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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the government is scrapping a national EV mandate.

Senator Lindsey Graham: I just had a very brief meeting with the Lebanese Chief of Defense General Rodolphe Haykal. I asked him point blank if he believes Hezbollah is a terrorist organization. He said, “No, not in the context of Lebanon.” With that, I ended the meeting.

The moment Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi landed in Muscat, the capital of Oman, ahead of tomorrow’s talks with the United States.

A new assessment by the Shin Bet released on Thursday revealed a deeply disturbing phenomenon: security officials have identified cases of Israelis who are initiating contact with Iranian intelligence operatives and offering their services in return for payment, i24NEWS reported on Thursday. According to the assessment, Iranian intelligence agents prioritize recruiting Jewish Israelis rather than […]

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is backing Gov. Kathy Hochul for reelection, offering the centrist incumbent an infusion of progressive credibility as she confronts a mounting challenge from her party’s left. In an op-ed published Thursday in The Nation, Mamdani acknowledged his ideological differences with Hochul but said his endorsement is about pragmatism and […]

Sen. Lindsey Graham said Thursday that he abruptly cut off a meeting with the head of Lebanon’s military after the officer declined to describe Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, a stance Graham said makes cooperation with the Lebanese Armed Forces untenable.

In a message posted to social media, the South Carolina Republican recounted a brief exchange with Lebanese Chief of Defense Gen. Rodolphe Haykal, explaining why the discussion ended almost as soon as it began. “I just had a very brief meeting with the Lebanese Chief of Defense General Rodolphe Haykal. I asked him point blank if he believes Hezbollah is a terrorist organization. He said, ‘No, not in the context of Lebanon.’ With that, I ended the meeting,” Graham wrote.

Graham followed up by stressing his own position on the Iran-backed group, saying there is no ambiguity about its record. “They are clearly a terrorist organization. Hezbollah has American blood on its hands. Just ask the U.S. Marines,” he added.

The senator noted that Washington’s view of Hezbollah has been consistent across party lines for decades. He pointed out that the group has “been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by both Republican and Democrat administrations since 1997 – for good reason.”

Because of the response he received, Graham said he doubts whether Lebanon’s military can be trusted as a partner. “As long as this attitude exists from the Lebanese Armed Forces, I don’t think we have a reliable partner in them. I am tired of the double speak in the Middle East. Too much is at stake,” he concluded.

The remarks come against the backdrop of a U.S.-supported ceasefire arrangement between Israel and Lebanon that obligates Hezbollah to dismantle its armed presence, beginning in areas south of the river near Israel’s border.

In August of last year, Lebanon’s government tasked the Lebanese Armed Forces with preparing a plan to ensure that the state would hold exclusive control over weapons by the end of the year.

Hezbollah has openly rejected that initiative, denouncing the government’s proposal and repeatedly insisting it will not relinquish its arsenal.

The group’s leader, Naim Qassem, recently reinforced that position, declaring that Hezbollah will not surrender its weapons and warning that doing so would amount to “the end of Lebanon.”

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Thursday that he repeatedly considered conquering the Gaza Strip in the years leading up to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, only to be blocked time and again by Israel’s security establishment, which warned the move would trigger a long, costly war with little international backing and no viable […]

A newly released briefing from a well-known nonpartisan research and policy organization raises what it describes as significant ethical and national security issues involving Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib, focusing on her relationships with individuals and groups connected to designated foreign terrorist organizations, Fox News reports.

According to the document, published by the advocacy and policy arm of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, the concerns stem from a broad review of Tlaib’s public conduct and political operations. “The conduct of Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, including her rhetoric, affiliations, campaign infrastructure, and ideological alignment with certain individuals and organizations, raises serious concerns about potential risks to the ethical and institutional integrity of the United States government,” the report states.

The briefing outlines what it characterizes as a consistent pattern in Tlaib’s activities, pointing to episodes that include participation in events where convicted terrorists were present, as well as substantial campaign expenditures directed to activists and networks it says are linked to Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

A significant portion of the document examines Tlaib’s campaign finances, asserting that her political operation directed hundreds of thousands of dollars to anti-Israel activists. The report claims that nearly $600,000 was paid between 2020 and 2025 to Unbought Power, a consulting firm led by Rasha Mubarak.

Mubarak, the briefing notes, has previously drawn scrutiny because of past associations with the Council on American-Islamic Relations, identified in the 2009 Holy Land Foundation case as an unindicted co-conspirator, and with the Alliance for Global Justice, an organization that has been investigated over alleged ties to Samidoun, a group linked to the PFLP.

The report also highlights Tlaib’s appearances at public events alongside controversial figures. It cites a conference where she shared a platform with Wisam Rafeedie, described in the briefing as a convicted PFLP operative, who defended the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack as “resistance.”

Summarizing its assessment, the document states: “Through public endorsement, co-sponsorship, and amplification, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has consistently engaged with a range of organizations known to maintain operational or ideological ties to terrorist networks.” It continues, “Tlaib has engaged with and disseminated the messaging of these groups and has shared related content on social media platforms, has participated in events organized by these groups, and has referenced their terminology and conceptual frameworks in official congressional communications.”

The briefing notes that allegations of sympathy toward hostile foreign actors are not new for the Michigan congresswoman, pointing out that the House of Representatives has already taken formal action against her on two occasions.

In November 2023, Tlaib was censured for promoting what were described as false narratives about the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. Another resolution followed in September 2025 after her participation in the “People’s Conference for Palestine,” an event where speakers were accused of having “whitewashed” convicted Hamas financiers.

ISGAP Action also revisits Tlaib’s past remarks, asserting that she has repeatedly used antisemitic language. The report references an August 2021 appearance in which Tlaib spoke of “people behind the curtain” profiting from “racism” from “Gaza to Detroit.”

Beyond documenting concerns, the briefing urges concrete steps by federal authorities. It calls for a formal congressional investigation into Tlaib’s actions, including a review of statements it says echo terrorist messaging, her presence at events honoring convicted terrorists, and a comprehensive examination of her campaign fundraising sources.

The document further recommends that the Justice Department’s National Security Division evaluate whether Tlaib or those associated with her have violated 18 U.S. Code §2339B, which bans providing material support to foreign terrorist organizations.

In addition, the report urges the Federal Election Commission to conduct a detailed forensic audit of Tlaib’s campaign finances, with particular attention to donations originating from individuals allegedly connected to terrorist networks.

Concluding its assessment, the briefing warns of broader implications. “Tlaib’s conduct demonstrates how extremist ideologies can infiltrate mainstream democratic institutions,” the report concludes. “If left unchecked, her actions will continue to legitimize hate.”

The document also references a separate ISGAP Action report issued last year that examined what it described as a long-term effort by the Muslim Brotherhood to “transform Western society from within” and to infiltrate American institutions.

That earlier report stated, “The election and re-election of congresswomen such as Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), who have openly defended positions aligned with Brotherhood perspectives on Israel, counterterrorism, and international relations, demonstrates the intersection of identity politics and Brotherhood narratives.”

It added, “While neither congresswoman has a documented formal affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood, both have appeared at events organized by Brotherhood-aligned organizations, have received campaign support from Brotherhood-aligned donors, and have consistently advocated positions aligned with Brotherhood objectives.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump on Thursday is set to launch TrumpRx.gov, a government website aimed at helping Americans purchase medications at discounted prices, capping his nearly year-long pressure campaign to extract pricing concessions from pharmaceutical companies.

The scheduled 7 p.m. event, announced by the White House, has been one of Trump’s top political priorities ahead of this year’s midterm elections. The president and his aides have used tariff threats, promised expedited federal drug reviews and other leverage in negotiations with drug-company executives, while also pressing foreign leaders to raise their own countries’ drug prices to help absorb global research and development costs.

As part of the initiative, pharmaceutical companies have agreed to list their drugs on TrumpRx.gov, which officials say will connect shoppers to discounts offered by the companies and help them purchase medications without using insurance. The White House has described the site as a central feature of the administration’s drug-pricing push, and the president is slated to demonstrate the site’s functionality with aides Thursday evening in an event at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

Trump has portrayed the effort – which he has branded as “Most Favored Nation” – as one of his signature policy accomplishments, often appearing alongside pharmaceutical executives to showcase price concessions his administration secured. Trump has also called on Congress to codify the program, including it as a key plank in his “Great Healthcare Plan” proposal released in January.

“This is the biggest thing ever to happen on drug prices … it’s going to reduce the cost of health care because health care is probably 50 percent drugs, right?” Trump said at a political rally in North Carolina in December. “This achievement alone should win us the midterms.”

Spending on prescription drugs, which has accounted for about 9 percent of U.S. health care spending in recent years, has continued to rise despite pledges from Democratic and Republican presidents to bring it down. Trump has said that his first-term announcement that drug prices briefly inched down ranks among his proudest moments as president.

The White House did not immediately respond to questions about Thursday’s planned event. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X that Trump would be joined by Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicaid and Medicaid Services, and Joe Gebbia, director of the National Design Studio, a new administration initiative to improve government websites.

The launch of TrumpRx.gov comes more than 12 years after the debut of Healthcare.gov, a signature initiative of President Barack Obama and Democrats designed to help Americans shop for health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act. That website’s launch was memorably rocky – only six people successfully signed up for health plans on the website’s first day, according to internal Obama administration notes obtained by congressional Republicans – a failure that became a political liability for the Obama administration.

Trump has sought to avoid a similar fate with his site, which is a much smaller undertaking, and to ensure the initiative delivers visible political payoff. The president and drug company leaders have previewed the site by focusing on savings for popular drugs such as Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic, which often carries a list price of $1,000 per month and is commonly used for weight-loss. Ozempic’s list price would drop to $350 when purchased through the new website, officials have said.

“TrumpRx doesn’t sell medications,” according to a description on the website. “Instead, it connects patients directly with the best prices, increasing transparency and cutting out costly third-party markups.”

Some Democrats and health policy experts have acknowledged that Trump’s new initiative could lower drug prices for some Americans and expand access to medications. But many have said that the public pledges remain too vague to gauge the program’s full impact, and some experts have warned that the program is likely to be constrained by the courts. They also have noted that TrumpRx’s focus on cutting “list prices” for drugs may obscure that many Americans already can obtain discounts and rebates that lower the cost of their medication. Novo Nordisk, for example, already offers Ozempic available at significant discounts through its own website.

The website “could have some impact, but it is far from revolutionary,” Craig Garthwaite, director of health care at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, wrote in an email. He added that the program sidesteps bigger challenges in America’s health system. “For most brand name medications, patients simply can’t afford to pay cash out of pocket. That is what insurance is for!”

Others, including former federal officials, have questioned the legality of the expedited Food and Drug Administration reviews that have been promised to some participating drug companies, warning that rushing those reviews could be illegal and dangerous.

Congressional Democrats also have demanded answers from pharmaceutical companies on the terms of their participation, their future pricing predictions and their work to help set up TrumpRx.gov.

“The Administration has yet to provide any public information that the announcements will result in any real savings for consumers,” Sen. Ron Wyden (Oregon) and three other top Democrats on congressional committees that oversee parts of the U.S. health system said in a joint statement in December. “In fact, economists have questioned whether consumers will see any meaningful benefits. The public deserves answers on this and a better understanding of what this means for their everyday costs.”

Two-thirds of Americans say that they worry about paying for health care, including the cost of health insurance and prescription drugs, according to a KFF poll released last Thursday. Health care costs also represented Americans’ top financial worry, surpassing utilities, food, and rent or mortgage.

Most Americans (55 percent) also said that their health care costs had increased in the past year, KFF found. A similar percentage (56 percent) say that they expect health care to become less affordable in the future.

While Democrats generally have the edge on health care issues, holding a 16-percentage-point edge on which party that Americans trust to address the Affordable Care Act (42-26), the advantage is narrower on drug costs – an issue that Trump has relentlessly campaigned on – with Democrats holding a five-point edge on Republicans (35-30).

White House officials said in December that the National Design Studio had taken the lead on setting up TrumpRx.gov.

“The site has come together at record time. There’s been extensive testing by many people, and there will continue to be so that [when] we launch the site. It’s ready to go and ready for prime time,” a senior administration official told reporters on a press call, speaking on condition of anonymity to preview a forthcoming announcement.

Mark Cuban, a founder of Cost Plus Drugs, a website that offers similar services to TrumpRx.gov, said he welcomed the new site.

“I don’t think it solves the ultimate problem of how the system is designed, but I think it’s something that we obviously agree on,” Cuban, a frequent Trump critic, said at a Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing in October.

(c) 2026, The Washington Post 

{Matzav.com}

Israeli authorities have arrested two young men from Jerusalem on suspicion of spying for Iran in exchange for money, amid mounting concern in Jerusalem over Tehran’s alleged efforts to recruit operatives inside Israel. Police and the Shin Bet said the two suspects — both Israeli citizens in their 20s — were taken into custody last […]

What once took Monica Seiter hours of manual reviews can now be resolved with the press of a button and a few prompts.

As director of payroll at Lindenwood University in St. Louis, Seiter uses Payroll Agent, an AI-powered assistant in the management software Workday, to automate the payroll process. (Workday lists The Washington Post as a client.) Some of her favorite features include automated scans to find missing data ahead of payday, and notifications to managers about minimum wage increases that could impact Lindenwood’s budget.

Payroll Agent is just one of many AI tools released last year, joining a wave of AI-powered products designed to automate HR processes. The developers behind these tools, commonly referred to as AI agents, promise efficiency and precise information for managers when conducting performance reviews or evaluating who is eligible for a raise or promotion. But by partially automating HR functions, organizations are calling on AI to help steer one of the most consequential relationships between employers and employees, one where a deft human touch was long considered a requirement.

“People don’t want to be judged by a black box,” said John McCarthy, a professor researching workplaces and emerging technologies at Cornell University. “Sometimes, even the people using or deploying these systems don’t know what’s in the black box.”

While companies like Workday are rolling out narrow AI agents designed for specific tasks, managers are already using general-purpose models such as ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini to inform high-stakes calls. More than 60 percent of managers say they use these tools to inform decisions on their employees, according to a June survey by ResumeBuilder, including to draft performance reviews. Of these, over half said they use AI to help determine raises, promotions and even layoffs.

Industry reports suggest that when used correctly, automating certain HR tasks can lead to significant time savings for managers – up to 25 percent – according to one analysis by consulting firm Bain & Company. But as companies race to integrate AI, critics worry that untrained managers could use it irresponsibly. The ResumeBuilder survey found that only one third of managers who used AI to manage people had received formal instruction on how to do so, and around 20 percent often allowed AI to make decisions without human input.

“It’s a wild, wild west out there,” said Stacie Haller, chief career adviser at ResumeBuilder, adding that AI-assisted decision-making at work could expose companies to legal action, including wrongful dismissal cases.

“If you are let go and it was based on some AI evaluation, I guarantee you there are going to be lawsuits, because today people bring up lawsuits when they feel they’re unfairly fired anyway,” she said.

For Workday, the answer is for a person to have a final say and remain accountable, even if they tapped an AI agent for help, explained Aashna Kircher, a group general manager for HR products at the company.

“AI can’t make decisions around people’s performance,” she said. “We are very much anchored on having a human in the loop and amplifying potential, not replacing human judgment.”

When used responsibly, AI agents could even help improve transparency, says Maria Colacurcio, CEO of Syndio, a company developing workplace equity solutions. In October, Syndio released its own AI agent called Syndi, which provides hiring managers with salary offer recommendations for individual job candidates based on internal pay policies, market rates and company targets. Agents like Syndi are designed to explain each recommendation, a step Colacurcio says is essential for maintaining trust.

“The real value of AI is helping leaders make good decisions with better confidence. And when you’ve got that clear and consistent reasoning, the people who are on the receiving end feel respected,” Colacurcio said.

Even when AI agents are transparent about how a recommendation was formulated, a human arbiter will still likely be required to make most decisions. In processes like performance feedback, soft skills that are harder to quantify might slip past what algorithms are ready to reward, said John Hausknecht, a human resources professor at Cornell. Recognizing qualities like congeniality and willingness to train colleagues, or context from workers’ personal lives, is one area where human managers still have an edge over machines.

“There’s a ‘what’ and a ‘how’,” Hausknecht said. Evaluating what an employee has produced can be relatively easy for automation to capture, “but how they got there, and did they take the right steps and build the right relationships along the way, I still think has that judgmental quality that’s hard to get away from.”

The Washington Post · Tristan Bove 

A self-described Australian Nazi has become the first person in the country to be sentenced to prison for performing a Nazi salute, after a court rejected his final appeal and upheld a one-month jail term. Jacob Hersant, 26, lost his appeal this week in the Victoria County Court, clearing the way for his incarceration over […]

A prominent Jewish advocacy group is warning that Canada’s decision to dismantle its federal antisemitism watchdog risks weakening the country’s ability to confront rising hatred and preserve Holocaust memory, and could leave Ottawa in breach of its international commitments. The Abraham Global Peace Initiative said this week that the government’s move to dissolve the Office […]

The United Arab Emirates has drawn up preliminary plans for a large temporary housing site intended to accommodate thousands of displaced Palestinians in southern Gaza under Israeli military control, according to a planning map reviewed by Reuters and officials familiar with the proposal, Times of Israel reports.

The map outlines the location of a project labeled the “UAE Temporary Emirates Housing Complex,” which would be built near Rafah, a city that once had roughly 250,000 residents but has since been largely destroyed and emptied during Israeli military operations.

An Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel that the UAE has yet to make a final determination on whether it will finance the initial phase of the housing project in the Rafah area.

Rafah, located close to the Egyptian border, is viewed as the likely starting point for Gaza’s reconstruction under a postwar framework envisioned by US President Donald Trump, aimed at stabilizing the coastal territory after two years of intense fighting. International donors have been hesitant to pledge support, citing concerns that unresolved disputes over disarming Hamas could derail the plan and return the region to full-scale war.

Diplomats cautioned that the Emirati proposal faces political hurdles, noting that many Palestinians may resist relocating to an area controlled by Israel while most of Gaza’s civilian population remains in zones administered by Hamas.

According to four diplomats briefed on the matter, Trump’s plan includes a US-led multinational mission for Gaza operating out of southern Israel, where Emirati representatives have discussed building temporary housing and supplying basic services in Rafah.

The planning map places the proposed UAE housing site near the “Yellow Line” established under an October ceasefire to mark the boundary between Israeli-held territory and areas controlled by Hamas.

Responding to questions about the report, an Emirati official said the country “remains committed to scaling up its humanitarian efforts to support Palestinians in Gaza,” without confirming whether the housing complex would move forward.

One diplomat said Israeli forces have already cleared a broad corridor stretching from the Mediterranean coast toward Rafah, potentially enabling temporary housing initiatives such as the one under consideration by the UAE.

Diplomats said the Emirati plan closely resembles a US concept for temporary housing in Israeli-controlled parts of Gaza. That American proposal was initially described as “Alternative Safe Communities” and has more recently been referred to as “Planned Communities.”

A US official said the UAE has been coordinating its initiative with Washington, the Board of Peace — a new international body created by Trump — and a US-supported Palestinian committee intended to oversee governance in Gaza.

“We continue to be impressed with the UAE’s efforts for bringing a better life for Gazans in Gaza,” the official said.

US officials have privately expressed hope that developing housing in Israeli-controlled areas could help advance the disarmament of Hamas by encouraging civilians to move out of Hamas-run zones, thereby weakening the group’s hold over the population.

Kenneth Katzman, a Middle East analyst at The Soufan Center, said the “Alternative Safe Communities” concept was meant to gradually “choking Hamas off,” but warned that limited projects would not be sufficient.

“Only a couple of housing projects is not going to defeat Hamas. You need to do a lot… to have an effect,” he said.

The UAE, which normalized relations with Israel in 2020 under a Trump-brokered agreement, views Hamas and other Islamist movements as destabilizing forces in the region.

The four diplomats questioned whether large numbers of Palestinians would agree to relocate to Israeli-controlled territory and warned that such plans could entrench a lasting geographic split within Gaza.

Unlike earlier US proposals, however, the diplomats noted that the Emirati plan targets land where no residential neighborhoods previously existed.

Israeli forces currently control about 53 percent of Gaza, including the southern area encompassing the devastated city of Rafah. Hamas governs the remainder of the Strip, where nearly all of Gaza’s roughly two million residents are crowded into tent camps or living amid the ruins of destroyed communities.

Foreign diplomats and humanitarian officials argue that aid and shelter should prioritize areas with the largest civilian populations. By contrast, diplomats estimate that only about 20,000 Palestinians are currently living in parts of Gaza under Israeli military control.

{Matzav.com}

It is with deep regret that YWN shares the petirah of Reb Amram Mizrachi z”l, an 81-year-old Jewish man who was niftar in a fire in Boro Park on Thursday afternoon. Boro Park Scoop reported that the fire broke out in Reb Amram’s apartment on the corner of 12th Avenue and 47th Street. Chesed Shel […]

State prosecutors on Thursday filed indictments against Bezalel Zini, the brother of David Zini, along with two additional suspects, accusing them of operating as part of a large-scale network that smuggled cigarettes into the Gaza Strip during the war.

All three defendants were charged with aiding the enemy in wartime, as well as fraud and bribery offenses, in addition to violations of Israel’s counterterrorism statutes. A day earlier, prosecutors brought charges against 12 other alleged members of the same ring, among them several IDF reservists.

The Shin Bet said Wednesday that over the course of the fighting — and “and even more so since the beginning of the ceasefire” — Hamas has sought to rebuild its military strength and consolidate control in Gaza using funds generated through smuggled merchandise.

According to the indictments, during August and September 2025 the suspects trafficked 26 crates of cigarettes into Gaza, with an estimated total value of NIS 3.9 million ($1.25 million). Prosecutors said this shipment represented only a fraction of the illegal activity carried out by the group.

Zini, who served as an IDF reservist responsible for logistics for demolition forces in Gaza, is accused of exploiting his access to the Strip to smuggle 14 crates of cigarettes from Israel into Gaza over three separate trips, netting roughly NIS 365,000 ($117,405).

He was indicted in the Beersheba District Court together with Aviel Ben David, another reservist from his unit, and Amir Dov Halperin, an associate of Ben David. Prosecutors allege the three participated in cigarette smuggling operations on five occasions.

Court documents state that Zini commanded a team within the IDF’s Gaza Division that operated heavy engineering machinery in the Strip, a role that authorized him to escort convoys of equipment into Gaza.

According to the charges, both Zini and Ben David received NIS 15,000 ($4,800) each for their participation. Prosecutors said Menachem Abutbul, who was indicted on Wednesday, transferred the contraband near Kibbutz Sufa into Zini’s vehicle, after which Zini and Ben David drove into Gaza and unloaded the goods.

Authorities said an additional 13 suspects are expected to face indictments in the coming days.

Investigators allege the smuggling ring brought a wide range of items into Gaza, including cigarettes, iPhones, batteries, telecommunications cables and vehicle parts, with a combined value running into the millions of shekels. Some of the items are categorized as “dual-use,” meaning they could be repurposed by Hamas for terror-related activities.

David Zini, the Shin Bet chief, is not suspected of any involvement in the affair. The investigation is being handled by the Israel Police rather than the Shin Bet because of the familial connection to one of the suspects.

During the war, Israel prohibited the entry of cigarettes and other tobacco products into Gaza, citing concerns that smuggled goods command high prices on the black market and generate significant tax revenue for Hamas.

In indictments filed Wednesday against other alleged participants, prosecutors said the defendants acted “to smuggle prohibited goods into the Strip in a systematic and sophisticated manner, exploiting vulnerabilities at crossing points and military activity in the area, while presenting false representations of entry into the Strip as part of legitimate security activity.”

“Smuggling constitutes a significant threat to the security of the State of Israel, as it assists Hamas’s survival and governance,” the Shin Bet said. “It also poses a threat stemming from the possibility of using smuggling routes as a platform to advance offensive military activity in Israel and against our forces in the Gaza Strip.”

{Matzav.com}

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is defending his administration’s response to a deadly cold snap that has claimed at least 17 lives, as the City Council prepares to scrutinize the city’s handling of the crisis in a series of oversight hearings. The hearings, first reported by Politico, are expected to begin Feb. 10, with […]

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu used a closed session of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Thursday to again reject personal responsibility for the failures surrounding Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, arguing that the intelligence he received did not point to an impending invasion and that earlier efforts to deter Hamas were blocked by senior defense officials.

Leaks from the meeting to Hebrew-language media said Netanyahu told lawmakers that although “there was a serious intelligence failure” ahead of the attack, “there was no treason.”

When questioned by a committee member about allegations of treason — including claims circulated publicly by Netanyahu’s son, Yair — the prime minister said his aim was to clear away the “cloud of treason” hanging over the events of October 7.

During the discussion, Netanyahu also reportedly accused former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar of falsifying the protocol of a meeting held early on the morning of October 7, shortly before the Hamas assault that sparked two years of fighting in Gaza.

According to Channel 12, Netanyahu said that no one at the time believed Hamas was about to launch an attack that day.

The prime minister pointed to a series of conversations with senior figures, including Bar, former defense minister Benny Gantz and former prime minister Naftali Bennett, which he said demonstrated that they, too, believed Hamas was deterred. Reports did not specify when those discussions took place.

Netanyahu further claimed that he sought to assassinate Hamas leaders in 2014 but was blocked by the security establishment. Channel 12 reported last week, however, that Netanyahu rejected 11 opportunities to kill Gaza Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in the months preceding October 7.

Netanyahu also told committee members that Bar altered a document from the early hours of October 7 by adding language stating that he had instructed that the prime minister be updated. Bar resigned last year after Netanyahu moved to dismiss him in a dispute that ultimately reached the High Court of Justice.

According to Channel 12, Netanyahu alleged that Bar retroactively changed a clause in the protocol of a Shin Bet meeting held early that morning, before the Hamas invasion, inserting wording indicating that Netanyahu was to be informed of developments. Channel 12 reported, however, that the meeting minutes were entered into Shin Bet systems at 6:06 a.m. with the instruction included, and that Netanyahu’s military secretary was updated by the Shin Bet chief’s bureau chief at 6:13 a.m. — about 16 minutes before Hamas-led terrorists breached the border.

Official minutes from Thursday’s session released by the Knesset Spokesman’s Office said Netanyahu presented lawmakers with materials he had previously submitted to the State Comptroller regarding the period leading up to October 7.

In December, the High Court of Justice ordered the comptroller to suspend his October 7 investigation following petitions arguing that the probe was fundamentally flawed, could compromise evidence and investigative procedures, and that only a state commission of inquiry was suitable to examine the disaster.

The Knesset spokesman said Netanyahu attended the five-hour closed meeting and “responded at length to committee members’ questions,” with the discussion centering on the comptroller’s now-halted investigation.

According to the spokesman, Netanyahu presented “materials relating to the question of when Hamas decided to turn the idea of an attack into an operational plan, and whether internal divisions within Israel were connected to that decision.”

Netanyahu described the High Court’s decision to freeze the comptroller’s investigation just six days after his own testimony as having “unusual timing,” the Knesset spokesman said.

“After two years in which the media has been rewriting history in real time, the prime minister came to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and set the historical record,” said committee chairman Likud MK Boaz Bismuth, a close ally of Netanyahu. “Sometimes the truth is also an option. The question that should concern every household in Israel is why the High Court of Justice halted the state comptroller’s review process.”

Members of the opposition Yesh Atid party walked out of the meeting in protest, with the faction posting on X that it would “not participate in this media circus, which is intended to evade responsibility and turn the committee into an empty PR show.”

“Netanyahu arrived with pre-prepared messages from his office in a desperate attempt to engineer public perception and rewrite history, but no spin will blur the failure: 2,000 Israelis murdered, communities conquered, children burned, and citizens kidnapped on his watch,” the party said. “The faction members will continue to fight against his failed government so that such a debacle never happens again.”

Yesh Atid MK Moshe Tur-Paz wrote on X that Netanyahu had told the committee two months before October 7 that “Hamas is deterred.”

Opposition figures Benny Gantz, Avigdor Liberman and Gadi Eisenkot all sharply criticized Netanyahu on Thursday, accusing him of trying to absolve himself of responsibility for the most severe intelligence and strategic failure in Israel’s history.

Gantz, a former IDF chief of staff and defense minister, wrote on X that in 2014, “when I presented the option of conquering Gaza,” Netanyahu leaked the proposal to the media “to frighten the public.”

“When I proposed taking control of the Netzarim Corridor — you were afraid,” Gantz added, referring to the strip dividing the Gaza Strip. “When I spoke about replacing Hamas, you preferred separation and leaving ‘Hamas deterred and weakened.’”

Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of having a “selective memory” regarding the period before and after October 7.

“In October 2023, we voted together on the decision to destroy Hamas’s rule,” Eisenkot wrote Thursday. “I left the cabinet in June 2024 because you refused to advance its destruction. You are still failing at this task. You are running away.”

Liberman said Netanyahu’s claim that no one anticipated the October 7 attack was false, stating that “as defense minister, in December 2016, I personally handed him a severe warning document that described exactly the scenario that ultimately occurred.”

“He received it, he knew — and he chose to ignore it,” Liberman said. “Unfortunately, Netanyahu is once again fleeing from the truth.”

{Matzav.com}

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday endorsed Gov. Kathy Hochul for another term, giving the governor support from a prominent progressive figure as she confronts a primary challenge from the left in her race for a second full term.

Writing in an op-ed published by The Nation, Mamdani, a Democrat, acknowledged his disagreements with Hochul but said he has “come to trust Governor Hochul as someone willing to engage in an honest dialogue that leads to results.”

The endorsement underscores an unlikely partnership between two Democrats who represent different wings of the party, with Mamdani a young democratic socialist who campaigned on sweeping change and Hochul a centrist, self-described “mom governor” from Buffalo.

Hochul had previously backed Mamdani in his mayoral run, providing him with establishment support, and the two have aligned on issues such as affordability and child care. At the same time, the governor has distanced herself from parts of Mamdani’s platform, including his push to raise taxes on the wealthy, casting herself as a moderating influence on his new administration.

In a statement responding to the endorsement, Hochul thanked Mamdani for his cooperation, saying, “I know that he’ll stand strong alongside me as we fight against Donald Trump’s attacks on this state.”

Mamdani’s support could help Hochul blunt criticism from the left ahead of the June Democratic primary. Her lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado, is challenging her with a progressive campaign that mirrors Mamdani’s approach and seeks to channel the energy that helped propel the mayor to office and national attention.

Following Mamdani’s endorsement, Delgado issued a statement accusing Hochul of falling short on key commitments, saying she “has broken a lot of promises” and has not embraced tax hikes on the wealthy or other progressive priorities. He added that he is the “partner for any leader who also values these critical measures.”

Republicans and other critics on the right are expected to use the endorsement to argue that Democrats have veered too far left. Bruce Blakeman, a Long Island county official running for governor, has already signaled that line of attack.

“New Yorkers who want a check on Mamdani and Hochul’s radicalism have one choice: elect Bruce Blakeman Governor in November and vote Republican at all levels of government,” said David Laska, a spokesperson for the NYGOP.

Hochul previously served as lieutenant governor under Andrew Cuomo and stepped into the governor’s office in 2021 after Cuomo resigned amid multiple sexual harassment allegations and the near certainty of impeachment. She went on to become the first woman elected governor of New York the following year, defeating Lee Zeldin, now the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, in a closely fought contest that tightened as Zeldin focused on public safety issues.

{Matzav.com}

Ukraine and Russia agreed to exchange prisoners as the warring parties pressed ahead with “detailed and productive” negotiations to end the four-year conflict, according to President Donald Trump’s special envoy.

The two sides will swap 314 prisoners in the first such exchange in five months, Steve Witkoff said in a post on platform X on Thursday. He cited progress in three-way discussions in Abu Dhabi, with results expected “in the coming weeks.”

“This outcome was achieved from peace talks that have been detailed and productive,” Witkoff, who was joined in the United Arab Emirates by Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, said. “While significant work remains, steps like this demonstrate that sustained diplomatic engagement is delivering tangible results and advancing efforts to end the war in Ukraine.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy this week called the negotiating round a test of the Kremlin’s commitment to the process after Russian forces unleashed the biggest missile-and-drone attack on Kyiv this year, plunging the capital further into darkness.

The assaults on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have left large swathes of the country without heating, power and water as temperatures fell to -25C (-13F) this week.

The head of Ukraine’s delegation, national security chief Rustem Umerov, called the talks in Abu Dhabi “meaningful and productive” late Wednesday. Discussions were ongoing as of noon Thursday, according to an Umerov aide.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Thursday said the discussions had not yet yielded a conclusion.

Negotiations zeroed in on the issue that’s proved the most implacable in the talks: territory. Russia has insisted on seizing control of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, including parts that its forces have failed to take since fighting there began in 2014.

(c) 2026, Bloomberg · Daryna Krasnolutska