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Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is shaping up to be the leading contender to head the party’s 2028 presidential ticket—if she decides to enter the race, according to political analyst Nate Silver.

Silver offered his take during a “2028 Democratic primary draft” discussion on his “Silver Bulletin” Substack, where he was joined by “GD Politics” podcast host Galen Druke. Druke beat Silver to the punch by naming Ocasio-Cortez as his top pick for the nomination.

“That was going to be my … first pick!” Silver exclaimed after Druke claimed Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) as his top choice.

Druke highlighted findings from a Yale University survey that showed Ocasio-Cortez scoring one of the strongest favorability margins among Democratic voters, with a net +60 rating.

In the same survey, Ocasio-Cortez placed second in a theoretical 2028 Democratic primary field, trailing only Kamala Harris.

“I think there’s a lot of points in her favor at this very moment,” Druke said. “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has broad appeal across the Democratic Party.”

“I think equally important is the fact that she has very fervent support. I think a lot of people are gonna run in 2028 and it’s going to be a contest for attention and getting those sort of people who might be in your boat to turn out and stay with you through thick and thin.”

Silver responded by saying, “I agree with everything” Druke said, though he added that it’s far from certain that she’ll run, that many things could change between now and 2028, and that Democrats may eventually question whether she can win a general election.

Druke, however, expressed greater certainty that Ocasio-Cortez would enter the race, pointing to her recent national tour with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) under the banner of the “Fighting Oligarchy Tour.”

Silver also mentioned that Ocasio-Cortez was holding her own in polls in a hypothetical 2028 matchup against Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), even though, as he put it, “New York Democrats are actually a pretty moderate bloc.” He further described her as “canny” and “charismatic.”

With Ocasio-Cortez off the board, Silver turned to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro as his first pick.

“In the past three nomination races … you kind of have this compromise candidate where you have the moderates and you have the progressives and you get kind of somewhere in the middle,” Silver explained. “If you’re not going to pick an AOC … then maybe go to someone who’s fully moderate, ‘electable.’”

Silver then went on to select a string of figures including Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, ex-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), billionaire Mark Cuban, and Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.).

Druke followed his Ocasio-Cortez pick by drafting Vice President Harris, then continued with a list that included former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Rubin Gallego (D-Ariz.), Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and Sanders.

The pair critiqued each other’s picks, with Druke implying Booker has always received more hype than he’s deserved, while Silver took aim at Harris’ performance in the 2024 race, saying she made “a lot of tactical errors” that raised doubts about her political savvy.

“Kamala Harris has universal name recognition,” Druke said. “I think that she could go some way to clear the field if she decided early to get in. I think we don’t yet know how big of an electoral flop she is.”

“We saw with Joe Biden, he was on the campaign in 2019, right? It was not debate performances, it was not like [his] ability to give a rousing speech or anything like that got him the nomination,” he continued. “It was kind of just outliving everyone else and being a consensus candidate.”

At present, Harris is reportedly weighing whether to mount a campaign for California governor in 2026 or to go straight for the White House two years later.

One of the pivotal moments that contributed to Biden stepping aside and Harris becoming the Democratic nominee in 2024 was an op-ed from actor George Clooney in The New York Times, which questioned the president’s mental sharpness.

Clooney has floated the idea that Wes Moore could become the “levitating above” candidate in the field of 2028 Democratic hopefuls—someone who stands out from the crowd.

Back in the previous election cycle, Silver famously said his “gut says Donald Trump” would win the presidency, though his forecasting models showed the race as essentially even. He had also projected that President Trump was likely to lose both the 2016 and 2020 elections.

Silver rose to fame during the 2008 election when he accurately predicted the outcome in 49 out of 50 states.

{Matzav.com}

[COMMUNICATED]

A federal judge has determined that Google unlawfully controls two key segments of the digital advertising technology market, dealing a major antitrust blow to the tech powerhouse — one that could lead to a dramatic restructuring of its digital ad business.

Judge Leonie Brinkema of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia ruled on Thursday that Google’s grip on the publisher ad server space and the ad exchange platform — which links advertisers to publishers — breaches federal antitrust law under the Sherman Act.

“Google further entrenched its monopoly power by imposing anticompetitive practices on its customers and eliminating desirable product features,” Brinkema wrote.

She went on to say, “In addition to depriving rivals of the ability to compete, this exclusionary conduct substantially harmed Google’s publisher customers, the competitive process, and, ultimately, consumers of information on the open web.”

Following the decision, Alphabet — Google’s parent company — saw its shares dip 1.2%, trading at $153.64 on Thursday.

Antitrust expert Mike Davis, who serves as an adviser to President Trump and leads the Internet Accountability Project, said this ruling puts a breakup of Google’s ad business firmly on the table.

The Justice Department has pushed for the court to mandate that Google divest some of its digital advertising operations, particularly Google Ad Manager, which encompasses both its ad-serving tools and its ad exchange platform.

“Google made its trillions by monopolizing the online advertising market, then Google uses its market power to crush competition, shutter small businesses and cancel conservatives,” Davis said. “That’s coming to an end.”

Danielle Coffey, president and CEO of the News/Media Alliance — a nonprofit representing over 2,200 publishers including The Post — called the ruling a major milestone for digital media.

“The news media industry hails the court’s decision to again hold Google accountable for decades of abuse of its market power,” Coffey said. “Google’s monopolistic tactics—this time in the advertising market—have starved content creators of the revenues they deserve and need to sustain quality journalism.”

However, Judge Brinkema ruled that the DOJ didn’t provide enough evidence to show that Google monopolizes a third area — the advertiser ad network market. That portion of the case was dismissed after the three-week bench trial, which began in 2023 and was backed by a group of U.S. states.

In response, Google declared a partial win and said it would challenge the judge’s findings on the other fronts.

“We won half of this case and we will appeal the other half,” said Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s vice president of regulatory affairs, in a statement.

“We disagree with the Court’s decision regarding our publisher tools. Publishers have many options and they choose Google because our ad tech tools are simple, affordable and effective,” Mulholland added.

Advocacy groups that monitor tech companies praised the ruling, calling it a breakthrough for accountability in the digital advertising industry.

“This ruling is an unequivocal win for the American people that will help lower prices, increase competition, and lead to a better internet for everyone,” said Sacha Howarth, executive director of the Tech Oversight Project.

Government lawyers argued throughout the trial that Google has misused its dominant position to harm both publishers and advertisers, with some experts saying the company collects up to 35% of every dollar spent on ads through its platform.

Evidence presented included a statement from a Google executive back in 2009 who said the company’s aim in digital advertising was to “crush” its competition.

Google’s legal team countered by claiming that the DOJ’s case was based on a dated understanding of the internet and cautioned that federal intervention might produce unintended negative consequences.

Judge Brinkema noted that a second trial would be needed to decide on the best course of action to dismantle Google’s hold on the digital ad sector.

This isn’t the only courtroom setback for Google. In a different case last year, a judge found the company illegally monopolized the online search engine space.

That case is moving into its remedies phase starting Monday, where the government is expected to ask for measures that could include divesting the Chrome web browser.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump’s administration is set to ask a federal appeals court on Thursday to halt a lower court’s decision that overturned White House restrictions on the Associated Press, which were imposed after the agency refused to adopt the administration’s preferred terminology for the Gulf of Mexico.

The administration argues that the ruling—which requires AP reporters to be granted entry to White House press events—undermines the president’s discretion in determining who may access secure areas. While the appeal proceeds, the White House is seeking to pause the enforcement of the order.

In February, the White House began curbing the AP’s access to President Trump after the outlet continued to refer to the body of water as the Gulf of Mexico, despite Trump’s directive to rename it the Gulf of America.

This legal battle has become a focal point in the ongoing friction between the Trump administration and the media, as the White House attempts to tighten its control over which reporters are permitted to pose questions and provide immediate coverage of the president’s remarks.

Attorneys representing the AP accused the administration on Wednesday of failing to comply with the court’s directive, saying the White House has continued excluding its reporters from certain events and has also scaled back access for other wire services, including Reuters and Bloomberg.

The administration maintains that the AP is not entitled to what it describes as “special access” to the president, insisting that press credentials are not guaranteed for any particular outlet.

On April 8, U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden—who was appointed by Trump—issued a temporary injunction ordering the administration to admit AP journalists to events that are open to comparable media outlets. This includes access to the Oval Office, Air Force One, and other designated areas within the White House, pending the outcome of the case.

The AP filed suit against three senior aides to Trump, claiming that the access restrictions were designed to pressure the agency into adopting government-approved language, thus impeding its journalistic function.

Judge McFadden concluded that the administration’s actions were a form of retaliation against the AP’s editorial choices and likely ran afoul of the First Amendment’s free speech protections.

The appeal will be heard by a three-judge panel consisting of Gregory Katsas and Neomi Rao—both appointed by Trump—and Cornelia Pillard, who was nominated by President Barack Obama.

According to the AP, and as Judge McFadden concurred, the White House targeted the agency in part because of its widely used stylebook, which serves as a reference for many news organizations across the United States.

In that stylebook, the AP notes that the term Gulf of Mexico has been in use for over four centuries and affirms that, as an international news service, it will continue to use the historical name while also acknowledging the new term proposed by Trump.

{Matzav.com}

Senator Bernie Sanders, who has been vocal about his opposition to America’s wealthiest individuals during his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, has been relying on private air travel to get from stop to stop, according to campaign finance records.

Federal Election Commission filings released this week show that Sanders’ main campaign arm, Friends of Bernie Sanders, spent $221,723 on private jet charters during the first quarter of 2024, according to a report Thursday by The Washington Free Beacon.

The first of these payments was made just ahead of the tour’s kickoff in February, the filings reveal.

Speaking in California on Tuesday, Sanders declared, “we will not accept a rigged economy where working people struggle while billionaires become richer,” emphasizing the need for an economic system that supports “working people, not just [Elon] Musk and the billionaire class.”

While Sanders once targeted both millionaires and billionaires in his speeches, he shifted focus solely to billionaires after joining the ranks of millionaires shortly before his 2020 presidential campaign.

Michael Bloomberg, who competed against Sanders during the 2020 Democratic primary, took a jab at him during a debate, highlighting the senator’s wealth and lifestyle. “The best known socialist in the country happens to be a millionaire with three houses,” said Bloomberg, who has a personal fortune nearing $105 billion.

According to Tuesday’s financial disclosures, the Friends of Bernie Sanders committee worked with three private jet firms: Cirrus Aviation Services, N-Jet, and Ventura Jets. Those three vendors made up about 75% of the campaign’s total travel-related expenses for the first quarter of the year.

The filings also show that the campaign spent $63,380 on commercial airfare, nearly $41,000 on hotel accommodations, and $248,245 on event-related production costs.

The “Fighting Oligarchy” tour began on February 22 in Nebraska and has since traveled through several key states including Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, and California. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, who has been introducing Sanders at each stop, was seen flying first class to a rally in Las Vegas last month.

{Matzav.com}

Court filings have confirmed that the illegal immigrant at the center of a heated deportation dispute had an official rank and nickname within the violent MS-13 gang.

The Trump administration maintains that Kilmar Abrego Garcia, apprehended in Maryland and later deported to El Salvador, was an active member of MS-13. His removal occurred despite an immigration judge’s order blocking deportation.

Newly disclosed records identify Abrego Garcia as having held the gang rank of “Chequeo” and going by the street name “Chele” within MS-13’s hierarchy.

MS-13—short for Mara Salvatrucha—originated in Los Angeles during the 1980s as a means of protecting Salvadoran immigrants from rival gangs. The Department of Justice has described the group as “well-organized and is heavily involved in lucrative illegal enterprises, being notorious for its use of violence to achieve its objectives.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi took to social media on Wednesday to share evidence tied to a 2019 incident in Maryland, where Abrego Garcia was found in the company of confirmed MS-13 members in a Home Depot parking lot.

A Hyattsville City Police Department report, citing a credible informant, identified Abrego Garcia as a known MS-13 associate affiliated with the gang’s Western cliques. The source confirmed his rank as “Chequeo” and his alias as “Chele.”

According to the report, law enforcement officers observed Abrego Garcia wearing clothing commonly linked with gang culture, including a Chicago Bulls cap and a sweatshirt featuring images of U.S. presidents with rolls of money covering their eyes, ears, and mouths.

“The meaning of the clothing is to represent ‘ver, oir y callar’ or ‘see no evil, hear no evil and say no evil,’” the report stated.

The document added that “Wearing the Chicago Bulls hat represents that they are a member in good standing with the MS-13.”

During a Wednesday press briefing where she also announced a lawsuit against the state of Maine, Bondi acknowledged that a procedural step had been skipped prior to the deportation. Nevertheless, she was adamant that Abrego Garcia would not be allowed to return.

“He is an illegal alien who has been living illegally in our country from El Salvador. ICE testified, an immigration judge ruled he was a member of MS-13. An appellate judge ruled he was a member of MS-13. Hard stop,” Bondi told reporters. “He should not be in our country.”

Also on Wednesday, the Trump administration pointed to prior domestic violence charges against Abrego Garcia, while pushing back on what it described as sympathetic coverage from the mainstream media and progressive lawmakers defending the deported individual.

{Matzav.com}

Andrew Cuomo holds a strong lead in the race for New York City mayor, according to a new Siena College poll, showing him well ahead of his competitors in the Democratic primary. In response, a group of influential Brooklyn Democrats announced their backing of three top opponents, in a coordinated effort to halt Cuomo’s momentum.

The poll, conducted last week in partnership with the AARP, surveyed 811 registered New York City voters, with a particular focus on the 556 participants who identified as registered Democrats.

With nearly 90% of Democratic voters expected to cast ballots, 34% of respondents said they were choosing Cuomo as their top pick in the city’s ranked-choice voting system.

Trailing Cuomo is Queens Assemblymember Zohran Mamadani, a progressive candidate aligned with democratic socialist ideals, who captured 16% as voters’ first choice—placing him 18 points behind Cuomo.

Although Mayor Eric Adams dropped out of the Democratic primary to pursue reelection as an independent, the composition of the race has remained relatively unchanged. Cuomo’s lead, while slightly smaller than it was in last month’s Emerson College and Honan Strategy Group polls, still remains substantial.

This Siena College poll is among the few that replicates New York City’s ranked-choice system, implemented in 2021, which permits voters to rank up to five candidates in order of preference.

While Cuomo and Mamadani were the frontrunners in the initial round, none of the other candidates broke into double digits early on. Cuomo didn’t clinch the nomination until the eighth round, when he defeated Mamadani by a margin of 54% to 27%. At that stage, NYC Comptroller Brad Lander had 19% support.

The numbers carry extra weight considering Lander’s campaign has been urging voters to leave Cuomo off their ballots entirely. That message was echoed on Wednesday by a group of Brooklyn Democrats who endorsed Mamadani, Lander, and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams as part of a unified push to challenge Cuomo’s dominance.

Among the seven Democratic officials backing this strategy is Rep. Nydia Velázquez, who took to social media to explain her support. She said the candidates are “in this race for the right reasons” and told The New York Times that Cuomo’s popularity is more about name recognition than alignment with working-class concerns.

Velázquez was joined by Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, State Senators Julia Salazar and Emily Gallagher, and City Council members Lincoln Restler, Sandy Nurse, and Jennifer Gutiérrez.

Branded in campaign materials as the “Dream Team,” the candidates have received additional layered support through strategic endorsements aimed at maximizing ranked-choice voting’s effect. Both Salazar and Gallagher included State Senator Zellnor Myrie in their endorsements, while Gallagher also backed State Senator Jessica Ramos.

Salazar explained her reasoning by stating, “Supporting these four candidates and strategically using Ranked Choice Voting is essential for our city to defeat Cuomo, and elect a mayor who we can hold accountable to fight for working people.”

According to the Siena poll, the top concerns for voters include the rising cost of living, housing challenges, crime, and safety for pedestrians—issues that are shaping how voters evaluate candidates and their platforms.

The poll comes with a margin of error of 3.7 percentage points overall, and a slightly wider margin of 4.9 points for Democratic respondents.

{Matzav.com}

PRES. TRUMP: “I’ve been briefed on the Florida State University, Tallahassee active shooting…It’s a shame. It’s a horrible thing. It’s horrible that things like this take place. We’ll have more to say about it later.”

UPDATE: Five people are dead and four others are injured during at “active shooter’ event at FSU, according to WFTV. According to law enforcement, there were two shooters involved – one is in custody and the other is dead.

DAY THREE! Chol Hamoed musical Hallel and Simchas Yom Tov at the TYH Shul in Orlando, Florida.

North Korea on Thursday threatened unspecified retaliation after the U.S. flew long-range bombers over South Korea during training with South Korean warplanes, which North Korea views as practice for an attack against it. The U.S. flew the B-1B bombers Tuesday to train with other U.S. and South Korean fighter jets. South Korea’s Defense Ministry had said the drill was meant to show the two countries’ combined deterrence capability against North Korea’s advancing nuclear program. The U.S. and South Korea routinely hold joint military exercises that they describe as defensive in nature. But North Korea regards them as an invasion rehearsal and is particularly sensitive to the U.S. mobilization of strategic assets such as long-range bombers, aircraft carriers and nuclear-powered submarines. “The recent military move of the U.S. and the ROK is an open threat to the security of our state and a grave provocation that raises the military tension in the region to an extreme dangerous level,” an unidentified spokesperson for North Korea’s Defense Ministry said in a statement carried in state media. ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, South Korea’s formal name. The statement warned that North Korea “will deter by dint of powerful force the U.S. aggressive attempt to permanently fix the malignant instability element in the security environment of the region.” North Korea often test-launches missiles in response to the U.S. flyovers of B-1B bombers, which is capable of carrying a huge payload of conventional weapons. In a development that could further anger North Korea, South Korea’s air force announced later Thursday that it was beginning its large-scale biannual aerial exercise with U.S. forces from Thursday. The air force said the two-week “Freedom Flag” exercise would involve 90 aircraft and other aerial assets from South Korea and the U.S. Animosities on the Korean Peninsula are running high as North Korea continues weapons tests designed to modernize his nuclear arsenal and supports Russia’s war against Ukraine by supplying weapons and troops. Since his inauguration, President Donald Trump has repeatedly boasted of his personal ties with Kim and expressed his willingness to reach out to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to revive diplomacy. On March 31, Trump called Kim “a very smart guy” and North Korea “a big nuclear nation.” Trump said he and Kim “have a great relationship” and that “there is communication,” though there are no known public negotiations and North Korea hasn’t publicly responded to Trump’s outreach. (AP)

U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Adam Boehler said that there was no “day after” discussion with regard to the Gaza Strip until all the hostages being held there are freed.

According to U.S. President Donald Trump, “nothing goes forward until all hostages are released,” Boehler told Al Jazeera. “Step one is all hostages released. Step two is, let’s figure out this day after,” he continued.

“I think there’s always a possibility for a comprehensive deal,” Boehler said, adding, “I don’t think Israel is interested in staying for the long term.”

Trump has proposed relocating those Gazans who want to leave to safer areas while the enclave, which has suffered extensive damage due to the Israel Hamas war, is rebuilt.

“What’s very important now is to … bring back all hostages, all innocent hostages, and then we can talk about the makings of the deal … Hamas needs to release the hostages … They should release the hostages unilaterally,” said Boehler.

“The hostages are what keep things from moving forward. We need them home. You can’t deal with people that hold innocent people as hostages,” he added.

“I can tell you that the fighting would end immediately, immediately, if the hostages are released. The day that those hostages are released, the fighting will end,” he continued.

Hamas should identify an offer that Israel and the United States can accept “and end this,” he added.

Commenting on Hamas’s claim that it has lost track of hostage Edan Alexander, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, due to an Israeli bombing sortie, Boehler said if anything happened to Alexander, the blame would fall on Hamas.

“If Edan gets sick, if Edan has a cold, guess who’s getting blamed— Hamas. I think the best thing for them is not to … risk blame from the United States on these things. So I hope no hair on his head is hurt, or we’re going to come for them, and it’s not going to be pretty. So I believe that Edan is fine,” he said.

Of those hostages who may have died due to Israeli airstrikes, he said, “I’m not sure I would blame Israeli bombardment for that. I would blame the fact that they’re hostages in the first place.”

In mid-March, Boehler’s direct talks with Hamas resulted in tensions with Israel. According to reports, the Trump administration removed him from the hostage team after he referred to Hamas as “nice guys” and said during an interview that he didn’t “really care about” the concerns of Ron Dermer, Israel’s strategic affairs minister. He also said that the United States was “not an agent of Israel.”

After immediate backlash, he clarified his remarks on social media, claiming that people “misinterpreted” them.

“Hamas is a terrorist organization that has murdered thousands of innocent people,” he wrote. “They are, by definition, bad people.” JNS

{Matzav.com}

A quiet Thursday afternoon on the campus of Florida State University turned into a scene of chaos, terror, and tragedy as a gunman opened fire near the university’s bustling Student Union, killing at least five people — possibly including the suspected shooters — and injuring at least four others, according to preliminary reports from law enforcement and hospital officials. The campus was thrust into lockdown just after noon as police responded to reports of an active shooter. “An active shooter has been reported in the area of Student Union. Police are on scene or on the way. Continue to seek shelter and await further instructions,” read a chilling alert posted by the university on X, urging students to lock doors, stay away from windows, and prepare for the worst. Authorities say the shooter, whose identity has not yet been officially released, was taken into custody after a response involving multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Tallahassee Police, and campus security. A handgun was found on the suspect at the time of arrest, and officials later discovered a shotgun left inside the Student Union and another firearm stashed in the suspect’s vehicle, suggesting chilling premeditation and the potential for an even greater tragedy. Despite initial reports that the suspect had been apprehended alive, conflicting updates indicated that the gunman may be among the five fatalities. The details remain under investigation. Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare confirmed that it was “actively receiving and caring for patients” from the scene. “At this time, details are still unfolding, and we do not yet have specific information to share,” a spokesperson said. Witnesses described scenes of confusion and panic as students fled classrooms and dining areas, barricaded themselves in offices, or dove behind furniture. Many huddled together in silence for updates, while others called family and friends, fearing the worst. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis addressed the incident in a statement: “Our prayers are with our FSU family and state law enforcement is actively responding.” Attorney General James Uthemeir confirmed his office’s involvement and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said it was “actively engaged in the incident.” President Donald Trump, speaking from the Oval Office, called the shooting a “horrible thing.” “It’s a shame. Horrible that things like this take place,” he said, noting that he had been fully briefed and that the White House is monitoring the situation closely. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a statement shortly after: “The President has been briefed on the shooting at Florida State University and the White House is actively monitoring the situation.” In the aftermath of the tragedy, FSU has canceled all classes, events, and campus operations through Friday. Weekend athletic events in Tallahassee have also been suspended. Only essential personnel were advised to report to work after consulting with supervisors. Authorities are expected to release more information in the coming hours as they piece together the timeline and identity of the attacker. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A cable car carrying tourists south of Naples crashed Thursday after the cable snapped, killing at least four people and injuring one, officials said. Italy’s alpine rescue was responding to the accident at Monte Faito in the town of Castellammare di Stabia. The cable car accident happened just a week after the destination reopened for the season. The cable car is popular for its views of Mount Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples. (AP)

On Thursday, the Hamas terror group released a statement denouncing MK Tzvi Succot of the Religious Zionism party for visiting the Har Habayis, where he davened and bowed in prostration.

“The storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by settlers, with the participation of the extremist terrorist ‘Tzvi Succot,’ under heavy security protection from the occupation army and police, constitutes a continuation of the occupation’s frantic attempts to Judaize and seize Islamic holy sites,” Hamas declared.

The group continued: “We assure Ben-Gvir and other extremist occupation leaders that all of the occupation’s measures against our land and holy sites will disappear with its inevitable demise, and that they will not succeed in changing the Arab-Islamic identity of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

They went on to urge broader support across the Muslim world: “We call on the sons of our Arab and Islamic nation to rise up in support of their people who are steadfast in Palestine, defending the first Qiblah (direction of prayer) of Muslims and the nation’s holy sites and constants. We demand that the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation take urgent action and take measures to protect Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

In response, MK Succot issued a firm statement: “The days of fear are over. For years, there were no prayers on the Har Habayis out of fear of the enemy, and there is no reason for the reign of fear to continue. We will not be deterred by terror organizations, and we will continue Jewish possession and sovereignty over all the areas of our land until the enemy is destroyed.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

A former New York police sergeant was sentenced Wednesday to 18 months in prison in a U.S. case about China’s pursuit of critics abroad, a sentence that came after two members of Congress urged the judge to spare him from time behind bars. Michael McMahon was convicted in 2023 of contributing to a transcontinental pressure campaign aimed at getting a former Chinese city official to leave the U.S. and return to his homeland. The tactics ranged from Facebook messages to a threatening real-world note on the man’s New Jersey door. During an hourslong sentencing, McMahon said he was “unwittingly used” by Chinese operatives when he took what he thought was a routine private investigation job in 2016. “I never thought for one minute I was working for China, stalking anyone. Yet now I’ve lost everything,” McMahon said. “This is such a nightmare.” He was among 10 people charged in the federal case, which spurred the first trial stemming from U.S. claims about China’s decade-old “Operation Fox Hunt” initiative. Beijing says it’s about bringing corrupt officials and other criminal fugitives to justice; Washington deems it an exercise in threatening and harassing dissidents across borders. U.S. District Judge Pamela Chen said McMahon aided “a campaign of transnational repression ″ that harmed the targeted man, his family and the United States. “This type of crime really does threaten our country’s national security,” Chen said. She said the retired New York Police Department officer ignored clear trouble signs when he agreed in 2016 to help find a man named Xu Jin. Xu, a former official in the city of Wuhan, left China in 2010. Authorities there have accused Xu and his wife of bribery, which they deny. Xu’s wife testified that he was unjustly targeted for rankling the Chinese power structure. China doesn’t have an extradition treaty with the U.S., so China couldn’t legally force Xu’s return. But he was repeatedly and insidiously pressed to return. At one point, his octogenarian father was abruptly flown in from China to press him to go back, according to trial evidence. Later, a threatening note was taped to his door telling him to go to prison in China to ensure his family’s well-being. Brooklyn-based U.S. Attorney John Durham said in a statement Thursday that the ex-officer “went rogue and dishonorably engaged in a scheme at the direction of the People’s Republic of China.” China denies threatening people to make them return. Through his lawyer, McMahon acknowledged searching law enforcement and government databases and conducting surveillance to gather information on Xu. But the former officer maintained he was told the investigation was for a Chinese construction company hoping to recover embezzled money. McMahon and his attorney, Lawrence Lustberg, acknowledged Thursday that the investigator missed “red flags.” But his clients deceived him, he didn’t anticipate the things they did to badger Xu, and he wouldn’t have taken the $11,000 job if he had known about China’s alleged involvement, Lustberg insisted, calling McMahon a patriot. The claim of transnational repression “horrifies him as much as anybody,” Lustberg said. McMahon, 57, shook his head as the details of his conviction — on charges including acting as an illegal foreign agent and stalking — were recounted. At other points, he wiped his eyes, particularly when his attorney mentioned the death last week […]