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YWN regrets to inform you of the Petira of Reb Avrohom Michoel Greenhut Z”L. The Levaya will take place Monday at 10AM at the Tenka Shul at 4712 12th Avenue.

Canadians will decide Monday whether to extend the Liberal Party’s decade in power or instead hand control to the Conservatives. They’ll pick either Prime Minister Mark Carney or opposition leader Pierre Poilievre to lead the way forward, but the election is also a referendum of sorts on someone who isn’t even Canadian: Donald Trump. Until the American president won a second term and began threatening Canada’s economy and sovereignty, even suggesting the country should become the 51st state, the Liberals looked headed for defeat. Polls have opened in Atlantic Canada. Canadians vote as the country grapples with the aftermath of a fatal car ramming attack on Saturday in Vancouver. The tragedy on the eve of the election prompted the suspension of campaigning for several hours. Police ruled out terrorism and said the suspect is a local man with a history of mental health issues. Trump’s truculence has infuriated many Canadians, leading many to cancel U.S. vacations, refuse to buy American goods and possibly even vote early — a record 7.3 million Canadians cast ballots before election day. Trump also put Poilievre and the Conservative Party on the back foot after they appeared headed for an easy victory only months ago. “The Americans want to break us so they can own us,” Carney said recently, laying out what he saw as the stakes for the election. “Those aren’t just words. That’s what’s at risk.” Poilievre, a populist firebrand who campaigned with Trump-like bravado, had hoped to make the election a referendum on former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose popularity declined toward the end of his decade in power as food and housing prices rose and immigration surged. But then Trump became the dominant issue, and Poilievre’s similarities to the bombastic president could cost him. “He appeals to the same sense of grievance,” Canadian historian Robert Bothwell said of the Conservative leader. “It’s like Trump standing there saying, ‘I am your retribution.’” Foreign policy hasn’t dominated a Canadian election this much since 1988, when, ironically, free trade with the United States was the prevailing issue. Whichever candidate emerges as prime minister will face a litany of challenges. Canada has been dealing with a cost-of-living crisis for some time. And more than 75% of its exports go to the U.S., so Trump’s threat to impose sweeping tariffs and his desire to get the North American automakers to move Canada’s production south could severely damage the Canadian economy. Both Carney and Poilievre said that if elected, they would accelerate renegotiations of a free trade deal between Canada and the U.S. in a bid to end the uncertainty hurting both of their economies. Carney, in particular, has notable experience navigating economic crises, having done so when running Canada’s central bank and later after becoming the first non-U.K. citizen to run the Bank of England. Trump dialed back his talk of Canada becoming the 51st state during the campaign until last week, when he said Canada “would cease to exist as a country” if the U.S. stopped buying its goods. He also said he’s not just trolling Canada when he says it should become a state. “The Liberals ought to pay him,” Bothwell said. “Trump talking is not good for the Conservatives.” In response to the threats to Canadian sovereignty, Carney pleaded with voters to deliver […]

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An Arab official on Sunday pushed back against Hebrew media claims suggesting that Qatar had encouraged Hamas to turn down an Egyptian-mediated hostage-ceasefire proposal as fighting continues between Hamas and Israel in Gaza.

Speaking to The Times of Israel, a source involved in the talks — though not from Qatar — said the allegations were being “manufactured” by Israeli officials trying to derail the negotiating process and shift attention away from Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, whose rigid conditions have made any deal nearly unattainable.

Netanyahu has firmly rejected any agreement that would end the war or allow Hamas to retain power over Gaza. Earlier this year, Israel also refused to initiate talks for a permanent ceasefire during a proposed three-stage hostage deal, resulting in the plan collapsing after only the first phase.

Over the past few days, several Hebrew-language news outlets published pieces — often based solely on Israeli sources or citing no sources at all — claiming that Qatar had advised Hamas to reject an Egyptian proposal by suggesting that Doha could obtain a more favorable long-term truce for the group.

Since the start of the war on October 7, 2023, Qatar has served as a central intermediary between Israel and Hamas. The terror group, backed by Iran and controlling the Gaza Strip, launched a deadly attack on Israel that day, murdering approximately 1,200 people and abducting 251 others.

Qatar provides a home base for Hamas’s political leaders and finances the pro-Hamas Al Jazeera network. With Israel’s approval, Qatar had also sent billions of dollars into Gaza in the years leading up to October 7.

Speaking Sunday, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said that Thursday’s discussions showed “some progress.”

An Israeli source told The Times of Israel that Mossad chief David Barnea, who has had a reduced role in the negotiations since Netanyahu appointed Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer to lead the Israeli team two months ago, flew to Doha last Thursday to meet with the Qatari prime minister in pursuit of an agreement.

“We have seen on Thursday a bit of progress compared to other meetings, yet we need to find an answer for the ultimate question: how to end this war. That’s the key point of the entire negotiations,” said Al-Thani at a press event alongside Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

“When you don’t have a common objective, a common goal between the parties, I believe the opportunities [to end the war] become very thin,” added the Qatari prime minister.

Fidan echoed this sentiment, noting that discussions in recent days indicated Hamas would consider a broader agreement that goes beyond a temporary ceasefire and looks toward a comprehensive resolution with Israel.

On April 19, Fidan and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin met with Hamas representatives in Ankara to review the ceasefire negotiations and assess the overall situation in Gaza.

According to Fidan, those discussions revealed that Hamas might agree to a deal that addresses broader Palestinian concerns and that the current crisis might be a stepping stone toward advancing a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In addition to the ceasefire talks, Al-Thani on Sunday criticized Israeli media coverage surrounding the so-called “Qatargate” scandal, which involves allegations against two of Netanyahu’s aides for allegedly working on behalf of a Qatar-linked lobbying group.

“What is being called ‘Qatargate’ is journalistic propaganda for political purposes that has no basis in truth. Fringe politicians in Israel are leveling accusations against Doha while forgetting its role in the release of the hostages,” said Al-Thani.

“There is a public relations campaign being waged against the State of Qatar in Israel,” he said, explaining that “Qatar’s contracts with an American communications firm were intended to counter a public relations campaign against us in Israel.”

Court documents in the Qatargate investigation reveal that two Netanyahu advisers — Jonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein — are suspected of accepting payments to plant favorable pro-Qatar coverage in the media, all while working in the prime minister’s office.

Reports indicate that American lobbyist Jay Footlik played a significant role in arranging the alleged payments to Netanyahu’s aides. Last week, it was reported that Israeli investigators are planning to travel to the United States in the near future to question Footlik as part of the ongoing probe.

{Matzav.com Israel}

The Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism released its first full-year report on the global surge in antisemitism on Sunday, the first official review covering events through all of 2024 since the October 7 massacre. The findings were scheduled to be presented to government ministers during a cabinet meeting.

The report reveals that throughout 2024, antisemitism around the world became more structured, with financial backing from international organizations and, in some cases, national governments. It includes detailed statistics comparing antisemitism rates during the entire year of 2024 with those recorded in the first ten months of 2023, prior to the October massacre.

According to the data, Canada experienced a staggering 970% spike in antisemitic incidents, Australia saw a 320% increase along with a 260% jump in antisemitic violence, the United States recorded a 200% rise, and antisemitic incidents in France grew by 300%.

The findings also indicate that 64% of French citizens believe Jews are justified in fearing for their safety in France, 84% of Jews living in Germany feel unsafe, and 90% of Jewish residents in Britain avoid downtown areas during anti-Israel protests.

The Diaspora Ministry’s report identifies Spain and Ireland as Europe’s most antisemitic countries. France, Britain, Canada, and Australia are criticized for their “moral ambiguity” in addressing antisemitism while voicing what the report calls disproportionate criticism of Israel, thus heightening the danger to Jewish communities.

French President Emmanuel Macron is singled out in the document for statements he made about Israel’s actions during the war in Gaza, which, according to the report, “legitimized antisemitic rhetoric by the French far-left.” The report contends that Macron’s comments emboldened Luc Mélenchon, head of the far-left La France Insoumise (LFI) party, who downplayed antisemitism even after a French Interior Ministry report showed a 300% surge in antisemitic incidents in early 2024. Among far-left supporters in France, only 44% consider Hamas a terrorist organization.

In Britain, the report highlights criticism leveled by the Chief Rabbi against the Labour Party for imposing an arms embargo on Israel. Meanwhile, in Canada, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) condemned the government of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after it voted to censure Israel at the United Nations in December 2023, warning it would fuel additional hatred toward Canadian Jews.

The report brands Canada the “champion of antisemitism” in 2024, noting that antisemitic incidents there multiplied by 7.5 times over the previous year. It also found that 85% of Jewish Canadians believe the Trudeau administration failed to adequately confront the rise in antisemitism.

The United Nations and the Palestinian Authority are also heavily criticized in the report. It accuses the social media giant TikTok of being a major driver of antisemitic sentiment, noting that an Israeli executive resigned after labeling the platform “an existential threat to Israel” and exposing that key policy decision-makers were Hamas and Houthi supporters.

In the realm of higher education, the report names Columbia University as the most antisemitic campus in America, with 127 reported incidents during 2024 alone. It further notes that nearly 90% of antisemitic episodes on college campuses in September were driven by far-left ideologies.

The BBC is also faulted for its continued refusal to label Hamas a terrorist organization. A former BBC employee disclosed that the network’s leadership routinely suppressed internal complaints regarding antisemitism. Jewish leaders in Britain argued that the BBC’s actions contributed to global antisemitism and efforts to deny or downplay Hamas atrocities.

Concluding its findings, the report urges governments worldwide to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism and to enforce laws combating antisemitic hatred. It calls for action against unbalanced criticism of Israel and warns that failure to do so endangers Jewish communities everywhere.

{Matzav.com}

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Monday declared a three-day ceasefire in Ukraine on May 8-10 to mark the World War II Victory Day, as U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration decides whether a deal to end the more than three-year war is within reach. The Kremlin said that the truce will start at 0000 on May 8 (2100 GMT May 7) and last through the end of May 10, adding that Putin ordered the full cessation of hostilities on “humanitarian grounds” to mark the May 9 holiday celebrating the defeat of Nazi Germany. There was no immediate reaction from Ukraine, which has previously agreed to Trump’s proposal of a full 30-day ceasefire. “Russia believes that the Ukrainian side should follow this example,” the Kremlin said in a statement. “In case of violations of the ceasefire by the Ukrainian side, the Russian armed forces will give an adequate and efficient response.” Putin previously announced a unilateral 30-hour Easter ceasefire and Ukraine voiced readiness to reciprocate any genuine truce then, but said the Russian attacks continued. Moscow, in turn, accused Ukraine of failing to halt attacks. Russia and Ukraine had also earlier pledged to observe a 30-day halt on strikes on energy infrastructure that was brokered by Trump’s administration, but repeatedly accused each other of massive violations until the measure expired. Up until now, Putin had refused to accept a complete unconditional ceasefire, linking it to a halt in Western arms supplies to Ukraine and Ukraine’s mobilization effort. The Kremlin reaffirmed that “the Russian side again declares its readiness for peace talks without preconditions aimed at removing the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis and constructive cooperation with international partners.” Just before the ceasefire announcement, Ukraine and Russia targeted each other with long-range strikes. The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces downed 119 Ukrainian drones overnight, most of them over Russia’s Bryansk border region. In Ukraine, air raid sirens rang out across the country Monday morning. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. Rubio says this week is ‘very critical’ The outcome of a push by Trump’s administration to swiftly end the fighting remains unclear, clouded by conflicting claims and doubts about how far each side might be willing to compromise amid deep hostility and mistrust. The clock is ticking on Washington’s engagement in efforts to resolve Europe’s biggest conflict since WWII, which has cost tens of thousands of lives. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that this week would be “very critical.” The U.S. needs to “make a determination about whether this is an endeavor that we want to continue to be involved in,” he said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” American military aid has been crucial for Ukraine’s war effort, and further help could be at risk if the Trump administration walks away from attempts to end the war. Trump’s doubts about Putin’s intentions Trump said over the weekend he harbors doubts about Putin’s sincerity in pursuing a deal, as Russian forces have continued to strike civilian areas of Ukraine with cruise and ballistic missiles while the talks have proceeded. But on Friday, Trump described a brokered settlement on the war as “close.” Western European officials have accused the Kremlin of dragging its feet on peace talks so that Russian forces, which are bigger than Ukraine’s and have battlefield momentum, can capture more Ukrainian land. […]

An Israeli restaurant, Feinberg, caused a wave of backlash this weekend after unveiling a poster that featured images of watermelons along with a lion draped in an Israeli flag. The restaurant, owned by Yorai Feinberg, had taken part in an “Israel Day” event on Friday, where it operated a booth offering items including a watermelon and vodka beverage.

Their drink, described as “chopped, crushed and cut into pieces over ice with a shot of vodka,” was marketed as an “Israeli-style watermelon” and accompanied by artwork of a lion clutching the drink alongside an Israeli flag, surrounded by images of whole and sliced watermelons.

Even before the event began, outrage erupted among pro-Palestinian activists over the marketing imagery.

Since October 7, the watermelon has been embraced as a powerful symbol of Palestinian identity and resistance, prominently featured at pro-Palestinian protests. Activists accused Feinberg of using violent imagery that mirrored Israeli military actions against Gaza.

“Chopped, crushed and cut. This is Feinberg’s violent, anti-Palestinian fantasy,” one activist posted on the X platform. “Exactly what Israel has been doing to Palestinian children for the past year and a half. Anyone promoting or buying from such a booth has lost their humanity.”

Responding to the controversy on Sunday, Feinberg said, “It was just a joke. Since the watermelon has become a Palestinian symbol, we thought to turn it into a humorous take, a sort of bridge through drinking alcohol. A sarcastic joke that we’re making juice out of anti-Israel sentiment and the new forms of antisemitism. Of course, we never intended to reference the fate of Gaza’s residents or to harm anyone. Most people who came by smiled, ordered drinks, and took photos.”

Images of the booth, along with the poster and the slogan, quickly went viral across Berlin’s social media networks, leading to a flood of insults and threats directed at Feinberg.

“Since Saturday, we’ve been receiving dozens of threatening phone calls and thousands of hateful messages,” said Feinberg, who has previously been targeted with antisemitic harassment for running a Jewish-owned Israeli restaurant in Berlin. “Today, people even came to the restaurant and threatened the staff.”

The intense backlash has underscored the deep political sensitivities surrounding anything related to Israel in Berlin. Although many other restaurants in the city serve watermelon-based food and drinks without controversy, Feinberg’s Israeli-themed poster ignited a particularly vicious response — part of a broader pattern in which businesses showing support for Israel have come under fire.

“It’s a bit scary,” Feinberg admitted. “A few months ago, we posted a photo of one of our desserts online with a small Israeli flag toothpick, and within hours we received thousands of toxic comments describing us as Jewish monsters eating Palestinians. It’s terrifying how much hatred there is, and how far people are willing to go — all over nothing. A toothpick with a flag.”

Feinberg said he has now requested renewed security measures. “So yes, there’s fear. For a long time we didn’t have police protection, but now I’ve informed the authorities that I believe they should resume guarding the place,” he said.

Reflecting on the experience, Feinberg added, “This is just not normal. People are not normal. I’m the son of a Holocaust survivor — and now people are calling me a Nazi. It’s pure poison.”

{Matzav.com}

A major power outage hit Spain and Portugal on Monday, including their capitals, knocking out subway networks, phone lines, traffic lights and ATM machines. Authorities said the cause was not immediately known, though one Portuguese official said the problem appeared to be with the electricity distribution network in Spain. The Portuguese Cabinet convened an emergency meeting at the prime minister’s residence, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited power distributor Red Eléctrica to follow efforts at restoring grid operations. The countries have a combined population of over 50 million people. It was not immediately clear how many were affected. It is rare to have such a widespread outage across the Iberian Peninsula. Red Eléctrica said the incident was being assessed. A couple of hours later, Spain’s electricity network operator said it was recovering power in the north and south of the peninsula, which would help to progressively restore the electricity supply nationwide. Portugal’s government said the outage appeared to stem from problems outside the country, an official told national news agency Lusa. “It looks like it was a problem with the distribution network, apparently in Spain. It’s still being ascertained,” Cabinet Minister Leitão Amaro was quoted as saying. Portuguese distributor E-Redes said the outage was due to “a problem with the European electricity system,” according to Portuguese newspaper Expresso. The company said it was compelled to cut power in specific areas to stabilize the network, according to Expresso. Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE said a major power outage hit several regions of the country just after midday local time, leaving its newsroom, Spain’s parliament in Madrid and subway stations across the country in the dark. A graph on Spain’s electricity network website showing demand across the country indicated a steep drop around 12:15 p.m. from 27,500MW to near 15,000MW. Video aired on Spanish television showed people evacuating metro stations in Madrid and empty stations with trains stopped in Barcelona. Spain’s traffic department is asking citizens to avoid using their cars as much as possible due to the power outage, which has affected traffic lights and electrical road signage. In Terrassa, an industrial town 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Barcelona, stores selling generators were out of stock after people lined up to buy them. Portugal’s E-Redes said parts of France also were affected. In Portugal, a country of some 10.6 million people, the outage hit the capital, Lisbon, and surrounding areas, as well as northern and southern parts of the country. Portuguese police placed more officers on duty to direct traffic and cope with increased requests for help, including from people trapped in elevators. Portuguese hospitals and other emergency services switched to generators. Gas stations stopped working and trains stopped running. Portugal’s National Authority for Emergencies and Civil Protection said backup power systems were operating. Several Lisbon subway cars were evacuated, reports said. Also in Portugal, courts stopped work and ATMs and electronic payment systems were affected. Traffic lights in Lisbon stopped working. It was not possible to make calls on mobile phone networks, though some apps were working. Spanish power distributor Red Eléctrica says restoring power to large parts of the country after a massive outage that also hit Portugal could take 6-10 hours. The company declined to speculate on the causes of the blackout. (AP)

IDF officials believe that an attempted abduction of four female soldiers was thwarted on Shabbos after a terror squad emerged from a tunnel shaft and fired an RPG missile at the vehicle they were traveling in, Channel 14 News reported on Sunday evening. According to the report, soldiers in a nearby tank opened fire within 40 seconds, thwarting the plan. The terrorists fled the scene and re-entered the tunnel. There have been disturbing reports in recent days about similar ambushes by terrorists that have led to casualties, including an IDF officer and a Border Police officer who were killed in an ambush in Gaza on Friday. On Sunday, a terrorist emerged from a tunnel shaft in the Daraj Tuffah area of the Strip and fired an RPG missile at IDF forces. B’Chasdei Hashem, there were no casualties and the terrorist fled the scene. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

I love Eretz Yisroel with every fiber of my being. I daven for its safety, rejoice in its nissim, and cry over its tzaros. I am mechanech my children from the youngest age to say, “V’sechezena eineinu b’shuvcha l’Tzion b’rachamim.” In our shuls, our yeshivos, our homes — there is nothing more precious than the kedusha of Eretz HaKodesh and the situation of our brothers and sisters living there. And that’s exactly why I have no patience — not an ounce — for the chaos that Itamar Ben Gvir brought to our streets this week. He came to America under the banner of an “official visit.” To meet with who? Nobody. There were no real meetings scheduled. Not in Crown Heights. Not at Essen. Not at Shaarei Zion. Not at the Young Israel of Woodmere. Not anywhere. He popped his head into a few places for a few minutes — long enough to get a few photo ops — and that was it. But the protests? The chillul Hashem? The danger? Oh, that he stirred up plenty of. Instead of making a kiddush Hashem, instead of building bridges, instead of strengthening our communities — he lit a match and threw it into a tinderbox. Protestors and Hamas sympathizers were riled up and came out in droves, furious and violent. Our neighborhoods, our communities — not his — were left to deal with the consequences. When he walked twenty blocks down Wall Street, letting the mob scream and curse at him, what was the point? He could’ve gotten into a car. He could’ve kept a low profile. Instead, he chose the route of chaos, just to stay relevant, just to get his name into the headlines. This isn’t leadership. This is selfishness — and it’s dangerous. We should never, ever cower in the face of Hamas sympathizers. We stand tall and proud as Yidden, and we will defend our neighborhoods. But we don’t need Ben Gvir to teach us how to stand strong. We’ve been standing strong in America for decades, long before he figured out how to make a media circus out of Jewish pain. We love Eretz Yisroel with every drop of our blood. We stand with the IDF and we stand with every Jew in danger. But we do not stand with a rabble-rouser who nearly toppled the Netanyahu government a few months ago just so he could stay in the news as the official “flamethrower.” Itamar Ben Gvir’s visit was not a show of strength. It was a reckless, selfish act that endangered our kehillos for no reason other than his own ego. We should continue to stand proudly as Torah Yidden, as ohavei Yisroel, as lovers of Eretz Yisroel — but we must do it with seichel, with achrayus, and with true pride. Not with matches and gasoline. Avrohom J – Flatbush, Brooklyn The views expressed in this letter are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of YWN. Have an opinion you would like to share? Send it to us for review. 

Israir Airlines announced on Sunday that it will be adjusting its baggage and seat selection fees starting June 1.

According to the airline, passengers will soon have to pay $25 to bring a carry-on trolley per person, each way, compared to the current fee of $20. The price for checking a first suitcase weighing up to 23 kilograms (approximately 50 pounds) will be raised to $50, up from $45. The fee for checking a second suitcase of the same weight will remain unchanged at $80.

Israir also shared that there will be a special promotional offer for travelers checking two suitcases, each weighing up to 23 kilograms, at a combined rate of $90. Meanwhile, checking in a suitcase weighing up to 30 kilograms (roughly 66 pounds) will now cost $65, a $5 increase from the previous rate of $60.

Fees associated with reserving seats in advance are also climbing. The cost of selecting a standard seat will increase to $18, up from $15, while choosing a preferred seat will now cost $55 instead of $50.

The airline noted that the new pricing will be in effect for tickets booked through its website, customer support center, or travel agencies, up to nine hours before the flight’s departure.

This adjustment represents Israir’s second fare increase within half a year. On January 1, the airline had previously upped the price for a carry-on from $18 to $20, the rate for two checked bags from $70 to $75, and the fee for a heavier bag (up to 30 kilograms) from $60 to $65.

{Matzav.com Israel}

One person has died and at least a dozen people were injured Sunday when a boat crashed into a ferry off the Memorial Causeway Bridge and then fled the scene, authorities said. The Clearwater Police Department posted on X that there were multiple injuries and the crash had been declared “a mass casualty incident” by the Clearwater Fire & Rescue Department due to the number of injuries. All of those injured were aboard the ferry. Police did not provide any information about the person who died. The ferry came to rest on a sandbar just south of the Memorial Causeway bridge and all patients and passengers have been removed. The U.S. Coast Guard said in a social media post that on-scene reports indicate that all 45 people on the ferry and all six people on the boat were accounted for. In an update on Monday morning, the Coast Guard said 12 people were taken to a local hospital. Sunday was the last day of the Sugar Sand Festival, a 17-day sand sculpting festival in Clearwater Beach. Police did not immediately provide any information about the boat that fled the scene. “All local hospitals have been notified. Multiple trauma alerts have been called with helicopters transporting two of the more seriously injured,” the post said. Videos on social media showed several first responders rushing to the scene with lights flashing. Police cautioned drivers to avoid Memorial Causeway. The Coast Guard said the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission will lead the investigation into the cause of the crash. (AP)

After enacting sweeping layoffs throughout federal agencies and slashing budgets for health care, welfare, and education, President Donald Trump’s Justice Department has turned its attention to Wikipedia, challenging its nonprofit status.

The Trump administration contends that the Wikimedia Foundation, which oversees Wikipedia, is allegedly being influenced by “foreign actors” and permits them “to manipulate information and spread propaganda to the American public.”

Last week, Wikimedia was served with a formal notice from Ed Martin, the acting U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia and a Trump appointee. In the letter, Martin accused the organization of failing to comply with the requirements necessary to maintain its tax-exempt status.

Martin, a veteran Republican political strategist, charged that Wikipedia enables foreign interference in editing historical accounts and American political biographies, among other actions he described as “subverting the interests of American taxpayers.” He argued that such “masked propaganda” fundamentally conflicts with Wikimedia’s stated educational goals.

Martin also alleged that Wikimedia’s leadership, being “composed primarily of foreign nationals,” compromises the interests of American taxpayers. He further suggested that the organization may be involved in activities that violate U.S. laws regulating nonprofit institutions.

The Justice Department’s letter demands detailed information and documentation regarding Wikipedia’s editorial practices and its safeguards against foreign meddling. Wikimedia must respond by May 15.

This escalation is seen as part of a larger push by the Trump administration and its supporters against platforms and institutions accused of harboring liberal biases. The Free Press, which first reported on the letter, noted that conservative criticism of Wikipedia has been building, given the site’s open editing model run by thousands of volunteers around the world.

In June 2024, a study by the conservative Manhattan Institute reported “suggestive evidence” that Wikipedia displayed a “slight to moderate” left-wing bias in its treatment of American public figures. Meanwhile, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has criticized Wikipedia for what it describes as significant antisemitic and anti-Israel biases, particularly following a downgrade of Israel-related topics’ credibility ratings.

A source close to Martin told the publication that Wikipedia edits concerning the Israel-Hamas conflict “are clearly targeted against Israel to benefit other countries.”

In a statement issued Friday, Wikimedia defended its operations, emphasizing that Wikipedia hosts over 65 million articles designed “to inform, not persuade.” The foundation highlighted that its editorial standards prioritize accuracy, fairness, and neutrality, and that roughly 260,000 volunteers contribute to maintaining those standards. “Our vision is a world where every person can freely share in the sum of all knowledge,” the statement said.

Molly White, a longtime Wikipedia editor and prominent American technology critic, commented Friday that Martin’s letter appears to reflect a broader attempt by the Trump administration and its allies to “weaponize the law” against independent, high-quality information sources.

Martin has employed similar tactics in other cases. In recent weeks, he has sent letters to several respected scientific journals, accusing them of political bias and shutting out “competing viewpoints” from publication.

Martin is also known for threatening legal actions against media outlets critical of personnel from the “Department of Government Efficiency,” a department led by Elon Musk. Musk, who owns X and Tesla, has been openly hostile toward Wikipedia, labeling it “Wokepedia” — a play on the slang word “woke” — and claiming that it serves as “an extension of legacy media propaganda.”

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu revealed on Sunday that Israel accelerated a critical operation against Hezbollah after receiving intelligence that three pagers sent from Lebanon were being analyzed in Iran.

During remarks at the Jewish News Syndicate conference in Yerushalayim, Netanyahu shared, “In the third week of September, we learned that Hezbollah had sent three pagers to Iran for scanning. I was told it would take them a day. I said: we need to act.”

Originally scheduled for October, the mission was fast-tracked. “We launched the campaign in Lebanon three weeks earlier than planned, while the military still needed time to prepare for war,” he said. “I told them to prepare for war immediately.”

Netanyahu described the choices Israel faced: they could either wait to see the outcome with the pagers, initiate a large-scale military offensive, or combine multiple strategies. He poked fun at one idea he dismissed as “conquering Bulgaria,” a mocking reference to what he said was a proposal from IDF officials to storm Beirut and overtake Lebanon.

Instead, Netanyahu explained that he opted for a different course of action: “target the ballistic missile stockpile that [Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah built over years inside private homes.”

He further revealed that Israel had attacked an explosive scanner that Iran intended to transfer to Lebanon to inspect the pagers. “We bombed the scanner,” Netanyahu said. “That’s how we confirmed they were sending the pagers to Iran for inspection.”

Netanyahu noted that to minimize civilian casualties, Israel interrupted Lebanese television broadcasts with warnings before launching airstrikes. “Within six to seven hours, we destroyed most of the weapons Nasrallah had stockpiled over 30 years,” he said. “Nasrallah counted on us not attacking homes — and he was right. But we did attack.”

He also disclosed that shortly after he finished his address at the United Nations, his military secretary passed him a slip of paper with the word “executed,” signaling the successful completion of the mission. “Eliminating Nasrallah broke the axis,” Netanyahu said, adding, “some people are irreplaceable — and so far, he has no replacement.”

Netanyahu said he had thought about informing the Americans beforehand but eventually decided not to. “[Former defense minister] Yoav Gallant and [former IDF chief of staff] Herzi Halevi were relieved when they realized I wasn’t going to,” he said sarcastically.

He continued, revealing that Israeli F-16s had been scrambled to intercept Iranian planes headed for Damascus in order to protect the Assad regime from collapse. “Without our help, Assad’s regime wouldn’t have fallen,” Netanyahu stated. He emphasized that Israeli forces had destroyed 90% of Iranian weapons smuggled into Syria to stabilize Assad’s rule.

Switching to the topic of Iran’s nuclear ambitions amid talks between Washington and Tehran, Netanyahu argued that only a full dismantling of Iran’s enrichment program would effectively prevent it from obtaining nuclear arms. “There are ways to achieve this: a deal that neutralizes their nuclear infrastructure,” he said.

He pointed out that Israel’s actions had set back Iran’s nuclear development by approximately ten years, although they had not completely eliminated the threat.

Netanyahu warned that Iran had achieved significant milestones in both uranium enrichment and weaponization technology. “It’s not enough to prevent enrichment — they must lose the capability altogether,” he stressed, saying that the destruction of centrifuges and the removal of enriched uranium from Iran were absolutely necessary.

He cautioned that any agreement permitting Iran to restart enrichment at a later stage would “lead to the opposite result.” Netanyahu underscored, “One way or another, Iran will not have nuclear weapons.”

The prime minister also attacked the Palestinian Authority, asserting that it shares Hamas’s ultimate goals. “Hamas says: we’ll destroy them militarily now. The PA says: we’ll push them back to the 1967 lines and then conquer them militarily,” Netanyahu said. “There’s no difference in approach between the Palestinian national movement before and after Israel’s founding.”

Rejecting the notion of creating a Palestinian state, Netanyahu called the idea “nonsense.” Referring to previous experience in Gaza, he said, “We tried that already.” He made clear that even if Hamas is defeated, Israel will not hand control of Gaza to the PA.

“Hamas won’t be there. But we’re not putting the PA there either,” Netanyahu declared. “Why replace one regime sworn to destroy us with another regime sworn to destroy us?” He made it clear that Israel intends to retain military control over Gaza after the fighting concludes.

Netanyahu reiterated Israel’s objectives in the current conflict: the eradication of Hamas and the safe return of all hostages. He firmly stated that these goals remained unchanged.

He also raised concerns about threats inside Israel itself, warning about entrenched bureaucratic elements that he said endanger democratic governance. “We have another front: the deep state,” he said. “Very deep, like the ocean. It threatens democracy and prevents citizens from forming governments that act on their behalf.” Netanyahu did not specify which agencies or entities he was referencing.

Earlier that day, Netanyahu welcomed a group of United Nations ambassadors from around the world to his Yerushalayim office, with Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon accompanying them.

According to Netanyahu’s office, the ambassadors — who hailed from Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America — received a comprehensive briefing from the prime minister regarding Israel’s diplomatic battles, its military actions in Gaza, the ongoing efforts to rescue hostages, and the broader fight against antisemitism.

{Matzav.com}

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar held a press conference in Jerusalem on Monday, addressing the hearing that began earlier in the day at the International Court of Justice regarding Israel’s obligations to facilitate aid to the Gaza Strip via international organizations, including the UN and UNWRA. Israel is facing claims that it violated international law by refusing to allow aid into the Gaza Strip until Hamas returns all the hostages. After Israel passed a series of laws last year banning the UNWRA from the country, the UN General Assembly requested that the ICJ issue an “advisory opinion” on Israel’s obligations regarding aid. Legal representatives of over 40 countries and international organizations are scheduled to argue against Israel before a full panel of 15 judges at a week of hearings. Although Israel is the focus of discussions, no Israeli representative will present its position at the hearing. Sa’ar convened a press conference for the foreign media to explain the reasons for this decision. Photos of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini were displayed on the stage next to the headline “J’Accuse” [“I Accuse”] – a reference to the famous letter written by the French writer Émile Zola following the Dreyfus affair in 1898. “At this very moment, the International Court of Justice is beginning deliberations in another shameful proceeding against Israel,” Sa’ar began. “This time, its ‘advisory opinion’  is sought regarding the matter of UNRWA, an organization infiltrated beyond repair by terrorism. Israel decided not to take part in this circus.” “It is another attempt to politicize and abuse the legal process to persecute Israel. The goal is to deprive Israel of its most basic right to defend itself. It is not Israel that should be on trial,” Sa’ar asserted: “It is the UN and UNRWA.” “The UN has become a rotten, anti-Israel, and antisemitic body. Clear evidence shows that under the UN and its Secretary-General, UNRWA employed terrorists who took an active part in the October 7th massacre. He then covered it up.” “This case is part of a systematic persecution and delegitimization of Israel. It is abusing the international legal system and politicizes it. No country—democracy or non-democracy—has been brought before the court as much, and as often, as Israel. No country is subject to such double standards. “Israel is a democratic country with a strong commitment to the rule of law, including international law. It has an independent judiciary and a robust military justice system. Its Attorney General is a participant in security cabinet meetings. Yet this is the fourth proceeding relating to Israel in the Court since the October 7th massacre!” “First, they used the court to spread the blood libel against Israel – that Israel is committing genocide. Second, they used the court to try to prevent Israel from obtaining the arms it needs to defend itself. Third, they tried to deny Israel’s historic right to its ancient land. They tried to determine that what they call an ‘occupation’ in our homeland is illegal. And now, they are abusing the court, once again, to try and force Israel to cooperate with an organization that is infested with Hamas terrorists.” “And it won’t happen! What do these have in common? An attempt to deny Israel its basic rights. Rights that every sovereign country has. Above […]

As pressure grows to get artificial colors out of the U.S. food supply, the shift may well start at Abby Tampow’s laboratory desk. On an April afternoon, the scientist hovered over tiny dishes of red dye, each a slightly different ruby hue. Her task? To match the synthetic shade used for years in a commercial bottled raspberry vinaigrette — but by using only natural ingredients. “With this red, it needs a little more orange,” Tampow said, mixing a slurry of purplish black carrot juice with a bit of beta-carotene, an orange-red color made from algae. Tampow is part of the team at Sensient Technologies Corp., one of the world’s largest dyemakers, that is rushing to help the salad dressing manufacturer — along with thousands of other American businesses — meet demands to overhaul colors used to brighten products from cereals to sports drinks. “Most of our customers have decided that this is finally the time when they’re going to make that switch to a natural color,” said Dave Gebhardt, Sensient’s senior technical director. He joined a recent tour of the Sensient Colors factory in a north St. Louis neighborhood. Last week, U.S. health officials announced plans to persuade food companies to voluntarily eliminate petroleum-based artificial dyes by the end of 2026. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called them “poisonous compounds” that endanger children’s health and development, citing limited evidence of potential health risks. The federal push follows a flurry of state laws and a January decision to ban the artificial dye known as Red 3 — found in cakes, candies and some medications — because of cancer risks in lab animals. Social media influencers and ordinary consumers have ramped up calls for artificial colors to be removed from foods. A change to natural colors may not be fast The FDA allows about three dozen color additives, including eight remaining synthetic dyes. But making the change from the petroleum-based dyes to colors derived from vegetables, fruits, flowers and even insects won’t be easy, fast or cheap, said Monica Giusti, an Ohio State University food color expert. “Study after study has shown that if all companies were to remove synthetic colors from their formulations, the supply of the natural alternatives would not be enough,” Giusti said. “We are not really ready.” It can take six months to a year to convert a single product from a synthetic dye to a natural one. And it could require three to four years to build up the supply of botanical products necessary for an industrywide shift, Sensient officials said. “It’s not like there’s 150 million pounds of beet juice sitting around waiting on the off chance the whole market may convert,” said Paul Manning, the company’s chief executive. “Tens of millions of pounds of these products need to be grown, pulled out of the ground, extracted.” To make natural dyes, Sensient works with farmers and producers around the world to harvest the raw materials, which typically arrive at the plant as bulk concentrates. They’re processed and blended into liquids, granules or powders and then sent to food companies to be added to final products. Natural dyes are harder to make and use than artificial colors. They are less consistent in color, less stable and subject to changes related to acidity, heat and light, Manning said. Blue is especially difficult. There aren’t many […]

The weeks since President Donald Trump returned to office have been a whirlwind of activity to show Americans that his administration is relentlessly pursuing his promises. With a compliant Republican-controlled Congress, Trump has had a free hand to begin overhauling the federal government and upending foreign policy. As Trump hits his 100th day in office Tuesday, his imprint is everywhere. But the long-term impact is often unclear. Some of the Republican president’s executive orders are statements of intent or groundwork to achieve what has yet to be done. On Day 1, for example, he declared an energy emergency to spur production. But he’s not promising a payoff until next year, when he told voters to count on a big drop in their utility bills. Trump’s goals occasionally conflict with each other. He promised both to lower the cost of living and to impose tariffs on foreign goods, which will most likely increase prices. Other issues are languishing. Very much unsettled is whether Trump has run up his scorecard lawfully. He has faced lawsuits over some of his actions, meaning much of what he’s done could be undone as cases play out. Here’s a look at where progress on his promises stands: He promised to be a price-dropper Inflation has been falling since a peak of 9.1% in 2022. It was at 3% in January, the month Trump was inaugurated, and 2.4% in March. “We already solved inflation,” Trump boasted. But the Federal Reserve warned that the president’s tariff plans will most likely lead to higher prices by taxing foreign imports. In addition, it’s unlikely Trump will manage to “pay off all our debt.” His plans for tax cuts would reduce revenue to cover the country’s bills. Besides, he made a similar pledge in 2016, and then the national debt ballooned during his first presidency. He’s cracked down on illegal immigration Trump has clearly made progress on a signature promise to control the border. The number of people trying to cross illegally into the U.S. from Mexico dropped steeply in President Joe Biden’s last year, from a high of 249,740 in December 2023 to 47,324 in December 2024. Under Trump, the numbers sank to only 8,346 in February and 7,181 in March. It’s unclear whether Trump is matching Biden’s aggressive deportation record last year — the numbers are not yet in. Meanwhile, Immigration and Customs Enforcement is arresting large numbers of people across the country. Many who assert their innocence have been deported without due process. The case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia is one of those hanging in the balance. He was deported to a Salvadoran prison despite having no criminal record and no hearing into whether he’s a gang member as alleged by the administration. He promised to slash energy bills In the campaign, Trump gave voters a pledge they’ll be able to judge for themselves, simply by looking at their utility bills. He promised to reduce their energy costs by half to three-quarters in 12 to 18 months. At times, he hedged: “If it doesn’t work out, you’ll say, ‘Oh, well, I voted for him, and he still got it down a lot.’” Other times, he didn’t hedge. “Under my plan, we will cut energy and electricity prices in half,” he told a Mint Hill, North Carolina, rally in September. He brought on the tariffs […]

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North Korea on Monday confirmed for the first time that it has sent troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine. U.S., South Korean and Ukraine intelligence officials have said that North Korea last fall dispatched about 10,000-12,000 troops to Russia. But North Korea hadn’t confirmed or denied its reported troop deployments to Russia until Monday. In a statement provided to North Korea’s state media, the North’s Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers’ Party said leader Kim Jong Un had decided to send combat troops to Russia under a mutual defense treaty. It cited Kim as saying that the troops’ deployment was meant to “annihilate and wipe out the Ukrainian neo-Nazi occupiers and liberate the Kursk area in cooperation with the Russian armed forces.” “They who fought for justice are all heroes and representatives of the honor of the motherland,” Kim said, according to the statement. In February, South Korea’s spy agency said North Korea appears to have sent additional troops to Russia, after its soldiers deployed on the Russian-Ukraine fronts suffered heavy casualties. In January, the NIS said about 300 North Korean soldiers had died and another 2,700 had been injured. Zelenskyy earlier put the number of killed or wounded North Koreans at 4,000, though U.S. estimates were lower at around 1,200. (AP)