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Last night, IDF says it foiled yet another attempt to smuggle weapons into Israel from Egypt using a drone. The drone was found to be ferrying 19 handguns and three machine guns. The contraband and drone were handed over to police.

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu responded Monday night to a joint threat from the governments of the United Kingdom, Canada, and France, who warned that Israel could face sanctions if it does not halt its war effort in Gaza.

“By asking Israel to end a defensive war for our survival before Hamas terrorists on our border are destroyed and by demanding a Palestinian state, the leaders in London, Ottawa and Paris are offering a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel on October 7 while inviting more such atrocities,” he said.

Netanyahu stressed the origins of the current conflict, pointing directly to the brutal attack carried out on Israeli soil.

“The war began on October 7 when Palestinian terrorists stormed our borders, murdered 1,200 innocent people and abducted over 250 more innocents to the dungeons of Gaza,” he added.

He emphasized that Israel is aligned with the peace framework proposed by President Trump and called on European nations to do the same.

“Israel accepts President Trump’s vision and urges all European leaders to do the same. The war can end tomorrow if the remaining hostages are released, Hamas lays down its arms, its murderous leaders are exiled and Gaza is demilitarized. No nation can be expected to accept anything less and Israel certainly won’t,” Netanyahu stated.

Framing the conflict in broader terms, Netanyahu concluded with a defiant message about Israel’s determination.
“This is a war of civilization over barbarism. Israel will continue to defend itself by just means until total victory is achieved,” he concluded.

His remarks came in response to a strongly worded joint statement issued by the leaders of the UK, France, and Canada earlier in the day, condemning Israel’s continued military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

“We strongly oppose the expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza. The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable,” the statement read.

The three leaders criticized Israel’s limited humanitarian response, saying the recent permission to allow minimal food aid into Gaza was “wholly inadequate,” and they urged Israel to “stop its military operations” and “immediately allow humanitarian aid” into the region.

They also insisted that Israel work with the United Nations to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance and called on Hamas to free all remaining hostages.

In the joint letter, the governments accused Israel of obstructing life-saving aid and warned that such actions “risk breaching International Humanitarian Law.”

Additionally, they condemned comments from Israeli officials that suggested the relocation of Gaza’s civilian population, asserting that “permanent forced displacement is a breach of international humanitarian law.”

“We condemn the abhorrent language used recently by members of the Israeli Government, threatening that, in their despair at the destruction of Gaza, civilians will start to relocate,” the statement continued.

Although the trio reaffirmed that Israel was the victim of a “heinous attack” on October 7 and reiterated its right to defend itself, they argued that Israel’s current military operations were “wholly disproportionate.”

They cautioned that if Israel does not reverse course and lift humanitarian restrictions, “further concrete actions” will follow.

The statement also took aim at Israeli construction in Judea and Samaria, declaring such activities illegal and counterproductive to peace efforts. “We will not hesitate to take further action, including targeted sanctions,” the leaders cautioned.

Expressing approval for mediation efforts being led by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt, the joint declaration urged immediate progress toward a ceasefire, the safe return of all hostages, and a pathway toward achieving a two-state solution.

{Matzav.com}

A senior official with the California Civil Liberties Program publicly celebrated former President Joe Biden’s cancer diagnosis and expressed hope that President Donald Trump will suffer a similar fate—comments she linked explicitly to the presidents’ support for Israel in its war against Hamas. Zahra Billoo, executive director of the San Francisco chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and a sitting member of California’s state civil rights advisory board, called Biden’s aggressive prostate cancer diagnosis “God’s wrath” for his handling of the Israel-Hamas war. She added she hopes the president’s cancer proves “as aggressive” as the IDF in Gaza. Billoo isn’t the only one celebrating Biden’s diagnosis. Former Bernie Sanders surrogate Shaun King called Biden a “genocidal monster” and added, “I hope his final days are painful.” Taylor Lorenz, a former Washington Post reporter, went further, writing, “Hopefully [Biden] rots in hell and rests in piss.” Billoo’s remarks have sparked calls for California Governor Gavin Newsom to respond. Newsom’s office, which frequently collaborates with CAIR on civil rights and hate crime issues, declined to comment on the matter. Billoo was appointed to the state civil liberties advisory panel in 2018 by then-Governor Jerry Brown and continues to serve despite the board not having convened since last year due to budget constraints. The episode is reigniting concerns about Newsom’s ties with CAIR, which has faced mounting criticism for inflammatory rhetoric and its leaders’ support of terrorist groups. In December 2023, CAIR’s national director Nihad Awad publicly declared he was “happy to see” Hamas’s October 7 massacre of 1,200 Israeli civilians. Billoo herself has previously mourned Hamas figures, describing the death of senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh as “martyrdom” and saying his legacy would live on. Despite such rhetoric, Newsom’s administration has awarded millions of dollars in state security grants to Islamic institutions with controversial affiliations. One such recipient, the Islamic Center of San Diego—linked to two of the 9/11 hijackers—received $500,000. The mosque’s imam later called Hamas’s October 7 attack “justified.” In the days following the Oct. 7 attack, the Newsom administration publicly quoted CAIR leader Hussam Ayloush in a press release announcing increased funding to secure houses of worship. Newsom later met with Ayloush and other CAIR leaders in early 2024, shortly before he publicly called for a ceasefire in Gaza. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Inside a mountain above the Syrian capital, Hassan Bashi walked through tunnels that used to be filled with water from a spring famous for its pure waters. The spring rises inside the ruins of a Roman temple in the Barada Valley and flows toward Damascus, supplying the city with drinking water for thousands of years. Normally, during the winter flood season, water fills all the tunnels and washes over much of the temple. Now, there is only a trickle of water following the driest winter in decades. Bashi, who is a guard but also knows how to operate the pumping and water filtration machines in the absence of the engineer in charge, displayed an old video on his cell phone of high waters inside the ruins. “I have been working at the Ein al-Fijeh spring for 33 years and this is the first year it is that dry,” Bashi said. The spring and the Barada River that it feeds are the main source of water for 5 million people, supplying Damascus and its suburbs with 70% of their water. As the city suffers its worst water shortages in years, many people now rely on buying water from private tanker trucks that fill from wells. Officials are warning that the situation could get worse in the summer and urge residents to use water sparingly while showering, cleaning or washing dishes. “The Ein al-Fijeh spring is working now at its lowest level,” said Ahmad Darwish, head of the Damascus City Water Supply Authority, adding that the current year witnessed the lowest rainfall since 1956. The channels that have been there since the day of the Romans two millennia ago were improved in 1920 and then again in 1980, he said. Darwish said the spring water comes mainly from rainfall and melted snow off the mountains along the border with Lebanon, but because of this year’s below-average rainfall, “it has given us amounts that are much less than normal.” There are 1.1 million homes that get water from the spring, and in order to get through the year, people will have to cut down their consumption, he said. The spring also feeds the Barada River, which cuts through Damascus and which is also mostly dry this year. In the city’s eastern area of Abbasids, Bassam Jbara is feeling the shortage. His neighborhood only gets water for about 90 minutes a day, compared with previous years when water was always running when they turned on the taps. Persistent electricity cuts are making the problem worse, he said, as they sometimes have water but no power to pump it to the tankers on the roof of the building. Jbara once had to buy five barrels of undrinkable water from a tanker truck that cost him and his neighbors $15, a large amount of money in a country where many people make less than $100 a month. “From what we are seeing, we are heading toward difficult conditions regarding water,” he said, fearing that supplies will drop to once or twice a week over the summer. He is already economizing. “The people of Damascus are used to having water every day and to drinking tap water coming from the Ein al-Fijeh spring, but unfortunately the spring is now weak,” Jbara said. During Syria’s nearly 14-year civil […]

IDF forces operating in Gaza recently came across a handwritten message that included the full name of hostage Matan Zangauker, written in both Hebrew and English, along with his identification number and a message in Arabic.

The note was uncovered deep within a major Hamas tunnel network. According to reports, it was passed along to Matan’s mother, Einav Zangauker, who confirmed that the handwriting belonged to her son.

Haaretz revealed that the message was located in a large subterranean Hamas facility where both deceased hostages and high-ranking members of the terror group had been held.

Reacting to the discovery, Einav expressed her ongoing concerns over the IDF’s current strategy.

“For almost 600 days, I have been warning that military pressure leads to the death of hostages. Matan survived by a miracle; he could have been murdered or killed due to the military pressure. We cannot keep pressing our luck.”

She urged Israel’s leadership to take immediate steps toward resolving the crisis.
“The Israeli government must put forward a comprehensive agreement to end the war and return all the hostages, both men and women. The war has taken the lives of too many hostages, as well as heroic soldiers, both men and women.”

{Matzav.com}

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Vice President JD Vance pushed back Monday against a report from Axios claiming he had scrapped a trip to Israel due to the Israel Defense Forces stepping up military operations in Gaza.

Before boarding a flight from Rome, Vance addressed the media and was asked if the report was accurate.

“Well, I think there’s a lot of overstatement there. I haven’t seen the story, to be clear, so I don’t want to speak to the details,” the Vice President replied.

Vance explained that while a trip to Israel was under consideration, it wasn’t the only destination being discussed.

“But the simple reason is, we thought about going to Israel. We also thought about going to a couple of other countries that the president would like me to visit here in the next few months. Logistically, it was just a little bit too hard on basic things like who is going to take care of our kids if we take another couple of days overseas,” he said.

He went on to cite more technical and planning-related factors that influenced the decision.
“But on – some more serious things, like how do we provide security, how do we make sure that we get – all the assets that we need in order to do the right official delegation.”

“So, I’m sure we’ll visit Israel sometime in the future, but not today,” Vance concluded.

The initial report came Sunday from journalist Amit Segal, who said Vance was expected to land in Israel on Tuesday.

However, the White House was quick to reject those claims. A White House spokesperson stated, “Media reports that the vice president will visit Israel are false,” emphasizing that Vance was scheduled to return to Washington on Monday.

{Matzav.com}

The World Health Organization’s member countries on Tuesday approved an agreement to better prevent, prepare for and respond to future pandemics in the wake of the devastation wrought by the coronavirus. Sustained applause echoed in a Geneva hall hosting the WHO’s annual assembly as the measure — debated and devised over three years — passed without opposition. The treaty guarantees that countries which share virus samples will receive tests, medicines and vaccines. Up to 20% of such products would be given to the WHO to ensure poorer countries have some access to them when the next pandemic hits. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has touted the agreement as “historic” and a sign of multilateralism at a time when many countries are putting national interests ahead of shared values and cooperation. Dr. Esperance Luvindao, Namibia’s health minister and the chair of a committee that paved the way for Tuesday’s adoption, said that the COVID-19 pandemic inflicted huge costs “on lives, livelihoods and economies.” “We — as sovereign states — have resolved to join hands, as one world together, so we can protect our children, elders, frontline health workers and all others from the next pandemic,” Luvindao added. “It is our duty and responsibility to humanity.” The treaty’s effectiveness will face doubts because the United States — which poured billions into speedy work by pharmaceutical companies to develop COVID-19 vaccines — is sitting out, and because countries face no penalties if they ignore it, a common issue in international law. The U.S., traditionally the top donor to the U.N. health agency, was not part of the final stages of the agreement process after the Trump administration announced a U.S. pullout from the WHO and funding to the agency in January. (AP)

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary delivered a pointed message on Monday, warning that the airline’s tolerance for persistent safety-related delays at Ben Gurion Airport is wearing thin. According to Reuters, O’Leary suggested that Ryanair could potentially shift its aircraft to alternative routes across Europe if the issues in Israel continue.

In a call with analysts reviewing the airline’s annual earnings, O’Leary did not hold back his displeasure over the operational challenges in Tel Aviv.

“I think we’re running out of patience too with Israel … flights to and from Tel Aviv,” he said.

He went on to caution that if the instability persists, Ryanair might have no choice but to move its planes elsewhere.

“If they’re going to keep being disrupted by these security disruptions, frankly, we’d be better off sending those aircraft somewhere else in Europe.”

Ryanair is among a number of global carriers that halted service to Israel in response to the conflict in Gaza and the threat of missile strikes targeting Ben Gurion Airport.

Service was reinstated by Ryanair on February 1, 2024, following a reduction in rocket fire due to the dwindling arsenal of Hamas and the extensive dismantling of its military infrastructure. But within weeks, the airline suspended operations again amid renewed safety concerns.

In January, the budget airline had begun offering tickets on multiple routes in and out of Tel Aviv, indicating its expectation to restart service by the end of March.

However, after a rocket launched by the Houthi rebels in Yemen landed close to Ben Gurion Airport’s runways last week, Ryanair once more called off flights to and from Israel—this time extending the suspension until at least June 5.

{Matzav.com}

Iran’s supreme leader on Tuesday pushed back against U.S. criticism of the country’s nuclear program, saying that Tehran won’t seek permission from anyone to enrich uranium and calling American statements “nonsense.” “They say, ‘We won’t allow Iran to enrich uranium.’ That’s way out of line,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said during a memorial for late President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash last year. “No one in Iran is waiting for their permission. The Islamic Republic has its own policies and direction — and it will stick to them.” Khamenei’s remarks came as indirect talks between Iran and the U.S. reportedly continue, though he expressed doubt about their outcome. “Yes, indirect negotiations were held during Raisi’s time too, just like now,” he said. “But they didn’t go anywhere — and we don’t expect much from the current ones either. Who knows what will happen.” His comments reflect Tehran’s growing frustration with the stalled nuclear discussions, as well as the broader tensions that have defined U.S.-Iran relations in recent years. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told the state-run IRNA news agency that “no definitive decision has been made about the next round of negotiations,” adding that “the Islamic Republic of Iran is reviewing the matter while considering the U.S. side’s contradictory and constantly changing positions.” IRNA also reported that Kazem Gharibabadi, the deputy foreign minister, said that Tehran had received a proposal regarding the next round of indirect talks with Washington and was currently reviewing it. (AP)

Charles Kushner was officially confirmed on Monday by the Senate to become the next U.S. Ambassador to France and Monaco. The decision, which passed by a margin of 51 to 45, included support from both sides of the aisle. Notably, Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey backed the appointment, while Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted against it, according to The Hill.

Kushner’s selection has ignited debate, primarily due to his controversial criminal history. Approximately 20 years ago, he pleaded guilty to a series of offenses, including filing false tax returns, making false statements to the Federal Election Commission, and witness tampering in a federal case.

Chris Christie, who at the time was the U.S. Attorney in New Jersey and spearheaded the prosecution, didn’t mince words when describing the nature of the case, calling it “one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes” he ever dealt with. Kushner ultimately served two years in federal prison. In 2020, President Trump granted him a full pardon.

Appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for his confirmation hearing, Kushner addressed his record head-on.

“I don’t sit here before you today and tell you I’m a perfect person. I am not a perfect person,” he told the panel. “I made a very, very, very serious mistake, and I paid a very heavy price for that mistake. I think that my past mistakes actually make me better with my judgment, better in my view of life, better in my values to really make me more qualified to do this job.”

When President Trump announced his intent to nominate Kushner last November, he praised him as a “tremendous business leader, philanthropist and dealmaker.”

{Matzav.com}

Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen was forced into a draw Monday by more than 143,000 people worldwide playing against him in a single, record-setting game. Billed as “Magnus Carlsen vs. The World,” the online match began April 4 on Chess.com, the world’s largest chess website, and was the first-ever online freestyle game to feature a world champion. The mega-match ended after Team World checked Carlsen’s king a third time, a stunning outcome after Chess.com had predicted Carlsen would win by a wide margin. Members of Team World — anyone around the globe could sign up — voted on each move and each side had 24 hours to make their play. Carlsen played the white pieces. The world forced the draw on move 32 after checking Carlsen’s king three times in the corner of the board where it could not escape. The rule is called “threefold repetition,” meaning all of the pieces on the board are in the exact same position three times to prompt a draw. ‘Very, very sound chess’ Carlsen, 34, became the world’s top-ranked player in 2010 at 19 and has won five World Championships. He achieved the highest-ever chess rating of 2882 in 2014 and has remained the undisputed world No. 1 for more than a decade. “Overall, ‘the world’ has played very, very sound chess from the start. Maybe not going for most enterprising options, but kind of keeping it more in vein with normal chess — which isn’t always the best strategy, but it worked out well this time,” Carlsen said in a statement Friday as Monday’s draw seemed imminent. In a freestyle match, the bishops, knights, rooks, queen and king are randomly placed around the board at the start while the pawns are in their usual spots. Freestyle chess is popular because it allows players to be more creative and avoid memorization. ‘We made history’ This was the third “vs. The World” record-setting online game. In 1999, Russian grandmaster Garry Kasparov played against more than 50,000 people on the Microsoft Network and won after four months. Last year, Indian grandmaster Viswanathan Anand won his “vs. The World” match against nearly 70,000 players on Chess.com. In the Chess.com virtual chat this week, players appeared split on whether to force the draw — and claim the glory — or to keep playing against Carlsen, even if it ultimately meant a loss. “Don’t Draw! Let’s keep playing Magnus,” one user wrote. “This is an opportunity that won’t come along again. I’d rather play the Master all the way to the end and see if we can battle it out another 20 or 30 moves! Let’s have some FUN!!!” Another added: “Thanks Magnus for such a great game. We made history.” (AP)

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Two Jewish Israelis were arrested for allegedly spying for Iran, including installing cameras near the home of Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, the Shin Bet and Israel Police announced on Tuesday in a joint statement. Roi Mizrachi and his friend Almog Attias, both 24 and residents of the northern city of Nesher, were arrested at the end of April 2025, on suspicion of committing security offenses after being suspected of collecting intelligence in the Kfar Achim moshav, where Katz resides. The investigation by the Shin Bet and the police revealed that Roi was in contact with Iranian terrorist elements and carried out a large number of various security tasks for them, some of them together with his friend Almog. Both suspects carried out the acts for financial compensation despite the fact that they understood that they were acting under Iranian direction and that their actions could harm state security. Among other things, Roi purchased a new cell phone and installed an app on it to communicate with his operators. Later, he was asked by his operators to transfer a package buried in the ground from one point to another, which, in his understanding, contained an explosive device. Despite the danger of doing so, he carried out the transfer of the package according to the instructions of his operators. A serious indictment will be filed against the two men in the coming days. According to the joint statement, 20 cases of espionage by Israelis for Iran have been thwarted since the beginning of the war. A security source stated: “This case joins a series of cases from the recent period that indicate repeated efforts by hostile terrorist and intelligence elements to recruit Israeli citizens to carry out missions designed to harm the security of the State of Israel and its residents.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Bereaved relatives from the Gvura Forum filed a complaint to the Israel Police against Democrats chairman Yair Golan in the wake of his outrageous and incomprehensible lies about IDF soldiers in an interview on Tuesday morning. The letter, a copy of which was sent to the Attorney General, states: “In the name of the Gvura Forum, the forum of fallen soldiers of the Swords of Iron war, we are turning to you with an urgent request to open a criminal investigation against the chairman of the Democrats party, Mr. Yair Golan, for serious statements he made this morning, May 20, 2025, as part of a media interview.” “Mr. Golan stated: ‘A sane country does not wage war against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby, and does not aim to expel a population.'” “We believe that these words go beyond the bounds of legitimate public discourse in an extreme way and fulfill the elements of the offense stipulated in Section 103 of the Penal Law, 5737-1977 – defeatist propaganda. According to the section: ‘Whoever disseminates information during a time of war that is likely to undermine the spirit of Israeli soldiers and residents in their stand against the enemy –  and with the intention of causing panic among the public – shall be sentenced to a five-year imprisonment. If he intended to harm state security, he shall be sentenced to a ten-year imprisonment.'” “These statements were made at a time when the IDF is operating heroically on a series of fronts, when the best of our sons are risking their lives on the front lines, and on a difficult day when Am Yisrael are burying heroes they lost in the war. Mr. Golan’s words have a real potential to undermine the fighting spirit of the public and IDF soldiers, as well as accelerate delegitimization in the international arena. “As a forum working for victory and to strengthen the State of Israel in wartime, we call on you to investigate the serious statement above and  examine the motives behind it, and also to send a clear message to all parties who are trying to harm the State of Israel in wartime—that the law enforcement authorities strengthen the IDF and the people at this crucial time.” The complaint is not the first one to be filed against Golan, who in the past has compared IDF soldiers to Nazis, called for IDF refusal as well as espoused “illegal actions” as part of a civil uprising against the government. Golan has also called Jewish “settlers” subhuman and called for the state to encourage Chareidim to go off the derech. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

U.S. President Donald Trump’s phone calls with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine deepened expectations that progress might soon be made on ending those countries’ more than three-year war, though frustration at the slow pace of negotiations and the absence of any significant breakthrough kept hopes low. “It is obvious that Russia is trying to buy time to continue the war and occupation,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday on Telegram. “We are working with partners to put pressure on the Russians to behave differently,” he added in an apparent reference to further international sanctions on Russia. Ukraine has offered a comprehensive 30-day ceasefire, which Moscow has effectively rejected by imposing far-reaching conditions, and Zelenskyy proposed a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin but the Russian leader spurned that offer. Trump said his personal intervention was needed to push peace efforts forward, and on Monday he held separate talks over the phone with Zelenskyy and Putin. Russia and Ukraine will “immediately” begin ceasefire negotiations, Trump announced, though there was no detail on exactly when or where such talks might take place and who might attend them. “The status quo has not changed,” Mykhailo Podoliak, a senior adviser to Zelenskyy, wrote on the social platform X on Tuesday. Putin wants Ukraine to renounce joining NATO, sharply cut its army, and withdraw its forces from the four Ukrainian regions Moscow has seized but doesn’t fully control, among other demands. In Russia, many news outlets struck a note of triumph when reporting Putin’s conversation with Trump. State news agency RIA Novosti published an article headlined, “Europe’s hopes crushed: Trump refuses to go to war with Putin.” In the pro-Kremlin tabloid Moskovsky Komsomolets, columnist Mikhail Rostovsky also portrayed the call as a blow for Ukraine’s European allies. “Kyiv will agree to a serious, fully fledged conversation with Russia only if it has no other options left. Trump is gradually cutting off these other options for Zelenskyy,” he wrote. “And this is very, very good.” U.S. officials have for the past few months urged Russia and Ukraine to reach a settlement, as Trump sought a swift end to Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II. Trump said his talks with Putin on Monday were “excellent,” but European officials were skeptical about Russia’s intentions. “Putin has never changed his position,” Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said in Brussels on Tuesday. “Russia actually doesn’t want to end this war.” The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said Russia’s failure to negotiate in good faith should trigger threatened U.S. sanctions. “We really haven’t seen, you know, the pressure on Russia from these talks,” she told reporters. On the streets of Kyiv on Tuesday, skepticism about Putin’s motives was high. Peace “is not possible now. Only when (the Russians) run out of resources and army manpower. They are ready to fight, at least for this summer,” 66-year-old Svitlana Kyryliuk told The Associated Press. Putin will “stall for time, and that’s it,” she said. Volodymyr Lysytsia, a 45-year-old serviceman visiting the capital for rehabilitation, said Putin has made the front lines in eastern Ukraine a wasteland. The Russian leader “leaves nothing there, only scorched earth, everything bombed,” Lysytsia said. Some were unconvinced by Putin’s promise to Trump that Russia is “ready to work with” Ukraine on a “memorandum” […]

In the latest of a series of incidents, an envelope containing a suspicious powder was sent to the office of Health Minister Ariel Busso (Shas) on Tuesday. The Knesset Spokesperson stated: “The Knesset Guard is examining an envelope containing a suspicious powder that was sent to the office of Minister Ariel Busso in the Knesset. In accordance with the Guard’s procedures in such events, an update has been forwarded to the Israel Police, and the envelope and the suspicious material it contains will be transferred for further examination by the authorities.” According to initial assessments, there is no immediate danger, but all security agencies continue to handle the incident with the utmost caution. It should be noted that Minister Busso was not in the office when the envelope was received, and no injuries were reported. About a month ago, a suspicious envelope was found at the home of Noam chairman Avi Maoz, and police, MDA paramedics, and firefighters were called to the scene. That same week, several Knesset members, including UTJ members Yaakov Asher and Moshe Roth, Law Committee chairman Simcha Rothman, and Likud MK Shalom Danino received suspicious envelopes. Since then, Otzma Yehudit MK Almog Cohen announced that he had received a suspicious envelope at his home, and an envelope arrived at the home of UTJ leader Moshe Gafni. Last week, a suspicious envelope arrived at the home of Otzma Yehudit MK Yitzhak Kreuzer, causing his family members to panic. Upon receiving the report, police bomb disposal teams were immediately dispatched to the scene, along with police cars and MDA paramedics, and fire and rescue personnel. No official details have been released regarding the contents of the envelopes. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

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Democrats Party chairman and former IDF Chief of Staff Yair Golan sparked nationwide outrage on Tuesday over outrageous and false statements he made in an interview. Speaking on Kan Reshet Bet, Golan said: “Israel is on its way to becoming a pariah state among nations, like the South Africa of the past, if we don’t go back to acting like a sane country. A sane country does not wage war against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby, and does not aim to expel populations.” “These things are simply appalling, and it cannot be that we, the Jewish people, who were subjected to persecution and pogroms and acts of annihilation throughout our history, and who served throughout history as a moral compass of human and Jewish morality, are the ones taking steps that are simply unacceptable.” He then slammed the members of the government, claiming: “It is full of types who have nothing to do with Judaism: Kahanist types, lacking in intelligence, lacking in morality, and lacking in the ability to manage a country in times of emergency. This is a dangerous thing for our very existence. And therefore, it is time to replace this government as quickly as possible so that this war will also come to an end.” His words were met with outrage by politicians from the left to the right, with one politician deeming him a “terrorist” and others calling to open a criminal investigation against him and expel him from public life. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu responded by stating: “I strongly condemn Yair Golan’s reckless incitement against our heroic soldiers and against the State of Israel. The IDF is the most moral army in the world, and our soldiers are fighting in a battle for our very existence.” “Golan, who encouraged army refusal in the past and compared Israel to the Nazis, has now reached a new low by claiming that Israel ‘kills babies as a hobby.’ While we are conducting a multi-front war and leading complex diplomatic efforts to release our hostages and defeat Hamas, Golan and his friends in the radical left are echoing the most despicable antisemitic blood libels against IDF soldiers and the State of Israel. There is no limit to the moral decay.” Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar responded on his X account: “Yair Golan’s blood libel against the State of Israel and its army – will not be forgiven. What Golan said will certainly fuel the fire of antisemitism in the world…while Israel is fighting for its life.” Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Liberman stated: “I condemn Yair Golan’s words. The IDF is the most moral army in the world, and any such false statement against it harms our soldiers and the security of the country.” Opposition leader Yair Lapid wrote, without mentioning Golan’s name: “Our soldiers are heroes and protect our lives. The statement that they kill babies as a hobby is mistaken and a gift to our enemies. I back the IDF and its soldiers and condemn the statement.” National Unity Party Chairman Benny Gantz responded: ” I call on Yair Golan to retract and apologize to IDF soldiers for his extreme and false statements. IDF soldiers do not ‘kill babies’ as a hobby. These words are not only outrageous, false, and extreme, but also endanger the freedom […]

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