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Thousands of Chareidim who avoid the army who had hoped to travel to Uman for Rosh Hashanah may now be unable to leave Israel after the Population and Immigration Authority implemented a new departure procedure that blocks anyone under an exit ban from completing the airline check-in process.

According to a report by Mordechai Halperin of Army Radio, the Population and Immigration Authority, which operates under the Interior Ministry headed by Shas, recently revised its departure procedures in coordination with the Attorney General’s office. The change is intended to prevent individuals subject to court-ordered travel bans from bypassing airport controls and leaving the country.

Until now, travelers were checked for exit restriction orders only when they reached passport control at the airport. According to the report, some Chareidi draft evaders were able to circumvent the automated checkpoint by closely following another traveler who was not subject to a travel ban, allowing them to pass through the gate after it opened for the other passenger.

Under the new system, anyone who is prohibited from leaving Israel will be prevented from checking in for a flight altogether. Airlines are now notified at the check-in stage that the traveler is subject to an exit restriction, effectively preventing that individual from proceeding through the airport and boarding a flight.

The report says organizations representing Chareidi draft evaders are outraged by the change. With preparations underway for the annual pilgrimage to Uman ahead of Rosh Hashanah, they believe thousands of draft evaders who had hoped to use the previous method to leave Israel will now be unable to make the trip.

Responding to the report, the Population and Immigration Authority said: “In recent months, the departure process from Israel has indeed been streamlined, and it was decided that anyone who has an exit restriction order against them will be informed of it at the beginning of the departure process from Israel rather than at the end, so that they can resolve the matter before beginning the process.”

{Matzav.com}

[COMMUNICATED]

As you may have heard, this week the OU Kosher-certified AgriStar facility in Postville, Iowa suffered a devastating fire. The damaged plant is responsible for a significant portion of kosher beef and chicken schechted and sold in the US. The loss is significant enough that we want to alert the tzibbur that they will likely feel the impact in the coming weeks, including reduced supermarket availability. We are working actively with AgriStar and other OU Kosher-certified shechita plants to ramp up production and minimize the impact on our community. 

We have also provided clear guidance to our mashgichim in the field on exercising extra zahirus at this time. Unfortunately, when supply is limited, it creates opportunity for unscrupulous individuals looking to profit at the expense of the ehrliche, kosher-observant public. This guidance includes: 

• Verifying that all incoming meat and poultry bear proper kashrus identification and required seals. 

• Carefully inspecting labels, packaging integrity, and hechsher markings before accepting deliveries. 

• Confirming that products are received only from approved suppliers and distributors. 

• Immediately reporting any discrepancies, or suspicious circumstances to their Rabbinic Coordinator before permitting the items to enter production or inventory. 

The Yerushalayim Municipality and the Hagihon Water and Sewage Corporation are warning residents to be on high alert after uncovering a sophisticated fraud scheme in which scammers are sending fake payment demands that closely resemble official municipal notices.

According to the municipality and Hagihon, the fraudulent requests are being distributed by individuals falsely claiming to represent the city or the water corporation. Officials said the scam is designed to trick residents and other recipients into sending money to unauthorized accounts.

Authorities explained that the fraudsters are using convincing documents featuring genuine-looking logos, project information, and other official details to make the payment requests appear legitimate and persuade victims that the demands are authentic.

The Yerushalayim Municipality and Hagihon emphasized that no payment should ever be made without first confirming the request directly with the appropriate official office. They also stressed that all payments must be sent only to the organizations’ authorized bank accounts.

Officials further warned that any notice involving a change in bank account information or any unusual payment request should immediately raise suspicion and be independently verified. They urged the public not to provide personal information or transfer funds in response to messages or documents that appear questionable.

The case has been turned over to the Israel Police and other law enforcement agencies for investigation. Meanwhile, the municipality and its Security Department are working to prevent additional incidents. Residents are being urged to remain vigilant, avoid sending money if there is any doubt about a payment request, contact the appropriate municipal service center for verification, and promptly report any suspected fraud to police.

{Matzav.com}

LONDON — In an unprecedented move that has sent shockwaves through the Chareidi community in the United Kingdom, the rabbanim of Golders Green have instructed that no Talmudei Torah or girls’ schools open for the new school year until every child has been placed in an appropriate educational institution.

The extraordinary directive, signed by all of the neighborhood’s rabbanim, orders school administrators to delay the opening of the zeman as long as more than 20 students remain without placements.

The letter is widely being described as a historic first for the London Chareidi community, with the rabbanim taking a firm stand on behalf of parents and children who have spent months anxiously waiting for acceptance into local schools.

At the outset of their letter, the rabbanim expressed deep appreciation for the administrators and volunteers who devote themselves tirelessly to maintaining the community’s educational institutions.

“At the outset,” the rabbanim wrote, “we express our gratitude and profound appreciation to the administrators and those involved in our holy institutions, who devote themselves day and night with unwavering dedication to educating the children of our community and sustaining our Torah institutions.”

The rabbanim then explained that despite those efforts, more than 20 students still had not secured placements for the coming school year.

“However, since there are still more than twenty students who, for whatever reason, have not found their proper place in the city’s educational institutions for the upcoming school year, and for several months these students and their parents have been sitting and waiting in tremendous anguish for the salvation that has yet to come, therefore we have come together, by virtue of the authority vested in the rabbanim of the city, to instruct that the schools and Talmudei Torah not open their doors for the new classes until every student has found the appropriate place for his education.”

The rabbanim acknowledged the significant cost of such a decision, recognizing that postponing the school year would result in widespread bittul Torah.

“We are fully aware that this involves bittul Torah for the other students as well. Nevertheless, this is an ‘eis la’asos LaHashem,’ and we set aside the Torah learning of the many.”

Among the signatories were the prominent Freshwater brothers, well-known philanthropists and benefactors who reside in the Golders Green community.

The dramatic directive quickly reverberated throughout London’s Chareidi community, placing immediate pressure on school administrators to resolve the placement crisis.

Within hours of the letter’s publication, the leadership of Beis Medrash Elyon (UK) issued a striking response to the rabbanim.

In an emotional letter, the administration said it has made every possible effort to accommodate every student seeking admission. However, it explained that the institution has reached its financial limits and simply lacks the funding necessary to expand.

The administrators directed sharp criticism toward London’s wealthy philanthropists, arguing that although the city is home to individuals capable of sustaining the entire Torah world, financial support has not kept pace with the growing need.

They urged the rabbanim to use their influence to encourage additional donations from community benefactors, insisting that the enrollment crisis is fundamentally the result of insufficient funding rather than any unwillingness on the part of the schools to accept students.

The letter concluded with a dramatic announcement.

Until the financial situation is resolved, the members of the administration said they are resigning from their positions and turning over the management of the institution—and the responsibility for its future—to the rabbanim of the city.

The unfolding developments have once again brought into focus a painful challenge confronting Chareidi communities around the world. Each year, as the school year approaches, families endure weeks and sometimes months of uncertainty while waiting for their children to be accepted into schools, with some students remaining without placements until the last moment—or even beyond.

Many within the educational community argue that the system too often treats families unequally, noting that children from well-connected or influential families frequently secure placements much more quickly than others facing similar circumstances.

In the wake of the Golders Green rabbanim’s unprecedented action, many are expressing hope that their decision will serve as a model for other communities. Supporters say they hope rabbanim elsewhere will adopt a similar approach, declaring that no Elul zeman should begin until every child—every boy and every girl—has found an appropriate place in a school where he or she can learn and thrive.

{Matzav.com}

A sharp dispute has broken out within Israel’s governing coalition after millions of shekels earmarked for Chareidi education and kindergarten teachers became stalled in the Knesset Finance Committee, triggering an escalating public clash between Degel HaTorah chairman MK Moshe Gafni, Shas leader Aryeh Deri, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Gafni is furious with Deri and Shas, accusing them of blocking the transfer of funding for Chareidi educational institutions and kindergarten teachers. According to Gafni’s camp, the money was part of an agreement he reached with Smotrich, under which Chareidi education funding would be approved in exchange for budgets benefiting Jewish communities in Yehudah and Shomron.

“Shas took the money intended for Chareidi kindergarten teachers hostage solely to extort funding for the Ministry of Religious Services,” officials in Degel HaTorah charged.

Shas, however, categorically rejected the accusations, arguing that Smotrich and Gafni negotiated the arrangement without consulting the party. According to Shas, the Finance Ministry has deliberately delayed funding for the Ministry of Religious Services as political retaliation, amid an ongoing dispute with the party over rabbinical appointments—a crisis first reported several weeks ago.

Party officials further claimed that the budget request for the Ministry of Religious Services was submitted too late to comply with the required 48-hour advance notification period, making it procedurally impossible for the Finance Committee to approve the allocation.

In private conversations, Deri has reportedly expressed unusually harsh criticism of Smotrich’s advisers. According to a recent report in Mishpacha magazine, Deri has even sarcastically referred to Smotrich as a “partner.”

Coalition officials are now scrambling to find a legal mechanism that would allow the Finance Committee to convene and approve the frozen allocations on an expedited basis while bypassing the opposition’s consent, which is ordinarily required during an election period. Without such a solution, the funding is expected to remain frozen indefinitely.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump vowed Wednesday that the United States would respond forcefully after Iran launched missiles overnight at American military bases in Jordan, declaring that the time had come for the U.S. to retaliate.

“We are going to hit them very hard. I can say that because there is very little they can do about it,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

The President said Iran had crossed a line by launching the attack despite knowing the consequences, insisting the United States would now answer with overwhelming force.

“We’re going to be hitting them very hard, because it’s our turn to hit them. They know it’s coming, they’re asking us not to do it. They tried shooting last night…we had five rockets shot going 8,500 mph, and all five rockets were knocked down to the ground – but they nevertheless took a shot, so it’s our turn,” Trump stated.

.@POTUS on Iran: "We're going to be hitting them very hard… We had five rockets shot going 8,500 mph, and all five rockets were knocked down to the ground — but they nevertheless took a shot, so it's our turn." pic.twitter.com/vG96gf2ZH4

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 29, 2026

Earlier in the day, Trump delivered an even more blunt warning during an interview with Fox News. “We are going to beat the …. out of them,” he said.

He continued, “We’ll be hitting them hard. They are going to get a beating.”

Trump described the overnight barrage as a surprise assault, saying American forces had only a matter of minutes to intercept the incoming missiles before they reached their targets.

The attack took place Tuesday night, when Iran fired missiles at sites in Jordan, ending several days without missile launches. It was also the first Iranian strike on a U.S. base in the region since Trump paused American military operations against Iran last Friday.

Later that evening, U.S. Central Command announced that American forces, working alongside the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces, carried out precision airstrikes in Iraq targeting Iran-backed terrorist groups that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had directed to attack U.S. troops and Saudi energy facilities.

“US and Saudi fighter aircraft struck multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq in a strong response to over 30 IRGC-directed aerial drone attacks in the last 72 hours,” CENTCOM said.

The command added, “The unwarranted attacks against US forces were not successful.”

{Matzav.com}

Anthony Fauci shocked lawmakers Wednesday by repeatedly invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination at the outset of a Senate hearing examining the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although Fauci declined to answer questions, the nearly four-hour hearing continued as Republican and Democratic senators pressed their respective cases.

Republicans on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, led by Chairman Rand Paul (R-Ky.), focused on Fauci’s handling of the pandemic, the origins of COVID-19, his role in promoting lockdowns, and federal support for gain-of-function research conducted overseas.

Democrats, meanwhile, criticized the hearing itself, arguing it was politically motivated. Ranking Member Gary Peters (D-Mich.) accused Paul of shutting minority members out of the committee’s investigative process and planning.

At the close of the hearing, Paul announced plans to initiate contempt of Congress proceedings against Fauci and also questioned the scope of the sweeping pardon President Joe Biden granted him in January 2025.

“Dr. Fauci isn’t liable for anything as long as he tells the truth, even if he admits that he destroyed records on a routine basis,” Paul suggested, adding that the ex-NIAID official “can’t be prosecuted for many of the things that are outside the statute of limitations as well.”

Here are the five biggest moments from Fauci’s testimony:

1. Fauci Invoked the Fifth 111 Times, Including Questions About CIA Funding

Throughout the hearing, Fauci declined to answer at least 111 questions by invoking the Fifth Amendment, refusing to respond to inquiries involving the origins of COVID-19, U.S. funding of gain-of-function research in China, and other issues.

One of the more striking exchanges came when Paul asked whether the CIA had ever provided funding to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Later in the hearing, Paul said the committee had obtained documents describing an agreement between the two agencies.

Fauci also declined to answer questions concerning his former senior adviser, David Morens, who has pleaded not guilty to charges involving the concealment and destruction of federal records. Paul further questioned Fauci about allegations that personal phones and private email accounts had been used to avoid public records requirements.

“Our investigation reveals your assistant diligently reported that she deleted tons of emails in 2024. You testified that you did not delete federal records. Who’s telling the truth?” Paul asked at one point.

“On February 2nd, 2020,” he added, citing an email exchange, “you told Francis Collins, ‘Please delete this email after you read it.’”

2. Rand Paul Ordered Fauci’s Attorney Removed From the Hearing

Tensions escalated when Paul instructed Capitol Police to escort Fauci’s attorney, David Schertler, from the hearing room after the lawyer repeatedly attempted to interrupt the proceedings.

It was not immediately clear whether Schertler was trying to read from a letter he had previously sent to Paul—a letter later referenced by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.)—but his attempts to interject prompted an angry response from the committee chairman.

“I’ve said my piece,” Schertler told Paul.

Paul fired back, “This is the way Anthony Fauci wants to be remembered: For a lawyer not listening to the rules. That’s the way you want to be remembered, and that’s what you’re going to do.”

“Would you allow me to make a short statement?” Schertler asked in response.

“You are not recognized, sir,” Paul said. “Security, please remove him from the room.”

Schertler is a well-known defense attorney who has also represented President Joe Biden’s physician as well as former Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.).

3. Republican Senators Blasted Fauci Over Lockdowns and Pandemic Policies

Several Republican members of the committee used their questioning time to accuse Fauci of promoting policies that they said devastated families, shuttered schools, damaged businesses, and led to unnecessary arrests.

Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) recalled the case of an Ohio family that attended a high school football game during the pandemic.

“There was a mom in Ohio during the depth of the coronavirus pandemic, decided to go to our high school football game for her son. They hadn’t been out much,” Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) recounted. “They sat alone, far from everybody else — just a mom, a dad, a few kids. They didn’t feel they needed to wear masks because it was stupid, because they were outside.”

“They were dragged out of that stadium and arrested,” Moreno fumed.

“When that story broke, I said to myself, I cannot stand idly on the side and watch this happen. It was about six years ago today that I decided I’m going to give up my businesses, sell them all, run for office, run for the United States Senate,” he added. “Here I am sitting in front of you six years later saying, who the f–k do you think you were for doing that?”

Sen. Ashley Moody (R-Fla.) focused on Fauci’s recently released NIAID diaries, which she argued contradicted his public insistence that he never recommended nationwide lockdowns.

“‘I spoke with Bill de Blasio, the mayor of NYC, and convinced him, based on what I was saying publicly and my conversation tonight to close the NYC schools, he had already decided, based on what I was saying on TV. I went on to tell him he should close the bars and restaurants in NYC, and he said he would do this based on my recommendation,’” Moody quoted from the diary entry.

“You even said that you told the president we should shut the whole country down,” she added. “Dr. Fauci, how do you square telling the American people publicly that you didn’t recommend locking anything down with your own diary entry, kept on federal government equipment, saying that your recommendation is what convinced the mayor and the president to lock things down.”

4. Hawley Accused Fauci of Using Government Staff to Pursue Personal Cash Awards

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) alleged that Fauci improperly used federal employees and government resources to help secure more than $1 million in prize money and awards during his tenure as NIAID director.

“You were using federal employees, with taxpayer money, to apply for and solicit cash prizes for you personally — cash prizes totaling over $1 million,” Hawley scolded Fauci.

“Besides the Dan David Award, you’ve got the Partnership for Public Service, you’ve got the Adelson Prize, you’ve got the Smithsonian Award, you’ve got the National Academy of Medicine’s award, you got the CDC Foundation,” Hawley added.

“In fact, you use eight separate federal employees, on federal time, using federal resources, to solicit cash awards. Isn’t that true?” asked Hawley.

Fauci again invoked the Fifth Amendment and declined to answer.

5. Joni Ernst Pressed Fauci on Research Using Aborted Fetal Tissue

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) confronted Fauci over National Institutes of Health-funded coronavirus research involving aborted fetal tissue, describing the experiments as deeply disturbing.

According to Ernst, researchers led by Dr. Ralph Baric at the University of North Carolina implanted tissue from aborted human fetuses into laboratory mice as part of coronavirus research.

“NIH-funded coronavirus researcher Dr. Ralph Baric and his colleagues at UNC put parts of livers, thymus and chunks of human fetal lung that they got from aborted, almost five-month-old human babies,” Ernst said. “They put those parts in their research mice. They disgustingly named them ‘BLT-L’ mice, and wrote they had created a ‘sandwich of aborted body parts in the mice.’”

“Get it folks? BLT, a BLT sandwich,” Ernst emphasized. “Thankfully, the current NIH director has said no more of this. Dr. Fauci, yes or no? Do you think that human aborted parts should be put into mice for coronavirus research?” she asked.

Fauci did not answer the question, again invoking his Fifth Amendment rights.

President Donald Trump will ultimately determine whether the United States launches military action against Iran, according to a senior Israeli diplomatic official, who said the latest discussions between Trump and Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu focused on one overriding goal: eliminating Iran’s nuclear threat, while weighing diplomatic, economic, and military options.

Speaking to reporters in Washington on Wednesday, the senior official said both leaders agreed that the objective is not simply carrying out a military operation but ensuring that Iran’s nuclear ambitions are brought to an end.

“The decision on whether to act militarily is up to the American President, unless Iran chooses to attack Israel, and the Iranians understand that Israel will respond,” the official stated.

The official said a significant portion of the meeting centered on three possible courses of action: negotiating a new agreement with Iran, tightening economic sanctions, or launching a major military strike. According to the source, Trump and Netanyahu examined the advantages and drawbacks of each option in detail.

He noted that “the Iranians transferred centrifuges to Pickaxe Mountain, but it is uncertain that they are enriching uranium.”

The official also said Israeli intelligence continues to assess that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, remains alive.

During the meeting, Netanyahu also outlined a long-term proposal to gradually eliminate American military aid to Israel over the next ten years. Under the plan, direct U.S. assistance would eventually be replaced by a broader strategic partnership while Israel significantly expands its own defense industry and weapons production capabilities.

The senior official also commented on the political backlash surrounding a Likud campaign video directed at Gadi Eisenkot. He said Netanyahu never personally viewed the video but was informed of the criticism it generated and believes that “it is right not to engage with bereavement from any side.” The official also accused the media of applying a double standard when reporting threats against the prime minister and his family, saying, “If it were the other way around, you would shut the country down.”

{Matzav.com}

Newly released government records have revealed the operating expenses for Israel’s prime ministerial residences during 2025 and the first half of 2026, detailing spending on food, maintenance, gardening, renovations, utility bills, and even food delivery services. The Prime Minister’s Office, however, insists the overall costs remain significantly lower than those incurred under previous prime ministers.

The figures, published Tuesday by Israel’s Movement for Freedom of Information, were obtained from the Prime Minister’s Office. According to the documents, total expenditures for the prime minister’s residences reached ₪1,979,517 in 2025. During the first six months of 2026, spending totaled ₪731,081.

The organization noted that, for the first time, this year’s records classify the Prime Minister’s private residence on Gaza Street alongside other private residences, in addition to the Netanyahu family’s home in Caesarea. The official Prime Minister’s Residence on Balfour Street, which is currently undergoing renovations, is now listed in the records as “support apartments.”

The 2025 spending breakdown shows ₪165,444 was spent on food and groceries, while ₪94,957 went toward landscaping work at the Caesarea residence. Another ₪2,700 was spent on Wolt food deliveries during August 2025, and ₪10,590 covered preventative work to address tree roots that had penetrated beneath the Caesarea property. The documents also include a redacted expenditure totaling ₪63,033, with no information provided regarding the vendor or the purpose of the payment.

During the first half of 2026, the records show ₪53,584 was spent on food, ₪14,986 on replacing a bathtub at the private Gaza Street residence, ₪31,509 on electricity bills, ₪42,698 on maintenance and upkeep, and ₪4,657 on replacing thermostats at the Caesarea residence.

Attorney Hidi Negev, CEO of the Movement for Freedom of Information, criticized the spending and the government’s handling of the records.

“Once again, we were forced to petition the court in order to expose information about the expenses of the Prime Minister’s residences, and once again a wasteful policy in the use of public funds at the Prime Minister’s residences has been revealed. At a time when the public is bearing a heavy economic burden and dealing with the consequences of the war, it is especially important to act responsibly and with full transparency regarding public expenditures,” Negev said.

The Prime Minister’s Office rejected the criticism, arguing that the published figures demonstrate that expenses during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s tenure are substantially lower than those recorded under previous administrations.

“The data published as part of the response show that the overall expenses for the residences during Prime Minister Netanyahu’s tenure are significantly lower than during the terms of previous prime ministers. For example, during former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s tenure, current operating expenses totaled ₪1,370,362 (excluding personnel and security costs), while during the comparable period under Prime Minister Netanyahu, those expenses amounted to just ₪465,319 (excluding personnel and security costs) — less than one-third of the spending during Bennett’s term,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu gave an unexpected response during a Fox News interview when asked how he would handle the possibility of an emergency landing in a country that recognizes the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against him, suggesting that Israel’s special forces would be ready if necessary.

During his interview with Sean Hannity, the prime minister was asked whether he worries that a medical emergency on an international flight could force his aircraft to land in a nation that recognizes the ICC warrant issued by the court in The Hague, potentially creating legal complications.

“You travel internationally. God forbid you have a medical emergency, and you need to land in a country that recognizes the ICC. It could complicate things. Do you worry about that?” Hannity asked.

Netanyahu acknowledged that the possibility has crossed his mind.

“Yes, I think about it,” he said.

He then appeared to joke about how Israel would deal with such a scenario, pointing to the country’s elite military units while recalling his own service in the IDF.

“We have special forces around. I served for five years,” Netanyahu said.

After Hannity observed that the IDF is widely regarded as one of the world’s toughest militaries, Netanyahu smiled and quipped, “Let’s give them a new task.”

{Matzav.com}

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) opened Anthony Fauci’s testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee with a blistering indictment, accusing the longtime public health official of misleading the public about COVID-19’s origins, funding risky research in Wuhan, and refusing to accept responsibility for the pandemic response.

Appearing before the committee, Fauci faced sharp criticism from Chairman Paul, who used his opening remarks to outline what he described as years of contradictions, particularly between Fauci’s public statements and the contents of his private diary.

“Publicly Anthony Fauci promoted the theory that the virus arose naturally, while privately he was well aware of a mountain of evidence suggesting the virus originated in the lab. The American people deserve answers,” Paul said. “The American people deserve to know why dangerous research was funded by NIAID in a totalitarian country, in a lab that lacked acceptable safety standards. The decision to fund dangerous gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China, will likely go down in history as perhaps one of the worst public health decisions.”

Paul said he had hoped Fauci would use the hearing to acknowledge mistakes and apologize for supporting research in Wuhan that has come under intense scrutiny. Instead, he argued, Fauci has continued to distance himself from the consequences of the government’s pandemic policies.

“Instead of an apology, you have for years avoided responsibility regarding the lockdowns. You argue that you did not personally issue every lockdown order, close every school, or impose every mandate,” Paul said, noting that officials across the nation invoked Fauci’s authority “to justify these decisions, and you presented your recommendations not as judgments open to debate, but as dictates of science itself, your own words demonstrate that you understood the influence you exercised.”

Paul contended that Fauci’s guidance played a central role in enabling the nationwide lockdowns, which he said devastated families, education, and businesses. He also pointed to Fauci’s own private notes, saying they revealed that many scientists initially believed a laboratory origin for the virus was plausible.

“While you concluded publicly that COVID occurred naturally, your private record tells a different story. In early 2020, your handpicked virologist warned that the virus appeared to have been manipulated in the lab. In a conference call concerning the origin of the virus, all but two of the participants believed deliberate insertion was possible,” Paul reminded Fauci.

Paul further asserted that Fauci quickly sought to determine whether the National Institutes of Health had financed the research now under suspicion, saying internal communications documented that effort.

“Your concern was not merely theoretical. That same week, you led an urgent effort to determine whether your own agency had funded the research related to these experiments that were now under suspicion,” he said. “Hours later, your assistant reported that the Wuhan experiments had indeed been reviewed and approved by the NIH.”

Expanding his criticism, Paul traced what he described as Fauci’s longstanding support for gain-of-function research, arguing that the controversy stretches back well before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In 2011, your agency funded Ron Fouchier’s laboratory when it mutated the avian flu until it could spread through the air between mammals. This was the the tipping point. This is when others became worried. You funded this. You advocated for this. The federal government’s own biosecurity board, though, recommended withholding the details of these experiments because of the danger the research posed. People were concerned that publishing it was publishing a roadmap to creating bio weapons around the world,” he said, adding, “But you sided with the gain-of-function scientist Fouchier and argued that the benefits of publishing the research far outweighed the risks.”

Paul also accused Fauci of changing his position depending on the audience, saying he broadly defended the value of gain-of-function research but later relied on narrow technical definitions when pressed by lawmakers.

“When you defended this research, you described its benefits in the broadest terms. But when Congress demanded accountability, you hid behind the narrowest possible definition. You can’t have it both ways,” Paul said, adding that Fauci’s “conduct concerning federal records raises further questions.”

The senator then turned to allegations involving federal records, claiming the committee’s investigation uncovered evidence that emails had been deleted despite laws requiring their preservation.

“It is a crime to destroy federal records. Yet our investigation reveals your assistant diligently reported that she deleted tons of emails in 2024,” he said, reminding Fauci he is appearing before the committee, compelled by subpoena.

Paul concluded by emphasizing that Fauci’s appearance before the panel was mandatory, while also referencing the pardon he received from President Joe Biden.

“You’re here today under duress. You’re here today because of the court ordering it. President Biden issued you a sweeping pardon extending back to 2014, the same pardon he gave to his son Hunter. A pardon may protect a person from criminal prosecution,” he said, noting it “doesn’t rewrite history.”

In his own opening remarks, Fauci announced that he would decline to answer questions from the committee, invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

{Matzav.com}

Nearly one out of every two Americans believes the United States should carry out the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, according to a newly released Economist/YouGov survey.

The poll found that 49 percent of respondents support the United States enforcing the ICC warrant for Netanyahu. Twenty-seven percent said the U.S. should not do so, while 23 percent said they were uncertain.

The International Criminal Court issued the warrant in November 2024, accusing Netanyahu of using starvation as a weapon of war and alleging crimes against humanity, including murder and persecution. The court also claims he deliberately directed attacks against Gaza’s civilian population.

The issue resurfaced last week after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani walked back his earlier pledge to arrest Netanyahu if the Israeli leader traveled to New York for this year’s United Nations General Assembly.

“It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant. The federal government, however, does,” Mamdani said in a video posed to the social platform X.

“And I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant,” he added.

Neither Israel nor the United States recognizes the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, as neither nation has ratified the treaty establishing the tribunal. The ICC, however, maintains that it has jurisdiction over matters involving the Palestinian territories.

The survey also found that 47 percent of Americans believe Netanyahu “is guilty of war crimes in Gaza,” while 24 percent rejected that assertion. Another 29 percent said they were unsure.

The Economist/YouGov poll was conducted between July 25 and July 27 and surveyed 1,559 adults. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.

President Donald Trump is reportedly urging Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to move more aggressively in reducing the number of recommended childhood vaccines, advancing a priority that has remained a focus throughout Trump’s second term, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

Citing people “familiar with the matter,” the Journal reported that Trump questioned Kennedy in May about “why he wasn’t doing more to probe the alleged connection between vaccines and autism.” According to the report, Kennedy was “taken aback” because he had previously understood that he was expected to downplay vaccine-related issues until after the midterm elections. The Journal said Trump’s comments made clear that he wanted the issue moved to the forefront.

“The president steers nearly every conversation with his health secretary back to the issue, some of the people said,” the Wall Street Journal reported. According to the report, Trump wants Kennedy to reduce the number of vaccines recommended for children by revising federal guidance. The effort is tied to Trump’s stated goal of lowering autism rates among children. Autism diagnoses have risen sharply over the past quarter century. Federal data showed the prevalence among 8-year-olds was 1 in 36 as of 2020, while Kennedy later said the rate had increased to 1 in 31 children as he unveiled a series of studies aimed at identifying “precisely what environmental toxins” may be contributing to autism.

“The epidemic is real,” Kennedy said at the time.

“Instead of listening to this canard of epidemic denial, all you have to do is start reading a little science, because the answer is very clear, and this is catastrophic for our country,” Kennedy continued, adding, “This is added to already astronomical healthcare costs. And then there’s an individual injury. These are kids that — this is a preventable disease. We know it’s an environmental exposure. It has to be. Genes do not cause epidemics.”

While Kennedy has faced criticism from left-wing opponents for questioning vaccine policies, he has consistently maintained that his objective is simply to ensure the public has access to “good information.”

Last September, Trump drew widespread attention during a press conference with health officials when he cautioned pregnant women about taking acetaminophen, commonly sold as Tylenol, citing what he described as a “very increased risk of autism.”

“I think I can say that there are certain groups of people that don’t take vaccines and don’t take any pills that have no autism. That have no autism. Does that tell you something? That’s currently, is that a correct statement by the way?” Trump said.

“There are some studies that suggest that. Yeah, with the Amish for example,” Kennedy said.

Trump has repeatedly said he supports vaccines while also arguing that the media and medical establishment should be more willing to examine whether some vaccines or ingredients could carry risks.

Last year, the Trump administration directed the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to remove the coronavirus vaccine from its recommended immunization schedule for healthy children and healthy pregnant women.

During the same period, Kennedy announced that a mercury-based preservative previously used in certain influenza vaccines would be eliminated from flu shots distributed in the United States.

Under the current childhood immunization schedule, infants receive more than a dozen vaccine doses during their first six months of life. Including annual influenza vaccinations and COVID-19 shots, children could receive more than 72 injections by the time they reach 18 years of age.

In March, President Trump signed an executive order “to acknowledge a recent Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) scientific assessment on childhood vaccines as a guiding resource for the Federal Government.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci, former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director, testified on the COVD-19 Pandemic before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

Elon Musk has taken another major step toward transforming X into an all-in-one digital platform with the official launch of X Money, a new financial services feature that allows users to bank, transfer money, pay bills, and make purchases without leaving the app.

According to Mashable, X Money is now available exclusively to X Premium and Premium+ subscribers, giving paying users access to a broad range of banking features directly within the platform. The new service combines peer-to-peer payments, money transfers, deposit accounts, and a physical Visa debit card into the social media experience.

X says users can handle many of the same financial tasks offered by traditional banks. Through the service, customers can send wire transfers, pay bills, mail checks, set up direct deposit for their paychecks, and transfer money to other X users. The company also says customers using direct deposit may receive their paychecks as much as two days ahead of schedule.

Among the centerpiece features is the X Card, a physical Visa debit card that provides three percent cash back on qualifying purchases and allows users to withdraw cash from ATMs worldwide without fees. The card is also compatible with Apple Pay and Google Pay, enabling contactless payments wherever those services are accepted.

The earnings on deposit accounts depend on a subscriber’s membership level. Premium+ members automatically receive a six percent Annual Percentage Yield on eligible deposits, while Premium subscribers can qualify for the same rate after meeting the company’s Direct Deposit eligibility requirements.

Customer deposits are maintained through Cross River Bank, X Money’s banking partner and an FDIC member institution. As a result, eligible deposits are federally insured for up to $250,000, providing the same level of protection available with conventional bank accounts.

Musk’s push into financial services is rooted in his earliest days as an entrepreneur. Long before purchasing Twitter, he launched an online payments company called X during the dot-com boom. That business later became part of what evolved into PayPal, where Musk built significant expertise in digital payments and financial technology.

The debut of X Money marks another milestone in Musk’s long-term effort to turn X into an “everything app”—a concept modeled after popular Asian super apps that combine social media, messaging, banking, shopping, and numerous other services within a single platform. Musk has repeatedly discussed this vision since acquiring the company, and it has also been highlighted by his biographers.

Musk had previously expressed confidence that financial services would arrive on X quickly, saying it would “blow his mind” if the platform failed to launch them before the end of 2024. After completing a limited testing phase earlier this year, X officially rolled out the service on Monday.

For now, X Money is being introduced to only a portion of U.S. users, with access restricted to Premium and Premium+ subscribers. The company has indicated that broader availability is expected in the future as the rollout expands.

The move represents a significant departure from the traditional separation of banking and social networking in the United States. While the concept is relatively new for the American market, similar all-in-one platforms have thrived overseas, particularly China’s WeChat, which combines messaging, social networking, payments, and a wide array of everyday services into a single digital ecosystem.

{Matzav.com}

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) warned Dr. Anthony Fauci that he could face serious consequences after the longtime public health official repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a contentious Senate hearing on Wednesday, announcing plans to pursue a contempt of Congress resolution against him.

Following Fauci’s repeated refusals to answer questions, Paul accused him of obstructing Congress and said the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee would vote on Aug. 5 on a measure holding Fauci in contempt.

“It’s against the law to obstruct an investigation of Congress. There will be repercussions for your refusal to testify,” Paul told Fauci, the longtime top government health official who led the pandemic response.

Ordinarily, invoking the Fifth Amendment protects witnesses from being penalized for declining to answer questions that could expose them to criminal liability, since the Constitution guarantees that right against self-incrimination.

Paul and other Republicans, however, argue that Fauci’s legal circumstances are unique because Joe Biden issued him a sweeping pardon covering all official conduct from 2014 through 2025. They contend that, with federal prosecution for actions during that period effectively off the table, Fauci cannot legitimately claim fear of federal criminal charges for questions related to those years.

Even so, Fauci could still theoretically face state or local criminal charges in some circumstances, as well as federal prosecution if he were to make false statements under oath. Fauci has maintained that he believes Paul’s objective is to trap him into making statements that could later be used in a perjury case.

The legal dispute is further complicated by Congress’ authority to hold uncooperative witnesses in contempt. The Senate could seek a civil contempt order compelling Fauci to testify, exposing him to possible fines or even jail if he continued refusing. Although Congress also retains the rarely used power of “inherent contempt,” which could allow the Senate sergeant-at-arms to arrest and detain a witness, that authority has not been exercised in nearly 100 years.

Lawmakers also have the option of pursuing criminal contempt by referring the matter to the Justice Department. Paul pointed to previous contempt cases involving Trump advisers Peter Navarro and Steve Bannon, both of whom were convicted after refusing to cooperate with the House Jan. 6 investigation. Unlike Fauci, however, Navarro and Bannon declined to appear altogether and based their refusals on executive privilege rather than the Fifth Amendment. Each ultimately served four-month prison sentences.

After Paul declared that Fauci would face consequences, Fauci’s attorney, David Schertler, attempted to address the committee, arguing that the Constitution protected his client’s actions. Paul instead directed security officers to escort Schertler from the hearing room.

“It was outrageous for Sen. Paul to exclude his counsel for counsel making a legitimate legal point,” Schertler said in a statement. “It proves the baseless and vindictive nature of this proceeding and Rand Paul’s personal vendetta against Dr. Fauci.”

Legal experts have also noted another potential complication for Fauci. If a court ultimately determines that his invocation of the Fifth Amendment was not legally justified, he may not be able to defend himself by arguing that he relied on his attorneys’ legal advice. A 1961 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit held that an advice-of-counsel defense is unavailable to individuals charged with willfully defying Congress.

Although some judges have questioned the reasoning behind that decades-old precedent in more recent cases, the appeals court has thus far declined to reconsider the ruling.

During the hearing, Paul accused Fauci of concealing the true origins of COVID-19—which Paul believes emerged from a Chinese laboratory that received U.S. research funding—and criticized him over school and church closures implemented during the pandemic. Fauci repeatedly refused to answer those questions.

“On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution,” he said.

In his opening statement, Fauci argued that Paul’s investigation was motivated by a desire to prosecute him rather than uncover facts, citing what he described as the senator’s long-running campaign against him.

Fauci said in his opening statement he thought Paul aimed to entrap him, citing his “obvious obsession with calling for my prosecution, his repeated slanderous comments about me, and recently his publicly releasing my unredacted personal diary aimed at embarrassing and intimidating me.”

Paul closed the hearing by indicating that the investigation was far from over, saying he would explore “appropriate actions” to pursue Fauci further.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump blasted Dr. Anthony Fauci on Wednesday, accusing the longtime public health official of promoting disastrous COVID-19 policies, shielding China from blame, and wielding harmful influence during the pandemic as Fauci prepared to testify before the Senate.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump defended his administration’s response to the coronavirus outbreak while contrasting it with Joe Biden’s record, arguing that the United States suffered far more COVID-19 deaths during Biden’s presidency than during his own first term.

The president praised Operation Warp Speed, describing the initiative as “a SPECTACULAR SUCCESS,” and declaring that it was “one of the most successful things ever done by an American President.”

Trump also reiterated his longstanding belief that the coronavirus originated at a laboratory in Wuhan, China, saying he believed that from the very beginning and accusing Fauci of repeatedly trying to discredit that conclusion.

“I said from the beginning that the Virus came from the Wuhan Laboratory in China,” Trump wrote. “Fauci strongly disagreed, always trying to protect China.”

Trump went on to say that he increasingly ignored Fauci’s recommendations during his presidency, criticizing the infectious disease expert’s shifting guidance on masks and his calls for broader government shutdowns.

“I overrode Fauci on this. His ideas were CRAZY!” Trump wrote. “I went the Federalist way, and let the governors decide. The Republican governors did a much better job than the Dumocrats.”

The president further claimed that after the 2020 election, he cautioned Biden against relying on Fauci, but said the warning went unheeded and that Fauci instead was given “vast destructive power.”

Trump’s comments came just hours before Fauci was scheduled to appear before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee after being subpoenaed by Chairman Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

Paul has spent years examining the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, including whether U.S.-funded research conducted in China played any role in the outbreak.

Ahead of the hearing, the Kentucky senator released more than 1,000 pages from Fauci’s personal pandemic diary, contending that the documents reveal discrepancies between Fauci’s private views and the statements he made publicly during the health crisis.

Fauci’s legal team has dismissed Paul’s accusations as “absolutely baseless,” while more than 150 infectious disease experts signed a public letter backing the retired physician and calling on Congress to halt what they characterized as politically driven investigations.

A major focus of the hearing was expected to be whether National Institutes of Health funding routed through EcoHealth Alliance helped finance coronavirus research at a Wuhan laboratory that critics have argued involved dangerous experiments.

Fauci has consistently denied that NIH funding supported experiments capable of creating the virus responsible for the pandemic, maintaining that the available scientific evidence points more convincingly to a natural origin than to a laboratory leak.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump vowed a forceful military response Wednesday after Iran launched an overnight missile attack targeting American forces in Jordan, warning that Tehran would face severe consequences for the assault.

Speaking with Fox News, Trump made clear that the United States would not allow the attack to go unanswered.

“We are going to beat the …. out of them.”

He followed that warning with another blunt promise of retaliation.

“We’ll be hitting them hard. They are going to get a beating.”

Trump described the missile barrage as an attempted surprise attack, saying U.S. troops had only a matter of minutes to defend themselves before the incoming missiles reached their targets.

The attack occurred Tuesday night, when Iran fired missiles at sites in Jordan. It marked Tehran’s first missile strike against a U.S. military installation in the region since President Trump suspended American strikes on Iran last Friday, and the first Iranian missile attack in several days.

According to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the assault began at approximately 5:45 p.m. Eastern Time, when Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched multiple ballistic missiles toward American positions in the Middle East. U.S. air defenses successfully intercepted every missile before it could inflict damage.

“At 5:45 p.m. ET today, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iran in an attempted surprise attack on US forces based in the Middle East. All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted. US forces remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness.”

Later in the evening, CENTCOM announced that American forces, working alongside the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces, carried out coordinated precision strikes against Iran-backed terrorist targets in Iraq that had been directed by the IRGC to attack U.S. troops and Saudi energy facilities.

“US and Saudi fighter aircraft struck multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq in a strong response to over 30 IRGC-directed aerial drone attacks in the last 72 hours,” said CENTCOM.

The military emphasized that Iran’s latest offensive failed to achieve its objectives.

“It added, “The unwarranted attacks against US forces were not successful.”

CENTCOM also highlighted the broader pattern of escalating violence, noting that Iran-backed militias operating in Iraq carried out more than 600 attempted attacks against American personnel and facilities between February and April 2026.

{Matzav.com}

A boutique hotel on Thailand’s Koh Phangan island has come under fire after displaying a message on its Booking.com listing stating that Israeli guests are “not recommended,” prompting an investigation by the booking platform into possible discrimination.

The controversy centers on the Shanti Boutique Hotel in the Srithanu area, a destination that has long been popular with Israeli travelers. Despite the backlash, the hotel maintains strong customer ratings, earning an 8.6 score on Booking.com and a 4.8 rating on Google.

The message, written in red across several photos in the hotel’s online gallery, read: “Not recommended for Israeli guests.” It appeared on images of the property’s swimming pool, guest rooms, and other areas throughout the hotel.

The notice appears to conflict with Booking.com’s policies, which prohibit participating properties from refusing reservations or imposing different conditions on guests based on nationality or other protected characteristics.

Booking.com told Ynet that it has launched a comprehensive investigation into the matter following inquiries about the listing. As of now, the hotel has not issued a public response.

LAKEWOOD, N.J. — A disturbing act of antisemitic vandalism has shocked the Lakewood, NJ community after swastikas fashioned from yellow tape were discovered inside a local shul on Wednesday morning.

The offensive symbols were found throughout Ohel Shulamit, a Sefardic shul located on Spruce Street, just east of River Avenue, where someone had carefully arranged strips of yellow tape into the shape of swastikas and affixed them to various locations inside the building.

Among the locations targeted were seforim shranks in the bais medrash and a hot water urn.

There were no signs of forced entry.

Authorities are expected to investigate how access to the building was obtained, as well as whether surveillance footage or other evidence can help identify the person responsible.

{Matzav.com}