Matzav

it is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the heartbreaking news that Menachem Mendel Luk, a well-known singer from the Sanzer community, has passed away. He was 55.

The announcement came from Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, where Menachem Mendel succumbed to a severe stroke after collapsing last week. He fell ill in the middle of the levayah of Rabbi Gershon Lider z”l, the director of Laniado Hospital, and was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Despite doctors’ efforts over the following days, he was niftar on Shabbos.

The levayah was held tonight at the Ohel Nechemiah Shul in Kiryat Sanz, Netanya, and he was laid to rest in the Sanz section of the Shikun Vatikim cemetery.

Menachem Mendel was born on 7 Nisan 5730 (1970) to his father, Rabbi Ben Zion Luk, a respected member of the Sanz Chassidus, and to his mother, Mrs. Matil. He grew up within the educational institutions of Sanz and later married the daughter of Rabbi Yisrael Shafer.

A gifted vocalist, he earned his livelihood as a popular wedding singer and was a member of the renowned Sanzer choir together with his brothers, known collectively as “The Luk Brothers.” In times of sorrow, he also served the community by announcing levayos in Kiryat Sanz.

Menachem Mendel held a special role within Sanz: he was the designated ba’al chazakah who lifted the Sanzer Rebbe during korim on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

He leaves behind a distinguished family, a legacy of joy through music, and a community mourning the loss of a true mesameach Elokim v’anashim.

יהי זכרו ברוך

{Matzav.com}

The United States is shaping a sweeping proposal for managing and rebuilding Gaza once all hostages are returned, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. The developing blueprint outlines a reorganization of the Strip, the establishment of temporary population centers for displaced Palestinians, and a new security framework designed to stabilize the area before eventually transferring authority to an agreed-upon Palestinian entity.

Under the plan, Gaza would be divided into two primary zones. The first, designated the “red zone,” would include areas where Hamas remains active or where there is still a significant risk of military confrontation. The second, termed the “green zone,” would be cleared for humanitarian and reconstruction activity, allowing international and local teams to begin restoring basic services and infrastructure.

In the green zones, the U.S. envisions clusters of temporary towns featuring emergency housing, schools, clinics, and essential utilities. These sites could only be built after engineering crews remove rubble and unexploded ordnance, ensuring the areas are safe for civilian use.

On the security side, Washington is weighing several models. One option would train and deploy vetted Palestinian forces under international oversight. Another proposal would involve an external protection mechanism to secure the territory. A more gradual approach is also on the table, where security responsibilities are slowly handed over to Palestinian institutions as they demonstrate stability and reliability.

American officials emphasized that they oppose turning security over to militias, warning such groups could undermine stability. Hamas has already rejected the plan outright, calling it an attempt to impose foreign trusteeship on the Palestinian people.

Egypt and other regional governments have also expressed concerns — particularly about the possibility that new population centers near Rafah could trigger long-term demographic shifts.

U.S. officials stress that the proposal is intended as a temporary measure aimed at preventing humanitarian collapse and maintaining basic civil governance in the immediate aftermath of the war. They insist that permanent civilian control must ultimately be handed to a Palestinian leadership acceptable to all relevant parties.

{Matzav.com}

Germany’s top official tasked with combating antisemitism is pushing for a new law that would outlaw slogans like “From the river to the sea,” arguing that such chants increasingly function as calls for Israel’s destruction. Felix Klein said his proposal — already endorsed by Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt — is now in the hands of the Justice Ministry for review.

Klein explained that the meaning of the chant shifted dramatically after the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7. “Before Oct. 7, you could have said that ‘From the river to the sea’ doesn’t necessarily mean kicking Israelis off the land, and I could accept that,” he said. “But since then, Israel has really been facing existential threats, and unfortunately, it has become necessary here to limit freedom of speech in this regard.”

He noted that even if critics challenge the legislation on constitutional grounds, he believes Germany must move forward. Klein has served since 2018 as the country’s first “Federal Government Commissioner for Jewish Life in Germany and the Fight against Antisemitism,” and he said the measure is essential given the current climate.

The aftermath of Oct. 7 forced Germany to confront deep tensions between its post-Holocaust commitment to Israel and the protections of a democratic society. The war in Gaza and Hamas’ massacre inside Israel prompted spikes in both antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents, while also generating disputes about the country’s identity and obligations.

Current law offers little uniform guidance on pro-Palestinian speech. Courts must decide, case by case, whether someone shouting “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” supports a peaceful vision or promotes terror. In August 2024, German-Iranian activist Ava Moayeri was convicted of condoning a crime for leading that chant during a Berlin demonstration on Oct. 11, 2023.

Immediately after the attacks, authorities across Germany rolled out broad restrictions on pro-Palestinian protests. In Berlin, schools were even permitted to ban keffiyehs and slogans like “Free Palestine,” part of a sweeping effort to curb what officials said could lead to unrest.

The clampdown reached Jewish critics of Israel as well. One Jewish Israeli woman was arrested after displaying a sign reading “As a Jew and Israeli: Stop the genocide in Gaza.” Police also blocked an event organized by “Jewish Berliners against Violence in the Middle East,” claiming it could spark disorder or “inflammatory, antisemitic exclamations.”

This year, immigration authorities ordered four non-German nationals — three Europeans and one American — to be deported over their alleged activities at pro-Palestinian rallies. Officials cited “Staatsräson,” the doctrine that Germany’s commitment to Israel is fundamental to its own legitimacy. But attorney Alexander Gorski, who represents the individuals facing deportation, dismissed that reasoning. “Staatsräson is not a legal concept,” he said. “It’s completely irrelevant. It’s not in the German Basic Law, it’s not in the constitution.”

Jewish leaders have emphasized that the atmosphere created by widespread criticism of Israel has emboldened antisemites. Charlotte Knobloch, president of the Jewish Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria and a Holocaust survivor, argued that fury at Israel has become a convenient mask. “It is sufficient cause in itself to fuel the hatred,” she said.

Recent incidents underscored how far the hostility has spread. A shop in Flensburg posted a sign declaring “Jews are banned here,” a violation of German anti-discrimination law. But a restaurant in Fürth that declared “We no longer accept Israelis in our establishment” may not face punishment, because national origin is not currently a protected category. Anti-discrimination commissioner Ferda Ataman confirmed that the law does not cover discrimination based on nationality. Klein said he has already begun work on legislation to close that gap.

Klein’s relationship with Jewish communities dates back to his earlier role in the Foreign Office, where he liaised with international Jewish organizations and helped draft the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s “working definition” of antisemitism in 2016. That definition has been heavily debated, with critics arguing it blurs the line between legitimate criticism of Israel and antisemitism.

For Klein, the distinction is indeed narrow. “I think in most cases it is — it’s just a disguised form of antisemitism,” he said. “When people say they’re anti-Israel, what they really mean is Jews.”

{Matzav.com}

The Iranian regime sent a letter to Saudi Arabia earlier this week asking that the Gulf nation attempt to convince the Trump administration to restart nuclear negotiations, Reuters reported.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that Tehran is not looking for confrontation and that the regime is “open to resolving the nuclear dispute through diplomacy, provided its rights are guaranteed,” per Reuters.

Bin Salman had met at the White House with U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, posted on social media that “all the letters in the world will not change the fact that the maximum the Iranian regime is willing to offer does not meet the minimum the U.S. is willing to accept.”

He added that “especially with Iran weakened, it’s a fantasy to expect the U.S. to soften its demands.” JNS

{Matzav.com}

Calling U.S. President Donald Trump’s defense of former Fox News host Tucker Carlson “disgusting,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced on the Senate floor that he would introduce a resolution condemning antisemitism and white supremacy.

The highest-ranking Jewish official in Congress, the senator said that his resolution also would call out Carlson for giving a platform to Holocaust denier and white supremacist Nick Fuentes. He called on his Republican colleagues to “take a clear stand against hatred and antisemitism” by supporting his proposal.

Trump told reporters over the weekend that he had no problem with Carlson’s interview with Fuentes, who has dined with the president and Ye, the former Kanye West, who also has expressed antisemitic views.

“You can’t tell him who to interview,” Trump said.

Trump also offered some kind words for Carlson, who received a prime-time speaking role at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

“He said good things about me over the years,” Trump said. “I think he’s good. We’ve had some good interviews.”

Schumer called Trump’s comments about Carlson’s interview “disgusting.”

“For Donald Trump to excuse and protect the spread of Nick Fuentes’s ideology confirms what many of us have long said: White supremacy and antisemitism are taking deep roots, unfortunately, within the Republican Party,” Schumer said in his Senate floor speech.

Outrage over Carlson’s friendly interview with Fuentes is bipartisan. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who has emerged as a sharp critic of Carlson, doubled down on his critical comments during a live town hall on SiriusXM on Wednesday.

“I think Tucker is dangerous,” Cruz said. “I think what he’s saying is wrong, and I’m calling him out, and I’m calling him out over and over and over again.”

Cruz also voiced those concerns at the start of last month’s Republican Jewish Coalition annual legislative conference, and they wound up dominating the discussion all weekend.

Before then, texts by Young Republicans leaked in October were shown to be full of racist and antisemitic language.

“In the last six months, I’ve seen more antisemitism on the right than any time in my life,” Cruz said on SiriusXM. “It is wrong, and from my perspective, I’m going to do everything I can to stop it.”

The Democratic Party has had its own problem with antisemitism.

After Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) resurrected the ages-old canard that Jews are not 100% loyal citizens, the House, then controlled by Democrats, voted overwhelmingly in March 2019 to reject “the perpetuation of antisemitic stereotypes in the United States and around the world, including the pernicious myth of dual loyalty and foreign allegiance, especially in the context of support for the United States-Israel alliance.”

The incoming mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, has accused Israel of genocide and initially refused to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which Jews see as a call for violence against them.

In addition, Schumer came under fire last year for refusing to allow a vote on the bipartisan Antisemitism Awareness Act, which would have codified the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism.

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) accused Schumer of being “too scared to piss off his base and the pro-Hamas wing” of the Democratic Party.

This time around, Schumer said he hoped Senate Republicans would support his resolution.

“Calling out antisemitism should not be a partisan issue,” he said. “In fact, when we refuse to condemn antisemitism, when we stay silent and fail to reject antisemitic rhetoric, when we normalize hateful figures spewing disgusting antisemitism, that is when antisemitism spreads throughout society like a poisonous wildfire.”

{Matzav.com}

A new study is sounding the alarm over what it describes as an extensive Qatari funding network designed to seed Muslim Brotherhood influence throughout American universities and cultural spaces. According to the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP), Qatar may have funneled more than $20 billion into US institutions — and the total could be far higher.

ISGAP’s report centers on the Qatar Foundation, financed by the Al Thani ruling family, which the organization claims has spent decades slipping substantial sums into elite American schools to help advance the Muslim Brotherhood’s long-term ideological aims. “The royal family of Qatar has a Bay’ah — a spiritual oath — to the Muslim Brotherhood, so they’re pumping in many, many billions of dollars into our universities, K-12 schools and cultural institutions, using influence and soft power to promote its ideology,” Dr. Charles Asher Small, ISGAP’s executive director, told The Post.

Among the findings ISGAP cites is a trail of contributions it says reached an extraordinary $10 billion for Cornell University alone, with other beneficiaries including Georgetown University, Texas A&M, and Brown University. Small stressed that what they have uncovered represents only a fraction of the whole picture. “This is the tip of the iceberg,” he said, estimating the real total could be “at least $100 billion,” noting that the project has “only looked at a few universities” thus far.

Cornell responded by highlighting that its Qatar-based medical school — funded by the Qatar Foundation — keeps its budget in the Gulf nation. “Budgeted funding for the medical school in Qatar has averaged approximately $156 million per year from 2012 to 2025, totaling $2.2 billion. Virtually all funding remains in Qatar for Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar school operations,” a spokesperson said, adding, “We are proud to be the first US-based university to offer our MD degree overseas to educate and train doctors and scientists in patient care, biomedical research and improving quality of life.”

Small said Georgetown received “over a billion in funds” directed toward programs in Middle East studies, social sciences, and its famed diplomatic training initiatives. “It’s a very impactful use of soft power,” he noted.

ISGAP’s review also uncovered $1.3 billion awarded to Texas A&M. After years of searching, Small said investigators located a contract under which the Qatar Foundation would financially support more than 500 research projects at the university’s Qatar campus, established in 2003. The agreement gave “all intellectual property rights” to the foundation, ISGAP said — an arrangement the university confirmed. “Faculty who create intellectual property at Texas A&M at Qatar receive 37.5% of the net licensing revenue from that IP,” the school said. “The remaining net licensing revenue is distributed 33.3% to the Qatar Foundation and 29.2% to Texas A&M at Qatar to reinvest in the research program there.”

ISGAP says 58 of these projects had “dual-use” military applications, and many others were tied to nuclear research. The group has urged the Department of Energy to review the matter. Texas A&M insists otherwise: “No nuclear technology, weapons/defense or national security research is conducted at the Qatar campus. No sensitive or secret research is taking place at this campus.” The university has since moved to shut down its Qatar branch, asserting that its mission should be “focused on Texas and the US.” Small, however, said ISGAP’s investigation “hit some kind of raw nerve.”

The report claims that one of the strongest on-campus vehicles for influence is the Muslim Students Association (MSA), which has over 600 chapters nationwide, including at Columbia University and NYU. ISGAP further alleges that Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), which “cooperates with the MSA,” has been “particularly effective in advancing Brotherhood objectives” amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. When asked about oversight, Columbia said it “has been clear that we have zero tolerance for promoting terror or violence.”

The report also revisited the uproar over a Qatar Foundation International–sponsored map displayed in a Brooklyn public-school classroom that labeled Israel as “Palestine,” arguing it exemplifies the broader ideological effort.

ISGAP’s document — “The Muslim Brotherhood’s Strategic Entryism into Western Society: A Systematic Analysis” — argues the Brotherhood is already deep into a decades-long strategy to “transform Western society from within” by embedding ideologically aligned individuals and ideas across key institutions. The organization called for the US to formally designate the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group. This week, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued such a designation for both the Brotherhood and CAIR. Supporters include Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who said, “The Muslim Brotherhood is a pro-Hamas organization determined to carry out its ‘civilization jihad’ strategy with the goal of splintering Western society into terror cells. I’ve consistently supported designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization to bolster our national security and protect the future of higher education.”

Small argued that the stakes are enormous and that Americans must confront the ideological threat. “American voters, decision makers and scholars need to pay more attention to the importance of ideology,” he said. He warned that ISGAP’s findings “shows the Muslim Brotherhood wants to move Israel away from the US — to isolate it, to destroy it — to use antisemitism to fragment and weaken the US and destroy its democracy.”

He added that transparency around foreign funding is essential. “I think taking funds from entities, states or foundations or businesses that are diametrically opposed to democratic ideals, or ideals of liberal education, there should be safeguards not to take money because it has influence,” Small said.

Pointing to the surge of campus activism sympathetic to Hamas, Small argued it demonstrates the urgency of reform. “The Muslim Brotherhood is committed not only to destroying the state of Israel and murdering Jewish people around the world, they’re committed to the subjugation of women, the murder of gay people and the destruction of democracy,” he said. “Very simple things we take for granted like citizenship, or the notion that regardless of our ethnic, cultural, religious, gender, racial background or income we have a right to be equal under one system in a democracy — this is what they want to destroy and replace.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump reacted with enthusiasm to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s abrupt decision to leave Congress, calling her planned departure “great news” for the country.

In a short phone chat with ABC News, Trump repeatedly applauded the announcement. “I think it’s great news for the country,” he said, following it moments later with, “It’s great.” He also noted that Greene had given him no advance notice of her intention to step down on Jan. 5, 2026, and said he had no plans to reach out to her about it. “Nah, it doesn’t matter, you know? But I think it’s great,” Trump said. “I think she should be happy.”

Hours later, Trump expanded on his reaction in a sharply worded Truth Social post targeting the Georgia Republican. “Marjorie ‘Traitor’ Brown, because of PLUMMETING Poll Numbers, and not wanting to face a Primary Challenger with a strong Trump Endorsement (where she would have no chance of winning!), has decided to call it ‘quits,’ ” he wrote early Saturday morning.

He then shifted to criticizing her political alliances, adding, “Her relationship with the WORST Republican Congressman in decades, Tom Massie of Kentucky, also known as Rand Paul Jr. because he votes against the Republican Party (and really good legislation!), did not help her.” Trump went on to say, “For some reason, primarily that I refused to return her never ending barrage of phone calls, Marjorie went BAD,” before softening the message slightly: “Nevertheless, I will always appreciate Marjorie, and thank her for her service to our Country!”

Greene had once been one of Trump’s fiercest allies on Capitol Hill, but the relationship unraveled after she publicly criticized the administration over its handling of the Jeffrey Epstein document controversy and broke with Trump on several policy fronts. The rift widened further last week when Trump rescinded his endorsement and encouraged Republicans to mount a primary challenge against her. He made clear he intended to support whoever runs against her in 2026.

In her resignation letter, Greene described deep frustration with the unfolding political battle. “I have too much self respect and dignity, love my family way too much, and do not want my sweet district to have to endure a hurtful and hateful primary against me by the President we all fought for, only to fight and win my election while Republicans will likely lose the midterms,” she wrote. She added, “It’s all so absurd and completely unserious. I refuse to be a ‘battered wife’ hoping it all goes away and gets better.”

Greene’s exit will tighten the already narrow Republican margin in the House, where the GOP controls 219 seats to the Democrats’ 213. According to NBC News, House Speaker Mike Johnson, whom Greene attempted to oust last year, was not informed in advance of her decision to step aside.

{Matzav.com}

Rudy Giuliani said on Friday that President Donald Trump’s invitation to New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani was, politically speaking, a savvy move — even though watching it unfold left him feeling physically ill.

Speaking on “Rob Schmitt Tonight,” with Bob Brooks hosting, Giuliani acknowledged that Trump’s decision to bring Mamdani into the Oval Office served, in part, to calm the city’s business community, many of whom are nervous about a democratic socialist preparing to take charge. “I can have my views on the percentage that this is going to work out,” he said during the interview, adding, “Do I think it was a smart way to start? Sure, it was a smart way to start.”

Giuliani argued that by extending the invitation, Trump effectively placed the responsibility for any future tension in the relationship on Mamdani’s shoulders, rather than his own. “Now any deterioration in the relationship will be by the communist and Islamic extremist sympathizer, not by the president,” he said, repeating labels he has attached to Mamdani in the past.

Although he has been an outspoken critic of Mamdani, Giuliani emphasized that he still hopes the city prospers — even if that means Mamdani defies his expectations. “Of course, I want to see New York City do well. I want to see myself wrong about him. I’d like to see him change,” he said.

Still, Giuliani admitted that on a personal level, watching Mamdani stand beside Trump in the Oval Office was deeply unpleasant for him. “All of that doesn’t belie the fact that it makes me sick to my stomach to see that man in the Oval Office,” he said.

{Matzav.com}

Zohran Mamdani’s long-anticipated visit to the White House unfolded with little of the diplomatic caution usually expected from a mayor-elect meeting the president. The encounter, which capped several weeks of public back-and-forth, quickly shifted from pleasantries to sharp political declarations.

Standing alongside U.S. President Donald Trump after their discussion, Mamdani once again leveled his harshest charge at Israel, insisting that the country is carrying out “genocide in Gaza” and asserting that American taxpayers are underwriting those actions. He told reporters, “I shared with the president in our meeting about the concern that many New Yorkers have about wanting their tax dollars to go toward the benefit of New Yorkers and their ability to afford basic dignity. There’s a desperate need not only for the following of human rights but also the following through on the promises we’ve made New Yorkers. We’ve spoken about the Israeli government committing genocide and I’ve spoken about our government funding it.”

Trump allowed the comments to pass without a direct answer. When the mayor-elect was questioned about Trump’s ongoing diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, Mamdani offered a restrained note of approval, saying, “I appreciate all efforts toward peace. We’re tired of seeing our tax dollars fund endless wars, and I also believe that we have to follow through on the international human rights, and I know that still today those are being violated, and that continues to be work that has to be done, no matter where we’re speaking of.”

The president was later pressed about Mamdani’s earlier warning that he would order the detention of Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu if he were to visit New York. Trump brushed the matter aside with a short reply: “We did not discuss that.”

Mamdani’s team also attempted to clarify his stance on protests surrounding the recent Nefesh B’Nefesh gathering at a New York synagogue. His spokeswoman, Dora Pekec, said, “The Mayor-elect has discouraged the language used at last night’s protest and will continue to do so. He believes every New Yorker should be free to enter a house of worship without intimidation, and that these sacred spaces should not be used to promote activities in violation of international law.”

The exchange ended on an unexpectedly playful note when reporters lobbed a loaded question at Mamdani about whether Trump is a fascist. Trump interjected before Mamdani could reply, joking, “Just say yes, it’s easier.”

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s dramatic decision to leave Congress has sent shockwaves through Washington, punctuating a bitter split between the Georgia firebrand and President-elect Donald Trump. Her resignation, set for January 5, 2026, followed weeks of escalating clashes over the long-frozen Jeffrey Epstein files—an issue she had been publicly hammering as a test of political courage.

In her resignation letter, released online, Greene lamented the personal attacks she said she endured from the president-elect. “Standing up for American women who were [assaulted] at 14, trafficked and used by rich powerful men, should not result in me being called a traitor and threatened by the President of the United States, whom I fought for,” she wrote. Calling his criticism “hurtful,” she added that she would not remain in office as a “battered wife” trapped in a toxic dynamic.

Greene’s outrage over the Epstein documents had been growing for months. Although she once stood firmly in Trump’s corner—both on his America First messaging and his contested 2020 election claims—she turned sharply on him, accusing him of dragging his feet on releasing the files. Her comments intensified as she criticized his tariff approach, his handling of the cost-of-living crisis, and what she characterized as a reluctance to confront entrenched elite wrongdoing. She took her grievances to major broadcast outlets, casting her demands as a push for accountability long overdue.

Her record on Israel resurfaced as well amid the uproar, with critics revisiting her unsuccessful attempt to slash aid to Israel by arguing the funds should be steered toward paying down the national debt. She had also previously charged that Israel was using U.S. assistance for genocide—statements that repeatedly put her at odds with many in her own party.

Trump eventually answered forcefully. After campaigning beside her in Rome, Georgia, early in 2024, he turned to Truth Social to denounce her. He branded her a “traitor” and “wacky,” and wrote, “For some reason, primarily that I refused to return her never ending barrage of phone calls, Marjorie went BAD.” He also hinted he would back a challenger to unseat her in the next primary.

That public rupture seemed to speed up Trump’s shift on the Epstein controversy. Under growing pressure from Republicans who saw the files as a key test of transparency, he suddenly moved to advance legislation compelling the Justice Department to make the documents public within 30 days. What had once been a unifying mission for many in the MAGA movement turned into a stark demonstration of fractures within its ranks.

Appearing on ABC News after Greene’s announcement, Trump celebrated her exit from Congress, calling it “great news for the country.” Yet on social media he tacked on a softer message, writing, “Nevertheless, I will always appreciate Marjorie, and thank her for her service to our Country!” He also referenced advice he had given her about her weak polling numbers for hypothetical statewide races, despite Greene’s insistence that she had no interest in those positions.

Her departure now leaves Republicans with an even thinner margin in the House, adding tension to an already fragile majority. The seat she is vacating—Georgia’s strongly conservative 14th district—was one she had consistently dominated, but her exit introduces fresh uncertainty for the GOP as the 2026 midterms approach. In her farewell video, she spotlighted what she saw as her congressional achievements, ranging from border security efforts to battles against “woke” initiatives, and insisted her resignation reflected a refusal to compromise her principles rather than a political retreat.

{Matzav.com}

Hamas delivered a sharp message to American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, telling them the cease-fire in Gaza is now “over” and that its fighters are “ready to fight,” according to Al Arabiya, as cited by the Jerusalem Post. The declaration marked a sudden shift by the terror group and signaled a return to hostilities.

The warning surfaced just hours after an Israeli strike in Gaza killed Alaa Hadidi, Hamas’ senior figure responsible for the group’s weapons pipeline. Hamas denounced the operation, claiming it violated the US-supported cease-fire arrangement.

Israel defended the action, saying its forces were responding to an attack that had already breached the terms of the truce. According to the IDF, a Hamas terrorist crossed into the designated humanitarian zone and opened fire at Israeli troops, prompting the retaliatory strike.

Footage released on X showed the armed assailant wearing black clothing and driving across the military withdrawal line while “exploiting” the humanitarian corridor, Israeli officials said. The video depicted the gunman exiting the vehicle and firing a long-range weapon before being shot by Israeli soldiers and collapsing moments later.

By day’s end, the IDF reported that five Hamas members were eliminated in three separate strikes targeting operatives in Rafah and Northern Gaza. Among those killed was Abu Abdullah Al-Hudaydi, identified by Al Arabiya as the operations staff commander of Hamas’ military wing.

American officials indicated to the Times of Israel that the White House supported Israel’s latest actions, citing assessments that Hamas leadership cannot control its fighters within Gaza despite the cease-fire framework.

Amid the escalating tension, Hamas issued another warning, insisting Gaza “will not become another Lebanon,” a reference to what the group views as a long-running cease-fire that leaves one side constrained while the other acts freely.

{Matzav.com}

[Video below.] What was expected to be a tense and awkward introduction between President Trump and New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani turned into an unexpectedly warm White House moment, with Trump expressing confidence in the socialist politician’s ability to lead the nation’s largest city.

The meeting, held in the Oval Office with Mamdani standing beside the Resolute Desk, quickly turned into a scene of bonhomie. Trump repeatedly praised the incoming mayor, even resting a hand on his arm as he eased him through a barrage of tough press questions and offered remarkable predictions about New York’s future under Mamdani’s leadership.

“I think he wants to make it greater than ever before,” Trump told reporters. “And if he can, we’ll be out there cheering. I’ll be cheering for him.”

Their surprising display of unity followed a 45-minute private discussion focused heavily on the theme of affordability—Mamdani’s signature issue. Both men described their conversation as constructive, and Trump went so far as to say Mamdani “has a chance to really do something great for New York,” adding, “He’s different than your typical guy.”

While Mamdani steered clear of praising Trump personally, he acknowledged that Trump’s improved performance in New York City during the 2024 election stemmed from his emphasis on economic concerns, noting that voters were focused on “kitchen table issues.”

Mamdani spoke of his desire to prioritize delivering tangible improvements to New Yorkers rather than sparring publicly with the president. “I think both President Trump and I, we are very clear about our positions and our views, and what I really appreciate about the president is the meeting that we had focused not on places of disagreement, which there are many, and also focused on the shared purpose that we have in serving New Yorkers,” he said.

Trump embraced the sentiment. “We have one thing in common. We want this city of ours that we love to do very well,” he said as they fielded questions together.

When reporters reminded Mamdani of his past descriptions of Trump as a “fascist” and a “despot,” Trump intervened playfully, sparing him from answering directly. “That’s OK, you can just say yes,” he quipped, patting Mamdani on the arm. He shrugged off the barbs himself. “I’ve been called much worse than a despot, so it’s not that insulting.”

Asked about accusations that Mamdani is a “jihadist,” Trump countered that he had just met “a very rational person.”

This was quite a reversal for Trump, who had once warned that New York would collapse if “my little Communist” Mamdani were elected. Now, he said he left their meeting “very confident” in the mayor-elect’s ability to succeed. “I think he is going to surprise some conservative people, actually, and some very liberal people,” he said.

Trump even appeared to take back earlier threats to dispatch the National Guard if Mamdani took office. “I expect to be helping him, not hurting him, a big help because I want New York City to be great,” he said, though he has previously suggested that federal funding could be endangered under Mamdani’s leadership.

The meeting came at Mamdani’s request, following a long-standing tradition of New York City’s incoming mayor meeting with the president. Before their policy discussion began, Trump gave the Astoria assemblyman a brief tour of the White House.

According to sources, the two then sat down with their chiefs of staff—Susie Wiles for Trump and Elle Bisgaard-Church for Mamdani—to hone in on issues related to affordability, including rent, utility costs, and grocery prices. Bisgaard-Church said the president “felt very interested in a kind of common-sense approach to reduce onerous burdens on the housing and development owners, actually,” describing that topic as one of their strongest zones of agreement.

A real-estate veteran himself, Trump echoed Mamdani’s campaign message that expanding the housing supply would help rein in rents. “Actually people would be shocked, but I want to see the same thing,” he said.

Mamdani, whose campaign emphasized his “freeze the rent” plan, had been criticized for lacking detail on how to increase housing stock—an issue that was now suddenly a point of accord between him and Trump.

Other topics included an impending Con Edison rate increase, with the president pressing the utility to bring costs down, and public safety. Trump lauded Mamdani’s choice to retain tough-on-crime NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. “Maybe more than anything else, he wants to have a safe New York,” Trump said. “Ultimately, a safe New York is going to be a great New York. If you don’t have safe streets, it’s not going to be a success.”

The amicable session contrasted sharply with the months of public jabs the two had exchanged as political opposites who often used each other as foils on the campaign trail. Yet in the days leading up to their meeting, both signaled an interest in a calmer conversation, with Mamdani expressing hope they could “speak plainly” about affordability. Trump, during an appearance on “The Brian Kilmeade Show,” predicted, “I think it’s going to be quite civil. We’ll find out.”

The civility exceeded even that expectation. Trump not only handled some of the most pointed questions Mamdani faced but also commended his unlikely rise to the mayoralty.

When asked whether Mamdani planned to arrest Israel’s Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu if he set foot in New York City—a campaign remark that drew intense criticism—Trump declined to escalate. He said the topic didn’t come up, though the pair agreed on a desire for peace in the region. “He’s got views out there, but who knows maybe we’re going to see what works, or he’s going to change,” Trump said. “Also, we all change. I change a lot. Changed a lot from when I first came to office.”

Despite Trump’s generous praise, Mamdani didn’t reciprocate directly. He sidestepped a chance to endorse Trump’s Gaza ceasefire deal and instead spoke more broadly about voters’ frustrations with endless conflicts. “I appreciate all efforts towards peace and I shared with President Trump that when I spoke to Trump voters on Hillside Avenue – including one of whom was a pharmacist that spoke about how President Trump’s father actually went to that pharmacy not too far from Jamaica Estates – that people were tired of seeing our tax dollars fund endless wars,” he said.

The meeting’s friendly tone now raises expectations for Mamdani to deliver on his bold affordability promises, while also unexpectedly boosting his stature as a national Democratic figure.

Political observers across New York were stunned by the dynamic. “Trump should move Bushwick how much he loves Z now,” one Democratic operative joked. Another said, “Unbelievably funny outcome,” adding, “I can’t even read it cynically. Trump loved him. It might even be reciprocated.”

When Trump was asked whether he’d feel comfortable living once again in New York City under Mamdani’s leadership, his answer was unequivocal. “I want him to do a great job, and we’ll help him do a great job,” he said. “I would feel very, very comfortable being in New York, and I think much more so after the meeting.”

WATCH:

Israeli security officials are signaling that the situation in Gaza may soon reach a breaking point. Kan 11 News reported Friday night that members of the Security Cabinet left a recent briefing convinced that Hamas’s accelerating military revival will eventually demand a forceful Israeli response.

The update came during a Cabinet session on Thursday, where defense officials laid out an extensive assessment of current realities in the Gaza Strip. Ministers were shown intelligence indicating that Hamas is both expanding its military capacities and consolidating political control. According to the report, the presentations also made clear that Hamas has shown no readiness to surrender its arsenal or scale back its operational capabilities.

One senior Israeli official put the dilemma starkly, telling Kan 11 News, “If the Americans do not succeed in bringing about Hamas’s disarmament, we will have the credit to do it ourselves.”

The briefing also addressed developments to Israel’s north. Defense personnel shared updated intelligence on Hezbollah’s intensifying military posture inside Lebanon. The ministers were told that Beirut’s leadership—already struggling to exert control—has proven unable to uphold its commitments under the ceasefire framework.

Israel, meanwhile, continues focusing its military pressure on Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon. However, it has avoided targeting Beirut itself, a restraint being exercised at Washington’s request.

Cabinet members quoted in the report acknowledged that the northern arena is trending in the same direction as Gaza, with some warning that the situation there, too, may eventually require what they described as “surgical treatment.”

{Matzav.com}

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. acknowledged in a New York Times interview released Friday that he was the one who instructed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to post a notice overturning its long-held assertion that childhood vaccines do not cause autism. “The whole thing about ‘vaccines have been tested and there’s been this determination made’ is just a lie,” Kennedy, 71, told the Times. “The phrase ‘Vaccines do not cause autism’ is not supported by science.”

This week, the CDC updated its “Vaccines and Autism” page with three new warnings. The agency now states: “The claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism,” along with “Studies supporting a link have been ignored by health authorities,” and “HHS has launched a comprehensive assessment of the causes of autism, including investigations on plausible biologic mechanisms and potential causal links.”

Although the page has been overhauled, the familiar line “vaccines do not cause autism” still appears further down — but now with an asterisk. The note explains that its continued presence is “due to an agreement with the chair of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee” — Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) — “that it would remain on the CDC website.”

Cassidy swiftly pushed back in a public statement on X Thursday evening. “I’m a doctor who has seen people die from vaccine-preventable diseases,” he wrote. “What parents need to hear right now is vaccines for measles, polio, hepatitis B and other childhood diseases are safe and effective and will not cause autism. Any statement to the contrary is wrong, irresponsible, and actively makes Americans sicker.”

Kennedy told the Times that the two had spoken directly about the policy shift. “I did talk to him,” he said, adding that Cassidy “disagreed with the decision.”

Gristedes CEO John Catsimatidis joins ‘Varney & Co.’ to discuss why high taxes, crime and mismanagement are driving wealth and business out of New York.

WATCH:

President Donald Trump joined Brian for a wide ranging interview in which he previews how he expects his meeting with Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will go. PLUS: The President responds to critics who claimed he called for the ‘executions’ of Senate democrats who urged servicemembers to refuse “illegal orders.”

WATCH:

Just hours before New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani was set to head to Washington for his first sit-down with US President Donald Trump, lawmakers in the House approved a measure condemning socialism, injecting fresh political tension into the moment.

The chamber voted 285–98 to advance the resolution, which was brought forward by Representative Maria Elvira Salazar. Every dissenting vote came from Democrats. The text of the measure includes a sweeping declaration: “Congress denounces socialism in all its forms, and opposes the implementation of socialist policies in the United States.”

Fox News noted that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries — who had thrown his support behind Mamdani in the closing days of the mayoral race — also backed the resolution.

Rep. Byron Donalds argued during the debate that socialism runs counter to the nation’s foundational commitment to individual liberty.

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, who likewise voted in favor, emphasized that socialist systems are fundamentally about domination rather than empathy. “Across the world, socialist regimes have delivered only misery, oppression, and economic ruin. After graduating college, I had the opportunity to work in Yugoslavia as the country prepared for the Olympics. I saw firsthand how everything was controlled by the state and nothing moved without political permission.” She added that New York is already seeing the early influence of that ideology.

“We cannot allow New York’s slide toward socialism to become a model for the nation.”

As the political clash played out on Capitol Hill, Trump offered an unexpectedly upbeat prediction about his upcoming meeting with the incoming mayor. He suggested that any earlier friction between them was behind him. “I was hitting him a little hard,” Trump told Fox News. “I think we’ll get along fine. Look, we’re looking for the same thing: we want to make New York strong.”

Mamdani, for his part, shared a smiling selfie from his plane seat as he departed for Washington. The day before, he outlined how he plans to approach the conversation. “I intend to make it clear to President Trump that I will work with him on any agenda that benefits New Yorkers. If an agenda hurts New Yorkers, I will also be the first to say so.”

{Matzav.com}

Jewish groups are expressing deep alarm after a shocking performance in Washington, DC, mimicked the classic blood libel—an accusation that has fueled hatred and violence against Jews for generations.

A circulating video shows actors donning masks of political leaders, among them Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, seated around a table smeared with red stains on an Israeli flag. The participants raise glasses filled with what appears to be fake blood as part of the spectacle.

The display goes even further, with artificial severed limbs and mock organ meat placed across the table. The performers rub red dye onto their faces and wipe it off with Israeli flags, while the characters portraying Netanyahu and Joe Biden tear apart a pile of imitation entrails.

Beside them stands a giant menu titled “Israel’s Friendsgiving Dinner.” Its list of “dishes” includes grotesque items such as “Gaza children’s limbs,” “stolen organs,” “illegally harvested skin,” and a beverage labeled “Gaza’s spilled blood.” A heart sits next to Netanyahu’s name at the bottom.

The demonstration was staged at Union Station, one of the capital’s busiest transit hubs and a gateway for visitors arriving by train or bus.

The American Jewish Committee denounces the performance, declaring, “Blood libel was on full display today.” The group continues, “Dressed up as ‘activism’ and ‘performance art,’ this was nothing less than the revival of one of the oldest and most dangerous antisemitic tropes in history,” adding that “Blood libel has fueled violence, persecution and massacres of Jews for centuries. Seeing it resurface in our nation’s capital is both horrifying and unacceptable.”

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater DC also issued a statement, describing the exhibit as “just steps away from the symbols and heart of American democracy, a scene that would have been right at home in Nazi Germany played out in the United States. Seldom have we seen such a sickening display of full-throated antisemitism.”

Pro-Palestinian activists in Washington have taken responsibility for the display via social media platforms.

{Matzav.com}

Newt Gingrich unloaded on the emerging U.S. peace proposal for Ukraine on Thursday, blasting the framework as a dangerous capitulation that would pave the way for Russia to eventually swallow the entire country. Taking to X, he denounced the plan with unmistakable force. “Any ‘peace’ agreement between Ukraine and Russia which weakens Ukraine’s ability to defend itself is in fact a surrender agreement which guarantees that in the next few years Putin will overrun all of Ukraine,” he wrote.

Gingrich argued that any pressure on Kyiv to shrink its military footprint or scale back its ability to fight would reward Moscow’s aggression and punish Ukrainian resilience. “Ukrainian courage and patriotism should not be betrayed by Americans growing tired of stopping evil. A Putin victory will be a stepping stone to a much, much more dangerous world,” he declared, framing the moment as a global crossroads rather than a localized dispute.

His warning lands at a sensitive time for U.S. policymakers involved in crafting the proposal, which would require Ukraine to swallow sweeping concessions in return for vaguely described Western security guarantees — guarantees that critics say are neither enforceable nor clearly defined. Gingrich’s comments cut directly against those efforts, arguing that a deal built around Ukrainian forfeiture is doomed from the start.

He cautioned that restricting Ukraine’s military — whether by capping troop levels, limiting weapons, or prohibiting strikes inside Russia — would erode the deterrent power that has kept the country standing. Any reduction in capability, he warned, would leave Ukraine exposed and invite the very escalation the deal claims to avoid.

Beyond the battlefield risks, Gingrich described such a deal as a betrayal of the people who have fought and bled to defend their country. In his view, urging Ukraine into a lopsided agreement does not merely constitute a strategic blunder; it represents a moral abdication that disregards the nation’s sacrifice.

His critique extended well past Eastern Europe. Gingrich framed the fallout of a weakened Ukraine as a domino effect: a triumphant Kremlin would radiate strength, NATO would look fractured, and authoritarian regimes worldwide would draw the conclusion that force is rewarded and resistance is futile.

He also tied his concerns to what he sees as American impatience — a belief that U.S. fatigue is being misread as a reason to push Ukraine toward a settlement that looks more like an ultimatum than a peace agreement. In his telling, any agreement rooted in exhaustion rather than strategy is a recipe for instability.

The Institute for the Study of War echoed that outlook in its own stark assessment of the proposal. Labeling the framework a near-total surrender, the think tank issued a caution of its own. It noted that “an agreement … based on those protocols would be a capitulation document … Ukraine is unlikely to accept any peace agreement based on the Istanbul negotiations,” arguing that the terms align closely with Russia’s maximalist objectives.

ISW further observed that the structural constraints embedded in the proposal — steep cuts in Ukraine’s forces, removal of long-range strike capabilities, and reduced defensive posture — would hand Russia an enduring advantage and all but guarantee future offensives.

In its analysis, Moscow would not treat such a deal as a resolution but as an intermission. The think tank warned that acquiescing to these demands would embolden Russia to renew its assault on Ukraine or even cast its ambitions farther into Europe, raising the stakes well beyond the current conflict.

{Matzav.com}

Airline passengers who show up at security without a REAL ID or passport may soon have to pay an $18 charge under a new Transportation Security Administration proposal. The fee is tied to TSA’s plan to replace its current identification process with a biometric-based verification system.

According to the proposal — which is scheduled to appear in the Federal Register on Thursday — anyone lacking the required identification would be processed through a new digital kiosk that confirms identity using personal biographic and biometric information before they can move forward at the checkpoint. The $18 cost would grant the traveler access to TSA checkpoints for a 10-day window and is intended to help fund the technology behind the updated system.

The timeline for launching the new identity system remains uncertain. Publication in the Federal Register triggers a public comment period before any rule can be finalized.

Congress passed the federal REAL ID Act in 2005 in response to the 9/11 attacks, but its rollout has faced repeated postponements. The Department of Homeland Security finally began enforcing the requirement for domestic travelers this past May.

A TSA spokesperson, responding to ABC News, framed the fee as part of the long-delayed compliance effort. “This notice serves as a next step in the process in REAL ID compliance, which was signed into law more than 20 years ago and finally implemented by Secretary [Kristi] Noem as of May 2025. TSA is working with stakeholders and partners to ensure both security and efficiency at our checkpoints. Additional guidance will be announced in the coming days,” the spokesperson said.

Travelers who reach the checkpoint without a REAL ID-compliant document would be routed into what TSA calls a “modernized alternative identity verification program,” relying on biometric matching to confirm who they are. But the notice makes clear there are limits: the system does not guarantee “that an individual’s identity will be verified or that the individual will be provided access to the sterile area of the airport.” Those using alternative methods could undergo extra screening and experience delays.

TSA argues the new setup will ultimately speed up the process by updating an outdated verification method. The $18 fee is designed to offset the cost of deploying the new system nationwide.

The proposal specifies that the $18 charge is nonrefundable, but valid for 10 days. A traveler who flies more than once during that period without a REAL ID or passport would not be charged a second time.

{Matzav.com}