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Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin sharply criticized Israel on Tuesday following the interception of a Gaza-bound flotilla, calling the operation “absolutely unacceptable” and pledging to raise the matter before the European Union.

Martin condemned Israel’s actions after Israeli naval forces stopped a convoy of 57 vessels that had departed from Turkey carrying hundreds of anti-Israel activists attempting to challenge the naval blockade surrounding Gaza.

“In the first instance, what happened is absolutely unacceptable and is wrong,” Martin declared, as quoted by the BBC, adding that Ireland intends to elevate the dispute to the “European Union level.”

Irish Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris delivered even stronger criticism, accusing Israel of violating international maritime law during the operation.

“My heart goes out to President Connolly and her family, and indeed all of the families of those detained,” Harris stated. “What Israel has done is, in my view, illegal.”

Harris argued that the arrests violated international law and claimed Israel continues to ignore criticism from world leaders.

“unfortunately Israel seems to ignore the condemnation of the international world,” Harris said. “That’s why I think it’s important that we look at the actions that can be taken.”

Among those detained aboard the flotilla was the sister of Irish President Catherine Connolly. The president said Monday that she was “very proud” of her sister’s participation in the mission.

The flotilla had set sail from Marmaris, Turkey, and consisted of dozens of vessels carrying activists seeking to breach Israel’s blockade of Gaza.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday evening that the Israeli Navy had completed the interception operation and taken all activists aboard into custody.

“Another PR flotilla has come to an end. All 430 activists have been transferred to Israeli vessels and are making their way to Israel, where they will be able to meet with their consular representatives,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Israeli officials dismissed the convoy as a propaganda effort designed to benefit Hamas.

“This flotilla has once again proved to be nothing more than a PR stunt at the service of Hamas,” the statement added.

Israel also reaffirmed that it intends to continue enforcing the maritime blockade around Gaza.

“Israel will continue to act in full accordance with international law and will not permit any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza,” the statement stressed.

{Matzav.com}

Authorities investigating the deadly shooting attack at a San Diego mosque are examining a disturbing manifesto believed to have been written by the two teenage gunmen before the massacre, according to law enforcement sources.

Investigators are working to determine whether the 75-page document was authored by 17-year-old Cain Clark and 19-year-old Caleb Vasquez prior to the attack that left three people dead before the two suspects turned the guns on themselves.

According to sources familiar with the investigation, the document contains extremist ideology, racial hatred, and repeated calls for societal collapse and violence.

The manifesto reportedly includes Nazi imagery and symbols identical to those seen on Clark during a livestream of the attack, including references to the Black Sun symbol associated with Heinrich Himmler and Atomwaffen, a violent neo-Nazi organization.

Officials described the writings as a chaotic mixture of antisemitic, anti-liberal, anti-Trump, homophobic, and misogynistic rhetoric, driven largely by anger and resentment over the authors’ personal grievances and frustrations.

Law enforcement sources said investigators possess a copy of the manifesto and currently believe it is authentic.

Jennifer Du, who lives across the street from Clark’s Southern California home, said she encountered the teen one day before the shooting.

“It’s been unreal. I saw him literally the day before. He just stood there,” Du, 30, told The California Post.

“I didn’t know if he was watching me or something, but he just got food delivery and went back in.”

Another neighbor, identified only as Marne, said Clark’s family appeared ordinary and recalled frequently seeing the teenager practicing martial arts.

“As far as we knew he was very nice. They were a nice family,” said the neighbor, Marne, 85, who declined to provide her last name.

“We were just flabbergasted,” she added of finding out about the attack. “We thought, ‘Oh my god,’ we couldn’t believe it. Just flabbergasted.”

One section of the document, believed to have been written by Clark, reportedly rejected both left-wing and right-wing politics while expressing hatred toward both sides.

Investigators said Clark allegedly wrote that he identified ideologically with Adolf Hitler and cited notorious mass murderers including Ted Kaczynski, Timothy McVeigh, and Anders Breivik as inspirations.

The document also reportedly praised the gunman responsible for the 2019 Christchurch mosque massacre in New Zealand, referring to him as “Saint Terrant” and describing that attack as a model for livestreaming mass violence intended to inspire copycat attacks.

Authorities said the writings contained racist and hateful attacks directed at numerous groups, including Muslims and Jews, while describing the authors as “accelerationists” seeking to ignite an “all-out race war” that would lead to societal collapse.

In another portion believed to have been written by Vasquez, he allegedly expressed anguish and humiliation over his height.

Investigators said Clark also wrote that he felt no remorse over the planned attack and indicated that, if he survived, attorneys would deal with the aftermath.

The manifesto further reportedly stated that the shooting was not motivated by a desire for fame, but rather by hatred toward the victims and other cultures, while also indicating that Clark never expected to survive the assault.

Online accounts linked to Clark allegedly featured Nazi slogans as well as images of Adolf Hitler and German military formations from World War II.

Police said Clark and Vasquez killed three people during Monday’s attack, including mosque security guard and father of eight Amin Abdullah, whom authorities credited with helping prevent an even larger loss of life. An online fundraiser established for Abdullah’s family raised nearly $2 million within its first day.

The other two victims were identified as mosque members Nader Awad and Mansoor Kazziha.

Investigators also said at least one of the suspects allegedly took a firearm from his parents’ residence and left behind a suicide note referencing racial pride.

According to authorities, the livestream footage appears to show Clark fatally shooting Vasquez before turning the weapon on himself.

The FBI and local law enforcement agencies continue to investigate the massacre and are expected to carry out additional search warrants in the coming days.

{Matzav.com}

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A terrible tragedy struck the Los Angeles frum community on Tuesday when a 4-year-old girl was niftar after being unintentionally left for hours inside a hot vehicle following her morning ride to school in Valley Village, California.

According to sources, the young child was picked up in the morning as part of a carpool headed to Yeshiva K’tana of Los Angeles. For reasons that remain unclear, the girl never left the vehicle upon arriving at the school.

Authorities believe the driver, seemingly unaware that the child was still seated inside, parked the vehicle and left, not realizing the little girl remained trapped in the intense heat for hours.

The devastating discovery was made later in the day when the child’s mother arrived at the school expecting to pick up her daughter, only to be told that the girl had never entered the school building that morning.

Panic immediately spread as the horrifying realization set in, and emergency responders rushed to the scene in a desperate effort to save the child. Despite their efforts, the girl could not be revived.

The tragedy has sent shockwaves throughout the Jewish community, leaving families and neighbors shattered by the unimaginable loss.

Israeli officials currently expect Ben Gurion Airport to remain operational even if fighting with Iran resumes, marking a significant shift from previous rounds of conflict in which Israeli airspace was shut down immediately after hostilities began.

According to a report by Channel 14, the assessment is based on what Israeli officials describe as a dramatic decline in Iran’s missile-launch capabilities following earlier military operations.

During Operation Am K’Lavi, Iran reportedly opened the conflict with barrages of roughly 100 missiles. In the later Operation Shaagas HaAri, the opening salvos had already declined to only several dozen missiles.

Now, Israeli security assessments reportedly indicate that Iran is no longer capable of launching large-scale barrages and could likely fire only limited volleys consisting of several missiles at a time — perhaps 10 to 15 at most.

As a result, current planning calls for Ben Gurion Airport to continue functioning even during renewed hostilities, although officials stressed that the policy could be reevaluated continuously depending on developments on the ground.

Under the current outlook, Israeli airlines are expected to continue operating flights, though many foreign carriers that recently resumed service to Israel would likely suspend operations again if conflict breaks out.

{Matzav.com}

Deep concern continues to spread among the talmidim and admirers of the tzaddik of Tiveriah, Rav Dov Kook, whose condition reportedly worsened suddenly on Tuesday morning after several days of cautious optimism.

Rav Dov Kook has been hospitalized in serious condition at Poriya Medical Center in Teveria since the end of last week and remains in need of rachamei Shamayim.

Family members and close associates had expressed guarded hope earlier this week after a slight improvement was recorded in the rav’s condition, including a successful attempt by doctors to reduce the level of sedation.

However, talmidim were informed Tuesday that Rav Dov’s condition had suddenly deteriorated, forcing the medical staff to return him to full sedation in an effort to stabilize him.

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri visited the hospital Tuesday to fulfill the mitzvah of bikur cholim. During the visit, he met with the rav’s sons, Rav Shmuel and Rav Yisroel Meir Kook, as well as hospital director Prof. Noam Yehudai, ICU director Dr. Moshe Matan, MK Uriel Busso, Deputy Mayor Yossi Oknin, and city council member Yosef Chaim Bernes.

The visit came one day after Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein, father-in-law of Rav Dov Kook, broke down in tears at the conclusion of his shiur while pleading for tefillos on behalf of his son-in-law.

Rav Zilberstein emotionally declared, “He is a person that the generation stands upon.”

Rav Moshe Chaim Schneider, a close talmid of Rav Dov Kook and chairman of the Sifsei Kohen Institute, which disseminates the rav’s Torah teachings, issued a heartfelt call urging the tzibbur to intensify tefillos ahead of Shavuos.

“We are now approaching Shavuos, an especially auspicious time, when all of Klal Yisroel was healed at Har Sinai,” Rav Schneider said. “Precisely now, we must unite כאיש אחד בלב אחד for the recovery of our rebbe, who dedicated his entire life for the benefit of the tzibbur, worked tirelessly on behalf of the sick, and whose pure tefillos stood by countless Yidden in their times of distress.”

He continued, “The zechus of our rebbe, who serves as a support for thousands and through whose brachos countless people have experienced yeshuos, should stand for all of us. We beg the tzibbur: tear open the gates of Heaven and arouse abundant Heavenly mercy for the complete recovery of our master and rebbe.”

All are asked to daven for the complete recovery of Rav Dov ben Shoshana.

A massive atzeres tefillah is scheduled to take place Wednesday evening, ערב חג השבועות, at 6:00 p.m. on the soccer field facing Rav Dov Kook’s home in Teveria.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is facing growing criticism within his own party over efforts to appoint his longtime personal attorney, Michael Ravilo, as Israel’s next state comptroller, with senior Likud figures warning the move could politically backfire just months before elections.

According to a report by Channel 12 News, several coalition members had sought to advance the candidacy of Supreme Court Justice Yosef Elron, who in the past challenged Supreme Court President Yitzchak Amit. However, sources inside Likud claimed Netanyahu’s office applied heavy pressure surrounding the appointment process, leaving Elron without enough political backing.

The controversy has now drawn in opposition lawmakers as well. Although opposition parties reportedly had no initial intention of supporting Elron, they ultimately decided he was a suitable candidate for the position.

Senior Likud officials sharply criticized Netanyahu’s push for Ravilo, arguing that appointing the prime minister’s former personal lawyer to oversee state accountability would create serious public backlash.

“The insane pressure coming from Netanyahu’s office surrounding the appointment of attorney Ravilo as state comptroller is a strategic mistake that will come back to hit us like a boomerang,” a senior Likud official said. “It is not appropriate for someone who served as the prime minister’s personal attorney to be the person overseeing him. This is a secret-ballot vote, and this whole situation could blow up in our faces.”

The official added even harsher criticism, warning that the political damage could hurt Likud at the ballot box.

“Just months before elections, Netanyahu is doing everything possible to push voters away from Likud,” the official said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly told President Donald Trump during recent talks in Beijing that Russian President Vladimir Putin may eventually view the war in Ukraine as a major strategic error.

The discussion, first revealed by the Financial Times, took place during extensive meetings between Trump and Xi last week that focused on the war in Ukraine, tensions involving the International Criminal Court, and the broader geopolitical rivalry involving the United States, Russia, and China.

According to the report, Xi conveyed to Trump that Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine could ultimately become a costly miscalculation for the Kremlin.

The reported remarks drew attention because Xi has largely refrained from publicly criticizing Putin or signaling distance from Moscow throughout the war.

Putin is expected to travel to China later this week for meetings with Xi, highlighting the ongoing importance of the “no-limits” alliance announced by Beijing and Moscow shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine more than four years ago.

Neither the White House nor Chinese officials publicly addressed the report. The White House declined comment, while the Chinese Embassy in Washington did not respond to inquiries.

The Financial Times further reported that Trump proposed closer coordination between the United States, China, and Russia in opposition to the International Criminal Court, an institution that conservatives and many Trump allies have accused of overstepping its authority and undermining national sovereignty.

Officials in the Trump administration have repeatedly criticized the ICC for what they describe as politically motivated actions and judicial activism, particularly in cases involving American allies and U.S. personnel.

Xi’s comments reportedly came as Ukraine escalated its campaign of long-range drone attacks deep inside Russian territory, exposing weaknesses in Russia’s defensive systems and adding new economic strain on Moscow.

In recent months, Ukraine has increasingly relied on sophisticated drone operations and precision strikes aimed at Russian oil facilities, fuel storage sites, and military-industrial infrastructure.

Military analysts cited by The Economist said the conflict may be approaching an “inflection point,” noting that Russia has recently suffered net territorial setbacks after months of gradual advances.

Politico reported that Ukraine launched more than 1,300 drones over the weekend in one of the war’s largest coordinated strike campaigns, targeting sites near Moscow and causing major disruptions to civilian air travel across Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the strikes showed that Russia is no longer capable of fully protecting its capital from retaliation.

The expanding reach of Ukraine’s drone warfare program has also heightened fears within Russia about economic instability and rising military losses.

Russia’s economy shrank during the first quarter of 2026, while revenues from energy exports — a crucial source of financing for the war effort — have reportedly dropped significantly.

Some defense analysts now believe Putin could face growing internal pressure as the war continues without a decisive victory.

Although the Kremlin has attempted to minimize the impact of the Ukrainian attacks, even several pro-Russian commentators have acknowledged that Moscow’s air defense systems are facing increasing pressure.

{Matzav.com}

In a rare and historic meeting Tuesday night in Yerushalayim, Slabodka Rosh Yeshiva Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch paid a special visit to the home of the Belzer Rebbe, marking the first public visit of its kind between the two gedolei Torah.

Rav Hirsch had arrived in Yerushalayim for a special chizuk visit ahead of Zeman Matan Toraseinu, visiting various Torah centers throughout the city. Late Tuesday night, the Rosh Yeshiva traveled to the Belzer Rebbe’s residence for what sources described as an extraordinary and elevated meeting between two of the leading figures of Yahadus HaChareidis.

Sources told Matzav.com that although the relationship between the Belzer Rebbe and Rav Hirsch has been close and ongoing for years, particularly since the Rosh Yeshiva assumed a central leadership role in the Litvishe world, their communication until now had largely taken place quietly through trusted intermediaries and private telephone conversations. This was the first publicized visit by the Rosh Yeshiva to the Rebbe’s home.

Over the past two years, the connection between the Belzer Rebbe and Rav Hirsch has frequently played a significant role behind the scenes regarding major issues affecting the Torah world and the broader chareidi public. On Tuesday night, however, the two gedolim sat together privately for an extended face-to-face discussion.

The uplifting conversation lasted approximately twenty minutes. Much of the discussion centered around the special segulah of the Shloshes Yemei Hagbalah, the days of preparation leading into Kabolas HaTorah on Shavuos.

The Belzer Rebbe reportedly expressed great interest in Rav Hirsch’s worldwide travels on behalf of strengthening Torah and supporting lomdei Torah across the golah. The Rebbe warmly thanked him on behalf of Klal Yisroel for his tireless efforts to bolster the Torah world.

During the conversation, the Rosh Yeshiva shared an emotional historical detail with the Rebbe, recounting that his grandfather had been a devoted Belzer chossid who regularly traveled to the Belzer Rebbes in Galicia. Rav Hirsch added that his grandfather was also named Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, and that he himself was named after him.

The Belzer Rebbe also spoke at length with the Rosh Yeshiva about his early years learning under his revered rebbi, Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l, at the Lakewood yeshiva. The two gedolim additionally discussed the longstanding phenomenon in America of baalei batim and businessmen who dedicate themselves seriously to Torah learning and establish fixed daily sedorim despite their demanding work schedules.

Rav Hirsch described to the Rebbe the remarkable growth of Torah learning he has witnessed during his travels among Jewish communities throughout the world. He also elaborated on a major initiative he recently launched in Eretz Yisroel aimed at instilling greater cheishek haTorah and ameilus baTorah among working baalei batim, bringing an atmosphere of serious Torah learning into the lives of those engaged in parnassah.

Toward the conclusion of the meeting, the two discussed pressing issues currently facing the chareidi community. The gedolim reportedly spoke at length about the overall matzav of Yahadus HaChareidis in Eretz Yisroel and stressed that in these challenging times, Chassidim and Litvaks must remain united together “k’ish echad b’lev echad” in order to stand strong against the various decrees and threats facing the Torah world and faithful Judaism.

Before departing, Rav Hirsch offered heartfelt brachos to the Rebbe for a complete refuah and continued strength and longevity to lead his kehilla. The Rebbe warmly reciprocated, blessing the Rosh Yeshiva that he should continue leading Klal Yisroel with strength and good health until the coming of Goel Tzedek.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the standoff with Iran could soon come to an end, expressing optimism that Tehran is eager to reach an agreement while again warning that the regime will never be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons.

Speaking during a Congressional picnic at the White House, Trump addressed the escalating tensions with Iran and suggested a resolution could come in the near future.

“I think we’re going to be finished with that very quickly,” Trump said.

“They want to make a deal so badly. They’re tired of this, and we’re going to be finished with that very quickly. Hopefully, we’re going to get it done in a very nice manner,” he added, while once again stressing that “they won’t have a nuclear weapon.”

Trump’s comments came one day after he disclosed on Truth Social that the United States had been preparing to strike Iran on Tuesday before the operation was delayed because of what he described as serious diplomatic discussions.

Speaking with reporters later Monday, Trump elaborated on the decision to postpone the military action.

“We were getting ready to do a very major attack tomorrow. I’ve put it off for a little while, hopefully, maybe forever, but possibly for a little while, because we’ve had very big discussions with Iran, and we’ll see what they amount to,” Trump said.

Earlier Tuesday, Trump indicated that military action had come extremely close to being approved before he ultimately halted the plan.

“I was an hour away” from authorizing a strike on Iran, Trump reportedly said, before explaining why he decided against immediate action.

“I hope we don’t have to do the war, but we may have to give them another big hit,” he added. “I’m not sure yet. You’ll know very soon.”

Trump also accused Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons with dangerous intentions extending far beyond the region itself.

Trump said Iran wants a nuclear weapon “to blow up the Middle East and, frankly, to blow up the world. It’s not gonna happen.”

{Matzav.com}

President Trump on Tuesday offered reporters a firsthand look at the massive construction project underway at the White House, explaining that the highly discussed ballroom addition is only one part of a much larger underground military and security complex being built beneath the grounds.

Standing near the active construction site, Trump described the scale and sophistication of the project, encouraging reporters to appreciate the engineering involved.

“You might want to take a look at the complexity,” Trump said as he gestured toward the construction site on the premises.

According to Trump, the ballroom itself serves an additional purpose beyond hosting events. He said the structure is designed to shield a vast network of facilities currently under construction below ground level, including military and research infrastructure.

“These are all different rooms out here,” Trump said. “They’re building a hospital. They’re building a military hospital. They’re building all sorts of research facilities — also meeting rooms and rooms that go hand in hand for the military, using the ballroom, and the ballroom is really a shield and protecting all of the things that are built here.”

Trump said excavation and development have already extended far beneath the White House grounds, reaching multiple underground levels.

“This is down because we’ve already done these floors, but these are already down two floors. That is down about six stories deep. That’s fixed up normally,” he said, walking through other features and complexities of this design.

The president also detailed advanced security measures integrated into the structure, including protection against drone and missile threats, as well as tactical positions for military personnel.

“It’s all knit together between the drone proofing [and] the missile proofing. We have had the drone capacity upstairs. We can have all sorts of military up, whether — I hate to use the word snipers, but we have great sniper capacity,” the president said, revealing that it is “built for our snipers, not the enemy snipers.”

Trump noted that the height and positioning of the project provide sweeping visibility across the nation’s capital.

“And because of the height, we get a very clear view of everything all over Washington,” Trump said.

The president’s remarks came shortly after Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled that a Republican proposal allocating $1 billion toward the White House ballroom project failed to comply with Senate reconciliation rules. Republican lawmakers, however, have said they are working on revisions to keep the funding package alive.

The funding proposal is part of a broader reconciliation bill that also includes money for Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. Because reconciliation bills require only a simple majority in the Senate, Republicans are seeking to advance the measure without Democratic support.

Democrats celebrated the parliamentarian’s ruling as a setback for the administration, though Republican lawmakers insisted a solution is already being prepared.

Reports have since emerged that Trump wants Senate Majority Leader John Thune to remove MacDonough from her position over the ruling.

Opponents of the project have criticized Trump’s vision for what he has repeatedly described as a secure and elegant ballroom complex. Over time, however, the proposal has evolved into a broader underground military and security facility.

Still, renovations and expansions at the White House are hardly unusual. Numerous presidents have altered or rebuilt portions of the executive mansion over the years, and historians note that very little of the original structure from the John Adams era remains intact today.

According to Breitbart News, “The only thing connecting the current structure to the barely ‘habitable’ building that Adams first entered is some of the sandstone exterior walls.”

Supporters of the project have pointed to recent security concerns as justification for the expanded construction effort, particularly following the attempted attack near the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton several weeks ago.

Following that incident, Trump argued on Truth Social that the attempted attack underscored the urgent need for a protected event facility inside the White House grounds.

“What happened last night is exactly the reason that our great Military, Secret Service, Law Enforcement and, for different reasons, every President for the last 150 years, have been DEMANDING that a large, safe, and secure Ballroom be built ON THE GROUNDS OF THE WHITE HOUSE,” Trump said on Truth Social after the foiled shooting attempt.

“This event would never have happened with the Militarily Top Secret Ballroom currently under construction at the White House. It cannot be built fast enough!” he added.

{Matzav.com}

The head of the IDF Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor, has reduced by 10 days the prison sentence of a Nachal Brigade soldier who was convicted for wearing a “Moshiach” patch on his military uniform.

The decision came after recommendations were submitted by the commanders of both the Nachal Brigade and the 162nd Division requesting leniency in the case.

The sentence reduction followed a personal visit by Nachal Brigade commander Col. Arik Moyal to the military prison where the soldier was being held. During their meeting, the soldier acknowledged wrongdoing and expressed regret over the incident. Following that conversation and the soldier’s acceptance of responsibility, senior commanders approved a lighter punishment.

Earlier reports said the soldier, identified as Cpl. Or, filed an appeal through his attorney to the Military Prosecutor’s Office, arguing that the disciplinary process against him had been improperly conducted and questioning whether the brigade commander had the authority to hand down such a severe sentence.

One day earlier, the commander of the 162nd Division rejected the appeal against the original punishment. After that ruling, the soldier submitted a separate request directly to the Southern Command commander asking that his prison term be shortened.

In his filing to military prosecutors, the soldier’s attorney, Ran Cohen-Rochberger, maintained that wearing an unauthorized patch is classified under violations related to “appearance and uniform,” and that military rules do not allow imprisonment for a first offense of that nature.

According to a report by Galei Tzahal, the appeal also argued that the Nachal Brigade commander exceeded his authority in imposing the sentence and acted contrary to military regulations. The filing therefore called for the disciplinary conviction to be overturned.

{Matzav.com}

Former hostage Romi Gonen revealed in an emotional interview with singer Ishay Ribo that his song “Tocho Ratzuf Ahava” became a source of comfort and strength for her during her time in captivity in Gaza.

The conversation took place on Gonen’s program, “The New Life of Romi Gonen,” which airs on the V1 app. During the interview, she described the powerful emotions she experienced when she finally heard the song after many months in captivity, saying it immediately brought thoughts of her mother to mind.

Gonen explained that throughout the long period she was held hostage, she constantly hoped the song would eventually come on the radio whenever captives were briefly allowed to listen.

“Something in me was always waiting to hear ‘Tocho Ratzuf Ahava’ whenever we listened to the radio,” Gonen told Ribo during their conversation in the studio.

She then recounted the moment the song finally aired, nearly a year after she had been taken captive.

“Then it came, almost a year later, during the week of October 7. By chance they brought us a radio, and suddenly I woke up when Emily shouted to me, ‘Lula, “Tocho Ratzuf Ahava” is on the radio.’”

According to Gonen, she immediately rushed over to listen, placing both headphones on her ears as the music momentarily transported her away from the suffering and fear around her.

She said the song instantly connected her to memories of her mother. “For one moment, just to be inside it, inside the situation, as if I’m not in Gaza and my mother is here with me – that’s her ringtone.”

Ribo appeared deeply emotional after hearing her story and shared what the song represented to him in the context of her ordeal. He said the lyrics reflect Divine compassion and explained how meaningful it was to hear that the music had offered her comfort during such darkness.

“It moves me very much,” Ribo responded. “The words speak about G-d’s infinite mercy toward us. And from your place – anyone who hasn’t experienced this cannot even imagine it, because we have no human ability to truly understand it – that you are there and these words give you strength. Yes, they remind you of your mother, but in essence you feel protected and strengthened by it.”

Ribo concluded by expressing amazement that a song could bring hope and emotional light during such unbearable circumstances.

“If you hadn’t told me this, I could never have imagined that a song like this, at such a difficult and dark moment, could bring light.”

Rep. Thomas Massie, one of President Donald Trump’s most outspoken Republican critics in Congress, was defeated Tuesday in Kentucky’s Republican primary by Trump-endorsed candidate Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL.

Gallrein will now move on to the November midterm election after securing victory in Kentucky’s Fourth Congressional District in what became the most expensive House primary race in American history.

The race had been closely watched nationwide as a major measure of Trump’s continued dominance over the Republican Party more than a decade after first entering national politics.

Throughout the campaign, Trump repeatedly urged Republican voters to back Gallrein and sharply attacked Massie, referring to him as a “major sleazebag” and “the worst Republican congressman in history”.

Massie, who had represented the district since 2012, frequently clashed with Trump in recent years. He opposed Trump’s “big, beautiful” tax-and-spending package last year, citing concerns over the growing national debt. He also voted against certain military actions backed by Trump, including operations targeting suspected drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean and the ongoing conflict involving Iran.

The Kentucky congressman additionally joined Democrats and several Republicans in pushing the Justice Department to release all files connected to Jeffrey Epstein.

Addressing supporters after conceding defeat, Massie said he remained proud of the way his campaign had been conducted.

“we’ve been honourable the whole time,” he told supporters.

“It started nine months ago, and they didn’t even have a candidate, and they decided they wanted to take me out,” he added.

On the eve of the primary, Trump intensified his attacks on Massie in a series of social media posts, labeling him “an obstructionist and a fool”.

Gallrein also received campaign support from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who traveled to Kentucky and accused Massie of engaging in “constant obstruction”.

Massie responded by arguing that Hegseth’s appearance in the district actually reflected concern within the Gallrein campaign.

“You don’t send the Secretary of War to Kentucky during a war if you think your candidate is up 10 points. That’s what you do when you realise your whole campaign is imploding,” Massie told CBS News.

Massie defended much of his voting record alongside Trump but said his disagreements came on matters of principle.

“90% of the time,” Massie said he voted with Trump, though he argued that the president and his allies “want 100% compliance”.

“It’s only the 10% of the time they’re mad about – when I won’t vote for a war, when I won’t vote for warrantless spying and when I won’t vote to bankrupt the country,” he said.

“But in those instances, I’m doing what I told the people in Kentucky I would do.”

In another major Kentucky Republican contest, Rep. Andy Barr won the GOP nomination to succeed retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell, who is stepping down after serving more than four decades in the Senate.

Barr’s victory followed Trump’s endorsement and came after the president reportedly helped clear the field by offering an ambassadorship to Barr’s leading Republican rival.

Trump has continued to aggressively shape Republican primaries across the country through endorsements, including efforts targeting lawmakers who opposed him or supported his conviction during the 2021 impeachment proceedings.

In Texas, Trump has also backed Attorney General Ken Paxton over longtime Republican Sen. John Cornyn.

“John Cornyn is a good man, and I worked well with him, but he was not supportive of me when times were tough,” Trump said Tuesday while explaining his endorsement of Paxton.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s Chief Rabbi, Rav Kalman Meir Ber, was involved in a minor traffic accident Tuesday morning while returning home from Shacharis.

A statement issued by the Chief Rabbi’s office said the incident took place shortly after the rabbi completed his morning prayers.

As a precaution, Rav Ber was transported to a hospital for medical evaluation and testing to ensure that he had not suffered any internal injuries in the accident.

Doctors conducted a series of examinations, and after the tests were completed, the rabbi was discharged a short time later after no significant medical concerns were found.

His office stated: “The rabbi was examined at the hospital and released shortly afterward – with no abnormal findings.”