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With the New York City Democratic mayoral primary just two weeks away on June 24, 2025, the race is in full swing, and the Jewish community—particularly the frum (Orthodox) segment—is emerging as a key player. Early voting begins June 14, and with Jews, including liberal Jews, comprising approximately 16% of eligible voters in this Democrat-only primary, according to a recent poll, community organizations are making their voices heard on who should lead the city next. The Candidates in Focus Here’s a look at the key contenders and the concerns surrounding them: NOTE: Many people do not realize that this is just the PRIMARY. Mayor Eric Adams is not running in this election, as he is running as an Independent in the general election. Andrew Cuomo: The former New York governor (2011–2021) resigned amid harassment allegations and has a controversial record. Critics point to his inaction during attacks on yeshiva education, a crisis that began under his watch and persists today, though he now pledges to fight for it. His handling of COVID-19 is also under scrutiny, with over 12,000 nursing home deaths attributed to his policies, followed by an alleged cover-up. Additionally, Cuomo has faced accusations of antisemitic remarks and targeting the Orthodox Jewish community during the pandemic, fanning the flames of antisemitism. Zohran Mamdani: A 33-year-old state assemblymember from Queens, Mamdani was relatively unknown before entering the race. A self-proclaimed “anti-Zionist,” he has protested alongside anti-Israel activists who have supported terrorist groups. On October 8, 2023, hours after the Hamas massacre in southern Israel, Mamdani criticized Israel instead of condemning the attack. His Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) party backed a widely condemned Times Square rally celebrating the violence. He has vowed to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu if he visits New York, despite the international court’s arrest warrant lacking U.S. jurisdiction. Brad Lander: The current NYC Comptroller, Lander, a self-identified liberal Jew, has aligned with vocal critics of Israel, including Reps. Jamaal Bowman and Rashida Tlaib, pro-Palestinian activist Linda Sarsour, and former councilmember Shahana Hanif, all of whom support the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. He is also seen as anti-police, pro-LGBTQ, and opposed to yeshiva education. Adrienne Adams: As the current Speaker of the New York City Council, Adams’ stance on Israel raises questions. In May 2024, she ordered the removal of all political signs from legislators’ desks, including pro-Israel posters and flyers about Hamas-held hostages, claiming it would reduce tensions over the Israel-Hamas war. Critics called this an attack on free speech. Other Democrats running (who are polling very low) include Scott Stringer, Jessica Ramos, Zellnor Myrie, Michael Blake, Whitney Tilson. Endorsements from the Frum Community Jewish organizations, especially in Orthodox strongholds, are weighing in: Crown Jewish United and the Crown Heights PAC: Cuomo. Far Rockaway Jewish Alliance: Cuomo. Flatbush Jewish Community Coalition: Cuomo. Boro Park Mosdos: #1 Adrienne Adams and #2 NYS Senator Zellnor Y. Myrie, notably diverging from the Cuomo trend. Satmar Zalonim: #1- Cuomo. #2- Adrienne Adams #3- Zellnor Myrie. Satmar Aronim: Cuomo, though Mamdani claims Rabbi Moshe Indig met with him and may add him to their slate. Indig reportedly called Mamdani “a very nice guy, very humble… not an antisemite” and said he’d work with the entire city. However, Indig publicly told Mayor Eric Adams this week, “In November, you’ll […]

Several top Democratic officials are facing backlash for making wildly inaccurate statements about the violent anti-ICE demonstrations that have consumed Los Angeles for nearly a week. Their attempts to deny or minimize the destruction stand in sharp contrast to eyewitness accounts, video footage, and law enforcement reports documenting widespread looting, arson, and violent clashes with police.

At a Capitol Hill press conference on Tuesday, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) boldly declared that there was “no violence” taking place in Los Angeles. Her remarks came as she sharply criticized President Trump’s decision to deploy thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines to restore order in the city.

“Nobody was shot, nobody was killed, get it into your head,” the congresswoman told reporters without flinching.

“Don’t think that somehow because they called out the National Guard there was violence. There was no violence. I was on the street, I know,” she said, doubling down.

“And I went from downtown detention back out into the community. What happened in Paramount, what happened in Compton, what happened in Inglewood: Get it straight, and don’t just rely on what you’re being told or the few incidents you saw,” she added, in a stunning denial of the on-the-ground reality.

Meanwhile, actual reports from the ground told a very different story. Violent acts have been mounting across the city, with numerous attacks against police and journalists alike.

On Sunday, a photographer for the New York Post was shot in the head with a rubber bullet while covering the riots. Reporters from Australia and The New York Times were also hit by projectiles during the unrest.

Police found a deceased man near the site of downtown looting early Tuesday morning, though authorities have yet to confirm whether his death is directly related to the riots.

Paramount and Compton have emerged as two of the hardest-hit areas since Immigration and Customs Enforcement began conducting enforcement operations that sparked the protests.

In Paramount, protesters pelted riot police with rocks and Molotov cocktails, prompting officers to respond with rubber bullets, tear gas, and pepper spray.

In nearby Compton, surveillance footage showed mobs of masked individuals smashing their way into a convenience store, tearing through shelves and stealing merchandise. Some were seen ripping out the credit card machines and stuffing them into bags.

The mayhem reached the 101 Freeway on Sunday, where around 2,000 demonstrators halted traffic. Authorities temporarily reopened the highway, only to shut it down again after rioters hurled objects—including electric scooters—at moving police vehicles.

Since the violence began, law enforcement has made nearly 60 arrests. The Department of Justice has pledged to investigate and prosecute those responsible for assaults on federal officers and destruction of property.

Despite the overwhelming evidence of violence, Waters’ version of events mirrored the talking points being pushed by other Democrats and left-leaning media. While at least five officers have been injured, many public figures continued to characterize the protests as largely peaceful.

Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) told MSNBC, “the vast majority of protesters and demonstrators are peaceful,” while describing those who ignited fires and defaced property as simply “passionate.”

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) also deflected blame from the rioters and instead pointed the finger at President Trump. “A lot of these peaceful protests are being generated because the president of the United States is sowing chaos,” he said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

But not all Democrats were willing to toe the party line. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), known for breaking with progressive orthodoxy, posted a blunt assessment on social media Monday night.

“I unapologetically stand for free speech, peaceful demonstrations, and immigration—but this is not that,” Fetterman wrote on X.

“This is anarchy and true chaos. My party loses the moral high ground when we refuse to condemn setting cars on fire, destroying buildings, and assaulting law enforcement.”

Mainstream outlets were widely criticized for echoing misleading narratives. CNN, infamous for describing the 2020 riots as “fiery, but mostly peaceful,” again downplayed the violence in Los Angeles by calling the riots “lawful protests” with “some unrest.”

KABC’s Jory Rand offered an especially absurd take while broadcasting live footage of a car engulfed in flames, casually describing the scene as “just a bunch of people having fun watching cars burn,” and suggesting that bringing in police “could turn very volatile.”

Media outlets such as Axios and The New York Times appeared eager to minimize the scale of destruction, dismissing the chaos as limited to “a small part of the city”—a characterization many found stunningly out of touch with reality.

{Matzav.com}

Argentine President Javier Milei, an ohev yisroel and staunch supporter of the State of Israel, presented Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu with a deeply meaningful gift: a painting of the Prime Minister together with the Lubavitcher Rebbe. The gift, delivered during the leaders’ meeting in Jerusalem, resonated personally with Netanyahu. The Prime Minister recalled a powerful moment from his time as Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations when he received guidance from the Rebbe. “‘You will be serving in a house of lies,’ the Rebbe told me,” Netanyahu shared. “‘And you will have to battle against 119.’ We have 120 members in the Knesset – he didn’t even leave me one,” Netanyahu added with a smile. President Milei’s connection to the Jewish people and Israel has become a hallmark of his presidency. Upon his arrival in Israel on Monday night, Milei headed directly to the Kosel, continuing the practice he began during his previous visit to Israel, when the Kosel was also the first stop on his itinerary. The president was accompanied by a high-level delegation that included his sister and Presidential Secretary Karina Milei, Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein, and Argentina’s Ambassador to Israel, Rabbi Shimon Axel Wahnish and his wife. At the Kosel, President Milei was warmly welcomed by the Rav of the Kosel and Holy Sites, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, and the Director of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, Mordechai (Suli) Eliav. During the visit, the visibly emotional Milei joined Rabbi Rabinowitz in reciting Tehillim and offered a heartfelt prayer for the safe return of the Israeli hostages still held captive. Later, during a meeting with Israeli President Yitzchak Herzog, the Rebbe’s teachings again took center stage. “The great Rebbe of Lubavitch said that the small actions we do daily turn ‘you and me’ into ‘us’,” Herzog said. President Milei is expected to conclude his official visit with a return to the Kosel on Thursday evening, accompanied once again by Prime Minister Netanyahu. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

During a speech delivered Tuesday at Fort Bragg, President Trump announced that he intends to reinstate the original names of seven military installations that once honored figures from the Confederacy, including Fort Robert E. Lee.

“For a little breaking news, we are also going to be restoring the names to Fort Pickett, Fort Hood, Fort Gordon, Fort Rucker, Fort Polk, Fort AP Hill and Fort Robert E Lee,” Trump declared during his remarks commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States Army.

“We won a lot of battles out of those forts. It’s no time to change. And I’m superstitious, you know, I like to keep it going, right? I’m very superstitious.”

“We want to keep it going. So that’s a big story.”

Trump delivered the announcement at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, a base that itself underwent a name change recently. Earlier this year, the Army opted to revert the name to Bragg—not in honor of the Confederate general Braxton Bragg, but instead to recognize World War II hero and Silver Star recipient Roland Bragg.

The renaming of the Confederate-linked bases was carried out under Joe Biden’s administration in 2023. Fort Bragg had been renamed Fort Liberty during that initiative, part of a broader effort to move away from honoring Confederate military leaders.

{Matzav.com}

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “When you watch these agitators break up concrete and hand it out to people, and stood in line to get it, these have to be PAID troublemakers.”

Mike Bloomberg has officially endorsed Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor, arguing that the former governor has the right credentials to lead the city through its challenges.

“I care deeply about the future of our city, and since leaving office, it has been difficult to watch its struggles, especially since the pandemic,” the three-term former mayor said Tuesday.

“In sizing up the field in the race for mayor, there is one candidate whose management experience and government know-how stand above the others: Andrew Cuomo.”

Bloomberg acknowledged that he and Cuomo didn’t always see eye to eye during their respective times in office, but emphasized that Cuomo’s leadership qualities are what the city needs most right now.

“But I also know his strengths as a leader and manager. Of all the candidates, Andrew has the skills our city needs to lead us forward,” Bloomberg said.

Although he didn’t name any other candidates, sources familiar with Bloomberg’s thinking said he has serious concerns about Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, particularly his anti-capitalist views and hostile stance toward Israel.

Bloomberg praised Cuomo’s record on major infrastructure projects, pointing to completed initiatives like the revamp of LaGuardia Airport, the long-awaited Second Avenue Subway, and the development of Moynihan Station.

“He has decades of experience navigating state and federal governments. He has governed as a pragmatist, focused on solving problems rather than engaging in ideological or partisan warfare,” Bloomberg said of Cuomo.

“The question before New Yorkers is not: Who is the perfect choice? No mayor is perfect. The question is: Who is the best choice? To me, that choice is clear: Andrew Cuomo.”

The endorsement follows a wave of financial backing for Cuomo from Bloomberg’s inner circle.

One such ally, Ed Skyler—a former deputy mayor under Bloomberg who now holds a top position at Citigroup—donated $400, the legal maximum for city-connected employees. He reportedly told a colleague that he would’ve remained neutral if not for polling showing Mamdani gaining ground ahead of the June 24 primary.

A poll by the progressive think tank Data for Progress commissioned by Mamdani supporters showed Cuomo holding just a 51% to 49% lead—within the poll’s 3-point margin of error.

Meanwhile, an internal Cuomo campaign survey released Monday showed him leading Mamdani by 12 points under ranked-choice voting rules.

“Ultimately elections are about choices and there is no question New York City will be stronger and safer with a competent leader like Andrew instead of someone with a far-left agenda and no experience governing,” Skyler told a colleague.

Skyler, once a Republican who later became an independent, had briefly considered running for mayor himself but opted not to after Cuomo announced his candidacy.

As a former deputy mayor of operations, Skyler is especially concerned with public safety and revitalizing the city’s economy.

According to a source close to him, Skyler was stunned upon learning that Mamdani had called for a boycott of the Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island due to its partnership with Israel’s Technion University—a project Bloomberg had championed to boost tech growth in the city.

Mamdani, a pro-Palestinian advocate and state Assembly member from Queens, supports the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement against Israel and is openly critical of the Jewish state.

Skyler’s endorsement adds to a growing list of Bloomberg confidants rallying behind Cuomo.

Last month, Bloomberg’s daughter, Emma Bloomberg, gave Cuomo the maximum allowed donation of $2,100 to support his political comeback.

Other longtime Bloomberg allies have chipped in as well. Kevin Sheekey, Bloomberg’s top strategist and president of his 2020 presidential campaign, made a contribution. Thomas Secunda, a billionaire co-founder of Bloomberg LP, gave $40,000 to the pro-Cuomo super PAC “Fix the City.”

{Matzav.com}

[COMMUNICATED]

[COMMUNICATED]

Rabbi Kanner is battling stage 4 cancer. The treatment he urgently needs is not covered by insurance.

The family is without income. Even food has become a struggle.

Rabbi Kanner is battling stage 4 cancer. The treatment he urgently needs is not covered by insurance. The family is without income. Even food has become a struggle.

Career protestor and agitator Greta Thunberg was en route back to Sweden on Tuesday after Israeli authorities detained her, alongside several other activists, aboard their Gaza-bound “selfie yacht.”

The 22-year-old, fully named Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg, and her companions refused to view video footage of the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack before they were released, officials said.

According to AFP, among the 12 individuals on board the vessel Madleen, which attempted to sail into Hamas-controlled Gaza, five French nationals remained in custody after declining to leave Israel voluntarily.

Israeli forces intercepted the vessel—operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition—in international waters on Monday, as first reported by Breitbart News. The yacht was then towed to Ashdod port, and its passengers were transferred to Ben-Gurion Airport for departure arrangements, according to Israel’s Foreign Ministry.

Defense Minister Israel Katz explained that he ordered IDF officials to show the activists “the full, unedited footage of the October 7 attacks as recorded by Hamas terrorist body cameras.”

Katz told GB News, “Greta and her flotilla companions were taken into a room upon their arrival to the screening of the horror film of the October 7 massacre… when they saw what it was about, they refused to continue watching.”

He continued: “The anti-Semitic flotilla members are turning a blind eye to the truth and have proven once again that they prefer the murderers to the murdered and continue to ignore the atrocities committed by Hamas against Jewish and Israeli women, adults, and children.”

Representing Israel’s Foreign Ministry, officials confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that “Greta Thunberg just departed Israel on a flight to Sweden (via France),” accompanied by an image showing her aboard the aircraft.

Regarding the five French activists, France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated that one agreed to leave Israel voluntarily and was expected to return home the same day. The remaining five were undergoing formal deportation proceedings.

“Our consul was able to see the six French nationals arrested by the Israeli authorities last night,” Barrot said on X. “One of them has agreed to leave voluntarily and should return today. The other five will be subject to forced deportation proceedings.”

{Matzav.com}

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee indicated in a recent interview that the United States no longer firmly backs the creation of a Palestinian Arab state specifically within the boundaries of historic Israel and suggested that such a state might potentially be formed in a different location.

Speaking with Bloomberg journalist Ethan Bronner, Huckabee questioned the long-held assumption about where a future Palestinian state must exist. “Does it have to be in Judea and Samaria? Does it need to be somewhere different? Does it need to be an opportunity for people to have a place that is completely their own? Or is it going to be in the existing areas that are currently under the dominion of the PA?”

He continued, emphasizing that while he doesn’t rule out the idea of a Palestinian state entirely, tying it to a specific location is what creates difficulty. “I don’t believe anybody can say, ‘It’s impossible, it’ll never happen.’ But if someone wants to declare that this is the exact strip of geography that is going to be the future Palestinian state, that’s where the complication comes from.”

Huckabee asserted that no possibilities should be dismissed outright. “Every option should be and could be on the table.”

He also pointed out the vast land holdings of Arab and Muslim nations compared to Israel and hinted at the feasibility of an alternative location. “It could be [established elsewhere]. I’m not suggesting that it would be or should be, just that it could be.”

{Matzav.com}

TRUMP: The Department of Justice is investigating the funding of the LA riots: “Armor and face shields.. The best money can buy. Somebody’s financing it. We’re gonna find out through Pam Bondi and Department of Justice. They are on it.”

New findings from the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project reveal that Joe Biden’s reliance on an autopen to sign presidential documents during his term as president was far more extensive than previously known.

Kyle Brosnan, the lead investigator for the Oversight Project, reported that his team examined hundreds of official proclamations archived by the National Archives from Biden’s first two years in office.

“There’s around several hundred of them — and through that analysis, we were able to determine that there was a third autopen signature that was used to sign those proclamations” as early as his first year in office in 2021, he said.

The investigation revealed that three distinct autopen signatures were used to authorize documents during Biden’s time in office. Brosnan’s team concluded that the flawless repetition of signatures across these proclamations pointed to machine-generated signing, leading to the discovery of a third signature pattern previously unnoticed.

In May, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) stated that the panel will continue looking into Biden’s mental fitness and the use of the autopen in official acts.

“The American people deserve to know who was actually calling the shots in the Biden White House, because it wasn’t Joe Biden. His mental decline was obvious to anyone paying attention. But instead of being honest, the Biden administration, Democrats in Congress, and the legacy media lied and covered it up,” Comer said.

“They gaslit the American people while propping up a man who was unfit to lead,” he added.

Responding to these concerns, Biden issued a statement last week asserting full control over his executive responsibilities. “Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.”

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week directing the attorney general to investigate whether individuals in Biden’s White House were involved in misleading the public about Biden’s cognitive state, and to review the validity of policy documents signed using the autopen.

{Matzav.com}

New findings from the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project reveal that Joe Biden’s reliance on an autopen to sign presidential documents during his term as president was far more extensive than previously known.

Kyle Brosnan, the lead investigator for the Oversight Project, reported that his team examined hundreds of official proclamations archived by the National Archives from Biden’s first two years in office.

“There’s around several hundred of them — and through that analysis, we were able to determine that there was a third autopen signature that was used to sign those proclamations” as early as his first year in office in 2021, he said.

The investigation revealed that three distinct autopen signatures were used to authorize documents during Biden’s time in office. Brosnan’s team concluded that the flawless repetition of signatures across these proclamations pointed to machine-generated signing, leading to the discovery of a third signature pattern previously unnoticed.

In May, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) stated that the panel will continue looking into Biden’s mental fitness and the use of the autopen in official acts.

“The American people deserve to know who was actually calling the shots in the Biden White House, because it wasn’t Joe Biden. His mental decline was obvious to anyone paying attention. But instead of being honest, the Biden administration, Democrats in Congress, and the legacy media lied and covered it up,” Comer said.

“They gaslit the American people while propping up a man who was unfit to lead,” he added.

Responding to these concerns, Biden issued a statement last week asserting full control over his executive responsibilities. “Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.”

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week directing the attorney general to investigate whether individuals in Biden’s White House were involved in misleading the public about Biden’s cognitive state, and to review the validity of policy documents signed using the autopen.

{Matzav.com}

POTUS: “Within the span of a few decades, Los Angeles has gone from being one of the cleanest, safest and most beautiful cities on earth, to being a trash heap with entire neighborhoods under the control of transnational gangs… As the entire world can now see, uncontrolled migration leads to chaos, dysfunction, and disorder… Very simply, we will liberate Los Angeles and make it free, clean, and safe again.”

POTUS: “People that burn the American flag should go to jail for one year … we’re working with some of your senators….”

TRUMP: “We’re the ones that won the war. Without us, you’d all be speaking German right now, maybe a little Japanese thrown in.”