Matzav

An apartment complex in the Bronx that Mayor Zohran Mamdani recently spotlighted to highlight the qualifications of his newly named housing commissioner is struggling under the weight of close to 200 unresolved housing-code violations.

The revelations have prompted renewed scrutiny of the administration’s broader effort to move rent-stabilized properties out of private hands and into nonprofit management.

According to reporting by the New York Post, the 102-unit building located in Morris Heights had at least 194 outstanding violations as of yesterday, with some records stretching back almost ten years.

City records indicate that 88 of the violations fall under the most serious “Class C” category, which denotes conditions that present immediate danger to residents.

Among the cited problems are infestations of rats and roaches, mold growth, malfunctioning doors and appliances, and failures to provide basic building services, the Post reported.

Mayor Mamdani visited the property on January 4 as part of an event to formally introduce Dina Levy as his choice to lead the Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

During that visit, Mamdani highlighted Levy’s experience in nonprofit affordable housing and pointed to the building as a model of effective, publicly supported management.

Levy previously played a role in arranging a 2011 transaction that shifted ownership of the property from a private landlord to the nonprofit Workforce Housing Advisors, supported by a $5.6 million loan from the city’s housing agency intended to stabilize the building and maintain its rent-regulated status.

As commissioner of Housing Preservation and Development, Levy now receives an annual salary exceeding $277,000.

Tenants, however, told the Post that conditions inside the building have declined since the nonprofit assumed control. Several residents described chronic problems — including inconsistent heat and hot water, deteriorating interiors, broken lighting, and persistent rodent issues — that they say often remain unresolved for months at a time.

One longtime tenant said the building was better maintained under its former private owner, recalling quicker repairs and greater responsiveness to complaints.

Despite being held up by city officials as a success, the building reportedly carries a higher number of hazardous violations than many privately owned rent-stabilized buildings throughout New York City.

Mamdani has supported legislation designed to expand nonprofit authority over rent-stabilized housing while curbing private ownership in the sector.

Republican lawmakers and landlord organizations counter that the strategy is driven by ideology and disregards growing evidence that nonprofit-managed properties frequently perform worse, even as they benefit from public subsidies, government loans, and tax breaks.

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As tensions with Iran continue to escalate and questions swirl about whether the United States could take military action, the White House released a brief and enigmatic social media post on Sunday that drew widespread attention.

“We have three things to say…GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS. GOD BLESS AMERICA. AND WE ARE JUST GETTING STARTED,” the message read, paired with an image of President Donald Trump standing alongside U.S. troops.

Earlier that day, Axios reported, citing two American officials, that Trump is reviewing a variety of measures aimed at bolstering the ongoing protests in Iran while increasing pressure on the country’s ruling authorities.

According to the report, internal discussions are underway within the Trump administration as demonstrations continue to expand across Iran and accounts emerge of a growing number of deaths. Trump has publicly cautioned that the United States could resort to military action if Iranian authorities proceed with mass killings of demonstrators.

That reporting followed a story published late Saturday by the New York Times, which said Trump has recently received briefings on updated military strike options against Iran, as he considers whether to act on his warning over the regime’s violent response to protests.

Officials told the Times that while the President has not yet reached a final decision, he is seriously weighing the possibility of authorizing a strike in response to the crackdown on demonstrations driven by widespread economic discontent. The briefings reportedly included a range of scenarios, among them potential strikes on nonmilitary targets in Tehran, according to officials who spoke anonymously.

Meanwhile, the The Telegraph reported that Trump has been advised by senior military commanders that more preparation time would be required before any strikes against Iran could be carried out.

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Senator Lindsey Graham said Sunday that he believes the turmoil gripping Iran is approaching a turning point, predicting that the Iranian people’s suffering under the current regime “will soon be coming to an end” as demonstrations persist and authorities respond with force.

In a message shared on social media, Graham drew a sharp contrast between the current administration and past leadership, writing, “President Trump is not Obama. Freedom now, freedom forever for the long suffering Iranian people.”

He continued by addressing Iranians directly, stating, “I believe your nation’s nightmare will soon be coming to an end. Make Iran Great Again.”

The South Carolina Republican echoed those sentiments a day earlier in another online post, declaring, “TO THE IRANIAN PEOPLE: your long nightmare is soon coming to a close. Your bravery and determination to end your oppression has been noticed by @POTUS and all who love freedom.”

Expanding on that message, Graham added, “When President Trump says Make Iran Great Again, it means the protestors in Iran must prevail over the ayatollah. That is the clearest signal yet that he, President Trump understands Iran will never be great with the ayatollah and his henchmen in charge. To all who are sacrificing in Iran, God bless. Help is on the way.”

Graham’s remarks on Sunday came shortly after a brief but pointed post appeared on the White House’s social media account.

“We have three things to say…GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS. GOD BLESS AMERICA. AND WE ARE JUST GETTING STARTED,” the post read, accompanied by an image of President Donald Trump standing with U.S. service members.

Earlier Sunday, Axios reported, citing two U.S. officials, that President Trump is reviewing multiple options aimed at backing the protests in Iran and increasing pressure on the country’s leadership.

According to the report, internal deliberations are underway as unrest continues to widen across Iran and accounts surface of a growing death toll. Trump has also issued public warnings that the United States could resort to military action if the regime moves forward with mass killings of demonstrators.

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A tense disturbance erupted Sunday evening in Bnei Brak when approximately 100 protesters attempted to force their way into a gathering of the IDF’s Chashmonaim Brigade.

The event, held on Rechov Yosef Chaim, was attended by around 60 fathers of soldiers serving in the newly established chareidi brigade. According to reports, demonstrators tried to break into the hall and disrupt the conference, prompting the deployment of police forces to the scene.

Police worked to disperse the crowd and restore order as physical confrontations developed between protesters, security personnel, and officers. During the clashes, two soldiers were lightly injured by demonstrators. One of the injured soldiers was evacuated to a hospital for medical treatment.

Amid the chaos, the brigade commander, Col. Avinoam Emunah, was extracted from the venue by police for his safety.

In the minutes leading up to the unrest, “emergency calls” circulated on hotlines associated with extremist groups, urging supporters to rush to the area of Yosef Chaim Boulevard in Bnei Brak to protest the event. Following police intervention, the gathering was ultimately dispersed.

Responding to the incident, Avigdor Liberman, chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, issued a sharp statement: “Anyone who attacks an IDF soldier for ideological reasons deserves a lengthy prison sentence, and in certain cases even the demolition of his home. That is what the law stipulates. I call on the authorities to enforce the law. Israel is a state governed by law, for heaven’s sake.”

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An unusual incident in Haifa on Friday sparked public outrage after a tefillin stand erected in memory of a fallen IDF soldier was confiscated and the soldier’s brother was detained by authorities.

The person detained was Menachem Cohen, a Chabad chossid and a bereaved brother, who had set up the stand together with friends as part of an initiative to honor the memory of his brother, Shneur Zalman Cohen Hy”d, who was killed during the Iron Swords War. The stand included a sign bearing the fallen soldier’s name and photograph and was intended as a merit for his neshamah.

According to those present, municipal inspectors arrived at the scene, followed shortly thereafter by a significant police presence that included five additional patrol cars from both the police and municipal enforcement. Cohen was detained, the tefillin stand and sign were confiscated, and Cohen later claimed that he was physically assaulted during the course of the detention. He was released only after public pressure was brought to bear.

Reacting to the incident, Rabbi Yehuda Ginzburg, a Chabad shliach in Haifa, said that for more than 50 years, members of Chabad-Lubavitch have gone out across the city to offer Jews the opportunity to put on tefillin. “This has always been done in a positive and pleasant atmosphere,” he said.

Rabbi Ginzburg added, “Unfortunately, there are those who try to inflame tensions. We are pained by what happened here. We expect the Haifa municipality to apologize and to work in coordination with this important activity. We are confident that this was a one-time mistake by the city and not an ongoing policy.”

In a statement, the Israel Police rejected claims that the detention was connected to the tefillin stand itself. “Contrary to claims made in publications that may mislead the public, this was a temporary detention following a confrontation with municipal inspectors at the site,” the police said. “To be clear, the police have no interest in harming tefillin stands, and the matter had no connection to the tefillin position that was set up. The incident involved a noise violation and heated behavior toward inspectors, who summoned municipal policing to the scene. The individual was released after several minutes following clarification, and the matter will be reviewed with the municipality.”

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Aryeh Deri, chairman of the Shas party, delivered a stark message on the dangers of modern technology during a talk of chizuk delivered this evening to hundreds of mechanchim.

Speaking at an education conference organized by Levaker BeHeichalo, initiated by Yerushalayim Deputy Mayor Tzvika Cohen, Deri addressed what he described as the growing spiritual and social challenges facing the current generation, with particular emphasis on smartphone addiction.

Recalling his own years as a bochur, Deri reflected on his time learning at Chevron Yeshiva. “In our days at Chevron Yeshiva, we were more outspoken and freer,” he said. “We would travel to Wadi Qelt, and afterward we were filled with guilt over missing even one seder in yeshiva.”

Contrasting that era with the present, Deri expressed deep admiration for today’s bnei yeshiva. “I say this as a limud zechus for today’s bochurim,” he said. “How are they able to sit and learn with yishuv hadaas—long winter Friday night sedarim of seven hours—after the nonstop ‘brainwashing’ from the news and the hotlines they hear?”

Deri then turned to what he described as an even greater threat. “I’m not even talking about the ‘treife iPhone,’ may Hashem have mercy,” he said. “It is a terrible addiction, worse than any other addiction afflicting today’s youth, something that is almost impossible to withstand.”

He stressed that the problem is widely recognized, even beyond the chareidi community. “Even those who are not chareidi understand that this is an addiction of the younger generation that is impossible to fight,” Deri said. “Families have been destroyed because of it. People can no longer sit together at the table and talk. There is no longer dialogue between parents and children. A child of six or seven is sitting on an iPhone, and it is literally like drug addiction. Hashem should have mercy.”

Deri concluded on a note of awe and gratitude. “When I attend weddings and see a ben Torah and a bas Yisrael standing under the chuppah, building a home of Torah with holiness, and you see that they are preserving the character of bnei Torah,” he said, “I say to myself: What a miracle this is! It is a tremendous miracle.”

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[Video below.] President Donald Trump drew attention at a recent White House event after appearing with an unfamiliar accessory attached to his jacket.

The moment took place Friday, Jan. 9, as Trump, 79, hosted a meeting with oil and gas executives in the East Room. During the discussion, Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy interrupted the proceedings after noticing a new lapel pin beneath the president’s customary American flag pin and asked what it represented.

In response to the question about the unusual pin, which had not been seen publicly before, Trump explained that it was not something he had selected himself.

“Someone gave me this,” he said while lifting the pin so those in attendance could see it clearly. “That’s called a ‘happy Trump.’ ”

The president then added a characteristically pointed remark about the meaning behind it. “I’m never happy, I’m never satisfied,” he said, continuing, “I will never be satisfied until we make America great again, but we are getting pretty close. This is called a ‘happy Trump.’ Someone gave it to me, and I put it on.”

The pin itself depicts a cartoon-style likeness of Trump, showing him with an open mouth, knitted eyebrows, and clenched fists at his sides.

At the Jan. 9 gathering, Trump was seated alongside Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Another exchange from the same meeting later generated headlines when Trump appeared to catch Rubio off guard by publicly reading from a private note.

After calling on ConocoPhillips CEO Ryan Lance to address the room, Rubio passed a handwritten message to Trump, while Vance, 41, appeared unsure of what was happening.

“Marco just gave me a note,” Trump said aloud, as Rubio closed his pen and looked down.

Trump then proceeded to read the contents of the note, turning toward Rubio as he did so. “Go back to Chevron,” Trump read from Rubio’s note. “They want to discuss something. Go back to Chevron.”

As the comment landed, Vance could be seen laughing, while Rubio smiled, seemingly embarrassed by the unexpected disclosure.

“Go ahead, I’m going back to Chevron,” Trump said as he set the note down and gave Rubio a friendly pat on the back, adding, “Thank you, Marco.”

The meeting occurred just days after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Speaking to reporters following the early-morning operation on Jan. 3, Trump said the United States would now take control of Venezuela’s direction.

“No nation in the world could achieve what America achieved, successfully capturing Maduro in the dead of night,” Trump said. “We’re going to get the oil flowing the way it should be…we’re gonna run it properly. We’re gonna make sure the people of Venezuela are taken care of.”

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Scenes of simcha and deep emotion filled the bais medrash of Yeshivas Kol Torah in Yerushalayim on Sunday, as the yeshiva’s mashgiach, Rav Aviezer Shapira, returned to the beis medrash and delivered a shmuess after several weeks away due to serious illness.

Rav Shapira, who had been hospitalized in critical condition in recent weeks, returned to the yeshiva in the Bayit Vagan neighborhood following a wave of heartfelt tefillos on his behalf. He had been in need of rachamei Shamayim merubim, and talmidim had davened intensely for the recovery of Rav Aviezer Zelig ben Rochel.

Upon his return, Rav Shapira addressed the talmidim, delivering a shmuess that was met with visible emotion. Afterward, the mashgiach thanked the bochurim for their tefillos, telling them, “There were open miracles and wonders. The tefillos went up Above, baruch Hashem.”

Following his words, the talmidim recited Nishmas in thanksgiving to Hakadosh Baruch Hu for the great kindnesses shown, before breaking into heartfelt song, chanting “Al ta’azveini Hashem Elokai al tirchak mimeni.”

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Rav Ezriel Auerbach visited the Eisenthal family on Sunday morning to be menachem avel following the tragic passing of their son, habochur Chaim Yosef (Yossi) Eisenthal z”l.

The family is sitting shivah in the Ramot neighborhood of Yerushalayim after Yossi was fatally struck during protests in the city against the draft law.

Rav Auerbach spent an extended period consoling the family, offering words of chizuk and comfort.

Among those present was the boy’s father, Rav Shmuel Eisenthal, R”M at Yeshivas Ohel Torah. Also there was the grandfather, Rav Uriel Eisenthal, mara d’asra of Ramot Gimmel.

During the visit, a discussion arose regarding the appropriate wording to be engraved on the matzeivah in light of the tragic circumstances of his death. Rav Auerbach expressed the view that the inscription should read “HaKadosh Chaim Yosef Eisenthal Hy”d,” indicating that he should be regarded as having died sanctified.

Rav Uriel responded that he was familiar with the halachic reasoning behind that position, adding that the matter would be decided definitively in the near future.

Notably, condolence notices posted on neighborhood bulletin boards in Ramot already included the designation Hy”d in reference to Yossi, similar to the wording commonly used for victims of terror attacks.

Whether the family will ultimately adopt this wording on the matzeivah remains to be seen.

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Tzachi Braverman, chief of staff to Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, was released late last night following more than 12 hours of police questioning, but was ordered to stay away from the Prime Minister’s Office as the investigation continues.

Braverman was freed under restrictive conditions, including a ban on contacting others involved in the case, a 30-day prohibition on leaving the country, and a 15-day suspension from entering the Prime Minister’s Office. The move further deepens the disruption within the prime minister’s inner circle, after senior aide Yonatan Urich has already been kept away from the office for an extended period.

Another Prime Minister’s Office employee, Omer Mansour, a member of the communications staff, was also released under identical conditions. Mansour is currently suspected of obstruction of justice.

Earlier in the day, Eli Feldstein was released after being brought in for questioning in parallel with Braverman, in order to conduct a face-to-face confrontation between the two. Braverman was questioned following Feldstein’s claim, made in an interview with Israel’s public broadcaster, that the chief of staff attempted to interfere with the investigation into the leak of documents to the German newspaper Bild.

According to details reported by Kan News, during the confrontation Feldstein told Braverman that he “knows the truth.” Braverman responded that “there were meetings that dealt with other matters.” Mansour, who investigators say was present at a clandestine meeting between the two in an underground parking garage at the Kirya military complex, told police that he “does not remember” the details of the incident.

Mansour, who had previously categorically denied that such an event took place after the report about him surfaced several days ago, is considered a key witness in the affair. According to the allegations, he was the one who held the mobile phones of Feldstein and Braverman during that meeting.

Braverman’s attorney, Jacques Chen, said in a statement: “The chief of staff in the Prime Minister’s Office, Mr. Braverman, has concluded his police questioning and returned home. During his interrogation, he answered all investigators’ questions and categorically denied a fabricated version of events put forward by a defendant who concealed it for a year and chose to present it in a television interview. Mr. Braverman was released by agreement under restrictive conditions, primarily a prohibition on contact with the Prime Minister’s Office and those involved in the investigation, as well as a short-term delay on leaving the country. We are convinced that at the conclusion of the investigation, the authorized authorities will announce that there is no truth to the claims of that unreliable defendant.”

The Likud party issued a sharp response, saying: “The warning-level investigation of Tzachi Braverman is nothing more than a continuation of the campaign of persecution against the prime minister and his staff. This is yet another attempt at phone ‘phishing,’ this time targeting the chief of staff, in order to look for something that could be used as leverage against him.

“By contrast, the State Attorney’s Office and the attorney general decided that the former military advocate general who threw her phone into the sea — and it was found only five days later — would receive kid-glove treatment, and people who met with her during the investigation have not been questioned to this day. Apparently, everything depends on which side of the political map you are on.”

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[Video below.] Rep. Ilhan Omar urged Americans to document encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and criticized the Trump administration for offering conclusions about the fatal shooting of Renee Good before investigators complete their work.

“It is really important for Americans to record, to create the level of accountability and transparency that we need,” the Minnesota lawmaker said Sunday on CBS News’ “Face the Nation.”

She described what she said were common ICE tactics in Minneapolis, telling the program, “What we’ve seen in Minneapolis is ICE agents oftentimes jumping out of their cars, these are unmarked cars, oftentimes they’re wearing a mask, they’re approaching, running towards cars.”

Authorities have said ICE officer Jonathan Ross shot Good after she drove her SUV toward him. Officials confirmed Ross recorded the encounter on his cellphone, and the video has been released publicly in recent days.

Ross was not wearing a body camera at the time of the incident. ICE Director Todd Lyons explained on Fox News’ “The Sunday Briefing” that the agency is “still in the process of deploying” body cameras.

Omar also charged that the Department of Homeland Security has repeatedly misrepresented facts surrounding high-profile ICE operations. Representing Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, which includes Minneapolis, she said Good appeared frightened when agents approached and sharply criticized their actions.

“Renee Nicole Macklin Good as you hear her say, she’s not mad, she’s sitting in her car, peacefully waving cars to get by,” Omar said. “You see the other officer, who can clearly see the car is moving, move towards the front of the car.”

“If they are saying that he has 10 years on service and is trained, he should know that you shouldn’t be trying to get in front of a moving car.”

Video from the scene shows Ross positioned in front of Good’s SUV while it was stationary. When the vehicle began moving toward him, he fired three shots, killing her.

After the shooting, Ross was taken to a nearby hospital after he was “hit by the vehicle,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said, and later released.

Omar also faulted senior Trump administration officials for commenting publicly so soon after the shooting.

“We can see in the videos that have been produced so far that what they are describing is really not what had taken place,” Omar said. “This level of rhetoric is not justifiable to the American people.”

The congresswoman previously drew attention last year by saying ICE questioned her son, a claim the department has denied.

ICE activity in Minnesota has increased as the Trump administration responds to widespread outrage over a major welfare fraud scandal in the state.

Omar criticized the federal probe, arguing that “What they are doing is creating confusion, chaos, trying to intimidate people from being able to exercise their regular, normal activities.”

“There are ways to investigate fraud, which we have been doing in Minnesota, which the federal government has been doing under the Biden administration,” Omar said. “There is no reason for them to use this level of rhetoric.”

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Sir Ephraim Mirvis, the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, has spoken out against describing Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as “genocide,” saying the charge cheapens the word and transforms what he called “humanity’s gravest crime” into a tool of political rhetoric.

Writing in The Telegraph, Sir Ephraim Mirvis argued that the allegation is now deployed with alarming ease. As he put it: “Today it takes almost no thought to repeat the accusation that Israel has committed ‘genocide’.”

He noted that the accusation comes from different quarters and motivations. “Some repeat it from a place of singular hostility toward the world’s only Jewish state; others from an earnest desire to hasten an end to an unquestionably horrific conflict in which many innocent people have suffered. But whatever the motivation, the result is the same: this gravest of crimes is invoked casually, without due regard for the weight of the word itself.”

Mirvis went on to describe a public climate driven by exaggeration and online outrage. “In an age when hyperbole dominates our discourse and outrage is rewarded with clicks, campaigners reach instinctively for the most extreme language available. Faced with images on social media of immense, tragic suffering in Gaza, journalists, academics and celebrities understandably feel compelled to speak out.”

He cautioned that this escalation in language carries serious risks. “Yet the race to linguistic escalation has consequences. The ubiquity of a term is often wrongly understood as evidence of its veracity. And some terms have a meaning that must remain protected at all costs. ‘Genocide’ is one of them.”

Pointing to the legal standard for genocide, Mirvis stressed that the crime requires intent to destroy a people, in whole or in part. He explained: “It is why Britain and her allies are not accused of genocide for our strategic bombing of Nazi Germany, despite the hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians who were killed. Intent is the moral and legal hinge. The clearest evidence that Israel did not intend to destroy the people of Gaza is that it did not in fact do so.”

He characterized the war as one “Israel did not seek, nor start,” and said Israel’s aims have centered on freeing hostages and neutralizing Hamas, which he described as a group committed to Israel’s annihilation. He added: “If Hamas lays down its arms, there will be no fighting and no suffering. If Israel were to lay down its arms, there would be no Israel.”

The Chief Rabbi also took aim at certain human rights groups, saying they “appear to revel in misappropriating the term genocide” by stretching its definition and engaging in what he called “a truly troubling moral deceit.”

While acknowledging the dire humanitarian toll in Gaza, Mirvis said: “The tragic suffering of Palestinians abounds” and insisted that “no decent person could fail to be moved by it or wish to see its end”. At the same time, he maintained that there is no proof of “systematic massacres, mass executions, or the targeted killing of civilians as a matter of policy”.

He warned that careless use of the term ultimately corrodes its meaning. “When academics, activists, faith leaders and public figures declare, with unshakeable certainty, that genocide has occurred, they do something far more destructive than merely repeat a falsehood. They trivialise the very concept they claim to defend. What language is left for the Rohingya, expelled en masse, systematically raped and slaughtered? For the Uyghurs, subjected to mass internment, forced sterilisation and cultural erasure? For the ethnically targeted killing and mass rape in West Darfur? To invoke the term ‘genocide’ as an accusation against Israel is to strip it of its true meaning, reducing humanity’s gravest crime to a political insult.”

In closing, Mirvis called for compassion alongside moral clarity. “The suffering of innocent people demands empathy, accountability and a genuine commitment to preventing future conflict. But to level the charge of genocide against Israel is to commit a moral inversion whose casualties include not only Israelis and Palestinians, but the very idea of human rights itself.”

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President Donald Trump has been advised by senior military leaders that preparations are not yet complete for any possible military action against Iran, even as protests against the Islamic Republic intensify across the country, according to a report by The Telegraph.

The report said Trump has reviewed a variety of potential military responses and has been briefed on possible targets tied to Iran’s internal security forces, especially those linked to the crackdown on demonstrators. Commanders overseeing US forces in the region, however, have warned that troops need additional time to reinforce defenses and secure positions before taking steps that could trigger Iranian retaliation.

Trump has openly warned Tehran that continued killings of protesters could prompt US intervention, saying Iran would be struck “very, very hard, where it hurts.” According to The Telegraph, he has been presented with scenarios that include attacks on regime-linked security elements or non-military sites in Tehran.

The discussions are unfolding as unrest has erupted across Iran for multiple nights in a row, with analysts describing the scope and intensity as surpassing the 2022 protests over the hijab law. While reports suggest that hundreds of people may have been killed, a sweeping internet shutdown has made it difficult to confirm casualty figures. Videos circulating online appear to show security forces firing live ammunition at crowds in several areas.

Iranian leaders have responded with stark warnings, including threats of capital punishment for protesters. Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf cautioned the White House against a “miscalculation,” while a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that any attack would lead to retaliation against Israel, US military installations, and naval assets.

Axios reported Sunday that Trump is reviewing several avenues to back the protest movement and intensify pressure on the Iranian government, citing two US officials. While military strikes have been part of internal discussions, most of the options under consideration were described as non-kinetic, and no final determination has been reached. Officials told Axios that all options remain under consideration as demonstrations persist despite a harsher crackdown and ongoing internet blackout.

Iranian officials have blamed both the United States and Israel for fueling the unrest and have warned of consequences if Iran is attacked. Despite the widespread protests, US and Israeli officials quoted by Axios said there is no current assessment that the regime is on the brink of collapse.

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Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu on Tuesday finalized a joint declaration with Germany’s Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt, establishing a broad security cooperation framework between the two nations. The agreement formalizes collaboration among Israeli and German security agencies in fields including cybersecurity, cutting-edge technology, policing, counterterrorism efforts, and civil defense.

“I attach enormous importance to the overall cooperation between Israel and Germany, and especially Israel and Germany on this question of cybersecurity, which is one of the main threats to our internal security, and in many ways also our infrastructure and other threats,” Netanyahu stated.

Expanding on the depth of bilateral ties, the prime minister pointed to existing joint projects and ongoing defense coordination between Jerusalem and Berlin. “And I think Germany and Israel are natural partners. We’ve cooperated on the Arrow III; we’ve cooperated in many areas. We cooperate technologically. Chancellor Mertz was here recently, and we talked about defense cooperation,” he added.

Netanyahu closed his remarks by welcoming the German interior minister and emphasizing the personal and diplomatic significance of the agreement. “And now I’m very pleased to welcome a dear friend of Israel, Minister Dobrindt, to sign this important pact. So, thank you for your friendship, thank you for your support, and please convey this to your government as well.”

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[Video below.] White House border czar Tom Homan said Sunday that the conduct of Minneapolis shooting victim Renee Good before she was killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer could meet the legal standard for domestic terrorism, echoing claims made by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and other administration officials.

“I don’t know what Secretary Noem knows,” Homan said during an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press. “If you look up the definition of terrorism, it can fall under that definition.”

Good was fatally shot in the head during a confrontation with ICE agents. Administration officials have maintained that the shooting was an act of self-defense, asserting that Good attempted to strike veteran ICE agent Jonathan Ross with her vehicle before he opened fire.

“We’ve all got to agree there’s no reason … to do what she did,” Homan said Sunday. “There’s no reason to be there.”

“If you want to protest, protest; but don’t actively impede and interfere and certainly don’t drive a 4,000-pound vehicle toward an officer,” he added.

Homan described the incident as “tragic” while urging the public to allow investigators to complete their work. He also warned that what he called “hateful rhetoric” has contributed to a rise in violence directed at federal law enforcement officers.

He cautioned that widely circulated video clips do not provide a complete picture of the encounter, noting that investigators are still reviewing forensic and ballistic evidence, along with additional footage that may not yet be public.

“Look, it’s tragic,” Homan said. “I’ve said from March that if the hateful rhetoric doesn’t decline, there will be bloodshed. I’ve seen it before, and unfortunately, I was right. There’s been a lot of bloodshed.”

According to Homan, understanding the officer’s state of mind is a key element in determining whether the shooting was justified, saying the circumstances could support a self-defense claim.

“You have to put yourself in the mind of the officer,” he said. “I truly believe this officer, in his mind, thought his mind was in danger, which allows him to use lethal force.”

Homan repeatedly stressed that conclusions should be withheld until the investigation is finished.

“Let the investigation play out,” he said. “There’s a lot of video we probably haven’t seen that the FBI has that we don’t. Where’s the forensics and the ballistics?”

He also pushed back against public commentary branding the officer a criminal before investigators have reached their findings.

“Saying this officer is a murderer is dangerous,” Homan said. “It’s just ridiculous. It’s going to infuriate people more.”

Asked whether he had evidence to justify labeling Good’s actions as terrorism, Homan said he was not prepared to second-guess Noem, while reiterating his view that the behavior captured on video was unlawful.

Homan went on to criticize Minnesota’s immigration policies, arguing that federal agents were operating in Minneapolis because state and local leaders restrict cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

“Why are we in Minneapolis?” Homan said. “Because it’s a sanctuary city and a sanctuary state.”

He said ICE was focused on apprehending “dangerous” individuals and emphasized that interfering with federal officers is a crime.

“It’s not OK to impede and interfere with an officer,” he said. “They’re arresting bad people, and it’s illegal. What she did is a crime.

“It’s illegal to impede law enforcement officers, and that’s why we’re there.”

Homan also defended the FBI’s leadership of the investigation after some local officials complained about being sidelined, saying such cases are routinely handled at the federal level when a federal officer is involved.

“This is a federal crime,” he said. “When a federal officer is in a shooting, it falls under the FBI. It’s been that way forever.”

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[Video below.] Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem clashed sharply with CNN anchor Jake Tapper on Sunday as she defended Immigration and Customs Enforcement following the fatal shooting of Renee Good, telling the host he cannot “change the facts” simply because he does not “like them.”

During a tense exchange on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Tapper pressed Noem on how she could so quickly label Good a “domestic terrorist” and publicly back ICE officer Jonathan Ross only hours after the incident.

“Everything that I’ve said has been proven to be factual,” Noem responded during the interview.

“[I] decided that the department and the people of this country deserve to know the truth of the situation of what has unfolded in Minneapolis.”

Tapper then zeroed in on Noem’s early description of the shooting last Wednesday, when she said ICE officers “were attempting to push out their vehicle, and a woman attacked them and those surrounding them and attempted to run them over.”

“That’s not what happened,” Tapper argued, later suggesting that his concern centered on whether Good had actually attacked the officers.

“It absolutely is what happened,” Noem countered. “[She] blocked the road for a long time and was yelling at them and impeding a federal law enforcement operation.”

Video from several angles captured the confrontation between Ross and Good that Wednesday. Good, a mother of three, had parked her vehicle in the roadway, preventing the officers from moving forward for more than three minutes.

When officers exited their vehicle to address the situation, Ross was positioned in front of Good’s car when she suddenly accelerated.

Ross jumped aside and fired a round into the windshield, then appeared to fire two additional shots into the side of the SUV.

Noem said Ross was later treated at a nearby hospital after being “hit by the vehicle” and was subsequently released.

Tapper questioned why Noem was convinced that Good was not “trying to move her car and flee and get away,” rather than intentionally striking Ross.

“The facts of the situation are that the vehicle was weaponized, and it attacked the law enforcement officer,” Noem said. “He defended himself, and he defended those individuals around him.”

“When there is something that is weaponized to use against the public and law enforcement, that is an act of domestic terrorism,” she added. “You don’t get to change the facts just because you don’t like them.”

Senior Trump administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance, have forcefully defended Ross amid widespread criticism.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has confirmed that it is investigating the shooting.

“You see how quickly the situation unfolded, how the officer was in front of the vehicle when she sped off,” Noem told Tapper. “How she ran into him. And how he had to take quick action based on his training to defend himself and his colleagues.

“That’s very clear and factual from the videos that you can see, it’s nobody’s interpretation.”

Tapper later attempted to challenge Noem by airing footage of Capitol Police officers being assaulted during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, noting that those involved were later pardoned by President Donald Trump.

Noem dismissed the comparison, saying that “every single one of these investigations comes in the full context of the situation on the ground.”

She also criticized statements from Minnesota officials, singling out Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for calling on ICE to “get ….out of” the city.

“They’ve extremely politicized and inappropriately talked about the situation on the ground in their city. They’ve inflamed the public, they’ve encouraged the kind of destruction and violence that we’ve seen in Minneapolis in the last several days,” Noem said of local leaders.

“I would encourage them to grow up.”

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

Secretary of State Marco Rubio may soon be linked to yet another hypothetical role, after President Donald Trump floated the idea in a social media post.

Trump suggested that Rubio — who has already juggled multiple senior positions at once and is frequently mentioned for additional responsibilities — could even end up leading Cuba, the country Rubio’s parents escaped in the 1950s during the Batista dictatorship.

“Sounds good to me,” Trump wrote Sunday on Truth Social, replying to a tongue-in-cheek comment from a user who joked that Rubio might become Cuba’s president once the current government collapses.

The remark quickly fed into a long-running online gag surrounding Rubio’s ever-expanding list of assignments under Trump.

Currently, Rubio is serving simultaneously as secretary of state, acting national security adviser, and acting national archivist. He also temporarily ran the US Agency for International Development until stepping away from that role last August.

Last year, former national security adviser Jake Sullivan publicly scoffed at the notion that Rubio could manage both the State Department and the National Security Council at the same time, calling the idea “ludicrous.”

Despite such criticism, Rubio’s workload has become a running joke online, with memes suggesting that whenever a vacancy appears, Trump will hand the job to his secretary of state.

Those jokes have imagined Rubio taking on everything from president of Venezuela to governor of Minnesota, secretary-general of Greenland, and even general manager of the Miami Dolphins.

Most of the memes feature an image of Rubio visibly recoiling during the widely publicized Feb. 28, 2025, Oval Office confrontation between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, when raised voices echoed in front of television cameras.

As speculation spiraled, Rubio — a well-known sports enthusiast — moved last week to shut down talk that he might take over the Dolphins’ sideline or front office.

“I do not normally respond to online rumors but feel the need to do so at this moment I will not be a candidate for the currently vacant HC and GM positions with the Miami Dolphins,” Rubio wrote on X.

“My focus must remain on global events and also the precious archives of the United States of America.”

Trump’s offhand comment about Cuba came as his administration weighs its next steps toward the island nation.

“If I lived in Havana and I was in the government, I would be concerned. At least a little bit,” Rubio told reporters following Operation Absolute Resolve, which resulted in the capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro.

Rubio has repeatedly pointed to Cuba’s deep involvement in Venezuela, including the presence of Cuban personnel among those guarding Maduro during the operation.

On Sunday, Trump escalated his rhetoric, warning Havana that “THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA” from Venezuela and urging Cuban leaders to strike a deal “BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.”

“Cuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of OIL and MONEY from Venezuela. In return, Cuba provided ‘Security Services’ for the last two Venezuelan dictators, Trump posted on Truth Social.

“Venezuela doesn’t need protection anymore from the thugs and extortionists who held them hostage for so many years. Venezuela now has the United States of America, the most powerful military in the World (by far!), to protect them, and protect them we will.”

{Matzav.com}

An overnight fire at the Reform Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi — the city’s only Jewish synagogue — is under investigation by city, state, and federal officials after a suspect was taken into custody.

The fire ignited just after 3 a.m. Shabbos, inflicting heavy damage on portions of the historic building. Crews from the Jackson Fire Department responded quickly and succeeded in bringing the flames under control. No injuries were reported.

Jackson Mayor John Horhn denounced the incident, saying it struck at both religious liberty and public safety. In a statement, he warned that antisemitism, racism, and religious hatred pose a danger to the entire community and will be addressed as such, while affirming the city’s support for the Beth Israel congregation and the broader Jewish community.

Officials have not disclosed the suspect’s identity or outlined potential charges. Authorities also have not yet determined whether the fire will be officially designated a hate crime.

The probe is being conducted jointly by the Jackson Fire Department’s Arson Investigation Division and the Jackson Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Joint Terrorism Task Force. Investigators say the inquiry is ongoing.

Founded more than a century ago, Beth Israel Congregation is the oldest synagogue in Jackson. The building was previously targeted in a 1967 Ku Klux Klan bombing that damaged synagogue offices and the rabbi’s home. No one was killed in that earlier attack.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli police last week arrested an Arab resident of Ramallah suspected of defrauding 100 Israelis of a total of some 3 million shekels (~$950,000) by purchasing their products online and making it appear he had paid them.

A Special Operations Unit raided the suspect’s home and arrested him. The suspect’s detention has been extended until this Wednesday.

The Arab, in his 50s, is suspected of pretending to be an Israeli living in the country’s north, the police investigation revealed. He would contact his victims to purchase goods they posted on various online sites, including Yad2, a popular secondhand site that sells everything from home goods to health products.

The suspect would negotiate a price with the sellers and send a phony confirmation showing transfer of payment. He would then send a taxi to pick up the product from the victim’s home. The product would be transferred to another taxi in Samaria and eventually reach the seller in Ramallah, Ynet reported.

The suspect purchased laser hair removal machines and photography equipment, among other items.

By the time the victim learned that the money transfer confirmation was fake, it was too late.

The investigation showed that between 2024 and 2025, about 100 Israelis lodged complaints against the Ramallah resident. JNS

{Matzav.com}

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has threatened to attack the U.S. military and Israel should President Donald Trump authorize strikes against the regime for harming protesters amid growing unrest in the country, the Associated Press reported on Sunday.

Ghalibaf, a former commander of the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, warned that the two allies were “legitimate targets,” according to the news agency, making the threat as lawmakers rushed to the dais in the Islamic Consultative Assembly in Tehran’s Baharestan district, shouting: “Death to America!”

“In the event of an attack on Iran, both the occupied territory [i.e. Israel] and all American military centers, bases and ships in the region will be our legitimate targets,” Ghalibaf said. “We do not consider ourselves limited to reacting after the action and will act based on any objective signs of a threat.”

Trump has made recent public comments and social media posts warning of consequences if the regime cracks down on nationwide protests, on Saturday writing on his Truth Social platform that “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!”

The State Department also warned: “Do not play games with President Trump. When he says he’ll do something, he means it.”

The New York Times, citing U.S. officials, reported on Saturday: “Mr. Trump has not made a final decision, but the officials said he was seriously considering authorizing a strike in response to the Iranian regime’s efforts to suppress demonstrations set off by widespread economic grievances.

“The president has been presented with a range of options, including strikes on nonmilitary sites in Tehran, the people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential conversations,” the report continued.

An official told The Wall Street Journal on Saturday that one option under consideration is a large-scale aerial assault on Iranian military positions. Another official noted that no consensus has been reached and that no troops or equipment have been mobilized in preparation for such an operation.

The officials emphasized that the talks are part of routine military planning and stressed there are no indications of an imminent strike on Iran.

The Israel Defense Forces said over the weekend that it is maintaining high operational readiness and closely monitoring developments in Iran, following a series of security assessments led by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir.

The army stressed that the ongoing protests are “an internal Iranian matter,” but noted that Israel’s defenses are reinforced and its capabilities constantly being upgraded.​

“We are prepared on defense and will know how to respond forcefully if required,” the IDF said, adding that it “will do whatever is necessary to protect the citizens of the State of Israel.” ​

Demonstrators filled the streets of Tehran and Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city, again on Sunday, extending into a third week protests challenging the country’s Islamic theocratic rule. At least 116 people have been killed in the unrest, according to activists, as authorities struggle to contain some of the largest anti-government demonstrations in years.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned on Sunday that “rioters and terrorists” must not be allowed to disturb public order, accusing Israel and the United States of fomenting unrest.

Speaking to state broadcaster IRIB, Pezeshkian said Iranians should trust that authorities seek to “establish justice” and not allow agitators to “disrupt society.” He claimed that foreign adversaries aim to “sow chaos and disorder” in the Islamic Republic by instigating the ongoing protests.

With internet access disrupted and phone lines cut, verifying details of the turmoil has grown increasingly difficult. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said the death toll continues to rise and that regime security forces have detained more than 2,600 people since the protests began.

Ghalibaf sent a stern message to the protesters in his speech praising the response of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Basij paramilitary volunteers, saying that “the people of Iran should know that we will deal with them in the most severe way and punish those who are arrested.”

The army said Saturday that it would “resolutely defend national interests, strategic infrastructure, and public property,” accusing Israel and what it described as terrorist organizations of fueling the unrest and pledging to “foil the enemy’s schemes,” the Journal reported.

Nationwide protests, the largest in three years, erupted on Dec. 28 over soaring inflation and a plunging currency, with the rial falling to a record low of 1.46 million to the dollar on Tuesday.

The protests have widened to include calls to overthrow the Islamist government. Strikes have also been a part of the movement.

The theocratic dictatorship is also dealing with the reimposition of economic sanctions over nuclear violations along with water and electricity crises. JNS

{Matzav.com}