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Qatari officials supported Hamas in rejecting the most recent Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire/hostage release, Israeli media outlets reported on Sunday. According to the report, Qatar pressured Hamas not to accept the proposal, claiming that the terror group would receive a better offer in the future. Israeli senior officials said that Qatar’s “assistance” in mediation efforts has been hindering progress in the talks, adding that it would be preferable to work solely with Egypt. According to the reports, if it wasn’t for Qatar’s interference, it is possible that Hamas would have accepted the most recent Egyptian proposal due to the increased IDF pressure in Gaza, the blockage of humanitarian aid into the Strip, and intense diplomatic pressure applied by Egypt and PA President Mahmoud Abbas. Ynet reported that contrary to the public perception that the war in Gaza is stagnating, recent IDF operations in Gaza have succeeded in creating pressure on Hamas to accept a partial deal that will see the release of some hostages. The Saudi Al-Hadath media outlet reported on Sunday that Egypt has demanded that Hamas provide a full report on the hostages’ conditions by early May. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

In a damning expose, two Gaza-based contributors to BBC Arabic have been revealed as open supporters of terrorism and violent antisemitism — even as they continued to appear on one of the world’s most prominent news platforms. The Telegraph reported that Samer Elzaenen, a 33-year-old journalist who has appeared repeatedly on BBC Arabic since the Israel-Hamas war began, has for years flooded social media with grotesque calls for Jewish blood. In one post, he vowed, “We’ll burn Jews like Hitler did.” In another, he instructed followers, “When things go awry for us, shoot the Jews, it fixes everything.” His posts are not isolated incidents. They represent over a decade of documented hatred, during which Elzaenen has praised more than 30 terror attacks targeting Israeli civilians as “blessed” acts and hailed the murderers as “heroes” and “martyrs.” After a horrific car-ramming attack in Jerusalem last year that killed two young children and a 20-year-old avreich, Elzaenen chillingly wrote that the innocent victims “will soon go to hell.” Following Hamas’s barbaric massacre at the Nova music festival on October 7, he saluted the terrorists as “resistance fighters.” And he is not alone. Ahmed Qannan — another regular BBC Arabic voice — similarly celebrated attacks on Jews. After a 2023 mass shooting at a shul in Yerushalayim that left seven civilians dead, Qannan said he hoped the wounded would die. When a friend fantasized about “cutting throats,” Qannan encouraged him: “Don’t give up on your ambition.” Qannan also praised a terrorist who murdered four civilians and a police officer in Bnei Brak, calling him a “hero.” This scandal follows a string of previous incidents involving BBC Arabic, including the exposure last year of BBC correspondent Ahmed Alagha, who publicly described Jews as “devils” and Israelis as “less than human.” Despite the BBC’s insistence that these figures are “only freelancers” and not formal staff members, watchdogs and critics are demanding accountability, accusing the BBC of laundering hate-filled propaganda under the guise of journalism. “The BBC knowingly turns a blind eye,” charged a spokesperson for CAMERA UK. “It hides behind the fig leaf of ‘freelance contributors’ so it doesn’t have to answer for the open Jew-hatred it platformed. This is not journalism — it is complicity.” The revelations have ignited a firestorm in Britain. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, citing a report detailing systemic bias and antisemitism at BBC Arabic, called for “wholesale reform” of the broadcaster’s Arabic-language service. In a searing letter to BBC Director-General Tim Davie, Badenoch wrote: “It appears that the BBC World Service may be fomenting extremism and misleading audiences — all funded by taxpayers and license fees. This is simply unacceptable and must stop.” The BBC, while insisting it was “unaware” of the social media activity at the time the contributors were aired, has refused to commit to sweeping changes. In a limp statement, the network reiterated that “there is no place for antisemitism” on its platforms — even as the evidence mounts that its Arabic division has been riddled with exactly that. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Appearing Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) criticized the Democratic Party for not offering a clear plan for the future.

Host Kristen Welker opened the conversation by saying, “Let’s talk about what you have called your oligarchy, and Alexandria Ocasio Cortez have been criss-crossing the country warning of an oligarchy. Senator you told the New York Times, ‘One of the aspects of this is to get people to get engaged in the political process and run as independents outside of the Democratic Party.’ As someone who twice ran in the Democratic presidential primary are you trying to strengthen the Democratic Party or Senator, are you trying to start a third party?”

Sanders replied, “we’re not trying to strengthen a third party. We are trying to strengthen the American democracy. Right now it’s extremely low. We are living, Kristen, in the richest country in the history of the world and yet you have one person, Mr. Musk, who owns more wealth than the bottom 53% of American households. That is insane. That is oligarchy on steroids. Meanwhile, we have 60% of our workers living paycheck to paycheck. We have the highest rate of childhood poverty of almost any major nation on earth and we have over 20% of seniors in America living on $15,000 a year or less. What the American people are saying is that they want, and what our tour was about is to say that they want an economy that works for all of us, and not just for Musk and other billionaires.”

Continuing, Sanders pointed out, “What Democrats lack right now is a vision for the future. How are we going to provide a decent standard of living for a younger generation where everything being equal will be poorer than their parents? How do we repair a broken heath care system? How do we deal with the corrupt campaign finance system that allows billionaires to control both political parties? Those are some of the issues that need to be discussed and we are going out around the country right now asking people, working people, run for office. You want to run as a Democrat? Great. You want to run as an Independent? That’s great, but you’ve got to get involved in the political process because right now the two-party system is failing the working class of this country.”

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer revealed Sunday that Democrats are “fighting back” against President Donald Trump’s decision to pull federal funding from Harvard University — by sending what he proudly described as a “very strong letter.” Appearing on CNN’s State of the Union, Schumer told anchor Dana Bash that he and several other Jewish senators had penned a letter to the White House demanding an explanation for the move, which came after Harvard refused to dismantle its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs or prohibit masked protests that Trump described as antisemitic. While Schumer admitted that Harvard has fallen short in addressing campus antisemitism, he accused Trump of overreaching. “What Trump is doing goes way beyond antisemitism,” Schumer said, likening the president’s actions to his criticism of judges, law firms, and the media. Schumer argued that Trump was using antisemitism as a “pretext” to punish universities, and insisted that cutting funds for areas like cancer and Alzheimer’s research was unrelated. His solution? A “very strong” letter posing eight questions to the administration — a move that Schumer framed as a major pushback effort. How brave. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Nearly 36,000 Gazans—close to 2% of the coastal enclave’s population—have left the Gaza Strip since the start of the war triggered by Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel, Channel 12 News reported Friday. Most of the departing residents have relocated to Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Western European nations, and Romania, according to the report. Approximately 2,000 Gazans were able to exit through Israeli territory, traveling via Ramon Airport near Eilat or the Allenby Crossing into Jordan.

WATCH IT: Singer Yoni Z got married today and sang his Kallah down to the Chupa with his own song.

Rule changes announced by the Trump administration this week could allow automakers to report fewer crashes involving self-driving cars, with Tesla potentially emerging as the main beneficiary. The Transportation Department announced Thursday that it will no longer require automakers to report certain kinds of non-fatal crashes — but the exception will apply only to partial self-driving vehicles using so-called Level 2 systems, the kind Tesla deploys. Tesla CEO Elon Musk had complained the old reporting rules cast his company in a bad light. If Tesla and other automakers are required to report fewer crashes into a national database, that could make it more difficult for regulators to catch equipment defects and for the public to access information about a company’s overall safety, auto industry analysts say. It will also allow Tesla to trumpet a cleaner record to sell more cars. “This will significantly reduce the number of crashes reported by Tesla,” said auto analyst Sam Abuelsamid at Telemetry Insight. Added Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities, noting that Tesla rival Waymo won’t get an exception, “This is a win for Tesla, a loss for Waymo.” Tesla stock soared nearly 10% Friday on the rule changes. Wall Street analysts, and Musk critics, have said that Musk’s role as an adviser to President Donald Trump could put Tesla in position to benefit from any changes to regulations involving self-driving cars. Other car makers such as Hyundai, Nissan, Subaru and BMW make vehicles with Level 2 systems that help keep cars in lanes, change speed or brake automatically, but Tesla accounts for the vast majority on the road. Vehicles used by Waymo and others with systems that completely take over for the driver, called Automated Driving Systems, will not benefit from the change. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which enforces vehicle safety standards, said the new rules don’t favor one type of self-driving system over another, and that raft of changes it announced will help all self-driving automakers. “No ADS company is hurt by these changes,” the agency said in statement to The Associated Press, using the acronym for Automatic Driving System. It added that the changes also make sense because “with ADS, no driver is present meaning stronger safety protocols are needed.” Waymo declined to comment for this story. The AP reached out to Tesla but did not receive a reply. Under the change, any Level 2 crash that is so bad it needs a tow truck to come will no longer be required to be reported if it doesn’t result in death or injury or air-bag deployment. But if a tow truck is called for crashes of vehicles using ADS, it has to be reported. The vast majority of partial self-driving vehicle crashes reported under the old NHTSA rules involved Teslas — more than 800 of a total 1,040 crashes in the past 12 months, according to an AP review of the data. It’s unclear how many of those Tesla crashes required the vehicles to be towed, because a column requesting that information in the database is mostly blank. The NHTSA said after the story was published that only 8% of total reported crashes under the old criteria were cases in which partial self-driving vehicles had to be towed away and there was no other qualifying crash-reporting factor involved. It is […]

Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday morning, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) declined to dismiss the idea of pursuing impeachment against President Donald Trump if Democrats succeed in retaking Congress.

During the interview, host Dana Bash asked, “Your colleague from Georgia, Senator Jon Ossoff told voters at a town hall that he strongly agrees that President Trump should be impeached. Do you agree with him? Would that be a priority if Democrats were to take back Congress?”

Schumer responded, “Well, look, right now, President Trump is violating rule of law in every way and we’re fighting him every single day in every way. And our goal is to show the American people over and over again, whether it’s the economy, whether it’s tariffs, whether it’s Russia and overseas and whether it’s rule of law, how bad he is. And you know, it’s two years it’s too far away to predict. Our job is day to day to day to show who Trump is, what he is doing, and it’s having an effect as your polls show.”

Bash followed up by saying, “You’re not ruling out.”

Schumer replied, “The American people are realizing.”

Bash pressed once more, stating, “You’re not saying no.”

Schumer concluded, “Look, it’s too far away to even, it’s too far away to even judge.”

{Matzav.com}

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas claimed last week that the First and Second Batei Mikdash were not in Yerushalayim — but in Yemen. Speaking at the 32nd Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) Central Council meeting in Ramallah on Wednesday, Abbas accused Israel of plotting to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque and replace it with a Jewish temple, before launching into his latest historical revisionism. “In the Noble Quran – and I believe that also in other divine books – it says that the Temples were in Yemen,” Abbas declared confidently. “People who like reading about religion can check it out.” Scholars and historians might beg to differ — or laugh outright. The existence of the Batei Mikdash in Yerushalayim is one of the most thoroughly documented facts in ancient history, corroborated by archeological evidence, ancient Jewish, Roman, and even early Islamic sources. The First Bais Hamikdash, built by Shlomo Hamelech, was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE; the Second Bais Hamikdash was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE. But for Abbas, centuries of documentation apparently pale next to a talking point. His remarks, flagged by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), continued the PA’s long tradition of trying to erase the Jewish connection to Yerushalayim. “[The Jews say:] ‘This is ours and that was ours, and this is where Solomon’s Temple was,’” Abbas said. “I am telling you, a large part of history is falsified.” Abbas’s foray into alternative history follows a long line of similar claims by Palestinian leaders. Yasser Arafat infamously asserted during the 2000 Camp David summit that the Bais Hamikdash never existed in Yerushalayim, insisting instead it was in Nablus. Later, the former Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Ekrima Sabri, claimed that there isn’t a single stone in the city indicating Jewish history. Of course, none of these claims withstand even basic scrutiny. As Professor Eric Cline of George Washington University notes, even early Muslim rulers referred to Jerusalem using terms derived from the Hebrew designation for the Bais Hamikdash — Bayt al-Maqdis, or “House of the Sanctuary.” Over time, that name evolved into the Arabic term Al-Quds — “The Holy” — which still refers to Jerusalem today. Historical evidence aside, Abbas’s latest speech fits a familiar pattern: rewriting history to delegitimize Jewish ties to Eretz Yisroel. That effort runs into uncomfortable artifacts like the Merneptah Stele — a 3,200-year-old Egyptian monument that contains the earliest reference to “Israel” as a people in the land of Canaan — but facts, it seems, are no obstacle for a determined political narrative. At least this time, Abbas offered listeners a way to verify his theory: “People who like reading about religion can check it out,” he said. Historians would likely suggest starting with a map. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

On Sunday, Hatzolah of Mill Basin-Canarsie held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Tiferet Ovadia to dedicate the new “Beitel Family Ambulance,” generously donated by Mr. Ben Beitel and his family. The event drew a large crowd of community members, local leaders, elected officials, and emergency personnel, all gathered to honor the Beitel family’s commitment to lifesaving services in the Mill Basin and Canarsie communities. The new ambulance was dedicated in memory of Avraham and Chaya Sarah Altah Rosenthal, with the generous donation made by the Beitel family. The ceremony celebrated the addition of a state-of-the-art ambulance to Hatzolah’s fleet, enhancing the organization’s ability to provide rapid, expert medical response in the region. Among the distinguished attendees was NYPD Chief of Community Affairs Richie Taylor, who praised the Beitel family’s generosity and highlighted the profound impact of Hatzolah’s work. “This ambulance represents not just a vehicle, but a lifeline for our community, made possible by the Beitel family’s dedication,” Chief Taylor remarked. Chief Taylor also used the moment as an opportunity to recognize Hatzolah volunteer Nussy Josephy for his visionary project, the “Hatzalah Museum.” Chief Taylor commended Josephy’s efforts to create an educational space that will preserve and share the remarkable history of Hatzolah, detailing how the organization was founded against immense challenges. The museum aims to inspire future generations by showcasing the courage, perseverance, and chesed that define Hatzolah’s legacy. Hatzolah of Mill Basin, part of the broader Canarsie Hatzolah division, continues to serve as a vital resource for Brooklyn’s Jewish community and beyond. The new Beitel Family Ambulance will bolster their capacity to respond to emergencies with speed and professionalism, ensuring that countless lives are touched by their lifesaving efforts. Community leaders and attendees expressed gratitude to the Beitel family for their extraordinary contribution, noting that the ambulance will serve as a lasting tribute to their commitment to Klal Yisroel. The ceremony concluded with heartfelt tefillos for continued hatzlacha in Hatzolah’s mission and for the health and safety of the entire community. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Newly uncovered internal communications show that Hamas’s leadership viewed Operation Guardian of the Walls as a major success, according to a new report from N12.

The report reveals that Yahya Sinwar, who was serving as Hamas’s military commander at the time, took advantage of the 2021 ceasefire to lull Israel into a false sense of security while secretly laying the groundwork for the October 7 attacks.

The documents are described in the report as outlining a “calculated strategy designed to exploit the internal weaknesses of Israeli society and bring about its collapse from within.”

Sinwar is said to have believed that the ceasefire was a clear strategic advantage, offering Hamas benefits at Israel’s expense.

“It is likely that this move, which would be acceptable to most countries in the world, would not be acceptable to the occupation [Israel] and would therefore increase their isolation and disconnection from [the world]. If the occupation decides to go in this direction, it will tear it apart from within and lead to an internal rift and civil war,” Sinwar wrote to then Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.

During that period, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, defense minister Benny Gantz, and IDF chief of staff Lt.-Gen. (res.) Avi Kochavi had all publicly portrayed the operation as a resounding achievement and a decisive victory. According to the report, this perception of success within Israel helped embolden Hamas’s leaders to move forward with the October 7 assault.

Further documents indicated that even though the IDF had declared major successes in its operations targeting the Gaza tunnel network—referred to as the “metro”—Hamas maintained that the tunnel system had remained mostly intact.

“The ‘metro’ was not damaged at all, and only the network of attack tunnels was slightly damaged and will be repaired soon,” senior Hamas officials relayed to former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and IRGC Commander Esmail Qaani.

The N12 report concludes that these “vast conceptual gaps” between what Israeli officials believed and the actual situation on the ground created an environment where Hamas could rebuild and plan in secret while Israel wrongly assumed it had neutralized key threats.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Houthi rebels in Yemen have shot down seven U.S. Reaper drones in less than six weeks, a loss of aircraft worth more than $200 million in what is becoming the most dramatic cost to the Pentagon of the military campaign against the Iran-backed militants. According to defense officials, three of the drones were shot down in the past week — suggesting the militants’ targeting of the unmanned aircraft flying over Yemen has improved. The drones were doing attack runs or conducting surveillance, and they crashed both into the water and onto land, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations. The U.S. has increased its attacks on the Houthis, launching daily strikes since March 15, when President Donald Trump ordered a new, expanded campaign. He promised to use “overwhelming lethal force” until the Houthis cease their attacks on shipping along a vital maritime corridor. Central Command spokesman Dave Eastburn said Thursday night that the U.S. has struck more than 800 Houthi targets. “These strikes have destroyed multiple command-and-control facilities, air defense systems, advanced weapons manufacturing facilities, advanced weapons storage locations, and killed hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Houthi leaders,” Eastburn said. Another defense official said that although hostile fire is likely the cause of the drone losses, the incidents are still under investigation. The official noted that the increase in U.S. strikes can add to the risk to aircraft, but said the U.S. will take every measure possible to protect troops, equipment and interests in the region. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to comment on sensitive military issues. The sophisticated drones, built by General Atomics, cost about $30 million each, and generally fly at altitudes of more than 40,000 feet (12,100 meters). Houthis leaders have consistently touted the strikes in public statements. One of the defense officials said the U.S. lost Reaper drones on March 31 and on April 3, 9, 13, 18, 19 and 22. U.S. senators, meanwhile, are raising concerns about civilian casualties caused by the American strikes in Yemen. Democratic Sens. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Tim Kaine of Virginia wrote to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday questioning whether the Trump administration is “abandoning the measures necessary to meet its obligations to reducing civilian harm.” Specifically, they questioned reports that U.S. strikes at the Ras Isa fuel terminal in Yemen last week potentially killed more than 70 civilians. “Military leaders agree that ingraining civilian harm mitigation practices within U.S operations leads to better outcomes and that civilian casualties actually undermine the mission that the military has been sent in to do,” their letter said. In addition to downing the drones, the Houthis have been persistently firing missiles and one-way attack drones at U.S. military ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. They haven’t hit any. The U.S. has been using an array of warships, fighter jets, bombers and drones to strike the Houthis, and aircraft can now launch from two Navy carriers in the region. Hegseth decided in March to beef up the Navy warship presence in the Middle East, ordering the USS Harry S. Truman to extend its deployment there, as the USS Carl Vinson steamed toward the area. The Truman, along with two of the destroyers and a cruiser […]

When we’re divided, we lose.  The Liberal Left knows this, and played us.  Now, because they successfully inhibited our votes by masterminding a smear campaign, we are lagging behind.  To win this election, and really save the future of Kedushas Eretz Yisroel, we need to vote IN BIG NUMBERS.  Please vote!  You, your family, your friends.  We must not let the Left win this!  Elections close in just one week!  Sunday May 4th.  Vote Slate 11 at EretzHakodesh.org

NYC Mayor Eric Adams says the NYPD is actively investigating several reported assaults following clashes between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and counter-protestors outside Lubavitch World Headquarters on Thursday night.

Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, announced Sunday that discussions aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza are ongoing, while stressing that the conflict must come to an end.

During a joint media briefing in Doha with the Turkish prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed revealed that his recent talks with Mossad head David Barnea were part of the ongoing attempts to push negotiations forward, and noted that these efforts had yielded some progress.

He affirmed that Qatar, working in coordination with Egypt, remains committed to advancing efforts to reinstate a ceasefire in Gaza, despite facing significant hurdles, and to moving ahead with the next stage of the agreement.

Sheikh Mohammed firmly stated that he “will not accept the starvation of Palestinians in Gaza or the use of humanitarian aid as a weapon by Israel,” making clear his disapproval of certain Israeli tactics.

He further accused “fringe Israeli politicians of spreading accusations against Qatar and attempting to tarnish its reputation, while forgetting the role Qatar played in securing the release of over 100 Israeli hostages,” criticizing those he believes are undermining Doha’s contributions.

Meanwhile, a report from Asharq Al-Awsat on Saturday revealed that Egypt and Qatar had put forth a new proposal, which includes a six-month ceasefire in Gaza, the full release of all hostages, and an exchange involving convicted terrorists.

Additionally, Hamas informed AFP that it is open to an agreement under which all 59 remaining hostages would be freed at once, coupled with a five-year ceasefire arrangement with Israel.

Just days earlier, Hamas had turned down a proposal from Israel that would have required the terror group to disarm in exchange for a six-week truce.

{Matzav.com}

A prominent Flatbush community member outraged by the despicable actions of Neturei Karta was at Shaarei Zion this morning, letting them know what Reshoyim they are. Police eventually forced the man out of the barricaded area designated for Hamas terrorists who dress as Jews.

Likud MK Yuli Edelstein, chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, announced on Sunday that the committee is nearing completion of a draft bill to regulate chareidi enlistment.

Although Edelstein said he would “not accept ultimatums from any side” regarding when the bill would be finalized, he shared that within two weeks, the committee’s “professional legal team” should be able to “formulate a draft” of the highly contentious legislation.

He cautioned, however, that he would not commit to a firm deadline, explaining, “I cannot commit to a date and I am not willing to commit to a date” since rushing the process could result in poorly crafted legislation.

A few days earlier, Edelstein stated that the committee would continue hearing testimony and gathering relevant data over the next few sessions before assembling a final draft. That clarification came after a leaked recording surfaced of an adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said the government would push the bill forward “with or without” Edelstein’s cooperation.

Netanyahu’s chareidi coalition partners have been aggressively lobbying for the passage of legislation to codify exemptions from military service for yeshiva students and other chareidim, following a June High Court ruling that decades of exemption policies were unlawful without a formal legal basis.

Edelstein has long been a key obstacle to the bill’s advancement. He signed a declaration calling for widespread enlistment of chareidi men and advocated for “personal and financial sanctions” against those who ignore their draft summonses.

He has openly maintained that he is under no obligation to align with the government’s position on chareidi enlistment and voiced opposition to Defense Minister Israel Katz’s plan to incrementally increase chareidi recruitment until reaching 50 percent of the eligible draft cohort by 2032.

Speaking before the committee, Yaakov (Kobi) Blitstein, deputy director general of the Defense Ministry, reiterated support for Katz’s framework, advocating a gradual rise in chareidi enlistment over the next seven years. He emphasized that “the goal of this law is to reach a kind of agreement with the rabbis and the chareidi leadership, whose representatives are here in the Knesset.”

The chareidi leadership has staunchly rejected the idea of conscripting yeshiva students, directing them to disregard enlistment notices issued by the IDF.

Blitstein further clarified that while yearly quotas would be based on the number of 18-year-old men eligible for the draft, the military would expand the scope of those receiving summonses to include the broader pool of eligible chareidim.

Regarding the state’s failure to meet enlistment goals for this year, Blitstein noted that “the issue of enforcement is clear in today’s law — that anyone who deserts has disciplinary measures against him.”

“It’s not that there is no sanction for the army today, it’s just that it’s not being used. Why hasn’t it been used in the last 20 years? It is like in many other areas that are not enforced. In 2025, we are seeing a drastic increase in the number of those detained at Ben Gurion Airport,” he said.

Since January, authorities have detained 340 individuals eligible for enlistment at Ben Gurion Airport, with 322 caught attempting to leave the country. Out of that group, 100 people — half of whom are chareidim — were barred from departure.

Last Wednesday, Lt. Col. Avigdor Dickstein, who heads the chareidi recruitment division within the IDF’s Personnel Directorate, told the committee that although the army aimed to enlist 4,800 chareidi men during the 2024–2025 cycle, only 1,721 had enlisted so far.

“We set ourselves a target of 4,800 and we will not reach that. There is an upward trend here, but it is not sufficient and does not correspond to the very large operational need,” he said.

“Currently, the most significant and effective sanction is Ben Gurion Airport; there is currently no other sanction,” Dickstein explained. “There is the ability to make arrests, but it is extremely ineffective. If I grab him and put him in a police car, will he end up enlisting?”

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett weighed in over the weekend, accusing Netanyahu on Saturday of maintaining a policy of “preventing the military enlistment of the ultra-Orthodox,” which he claimed was prolonging the stalemate with Hamas in Gaza.

Meanwhile, on Sunday morning, the High Court of Justice issued a provisional order instructing the government to explain its failure to issue sufficient conscription orders to chareidi yeshiva students to meet the IDF’s needs, and to clarify why it has not enforced the orders it did issue.

{Matzav.com Israel}

President Trump after meeting with Zelenskyy: “We’ll probably learn a lot in coming days.”

President Donald Trump has ordered the Justice Department to investigate the Democratic Party’s top fundraising platform, the latest example of Trump using the tools of the government to go after his political opponents. Trump, in an executive order signed Thursday, directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate allegations that Republicans have raised that ActBlue allows illegal campaign donations. Democrats, who had anticipated they would be targeted, condemned the move Thursday and ActBlue called it an “oppressive use of power” by the White House. “The Trump Administration’s and GOP’s targeting of ActBlue is part of their brazen attack on democracy in America. Today’s escalation by the White House is blatantly unlawful and needs to be seen for what it is: Donald Trump’s latest front in his campaign to stamp out all political, electoral and ideological opposition,” ActBlue said in a statement. ActBlue said it would pursue “all legal avenues to protect and defend itself.” “ActBlue will continue its mission and work undeterred and uninterrupted, providing a safe, secure fundraising platform for the millions of grassroots donors who rely on us.” Trump’s order directs Bondi, in consultation with the Treasury Department, to investigate allegations that online fundraising platforms, and specifically ActBlue, have been used by some to “make ‘straw’ or ‘dummy’ contributions or foreign contributions to political candidates and committees.” The findings of the investigation will be reported back with 180 days, according to the order. Since taking office, Trump has sought to use the powers of the government to retaliate against his opponents, including ordering security clearances to be stripped and punishing law firms linked to prosecutors who have investigated him or who have ties to his adversaries. ActBlue, which Democratic campaigns have used for two decades, had helped power an outpouring of small-dollar donations to candidates and causes. It was so successful that Republicans eventually created a counterpart, WinRed — which Trump did not target in the order. Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley applauded the investigation, saying in a statement, “The Democrats’ Dark Money scam has gone on long enough.” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Suzan DelBene, Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Kirsten Gillibrand and Democratic Governors Association Chair Laura Kelly denounced the executive order in a joint statement. “Donald Trump’s memorandum targeting ActBlue is designed to undermine democratic participation — and it’s no wonder why,” the statement said. “He knows Americans are already fed up with his chaotic agenda that is driving the economy off a cliff, so he’s trying to block lawful grassroots donations from supporters giving just $5 or $10 to candidates who oppose him while further empowering the corrupt billionaires who already control his administration.” (AP)