Matzav

Israeli officials confirmed Wednesday that Hamas possesses complete information about all four hostages whose bodies are still in Gaza. The report, released by Kan 11 News, cites senior sources familiar with the situation who said the terror group maintains detailed knowledge about each of the deceased.

According to those sources, the intelligence extends beyond Hamas itself, encompassing data about captives held by the Islamic Jihad group as well. This revelation underscores the complexity of the hostage situation and the overlapping control among militant factions inside Gaza.

The officials underscored that Israel’s stance remains firm: no half measures or partial deals will be accepted regarding the recovery of the fallen. “They must all be brought back – down to the very last one,” the sources declared, calling for increased diplomatic and security pressure on Hamas to achieve that outcome.

At the same time, efforts are reportedly being made to locate and retrieve the bodies through coordination involving Hamas representatives and the International Red Cross. These steps are said to form part of the broader framework addressing both captives and missing individuals from the war.

Separately, Asharq Al-Awsat reported earlier in the day that among the four, one of the deceased hostages is currently held by Hamas, another by Islamic Jihad, and two more are believed to be located in Israeli-controlled territory east of the Yellow Line.

{Matzav.com}

Hamas and Islamic Jihad announced Thursday afternoon that they will release the body of a deceased hostage later in the evening, saying the handover is set for 8:00 PM.

According to the joint statement, the remains were recovered in the Morag region, located just north of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.

At present, the terrorist groups in Gaza are holding the bodies of four Israeli hostages — Dror Or, Meni Godard, Ran Gvili, and Sudthisak Rinthalak — whose families have been waiting in anguish for their return.

Officials cited by Kan 11 News on Wednesday confirmed that Hamas possesses complete information concerning all four of the deceased hostages whose bodies remain in Gaza.

The same sources added that these details are not limited to those in Hamas custody but also cover hostages held by Islamic Jihad.

Government officials stressed that no deal should move forward without the recovery of every last body, calling for intensified diplomatic and military pressure to ensure their return. “They must all be brought back – down to the very last one.”

{Matzav.com}

Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed concern on Wednesday that escalating unrest in the West Bank could endanger the fragile truce in Gaza. “Certainly there’s some concern about events in the West Bank spilling over and creating an effect that could undermine what we’re doing in Gaza,” Rubio told reporters. He added that while he hopes the tensions will not disrupt the ceasefire, he does not expect them to do so either.

Rubio commended Israeli leaders who have spoken out against the violence, noting the statements made by President Isaac Herzog and senior IDF officials condemning the latest attacks. Their remarks followed a massive assault by dozens of Israelis who torched Palestinian farmland and factories between Nablus and Tulkarem.

In contrast, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition have remained silent, prompting accusations that the government is quietly tolerating the attacks. The violence has become an almost daily occurrence, raising alarm among international observers.

Rubio’s measured comments marked one of the few times the Trump administration has addressed settler violence directly. Although he stopped short of outright condemnation, his acknowledgment signaled growing unease within Washington over the situation.

When Trump first took office, he reversed a policy imposed a year earlier by then-president Joe Biden, signing an executive order to end sanctions targeting extremist settlers and related organizations. Since then, settler raids — including attacks on Christian villages — have persisted.

In July, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, an ordained pastor, visited one of the affected villages and urged Israeli authorities to prosecute those responsible. “Those targeting the village must be brought to justice,” he said. However, despite his call, not a single indictment has been filed.

Accountability within Israel’s law enforcement remains limited. The commander of the police division overseeing the West Bank is under investigation for allegedly ignoring settler crimes to gain favor with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. Despite the inquiry, the officer has been allowed to resume his duties.

Authorities detained four suspects linked to Tuesday’s large-scale arson attack, but by the following day, three had already been released. The IDF and police have traded accusations over who bears responsibility for failing to stop the violence, while some security sources quietly blame the government itself, citing ties between extremist settlers and certain ministers.

The Trump administration, meanwhile, has moved to reduce international scrutiny of the issue. A G7 statement released Wednesday offered only a vague pledge to “continue to maintain attention on the situation in the West Bank,” a softer tone than that taken under Biden, when a similar communiqué condemned settlement expansion and urged restraint from all sides.

As Rubio’s press briefing ended, new reports emerged of another assault — this one in the village of Sinjil, north of Ramallah. Armed settlers allegedly fired at a civilian guard, injuring a young man in the foot. The Sinjil Municipality blamed the attack on “settlers who are supported by the occupation army,” describing it as part of an ongoing wave of aggression.

Meanwhile, a Channel 12 investigation revealed that police probes into Jewish nationalist violence have sharply declined under Ben Gvir’s leadership. The number of investigations has dropped by 73% since 2023, even as settler attacks have hit record highs. Only 60 cases have been opened this year, compared to 150 in 2024 and 235 the previous year — a striking disparity as the violence continues unchecked.

{Matzav.com}

A newly revealed document shows that three months before the Simchas Torah/Oct. 7 massacre, then–Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar sent a written warning to Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, urging him to take steps to restore deterrence against Hamas. Despite the stark warning, no discussion on the matter was ever held in the Prime Minister’s Office.

According to a report aired Wednesday night on Channel 12, the classified document — titled Shin Bet Strategic Policy for 2024 — outlined Bar’s concern over a growing erosion of Israeli deterrence and called for proactive measures in Gaza. In the report, Bar defined “rebuilding deterrence in the field to reverse the current trend” as one of the service’s top objectives for the coming year.

Bar’s memorandum, submitted in June 2023, three months before the October 7 massacre, recommended that Israel initiate “preemptive rounds against Hamas, expand targeted killings, maintain constant readiness, and treat preparedness for a large-scale confrontation as the organization’s top priority.”

Prime Minister Netanyahu annotated the document with the remark, “Not a Shin Bet directive,” implying that strategic decisions were his alone to determine. No follow-up meeting or formal review of the recommendations took place.

In response to the revelations, the Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement downplaying the significance of the memo. “Regarding the document, the Shin Bet director sent a ten-page memorandum on July 3, 2023, summarizing his recommendations for directives and operational directions for 2024,” the statement read. “In the document, the Shin Bet chief presented five key challenges: the Arab sector, internal societal division in Israel, the Shiite-Palestinian axis, the collapse of the Palestinian Authority, and ‘Jewish terrorism.’”

The statement continued: “As part of his recommendations on these issues, the Shin Bet director referred to Gaza only in one paragraph, suggesting the need to strengthen and stabilize the Strip by addressing the issue of labor permits, halting incitement from Judea and Samaria, and curbing smuggling. Beyond that, the document contained no reference to any offensive action by Hamas.”

The disclosure raises new questions about the government’s handling of intelligence warnings in the months leading up to the October 7 atrocities — and about whether critical calls for preventive measures were ignored.

{Matzav.com}

Time magazine has named Hostage, the gripping memoir by Israeli survivor Eli Sharabi, as one of the top 100 “must-read” books released in the past year. The book chronicles his harrowing 491-day captivity in Hamas tunnels beneath Gaza and the unimaginable loss he discovered upon returning home.

Sharabi, a resident of Kibbutz Be’eri, was abducted during the October 7, 2023 massacre. His wife, Lianne, and their daughters, Noiya and Yahel, were murdered while hiding in their safe room, a tragedy Sharabi only learned about after his rescue. His brother Yossi was also taken hostage and later died in captivity.

Time’s reviewer, Hamilton Cain, described the memoir as “a searing” and deeply personal account. “In his best-selling memoir, Eli Sharabi… depicts his captivity in searing detail, from the dawn raid in which he was separated from his wife and daughters to his excruciating ordeal in the tunnels beneath Gaza,” Cain wrote.

Cain continued, “He writes of befriending a few fellow hostages and devising a plan to survive on ‘a siniyah between us per meal: a tray with a little rice, meat, or ful beans… a pita and a half to scoop out of the tray.’”

The review observed that “when a negotiated deal led to his freedom, Sharabi emerged into a world forever shattered and learned that his family had been killed in the attack. In this first memoir of captivity in Gaza following October 7, Sharabi offers a raw, intimate perspective on one of the most divisive conflicts in modern history.”

Since its release, Hostage has gained international recognition, reaching the fourth spot on The New York Times bestseller list and even appearing on the cover of Time. It is the first firsthand account of captivity in Gaza to be published after the horrific October 7 events.

Sharabi recently sent an English copy of his book to President Donald Trump, including a deeply personal inscription: “Dear President Trump, Thank you for securing my release. I am forever and eternally grateful. Your actions have given me back my freedom, my life.”

{Matzav.com}

Panic erupted on a sunny afternoon in Miami Beach when a Jewish baby was nearly kidnapped from his mother by an apparently unstable woman, who was later arrested after dropping the child and fleeing into the ocean.

The frightening incident took place Wednesday on Collins Avenue near 36th Street, where a group of Jewish women visiting from New York were relaxing together. Without warning, a woman approached and suddenly snatched a baby from one of the mothers. “She just grabbed him!” an eyewitness shouted as chaos ensued. Members of the group and a bystander immediately gave chase.

Multiple emergency calls flooded police dispatchers as the group ran after the suspect. When Miami Beach police officers arrived at the scene, the woman threw the infant to the ground and bolted toward the water, diving into the waves in an attempt to escape. Miraculously, the baby was unharmed.

Officers quickly apprehended the suspect without further incident. Authorities confirmed that she was taken to a local hospital for psychiatric evaluation.

Police have not yet released the woman’s identity but said initial findings suggest she acted alone and that the attempted abduction appeared random. Investigators emphasized that there was no prior connection between the suspect and the victims.

{Matzav.com}

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz

On the 87th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the night when the windows of Europe’s Jews were shattered and the illusion of safety collapsed, Jewish residents of New York City once again find themselves in a familiar place: anxious, uncertain, and watchful.

We have a newly-elected mayor, a city whose moral compass feels unsteady, and a public square where anti-Semitism is no longer whispered but shouted. It is enough to make one shudder. The same poisonous ideas that once hid in the shadows now strut in daylight. Their champions sit in city councils, in Congress, in the Senate, and across social media feeds, shaping opinion and policy.

The facts don’t matter. What we say doesn’t matter. Words don’t matter, and debates don’t either. The New York City election reinforced and proved our fears, as a majority of voters supported an avowed anti-American anti-Semite.

A new day has dawned. We cannot look back and speak of what was. We must honestly assess the situation today and strengthen ourselves, for the weak will not survive, but the strong will.

We must remember our history, and if we don’t know it, we must learn it and teach it to our children. Am Yisroel has been under attack since time immemorial, and without fail, those who chased us, tormented us, killed us, and sent us into exile are all gone, while we are standing and thriving.

For generations, America has been different. It has been a malchus shel chesed, a land of kindness where Jews could breathe freely and build deeply. But now, many fear that the tide is turning. The recent election has forced open our eyes to an uncomfortable truth: the system that allowed us to flourish is changing. Groups that despise us are gaining power.

So where do we go from here?

Chazalremindus: “Einlonu al mi lehisho’einela al Avinu shebashomayim.” We are not a people who depend on the whims of rulers or the polls of the moment. We have been here before, and we have outlasted Paroh, Nevuchadnetzar, Titus, Stalin, Hitler, and every would-be destroyer who thought we would fade into history’s footnotes.

We are still here. They are not.

We say it every morning during Shacharis: “Eilehvorechevv’eilehvasoosim, vaanachnub’sheim Hashem Elokeinu nazkir,” Some of our enemies come after us with chariots and some with horses, but we daven to Hashem. They dropped to their knees and fell, but we have risen and stand strong.”

Rav Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman, the PonovezherRov, embodied this truth. Having watched the flames of Europe consume his world, he arrived in Eretz Yisroel with nothing. Yet, before he even had two shekels in his pocket, he climbed a barren hill in Bnei Brak and declared, “Here I will build a yeshiva,” and bought that property.

The world saw ashes. He saw a future. Those around him saw despair. He saw the potential for Torah to take root.

While Hitler’s legions marched through Lita and Nazi General Rommel’s tanks were ten days away from reaching Eretz Yisroel, Hashem was preparing the rebirth of Torah that would flourish there, a spiritual defiance stronger than any army.

While Jews the world over mourned their terrible losses and cried over the plight of millions locked in Europe as the war machine raged and concentration camps rose, there stood one lonely, penniless man planning for the future of Torah.

Such is Jewish strength. Throughout the centuries, since the destruction of the Botei Mikdosh, the Jewish people have persevered, drawing strength from their devotion to Torah and to their faith.

And Hashem has rewarded them.

We will soon read in ParshasVayeishev the story of Yosef being sold by his brothers. The Medrash (Bereishis Rabbah 85) says that when Yosef was sold, Yaakov was mourning, Reuven was grieving, and Yehudah was seeking a wife, and at that very moment, Hakadosh Boruch Hu was creating the light of Moshiach.

At a time when we see destruction, when everywhere we look we find reason to fear for the future, Hashem is laying the groundwork for Moshiach. When it seems that we have no future, that the world is crumbling before us, we must strengthen ourselves. We must know that our strength is not physical. It is spiritual and eternal, stronger than any enemy who has ever risen to destroy us.

The enemies may think themselves invincible, attacking us with missiles and massive armies, but they must know that we have faced the strongest armaments through the centuries, and in every era it appeared we had no chance, yet we endured and our enemies fell. They inflicted pain, and caused great human and financial loss, but we overcame and survive until this day.

Even in our darkest chapters, Heaven was already scripting redemption.

So too in our day. While we see chaos and corruption, Hashem is quietly setting the stage for the light of Moshiach that will soon shine.

The PonovezherRov, after the war, stood before the Arch of Titus in Rome, the monument celebrating the Roman Emperor’s most “glorious” victory: capturing Yerushalayim, destroying the Bais Hamikdosh, and carrying its keilim to Rome.

He raised his finger and pointed toward the arch. “Titus, Titus! Where are you now? You are dust, but I and my people are still here!”

That moment captures the entire saga of our people.

Winston Churchill once said, “Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.”

The Jewish people have always continued. That is our greatest strength.

Last week’s election may sting. It may fill us with concern for what lies ahead. But our faith does not rise and fall with the political winds. We do what Avrohom Avinu did in last week’s parsha. After pleading with Hashem to spare Sedom, and realizing that his pleas were rejected and the decree would stand, the Torah tells us, “V’Avrohomshovlimkomo — And Avrohom returned to his place.”

He accepted, he realigned, and he moved forward with purpose and faith.

That is our task now: to return to our place — the place of Torah, of chesed, of community, of emunah. To lift our eyes beyond City Hall and toward Heaven.

History’s verdict is already written. Those who draw strength from Hashem, from Torah, and from one another will not only survive, but will prevail.

We have risen before, and we will rise again.

And not only on a historical or national level. On a personal and practical level, the themes of emunah and resilience in daily Jewish life — chesed, dignity, and empathy — must reign supreme.

We read in this week’s parsha how Eliezer, the faithful servant of Avrohom, was sent on a sacred mission to find a wife for Yitzchok. As he neared his destination, he lifted his eyes heavenward and davened to Hashem for success. He devised a simple yet profound test: the young woman who would offer water not only to him but also to his thirsty camels would reveal herself as the one destined to continue Avrohom’s legacy.

And so it was. Before Eliezer could even finish his prayer, Rivka appeared, a young woman radiant in her chesed, eager to serve, overflowing with compassion. Her kindness was not a performance, but an instinct of the heart. It was this middah, this generosity of spirit – that made her worthy to become the mother of Klal Yisroel.

The test for entry into the house of Avrohom — the foundation of our people — was not brilliance, wealth, or power. It was chesed. The truest mark of greatness in our tradition has always been how one treats another human being.

And in our time, as we brace for what may be difficult days ahead and as we long for the final redemption from golus, we must once again prove ourselves worthy of Hashem’s kindness by showing kindness to one another.

For decades, Hashem has shown us mercy, carrying our people to the shores of America, giving us safety and prosperity after the infernos of Europe. We have built communities, schools, shuls, and yeshivos. Yet, sometimes, amid comfort and success, we forget the simple warmth that sustained us when all we had was each other.

We must relearn the art of caring, the sensitivity to see the person in front of us not as a burden or obstacle but as a tzelemElokim.

We must be more thoughtful when we drive, when we speak, when we interact in business, at a simcha, or in moments of sorrow. To feel another’s pain, to share another’s joy — that is Avrohom’s house.

When we attend a simcha, let us not merely drop by with a quick mazel tov and rush away, but linger for a moment, look the baalei simcha in the eye, and let them feel that their happiness is our happiness.

And when we speak to others — young or old, rich or poor, familiar or stranger — let our words be gentle, our tone respectful. Every person yearns to feel valued. To make another Jew feel wanted, seen and cherished is to perform an act of holiness.

Kindness is not weakness. It is the truest expression of strength. It was Rivka’s chesed that built our nation, and it will be ours that sustains it and earns its final redemption.

As Rav Elozor famously taught (Sanhedrin 98b): “Mah yaasehadamveyinatzelmeichevloshel Moshiach? Yaasokb’Torahuv’gemilluschassodim.” What should a person do to be spared from the challenges that precede the coming of Moshiach? Engage in Torah study and acts of kindness.

In uncertain times like ours, when fear and worry cloud the future, the answer remains timeless: Strengthen our connection to Torah, deepen our acts of chesed, and live with faith.

The Chofetz Chaim, in Sefer Ahavas Chesed, takes it a step further and writes that gemilluschassodim is so important and powerful that if the performance of chesedwould spread throughout our people, the world would be filled with chesed, and all the suffering and hardship that confront our people would disappear.

He writes there, in the hakdomah, that “to the degree that a person accustoms himself to doing acts of goodness and kindness his whole life, to that degree he will receive Hashem’s goodness and kindness in this world and the next.”

Let us not become disillusioned. Let us not fret about the future. Let us know that we are an eternal people who have outlived Titus, the Crusades, Stalin, Hitler, and so many others.

From the churbanos of the BoteiMikdosh to the expulsion of 1492, to the Inquisitions, trials, and persecutions of every generation, our story has never been one of defeat, but of renewal, for wherever we appear to fall, Hashem plants the seeds of our rising.

By filling our lives with Torah and chesed, we contribute to building a future of light, hope, and redemption.

By increasing our emunah and bitachon, and our dedication to Torah, kindness, goodness, and gemillus chassodim, we will overcome our enemies of today and merit the coming of Moshiach very soon.

{Matzav.com}

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday that Washington is preparing to finalize several “good deals” during next week’s visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is set to meet with President Donald Trump.

Speaking after the G7 foreign ministers’ conference in Canada, Rubio told reporters, as quoted by Reuters, “We’ll have some good agreements to sign with them … I feel good about where it’s at. There’s still a few things that need to be tightened up and finalized, and we’re going to have a good meeting next week.”

Although Rubio stopped short of providing details, recent reports suggest that the discussions between Washington and Riyadh have focused on a potential defense partnership that would significantly deepen the two nations’ strategic ties.

The Crown Prince’s arrival marks another step in Trump’s broader diplomatic vision to expand the Abraham Accords, the historic normalization agreements established in 2020 with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco. The administration views Saudi Arabia as a key player in bringing additional Arab states closer to Israel.

However, Saudi leaders have repeatedly made clear that any move toward normalization with Israel would depend on progress toward a Palestinian state. That position has long been a major sticking point in regional diplomacy.

Last week, a senior member of the Saudi royal family told Kan 11 News that while normalization talks are not formally on the agenda, the United States is expected to make a strong push to “lay the groundwork” for renewed dialogue.

“The goal is to thaw the ice between the countries,” the source said, describing the initiative as an American effort to bridge the distance created by the ongoing war in Gaza and revive the atmosphere of quiet cooperation that existed before October 7.

Rubio, meanwhile, addressed concerns about recent unrest in Judea and Samaria, warning that violence there could jeopardize diplomatic progress. When asked if the flare-ups could derail the fragile Gaza ceasefire, he responded, “I hope not. We don’t expect it to. We’ll do everything we can to make sure it doesn’t happen.”

{Matzav.com}

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President Trump on Wednesday put his signature on a funding package that officially ended the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, just hours after the House sent the bill to his desk following a contentious 43-day impasse.

“It’s an honor now to sign this incredible bill and get our country working again,” Trump said from the Oval Office, surrounded by House Republican leadership, along with business and union representatives.

He blamed the shutdown squarely on what he called “extremist” Democrats, accusing them of trying to “extort American taxpayers.”

“This cost the country $1.5 trillion,” Trump said, referring to the shutdown’s toll. He characterized the drawn-out stalemate as a “little excursion” that Democrats embarked on “purely for political reasons.”

Trump also renewed his call for Senate Republicans to “terminate” the filibuster to prevent similar crises in the future and urged that the “massive amount” of federal funding currently directed to Obamacare instead be “paid directly to the people of our country, so that they can buy their own healthcare.”

Earlier in the day, the House approved the Senate’s funding bill by a 222–209 margin, reopening government agencies and restoring pay for federal workers, air traffic controllers, and food assistance programs.

GOP lawmakers hailed the outcome as a much-needed breakthrough. “The legislation finally reopens the government, restores critical services, and puts an end to the needless hardship Democrats have inflicted on the country,” said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole of Oklahoma.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) also expressed relief that the shutdown was finally over. “We feel very relieved tonight,” he told reporters. “The Democrat shutdown is finally over thanks to House and Senate Republicans, who stood together to get the job done.”

Johnson condemned Democrats for “using the American people as leverage in this political game,” calling their strategy “totally foreseeable” and “very difficult to forgive.” He went on to describe the shutdown “stunt” as “utterly pointless and foolish.”

Democrats, meanwhile, lamented that Senate Democrats had ended their standoff without achieving any gains on healthcare, the issue they claimed was central to their cause.

“I rise in opposition to this bill that does nothing, not one thing to address the Republican health care crisis, amid a cost-of-living crisis,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) during her floor remarks before the vote.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) vowed that the fight over healthcare was far from finished. “This fight is not over,” he said.

“There are only two ways that this fight will end, Mr. Speaker: either Republicans finally decide to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits this year, or the American people will throw Republicans out of their jobs next year and end the speakership of Donald J. Trump once and for all,” Jeffries declared.

The bill ensures that federal employees receive backpay and that key agencies providing veterans’ services, food stamps, and other benefits resume operations immediately. It funds the government through January 30, with several programs — including SNAP, veterans’ services, and military construction — continuing through September 30, the close of the 2026 fiscal year.

During the shutdown, hundreds of thousands of government workers went without pay for over six weeks, while pressure from federal employee unions mounted on Democrats to resolve the standoff.

The crisis also caused widespread disruption in the nation’s airports as air traffic controllers, many of whom were working without pay, began skipping shifts, resulting in mounting delays and cancellations.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had warned just days before that Thanksgiving travel could face “an up to 20% reduction in U.S. airspace” if the shutdown persisted.

“As of Sunday, nearly half of all domestic flights and US flights were either canceled or delayed. And it’s a very serious situation,” Speaker Johnson said Monday, setting a 36-hour deadline for the House to reconvene.

“Shutting down the government never produces anything,” he added. “It never has.”

Six Democrats joined Republicans in voting for the measure: Reps. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), Don Davis (D-N.C.), Adam Gray (D-Calif.), Jared Golden (D-Maine), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.), and Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.). Two Republicans — Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Greg Steube (R-Fla.) — opposed it.

“I could not in good conscience support a resolution that creates a self-indulgent legal provision for certain senators to enrich themselves by suing the Justice Department using taxpayer dollars,” Steube explained on X, blasting a clause that allows GOP senators investigated by former special counsel Jack Smith to pursue compensation.

“There is no reason the House should have been forced to eat this garbage to end the Schumer Shutdown,” he added.

In the Senate, eight Democrats had crossed party lines on Monday to vote with Republicans to end the shutdown, though Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) was not among them.

“I think he made a mistake in going too far,” Trump told Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle” on Monday. “He thought he could break the Republicans, and the Republicans broke him.”

Before that, Senate Democrats had repeatedly voted against reopening the government — 14 times — while hoping to energize their base ahead of state elections in Virginia, New Jersey, and New York.

One of the few Democrats who voted with Republicans, Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), admitted candidly, “Standing up to Trump didn’t work.”

A spokesperson for King told The Post that Schumer and other Senate Democrats had insisted on continuing the fight to secure a vote on extending Obamacare tax subsidies, which is now expected before the end of the year.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has pledged to bring the tax credits to a vote, while Johnson has not yet taken a position. Democrats have warned that without such action, health insurance premiums will soar.

Some Democrats, including Jeffries, had already announced they would oppose the bill over that unresolved issue. “Democrats will continue to press the case to say to our Republican colleagues, ‘You have another opportunity to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits,’” Jeffries said Tuesday.

He continued, promising that Democrats would introduce “an amendment that will extend these tax credits for a three-year period of time, the same period of time that these tax credits were extended back in 2022.”

The enhanced subsidies, originally expanded under President Joe Biden during the COVID-19 pandemic, are currently scheduled to expire at the end of 2025.

{Matzav.com}

A disturbing trend appears to be spreading across Israel’s job market, with increasing reports that employers are refusing to hire chareidi applicants who did not serve in the army, even those who hold a legal exemption. Since the events of October 7, many chareidim have described mounting discrimination in workplaces nationwide.

According to various testimonies, numerous employers have turned away qualified chareidi candidates solely because they lacked military service. This phenomenon is being reported in a range of industries, from retail stores in shopping centers to positions in the public sector. In some cases, applicants receive evasive responses; in others, they are rejected outright.

One young man identified as A., who had worked in the public sector for several years, said his employment was terminated at the onset of the war. “They told me I couldn’t continue working there without having done army service,” he recounted. “I tried to balance civilian service with my job and couldn’t. In the end, I enlisted—I had no choice.” He said his fear of losing his livelihood and future employment prospects pushed him to join the army.

Another case involves a chareidi man who obtained an exemption that was later deemed invalid. “Even chareidi-owned businesses won’t hire me,” he said. “Customers ask whether the workers served in the army. Business owners told me to come back after I finish service.”

S., a father of three and the owner of a large business in central Israel, said the bias has caused him real financial harm. “The moment clients hear that I didn’t serve in the army, they cut ties. I lose major contracts just because of that,” he said.

Another young man, who is currently serving in one of the IDF’s chareidi units, recalled a similar experience. “I once applied for a job at an electronics company in Yerushalayim,” he said. “They politely told me to come back after I do the army.” While the rejection was phrased gently, he said, “the message was unmistakable.”

Many of the accounts collected show a recurring pattern: employers themselves may not personally object, but fear public backlash or customer complaints. As a result, quiet exclusion has taken hold, contradicting the very principles of equality and freedom on which a democratic society is supposed to stand.

Those affected describe interviews that end cordially but insincerely, often with the phrase “We’ll get back to you,” when in reality, their rejection stems from military background rather than professional merit.

Observers warn that this trend, emerging in a nation that defines itself as liberal and egalitarian, raises serious ethical questions. How can employers justify disqualifying someone based on religious conviction or personal choice? Why is the conscience of the chareidi Jew not seen as a legitimate expression of individual freedom?

At present, no government body appears to be actively addressing the issue, and many victims hesitate to file complaints for fear of further harm to their reputation or job prospects. But if the trend continues unchecked, it could evolve from a fringe occurrence into a widespread societal problem—one that threatens Israel’s democratic values and deepens the growing rift between its communities.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu expressed appreciation Wednesday evening for President Donald Trump’s public appeal urging Israeli President Isaac Herzog to grant him a pardon. “Thank you, President Trump, for your incredible support. As usual, you get right to the point and call it like it is,” Netanyahu wrote on X. He added, “I look forward to continuing our partnership to bolster security and expand peace.”

Earlier that day, President Herzog made public the letter he had received from Trump, in which the American leader praised Israel’s recent achievements and made his case for clemency. “It is my honor to write to you at this historic time, as we have, together, just secured peace that has been sought for at least 3,000 years. I hereby thank you, and all Israelis, again, for your gracious and warm hospitality, and am addressing a key topic of my speech at the Knesset,” the letter began.

Trump continued, “As the Great State of Israel and the amazing Jewish People move past the terribly difficult times of the last three years, I hereby call on you to fully pardon Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been a formidable and decisive War Time Prime Minister, and is now leading Israel into a time of peace, which includes my continued work with key Middle East leaders to add many additional countries to the world changing Abraham Accords.”

The letter went on to defend Netanyahu’s leadership record. “Prime Minister Netanyahu has stood tall for Israel in the face of strong adversaries and long odds, and his attention cannot be unnecessarily diverted,” Trump wrote. “While I absolutely respect the independence of the Israeli Justice System, and its requirements, I believe that this ‘case’ against Bibi, who has fought alongside me for a long time, including against the very tough adversary of Israel, Iran, is a political, unjustified prosecution.”

Addressing Herzog directly, Trump emphasized their cooperation since his inauguration. “Isaac, we have established a great relationship, one that I am very thankful for and honored by, and we agreed as soon as I was inaugurated in January that the focus had to be centered on finally bringing the hostages home and getting the peace agreement done,” he wrote.

The letter concluded with a call for closure. “Now that we have achieved these unprecedented successes, and are keeping Hamas in check, it is time to let Bibi unite Israel by pardoning him, and ending that lawfare once and for all. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” Trump ended.

Following the publication of the letter, the Israeli President’s Office issued a formal response. “President Herzog holds President Trump in the highest regard and continues to express his deep appreciation for President Trump’s unwavering support for Israel, his tremendous contribution to the return of the hostages, to reshaping the situation in the Middle East and Gaza especially, and to ensuring the security of the State of Israel.”

At the same time, the statement clarified the procedural limitations of the presidency. It added that “alongside and not withstanding this, as the Office of the President has made clear throughout, anyone seeking a Presidential pardon must submit a formal request in accordance with the established procedures.”

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The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a spending measure to bring an end to the record-setting 43-day government shutdown, sending the bill to President Trump for his signature and final approval.

Lawmakers voted 222–209 to advance the Senate-passed plan, which will restart pay for hundreds of thousands of federal employees, reopen shuttered agencies, restore food assistance, and resume air traffic control operations that had been disrupted during the standoff.

Republicans celebrated the bill’s passage as a victory for common sense after weeks of gridlock. “The legislation finally reopens the government, restores critical services, and puts an end to the needless hardship Democrats have inflicted on the country,” said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole of Oklahoma.

Democrats, however, expressed deep frustration, charging that their Senate allies folded without extracting any concessions on healthcare — the main issue they claimed justified the shutdown in the first place.

“I rise in opposition to this bill that does nothing, not one thing to address the Republican health care crisis, amid a cost-of-living crisis,” declared Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) in her floor remarks before the vote.

Once signed by President Trump, the legislation will immediately reopen the federal government and ensure back pay for all affected employees. It will fund key departments that handle veterans’ services, social programs, and other essential functions through January 30. Certain appropriations — including for SNAP, veterans’ programs, and military construction — will remain in effect through the end of the fiscal year on September 30.

The prolonged shutdown had left hundreds of thousands of workers and aides unpaid for over six weeks, prompting unions representing government employees to pressure congressional Democrats to reach a resolution.

The crisis had also spilled into the nation’s airports, where mounting absenteeism among unpaid controllers caused widespread delays and cancellations.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned last week that airspace operations could be reduced by as much as 20% if the government remained closed through Thanksgiving. “As of Sunday, nearly half of all domestic flights and US flights were either canceled or delayed. And it’s a very serious situation,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) cautioned Monday, urging his colleagues to act swiftly.

“Shutting down the government never produces anything,” Johnson added. “It never has.”

Six Democrats ultimately sided with Republicans to approve the measure — the first significant House action since its September recess. The Senate had already broken ranks earlier in the week, when eight Democrats joined the GOP in voting to end the impasse.

Trump, in an interview with Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle, said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer miscalculated. “I think he made a mistake in going too far,” Trump said. “He thought he could break the Republicans, and the Republicans broke him.”

Before this week’s reversal, Senate Democrats had repeatedly blocked 14 separate attempts to reopen the government. They were reportedly hoping to rally progressive turnout in several key state elections in Virginia, New Jersey, and New York.

One Democrat-aligned independent who voted with the GOP, Sen. Angus King of Maine, acknowledged that the standoff had failed to achieve its goal. “Standing up to Trump didn’t work,” he admitted.

A spokesperson for King later told The Post that Democratic leadership had been holding out to secure a vote on extending ObamaCare tax subsidies, an issue still on the table for later this year. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has promised a vote, while Speaker Johnson has yet to commit. Without such action, Democrats warn, health insurance premiums could surge.

Some House Democrats, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), announced early Wednesday that they would oppose the funding measure over the lack of guarantees on the tax credit extension.

“Democrats will continue to press the case to say to our Republican colleagues, ‘You have another opportunity to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits,’” Jeffries said Tuesday. He added that his caucus would introduce an amendment extending those credits for another three years, matching the timeline approved back in 2022.

Many of those enhanced subsidies were first expanded under President Joe Biden during the COVID-19 pandemic but are now scheduled to expire at the end of 2025.

{Matzav.com}

The White House on Wednesday firmly dismissed claims that the Trump administration intends to establish a new American military base in southern Israel close to the Gaza border.

When questioned about the report by an Israeli journalist, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “This article was based on a single piece of paper – an inquiry that somebody in the Department of Navy made about an idea that may happen in the future, and this reporter deemed that as an official plan.”

Leavitt emphasized that after consulting with senior U.S. officials, she confirmed the matter was not under consideration. “I checked with the highest levels of the United States federal government. This is not something the United States is interested in being engaged in. Sometimes we see reporters take a piece of paper like this and just deem it as official policy, and sometimes that misleads people a little bit.”

Her remarks came after the Israeli investigative outlet Shomrim published a report earlier in the week claiming that Washington was moving forward with plans for a large military installation in the so-called Gaza envelope. According to that report, Israeli officials who reviewed the proposal said the facility would accommodate thousands of international troops responsible for enforcing a ceasefire within Gaza.

The Shomrim article alleged that the project carried an estimated price tag of $500 million and that the U.S. had already begun surveying potential sites for construction, coordinating efforts with both the Israeli government and the IDF.

Despite the detailed claims, the White House has made it clear that no such project is being pursued, seeking to put an end to speculation sparked by what it called an unfounded interpretation of internal correspondence.

{Matzav.com}

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed Wednesday that discussions are underway in the Trump administration about setting income limits for the president’s proposed $2,000 tariff dividend, potentially restricting the payments to households earning under six figures.

“Well, there are a lot of options here that the president’s talking about a $2,000 rebate and those — that would be for families making less than, say, $100,000,” Bessent said on Fox & Friends. When asked whether the administration had finalized that threshold, he clarified, “We haven’t. It’s in discussion.”

The idea of a tariff-funded dividend gained traction after President Trump, still facing legal scrutiny over his “reciprocal tariffs,” floated the $2,000 proposal following a tense Supreme Court hearing last week. While the president has continued to tout the plan as a way to return tariff proceeds directly to Americans, he has yet to outline the mechanics of how such payments would be distributed.

Bessent elaborated on ABC’s This Week that the initiative “could come in lots of forms” and “could be just the tax decreases that we are seeing,” referencing the tax cuts included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed earlier this year. He emphasized that the administration’s tax measures have already led to “no tax on tips, overtime, Social Security, and the big refunds you’re going to see are a result of that.”

The Treasury secretary also highlighted a lesser-known element of the new tax law — “Trump accounts” — automatic savings accounts the government will create for all minors between 2025 and 2028, seeded with a one-time $1,000 deposit.

The $2,000 dividend plan has drawn widespread attention and skepticism. On Sunday, Trump hinted at the idea again, posting, “a dividend of at least $2000 a person (not including high income people!) will be paid to everyone.” But such a sweeping initiative would require congressional approval, something far from guaranteed.

“It’ll never pass,” said Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio, who was backed by Vice President JD Vance in his Senate race. “We have a $37 trillion debt.”

Funding remains a major hurdle. The tariffs enacted under Trump’s authority via the International Emergency Economic Powers Act — currently being reviewed by the Supreme Court — have generated only about $90 billion since they were implemented, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data through September 23.

For comparison, pandemic-era stimulus proposals that included $2,000 checks were estimated to cost approximately $464 billion. Even if the payments were restricted to individuals earning less than $100,000, the plan would still carry a roughly $300 billion price tag, according to Erica York, vice president of federal tax policy at the Tax Foundation.

Complicating matters further is the possibility that a Supreme Court ruling could force the administration to refund importers if the justices strike down Trump’s use of IEEPA tariffs.

Data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows that total tariffs collected — including those outside IEEPA authority — amounted to $195.9 billion in fiscal year 2025 as of August 31. Because tariff rates have fluctuated throughout the year as part of Trump’s ongoing negotiations with trade partners, that figure could rise substantially in fiscal year 2026.

The debate over the proposed dividend comes amid mounting voter anxiety over living costs, an issue that played a decisive role in last week’s Democratic victories in several state elections.

“We inherited this affordability mess. It was the worst inflation, 40, 50 years,” Bessent said. “Imagine two lines. There is the inflation line; we’ve got that under control. It’s leveled out. That is going to start turning down.”

He continued, “And there’s the income line, which under Biden, because so many of the jobs were government jobs, you can’t get real wage growth from a government job, real wages are going to increase.”

{Matzav.com}

Hamas officials have acknowledged facing serious challenges in their efforts to locate the bodies of captives still held in the Gaza Strip, according to a report by Saudi media.

The officials reportedly told the outlet that “there are significant difficulties in searching for the remaining bodies in Gaza.” The statement comes as both Hamas and Red Cross teams are said to be preparing to enter the so-called “yellow zone” to search for the remains of hostages, according to Israel’s i24NEWS.

Earlier, Al Jazeera also reported that joint teams from the Red Cross and Hamas were planning to enter the “yellow zone” east of Gaza to carry out similar recovery efforts.

Sources familiar with the issue of the deceased hostages told Kan News that Hamas is believed to possess detailed information on each of the four deceased captives whose bodies remain in Gaza. They added that the terrorist organization also holds information on bodies in the possession of Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Officials have emphasized the need for continued international pressure on Hamas to return all four bodies, insisting that “there must be no compromise until the last body is brought home.” The joint Hamas–Red Cross search operations are expected to continue in the coming days.

{Matzav.com}

Mossad Director David Barnea has informed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he plans to step down from his position in June, according to a Wednesday report by Channel 12. The Prime Minister’s Office later confirmed that preparations are underway to initiate the process of finding his replacement in the coming weeks.

Three figures are said to be in contention for the prestigious role. Two of them—identified only as A. and H.—are senior Mossad officials, with one currently serving as Barnea’s deputy and the other holding a top-level strategic position. The third contender is Maj.-Gen. Roman Gofman, who presently serves as Netanyahu’s military secretary.

The process of choosing the next Mossad chief is expected to be extensive, involving multiple interviews and a comprehensive assessment of each candidate’s background, leadership qualities, and operational expertise. Netanyahu will personally oversee the evaluations before making his final selection.

Once a successor is chosen, an orderly handover period will follow, allowing Barnea to brief the incoming director and ensure a seamless transition of command and responsibilities within Israel’s intelligence apparatus.

From the outset of his leadership, Barnea made clear that he did not intend to extend his service beyond the standard five-year term. His tenure has been defined by significant operational milestones, including the Mossad’s “Pager Operation” against Hezbollah and a series of daring missions conducted deep inside hostile territories.

{Matzav.com}

House Democrats ignited a media storm Wednesday by selectively unveiling three emails from the massive Jeffrey Epstein archives that referenced President Trump. The excerpts included one in which Epstein wrote that “Victim 1 spent many hours at my house with him.” Yet in a glaring omission, Democrats withheld the identity of “Victim 1” — Virginia Giuffre, who before her death this year had made clear that Trump never engaged in any misconduct and was always respectful toward her.

News outlets such as CNN and The New York Times rushed to publicize the limited release, appearing to have received early access to the material.

Republicans immediately accused Democrats of staging a political setup designed to create false impressions rather than transparency.

“The Democrats selectively leaked emails to the liberal media to create a fake narrative to smear President Trump,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt in a statement to The NY Post.

Leavitt continued, “The ‘unnamed victim’ referenced in these emails is the late Virginia Giuffre, who repeatedly said President Trump was not involved in any wrongdoing whatsoever and ‘couldn’t have been friendlier’ to her in their limited interactions. These stories are nothing more than bad-faith efforts to distract from President Trump’s historic accomplishments, and any American with common sense sees right through this hoax and clear distraction from the government opening back up again.”

The partisan release came from Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, whose ranks include Robert Garcia of California, Jasmine Crockett of Texas, and Ro Khanna of California. Republicans on the same panel countered by publishing the full cache of roughly 20,000 files, including references to Bill Clinton and journalist Michael Wolff — correspondence Democrats had chosen not to reveal.

Giuffre’s story dates back to 2000, when, as a 16-year-old working at Mar-a-Lago, she met Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who recruited her. In her memoir Nobody’s Girl, released after her death, Giuffre recalled being introduced to Trump by her father, who was a maintenance manager at Mar-a-Lago.

“Trump couldn’t have been friendlier,” she wrote, “telling me it was fantastic that I was there.” She further described how Trump even helped her earn extra money babysitting for guests staying at his Palm Beach properties — a depiction utterly at odds with the insinuations in the Democrats’ selective release.

The broader trove includes a January 31, 2019, email in which Epstein told Wolff that Trump had confronted Maxwell. “[T]rump said he asked me to resign,” Epstein wrote. “[I was] never a member ever.” He added, “[O]f course he knew about the girls as he asked [G]hislaine to stop.”

Trump has consistently said the renewed push to tie him to Epstein is a politically motivated “hoax.” Federal investigators concluded years ago that Epstein acted alone and that there was no secret “client list” implicating others — a determination that hasn’t stopped political opponents from attempting to resurrect the scandal.

Speaking in July, Trump explained how Epstein’s access to his staff led to a permanent ban from Mar-a-Lago. “Everyone knows the people that were taken, and it was the concept of, taking people that work for me is bad,” he told reporters. “But that story has been pretty well out there, and the answer is yes, they were.”

“I have a great spa, one of the best spas in the world, at Mar-a-Lago,” he added. “And people were taken out of the spa, hired by him. When I heard about it, I told him, I said, ‘Listen, we don’t want you taking our people,’ whether it was spa or not spa, I don’t want him taking people. And he was fine. And then not too long after that, he did it again. And I said, ‘Out of here.’”

Epstein’s death in 2019 ended his criminal trial but not the controversy surrounding his connections. Though he and Trump had once been friendly in the 1990s, they reportedly split over a real estate dispute years before Epstein’s downfall.

Michael Wolff also reappears in the cache, exchanging messages with Epstein ahead of a 2015 Republican debate. “I hear CNN planning to ask Trump tonight about his relationship with you–either on air or in scrum afterward,” Wolff wrote. Epstein replied, “[I]f we were able to craft an answer for him, what do you think it should be?”

“I think you should let him hang himself,” Wolff responded. “If he says he hasn’t been on the plane or to the house, then that gives you a valuable PR and political currency. You can hang him in a way that potentially generates a positive benefit for you, or, if it really looks like he could win, you could save him, generating a debt. Of course, it is possible that, when asked, he’ll say Jeffrey is a great guy and has gotten a raw deal and is a victim of political correctness, which is to be outlawed in a Trump regime.”

Meanwhile, a bipartisan House petition to compel the Justice Department to release its Epstein files reached the necessary 218 signatures Wednesday. Once Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva of Arizona is sworn in, the measure can advance to the floor within seven legislative days. If approved, the bill would still require passage in the Republican-led Senate and President Trump’s signature to become law.