President Donald Trump was formally nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize on Tuesday in recognition of his role in brokering the ceasefire between Israel and Iran. The nomination was submitted by Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), who praised Trump’s “extraordinary and historic” efforts in ending what he described as a rapidly escalating armed conflict. “President Trump’s influence was instrumental in forging a swift agreement that many believed to be impossible,” Carter wrote in a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee. He also cited Trump’s actions to halt Iran’s nuclear program, saying the president worked to ensure that “the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism remains incapable of acquiring a nuclear weapon.” The ceasefire, announced by Trump earlier this week, followed nearly two weeks of intense military exchanges between Israel and Iran, including U.S.-supported strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. If awarded – though unlikely, considering the leftist tilt of the Nobel Committee – it would mark Trump’s first Nobel Peace Prize win following multiple past nominations during his first term as president. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Members of Iran’s Jewish community are trying to project a sense of calm from their shuttered homes in Shiraz and Tehran, but fear lurks under the surface, Ynet reported. The report quoted Zahava, an Israeli from Iran who received what may be the last WhatsApp message from a childhood friend in Shiraz. “In Persian, she wrote that the police had taken the chazanim and Rabbanim in for questioning. They were suspected of collaborating with Israel. To this day, we don’t know if they’ve been released,” Zahava said from her home in Haifa, “She told us it’s best not to contact the Jews there right now—the situation is extremely fragile. We used to be in touch daily. There’s a very active WhatsApp group that keeps everyone updated, but since the war started, there’s been complete silence.” “The Jews are staying inside, too afraid to go out for fear it could cost them their lives. They’ve disconnected from the internet so that no messages or information can leak out. During times like these, we’re careful not to reach out, to avoid giving the regime any excuse to harm them,” Zahava explained. Lydia left her parents’ home in Tehran almost 30 years ago. Speaking to Ynet from her home in Holon, she revealed details of an unusual phone call she had last week with her brother and his wife. Her brother, a resident of northern Tehran, told her they were warned that Jews with ties to Israel would be arrested and sent to prison. His wife added, “We had nowhere to go, so we went to an aunt’s house in the western part of the city. It’s safer there. It’s a big house where all the children and grandchildren are staying together.” Her brother also told her that from his balcony, he saw Israeli planes bombing targets nearby. “We waved to the pilots and loved seeing the Israeli army in action,” he said. “Redemption has arrived. We thank the Creator. Now that Israel has come to help us, there will finally be peace in Iran.” Lydia added that even before the October 7 massacre, some of her relatives tried to flee to America, about five years ago. She said that they sold their belongings and packed one suitcase each, “as if they were going on vacation.” But then, everything fell apart: “Four members of the family were killed,” Lydia said. “When I spoke to them, they sounded fine. Family members who visited said they just had a mild flu—and the next day they were gone.” “Now everyone there is living in fear, not understanding how all of this suddenly fell upon them. The Iran-Iraq War was 40 years ago—most of them don’t even know what air raid sirens sound like. They’re living under existential chaos. And yet, all of that doesn’t scare them as much as the regime itself does. I’m talking about the leadership that, over the years, slaughtered, murdered, raped, cut women’s lips for wearing lipstick, issued massive fines for nothing, and turned people’s lives into hell.” Noga, a New Yorker who left Shiraz after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, said that there are still about 7,000 Jews in the city. “When there’s a conflict in Israel, the government forces the Jews to publicly declare that they’re against Zionism,” she explains. “It’s […]
After nearly two weeks of restricted air travel due to the war, Israel is officially reopening its skies, with Ben Gurion Airport set to operate 24 hours a day. Minister of Transportation Miri Regev unveiled the country’s new flight framework on Tuesday, outlining the return of commercial air travel and the resumption of outbound and inbound flights to multiple destinations.
Under the new plan, Ben Gurion Airport will operate around the clock, the Haifa airport will function daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Ramon Airport in southern Israel is expected to resume service once it returns to the Transportation Ministry’s jurisdiction.
Regev noted that several international carriers — including Tus Airways, Blue Bird, Red Wings, FlyDubai, Etihad Airways, and a Chinese airline — have already requested to reinstate flights to Israel. However, she explained, “Most foreign airlines have already redeployed their planes for the summer season, which means many of the flights will be operated by the Israeli fleet.”
El Al Airlines announced Tuesday that, “Following the ceasefire that took effect today and subject to the expansion of the rescue flight framework, El Al is preparing to ramp up its flight schedule to and from Israel starting today. The airline is working to establish an airlift to bring passengers back to Israel, operating its fleet around the clock to add thousands of seats in the coming day.”
According to the airline, “Most El Al passengers are currently in one of the eight destinations where we have continued to operate flights. We will strengthen these routes while gradually expanding the destination list. Tonight (Tuesday), rescue flights from Budapest and Bucharest will also take off.”
El Al also stated that “once the passengers booked on rescue flights are accommodated, we will open the remaining seats for public booking. Note that we have fixed one-way inbound flight prices for non-El Al customers through the end of June. Flights from Los Angeles went on sale today via the El Al website and travel agents.”
Israir also confirmed that it is preparing to expand its flight operations, pending the continuation of the ceasefire and approval from the Transportation Ministry, Israel Airports Authority, and other relevant agencies.
“In the coming days, Israir will increase the number of flights and destinations, subject to required approvals,” the airline said. Planned upcoming destinations include Athens, Larnaca, Varna, Tbilisi, Rome, London, Budapest, and Batumi.
“Israir remains committed to expanding its routes in order to safely bring all Israelis home,” the airline added. “Once approvals are granted, seats will be made available for purchase on our website. We urge travelers to check our site and social media for updates. We hope for quieter days ahead and a swift return to normalcy.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
Extensive triple digit heat, broken temperature records and oppressive humidity piled up into a steaming mess as the heat dome crushing the Eastern half of the nation sizzled to what should be its worst Tuesday. New York City’s John F. Kennedy Airport hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) a little after noon, the first time since 2013. More than 150 million people woke up to heat warnings and forecasters at the National Weather Service expected dozens of places to tie or set new daily high temperature records Tuesday. “Every East Coast state today from Maine to Florida has a chance of 100 degree actual temperature,” said private meteorologist Ryan Maue, a former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief scientist. “Getting Maine to 100 degrees is infrequent.” Tuesday’s heat came on top of 39 new or tied heat records Monday. But just as dangerous as triple digit heat is the lack of cooling at night, driven by the humidity. “You get the combination of the extreme heat and humidity but no relief,” said Jacob Asherman, a meteorologist at the weather’s service’s Weather Prediction Center. “It’s kind of been just everything stacked on top of itself…. It just speaks to how strong this heat wave is. This is a pretty, pretty extreme event.” Asherman and Maue said Tuesday is the peak of the high pressure system that sits on top of the Mid-Atlantic and keeps the heat and humidity turned up several notches. “It’s oppressing,” Maue said, adding that the dome is pushing the heat down. The heat hit New York City as residents headed to the polls to vote in the city’s primary election. In the Queens neighborhood of Jackson Heights, Rekha Malhotra was handing out flyers in support of Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani while wearing a pink electric fan around their neck. “It’s 90 bazillian degrees and here I am,” said Malhotra, an event DJ. “I could have been phone banking.” “I have all the things — hat, ice and this,” Malhotra added, pulling out a commercial-grade spray bottle from their bag. The heat and humidity during the day was compounded by humid nights where the temperatures don’t drop much and the human body and the electric bill don’t get a break to recover from the worst of the day, said Bernadette Woods Placky, chief meteorologist at Climate Central. “The longer the heat lasts, the more it wears on the body, the more it wears on the health, the more it where’s under the energy bill,” Woods Placky said. “So one day is going to take a hit, but then when that combines with another day and night, and then another day at night, it just continues to add up.” Amtrak reported delays Tuesday due to speed restrictions caused by the heat on routes that went through Washington, Philadelphia and New York. And in New Hampshire, two 16-year-old hikers were rescued from a mountain in Jaffrey late Monday afternoon, overcome by the heat, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department said. They were described as being in and out of consciousness and taken to a hospital. (AP)
A classified U.S. military intelligence assessment has concluded that last weekend’s airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure failed to cripple the country’s atomic ambitions, undercutting public claims by President Donald Trump and his defense officials that the mission delivered total destruction, according to a CNN report. According to four sources briefed on the findings, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) assessed that the strikes dealt heavy damage to aboveground structures but left Iran’s core nuclear capabilities—including its stockpile of enriched uranium and much of its centrifuge systems—largely intact. The analysis suggests Iran’s nuclear program has been set back by mere months, not years, and could resume at pace. “The centrifuges are largely intact,” one source told CNN. “The U.S. set them back maybe a few months, tops.” The DIA’s early findings, based on battlefield damage reports from U.S. Central Command, starkly contrast with the White House narrative. Trump claimed the mission had “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s enrichment sites, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth boasted the strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons. But the Pentagon’s own analysis tells a different story. Strikes on the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, Natanz, and Isfahan damaged power stations and aboveground infrastructure but failed to reach the deeply buried centrifuge halls protected by reinforced concrete and layers of bedrock. The White House has acknowledged the existence of the assessment but dismissed it as inaccurate and politically motivated. “This alleged assessment is flat-out wrong,” said press secretary Karoline Leavitt, accusing a “low-level loser” in the intelligence community of leaking top-secret information in an attempt to “demean President Trump” and discredit the military operation. Trump doubled down Tuesday morning, insisting, “Those pilots hit their targets. Those targets were obliterated… that place is demolished.” Defense Secretary Hegseth echoed that message, saying, “Everything we’ve seen indicates Iran’s nuclear weapons capability is now buried under rubble.” But top military leaders struck a more cautious tone. Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, said it was “way too early” to make a definitive call on whether Iran’s nuclear capabilities had been neutralized. Meanwhile, classified briefings for members of Congress were abruptly postponed on Tuesday without explanation. A scheduled House-wide briefing was canceled, while a Senate session was pushed to Thursday. The unexplained delays fueled speculation on Capitol Hill. Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY) posted on X, “Trump just canceled a classified House briefing on the Iran strikes with zero explanation. The real reason? He claims he destroyed ‘all nuclear facilities and capability’; his team knows they can’t back up his bluster and BS.” U.S. officials have long questioned whether the Pentagon’s Massive Ordnance Penetrators—30,000-pound “bunker buster” bombs—could effectively destroy Iran’s most fortified sites, especially the underground facilities at Fordow and Isfahan. Isfahan, believed to be Iran’s deepest and most secure nuclear site, was struck with Tomahawk missiles from a U.S. submarine, not bunker busters—a sign the U.S. military may have doubted their effectiveness. Adding to the concern: intelligence indicates Iran may be operating undisclosed nuclear facilities that were untouched by the strikes and remain functional. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The Department of Homeland Security is warning of a “heightened threat environment” following U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and the deputy FBI director says the bureau’s “assets are fully engaged” to prevent retaliatory violence, while local law enforcement agencies in major cities like New York say they’re on high alert. No credible threats to the homeland have surfaced publicly in the days since the stealth American attack. It’s also unclear what bearing a potential ceasefire announced Monday by the U.S. between Israel and Iran might have on potential threats or how lasting such an arrangement might be. But the potential for reprisal is no idle concern given the steps Iran is accused of having taken in recent years to target political figures on U.S. soil. Iranian-backed hackers have also launched cyberattacks against U.S. targets in recent years. The U.S. has alleged that Iran’s most common tactic over the past decade, rather than planning mass violence, has been murder-for-hire plots in which government officials recruit operatives — including reputed Russian mobsters and other non-Iranians — to kill public officials and dissidents. The plots, which Tehran has repeatedly denied engineering, have been consistently stymied and exposed by the FBI and Justice Department. “You run into this problem that it’s not like there’s this one sleeper cell that’s connected directly to command central in Iran. There’s a lot of cut-outs and middlemen,” said Ilan Berman, a senior vice president of the Washington-based American Foreign Policy Council. “The competence erodes three layers down.” Whether Iran intends to resort to that familiar method or has the capacity or ambition to successfully carry off a large-scale attack is unclear, but the government may feel a need to demonstrate to its people that it has not surrendered, said Jon Alterman, a Middle East expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “The capability to execute successfully is different from the capability to try,” he said. “Showing you’re not afraid to do this may be 90% part of the goal.” Hours after the attack on Saturday evening U.S. time, FBI and DHS officials convened a call with local law enforcement to update them on the threat landscape, said Michael Masters, who participated in it as founding director of Secure Community Network, a Jewish security organization that tracks Iranian threats. The DHS bulletin released over the weekend warned that several foreign terror organizations have called for violence against U.S. assets and personnel in the Middle East. It also warned of an increased likelihood that a “supporter of the Iranian regime is inspired to commit an act of violence in the Homeland.” “The amount of material that we’re tracking online is at such a fever pitch at the moment,” Masters said. A plot against President Donald Trump The Justice Department in November disclosed that it had disrupted a plot to kill Donald Trump before the 2024 election, a reflection of the regime’s long-running outrage over a 2020 strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassim Soleimani. The scheme was revealed to law enforcement by an accused Iranian government asset who spent time in American prisons for robbery and who is alleged to maintain a network of criminal associates enlisted by Tehran for surveillance and murder-for-hire plots. The man, Farhad Shakeri, told the FBI that a contact in Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary […]
In a powerful address delivered at a fundraising dinner for Keren Olam HaTorah, the mashgiach, Rav Don Segal, spoke about the current cuts in government funding to yeshivos and kollelim, declaring that this shift reflects the will of Heaven. “It is the will of Hashem at this time that the funding for yeshivos come solely from Jews who are shomrei Torah u’mitzvos, who fear Hashem,” he proclaimed.
The dinner took place at the home of philanthropist R’ Jimmy Khezrie, with many prominent supporters of Torah in attendance. Despite his frail health, Rav Segal made a special effort to attend. As he entered, the evening’s host acknowledged the mashgiach’s effort to be present “despite his weakness, in order to help save the yeshivos and kollelim.” The crowd rose to their feet to welcome him with heartfelt singing before taking their seats to listen to his words.
In his speech, Rav Segal framed the current funding crisis not as a misfortune but as a Divine opportunity. “The lack of government support is not a setback,” he said, “but rather a sign from Heaven. Hashem wants to bring merit to the Jewish people by having the Torah supported by them—not by those who do not observe Torah and mitzvos.”
He continued, “It seems that in order for klal Yisroel to be saved, Torah must now be sustained with pure funds, given by yirei Hashem who uphold the holy Torah. That is why Hashem has brought us to this point, where the money that supports Torah will come from religious Jews—from bnei Torah across all circles—so that the funds are zach, pure. As the Chovos Halevavos writes, ‘The little that is pure is the greatest.’ It may be less—but it is pure—and that makes it far more.”
{Matzav.com}
Early US intel suggests American strikes did not destroy Iran’s nuclear sites and likely only set the program back by months, according to CNN. The White House has flat-out denied the report.
Iran’s nuclear chief acknowledged Tuesday that the country’s nuclear infrastructure sustained major damage in the wake of a punishing 12-day Israeli-led military campaign, with U.S. forces joining in the final stage of the strikes. Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said Tehran had anticipated damage to its nuclear sites and is already taking steps to restore operations. “The plan is to prevent interruptions in the process of production and services,” Eslami told the state-run Mehr News Agency. American and Israeli officials believe the bombardment set back Iran’s nuclear ambitions by years. However, it remains unclear how the international community intends to prevent Iran from rebuilding and reactivating its nuclear sites in the wake of Tuesday’s ceasefire announcement by President Trump. Trump urged both sides to observe the truce, declaring that “now is the time to stand down.” Iran and Israel each confirmed the ceasefire shortly afterward—but within hours, Iran violated it by launching two missiles at northern Israel. Iran’s ISNA news agency denied the missile launches took place, calling such reports “fabricated.” Meanwhile, Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said he reached out to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to propose talks and restore cooperation. “This is the time for diplomacy,” Grossi posted on X, urging Iran to reengage with inspectors and allow renewed oversight of its nuclear activities. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent on Capitol Hill: “I had a very successful lunch meeting with the Senators…President Trump is doing peace deals, tax deals, trade deals. He’s done a peace deal, I think we’ll have the tax deal done by July 4th, and then we can finish with the trade deals.”
Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon: “I think that President Trump deserves a Nobel Peace Prize.”
Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is reportedly considering calling early elections following Israel’s military campaign against Iran, which has garnered widespread domestic support and is being hailed as a strategic victory.
According to Channel 12, members of Netanyahu’s inner circle are urging him to capitalize on the success of the operation and the resulting bump in public approval to bolster his standing in a potential election.
The report noted that Netanyahu would likely campaign on a platform focused on forging diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia and blocking the creation of a Palestinian state.
Netanyahu has faced declining support in public opinion polls since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, with most surveys showing that his bloc would struggle to secure a parliamentary majority if elections were held. But a recent poll conducted late last week showed a resurgence in support for his Likud party.
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Netanyahu appeared to signal his political ambitions, stating that he still had “many missions” ahead of him and intended to continue pursuing them “for as long as the people” of Israel want him to.
Although the current Knesset is not scheduled to dissolve until October 2026, there is growing speculation that the government may not last that long due to increasing tension within Netanyahu’s coalition.
A major flashpoint expected in the upcoming Knesset session is the demand from Netanyahu’s chareidi partners for legislation that would permanently exempt yeshiva students from mandatory army service — a controversial issue that has stirred public debate and coalition unease.
Budget battles may further complicate the prime minister’s path, as disagreements loom over how to allocate funds for Israel’s ongoing military conflicts. The divisions within the coalition could deepen as fiscal pressures mount.
Given the internal discord and looming legislative battles, Netanyahu may see early elections as a strategic opportunity to reassert control and possibly expand his party’s influence in the Knesset.
The coalition was nearly upended earlier this month due to the stalemate over the draft exemption law. United Torah Judaism and Shas, two key chareidi factions, threatened to trigger new elections if their demands were not met.
During that crisis, a Channel 12 survey showed Naftali Bennett outpacing Netanyahu in a hypothetical election, amid criticism of the government’s handling of the Gaza war and its perceived concessions to chareidi groups.
However, that momentum appears to be shifting. A Channel 13 poll conducted on June 19 indicated that Likud had rebounded from 24 to 27 seats, placing it once again as the Knesset’s largest party. Nonetheless, the current coalition as a whole remained short of a majority, projected to secure just 50 out of 120 seats.
The military strikes against Iran appear to have boosted Netanyahu’s popularity, with the air campaign being broadly viewed as a success. The United States’ role — particularly its strike on three major Iranian nuclear sites this past Sunday — is being celebrated in Israel as a diplomatic and strategic win for Netanyahu.
{Matzav.com}
Steve Bannon is a raging antisemite. He just needs someone to help him come out of the closet and say it.
At a trucking school in New Jersey, students are maneuvering 18-wheelers around traffic cones. Other future drivers look under hoods to perform safety checks, narrating as they examine steering hoses for cracks and leaks. An instructor glides between speaking Spanish and English as he teaches Manuel Castillo, a native Spanish speaker, how to inspect a school bus. They’re using a printed script of English phrases to practice what Castillo would say during a roadside inspection. Brushing up on English has taken on new urgency for future and current truck drivers after President Donald Trump issued an executive order saying truckers who don’t read and speak the language proficiently would be considered unfit for service. “A driver who can’t understand English will not drive a commercial vehicle in this country. Period,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said last month while announcing enforcement guidelines that take effect on Wednesday. Updated U.S. Department of Transportation procedures call for enhanced inspections to determine if commercial motor vehicle operators can reply to questions and directions in English, as well as understand highway traffic signs and electronic message boards. Truckers who learned English as a second language are concerned they may lose their jobs if they make a mistake or speak with a heavy accent while under questioning. Some have worked to improve their English fluency by taking classes, reciting scripts and watching instructional videos. “If it’s not the language that you prefer to use daily, you may get a little nervous and you may feel, ‘What if I say the wrong thing?’” said Jerry Maldonado, chairman of the board of the Laredo Motor Carriers Association, a trade association in Laredo, Texas, that represents approximately 200 trucking companies. “It’s going to be, at the end of the day, the interpretation of the officer, so that makes people nervous.” The guidance applies to truck and bus drivers engaged in interstate commerce. It aims to improve road safety following incidents in which truck drivers’ inability to read signs or speak English may have contributed to traffic deaths, the Transportation Department said. English requirement isn’t new Requiring truck drivers to speak and read English isn’t new, but the penalty for not meeting the proficiency standard is becoming more severe. To get a commercial driver’s license, applicants must pass a written test and be able to name the parts of a bus or truck in English as they check tire inflation, tread depth, lug nuts and coolants. The revised policy reverses guidance issued nine years ago, near the end of then-President Barack Obama’s final term, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. In 2016, the agency said drivers whose English skills were found lacking could receive a citation but not be prohibited from working. Before that, the penalty was getting placed on “out-of-service status.” “We have bridges that get hit because drivers don’t understand the signs on the bridges for things like height clearance,” Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association President Todd Spencer said. Practicing English phrases In Laredo, a border city where many residents speak a mix of English and Spanish, Maldonado’s association is offering free English classes on weekends to help truckers feel more confident in their ability to communicate. “Everybody knows what a stop sign looks like,” Maldonado said. “But if there’s construction or if there is an accident five miles down the road, and they have to put up a sign — ‘Caution, must exit now, […]
A halachic debate has emerged over whether weddings may be held during Bein HaMetzarim—the three-week period between the 17th of Tammuz and Tisha B’Av—amid the ongoing war between Israel and Iran.
While Sephardic Chief Rabbi Rav Yitzchak Yosef has ruled leniently in light of the national crisis, permitting weddings for both Sephardim and Ashkenazim during this time, Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Rav Kalman Ber has published a formal halachic response presenting the opposite view.
As previously reported by Matzav.com, Rav Yitzchak Yosef emphasized in a public psak that couples should not postpone their weddings due to the war. He wrote: “There is no greater sha’as hadchak (pressing circumstance) than this,” encouraging even those who generally follow stringent customs to be lenient this year. “One who is stringent will end up losing more than he gains,” Rav Yosef concluded.
However, in a detailed halachic letter responding to marriage registrars inquiring about Ashkenazi practice this year, Rav Kalman Ber ruled unequivocally that weddings remain prohibited during Bein HaMetzarim, despite the current wartime conditions.
In his response, Rev Ber laid out the foundational reasoning behind the long-standing Ashkenazi custom—as well as that of many Sephardic communities—not to hold weddings during this period. “Mourning and joy,” he wrote, “are inherently contradictory. One cannot combine the two.”
He added that these days are considered lo siman milsa—an inauspicious time for joyous events such as marriage—and that danger, even potential, carries greater weight than a standard prohibition. “Chamira sakanta me’issura—danger is treated more seriously than a simple prohibition,” he wrote, emphasizing that no halachic authority has permitted weddings during this time, especially not with celebratory feasts.
Rev Ber further noted that even on the night of the 17th of Tammuz, which marks the beginning of Bein HaMetzarim, the poskim did not allow weddings, even in extenuating circumstances.
Calling on the public to uphold the traditions of their forefathers and mourn the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash, Rev Ber encouraged all to refrain from weddings during this period. However, he clarified that Sephardim who follow the custom of permitting weddings until Rosh Chodesh Av may of course continue to do so.
He concluded: “Kol hamesabeil al Yerushalayim zocheh v’roeh b’simchasa—whoever mourns for Yerushalayim will merit to see its joy.”
{Matzav.com}
We would like to take this opportunity to publicly commend our team for their exceptional work and dedication over the past few weeks. Over the past 13 days, the YWN Live Blog consistently maintained an audience of over 10,000 concurrent viewers – 24 hours a day! During this period, our dedicated team published an impressive total of 1,100 articles in live time, keeping you all informed with the most accurate and important updates. Simultaneously, more than 1,300 posts were shared via the YWN WhatsApp status, which is followed by nearly 94,000 individuals, along with over 1,000 posts on the YWN WhatsApp Communities, which has nearly 50,000 participants. Additionally, the YWN homepage had record traffic, with hundreds of thousands of readers visiting multiple times each day. The YWN homepage was continuously updated with comprehensive, in-depth articles covering the latest developments in the conflict, as well as other major global news. In total, hundreds of articles were published to keep our readership well-informed. This incredible team around the globe, worked around the clock to bring our readers the latest news in a very worrisome time for our nation. May we soon report on the coming of Moshiach. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
“Jihad in NYC is Electing One of Our Own”: Queens Imam Sparks Outrage with Political Call Queens, NY — A fiery statement from Imam Ali of Queens is drawing sharp reactions after he declared during a recent speech that “Jihad in NYC is electing one of our own — Zohran Mamdani — for mayor.” The imam emphasized that “Jihad is not only fighting in Palestine; they need it to defend themselves. Jihad here is different.” He explained that in the local context, it means political engagement and Muslim unity, highlighting a larger strategy to increase Muslim political power in New York. Ali praised the community’s growing cohesion: “If London made it, why can’t NYC make it?” — a reference to London’s Muslim mayor, Sadiq Khan. The comments have sparked backlash online, with many questioning the use of religiously charged language like “jihad” in American political discourse. Others see it as a call to civic participation within the Muslim community. Zohran Mamdani, currently a New York State Assemblymember, has not publicly commented on the imam’s remarks.
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