President Donald Trump declared Monday that Washington will not pay a single cent beyond the approved budget for the massive Gateway rail tunnel linking New York and New Jersey, warning that taxpayers will not absorb any unexpected cost increases tied to the multibillion-dollar project.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump criticized the $16 billion effort to build new rail tunnels beneath the Hudson River, describing it as a potential financial debacle and cautioning that it could mirror the ballooning expenses associated with California’s high-speed rail project.
“I am opposed to the future boondoggle known as ‘Gateway,’ in New York/New Jersey, because it will cost many BILLIONS OF DOLLARS more than projected or anticipated,” Trump wrote. “Under no circumstances, will the Federal Government be responsible for ANY COST OVERRUNS — NOT ONE DOLLAR!”
Trump indicated that federal officials are open to discussions with leaders from New York and New Jersey to ensure the project proceeds with tighter oversight and better preparation. However, he emphasized that federal taxpayers will not shoulder expenses that exceed the authorized amount, stressing that “hard work and proper planning is done, NOW.”
The Gateway initiative is widely viewed as one of the most consequential infrastructure undertakings in the country. It calls for constructing two additional rail tunnels beneath the Hudson River, a vital transit corridor used by roughly 200,000 commuters each day traveling between the two states.
Lawmakers have approved $16 billion for the undertaking, with the federal government committing more than $11 billion of that total.
Funding for the project was placed on hold for over four months while the administration reviewed contracts to ensure they complied with updated regulatory requirements.
Reports from The New York Times and Politico indicated that approximately $205 million in reimbursements were withheld during that period, prompting a halt in certain construction activities and leading to the temporary layoff of about 1,000 union laborers.
After a federal court intervened last week, the administration resumed disbursing funds, transferring $30 million to the Gateway Development Commission. Additional payments are expected in the coming weeks. Transportation Department officials have said they are acting in accordance with the court’s order.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, both Democrats, sharply criticized the funding interruption and called for the immediate and complete restoration of federal support.
Attorneys general from New York and New Jersey filed suit against the administration, contending that the funding suspension negatively affected workers and delayed essential progress on the project.
Trump cast his position as a matter of prudent budgeting, citing what he described as California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s “Railroad to nowhere” as an example of runaway costs and poor management that he said must not be repeated.
He also rejected claims that he had sought to tie federal funding to renaming Penn Station in his honor, calling those reports “FAKE NEWS” and asserting that the suggestion came from others, not from him.
The dispute highlights ongoing friction between the federal government and Democrat-led states over infrastructure spending, regulatory oversight, and fiscal controls.
Although construction work remains limited while full reimbursement is pending, Trump’s message was clear: the federal government is prepared to back major infrastructure improvements, but it will not provide unlimited financial guarantees.
With billions of taxpayer dollars involved, the Gateway project has emerged as a focal point in the administration’s effort to curb what it considers excessive spending while still moving forward with critical national infrastructure investments.
Three Israeli tourists were violently attacked overnight between Monday and Tuesday on the Thai island of Ko Samui in what their family says was an antisemitic assault. The victims were reportedly beaten without provocation by a group of men described as having Arabic accents.
The sister of one of the injured men, speaking to N12, described the severity of the attack. “He broke ribs, teeth, and a vertebra. Efforts are being made with the embassy and insurance company to fly him back to Israel as fast as possible.”
The victim, an Israeli in his twenties who had traveled to Thailand with friends for a vacation, managed to reach his mother during the ordeal. According to his sister, he initiated a video call while trying to escape through a rear exit. “He ran toward the exit. There were security guards who joined the attack and beat them without reason. My mother saw everything.”
She said that two Israeli women who witnessed the assault stepped in to help, alerted authorities, and have remained by the victims’ side at the hospital. “They are angels, we are in contact with them, and they are helping my brother and his friend in the hospital. In addition, they helped them go to the police station to submit a report as they were asked.”
The sister emphasized that the attackers targeted the group after hearing them speak Hebrew. “We do not doubt that it was antisemitic. The assailants also yelled that they would murder them, ‘Itbah al-Yehud’ (kill the Jew), ‘You’re IDF,’ and expletives.”
{Matzav.com}Tensions flared Tuesday morning in the Knesset Finance Committee as iSRAELI Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich told Degel HaTorah chairman MK Moshe Gafni that he would likely remain in the opposition “for many years,” prompting sharp reactions from other lawmakers in the room.
The clash unfolded during a discussion on the state budget bill, specifically the section dealing with property tax. Gafni argued that the proposal represented an unprecedented injustice.
“When you come and say, I’m submitting a law that also applies to farmers, but I’ll remove them — I don’t understand how you’ll remove them. What, people will come to you and say, ‘Just a second, why were the farmers excluded and why weren’t other factories excluded?’ What will you say? That you have sympathy for farmers? You put it in the law. You put it there — you’re the finance minister. I don’t know which officials helped you put it there.”
At that point, a direct exchange broke out between Gafni and Smotrich. The minister shot back: “Have you never amended laws here as chairman of the Finance Committee?”
Gafni responded, “Of course I changed things, but I never said, ‘The Justice Ministry won’t let me, I went against them.’ You’re not going against it.”
Smotrich replied, “No, I’m not going…”
Gafni answered, “Fine, it doesn’t matter, everything’s fine. What difference does it make? I’m in the opposition, I’m allowed to say what I see.”
Smotrich then remarked, “Right, right. I have a feeling you’re going to remain in the opposition for many years, apparently.”
Several MKs reacted immediately. “Whoa, whoa,” some lawmakers called out in response to Smotrich’s comment.
One member shot back, “My friend, in four and a half minutes he can bring your entire building down. You probably don’t understand who you’re talking to.”
Another MK added, “You’re lucky he hasn’t decided to be in the opposition yet.”
“Gafni, I wouldn’t skip over the agenda,” one lawmaker cautioned.
MK Naor Shiri also weighed in, saying: “You’re going to spend years in the opposition, said the finance minister — who, by the way, according to the coalition agreement, isn’t even supposed to be serving as finance minister. It’s a historic mishap.”
{Matzav.com}
The commander of the Dan District, Chief Superintendent Elad Klein, said police responded with unusually strong force during this week’s unrest in Bnei Brak, explaining that officers acted decisively after what he described as a lack of coordination with the military that led to the violent escalation.
In an interview with Kan News, Klein detailed the chain of events from the police perspective following clashes in the city’s streets and the subsequent exchange of accusations between Israel Police and the IDF. The dispute centers on whether there had been prior coordination before female soldiers entered the city to conduct outreach activities with potential recruits.
“When you are not updated about such an incident and you receive it from zero to one hundred, you first deploy whatever forces you have on the ground,” Klein said, describing the rapid response once the situation became known to police.
According to Klein, officers had to act quickly to extract the soldiers from the scene. “The rescue operation led to the torching of a scooter and the overturning of a patrol car. We concentrated all available forces and entered with very strong force, even disproportionate, in order to respond decisively.”
Klein pushed back against criticism attributed to the IDF chief of staff, who reportedly said that a situation in which soldiers cannot move freely anywhere in the country is unacceptable. “They are trying to portray it as though special approval is required to enter Bnei Brak. That is not the case,” Klein said. “Hundreds of soldiers in uniform walk around here daily. They sit in restaurants and eat in the city without any problem. Just last week I was sitting in a restaurant alongside soldiers and police officers in uniform.”
At the same time, Klein acknowledged a distinction between routine presence and organized outreach activity in sensitive neighborhoods. While the military described the visit as a “home visit” to potential recruits, police maintain it involved the distribution of flyers in the heart of areas identified with extremist factions.
Concluding his remarks, Klein addressed what he described as the broader context behind the outbreak of violence. “Let’s not be naive. You cannot disconnect this incident from the context of the draft law,” he said. According to Klein, entering what he called a stronghold of extremist groups in the city prompted what, from their perspective, was a predictable reaction. “From their standpoint, it is seen as a legitimate response to the struggle they are waging.”
{Matzav.com}
A heated confrontation erupted Tuesday morning during a Knesset Finance Committee meeting, as Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich clashed with Arab MK Iman Khatib-Yassin over rising crime in Arab communities. The exchange came amid broader tensions in the committee, with additional sparring between Smotrich and opposition lawmakers.
The debate, which focused on budget allocations and government policy, turned sharply contentious when Khatib-Yassin criticized the government’s handling of escalating violence in Arab society. In response, Smotrich fired back with a remark that quickly drew attention: “Are we to blame that you’re killing each other?”
Earlier in the session, Smotrich was also involved in a pointed exchange with former Finance Committee chairman Moshe Gafni. During their back-and-forth, the minister told Gafni, “You’re in the opposition — I have a feeling you’re going to remain in the opposition for years to come.”
Gafni responded in kind, as tensions in the committee room continued to rise and the discussion grew increasingly combative.
Opposition MK Naor Shiri later joined the fray, directing his comments toward Gafni and referencing coalition agreements. “Let me remind you that according to the coalition agreements, he’s not even supposed to be serving as finance minister.”
{Matzav.com}
