atmosphere of Yeshivas Mir Yerushalayim’s Simchas Bais Hashoeivah was electrified as R’ Shlomo Yehuda Rechnitz, the esteemed baal tzedakah and machzik Torah from Los Angeles, graced the stage.

In his engaging speech, R’ Rechnitz addressed a diverse range of issues facing the Torah community today, including the remarkable growth of Torah in our times. He extolled the virtues of Yeshivas Mir Yerushalayim, emphasizing the exceptional nature of its roshei yeshiva and rabbeim, telling the talmidim, “Nutzed dos ois!” (That is, “Take advantage!”)

With deep reverence, he recalled the influence of his own roshei yeshiva and rabbeim from the Mir who have since passed on, their teachings and legacies still resonating in the hearts of their talmidim.  His remarks evoked a wave of nostalgia among the attendees.

Shlomo Yehuda didn’t shy away from addressing pressing contemporary issues that have sparked heated discussions within the community. He spoke candidly about the Israeli army, acknowledging the incredible siyata d’Shmaya it has experienced.

He also touched upon the issue of chareidim staging hafganos, particularly those that block streets, causing the frustrations of secular Israelis.

One of the most poignant moments of the evening came when R’ Shlomo Yehuda addressed the shidduch crisis, which he described as “the biggest tzarah that I see.” His heartfelt remarks resonated deeply with many in the audience.

Some clips from R’ Shlomo Yehuda’s speech can be seen below:

WATCH:

Speaking of the shidduch crisis, “the biggest tzarah I see”:

Speaking of the siyata d’Shmaya experience by the Israeli army:

Speaking of chareidim who make hafganos that block streets:

VIDEO 4:

{Matzav.com}

Iran and Saudi Arabia are reportedly planning to conduct joint military drills in the Red Sea, according to a report by AFP on Tuesday, citing Iranian sources. However, this has yet to be confirmed by Saudi officials. If these exercises go ahead, it would mark the first such collaboration between the two major Middle Eastern powers.

“Saudi Arabia has asked that we organize joint exercises in the Red Sea,” said Admiral Shahram Irani, head of Iran’s navy, as reported by Iran’s ISNA news outlet.

He added, “Coordination is underway and delegations from both countries will hold the necessary consultations on how to conduct the exercise.” No specifics, including a timeline, were provided.

At this point, Saudi Arabia has not officially confirmed any plans for military cooperation with Iran.

Historically, Iran and Saudi Arabia have been adversaries in the region, with Saudi Arabia severing diplomatic ties in 2016 after its embassies in Tehran and Mashhad were stormed by protesters.

Nevertheless, the two nations reached an agreement to restore relations last year, brokered by China.

Following this deal, Iran’s Foreign Ministry announced in June that it would reopen its embassies and other diplomatic offices in Saudi Arabia.

This agreement raised hopes for progress in ending the conflict in Yemen, where both countries support opposing factions.

While U.S. and Saudi officials have indicated that Iran agreed to stop secretly supplying weapons to the Houthi rebels in Yemen as part of the arrangement, Iran has not officially confirmed this.

{Matzav.com}

During a campaign stop on Tuesday, President Biden shocked his audience by calling for his predecessor, Donald Trump, to be imprisoned, just two weeks before the presidential election where Trump is the Republican candidate.

“If I said this five years ago, you’d lock me up: We gotta lock him up,” the 81-year-old president remarked while visiting a Democratic campaign office in Concord, New Hampshire, the state’s capital.

After a brief pause, which was met with cheers from the crowd, Biden seemed to soften his statement, adding, “politically, lock him up — lock him out, that’s what we’ve got to do.”

While the president and his team usually avoid discussing the legal cases pending against Trump, the former president argues that the multiple local and federal indictments brought against him last year were aimed at benefiting Biden’s re-election efforts.

However, this isn’t the first time Biden has alluded to Trump’s legal troubles. Just last week, while speaking in Pennsylvania, he stated, “I think he’s running to stay out of jail.”

In May, Trump was found guilty by a Manhattan jury on 34 counts related to falsifying business records to hide hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the closing weeks of the 2016 campaign.

His sentencing for that case, initiated by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, is set for November 26.

Trump also faces further charges in both federal and state courts in Georgia, connected to his efforts to contest his loss in the 2020 election. Additionally, federal prosecutors are seeking to revive a dismissed case from Florida that accuses Trump of mishandling classified documents.

Should Trump win the presidency on November 5 and become the 47th president, his administration’s Justice Department is expected to work to dismiss the federal charges pending against him.

According to polling in key swing states, Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, are in a tight race. RealClearPolitics averages suggest Trump has a slight lead, though within the margin of error.

Harris, 60, is typically cautious when addressing calls for Trump’s imprisonment, often telling supporters who chant “lock him up!” at her rallies that it’s up to the courts to decide.

The White House did not immediately issue a response to clarify Biden’s statements, which quickly sparked backlash from Trump’s supporters.

{Matzav.com}

The IDF revealed on Tuesday evening that Hashem Safieddine, who was set to take over from Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, has been killed.

His death occurred roughly three weeks ago, during a targeted strike. The operation also resulted in the killing of Ali Hussein Hazima, the head of Hezbollah’s intelligence division, along with several other high-ranking Hezbollah commanders.

The Israeli Air Force executed a precise strike based on solid intelligence, hitting Hezbollah’s main intelligence hub. This facility, strategically located underground beneath a civilian area in the Dahieh suburb of Beirut, is a core Hezbollah stronghold.

At the time of the strike, over 25 Hezbollah operatives were present in the intelligence facility, including Bilal Saib Aish, who was responsible for aerial surveillance within Hezbollah’s Syrian intelligence operations.

Safieddine held a prominent position in Hezbollah’s Shura Council, the organization’s top military and political body that governs its major decisions and strategies.

He was related to Nasrallah, being his cousin, and their close family connection gave him considerable sway within the organization. Safieddine frequently stepped in to assume Nasrallah’s duties as Secretary-General whenever the latter was outside of Lebanon. Over the years, he played a major role in orchestrating attacks on Israel and participated in Hezbollah’s key decision-making.

In addition to Safieddine, the strike also killed Ali Hussein Hazima, who oversaw Hezbollah’s intelligence operations and played a pivotal role in organizing attacks on Israeli soldiers.

“The IDF will persist in taking action against senior Hezbollah figures and anyone who poses a danger to Israeli civilians,” declared the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.

IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi remarked on the success of the operation, stating, “We reached Nasrallah, his heir apparent, and much of Hezbollah’s leadership. We will continue to reach anyone who threatens the security of Israel’s citizens.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

A case can move forward to restore the reputation of Tamar Herman, a veteran teacher in the South Orange-Maplewood School District in New Jersey, after online accusations by Olympic fencer and author Ibtihaj Muhammad that she discriminated against a Muslim second-grade student by asking her to remove her hijab.

The Lawfare Project announced on Monday that the New Jersey Appellate Division had rejected a motion for dismissal and upheld the defamation lawsuit the group had filed in support of Herman.

“These accusations—published to Ms. Muhammad’s hundreds of thousands of social-media followers—led to widespread antisemitic attacks, physical threats and irreparable damage to Ms. Herman’s career and personal life,” the Lawfare Project stated.

“The malicious defamation campaign against Ms. Herman was a calculated, antisemitic effort to harm a respected member of the community, motivated by her Jewish identity,” said Benjamin Ryberg, COO of the Lawfare Project. “Ms. Muhammad must be held accountable for the significant trauma she has inflicted.”

(JNS)

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu met in Yerushalayim with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday afternoon, according to U.S. and Israeli readouts.

Over the course of two-and-a-half hours, the two officials had a “friendly and productive” conversation, before holding an “expanded” meeting with their respective staff members, per Netanyahu’s office.

“The issue of the Iranian threat was raised, including the need for both countries to unite against it,” per the Israeli readout. “The prime minister thanked the American secretary of state for the support of the U.S. in the fight against Iran’s axis of evil and terrorism.”

Netanyahu discussed actions by the Israeli Defense Forces in Lebanon and the “need to effect a security and diplomatic change in the north that will enable Israel to return its residents safely to their homes,” according to the prime minister’s office. It added that Blinken expressed Washington’s “deep shock over the Iranian attempt, via Hezbollah, to eliminate the prime minister of Israel, and made it clear that this was an exceptionally extreme incident.”

The Israeli premier thanked Blinken, emphasizing that “this is a dramatically significant issue that must not be ignored.”

He also, per the Israeli readout, updated Blinken about Israeli progress fighting Hamas in Gaza “and the supreme efforts that Israel is making to bring all of the hostages back home.”

“The two sides discussed the issue of the governing framework in Gaza on the day after the war,” Netanyahu’s office stated. “The prime minister emphasized that the elimination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is likely to have a positive influence on the return of the hostages, the achieving of all the objectives of the war and the day after the war.”

U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller stated that Blinken “underscored the need to capitalize on Israel’s successful action to bring Yahya Sinwar to justice by securing the release of all hostages and ending the conflict in Gaza in a way that provides lasting security for Israelis and Palestinians alike.”

The U.S. secretary also “discussed the importance of charting a new path forward in the post-conflict period that allows Palestinians to rebuild their lives and provides governance, security and reconstruction for Gaza,” Miller stated. “The secretary emphasized the need for Israel to take additional steps to increase and sustain the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza and ensure that assistance reaches civilians throughout Gaza.”

Per the U.S. readout, Blinken and Netanyahu also talked about “ongoing efforts” in Lebanon to “reach a diplomatic resolution along the Blue Line that includes full implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 and allows civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes.”

“They discussed the need to deter further regional aggression from Iran and its proxies, including ongoing efforts by the United States and its partners,” Miller said. “The secretary reaffirmed the United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security.”

Shalom Lipner, a nonresident senior fellow for the Middle East programs at the Atlantic Council, wrote that there was “scant resemblance” between the U.S. and Israeli readouts of Netanyahu’s and Blinken’s meeting.

The Israeli hostage families organization, We Are All Hostages, said that it protested outside Blinken’s hotel “to make sure he knows we need the U.S. to use its leverage and urge Netanyahu to secure a hostage release-ceasefire deal.”

(JNS)