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President Trump lashes out at critics of reports that Hamas-sheltering, terrorism-funding Qatar is offering to gift him with a $400-million “flying palace,” calling Democrats blasting him over it “world class losers.”

People taking the obesity drug Zepbound lost nearly 50% more weight than those using rival Wegovy (Ozempic) in the first head-to-head study of the blockbuster medications. Clinical trial participants who took tirzepatide, the drug sold as Zepbound, lost an average of 50 pounds over 72 weeks, while those who took semaglutide, or Wegovy, lost about 33 pounds.

A group of 49 white South Africans departed their homeland Sunday for the United States on a private charter plane having been offered refugee status by the Trump administration under a new program announced in February. The group, which included families and small children, was due to arrive at Dulles International Airport outside Washington on Monday morning local time, according to Collen Msibi, a spokesperson for South Africa’s transport ministry. They are the first Afrikaners — a white minority group in South Africa — to be relocated after U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Feb. 7 accusing South Africa’s Black-led government of racial discrimination against them and announcing a program to offer them relocation to America. The South African government said it is “completely false” that Afrikaners are being persecuted. The Trump administration has fast-tracked their applications while pausing other refugee programs, halting arrivals from Afghanistan, Iraq, most of sub-Saharan Africa and other countries in a move being challenged in court. Refugee groups have questioned why the white South Africans are being prioritized ahead of people from countries wracked by war and natural disasters. Vetting for refugee status in the U.S. often takes years. The Trump administration says the South African government is pursuing racist, anti-white policies through affirmative action laws and a new land expropriation law it says targets Afrikaners’ land. The government says those claims are based on misinformation and there is no racism against Afrikaners and no land has been expropriated, although the contentious law has been passed and is the focus of criticism in South Africa. South Africa also denies U.S. claims that Afrikaners are being targeted in racially motivated attacks in some rural communities. Instead, the South African government said Afrikaners — who are the descendants of Dutch and French colonial settlers — are “amongst the most economically privileged” in the country. The first Afrikaner refugees were traveling on a flight operated by the Tulsa, Oklahoma-based charter company Omni Air International, Msibi said. They would fly to Dakar, Senegal and stop there to refuel before heading for Dulles. They departed from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, where they were accompanied by police officers and airport officials when they checked in. Msibi said they would have to be vetted by police to ensure there were no criminal cases or outstanding warrants against them before being allowed to leave. The South African government said there was no justification for them being relocated but said it wouldn’t stop them and respected their freedom of choice. They are expected to be greeted at Dulles by a U.S. government delegation, including the deputy secretary of state and officials from the Department of Health and Human Services, whose refugee office has organized their resettlement. The flight will be the first in a “much larger-scale relocation effort,” White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller told reporters on Friday. Miller said that what was happening to Afrikaners in South Africa “fits the textbook definition of why the refugee program was created.” “This is persecution based on a protected characteristic — in this case, race. This is race-based persecution,” he said. The HHS Office for Refugee Resettlement was ready to offer them support, including with housing, furniture and other household items, and expenses like groceries, clothing, diapers and more, […]

The body of American journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared in Syria nearly 13 years ago, has reportedly been discovered in a cemetery in northern Syria, according to sources cited by Sky News Arabia on Sunday. Tice, a former U.S. Marine and freelance journalist, was kidnapped near Damascus in August 2012 while reporting on the Syrian civil war. At the time, he was working with several major media outlets, including CBS, McClatchy, and The Washington Post. His disappearance became one of the most high-profile cases of a journalist missing in a conflict zone. The FBI has long maintained that Tice was abducted, and over the years, there were multiple reports suggesting he was alive and being held captive. As recently as early May, his mother told The Washington Post that the U.S. government was aware of her son’s location, though she did not offer further details. News of the discovery has not yet been officially confirmed by U.S. authorities, and it remains unclear how the remains were identified or by whom. Tice was widely recognized for his courageous and deeply human reporting from the front lines of Syria. His work brought attention to the personal stories behind the war, offering a rare and honest perspective from one of the world’s most dangerous regions. His contributions earned accolades from peers and recognition from major American news organizations. Tice’s case has long been emblematic of the risks faced by journalists reporting from conflict zones and has drawn calls from press freedom advocates for greater protections and accountability. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

By Ruthie Blum

Israelis awoke to fake news that, in Winston Churchill’s witty words, “got halfway around the world before the truth had a chance to put its pants on.”

The baloney began with coverage by i24News of an item that appeared in The Jerusalem Post. So much of the Hebrew channel’s morning broadcast was devoted to what it was touting as a huge deal that other outlets picked it up and ran with it.

Ditto for social media, of course.

The trouble is that everything about the bulletin was wrong, starting with an inaccurate attribution of its origin. Indeed, anybody who bothered to check could see that the piece in the JPost was a reprint of a write-up in The Media Line.

Perhaps one could chalk the mix-up to lazy journalism. But the depiction of the story’s content—about U.S. President Donald Trump’s imminent trip to the Middle East—doesn’t warrant even that much of an ill-deserved pass.

The chyron of the TV segment was: “Report: Trump to recognize a Palestinian state.”

Naturally, a flurry of panic or glee ensued, depending on the views of those highlighting the “scoop.” Yet all one had to do was peruse the article to realize that there’s “no there there.”

It isn’t until the fifth paragraph that the author, Ali Hussain, mentions the controversial topic. The passage, which opens with a question in bold letters (“Will Donald Trump recognize a Palestinian state?”), reads as follows:

“A Gulf diplomatic source, who declined to be named or disclose his position, told The Media Line, ‘President Donald Trump will issue a declaration regarding the State of Palestine and American recognition of it, and that there will be the establishment of a Palestinian state without the presence of Hamas.’

“The source also added, ‘If an announcement of American recognition of the State of Palestine is made, it will be the most important declaration that will change the balance of power in the Middle East, and more countries will join the Abraham Accords.’”

An anonymous source from an unnamed country surmising about something that hasn’t happened isn’t news. Nor does Hussain claim that it is.

In fact, he goes on to cite others—on the record—refuting the above. One is U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who “denied the statements made by this source on X/Twitter Saturday afternoon, saying that Israel has no better friend than the U.S.”

Another is former Gulf diplomat Ahmed Al-Ibrahim, who “told The Media Line, ‘I don’t expect it to be about Palestine. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and King Abdullah II of Jordan have not been invited. They are the two countries closest to Palestine, and it would be important for them to be present at any event like this.’”

It would behoove i24News to issue an apology for instigating a phony brouhaha, based either on indolence or political slant. Meanwhile, viewers of both sides of the spectrum would do well to pause before jumping to conclusions based on hot air.

A case in point is a post that’s been circulating on X about a response to the report by White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.

The tweet claims she said, “Contrary to the lies being spread, there will be no recognition of a Palestinian state at all.”

Nice. As it happens, however, a search for such a comment in this context comes up empty.

Competing for clickbait may be hard to avoid in the current climate. Credibility, on the other hand, is a more valuable commodity in the long run. JNS

{Matzav.com Israel}

President Donald Trump says he’ll sign an executive order on Monday that, if implemented, could bring down the costs of some medications — reviving a failed effort from his first term on an issue he’s talked up since even before becoming president. The order Trump is promising will direct the Department of Health and Human Services to tie what Medicare pays for medications administrated in a doctor’s office to the lowest price paid by other countries. “I will be instituting a MOST FAVORED NATION’S POLICY whereby the United States will pay the same price as the Nation that pays the lowest price anywhere in the World,” the president posted Sunday on his social media site, pledging to sign the order on Monday morning at the White House. “Our Country will finally be treated fairly, and our citizens Healthcare Costs will be reduced by numbers never even thought of before,” Trump added. His proposal would likely only impact certain drugs covered by Medicare and given in an office — think infusions that treat cancer, and other injectables. But it could potentially bring significant savings to the government, although the “TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS” Trump boasted about in his post may be an exaggeration. Medicare provides health insurance for roughly 70 million older Americans. Complaints about U.S. drug prices being notoriously high, even when compared with other large and wealthy countries, have long drawn the ire of both parties, but a lasting fix has never cleared Congress. Under the planned order, the federal government would tie what it pays pharmaceutical companies for those drugs to the price paid by a group of other, economically advanced countries — the so-called “most favored nation” approach. The proposal will face fierce opposition from the pharmaceutical industry. It was a rule that Trump tried to adopt during his first term, but could never get through. He signed a similar executive order in the final weeks of his presidency, but a court order later blocked the rule from going into effect under the Biden administration. The pharmaceutical industry argued that Trump’s 2020 attempt would give foreign governments the “upper hand” in deciding the value of medicines in the U.S.. The industry has long argued that forcing lower prices will hurt profits, and ultimately affect innovation and its efforts to develop new medicines. Only drugs on Medicare Part B — the insurance for doctor’s office visits — are likely to be covered under the plan. Medicare beneficiaries are responsible for picking up some of the costs to get those medications during doctor’s visits, and for traditional Medicare enrollees there is no annual out-of-pocket cap on what they pay. A report by the Trump administration during its first term found that the U.S. spends twice as much as some other countries in covering those drugs. Medicare Part B drug spending topped $33 billion in 2021. More common prescription drugs filled at a pharmacy would probably not be covered by the new order. Trump’s post formally previewing the action came after he teased a “very big announcement” last week. He gave no details, except to note that it wasn’t related to trade or the tariffs he has announced imposing on much of the world. “We’re going to have a very, very big announcement to make — like as big as it […]

President Donald Trump announced on Sunday night that Edan Alexander, a U.S.-Israeli dual national who had been held by Hamas in Gaza since October 7, 2023, is set to be released.

“I am happy to announce that Edan Alexander, an American citizen who has been held hostage since October 2023, is coming home to his family,” Trump posted on his Truth Social account.

He continued, “I am grateful to all those involved in making this monumental news happen. This was a step taken in good faith towards the United States and the efforts of the mediators — Qatar and Egypt — to put an end to this very brutal war and return ALL living hostages and remains to their loved ones. Hopefully this is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict. I look very much forward to that day of celebration!”

Earlier in the day, Alexander’s family shared that they had been informed by U.S. Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff that Hamas would be releasing him.

A statement from Hamas later verified that they intended to let Alexander go as “part of the efforts to reach a ceasefire.”

Alexander was taken hostage by Hamas while serving in the IDF on October 7, and until now, he remained the only American citizen still held alive in captivity.

The Office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the development, stating, “The US has informed Israel of Hamas’s intention to release soldier Edan Alexander as a gesture to the Americans, without conditions or anything in exchange.”

They added, “The US has conveyed to Israel that this is expected to lead to negotiations for the release of hostages according to the original Witkoff framework, which Israel has already accepted. Israel is preparing for the possibility that this effort will be implemented.”

“In accordance with Israel’s policy, the negotiations will be held under fire, based on the commitment to achieve all of the objectives of the war.”

Officials from Hamas told the newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat that Alexander is expected to be released at noon on Monday, although there has been no official confirmation of the exact timing.

{Matzav.com}

Margot Friedländer, one of the oldest Holocaust survivors in the world, was niftar this past week in her hometown of Berlin at the age of 103. Friedländer, née Bendheim, was born in Berlin in 1921 and survived the Holocaust after losing her mother and brother in Auschwitz. Her mother’s final words, “Try to make your life,” became a guiding principle for Friedländer in the decades that followed. She was captured in hiding at age 21 and deported to Theresienstadt, where she met her future husband, Adolph Friedländer, also a survivor. The couple moved to New York in 1946 and lived there for over 60 years. After her husband’s passing, she made the remarkable decision to return to Berlin in 2010 to dedicate her life to Holocaust education and remembrance. Until her final days, Friedländer delivered powerful testimony to thousands, especially German schoolchildren, often urging them with her heartfelt plea: “Be human.” Her legacy inspired countless individuals to confront the truth of the Holocaust and accept the responsibility of remembrance. “She gave our country the gift of reconciliation,” said German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. “We cannot be grateful enough.” Ronald Lauder, President of the World Jewish Congress, described her as “a symbol of resilience and humanity… Her words reached hearts. Her presence changed lives.” Friedländer’s dedication to preserving the truth of the Shoah earned her Germany’s highest honors, including a lifetime achievement award from the president. She remained active in public life even in her final days, attending a ceremony just two days before her petirah commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

With Lag B’Omer’s pilgrimage to Meron approaching, Magen David Adom (MDA), alongside Israel Police and Fire & Rescue Services, will conduct two large-scale drills on Monday night and Tuesday afternoon to prepare for potential mass-casualty incidents. The exercises, led by the police, will simulate scenarios like terror attacks, rocket fire, crowd stampedes, and road closures, following the 2021 tragedy where 45 people R”L died in a stampede. Dozens of MDA paramedics, doctors, EMTs, and volunteers will participate, using ambulances, motorcycles, ATVs, a mobile ICU bus, field clinics, and a helicopter. For the event starting Thursday night, MDA’s Northern District will deploy hundreds of staff and volunteers across the site, including a women’s treatment tent, with teams on duty through Sunday evening to serve the expected hundreds of thousands of pilgrims. “As Israel’s national emergency medical service, MDA has secured Meron for decades,” said Gil Moskowitz, MDA Deputy Director of Operations. “We’ve done site visits, planning sessions, and built a detailed medical response plan. These drills are critical for our readiness.” MDA urges the public to follow police and organizer instructions, avoid overcrowding, and prioritize safety to ensure everyone ensure everyone returns home safely. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu (Otzma Yehudit), Likud MK Nissim Vaturi, and Otzma Yehudit MK Tzvi Sukkot were summoned by the police for questioning under caution regarding their regarding their break-in into the Sde Teiman base nine months ago. In addition, Deputy Minister Almog Cohen (Otzma Yehudit) will be summoned to give testimony regarding his statements on the matter. On July 29, 2024, masked military police raided the Sdei Teiman base and arrested nine reservists for the alleged abuse of a Nukhba terrorist. The main charge of sodomy was later proven to be completely unfounded but not before the public arrest caused untold damage to Israel. Last month, two of the suspects filed a libel suit against Channel 12 journalist Guy Peleg for NIS 1.5 million for airing a report claiming false allegations against them that has seen been disproven. In addition, they brought a lawsuit against Channel 12 for publishing the report. In the wake of the arrest, a crowd of protesters gathered at the Sde Teiman and Beit Lid bases to protest, some of whom breached the gates of the bases, including the three government members. MK Zvi Sukkot responded by stating. “Those who should receive a summons and be investigated are the head of the investigation team and the Military Advocate General, who are responsible for besmirching the face of Israel and IDF soldiers around the world, despite the fact that there was no evidence of sodomy by the soldiers. We will be here and everywhere as needed to protect the rights of our soldiers. No political investigation will prevent us from doing our job.” MK Vaturi announced that he does not intend to appear for questioning: “I do not recognize the authority of the Attorney General and I will use my immunity.” He added: “Gali, I remind you again – do not contact me until you summon  Yair Golan, Naama Lazimi, Ehud Barak, Dan Halutz, Bogie Ya’alon, Kassif, and Bressler for questioning.” National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir responded: “Gali Baharav-Miara’s weekly wave of political investigations is a continuation of the criminal activity of an Attorney General who is politically tainted from head to toe, who is crushing the remaining public trust in law enforcement institutions.” “As a minister, I am prevented from interfering in investigations that are conducted with complete independence, and it is important that it be so – but the political Attorney General, as the head of the prosecution, initiates political and selective investigations.” “She did not investigate the leaking of the staged video from Sde Teiman, which caused enormous damage to the country, but she did order an investigation against public officials who protested the injustice perpetrated against our soldiers, after the IDF itself admitted that it erred in its conduct towards the soldiers at Sde Teiman. This is what classic selective enforcement of the Deep State looks like.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

In advance of this year’s hilula of the Tanna Rav Shimon bar Yochai, several leading gedolei Yisroel from the Sephardic community have issued a powerful letter urging the public to avoid traveling to Meron close to Shabbos.

The letter, signed by Rav Yitzchak Yosef, Rav Moshe Tzadka, Chacham Nissim Ben Shimon, and Rav Shlomo Machpoud, declares that visiting Meron in the days surrounding Lag Ba’omer—either before or after—is to be treated as equivalent to visiting on the actual day of the hilula.

The letter comes just days before the hilula of Rashbi, which this year falls on Thursday night and Friday.

“Because this year the day of the hilula of the Tanna Elokai Rav Shimon bar Yochai, zechuso yagen aleinu, begins Thursday night, the eve of the 18th of Iyar 5785, and continues until the onset of Shabbos,” the rabbanim write, “many members of Beis Yisroel long to take part in this holy gathering on this awe-inspiring day.

“However,” they warn, “the limited time before Shabbos poses serious risks. What should be a rectification could turn into a great spiritual failure, as many G-d-fearing Jews could find themselves caught mid-travel near Shabbos. Even those responsible for maintaining order on Har Meron could, chas v’shalom, be driven to desecrate Shabbos in their efforts to ensure the safety of the crowds.”

Therefore, Rav Yitzchak Yosef rules, “It is correct and proper that those who normally visit the tziyun of the Tanna Elokai Rav Shimon bar Yochai on the day of the hilula should instead go starting Thursday night through Friday daytime, or, alternatively, during the following week after Shabbos. In Heaven, it is regarded as if they visited on the actual day of the hilula, and the merit of the Tanna Elokai will stand in their defense and that of their families.”

The Rishon LeTzion concludes the letter by stating, “It is certainly considered as if one ascended on the very day of the hilula, just as is customary when visiting a grave for a yahrtzeit, which can also be observed on nearby days if necessary. Heaven forbid that a desire to honor the tzaddik should lead to stumbling blocks such as Shabbos desecration or endangerment due to the rush and overcrowding.”

He adds an urgent warning rooted in the Torah’s commandment to protect life: “V’nishmartem me’od l’nafshoseichem—do not enter dangerous areas or places of overcrowding. Those who caution and are cautious will merit abundant peace.”

Finally, he notes: “Bnei Torah who are immersed in their sacred learning should not interrupt their studies to travel to Meron, as my father, Maran zt”l, clearly ruled.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

The Trump administration has fired the nation’s top copyright official , Shira Perlmutter, days after abruptly terminating the head of the Library of Congress, which oversees the U.S. Copyright Office. The office said in a statement Sunday that Perlmutter received an email from the White House a day earlier with the notification that “your position as the Register of Copyrights and Director at the U.S. Copyright Office is terminated effective immediately.” On Thursday, President Donald Trump fired Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, the first woman and the first African American to be librarian of Congress, as part of the administration’s ongoing purge of government officials perceived to oppose the president and his agenda. Hayden named Perlmutter to lead the Copyright Office in October 2020. Perlmutter’s office recently released a report examining whether artificial intelligence companies can use copyrighted materials to “train” their AI systems. The report, the third part of a lengthy AI study, follows a review that began in 2023 with opinions from thousands of people including AI developers, actors and country singers. In January, the office clarified its approach as one based on the “centrality of human creativity” in authoring a work that warrants copyright protections. The office receives about half a million copyright applications per year covering millions of creative works. “Where that creativity is expressed through the use of AI systems, it continues to enjoy protection,” Perlmutter said in January. “Extending protection to material whose expressive elements are determined by a machine … would undermine rather than further the constitutional goals of copyright.” The White House didn’t return a message seeking comment Sunday. Democrats were quick to blast Perlmutter’s firing. “Donald Trump’s termination of Register of Copyrights, Shira Perlmutter, is a brazen, unprecedented power grab with no legal basis,” said Rep. Joe Morelle of New York, the top Democrat on the House Administration Committee. Perlmutter, who holds a law degree, was previously a policy director at the Patent and Trademark Office and worked on copyright and other areas of intellectual property. She also previously also worked at the Copyright Office in the late 1990s. She did not return messages left Sunday. (AP)

UPDATE: The emotionally disturbed individual at Ocean Parkway and Avenue P has been taken into custody and is being transported to a nearby hospital for evaluation.

Turkish President Erdogan spoke with French President Macron, stressing a historic chance to end the Ukraine-Russia war. He offered to host peace talks and emphasized Türkiye’s readiness to support Ukraine’s recovery and push for lasting peace.

FLATBUSH: A significant police presence, including the NYPD Emergency Service Unit and Drone Team, are currently at the scene of a barricaded emotionally disturbed person (EDP) who is throwing objects from their apartment near *Ocean Parkway and Avenue P.* Police sources confirm to Flatbush Scoop that there is no threat to the community despite heightened public concern over the activity in the area.

PHOTOS: Catskills Hatzalah held a Hanochas Even Hapinah on Sunday at the site of its future garage facility, located at the intersection of Anawana Lake Road and Fraser Road in Kiamesha. The new facility will include three garage bays for several ambulances, a fully equipped paramedic stock room, and two lodging areas for on-call paramedics A small group of Catskills Hatzalah coordinators, the Viznitzer Rebbe of Kiamesha, and members of the donor’s family attended the event. The ceremony marked an important milestone in Hatzalah’s ongoing mission to expand and strengthen emergency response services throughout the Catskills region.

Thousands of people attended the two-day People’s Peace Summit on Thursday and Friday, taking part in an extensive schedule of events centered on culture, dialogue, and coexistence.

The gathering was spearheaded by It’s Time, an alliance made up of over 60 Jewish and Arab organizations focused on building peace and shared society. With partial backing from the New Israel Fund, the summit marked the largest civilian demonstration promoting peace since the events of October 7.

“Here in Yerushalayim, we stand united — Jews and Arabs, across generations and communities — to envision a new reality,” said the summit’s organizers. “We hold firmly to the belief that peace is achievable, and the moment to strive for it is now.”

The summit culminated Friday in a massive full-day conference held at Binyanei HaUma, which featured lectures, expert panels, musical segments, and workshops. More than 5,000 participants attended in person, with additional audiences tuning in via live broadcasts at venues throughout Israel and cities abroad.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the crowd through a recorded video message from Ramallah, stating, “Peace is possible. Through justice, we can ensure security and a future for all the peoples of the region.”

Among the Israeli political figures who spoke were MK Ayman Odeh and MK Ahmad Tibi of Hadash-Ta’al, MK Gilad Kariv and MK Naama Lazimi of The Democrats, MK Alon Schuster of National Unity, and Yair Golan, chairman of The Democrats.

Odeh’s message to the audience was impassioned: “Jews and Arabs, it is you. Keep believing in each other and fight together. Because only together we will win.” His words were met with enthusiastic applause, resonating with the summit’s core message of joint action for peace.

Speaking alongside Kariv, MK Naama Lazimi acknowledged the immense challenges facing peace advocates. “Our path is not easy. But there is no other way,” she said, adding, “The pains of peace are preferable to the pains of war.”

International leaders also lent their support to the summit. French President Emmanuel Macron sent a video message, saying, “I salute the courage of those working today for coexistence and peace.”

Maoz Inon, whose parents were killed in the October 7 attacks in Moshav Netiv Ha’asarah, appeared on stage with Aziz Abu Sarah, whose brother died after being released from Israeli detention. The two shared a powerful message that vengeance will not bring healing. “Instead of revenge, I choose a different future,” Inon declared, urging leaders to turn to dialogue as the only viable solution.

In the central political session, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert appeared via livestream alongside former Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Nasser Al-Kidwa. Their conversation, titled “There Are Partners and There Is a Path,” explored the prospects for a negotiated solution to the conflict.

Their shared framework was based on a two-state model using 1967 borders with mutually agreed land swaps, the cessation of hostilities in Gaza, and the establishment of Yerushalayim as the capital of both nations.

Al-Kidwa clarified that these were foundational principles, not a detailed plan, and stressed that peace would require both leadership and a cultural transformation rooted in coexistence and hope for future generations.

Rejecting the idea of a single bi-national state, Olmert argued that a two-state solution remains the only realistic outcome. He emphasized that ending the war in Gaza, returning Israeli hostages, and releasing Palestinian prisoners were essential first steps.

“Gaza belongs to the Palestinians, not to Israel,” Olmert said plainly. “It should be part of a future Palestinian state.” He called for a transitional security mechanism to prevent Hamas from regaining power in the area.

He further proposed that Gaza be governed by a new authority tied to the Palestinian Authority, with administrative powers and no ties to any terror group. This, he said, would allow for reconstruction and international aid.

Olmert closed by stating that peace and normalization in the region hinge on immediate talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority to pursue the two-state model.

Addressing the crowd again, MK Gilad Kariv reiterated his call for action. “Return the kidnapped in a deal, end the war, and renew the political dialogue with Ramallah out of a commitment to the two-state solution,” he said. “The words expulsion, extermination, starvation, do not exist in the dictionary of reformed, decent, and life-loving countries.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

Catskills Hatzalah held a Hanochas Even Hapinah on Sunday at the site of its upcoming garage facility, located at the intersection of Anawana Lake Road and Fraser Road in Kiamesha. The new facility will feature three garage bays to accommodate several ambulances, a fully equipped paramedic stock room, and two lodging areas for on-call paramedics—significantly enhancing Hatzalah’s emergency response capabilities across the Catskills region. In attendance were a small group of Catskills Hatzalah coordinators, the Viznitzer Rebbe of Kiamesha, and members of the donor’s family. The event marked a meaningful step forward in Hatzalah’s continued mission to provide lifesaving care to the community. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran concluded in Oman on Sunday without a major breakthrough but with both sides expressing cautious optimism and committing to continue the diplomatic process. The meeting marked the fourth and most recent round of high-level discussions between the two longtime adversaries, the first such sustained engagement since the U.S. withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement in 2018 during President Donald Trump’s first term. Talks resumed nearly a month ago and have been described by officials as the most substantive since the collapse of the original deal. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei described Sunday’s discussions as “difficult but useful,” adding that they helped both sides “better understand each other’s positions” and explore “reasonable and realistic” paths forward. The United States, speaking through a senior official who requested anonymity, echoed that sentiment, saying it was “encouraged” by the outcome and anticipates another round of talks in the near future. Oman, which has played a mediating role throughout the process, will coordinate and announce the date for the next session. Sunday’s meeting, which lasted over three hours and included both direct and indirect exchanges, focused heavily on uranium enrichment — a core sticking point. Tehran insists its right to enrich uranium is “non-negotiable,” while U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff has repeatedly said that dismantling Iran’s enrichment capability is a “red line” for Washington. Iran currently enriches uranium to 60 percent purity — far above the 3.67 percent limit set under the 2015 deal, but below the 90 percent threshold for weapons-grade material. The country has consistently denied it is seeking nuclear weapons, framing its enrichment program as purely peaceful. The timing of the talks coincides with a flurry of regional diplomacy. President Trump is preparing for a major Middle East tour next week, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi recently returned from visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Despite the lack of concrete results, analysts say the resumption of dialogue is a meaningful step. “A breakthrough will take time,” said Yousuf Al Bulushi of the Muscat Policy Council. “But this level of contact is a good sign — if both sides can move past the posturing.” Meanwhile, Israel continues to voice opposition to the negotiations. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar warned on Sunday, “Iran is the most dangerous state in the world… and must not be allowed to obtain the world’s most dangerous weapon.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has reportedly blocked any open discussion on a controversial bill that would implement the death penalty for Nukhba terrorists involved in the October 7 atrocities, citing concerns that it could put the remaining Israeli hostages in Hamas custody at greater risk, according to a report by Maariv.

The bill—known as the “Genocide Prevention Law”—was put forth by Knesset members Simcha Rothman of the Religious Zionist Party and Yulia Malinovsky of Yisrael Beytenu. It seeks to apply capital punishment to individuals convicted of aiding or promoting genocidal acts. As it stands, captured Nukhba operatives are being charged under conventional criminal law statutes.

This legislative effort would allow Israeli courts to impose the death sentence on any person proven to have taken part in the October 7 massacre, even if specific criminal acts cannot be individually attributed. It would represent a formal stance by the Israeli government that the attacks were a calculated attempt at genocide.

The law also proposes the creation of a unique judicial framework to manage these cases. This body would be granted flexibility to diverge from routine trial processes to address a range of priorities, such as “the need to protect victims of crimes and their families, to facilitate the hearing of evidence in multi-defendant proceedings, to reduce interim and preliminary proceedings, to make the hearing public and accessible to various target audiences in Israel and around the world, and to take the proceedings efficiently with the aim of doing justice.”

Though the Prime Minister’s Office declined to issue any official statement, sources say Netanyahu’s resistance is motivated by the fear that Hamas might respond violently to such a law, endangering the lives of hostages who remain in captivity. Erez Padan, the Southern District Attorney responsible for prosecuting members of Nukhba, is also said to be wary of pushing charges that lack strong courtroom evidence.

Despite the controversy, the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee is laying the groundwork to move the bill forward when the political environment allows. The committee began reviewing the bill during a session on Monday, with the next confidential meeting slated for Tuesday.

Multiple senior officials from both the Knesset and the Justice Ministry confirmed the accuracy of these developments to Maariv.

{Matzav.com}