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The official Trump merchandise store is now selling caps embroidered with “Trump 2028.” Retailing for $50, the cap comes in President Donald Trump’s signature “MAGA” red and also features a flag detailing on the side.

“Make a statement,” the Trump Store’s description of the product reads, advertising that it “will become your new go-to hat.”

Trump’s War Room account on X also hard-launched the cap’s release with a photo of the president’s son, Eric, wearing it.

Trump told NBC News last month that he was “not joking” about running for a third term, saying there are “methods” that would allow him to do so despite the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, which states that “no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.” “I’m not joking. I’m not joking,” Trump told NBC. “But … it is far too early to think about it.” He continued, “A lot of people want me to do it … But we have—my thinking is, we have a long way to go. I’m focused on the current.”

Read more at Axios.

By Tal Ariel Yakir

The complete and extraordinary story of police officer Yaakov Biskowitz was never fully revealed until now.

As a young boy, Biskowitz became one of the few people who survived for an extended period in a death camp, participated in the revolt that led to the camp’s closure, and was the last Jew to leave Sobibor alive.

He testified at the Eichmann trial, taking the stand in police uniform and presenting the camp map he drew himself, which became the most detailed documentation of the site to date. The camp map he meticulously created contributed significantly to exposing Nazi atrocities and assisted in archaeological excavations that uncovered gas chambers and crematoria that had remained buried and hidden underground for decades.

Eighty-two years after his escape from the camp and 13 years after his death, the Israel Police Heritage Center has produced a virtual reality exhibit dedicated to his work exposing the mass murder at Sobibor.

Simultaneously, an academic article titled “Reassessment Based on Archaeological Excavations and Documentation as Tools for Reconstructing Sobibor Camp: The Testimony of Yaakov Biskowitz as a Test Case” will soon be published by Chief Inspector Dr. Yossi Hemi from the History Department of the Heritage Center and archaeologist Dr. Yoram Haimi, who excavated the area for 15 years and revealed the remains of the death camp to the world.

Sobibor was one of three death camps, along with Treblinka and Belzec, established as part of “Operation Reinhard,” a comprehensive plan to exterminate Polish Jews. The camp was established in 1942, and shortly afterward, 15-year-old Biskowitz arrived there with his parents and sister Hinda. His mother and sister were immediately sent to the gas chambers, while his father was selected to work in the camp as a carpenter.

“I, being a child, was dragged by my father,” he recounted during the Eichmann trial. “From that transport, they took about 12 people. From the first day, I worked with everyone. Initially, it was building the camp and barbed wire fences, and we dragged branches running from a distance of about 1.9 miles.”

With his father in the killing valley, Biskowitz witnessed how those who didn’t work were shot or sent to gas chambers, and he worried constantly about his father, who had fallen ill with typhus. “I would carry him to work every day,” he recounted. “We worked in the Ukrainians’ casino. He sat in the corner, and I worked for him too. I did my best, but the day came when I could no longer carry him. That day, two SS men came, removed him from the barracks, and led him to the shooting pit, accompanied by beatings and shouting. They shot him in front of me. I wanted to run after him, but the workers who were with me held me back.”

Biskowitz remained in Sobibor for one year and four months, making him one of the few Jews who survived so long in a death camp, as the average life expectancy in these facilities did not exceed two months.

Revolt in Sobibor

On Oct. 14, 1943, the famous revolt broke out that was later immortalized in the film, “Escape from Sobibor,” with a screenplay written by camp survivor Thomas Blatt.

“With the cessation of frequent transports to the camp, towards spring 1943, the Jews understood that the place would be closed and all its inhabitants eliminated,” Dr. Hemi explains. “Then the Jewish underground members began to organize for the revolt, in which hundreds of prisoners participated.” The Jewish prisoners set an ingenious trap for the Nazis, inviting them to try on new leather coats, shoes, or to inspect items they had crafted for them. Every SS man who entered was attacked with axe blows or knife stabs. Sixteen camp staff members were eliminated through this strategy. Biskowitz himself stabbed one of them.

The guards eventually recovered from the shock and shot hundreds of the Jewish prisoners. Those who managed to escape to the forests were caught and executed. Only 47 camp residents survived, but Biskowitz’s survival story is truly miraculous. Due to the commotion during the revolt, he failed to reach the fence and was forced to flee toward the crematoria. He hid in a shooting pit until after midnight, when only guards remained in Sobibor. Under the cover of darkness, he managed to escape and became the last living Jew to leave the camp.

In his testimony at the Eichmann trial, he described his harrowing escape from Sobibor: “I remained in the Lazarett, the shooting pit, until after midnight. After jumping over a fence two meters high, through the yard where people undressed before the gas chamber, several shots were fired at me from the guard on the tower. Since it was already dark, no bullet hit me. Later, many SS men came and started running in my direction, but they thought no one was running and left the place. Only at night did I start to penetrate through wire fences, tearing barbed wire with my hands. The guard wasn’t there by chance. Finally, I managed to get out of the camp.”

The hardships Biskowitz endured did not weaken his resolve. At about 17 years old, he joined the partisans and later enlisted in the Polish army, working in mine clearance. About a year later, he deserted the army following an antisemitic dispute and was sentenced to death. The army ultimately decided to grant him clemency, and he served four months in prison before returning to his position. A few months later, he deserted again, joined the Betar movement, and with its help relocated to a refugee camp in Germany.

Immigration to Israel

In 1947, he boarded an immigrant ship bound for Palestine that the British intercepted and diverted to Cyprus. He immigrated to Israel two years later and enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces. In 1952, he was discharged and joined the police force. During his law enforcement career, he served as a patrol officer, traffic policeman, embassy guard, member of the prisoner escort unit, and in the national headquarters guard.

In 1959, Biskowitz was called at night to a street in Tel Aviv following a report of a man threatening to jump from his apartment window. When he arrived, the man jumped, and Biskowitz extended his hands to catch him. While the man was saved, Biskowitz suffered severe injuries that required a month of hospitalization.

The incident was reported in newspapers at the time, and much was said about the police commissioner’s commendation awarded to him, but Biskowitz deliberately concealed the fact that he was a Holocaust survivor. Only with the opening of Adolf Eichmann’s trial in May 1961 did he reveal what he had endured, describe his role in the Sobibor revolt, and disclose that a friend from the death camp had managed to save some photographs from the crematoria – the only memento of his parents and sister. On his own initiative, he also presented his drawing of the camp to the court without realizing the historical significance it would later hold.

Throughout his life, Biskowitz married twice, to Bella and Tova, and left behind two children, Aryeh and Yechiel. He retired from the police force and passed away in 2002 at the age of 76. Four years after his death, the map he had drawn became one of the key tools that exposed what had transpired in the camp. The process began when archaeologist Dr. Yoram Haimi from Kibbutz Mefalsim in the Gaza border region discovered that his uncles had been murdered in Sobibor.

“I went there to see if there was a museum or archive, but there was nothing,” Haimi recalls. “There were only three monuments and a forest. As an archaeologist, I thought it was a place worth investigating. I met with the manager of a synagogue museum in the town near Sobibor, and he said if I get funding, he would arrange the permits.”

Haimi located Biskowitz’s map in the state archives, and it guided him throughout the excavations that began in 2007 and concluded in 2021. “We found 220,000 artifacts there, including jewelry, watches, tableware, perfume bottles, and teeth,” he says. “Unfortunately, the Polish authorities placed most of them in storage and didn’t allow us to bring them to Israel. Biskowitz’s map proved remarkably accurate and was enormously helpful. Wherever he indicated barracks or gas chambers had stood, that’s precisely what we found. Everything had been buried in the ground.”

As someone who experienced Oct. 7, 2023, in Mefalsim, Haimi commented on conducting similar excavations in the Gaza border region in the future. “I need to recover from the trauma, and since that Saturday I’ve taken a break from excavations.” JNS

{Matzav.com}

Agudath Israel of America proudly celebrates a historic victory for parents and students across the Lone Star State as the Texas Legislature passes a landmark universal school choice bill. On Thursday, the Texas Senate voted to concur with the House and pass SB2, finally giving families the educational freedom they have been asking for. SB2 is an Education Savings Account (ESA) program that would provide parents with approximately $10,000 per student to spend on a wide range of educational expenses, including private school tuition. Students with special needs could receive up to $30,000 per year. The bill allocates one billion dollars to the program. If the number of applicants exceeds available funds, low-income (see chart here) and special education students will be prioritized. “Agudath Israel thanks Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Speaker Dustin Burrows, House Education Chairman Brad Buckley, and Senate Education Committee Chairman Brandon Creighton for their leadership,” said Rabbi Ari Weisenfeld, director of state relations for Agudath Israel of America. “More importantly, this couldn’t have happened without the countless parents and community members who have advocated alongside Agudath Israel and our coalition partners for the last two decades.” “This ESA program will have a tangible positive impact on our families and community” said Rabbi Avi Pekier Head of School of Torah Day School of Dallas. “I have had the privilege of joining Agudath Israel’s missions to Austin since 2007,” said Yakov Polatsek a Houston community leader. “We are grateful to Agudath Israel of America for representing our community in Texas, session after session, and for refusing to give up.” “School choice is on the rise,” said Rabbi A. D. Motzen, Agudah’s national director of government affairs. “With Texas becoming the 16th state to enact universal school choice in the last four years, the next step is for President Trump and Congress to bring school choice to all 50 states with the federal passage of the Educational Choice for Children Act.” Prioritization: Tier 1: Special ed student from families earning less than 500% of the federal poverty level (FPL) Tier 2: Students from families earning less than 200%FPL Tier 3: Students from families earning between 200%-500%FPL Tier 4: Students from families earning more than 500% FPL (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The suburban Chicago man who admitted to fatally shooting seven people and wounding dozens of others during a 2022 Independence Day parade was sentenced Thursday to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Lake County Judge Victoria Rossetti handed down seven consecutive sentences of life in prison, as prosecutors requested, for the first-degree murder charges after hearing emotional testimony from survivors and the relatives of those killed in the shooting. “This court has absolutely no words that could adequately describe and capture the horror and pain that was inflicted on July 4th,” the judge said. Robert E. Crimo III, 24, “has a complete disregard for human life” and “is irretrievably depraved, permanently incorrigible, irreparably corrupt and beyond any rehabilitation,” she said. After years of unpredictable legal proceedings, Crimo, who had declined to come to most of his sentencing hearing, changed his mind as the judge was handing down his sentence, according to Lake County authorities. Rossetti paused the proceedings Thursday so that he could be brought to court. The case has moved slowly, in part because Crimo backed out of a plea deal, fired his public defenders and reversed his decision to represent himself. He signed his name and Donald Trump’s when he waived his right to trial. He also changed his plea to guilty last month just moments before opening statements at his trial. Dozens were wounded in the shooting in the suburb north of Chicago. They ranged in age from their 80s to an 8-year-old boy who was left paralyzed from the waist down. Rossetti has warned Crimo that the case would proceed without him. Crimo also declined to provide a written statement in court ahead of sentencing. “He’s always known that he was facing life in prison,” said Crimo’s public defender, Gregory Ticsay. “He has spared this community the lengthy trial.” Survivors and witnesses told the court about how their lives have changed since he killed seven people and hurt dozens more. Keely Roberts, whose 8-year-old son Cooper Roberts was the youngest victim, called Crimo “cowardly” for not attending Wednesday’s hearing. “You will not hear my grief,” she said. “You are now irrelevant.” It’s unusual for defendants to skip trial, especially sentencing, but constitutionally they have the right not to attend, said David Erickson, a former state appellate judge who teaches at Chicago Kent College of Law. Often in violent cases, defendants will explain themselves or profess innocence before sentencing. “Certainly in crimes of violence it’s not unusual for a defendant to show some remorse,” Erickson said. Some survivors called Crimo a “monster” while another cited their faith in forgiving him. Many described feeling empty or facing deep sadness since the shooting. Some no longer attend public gatherings. Erica Weeder described how she and her husband were injured and helpless on the ground, watching others bleed out. For weeks, there was shrapnel in her body and a bullet lodged in her husband’s elbow. “A mass shooting is like a bomb blast throughout a community,” she said. Prosecutors argued that Crimo was fully in control of his actions as he fired 83 shots over 40 seconds. “This was his evil plan. He intended to end the happiness that he saw around him,” said Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart. Crimo pleaded guilty to 21 counts of first-degree […]

Hod Hasharon Mayor Ami Kochavi sparked a political firestorm Wednesday night with remarks delivered during a Holocaust Remembrance Day event, where he appeared to link current Israeli actions to the potential for committing atrocities, warning of a “lust for revenge” as hostages remain in Gaza.

“Jewish morality dictates, ‘Never again’ — not just to us, but to all peoples, as an ethical and moral command on a just and healthy society,” Kochavi said during his address.

He continued by cautioning that moral clarity demands speaking out against abuses worldwide, regardless of who is responsible. “We must not be silent in the face of atrocities carried out against people of other nations in the world — even if they are carried out in our name,” he stated.

Drawing attention to those still in captivity, Kochavi said, “59 of our brothers and sisters are still held hostage in Gaza. Their ‘never again’ is still ongoing,” referencing the living and deceased held by terror groups. He added, “And the lust for revenge, for blood and destruction won’t bring us back the dead, or the living.”

Reflecting on history and responsibility, he said, “As the descendants of survivors of the Holocaust, who together with other pioneers founded the State of the Jews — it is incumbent on us to ensure that the memory of the Holocaust, the steps that led to it, the legal and ethical justifications that were given to it, and the silence that accompanied it — all of them will be made into warning signs to the entire world, and also to us, to remember and to warn.”

Kochavi’s speech, which lasted six minutes, included a moving quote from a Holocaust survivor who lost grandchildren in the Hamas assault on October 7, 2023. He described the country as “at war” on multiple fronts and underscored the urgent need to bring home the hostages.

Though Israel firmly rejects accusations of genocide in Gaza, the speech came amid global scrutiny and quickly gained traction in Israeli media and social platforms, igniting fierce backlash from politicians.

Culture Minister Miki Zohar condemned the speech on X, writing, “The embarrassing words of the mayor of Hod Hasharon are a spit in the face of Holocaust survivors — those who immigrated to the Land of Israel, established a state and survived the terrible massacre committed by ‘other peoples.’” He added, “I have no doubt that the vast majority of Hod Hasharon residents repudiate these outrageous statements.”

Energy Minister Eli Cohen joined the criticism online, accusing Kochavi of undermining Israel’s military. “The same hatred of Jews that led to the murder of six million Jews by the Nazis and their helpers, still flows in the blood of our enemies, whom the soldiers of the IDF are fighting at this very moment,” Cohen wrote.

Yisrael Beytenu party leader Avigdor Liberman also slammed the remarks, tweeting, “On Holocaust Remembrance Day, while 59 hostages languish in the hell of Gaza, the mayor of Hod Hasharon, Amir Kochavi, incites against the IDF and actually sides with the terrorists.” He urged Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, with whom Kochavi is politically aligned, to publicly denounce the statements.

In response to the uproar, Kochavi took to X on Thursday to defend himself, condemning what he described as political manipulation. “The ugly spin” being spread, he wrote, aims to distract from the real crisis. He stressed, “There are 59 hostages who have been held captive by Hamas for 565 days and the prime minister on whose watch they were kidnapped.”

“They must be returned now, in one fell swoop. The dead for burial and the living for rehabilitation. Anything else is a distraction,” Kochavi concluded.

{Matzav.com}

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The International Criminal Court’s Appeals Chamber has overturned a prior decision by a lower court that dismissed Israel’s objection to the court’s jurisdiction in a case involving the Jewish state. The appellate judges determined that the lower chamber mishandled the matter and have now returned it for reconsideration.

Israel initially challenged the court’s legal standing to preside over the case, asserting that the ICC lacked jurisdiction. That challenge was rejected by the Pre-Trial Chamber, which claimed it was premature to address the issue. In response, Israel filed an appeal.

On Thursday, the Appeals Chamber ruled that the Pre-Trial Chamber erred by failing to fully examine Israel’s jurisdictional claims. The appellate body overturned the earlier decision and directed the lower chamber to re-evaluate and issue a proper ruling on the ICC’s authority in the case.

Following this development, the Appeals Chamber also dismissed Israel’s separate request to freeze existing arrest warrants and other legal measures tied to the initial ruling. The chamber reasoned that with the jurisdictional question reopened, the request had become irrelevant.

Additionally, Israel had asked the court to compel the Prosecutor to issue a revised notification concerning the investigation. That motion was denied by the Pre-Trial Chamber and subsequently appealed. However, the Appeals Chamber threw out that appeal as well, stating it did not meet the threshold for consideration. Two of the judges dissented from this decision.

Reacting to the court’s ruling, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar reaffirmed Israel’s stance: “We said it from the start: The International Criminal Court in The Hague (ICC) doesn’t have, and never had jurisdiction to issue arrest warrants against Israel’s Prime Minister and its former Minister of Defense. Israel is not a member of the ICC and is not party to the ‘Rome Statute.’ The ICC Appeals Court instructed the Court today, to do what it should have done from the start: to make a determination with respect to jurisdiction. On this topic, there is only one correct answer: the Court has no jurisdiction over Israel. The warrants were issued unlawfully. They are null and void.”

{Matzav.com}

Tensions in the Trump administration erupted into a full-blown confrontation last week when Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent engaged in a fiery shouting match inside the White House — within earshot of President Trump himself. According to multiple sources close to the White House, the two top officials locked horns over the future of the IRS, with Musk reportedly raising his voice and gesturing aggressively as Bessent stood his ground. “Elon was shouting and rambling, and Scott just wasn’t putting up with it,” one insider told The Post, confirming that the standoff was intense enough to draw attention from nearby staff. The clash, first reported by Axios, is said to reflect deeper philosophical differences in how the two men approach reform. Musk, a vocal critic of federal bureaucracy, has long advocated for a radical overhaul of the tax system. Bessent, by contrast, is focused on incremental changes designed to both reform and stabilize existing systems. “Bessent has two mandates: reform and stabilize,” a source familiar with the discussion said. “Elon has one: break things in the process of reform.” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who was present during the dispute, appeared to side with Musk — a move not surprising to insiders, given Musk’s past endorsements of Lutnick for Treasury Secretary over Bessent. This isn’t Musk’s first public feud with members of the Trump administration. In November, he criticized the selection of Bessent, calling him a “business-as-usual” choice and praising Lutnick as someone who would “actually enact change.” More recently, Musk ignited a separate online war with Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro, calling him a “moron” and accusing him of spreading lies about Tesla. The White House downplayed the altercation. “Disagreements are a normal part of any healthy policy process,” said press secretary Karoline Leavitt. “Ultimately, everyone knows they serve at the pleasure of President Trump.” Musk, who has been serving as a special government employee, revealed he plans to scale back his role at the end of May. However, he told Tesla shareholders he’ll remain involved with DOGE matters “a day or two a week.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Russia’s illegal seizure of Crimea from Ukraine 11 years ago was quick and bloodless. But Kyiv — and most of the world — never recognized Moscow’s annexation of the strategic peninsula, which is now a major focus of U.S.-led efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out at Ukraine’s president Wednesday, accusing Volodymyr Zelenskyy of prolonging the “killing field” after he insisted he would not give up any Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, to Russia as part of a potential peace plan. “There is nothing to talk about. It is our land, the land of the Ukrainian people,” he said. Trump called Zelenskyy’s pushback “very harmful” to talks. “Nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory but, if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?” he wrote on social media. During Trump’s first term, the U.S. said it would never recognize Crimea as Russian. How did Russia seize Crimea? In 2013-14, a massive popular uprising gripped Ukraine for weeks, eventually forcing pro-Moscow President Victor Yanukovich from office. With Ukraine engulfed in turmoil, Russian President Vladimir Putin pounced, sending troops to overrun Crimea, a diamond-shaped peninsula in the Black Sea that Russia has long coveted. The armed troops appeared in Crimea in uniforms without insignia, and Putin soon called a vote on joining Russia that Ukraine and the West dismissed as illegal. Russia’s relations with the West plummeted to new lows. The United States, the European Union and other countries imposed sanctions on Moscow and its officials. Moscow’s illegal annexation of Crimea on March 18, 2014, was only recognized internationally by countries such as North Korea and Sudan. In Russia, it touched off a wave of patriotism, and “Krym nash!” — “Crimea is ours!” — became a rallying cry. The move sent Putin’s popularity soaring. His approval rating, which had declined to 65% in January 2014, shot to 86% in June, according to the Levada Center, an independent Russian pollster. Putin has called Crimea “a sacred place,” and has prosecuted those who publicly argue it is part of Ukraine — particularly Crimean Tatars, who strongly opposed the annexation. What happened after the annexation? Weeks after the annexation, fighting broke out in eastern Ukraine between pro-Kremlin militias and Kyiv’s forces. Moscow threw its weight behind the insurgents, even though the Kremlin denied supporting them with troops and weapons. There was abundant evidence to the contrary, including a Dutch court’s finding that a Russia-supplied air defense system shot down a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet over eastern Ukraine in July 2014, killing all 298 people aboard. Russian hard-liners later criticized Putin for failing to capture all of Ukraine that year, arguing it was easily possible at a time when the government in Kyiv was in disarray and its military in shambles. The fighting in eastern Ukraine continued, on and off, until February 2022, when Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Why is Crimea important? Crimea’s unique location makes it a strategically important asset, and Russia has spent centuries fighting for it. The peninsula was home to Turkic-speaking Tatars when the Russian empire first annexed it in the 18th century. It briefly regained independence two centuries later before being swallowed by the Soviet Union. Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev transferred Crimea […]

If you’re fond of basking in the sunshine, you may want to soak it up while you still can. That’s because British scientists are seriously considering giving the sun a little timeout. In an effort to cool down the planet, researchers are preparing to launch outdoor experiments designed to dim the sun. Don’t snicker – dimming the sun by reflecting light away from Earth might soon be a government-backed strategy. According to The Telegraph, the government’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) is expected to greenlight outdoor trials in the coming weeks, with a £50 million budget allocated to explore solar geoengineering — a set of high-tech methods aimed at dialing down the thermostat on planet Earth. These experiments may involve brightening clouds with sea-salt spray or injecting aerosols into the upper atmosphere to bounce sunlight back into space. It’s all part of what scientists call “Sunlight Reflection Methods,” a field that’s gaining traction as global temperatures continue to rise. “We’re planning small, carefully controlled experiments,” said Professor Mark Symes of ARIA. “Nothing toxic, nothing irreversible — just dipping a toe into the solar-shading waters.” The concept isn’t entirely new. In fact, Earth has been running its own tests. Volcanic eruptions have spewed particles that cool the Earth temporarily by reflecting the sun’s rays away from it. But this scientific sun-shielding isn’t without controversy. Critics worry that tampering with Earth’s sunlight could have unintended — and unwelcome — consequences. Think disrupted weather systems, droughts, or even more intense storms. And if the system ever had to be stopped abruptly, researchers warn the climate could rebound with alarming speed. In the words of Rutgers University’s Professor Alan Robock, “Stopping geoengineering suddenly would be like slamming the brakes on a speeding train — only the train is the Earth’s climate, and we’re all onboard.” Despite the risks, scientists think the idea is worth exploring, as long as it’s done with care, transparency, and a healthy dose of humility. ARIA’s initiative will also fund indoor studies, climate monitoring, and public opinion research — because yes, they want to know how people feel about unplugging the sun. So, what does this all mean for your picnic plans? For now, not much. Sunshine is still free-for now. But as the science develops, we may one day find ourselves living under a slightly dimmer sky — and calling it progress. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was originally slated to deliver a speech this coming Shabbos at the Young Israel of Woodmere in Long Island, New York.

Today, the shul, which boasts more than 2,500 members, announced that the event would no longer take place.

No official explanation was issued by the shul, but individuals close to the minister indicated that the rov who was supposed to host the gathering experienced a petirah in his family, which led to the cancellation.

There has not yet been any update on what alternate plans Ben Gvir may have made for his time in the United States.

Earlier in the week, on Wednesday night, Ben Gvir spoke at Yale University, addressing an audience of students and faculty. As he exited the venue, he was confronted by demonstrators critical of Israel, who shouted slogans and threw water bottles. In response, Ben Gvir stood his ground and raised his hand in a “V” sign for victory.

“The minister is doing well and was not injured,” stated a spokesperson for Ben Gvir.

Ben Gvir’s U.S. visit began in Miami, Florida, where he was the guest of honor at a private dinner attended by numerous high-level business figures.

That gathering took place at Mar-a-Lago, the Florida estate of US President Donald Trump. During the event, Ben Gvir was asked to address Republican lawmakers, including Senators and members of Congress. He was met with a warm reception and spoke extensively.

While at Mar-a-Lago, Ben Gvir also met with Congressman Tom Emmer. In their discussion, Ben Gvir emphasized the importance of targeting Hamas’ food supply caches. Emmer replied that he is keeping up with Ben Gvir’s efforts and backs his stance.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump has once again taken aim at the radical left’s grip on America’s elite institutions, targeting Harvard University in a blistering Truth Social post on Thursday morning. Labeling Harvard an “Anti-Semitic, Far Left Institution” and a direct “threat to Democracy,” Trump accused the university of admittingforeign students bent on destroying the nation while allowing “crazed lunatics” to spew “fake ANGER AND HATE” on campus. “Harvard is a Liberal mess,” Trump declared, pointing to the university’s alleged failure to curb antisemitism amid a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that have rocked campuses since 2023. He warned that the Ivy League school’s actions are tearing at the fabric of America, claiming, “They act like they are all ‘American Apple Pie.’ Harvard is a threat to Democracy.” The President’s attack comes amid his administration’s aggressive push to hold universities accountable. Since taking office in January, the Trump administration has targeted Harvard over its handling of antisemitism, particularly following 2024’s pro-Palestinian “Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine” (HOOP) protests demanding divestment from Israel-tied companies. On March 31, the administration’s Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism reviewed $8.7 billion in Harvard’s federal grants and $255 million in contracts, freezing $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts by April 14 after the university refused to comply with demands to overhaul its admissions and disciplinary policies. Trump has also threatened to strip Harvard of its tax-exempt status—a move conservatives applaud as a necessary step to rein in the university’s $50 billion endowment. Last week, he questioned whether Harvard should lose its tax-exempt status for pushing “political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting ‘Sickness.’” The administration’s request to the IRS to revoke this status could hit Harvard hard, a precedent set after Columbia University caved to similar pressure, losing $400 million in funding before restructuring its programs. Adding fuel to the fire, Trump’s post called out a lawyer representing both him and Harvard, demanding his immediate resignation or firing. “He’s not that good, anyway,” Trump wrote, urging his sons, who now run the Trump Organization, to “get rid of him ASAP!” The lawyer has since been identified as top conservative attorney Bill Burck. Following Trump’s public complaint, the Trump Organization parted ways with Burck, who had been working as an outside adviser while simultaneously representing Harvard in its legal fight against the Trump administration. Eric Trump confirmed the decision to CNN, stating, “I view it as a conflict and I will be moving in a different direction.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

CHILLING: A call for the return of the 59 kidnapped people was placed on the train tracks leading into Auschwitz.

An IDF soldier injured in Gaza was airlifted to Hadassah Ein Kerem’s trauma unit this afternoon with a hand injury. His condition is mild to moderate.

Sec. Marco Rubio: .@SecRubio: “Of all the leaders in the world today, no leader is working harder to prevent wars or end them than President Trump is right now. That’s why we’re talking to Iran. That’s why we’re engaged with Ukraine and Russia.”

Dozens attend the levaya of Barack Tzach z”l, who was killed in a shark attack off the Israeli coast earlier this week.

In a bold economic initiative aimed at crippling Hamas’ financial infrastructure in Gaza, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has formally urged Bank of Israel Governor Prof. Amir Yaron to take unprecedented action: remove the legal tender designation from specific 200 Shekel banknotes.

This dramatic proposal is part of a wider strategy to disrupt Hamas’ access to liquid funds, which Sa’ar said forms the core of its operational strength in the region. He noted that billions of shekels in physical cash fuel Hamas’ activities in Gaza.

Sa’ar emphasized that these particular bills are frequently used by Hamas to pay salaries to its operatives and to enforce financial control over the local economy by extracting “taxes” from business owners. He cited data gathered by a team of voluntary financial experts who determined that roughly 80% of the cash circulating in Gaza consists of 200 shekel notes.

“Denying the financing capacity of terrorist organizations in general and Hamas, in particular, is a vital pillar of the war effort,” Sa’ar stated in his letter.

He went on to argue that withdrawing a certain series of 200 shekel bills—especially those that were funneled into Gaza in recent years—could deliver a “strategic economic blow” to Hamas, severely impairing its administrative capabilities and its ability to recruit members.

{Matzav.com}

POTUS: “A lot of countries want to come into the Abraham Accords… We’re going to be filling up the Abraham Accords. We’re going to be filling it up very rapidly.”

President Trump and Scott Bessent provide an update on potential trade deals with nations around the world.

Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes slowed in March, a lackluster start to the spring homebuying season as elevated mortgage rates and rising prices discouraged home shoppers. Existing home sales fell 5.9% last month from February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.02 million units, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday. The March sales decline is the largest monthly drop since November 2022, when sales fell 6.7% from the previous month. Sales also fell 2.4% compared with March last year. The latest home sales fell short of the 4.12 million pace economists were expecting, according to FactSet. The average cost of a U.S. mortgage, which climbed to its highest level in two months last week, is a significant barrier for would-be homebuyers, said Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist. “Residential housing mobility, currently at historical lows, signals the troublesome possibility of less economic mobility for society,” Yun said. Home prices increased on an annual basis for the 21st consecutive month, although at a slower rate. The national median sales price rose 2.7% in March from a year earlier to $403,700, an all-time high for March, but the smallest annual increase since August. The U.S. housing market has been in a sales slump since 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell last year to their lowest level in nearly 30 years. Higher mortgage rates also dampened the start of the spring homebuying season in 2024. This year, after climbing to a just above 7% in mid-January, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage has remained mostly elevated, climbing last week to 6.83%, its highest level in eight weeks, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac. Homes purchased last month likely went under contract in February and early March, when the average rate on a 30-year mortgage ranged from 6.89% to 6.63%, according to Freddie Mac. While sales of existing home fell last month, sales of newly built homes surged in March. They jumped 7.4% from February and 6% from March last year, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. To drum up sales, homebuilders have ramped up sales incentives, such as paying to lower the initial rate on a homebuyer’s mortgage. Many builders have also shifted to their focus to smaller, less expensive homes. In contrast, existing home sales tend to be driven by properties on the upper-end of the market, where more affluent homebuyers can afford to finance a home at current mortgage rates or perhaps pay cash. Consider, sales of homes priced at $1 million or higher jumped 14% last month from a year earlier, while those priced between $100,000 and $250,000 fell 4%, NAR said. Sales fell in March even as more homes hit the market for the spring homebuying season. There were 1.33 million unsold homes at the end of last month, an 8.1% increase from February, NAR said. That translates to a 4-month supply at the current sales pace, up from a 3.2-month pace at the end of March last year. Traditionally, a 5- to 6-month supply is considered a balanced market between buyers and sellers. “I felt that more inventory would lead to more sales, but that’s not the case,” Yun said. One reason the inventory of homes for sale has been rising is that properties are […]